More than just a holiday

It reads the angel said to the women do not be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here. He is risen just as he said come and see the place where he lied then go quickly and tell his disciples he has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you in tagali there. You will see him now I have told you

You know last week I talked about the significance of the Resurrection to our Christian faith, and we talked about the women and why they were going and just their amazement at what they saw when they got to the tomb until all the people.

I just want to make sure this week and to stress that point even more of the significance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ often as Believers and especially in the world were in right now. it's kind of given to us as an option that we know we can pick and choose which parts of the Bible We Believe which ones we think are true, which ones we think are just stories and You don't we don't want to think about her face that way cuz the thing is we can sing about the power of the blood of Jesus. But the power of the blood of Jesus has no power if it wasn't because of the resurrection and we have to see how all those things had to happen as they did in order to give us the hope that we have in our faith because yes, Jesus died for us on the cross he died because he willingly laid his life down there for us, but that loses its significance if we forget about or deny the truth that he was indeed Resurrected. You know, the church is supposed to continually Proclaim that to the world that we serve a risen savior that because he is a risen savior. He defeated sin and death and he now sits at the right hand of the father. Something that we sometimes look over as we focus on other things about her faith. Today we're going to look at the resurrection of Jesus and how it brought about a startling change in the direction of the faith of many of those who followed Jesus. So the first point is that the women came to the tomb?

I've never been a person who can remember what you're supposed to call stuff in English class. I was horrible at that. I could write a paper. No problem, but don't ask me what I just did is the preposition there and if we look at the direction of the preposition it's going towards the tomb right? So the language we see there and when we talked about it in scripture, you know, we talked last week about how the women came in love. They came also though and sadness and fear. They didn't know what was happening and came to more and that's why they came for pair the body as they did for burial. And that was the entire direction of their religion before they knew that Jesus had been raised from the dead. It was always towards the grave.

In the tomb which they thought held the body of Jesus that's where everything was focused at that time in their faith. Because they thought everything that they loved everything they've been a part of for the past couple years had suddenly came to an end. It all changed and when Jesus died on the cross. They thought everything ended with him.

And unfortunately that direction towards death is a direction that far too many Christians and far too many churches are still facing. Even though we know we serve a risen savior, even though we know that he has been Victorious over those things. We're still facing in the direction of the grave. You know, they know that only morning and Grayson uncertainty is the only thing that those churches of known as churches of went through challenging times. And I think this is even more true as churches have went through the difficulty of a year like 20 20 So many churches are struggling and suffering and as they look at that. They're filled with beer. Beer over what it's going to bring and I think their fear is probably much like the women as they went to the tomb on that morning. Put on that first Easter Sunday those women that visited the tomb had a dramatic shift in the direction of their faith.

You know is they arrived there? They heard the angels share the news with them of what had happened. They saw the evidence of what it happened. Mean the first thing was they were startled to see that that Mammoth stone that had covered the entrance of the tube had been rolled away. That was their major concern as they were walking their is how are we going to move that big old rock? But it was already moved away and then they have an angel appeared to them and say, you know as we read here this morning in Matthew 28:6. He is not here. He has risen just as he said come and see the place where he lay. You know our account we read Luke last week talked about how fearful the women work. And I said, well, I think any of us would have been in that boat when we if we're thinking our leader just died and we're coming to mourn him and to prepare his body for burial and we get there. He's not there that's startling enough, but then an angel appears to you and actually talks to you. And then the Angels instructions continue in the next verse. He said then go quickly and tell his disciples he has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you and to Galilee there. You will see him now. I have told you.

Me think about the amazing change of direction that just happened right there. What a change driven by the joyful news that those angels shared with them. If you look the preposition is now from the grave instead of to the Grave. Right that was part of the Angels instructions for them to go from there to the disciples.

So now the direction is suddenly shifted away from the tomb because the tomb is empty and has been stripped of all the power that death had over them. Direction is suddenly no longer towards the grave for Jesus risen from the dead and about to be going to be glorified at the right hand of the father. Now the direction change towards the Everlasting. Hope of eternal life and Victory. a total shift in Direction a total shift in perspective

And you know, that's why I thought about that. I thought if that is not. Just the simplest form of the message and meaning of Easter then I don't know. What is Because if that isn't the message of Easter, then the truth is that the Christian church is involved and just a shallow One Day Festival every year. We're we're intent to be dazzled by the fragrance of flowers. Brightly colored eggs way too much chocolate and way too much food with friends and family.

That's what I chose the title more than just a holiday. Because it's about more than all those things. We associate with Easter. It's about more than just the Easter Bunny. And the church has to have its priorities right and be explaining these things to people that the resurrection means so much to the church. Your Easter is not just another day on the church calendar. Not just something we celebrate and look forward to because all we know there's going to be lots of pretty flowers in church on that Sunday. We know it's going to all these things. That's not what's really there The Church Must recognize that the resurrection was only the beginning. Of a bath Outreach that has never ended and will not end until our Lord Jesus Christ comes back again.

That's what we need to be sharing. That's what we need to be realizing.

Because the Christian church is helpless and hopeless if it's trips itself of the reality of the Resurrection.

If we don't talk about how the resurrection isn't just something in a book that we as Christians called the Bible the resurrection actually happened. It's a historical event that happened.

And so much of our Christian faith is based upon that truth that it actually happened. We have to realize the significance of that that there was a real death that there was a real tomb that there was a real stone that blocks that entrance all those things we know. But praise God there was a sovereign heavenly father who was just carrying out his whole plan. Praise God that he had the wisdom to send that angel to move the stone because he knew that's what the women were going to be talking about the whole way there. Praise God that he sent those Messengers to tell the women what had happened when they were startled and didn't know. Praise God that there truly is. A risen savior who is in his glorified Heavenly form. And he was able to return and Proclaim to his disciples what we read in Matthew 28:18 says all authority in heaven and on Earth has been given to me.

you all too often as we talked about Jesus and we focus so much on the cross that it can cause us to get into this mindset where We see Jesus as a martyr where we see Jesus as a victim of his own Zeal and excitement a man who you know how to really good intentions, but in the end he was swallowed up by the sinfulness of the world around them. And yes, Jesus died for us but ever since the moment of his resurrection, he's been the mighty Jesus the mighty Christ the Risen Savior the mighty Lord. Cuz we have to realize that all the power doesn't lay with that baby in a Manger. All the power doesn't lie about the helpless man. Nailed to a cross. The real power lies within the man who was on that cross because he willingly gave his life that he willingly sacrificed himself for us. Who willingly went to the Grave so that he could have that opportunity? To descend into the depths of hell and defeat sin and death once and for all that's where the power of our faith really comes.

And that is how he know he could announce that all authority in heaven and on Earth has been given to me.

But when he made that announcement, what do you think he expected his followers to do. with that information

Did he say take that information that I have been given all authority over everything?

And go sit inside the four walls of your church. Sing a happy songs about it and encourage each other. No, that's one part of it. But if you go to the very next verse the answer is pretty plain. Jesus said therefore go.

You know in seminary I was told by one of my professors that every time in the Bible you see the word therefore you need to ask what it's there for right at the same thing.

Those we look at that, you know, it's the word that connects everything. And Jesus was given all authority. And so therefore we are to go.

In to evangelize and disciple and do all those things.

All the implications of the Resurrection add up to the fact that the Christian Church must be a missionary movement if it is to fill the expectations that Jesus had for his church. If we're just sitting not moving, we're not fulfilling that purpose if we're going to fulfill that purpose is to church. We have to make every effort that we can to reach Los people. That is only when the church is truly being the church.

you know, a lot of Christian homes have a little plaque they display that you know says the famous motto of surely. I Am With You Always to the end of the age. Probably do a show of hands and quite a few people would have that verse somewhere in their house around here.

But you know, that's only a partial quotation of the verse and when you only take part of the verse you leave some pretty Key Parts out of it because it's really important what that little part of the verse comes after. Cuz if you go back to what Jesus really said and all that Matthew 28 19 and 20 and since therefore go and make disciples of all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything. I have commanded you and surely I Am With You Always to the very end of the age. Tough question. What do we call that passage? Is anybody know?

I hear it speak up straight commission. Yes. Me listen to some of the synonyms that I looked up for the word commission. Some of the synonyms are task job work project Mission assignment undertaking Endeavor Duty chart responsibility or burden.

So when Jesus was talking about that. Mean to me he is literally saying that his presence is promised to the church that he's going to be there with you. He's going to give you the power you need to do those things.

Which if you remember that was teaching and preaching and making disciples, right? He's going to give you the power to do those things. If the church stays faithful to its missionary responsibilities and call it. Then Jesus will be there. Yeah, that's why I say that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is so much more than a holiday. It's so much more than colored eggs and getting together with friends and family and the Easter Bunny and all those things. We associate with it. When do we truly understand its significance?

It's probably kind of bad as long as I've been a Christian, but as I Was preparing for my message this week and I came across across the first part of scripture that I shared. You know where the angel is. Sharing that, you know know he is risen go and tell the disciples not be sad anymore. Be happy. He's risen. I don't know why it never dawned on me before that that is in the exact same chapter as the Great Commission.

Probably not an accident, you know as I thought about that. I think it's there because we need to see the link between the power of what happened in the resurrection. and the Great Commission

Do you think of all the missionaries that have served around the world all the churches all the things we've tried to do to fulfill the Great Commission and we're still trying.

But you know the way we will accomplishment is when we realize that all the power comes from Jesus for us to do that. And we have to realize that an important part of trusting that God is going to be with our church to do all those things is to continue to have that desire to reach the Lost. Does the Great Commission is telling us as the church to go into all the world reaching and teaching all nations, right? So we have to realize that the moral obligation of the resurrection of Christ is a missionary obligation. It means we need to be reaching out there. It's the responsibility and privilege of the church to be told that we need to be telling the story to other people that we need to be sharing the message of Jesus Christ of the Resurrection with other people. And I all of us have something that we can do to be a part of fulfilling the Great Commission. We all have some role that we can play either being personally engaged in it or financially engaged or some way in helping to complete the Great Commission. It's often puzzled me how Christian Believers, sometimes get so focused on other issues within the church or other things that the church is doing that somehow missions gets demoted back to this other place that well we need to do all of these things first, and then we'll get to that.

You know, we have to realize that God is always calling his church to do a both and type of thing that you can't truly successfully be doing the one without the other. do we have to realize that there is no power in the blood of Jesus there is no hope of fulfilling the Great Commission if we don't understand what happened at the resurrection if we don't truly believe that

I think the reason that we doubt things like that the reason that we put things like missions on the back burner as we have to realize that you know. The devil will do almost anything keep us from actually believing what we say, we believe.

I always think that his greatest weapon is fear and doubt.

You know as we look to do things and sometimes they're big things that we're trying to do for God. There's always that little voice in the back of your head. That's like a how you're not going to be able to pull that off. It's not going to happen. There's no way.

I don't know. I've read through the Bible several times. That doesn't sound like Jesus to me. I can't find one account in there where? If we're doing what God is calling us to do. That God tells the person you know what you're not going to get it done.

The only time we hear that sort of thing is when we're trying to do it without God. There's a lot of reminders in Scripture that your plans are going to fail if your plans are not God's plans.

So we need to keep that and you know all too often, you know as we get discouraged. What does that causes to do? It causes us to fall back into this position. We're essentially all that we do is we end up circling the wagons and just trying to protect what we got. I'm scared. I'm unsure so I'm just going to protect which is a good thing. But you know, then we sit around us the church and we wonder why we continue to see our society's morals. Just erode away. Just continue to get worse and worse.

And you know if I look through scripture. I realize that you know, yes, there are times when we are on the defensive is the church. But if you look at most of what Jesus is calling us to do. He's calling the church to be on the offensive.

We moving forward.

But somehow we've been led to believe and I believe it's by the deceit of the enemy. That we are not ever supposed to be the aggressors the ones who are aggressively moving forward who are aggressively proclaiming the gospel and who are aggressively trying to reach others with our faith.

We think well if we just show up every Sunday to church like we've always done church people are going to come. Oh, no, they're not.

And as I thought about that this week, I thought think about some of the other religions in the world.

How aggressive are they for their cause and in promoting their cause? or some of the other things we hear reported on the news that don't fit with our morals and beliefs as Christians, but how aggressive are those people in promoting their stance? Can you imagine if the church became that vocal about things? If we became that aggressive and proclaiming the gospel and moving forward. Yeah, we've made a lot of resistance. But that's where that first comes in. And surely I Am With You Always to the very end of the age. Jesus knew it was going to be tough. He knew it was going to get harder each and every day. But he will be with us. He will guide us.

So I think we need to understand that it's time for the Christian church to rise up and to be on the offencive proclaiming the truth of Our Risen Savior.

Part of that begins with us as a church all doing our parts to serve in different ways. Like I said those lists have been back there and there are some that haven't gotten any names on them yet. I would love to see some names there. Trust me the use of this church want to see somebody other than me and Bryce on a Sunday night. Anna's laughing cuz she's saying I'm speaking truth right now and saying that they want to see someone other than us. They want to see the others in their church are invested in their future. And it's my prayer that as we continue to move forward this year as we continue to put these teams together that our faith will be ignited in that fire that we've had as a church in the past will return. As we continue to move forward. In all that God is calling us to do.

You instead of standing by and watching it's time for us to go on the offensive when we have to remember that. I'm reminded of it every Wednesday night when I'm here and seems like we pick up but cater to every week. I'm reminded on Sunday nights when the youth are here and more kids keep coming for that to that. There's definitely a need and a desire within our community. And what are we going to do about it?

But we have to do is proclaim the truth and the power of Our Risen Savior. Please pray with me.

Heavenly father as we come to you today Lord. We thank you for the many blessings that you give us. And Lord, I pray that you will help each of us 2. Have the strength to do the Bold things that you're asking us to do to have the courage to step out in Faith Lord. Knowing that you will be with us and Lord to realize that. a big part of the Resurrection is not charged to all of us to go and tell everyone the good news.

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