A New Life - Easter 2022

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time

INTRODUCTION/THE MESSAGE OF EASTER

EVERY HOLIDAY, BELOVEDS, HAS A MESSAGE AMEN? THE MESSAGE OF MEMORIAL

DAY IS THANK YOU TO THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE DIED FOR OUR COUNTRY.

THE MESSAGE OF MOTHER’S DAY IS MAMA

THE MESSAGE OF FATHER’S DAY IS DADDY

THE MESSAGE OF JULY 4th IS THE UNITED STATES INDEPENDENCE FROM ENGLAND

THE MESSAGE OF CHRISTMAS IS EMMANUEL, GOD WITH US & THE BIRTH OF JESUS

CHRIST

THE MESSAGE OF GOOD FRIDAY IS FOUND IN 2 CORINTHIANS 5:21

2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might

become the righteousness of God.

AND ON THAT DAY, JESUS PAID THE FULL PRICE FOR US, ONE AND ALL, FOR ONCE

AND ALL....JESUS DIED FOR OUR SINS......

EASTER DAY IS ABOUT GOING TO THE TOMB, BELOVEDS

THE MISSION OF EASTER

OUR HIGHEST HOLY DAY OF THE CHRISTIAN YEAR, EASTER, BELOVEDS IS A

CELEBRATION OF HIGHEST PROPORTIONS......IT IS THE GOOD NEWS THAT DEATH IS

NOT THE END FOR US.....JUST LIKE IT WASN’T THE END FOR JESUS.....YES, THE

WOMEN WENT TO THE TOMB, BELOVEDS, AND THE STONE WAS ROLLED AWAY AND

WE KNOW NOW WHAT THEY LEARNED THEN, HE IS RISEN, HE IS RISEN, HE IS RISEN

INDEED........

TODAY, IS THE CELEBRATION OF OUR SAVIOR, THE BRIGHT MORNING STAR, THE LILY

OF THE VALLEY, THE ONE WHO IS HEAVEN’S WELCOMING HEARTH FOR US, HE’S THE

LIGHT IN THE WINDOW, THE STEAMING BREAD PREPARED TO GIVE SUSTENANCE

AND ENERGY TO ALL WHO TRUST HIM AND COME TO HIM........

OUR EASTER FAITH RECOGNIZES THAT GOOD FRIDAY MAY SAY PERIOD BUT GOD WILL

REPLACE THE PERIOD WITH A COMMA. GRAMMATICALLY A PERIOD MEANS A

SENTENCE IS OVER, FINISHED, STOPPED, ENDED, DONE. BUT WE KNOW A COMMA

ALLOWS FOR A PAUSE, BECAUSE THERE’S MORE TO COME....

DR HOWARD THURMAN IN ONE OF HIS SERMONIC MEDITATIONS CALLED, “THE

GROWING EDGE” TELLS US:

ALL AROUND US WORLDS ARE DYING AND NEW WORLDS ARE BEING BORN; ALL

AROUND US LIFE IS DYING AND LIFE IS BEING BORN. THE FRUIT RIPENS ON THE

TREE; THE ROOTS ARE SILENTLY AT WORK IN THE DARKNESS OF THE EARTH.

AGAINST THE TIME WHEN THERE SHALL BE NEW LEAVES, FRESH BLOSSOMS,

GREEN FRUIT. SUCH IS THE GROWING EDGE...

THIS EASTER DAY, BELOVEDS, WHERE ARE YOUR GROWING EDGES IN YOUR

SPIRITUAL WALK WITH THE GOOD LORD? WHERE IS NEW LIFE BEING BORN IN YOU?

THE METHOD OF EASTER

A NEW LIFE IS POSSIBLE THIS EASTER, BELOVEDS, TODAY WE TAKE ST. PETER AS OUR

CASE IN POINT…AMEN. ON JESUS’ WORST NIGHT OF HIS LIFE, ST. PETER WAS WITH

THE DISCIPLES WHO FLED.....JESUS, ARRESTED ON TRUMPED UP CHARGES AND

PETER STRUGGLING WITH JESUS’ PREDICTION PETER WOULD DENY HIM AND FLEE...

BUT THAT WASN’T THE END OF PETER’S STORY, PRAISE GOD......THAT FIRST EASTER

MORNING WHEN THE WOMEN WENT TO THE TOMB ST. LUKE RECORDED THIS SCENE

WITH ST. PETER INCLUDED.....NOTICE HOW HIS TRADEMARK ENERGY RETURNED:

Luke 24:1–12 (ESV)

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the

spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but

when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were

perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as

they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them,

“Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.

Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must

be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day

rise.” And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all

these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and

Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told

these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they

did not believe them. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in,

he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had

happened.

THAT RUNNING ST PETER WAS PREPARING FOR HIS NEW LIFE.....A LIFE OF

ABUNDANCE IN THE FORGIVENESS HE WAS GOING TO RECEIVE FROM CHRIST IN THE

RESURRECTION......ABUNDANCE IN THE FAITHFULNESS HE WOULD SHOW…

ABUNDANCE EVEN IN THE ENCOURAGEMENT IN HIS LETTER AS IT SOUNDED SO

MUCH LIKE ST PAUL IN IT’S GREETING

1 Peter 1:3–5 ESV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

IN OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST THERE IS MERCY, IN OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST WE ARE

BORN AGAIN.....IN OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST WE HAVE A LIVING HOPE.....AND OUR

INHERITANCE IS SURE, BELOVEDS....

THE MOXIE OF EASTER

WHERE DO WE SEE ST. PETER LIVING OUT HIS NEW LIFE IN SCRIPTURE? CHECK HIM

OUT IN THE BOOK OF ACTS, AMEN? CHRIST BLESSED HIM WITH MOXIE TO THE

MAX!!! IT WAS ST. PETER WHO TOOK ON THE LEADERSHIP OF THE APOSTLES AFTER

CHRIST’S ASCENSION....IT WAS ST. PETER WHO RECOMMENDED THE REPLACEMENT

FOR JUDAS THE TREASURER DISCIPLE WHO BETRAYED JESUS.....IT WAS ST. PETER

WHO PREACHED AND THOUSANDS CAME TO CHRIST........IT WAS ST. PETER WHO

HEALED THE MAN WHO HAD BEEN LAME FROM BIRTH WITH THE WORDS:

Acts 3:2–7 (ESV)

And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of

the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the

temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive

alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” And he

fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter

said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of

Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” And he took him by the right hand and

raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.

ST PETER WAS READY, WILLING AND ABLE TO TAKE HIS FAITH TO THE NEXT LEVEL

AFTER THAT FIRST EASTER.....WILL THIS EASTER HELP YOU LIVE OUT YOUR NEW LIFE

BELOVED?

CONCLUSION

MY FRIEND UNITED METHODIST PREACHER, REV STEVE GOODIER DESCRIBED IN A

NUTSHELL THE NEW LIFE I PRAY WE WILL LEAVE THIS EASTER LIVING, CELEBRATING

AND SHARING THE LIGHT OF CHRIST WITH ALL WHO WILL RECEIVE IT....HE WROTE:

THE WORLD CAN USE MORE LIGHT AND LESS NOISE. MORE SOLVERS AND FEWER

BLAMERS. MORE FOLKS SHOWING A BETTER WAY AND FEWER FOLKS

COMPLAINING ABOUT HOW MUCH BETTER THINGS USED TO BE. MORE FOLKS

OFFERING HELP AND FEWER FOLKS WRINGING THEIR HANDS ABOUT THE

PROBLEMS. MORE HOPE BRINGERS AND FEWER HOPE KILLERS.....

WILL YOU BE A HOPE BRINGER THIS EASTER DAY?

WILL YOU STRIVE TO MAKE A WAY THOUGH OTHER SAY THERE IS NO WAY?

WILL YOU GIVE LIFE ABUNDANT ANOTHER CHANCE TO BREAK THROUGH BECAUSE

WE SERVE A RISEN SAVIOR WHO’S IN THE WORLD TODAY?

BEFORE I CLOSE, BELOVEDS, I WANT TO GIVE YOU A PRAYER.....A PRAYER ON THIS DAY

OF CELEBRATION AND AFFIRMATION.....IT’S A PRAYER FOR THOSE WHO MAY SAY, I’VE

BEEN SERVING GOD A LONG TIME, GOD’S ALREADY IN MY HEART.....MY LIFE IS

ALREADY COMMITTED TO THE WAY AND WILL OF JESUS......I’M OKAY JUST LIKE I AM....

I’M GRATEFUL TODAY TO THE REVEREND TED LODER WHOSE PRAYER WE LAY BEFORE

THE THRONE OF GRACE FROM THE HEART:

O HOLY ONE, I AM DISTRESSED AT HOW SLOWLY, IF AT ALL, I AM BEING MADE NEW.

HOW LONG MUST I PUT UP WITH ME, OR HOW LONG MUST YOU? I WONDER INTO

SIGHING AND GROPE FOR A LONGER VIEW

WHEN EVERYTHING SEEMS TO CHANGE BUT ME, EASE MY PEEVISH SELF

PUNISHMENTS THAT PROUDLY LACK ALL SENSE OF YOU, AND THROW ME THE

MANTLE OF YOUR MERCY, THAT I MAY BE MORE HONEST AND MORE GENTLE WITH

MY DELUDED GRASPING SELF.....

SCALE MY EYES TO SEE AFRESH, GLADDEN MY SPIRIT TO EMBRACE THE SMALL YET

CRITICAL, SLOW YET CUMULATIVE CHANGES I HAVE NURTURED , AND BEEN

RENEWED BY, OVER MY SEASONS, AND OPEN MY HEAD TO UNDERSTAND, MY HEART

TO TRUST THAT MY WILLINGNESS TO STRUGGLE MAKES ME WONDROUS, MY REACH

TOWARDS YOU IS YET YOUR GIFT TO ME, AND THE ONE THING I CAN BRAVE TO DO

BETTER THAN ANYONE IS TO KEEP SEEKING, FAITHFULLY, MY TRUEST SELF WITH

YOU.....

THERE IS NEW LIFE, BELOVEDS, IN THE LOVE GOD…THE LOVE WE KNOW IN CHRIST

JESUS.....GOD’S LOVE LIVES ON. IT CAN’T BE STOPPED. DEATH CAN’T WIN BUT GOD

WINS. THANK GOD THAT GOD’S DIVINE LOVE NEVER DIES!! GIVE THANKS TO THE

LORD FOR GOD IS GOOD....THIS EASTER DAY WE REMEMBER AND WE CELEBRATE

THAT CHRIST IS THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH AND THE GIVER OF NEW

LIFE....THE NEW LIFE HE’LL GIVE TO YOU.........LET US PRAY

God’s love lives on. It can’t be stopped. It won’t be stopped. Death can’t win but God wins. Thank God that his love never dies! “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.” In other words, on Easter, remember that “the Lord reigns”

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