Risen to New Life

Welcome

He is risen!

Welcome to Hockinson Community Church, I’m Shaun, the senior pastor here at HCC.

I want to welcome you this morning to a very special service as we celebrate not only the resurrection of Jesus our king, but the beginning of new life in Christ with those who have chosen to take the first step of following Jesus in baptism.

For those who call HCC home, this Sunday will flow a little different than usual, we are keeping the kids in the service, though there is a volunteer team ready for nursery duty if needed. (have them stand, give instruction)

Let me pray as we begin our Resurrection day celebration service.

Pray

Sermon

I once heard a story about a Sunday school teacher who asked her class what Easter was all about.

One student raised his hand and declared: Egg salad sandwiches for the next week!

Other kids mentioned egg hunts and bunnies and going to church, A few mentioned the resurrection of Jesus, but the question can still be asked:

What does it mean? What changed in the world because of what we celebrate on Resurrection Sunday? What changed for me? What changed for you?

Does it change the way you live? Does it change the priorities in your life?

Even people who believe Jesus rose from the grave on the third day have trouble expressing what it really means that he did. So whether you are a follower of Jesus or here searching this morning, I want to take you back to that first Easter morning-resurrection Sunday when Jesus appeared to his followers and we will examine significance and the difference it makes.

Will you read with me from John, Chapter 20:19-22 and 30-31

John 20:19-22 CSB

“When it was evening on that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because they feared the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” Having said this, he showed them his hands and his side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you.” After saying this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

John 20:30-31 CSB

“Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

Here is what we see there is that

Because He Rose

I Have Peace -

Listen again

John 20:19 “When it was evening on that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because they feared the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you.””

The first words of Jesus to his gathered disciples?

Peace

Here’s the trouble with language, especially when you have to translate: And when we hear peace, we hear something that is incomplete when compared to the meaning conveyed here.

So much more than calm. Not a situational peace, not circumstantial peace,

Paul calls it a “Peace that passes understanding” in his letter to the Philippian church.

It’s a word that means complete, whole, fulfilled, fully connected, fully integrated, Not only with ourselves and others…but with God

From the beginning the Bible tells us that we have chosen rebellion against God. We started a war we could not win. Taking life and love rather than giving the way God intended. Not a life in partnership and joy with God, but a life in opposition.

That sin, that broken relationship was something that had to be repaired, but we were unable. We could not be good enough, we couldn’t even within ourselves even desire a right relationship with God.

The story of the bible is one of God coming to us, to his enemies, to unfaithful men and women and loving us anyway. In the death of Jesus, God took the punishment for sin upon himself, and in the resurrection he invites us to join him in eternal life, full life, complete life…

not a promise for beyond the grave, but for today, that today we can have eternal life, complete life, a life at peace with God, with others and even ourselves.

But more than that, Becuase He Rose...

I Have A Purpose -

Pay attention to this next thing he says:

John 20:21 “Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you.””

Throughout our lives we ask the questions, “Where did I come from, why am I here, and where am I going?”

Science wrestles with the first question, philosophy wrestles with the second, but only Jesus claims to be the answer to all three.

The reason these answers have puzzled people for so long is that we start in the wrong place. Us. We ask self-focused questions.

“What do I want to be?” “What should I do with my life?” But focusing on ourselves doesn’t bring out the real purpose behind it all.

Because ultimately…it’s not about you. It’s about Him. God created us in His image, to be his representatives in this creation. To love, to give, to bring his peace to the chaos of creation.

Jesus came and lived that complete, loving life. He gave to the point of death for us to have life.

He showed us what one who bears God’s image ought to be.

Now as God sent him, he sends us. To love the broken hearted, to bring freedom to those captive in sin, to share the love, the life, the peace we have received with those around us.

Hear this clearly: It is not the pastor’s privilege to share the gospel and serve the world and the church. That is for each person who follows Jesus, every member a minister, ever person one part of a body sent to a world in need of God’s grace, hope, life, and that complete peace offered in the resurrection of Jesus.

We have peace, we have a purpose, but more, because He Rose:

I Have A Promise -

This statement is not from Jesus, but from the writer, as he draws this story of the life and ministry of Jesus to a close he says that Jesus did many more things, he spoke many more things:

John 20:31 “But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

But these were written so...

I think of other things John wrote down about Jesus.

John 3:16 “For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

John 10:10 “A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.”

We have a promise of life. Not just that we get to go to heaven, This is not a promise of harps on clouds or an alternative to the fire. This is a promise of life in abundance today. Of eternal life today. And that life so unstoppable that in the same way it could not hold Jesus, his life in us means it cannot hold us.

Though we will die and our bodies will go into the ground, our life endures!

In his novel the Last Battle, CS Lewis tries to capture what that day will be like when we enter God’s kingdom in glory. He pictures a never ending country where every step is further on and further in closer to Jesus, where every breath is joy and the troubles which distract and disrupt us here are no more. Where our pull toward rebellion, sin, finally has it’s last word and is no more, no more internal division, no more grief, no more sorrow, no more pain.

And in the resurrection we have this assurance!

Paul, who wrote much of the new testament makes two statements I want to leave you with;

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 CSB “For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,”

The most important thing, in life, in belief, in defining who you are, what you are for, and where you are going is that Christ, Jesus died for our sins, that he was buried and that on the third day he rose… All as God promised in the scriptures.

The reason for that is summarized in this statement from his letter to Roman Christians:

Romans 6:5-6 CSB “For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin,”

Transition -

Jesus called us to a practice that represents this uniting with him in his death, a symbol where we proclaim that our old life, the one in rebellion against God was crucified with Christ, so sin would have no power. And because we are united with him in his death, we are united with him in HIS eternal, full, complete life.

We call this practice baptism. Nothing magic or mystic about the water. It comes from the hose. But the action is a way of declaring our unification with Jesus not only in his death, but in his life.

Jesus tells the church to share the good news, to teach people this new life and then to baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

In the same way a marriage is more important than the wedding, this is simply the moment of public declaration of choosing to love and follow Jesus.

This morning, we have the joy and privilege of sharing in that moment with several people. This morning Right now, I want to ask them to get themselves ready and if they aren’t already and then come forward.

As they prepare, I would offer this invitation:

If this morning you know it is time for you to place your trust in Jesus as your savior, time to identify with his death and resurrection and begin living in eternal life, there is room and time for you to be baptized this morning as well. As the others come forward, will you come? Jesus offers the invitation for you too to come and have life.

Music, change, get in

Baptism

As each one of these come forward, I’m going to ask them a couple questions.

1. Why do you come to be baptized today. They won’t tell their whole story, but simply a statement of why now.

2. I will ask them if they believe Jesus is the Messiah, the son of God, that he died for their sins, that he rose again, and do they surrender to him as Lord and savior.

I will then baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Buried with Christ and raised to walk in new life.

Rededication

WOW! That was amazing. I am beaming.

God’s word says that when even one sinner repents and turns to God the angels in heaven rejoice…What kind of party must be going on up there right now!

But before we enter our time of worship in song, I want to extend another invitation. This one to the Christ-follower who has recognized, maybe this morning, maybe it’s been building for some time, that though you have believed, you have let your love for Jesus grow dim.

Your life has begun to reflect the world around you more than the life and peace Jesus offers.

Maybe you have become rigid and legalistic, believing well, but loving little.

Maybe you have been hurt by the church and it made you question everything about God, but God hasn’t let you go and today you are ready to return, not because the church won’t hurt…there’s people in here…but because of the life and peace of Jesus that allows us to love and be loved in our imperfections.

Maybe it’s different than that. Maybe you just know you have not been walking with Jesus as he called you to, you have not been obedient to his purposes, you have simply gone through the motions for too long.

For these, we want to extend a different invitation.

In John 13, Jesus serves his disciples by washing their feet. This was an embarrassing position for them. The person lowest on societies ladder was supposed to do this, but Jesus, their Lord and teacher gets down to do it for them.

Peter refuses to let him, Jesus tells him that if he won’t allow Jesus to serve, he can’t be a part of what Jesus is doing.

So Peter responds: John 13:9 “Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.””

But Jesus says this: John 13:10 ““One who has bathed,” Jesus told him, “doesn’t need to wash anything except his feet, but he is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you.””

For you, today is not about being clean. You have already made the choice to surrender, today is about allowing Jesus to renew and refresh your faith by allowing him to serve you.

As a symbol of that, I would ask you to allow us to simply wash your feet. You do not have to jump through a hoop or accomplish a mighty feat to return to following Jesus. Instead, will you let Jesus, through his church, serve you.

I’ll invite you to come and sit in this chair, and allow us to pour water over your feet and dry them with a towel as a reminder of Jesus’ great love for you.

Will you come?

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May 22nd