April 17th, 2022 SUNDAY MESSAGE
JOIN US AT 8:30 + 10:30 AM TODAY!
Transcription Notes:
Welcome again and thanks for being here with us as we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ!
As a church family, we’ve been working our way through the idea of Righteous Resistance from the scriptures.
Essentially, we wanted to see moments of RR in biblical history, and even compare it to modern day moments (like the Civil Rights Movement) so that we can learn from it and apply it in our lives today.
We’ve looked at many examples: Vashti Esther, Rahab, Shadrach, Meshach and abednego, and many more!
And as the narrative of the Bible continues, we arrive at Jesus’ life and provide example after example of a beautifully, righteous, resistant, life even unto death denying the temptation to succumb to the world's power by choosing death on a cross.
…and THIS decision CHANGES EVERYTHING!! Because, it sets the stage for a new way of life, a new definition for power, and a new kind of triumph!!
One of the few things that all of humanity shares in common no matter who you are or where you come from is the reality of death and our own mortality…
Open your bible to Matthew 28…
Matthew 28:1-10
28 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
Imagine the tone of that day as these two women are approaching the tomb and experiencing despair on a few different levels, the death of their friend, the loss of their rabbi, and the end of their revolution…
The deep sorrow of losing a loved one holds a sharp sting that cannot be shaken in these few hours
His death - a cruel and impassioned murder of horrific proportions.
Their teacher, Rabbi Yeshua, who invited them: “COME and FOLLOW HIM” as he proclaimed a new “good news” in the face of the powers of that day:
Rome and Greece to have the good news of technology, education, military might, philosophical enlightenment, Jesus brought the Kingdom of Heaven
…and His voice has been silenced by the EMPIRES which He RESISTED.
Doubt creeps in and thoughts that maybe Jesus didn’t have the best way to live.
Finally, their membership in the revolution - the Kingdom of Heaven - which was supposed to usurp the current regimes and establish a new heaven and new earth - a season of milk and honey…seemed to have been CRUSHED under foot of the enemy.
Stamped into the ground like a faded dream along with a long line of previous would-be revolutionaries.
ALL OF THESE THINGS HAVE BEEN ENDED with the ULTIMATE LAST WORD: DEATH!!
Their despair is felt on EVERY level of EVERY new way in which they have REARRANGED their lives because, in faith, they trusted that this person was TRULY the son of God and now He is dead.
BUT, as the day moved forward, the stone rolled back…and didn’t just roll back smoothly. There was a display of power because accompanying this moment is VIOLENT EARTHQUAKE as God’s creation the earth shook and brilliant light flashed like lightning to reveal NOT the risen Christ, NOT the main attraction, NOT the headliner of the show but a mere hype man!!
Just a messenger, an angel, whose existence is a MERE BYPRODUCT of the glory of God BUT whose appearance was so overwhelming that the guards, who are probably battle-hardened soldiers, are afraid because they have never witnessed anything like this and think they are going to die!!
…this forerunner - the angel of God - has everybody's attention as he turns to speak to the women who have come to anoint the body of Jesus. THEY JUST WANT TO MINISTER TO JESUS…
As Pastor Ken said, the Resurrection isn’t just a historic reality, it empowers us for resistance against death!
1. FIRST, its strength and resilience through the darkness, and
2. SECOND, it pulls us out of the darkness and commissions us as Righteous Resistors in the world.
It’s here that we are called to redeem death in all that we do and turn this earth into a place that looks more like Jesus intended.
3. But THIRD, even though death is the common denominator between us.
The GOOD NEWS of the resurrection is that death doesn’t have the final word, death doesn’t get to be the end of their friend, their rabbi, or their revolution AND
It doesn’t have to be the final word in our lives today
because the resurrection proclaimed “DEATH IS DEAD!”
As we end today, I want to share a story from a late pastor named Buddy Hoffman:
We shouldn’t normalize death as if it was meant to be, Death is an unnatural part of God’s plan for life.
He did not create the garden of eden with death in mind, that was added as a part of the sin HUMANITY ushered into the world
God HATES death
…this is what happened…
Buddy Hoffman’s story about death.
Two glasses of wine in and Buddy tells me..
“I get that all things work together for the good of those who love Him…
I get that He is sovereign
but sometimes we use that as an excuse to GIVE IN TO DEATH TOO EASILY
…YOUNG MAN, YOU LISTEN TO ME
God HATES death.
He hates it so much that He sent His only son to the cross so He could KILL it forever.”
We were born into a world with death and sin but God doesn’t leave us there:
Stop succumbing to it
Stop agreeing with it
Stop embracing it”
The resurrection was the ULTIMATE RIGHTEOUS resistance. By sharing in the cross, we share the power of the resurrection!!
Go out and know that you have the power to overcome things you once thought were insurmountable.
Go out knowing that you can bring the ministry of life into death:
Reconciling brokenness and
Speaking hope into despair
It is here that we are sent into the world to live in a way that preaches life from your relationships to your careers
Educating as teaching
Healing as doctors/nurses
Creating a redeemed economy as Business people, marketers, and financiers
Bringing beauty artists and architects
Coaching athletes but teaching life lessons to the next generation
You bring LIFE into all that you do and the world will begin to look like Jesus designed it to be
And we keep working until the fullness of resurrection comes and we experience the new heavens and new earth.
COMMUNION:
(1 COR. 11:23B-26)
“The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
PRAYER REQUESTS:
We are hosting prayer team meetings for both the congregation at large and individuals to sign up for individual prayer.
SUGGESTIONS FOR WORSHIP:
“Praise & Worship” Spotify playlist and “Praise & Worship” YouTube playlist (slightly different from each other), both of diverse music that are being constantly updated!
Bethel Music :
Bethel Music’s hours of live music YouTube Playlist, also being constantly updated
Bethel provides chords to most (if not all) of their songs here (just have to register email, but free!)
Live worship moments from the Upper Room YouTube Playlist
Journal writing! (I’m a writer too, so sometimes creative writing and writing my thoughts to God is my form of worship.)
Declare and worship with truth by singing and praying scriptures.
WORSHIP NIGHT! Dedicate a night to worship with friends and family, your house church or neighbors, those who need prayer, love worship, or just enjoy music through a video chat platform like Zoom. You can have one person leading at a time (switching off to whoever else wants to lead) while others sing along, pray, or prophesy, etc.
Serving your community, both online, in person, or both, is a great way to worship God, from spreading encouragement and God’s Word online to physically serving food to others. If you are able to go out and serve, click here for opportunities.
COMMISSIONING:
As Jesus said in John 20:21,
"Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."
Go, be the Church!
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Amen.