Something Important Is Going On Series

INTRODUCTION:

As I was preparing for this Resurrection Sunday Sunrise service, the question that kept coming to my mind was: “Why in the world would someone want to get up so early on this Sunday morning?” And then the answer came to me people get up early when there is something very important going on. If you a fisherman and you think today is the day that the fish will be biting, you are going to get up early to be on the water by sunrise. You will get up early to get a head start on the traffic as you head out for a vacation that you have been looking forward to. You will get early to pick up a friend or a relative at the airport who took the morning red eye flight so that they can come visit you. It must be something important to get us moving before sunrise.

And so, the fact that so many of you are here this Sunday Sunrise morning tells me that this Sunday is different than any other Sunday. This Sunday is important. Something important is going on. Certainly, it was important to Jesus because on Resurrection Sunday some 2,000 years ago because the grave could not hold Him. He won victory over death. But we also won: his victory resulted in our victory. And so, this morning is important to us because we are rejoicing in all the great benefits His victory had provided for us. And so, in this sermon, I want to remind you of some of those great benefits- some we may tend to forget about as we go through our daily lives.

READING

Mark 16:1-8 (NKJV)

1 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.

2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.

3 And they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?"

4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away--for it was very large.

5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.

6 But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.

7 But go, tell His disciples--and Peter--that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you."

8 So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

POINT #1

SOMETHING IMPORTANT IS GOING ON THIS SUNDAY AND IT SHOULD REMIND US THAT EVERY SUNDAY WE SHOULD GATHER TOGETHER NOT SETTLING FOR THE ORDINARY BUT EXPECTING THE EXTRAORDINARY.

In our Scripture, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome are going to anoint Jesus’ body. This is probably something that these three women have done many times before maybe for a family member or a friend who had passed away.

We are told in Luke 23 verses 55-56 that these women followed Joseph to see where they laid Jesus’ body so that they would know the location of the tomb for when they return on that Sunday morning with the spices and perfumes that they prepared, so they can give Jesus a proper burial.

The Scripture doesn’t say that when the women went home, they called someone to see how to prepare the spices or perfumes. The Scripture does not say that they consulted a book as to how to prepare the spice and perfumes. These women had the spices and perfumes and knew what to do with them because they done it before. They knew what to prepare and they knew what to expect when they returned to anoint the body. No surprises, they have done it before. But this Sunday is different; instead of the ordinary, they encountered the extraordinary- an empty tomb.

If you have been to church any at Bala Chitto, you know what to expect. Our choir will do an opening song, followed by Bro Greg’s announcements, two songs and offering, special music, sermon and then an invitation. We come every Sunday expecting the ordinary. But you know what? This day, Resurrection Sunday, reminds us that we should never come to church expecting the ordinary. The women should have never gone to the grave expecting the ordinary because Jesus told them before His death the grave could not hold him. We should never come to Bala Chitto expecting the ordinary because Jesus tells us where two or more or gathered there I am in your midst.