Easter Series

Alright, let’s give it up one more time for the band. That was incredible. So does this really count as church? Yes. Why did we do that song, because the question is not will we face mountains the question is how are we going to face them and that song accurately captures how so many of us are trying to do that. Though I keep searching for an answer. I never seem to find what I’m looking for. So, here I go again on my own, running down the only road I’ve ever known. Like a drifter I was born to walk alone. It’s not really working out so well for a lot of us and I think we should talk about that. But before we do that, good morning, happy Easter to you and welcome to this place that we call DCC. We are so pumped, jazzed, and excited that you are here. So whether your mom made you, your girlfriend threatened you, a friend tricked you, you thought this was Rocky Mountain Cavalry, or you were on your way to the Walmart Market and we waved you into the parking lot, we are glad that you are here. You have walked into a place full of people who have all made mistakes, hurt people, been hurt by people, have things in their lives that they wish they could delete, erase, change or do-over, people who have things in their lives that they hope to, want to, and need to overcome, a place full of people just like you. So thanks for taking a chance on us and welcome to you if you are new and to all of our online friends out there right now too.

ILLUST> A few weeks back on a Friday night I came home and our two daughters that still live at home both had plans so Stacy and I talked about going out for a date night dinner but decided instead that we were too tired to mess with going out so we settled in for a night at home alone. Now that sounds really romantic, a little smooth jazz music, a little wine, some great conversation, gazing into each other’s eyes, being totally and completely present and available. Nah, we watched the movie the Patriot. If you haven’t seen it, it’s the story of Benjamin Martin, a colonial farmer during the Revolutionary War whose two sons are murdered by the same evil British officer. So he leads a group of rag tag militia against the British forces and ultimately squares off face to face with the man who killed both of his sons. Just as you think he is going to be killed in the fight, he drives a knife through the British Officer’s throat. At that moment, my girl says YES and nearly jumped off the couch. I just looked at her and smiled.

So what is that? That’s hard core, that’s not right, that’s just wrong, that’s unchristian, that’s not what pastor’s wives are supposed to do. ANK…wrong answer. What is that? Answer, that’s my girl and in some ways that is every single one of us sitting here in this room today too. See, we may not love the violence of the Patriot but we all love the story of the underdog that overcomes. We all love a good against all odds, rags to riches, Cinderella type story. Why is that? Answer, because they resonate with our own stories and stir hope that maybe that story can be my story too. So I may not know you but here is what I know about you. There are challenges, problems, issues, mountains, things in your life and story that you hope to, want to, and need to overcome. Me too.

So we have been talking about overcoming for a few weeks now and we are going to do that for a few more weeks after today, but for today I want us to pause and talk a guy who was there heading into the very first Easter who like all of us had some stuff in his life that he needed to overcome. Easter provides us with a reason to celebrate that Jesus is alive and we are doing that. Easter also provides us with an answer to 3 important questions that I believe in one way or another all of us walked in here wrestling with today. I think it would be really helpful for us to spend our last few minutes together talking about that. Here we go. We are going to spend most of our time today in Luke 22 but we are going to start today with a pre-Easter moment between Jesus and his disciples his closest friends and followers in Matthew 26 beginning at verse 31…