Dream On (Easter Sunday)

DREAM ON.

(Easter Sunday)

(Band set up the sermon by playing Aerosmith’s Dream On)

HE IS RISEN! (HE IS RISEN INDEED!)

Matthew 28:1-8

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.”

Today’s message.

NO MATTER WHAT LOOKS DEAD IN YOUR LIFE – REMEMBER THIS…

1. IT AIN’T OVER ‘TIL GOD SAYS SO!

Don’t toss in the towel just yet…it ain’t over.

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said”. Matthew 28:5,6 (NIV)

Hey…lemme tell you something…It LOOKED like Jesus was dead. It LOOKED like this whole Jesus/Christian thing was a done deal…dead in the water.

I can only imagine that every person that watched Jesus be beaten, whipped, mocked and crucified to a cross…every person that saw that the blood…heard the screams…and felt the mourning and the fear from others watching…I would imagine everyone of them thought it was over. Jesus was killed. The supposed Son of God is dead. Can you imagine what Satan and all of hell must have been thinking? We did it. We got him. He’s dead. That’s a wrap. There will be no progessing of Christianity. We stopped it in its tracks! Hell is taking over earth and heaven. We are victorious. Hope is buried away and locked in a tomb. There was a party going on in hell.

But it was a party that was premature. Because it wasn’t over. What looked to be over…was just the beginning. The Dream looked dead. But it was still very much alive.

Lemme tell you something…The tomb of Christ is famous because of what it does NOT contain. There is no resurrection without the cross.

Can you imagine life today without the resurrection?

I don’t what dream it is in your life that might look like it’s dying or might look like its dead…but you gotta dream on. Maybe it’s your marriage or relationship…it was once the dream marriage and relationship and it’s now nightmare. Maybe it’s your finances, your job or ministry, or your health… or maybe it’s that addiction that’s been kickin’ killin’ you!…I don’t know what dream in your life has either died or turned into a nightmare…but you gotta keep dreamin…dream on.

The Bible says:

“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26 (NIV)

NO MATTER WHAT LOOKS DEAD IN YOUR LIFE – REMEMBER THIS…

2.YOUR SITUATION DIDN’T TAKE GOD BY SURPRISE.

This ALWAYS brings me piece of mind! God knows everything about everything! He’s all knowing and He loves you and cares for you. Your jacked up situation didn’t catch God off-guard. Your situation didn’t shock God or take him by surprise.

It’s not like God’s sitting up in heaven playing Xbox 360 on a 4000 foot flat screen tv with his disciples…or surfing the web or watching the Oprah Network…and then one day say’s, “Oh crud! Wait…what just happened??? So and so is going through a divorce? Or someone went broke? No man, God knows what’s gonna happen before it even happens. He’s got eternal vision. He can see down the road…he’s got perfect perspective.

“LORD, you have examined me and know all about me. You know when I sit down and when I get up. You know my thoughts before I think them. You know where I go and where I lie down. You know everything I do. LORD, even before I say a word, you already know it. You are all around me—in front and in back..Your knowledge is amazing to me; it is more than I can understand. Where can I go to get away from your Spirit? Where can I run from you? If I go up to the heavens, you are there. If I lie down in the grave, you are there.” Psalm 139:1-8 (NCV)