Easter - Emptiness And Fullness!
Let me say right up front - Easter is about Jesus Christ!
Easter is about Jesus - born of a virgin - living a sinless life. Easter is about Jesus - dying for sin - taking the punishment of sin with Him to the grave. Easter is about Jesus - rising from the dead - so that we can have life - a life full of hope and purpose.
Today is Easter Sunday 2008. It is the most important day of celebration on the church calendar. It is a day that we as Christians can come together and celebrate - emptiness and fullness. Yes - emptiness and fullness! Let me explain this.
Jesus is no longer on the cross. The cross is empty. We have a reason to celebrate.
Jesus is no longer wrapped in grave clothes. The grave clothes are empty. We have a reason to celebrate.
Jesus is no longer in the tomb. The tomb is empty. We have a reason to celebrate.
We have a reason to celebrate! Jesus is risen - just as He said He would. He is not dead - He is alive and living! Death has been defeated. The penalty of sin has been paid for. Through Christ I can have hope! Through Christ I can celebrate! Through Christ - my sins have been forgiven - I have a purpose for living.
Where there was death there now is life. Where there was emptiness there is now fullness. Where there was fear there is now peace. Where there was confusion there is now purpose. In fact the New Testament teaches that God created you for five purposes. Five purposes that can fill your life with meaning and significance. Look at what Jesus tells us John chapter ten:
I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10 (NKJV)
Jesus is telling us that we can have life - and not just an ordinary life - but an abundant life. Let me ask you - if you had a choice between an abundant life or a boring life - which would you choose? If you had the choice between a full life or an empty life - which would you pick? I dont know about you but I want the full life. I want the life that is filled to brim – a life that is overflowing. Thats what Jesus has promised. Thats what Jesus can give you. You see the cross is empty. The grave clothes have been abandoned. The tomb is vacant - so that our lives can become full. Jesus said, I have come that YOU may have life, and that YOU may have it more abundantly.
The Bible teaches us that there are five facts that can give your life meaning. There are five facts that can give your life purpose. There are five facts that can bring - abundantly living to your life. Today we are going to look at those five facts that can bring fullness to your life.
Fact one:
1. You were planned for Gods PLEASURE.
You are not an accident. You are not a mishap of nature. Your parents may not have planned you – but God did. God knew you were coming – even before anyone else knew. He planned you for His pleasure. The Bible says:
“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Revelation 4:11 (KJV)
The Psalms tell us:
“The Lord has pleasure in his people.” Psalms 149:4 (BBE)
God created you to be an object of His love. God made you to love you. Here is an interesting fact. God does not need you – but He wants you. You see God is complete – He is perfect – He is self sustaining – He is self sufficient. He does not need you – but He wants you. He wants you to love Him – He wants you to worship Him. He wants you to bring Him pleasure.
Did you know that anytime you bring pleasure to God – you are worshipping Him? In fact – here is a fact:
Bringing pleasure to God is WORSHIPING Him.
Think about it! Anytime you bring please to God you are worshiping Him. Any action you take that makes God smile – is an act of worship. Any song you sing that brings pleasure to His ears is a song of worship. Any words you speak that make Him smile are words of worship.
You see worship is more than a ceremony. Worship is more than a prayer. Worship is more than a ritual. Worship is bringing pleasure to God. You were planned for God pleasure. You were planned to bring God joy. You were planned to make God smile.
Every once in a while we have children’s programs here at the church. Parents come in and pack the pews. Their children get up to sing and the parents stretch their necks and strain their eyes to see their kids. The parents are smiling from ear to ear. Why? Because their children are bringing them pleasure. They are proud of there kids. That’s how it is with God – we are His children. He likes it when we do things that He enjoys. You are planned for His pleasure.
Fact two:
2. You were formed for God’s FAMILY.
This is the second reason you can live a full life. Look at what the Bible says in Ephesians 1:5:
“Long, long ago God decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. What pleasure he took in planning this!”
Ephesians 1:5 (MSG)
God created you to become part of His family. That family can start right here and right now – but it goes on into eternity. Once you understand this amazing fact, you’ll never again have a reason to feel unimportant and insignificant. You will never again have a reason to be lonely. You matter to God. He has made you in His image. He loves you and wants you to be a part of His family. You were made to never be alone – forever!
Did you know that we have more people on this planet than ever before – yet loneliness abounds.
People who are lonely feel:
• Excluded from the group.
• Unloved by those around you.
• Alienated from their surroundings.
• There is no one with whom to share with.
• They are by themselves and have no other choice.
Loneliness is a painful awareness that you are not feeling connected to others and that your important needs are not being met.
God has a solution for loneliness – you were formed for God’s family. God expects his family to love one anther.
How many of you know John 3:16? You know how it goes – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 shows God’s love to us – but let me ask – how many of you know 1 John 3:16? It goes like this:
“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.” 1 John 3:16 (ESV)
You see this verse talks about the love we should show to one another. Why? Because God loved us so much that Jesus came and died for us. But guess what – the cross is empty. The grave clothes are empty. The tomb is empty. Now we should love one another with that same love that God loves us. He laid down His life for us. He rose again for us. Now we are to love one another. This is called “Fellowship”:
FELLOWSHIP is loving other believers.
Unfortunately some people think fellowship in nothing more than coffee, cookies and casual conversation. But it’s so much more than that. It is committing yourself to take care of one another. It is loving one another just as Christ has loved you. God has called us to be family. If you are a believer – Jesus is your Savior – God is your Father – and we are brothers and sister in Christ. I don’t need to feel lonely any more. You were formed for family.
Fact three:
3. You were created to become like CHRIST.
This is God’s third purpose for your life. The Bible says:
“Don’t be concerned only about your own interests, but also be concerned about the interests of others. Have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” Philippians 2:4-5 (GW)
This verse tells us that we are to have the “same attitude that Jesus had.” In Ephesians it says:
“Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us.” Ephesians 5:2 (NKJV)
We are to have the same love in us that Christ had for us. You see God is interested in our character. He wants to become like Christ. God is still in the creation business. Do you remember what God said in the book of Genesis? He said at creation, “Let us make man in our image and in our likeness.” This does not mean that we become God but that we become godly. God is still in the creation business – He takes us and makes us more and more like Christ. God wants us to develop Christ’s attitudes – to develop Christ’s values – to develop Christ’s morals and Christ’s character. We were created to become like Christ.
We as Christian often ask, “Why is this happening to me?” If you understand that God is making you into the image of Christ – much of life will make sense. To be made into the image of Christ we must go through everything that Jesus went through. That includes loneliness, fatigue, misunderstanding, criticism and many other problems that build our character.
For God to teach you love – He must put you around unloving people. For God to teach you joy – you must go through times of grief. To learn inner peace and patience – you must go through storms of chaos and stress. Here is a fact:
God is more concerned with your character than He is with your COMFORT.
God is still in the creation business. He want to form you into the image of His son – Jesus – because you were created to become like Christ. Paul writes this promise in Philippians chapter one:
“I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 1:6 (HCSB)
It may take the rest of our lives – in fact it WILL take the rest of our lives – but God is in the business of creating Christians into the image of Christ.
The fourth fact is:
4. You were shaped for SERVING.
The Bible says:
“We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)
This verse tells us that God has prepared work for us to do. Each one of us has a unique job in a unique place. You were put here to make a contribution. You were shaped for serving. Here is a fact:
You serve God by serving OTHERS.
How many of you remember the story that Jesus told in Matthew chapter twenty five? He told a story about a judgment that was coming where people will be divided into two groups. To one group the king will say: “I was hungry but you did not feed me. I was thirsty but you did not give me a drink. I was without clothes but you gave me nothing to wear. I was lonely but you did not visit me.” They will answer back, “Lord, we did not see you.”
To the other group he will say, “I was hungry and you feed me. I was thirsty and you gave me some water. I didn’t have any clothes but you came to my rescue. I was lonely and you stopped by to visit me.” They will answer back, “Lord, we did not see you.” Then He will say,
‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Matthew 25:40 (ESV)
You see – you serve God by serving others. God has shaped you for serving.
The fifth fact is:
5. You were made for a MISSION.
In John seventeen Jesus is praying a prayer for His followers – that’s us – and He says:
“(Father) as you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” John 17:18 (ESV)
Go ahead and circle the phrase, “into the world”. The Christian life is to be a life of balance. We are to be active in the church – but are to reach out to the world. Once you have learned the first four facts of living an abundant life – you are to pass that information on to others. You have been made for a mission. If you knew that you were going on a long trip and that you were going to be gone a long time – what would your parting words be? Here is what Jesus said:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
Matthew 28:19-20 (NKJV)
I want you to notice all the action words in these verses. Go – make – baptize - teach. Here is our vision statement – it is only two words.
Make DISCIPLES.
That is our job. That is our vision. That is our mission. How do we do it? We go. We baptize. We teach. Then we send them out again. Another way to put it is:
Bring them in – build them up – train them up – send them out.
Have you ever wonder why – once you became saved that God has left you here? I mean – why doesn’t God just take us to heaven right then and there? It’s because He has given us a mission. We are left here to tell others about Jesus. Is there someone you know who doesn’t know Jesus? Is there someone you are close to that doesn’t know Christ? That person is your mission. Start praying for them. Start looking for ways to show God’s love to them. Start sharing Christ with them. That’s your mission.
It is Easter. The cross is empty. The grave clothes are empty. The tomb is empty. But God can give you fullness.
You were planned for a purpose. You were formed for God’s family. You were created to become like Christ. You were shaped for serving. You were made for a mission. No wonder Jesus said,
“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10 (NKJV)
(Basic outline from “Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren.)
