Resurrection Sunday April 4th 2010.
God is trying to get your attention because He loves you.
Introduction:
• On January 27-28, 2009, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas: at least 23 people die due to severe storms that covered roads and power lines with snow and ice. Schools close and more than a million homes are left without electricity. Rhode Islanders said “that’s so sad.”
• April 6, Italy: an earthquake of magnitude 6.3 strikes central Italy, killing more than 200 people and injuring another 1,000. Rhode Islanders said “that’s so bad.”
• August 10, Taiwan: Typhoon Morakot caused a mudslide that buried schools, homes, and at least 600 people in southern Taiwan. Rhode Islanders said “that’s so sad.”
• September 30, Indonesia: a 7.6-magnitude earthquake hits the island of Sumatra, leaving more than 1,000 people dead and thousands trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings in the city of Padang.
• January 12 2010 A 7.0-Magnitude Earthquake Devastated Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Though the dead are going uncounted and unidentified in Haiti while authorities attempt to bury those killed during the earthquake and its aftermath, experts estimate a staggering death toll of 200,000 people. Rhode Islanders gave money, prayed and went to Haiti to help the people there.
• February 27 2010 Chile An 8.8 magnitude earthquake rocked Chile. 750 people were killed in the devastation and as many as 1.5 million people are displaced. Rhode Islanders said “that so sad.”
• But then on March 31st 2010, what we were seeing from a distance came home to us here in Rhode Island. Heavy rains caused flooding that cost hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. Twenty thousand homes lost power in Cranston alone. Interstate 95 was shut down and thousands of people were stranded on roads for hours. Hundreds of cars have been ruined. Thousands of houses were flooded. There are no fatalities or injuries reported. Rhode Islanders should be thanking God for His protection. This is just a wake-up call. The question is, are you up yet? We are no better that the people in Haiti or the people in Oklahoma. Rhode Island has been spared by the mercy of God Almighty and I am here today to warn you not to take it for granted. Do not think that we are out of the woods. If the rains continue and the waters rise quickly and people begin to die, are you ready? Many people are ready to live but they are not ready to die. Is your heart right with God? Have you confessed your sins and made your peace with Almighty God?
Well you may say, “Pastor what are you talking about, I am fine. I never killed anybody I live a good honest life. I am not a sinner.”
But listen to me for a moment. Hear what God says:
Psalm 53:2-3 God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. 3 Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Isaiah 1:6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.
The human condition is deplorable, despicable, disgraceful, contemptible, dreadful, awful, shameful, shocking and terrible by reason of sin.
Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way…
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
Humanity deserves to die.
Romans 6:23 says, For the wages of sin is death, ….
Ezekiel 18:3-4 For every living soul belongs to me, … The soul who sins is the one who will die.
Ezekiel 18: 21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
Humanity was condemned to die. When I speak of death here, I am referring to more than the cessation of bodily functions. Here I refer to the second death eternal separation from God in the eternal fires of hell. God had to step in and provide a way out for condemned humanity.
1. So “On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
Refrain:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.
2. Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.
3. In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.
4. To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.
God pleads with us to turn away from sin.
In Isaiah 1:18 The Lord says “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
Jesus said in Matthew 11:28 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
And again in John 7:37 Jesus said, “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
God keeps calling you. God keeps speaking to you. He speaks through His word, like you are hearing today. He speaks through the stars in the skies. He speaks through the beauty of nature. He speaks in the raging storms. He speaks in a still small voice. He has spoken through the rising flood waters we experienced here this past week. He is still saying come.
This reminds me of the time when my older daughter was about three years old. One evening when I had picked up my wife after work as we were riding home she began trying to get my attention by saying “Daddy this and Daddy that, look Daddy, hey Daddy”…. Finally I said to my wife in exasperation, “this is how it is all day, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy.” While I was complaining the little voice from the back seat said so sweetly “I like you Daddy, I like you.” With tears welling up in my eyes and feeling like two cents, I realized that I needed to be more attentive because she liked me. In that moment God was speaking so strongly to me. This is how we treat God, we treat Him like He is bothering us. We treat Him like He is a nuisance. We treat Him like all we are doing and saying is so important. We treat Him like we want Him to bug off, get lost, stop trying to get our attention, when all He wants to do is to tell us one more time, “I love you! I love you…”
When Jesus came to earth He came because God loves you.
When He was born in a Bethlehem stable to poor Jewish peasants, it was because God loved you.
When Jesus was misunderstood and ridiculed, despised and rejected, He put up with it because God loves you.
Finally the tide of public opinion turned against Him and they dragged Him through the mockery of a trial and condemned Him to die. He could have called ten thousand angels to set Him free, but He did not because God loves you.
Then they took Him and nailed Him to an Old rugged cross. He said, “it is finished,” then He hung His head and died because God loves you.
They buried Him in a borrowed tomb because God loves you.
But the story does not end there because God loves you. On the third day He rose again because God loves you. “No one takes my life from Me” He said, “I lay it down and I take it up again,” because God loves you.
Jesus rose from the dead, because God loves you. The grave could not hold Him, because God loves you. Death could not keep Him, because God loves you. There is no power on earth that could keep Him down because God loves you. God is calling your name over and over. Trying to speak to you over and over, trying to get your attention over and over because He just wants to tell you one thing, “I love you, I, love, you, I love you, I, love, you!”
You are here today and it is no accident that you came. This is your moment of decision. Decide now because God loves you…
