Opening Video: Gateway video on Aftershocks
Series: After shock!
Thesis: Easter left an aftershock which has shook the world throughout the last few thousand’s years. You can still feel the aftershocks of Easter weekend today in our churches, in communion, in worship and all over the world.
Introduction:
Earthquakes and aftershocks.
Quote from http://blogs.elca.org/faithlens/april-20-26-2011-aftershocks/
On March 11, 2001 a massive earthquake struck off the coast of Japan triggering a devastating tsunami that swept over cities and farmland in the northern part of the country. The earthquake, whose magnitude was measured at 9.0 on the Richter scale, is one of the most powerful ever recorded. Adding to the catastrophe, critical cooling systems at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station were severely damaged, triggering explosions, partial core meltdowns, and releases of radioactive material directly into the atmosphere and ocean. In all, over 27,000 people were either killed or are still missing.
A month later, the aftershocks continue. On April 11, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake—just one of hundreds of smaller, related quakes—rattled the northeastern coast of Japan triggering tsunami warnings and renewed fears. Not all of the “aftershocks” have been physical, however. From the sheer effects of this event in human terms, to falling stock markets, the loss of production from the world’s third largest economy, and the renewed concerns about the safety of nuclear power, the impact of this disaster is being felt the world over…and will be for a long time to come…
We come today a week later from the epic center of our Christian faith – The death and resurrection of Jesus. Everything that we do as Christians, from our worship life, to our evangelism and service, to the promise of God’s love and grace is rooted in Jesus’ death and Resurrection. This is ground zero for the Christian. Without the resurrection, and Jesus’ death on a Roman cross we would not be experiencing the aftershock of these event about 2,000 years later. Yet in the death and resurrection, we see God’s affirmation of who Jesus is as Lord and Savior; in His death and resurrection we see God’s ultimate victory and that event still ripples on through individual lives and hearts today – shaking them at their core – in their soul.
Over the next few weeks we are going to talk about the aftershocks of Easter Weekend!
Sermon 1: Aftershocks of Resurrection Sunday – worship and communion!
Thesis: The Epi center of Easter weekend still sends shock waves rippling through people’s heart and souls today. The earthquake’s which occurred back there in time on that pinnacle weekend are still shaking and quaking throughout this world thousands of years later.
Introduction:
Let’s go back to what we read last Resurrection Sunday and be reminded of the events which transpired causing the aftershocks we feel today and experience in service today.
Scripture Texts:
Matthew 27:50-54:
50And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 52The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. 54When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”
Matthew 28:1-7:
The Resurrection
1After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2There 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.
3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.
4The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.
6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.
7Then 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.”
Ephesians 4:7-10:
7But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8This is why it says:
“When he ascended on high,
he led captives in his train
and gave gifts to men.”
9(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions ? 10He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)
Colossians 2:9-15:
9For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
13When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
In the last three days of Jesus life we had two major earthquakes – one at his death the other at His resurrection from the tomb.
These earthquakes were physical and spiritual pointed to who Jesus is --- but this spiritual quake also resonated throughout the earth and has continued to ripple through the course of history. The aftershocks of Easter weekend still are being felt by millions each year as they were this year and today.
T.S. - Today I want to focus on two of the aftershocks of Easter: The first one is “worship.”
I. One of the aftershocks of Resurrection Sunday is “Worship”
a. A genuine aftershock of Resurrection Sunday is His followers participating in authentic worship with the Lord each week. Worship is where individuals connect heart to heart with God. When this occurs a power is unleashed in the life of the believer. This in turn affects the church and community they reside in. Another aftershock of Easter – resurrection Sunday is reverence for communion – a time to remember Jesus great sacrifice!
i. Scripture Texts on and of Worship:
1. Matthew 22:37 “Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’”
a. This verse speaks to the epi center of authentic worship and communion – it resonates from a intimate love relationship with Jesus.
2. Revelation 5:6-14: 6Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” 11Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” 13Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” 14The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
a. This scenario of worship is given to us to teach us what genuine authentic worship is! We also need to learn to worship the Lord like we see in this scenario from Heaven.
b. Today’s topic of Worship is another key in continuing to feel and experience the aftershocks of Resurrection Sunday.
i. It’s a topic that is hard to teach people.
ii. It’s hard to teach because different people connect in worship with God in different ways.
1. For some it’s through moments of silence for others through moments of vibrant praise. For others it’s through intense times of prayer. For others it happens while reading the Word of God. For others it’s acts of sacrificial service. The point is there is no magical formula for experiencing God in genuine authentic worship. So it’s hard to come up with a 12 step plan to intimate authentic worship. The key is it needs to come from the heart and not the head! You need to experience it!
iii. It’s not a methodology that produces authentic worship but a connecting of two hearts together -- it’s your heart and God’s heart.
1. It’s an internal connection to God.
2. This intimate connection comes from having a personal relationship with Abba Father.
3. It’s not learned in a 12 step program even though teachings are helpful. It’s actually a heart to heart encounter with Jehovah Jirah. This is true Authentic Worship.
4. This connection can only happen with God’s help and God’s touch. Mike Bickle says, ‘We cannot love God without God helping us to love Him.” He adds, “It takes God to love God!” Let me clarify – It’s not a head encounter, knowledge encounter, emotional encounter, body encounter, tradition encounter, or religious encounter. It’s a heart to heart connection between you and God in a very special moment of intimacy.
T.S.- To better understand authentic worship and its aftershock we need to understand what “worship” means from the Bible.
II. The meaning of the word “worship” from the New Testament.
a. It is described in the original language as a very expressive heart attached action – the Greek word is prokuneo (pros-koo-neh-oh).
i. Mills gives us insight into the root meaning of this Greek word Pros – means to move toward or to go in the direction of. Where kuneo means to kiss or a kiss (190).
ii. This word is used 59 times in the New Testament and it is found in the book Revelation 24 times.
iii. It appears from its use in Revelation that worship is what is occurring in Heaven even right now because of Jesus – it’s about who He was, He is and what He will be doing in the future.
1. Jesus – God – Holy Spirit are always being worshipped continually day and night at the Throne.
2. The worship never stops and starts. It just keeps going.
3. Reference IHOP and their mission!
iv. Mills notes, “We don’t start to worship and then conclude it the way we start and conclude a church service. We join worship. It is universal-going on all over the world-and it is going on in Heaven too all the time night and day. When we begin to sing, praise, give thanks or extol the beauties of our Savior, we are joining an activity already in progress” (190).
1. When we worship we join along with others in this act of intimacy to God.
2. We join in with angels, the elders, other saints long gone, and with a hosts of others. It’s a worship service that never runs out of steam.
b. “Proskuneo is the adoration and thanksgiving in word, gesture, prayer, confession, songs of praise and thanksgiving that extols God the Father and Jesus the Son.” (Mills, 189)
i. David Ingles tells us, “Thus, to worship means ‘to ascribe worth or value, or to count worthy.’
ii. When we worship God, we acknowledge that He is worthy. We acknowledge Who He is and what He is” (182).
iii. David did this throughout the Psalms. Listen to Psalm 108:1-5:
1. “My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul. Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, O Lord, among the peoples. For great is your love, higher than the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth.”
2. We too need to feel the aftershock of Resurrection Sunday and participate in the waves of worship which continue to go on with out end.
T.S.- An authentic worshipper is one who moves toward God every day, in every aspect of their life for the purpose to connect with the Lord and be impacted by His shock waves of love.
III. A genuine authentic Worshipper is one who has a intimate love encounter with Jesus.
a. It’s a relationship based on Love and not just on service or sacrifice.
i. Mike Bickle explains worship this way: God has ordained many pleasures for believers. There are physical, emotional and intellectual pleasures, all of which are ordained by God. But no pleasure is more intense than the pleasure that comes when God communicates Himself to the human spirit. In the little moments when God communicates His passion for me, I experience what life is all about. It is life at its very best” (54).
1. He also adds, “Discovering God’s heart is both fascinating and absolutely exhilarating “(33).
2. The bottom line is Lovers (worshippers) will always serve God with their whole hearts but servants will only give so much.
3. Lovers (worshippers) will always give the one that they love everything they desire. Lovers love to please the one they love.
4. A person who serves another in a Master/servant relationship will only give what is needed to sustain the relationship.
5. It’s like a student who only wants to get by in school with a D-. They do not give everything – their heart stays with them.
6. There is no passion just service 9-5. Or maybe I should say “I put in my hour a week!”
ii. Mike Bickle stresses in his teachings on worship the necessity of being authentic worshippers and what the difference is between doing it for duty and doing it out of a passionate heart of love.
1. Hosea 2:16 says: “In that day,” declares the LORD, “you will call me ‘my husband’; you will no longer call me ‘my master.’
2. Mike notes, “This scripture says “in that day” (Hosea 2:16), referring to the end of this age when the spirit of revival will be poured upon both the nation of Israel and the body of Christ worldwide. We will not be preoccupied by duty. We will experience more than a servant/Master relationship; we will work and serve more diligently. We will actually obey God in a more intense way. We will call Him our Husband because we will see ourselves as His bride” (46).
3. This type of relationship which is a husband and wife relationship is much different than an employer or employee relationship.
a. It needs to come from the heart!
b. It needs to have intimacy, passion and commitment!
T.S.- An authentic worshipper is one who has an intimate heart to heart encounter with the Lord that happens out of a heart of passionate love. These encounters do not happen when we worship just out of duty or tradition.
IV. So how do we get to the place where we encounter God in a heart to heart passionate way?
a. It means we have to first of all choose to make the sacrifices necessary to make this happen.
i. Terry Law states, “Praise is a sacrifice. It is something we must determine to do. It is an act of our will, not our emotions. We determine to praise the Lord” (66).
b. It means we have to focus on the heart of the Lord. In other word’s we are to intently gaze into the eyes of Jesus.
i. Have you ever seen two people in love and how they look into one another’s eyes? They both know that the other loves them passionately. You know it because there’s that look!
ii. We need to have that same kind of passionate focus.
1. Illustration of Forest Playing Ping Pong. Scene from movie --- “You have to keep your eye on the ball” was Forest’s teacher’s instruction to him.
a. His willingness and ability to focus on the ball made him a master player at ping pong.
2. Here is my suggestion to you, “Keep your eye on the Lord.”
a. Proverbs 4:25-27 “Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; keep your foot from evil.”
i. If you cannot focus on the Lord in worship you have to ask yourself the question, “How bad do I want to continue to participate in His Resurrection?”
ii. If you want it -really want it- then you have to look at what is distracting you from gazing into the eyes of Jesus.
3. What gets your eyes off of Jesus?
a. Discover it and eradicate it from your life.
b. Here is where sacrifice comes back in!
c. Video Illustration of anointed – authentic worship – I told you I cannot just teach this too you – you have to experience it in your heart – the after shock of resurrection weekend is a heart of worship and adoration to Jesus for what he has done for you on the cross and how we are invited to be a apart of His Resurrection!
V. Application thoughts of the Aftershock of Resurrection weekend Worship!
a. When the church decides as individuals to become authentic worshippers then we will unlock another key to the door of revival in our community.
b. When Authentic worship starts occurring this is what will happen:
i. It will aggressively assault the enemies ability to hinder the church and the Gospel.
ii. It will uplift the believer and excite the believer for the Lord.
iii. It will drive out sin and bondage from the lives of many.
iv. It will cause the believer to experience the Lord in intimate heart to heart ways.
v. It will bring fresh revelations of Jesus.
vi. It will bring us into the presence of the Lord.
vii. It will prepare our hearts for revival.
c. Reading from Isaiah 32:3-5: This is what will happen when revival is unlocked and flows into the church and our community:
i. Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen. The mind of the rash will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear. No longer will the fool be called noble nor the scoundrel be highly respected.
d. Challenge point: Lets become genuine authentic worshippers – Lets worship as we experience the after shocks of the Resurrection!
T.S. - The Second after shock of Resurrection Sunday is “Communion”
I. Communion is an aftershock of Good Friday that we need to experience and remember!
a. When the church starts to revere communion in light of Resurrection Sunday’s aftershock then we are using another key to unlocking the door to revival in our hearts, in our the church and in our community.
i. Meaning of the word reverence and communion:
1. REVERENCE: Respect or honor paid to a worthy object. In Scripture, reverence is paid: to father and mother (Lev. 19:3; Heb. 12:9); to God (1 Kings 18:3, 12; Heb. 12:28); to God’s sanctuary (Lev. 19:30; 26:2); and to God’s commandments (Ps. 119:48). The failure to revere God (Deut. 32:51) and the act of revering other gods (Judg. 6:10) have dire consequences. Reverence for Christ is expressed in mutual submission within the Christian community (Eph. 5:21). Christian persecution takes on new meaning as suffering becomes an opportunity for revering Christ (1 Pet. 3:14-15) (From Holman Bible Dictionary).
2. COMMUNION: Paul’s term describing the nature of the Lord’s Supper and thus the term used by many church groups to refer to their celebration of Jesus’ final, memorial supper with His disciples. Paul used the Greek term koinonia to express the basic meaning of the Christian faith, a sharing in the life and death of Christ which radically creates a relationship of Christ and the believer and of the believers with one another in a partnership or unity. See Fellowship; Lord’s Supper Holman dictionary.
b. Today I ask the same question I have been asking you over the last few weeks, “How many want revival?” If you raised your hands then here is what we need to do to use another key to unlock revival here at Christian Hills Church and experience another aftershock of Resurrection Sunday.
i. If we do WE NEED TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT THE LORD’S SUPPER AND APPROACH IT WITH REVERENCE!
ii. 1 Corinthians 11:23-33: From the Message:
1. Let me go over with you again exactly what goes on in the Lord’s Supper and why it is so centrally important. I received my instructions from the Master himself and passed them on to you. The Master, Jesus, on the night of his betrayal, took bread. Having given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, broken for you. Do this to remember me.” After supper, he did the same thing with the cup: “This cup is my blood, my new covenant with you. Each time you drink this cup, remember me.” What you must solemnly realize is that every time you eat this bread and every time you drink this cup, you reenact in your words and actions the death of the Master. You will be drawn back to this meal again and again until the Master returns. You must never let familiarity breed contempt. Anyone who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Master irreverently is like part of the crowd that jeered and spit on him at his death. Is that the kind of “remembrance” you want to be part of? Examine your motives, test your heart, come to this meal in holy awe. If you give no thought (or worse, don’t care) about the broken body of the Master when you eat and drink, you’re running the risk of serious consequences. That’s why so many of you even now are listless and sick, and others have gone to an early grave. If we get this straight now, we won’t have to be straightened out later on. Better to be confronted by the Master now than to face a fiery confrontation later. So, my friends, when you come together to the Lord’s Table, be reverent and courteous with one another.
c. The Corinthian church, and the church of the present, must get serious about the Lord’s Supper. We need to have reverence for Jesus when we partake of communion. We need to remember why we do it!
i. What are the reasons that we partake of the Lord’s Supper?
1. It is the one way that Jesus asked us to remember Him and when we do it we experience and aftershock of Resurrection Sunday.
2. It teaches us that we are all saved the same way.
3. We have salvation by Christ and His cross.
4. There are no exceptions to this divine plan.
5. This is the greatest memorial service.
a. It looks back as a reminder of what Christ has done. It reminds us of the supernatural birth of Jesus and the sacrifice he made on the cross for us.
b. It’s about the reality and completeness of the cross- Max Lucado puts it well when he says, “And as the hands of Jesus opened for the nail, the doors of heaven opened for you”(35).
i. He tells us that the message of Jesus on the cross is this, “I did it for you. I did it all for you” (151).
ii. Hebrews 10:12, 14 “Christ offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins’ and “by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” (NRSV)
6. It speaks to the present.
7. It is a symbol of our unity and reminds us who we are to be living for in this life.
8. It reminds us to keep our eyes on Him.
9. It tells us that He is who he said He was and is. We can trust Him today with our lives.
10. It points to the future.
11. We proclaim His death until He comes again. It points to our complete redemption and glorification in Heaven before the Great White Throne.
d. When we know the reasons for remembering then we should understand why we must not approach communion with the wrong attitudes in our hearts. The Wrong Attitudes That Prevail at the Lord’s Supper (vv. 27-29).
i. The “unworthy manner” of partaking of the supper (v. 27).
ii. We must not take the Lord’s supper casually. We must think about the basic reasons for observing the Lord’s supper.
1. WE do not partake of it because everyone else is.
2. WE do not partake of it if we don’t understand it’s meaning.
3. WE do not partake of it because our parents want us too.
4. WE do not partake of it because we are thirsty or want a cracker.
5. We do not partake to look good to others.
6. WE do not partake if we know we are not right with the Lord.
7. We take the time to repent and get right with the Lord then we come!
8. We know that it is a sin to take it in an irreverent manner.
e. Many approach the Lord’s table without self-examination and this ought not be (v. 28).
i. This is a time for confession of sin—a time to thank God for His grace.
ii. We need to approach the throne with integrity an honesty in our hearts about our present condition.
iii. It is wrong not to think about our need of salvation and God’s provision for it and to check our hearts for the disease of sin.
iv. If we find it cast it out and ask for forgiveness.
v. Fall to your knees and receive his gift of forgiveness.
f. Many approach communion and fail to recognize the sacrifice of Christ’s body on the cross (v. 29).
i. This can refer to our salvation through His Death on the cross (Colossians 1:22, 23).
1. It’s not our goodness that earns our salvation it’s accepting the fact that we are sinners and lost without Christ’s ultimate sacrifice of himself on the cross.
2. We need to recognize our salvation comes only from His sacrifice.
3. His sacrifice is mirrored in these two symbolic elements.
4. The cup – is the symbol of his blood that was spilled at the crucifixion.
a. “He did it for you and me!”
5. The cracker is the symbol of his body which was beaten and battered.
a. “He did it for you and me!”
g. Lets remember His sacrifice:
i. The world drew the first blood. They cried “Crucify Him!”, “Crucify Him!”. They craved, desired, and sought to make him bleed. Why, because he healed them? Why, because he gave them hope and a future? Why, because he gave them the words of life and not death? Why, because he delivered them from demons? Why, because he feed them? Why, because he loved them? Why, because he represented everything they where not- sinless- holy- pure- so they became enraged and they beat him, spit on him, whipped him. The legionnaires whip ripped every time id touched his flesh. The leather straps with lead balls struck with a sting and a tear. The strike and then the blood began to oouze out of the wound and it then started to flow out. The whip kept coming, “smack, rip, tear” 39 times of the lash with it’s painful blow. His back and side ripped open wider and wider. The blood flowed more and more. It was sprayed on the ground, on the whip, onto the soldier’s clothes and body. It flowed down Jesus’ back, thighs, legs, and feet. They drew first blood and He allowed it to flow – freely He allowed them to beat Him. He freely let the blood flow down his body and onto the ground. It let His blood flow down the streets and into peoples homes. He let it flow into people’s lives. He let it flow into the streams and the rivers and into the oceans. It flowed in to the regions of hell and set the captives free. It flowed into the hearts of the onlookers and the soldiers. It flowed into the eyes of the blind and they could see. It flowed from beneath to above right into the throne of Heaven. And when the Lamb appeared before the throne they cried, ‘Behold the Lion of the Tribe of Judah”, “The Lamb of God”, Then they all sang, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Yes, the blood flowed and Heaven sang and Hell screamed. Yes, His blood flowed for you and me! Yes, His blood flowed from the beating and from the crown of thorns they jammed into His head. The blood flowed from the crown of thorns. It flowed down his face and cheeks. It flowed down his shoulders and arms. It flowed to the cross beam of the cross as he carried. Each time he fell to the ground there was blood there flowing. It was there for you and me. It flowed to the crowds for the sake of their souls. The world cried more blood and Jesus let it flow. The spat on him but it still continued to flow. The blood flowed all the way to the cross. So that people would be healed and delivered. So people could be set free. The blood flowed as they drove in the nails. When they hoisted him up it flowed down the cross and onto the ground of Golgotha. It has never stopped flowing. It still is flowing to peoples hearts and cleansing them, healing them, delivering them, giving them hope and a future, it’s giving light to a dark world, it’s bringing forgiveness, its bringing revival. The blood of Jesus Christ flows from sea to shining sea, from shore to shore, from the sky to the earth below it flows. It is flowing through Africa, Russia, Middle east, Japan, Europe, the Pacific, to Australia, to South America and North America right here to Chicago it flows. It’s final destination is to flow right into you heart.
Altar Call: Partaking of Communion:
• Done individually or as family at stations.
• Then open up communion in an atmosphere of reverence!
