LIVING IN TWO WORLDS
Text: Colossians 3:1-4
Phillips Brooks, the clergy man, former Bishop in the Episcopal Church and author of the Christmas hymn “O Little Town Of Bethlehem” also had something important to say about Easter. “The great Easter truth is not that we are to live newly after death—that is not the great thing—but that we are to be new here and now by the power of the Resurrection; not so much that we are to live forever, as that we are to, and may, live nobly now because we are to live forever”. (James S. Hewett. ed. Illustrations Unlimited. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1988, ). Colossians 3:1 - 4 tells believers about how we live in two worlds because we are new creatures in Christ in the here and now who are not hindered by earthly things because we set our minds on the things above. How well do we succeed at living noble lives? Doesn’t how we live and what we do make a difference for better or worse?
THE WORLD’S ALTERNATIVES TO EASTER
What are the world’s alternative narratives for Easter? 1) Hedonism: One of the world’s alternatives is to live now like there is no tomorrow. We call that hedonism which is about pleasure seeking. 2) Approval addiction: Another alternative is to live a life trying to earn the approval of others. Joyce Meyer calls that one Approval Addiction. In Mark 8:36 Jesus said what does it profit a man to gain the whole wold and yet forfeit his salvation? 3) Follow the leader: A third alternative is to look for our leaders to give us what we need. We call this one politics. All of these are illusions that chase a desired outcome that ultimately eludes those that chase them! 4) Summary: a) We like to enjoy things rather than experience things that cause pain. B) We like when others approve of us. C) We like leaders to watch out for our best interests. Yet, none of these things can save us!
What is the information---the news that the world gives us? 1) Full yet empty: We have news outlets that are full of news about current events that informs us but cannot save us. 2) Biased: We have news that is biased and selective with agenda instead of reporting true, fair and unbiased journalism. 3) Misinformation and disinformation: A story is told about an engineer who sent what was meant to be a joke but spread like wildfire going viral on the internet. This engineer in research and development sent an e-mail out to his peers saying that the rail road tracks of modern day were based on the size of Roman war chariots. He meant to point out the longevity of how some military things live their practical usefulness. What he meant as a joke became an urban legend that was circulated ----misinformation. (Jack Mingo and Erin Barrett. Just Curious Jeeves. Emeryville, California: As Jeeves, Inc. 2000, pp. 167 - 168). There is a difference between disinformation which is intentional which appears to be synonymous with fake news and misinformation which seems to be more about repeating information that was originally flawed.
WE ARE THE EASTER PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD
What does our baptism have to do with the resurrection? In Colossians 3:1, the phrase “raised together with Christ” seems to refer to our baptism. Consider Romans 6:4: “We were buried therefore with him through baptism unto death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life” (Standard Version). Under the old way of life, we could not and cannot make the changes we wanted to make. But, for those who have been baptized into Christ, they have been “raised to the newness of life” ---a new way of life in the spiritual sense.
A man shares a story about how his own “troubleshooting” was not solving his problem. “I was stumped. My old Macintosh laptop simply would not run the MacBible software anymore. Though I had worked with it for hours, nothing I did would help. My wife, wise woman that she is, had suggested that I call the owners of the software for help, but no, I knew what I was doing.
That morning, after having exhausted every last idea, I gave in and called the MacBible Corporation. After speaking to a friendly voice, I was assured that the person to whom I was being referred would know exactly what to do. I wasn't convinced, but I called him anyway.
The name I had been given sounded familiar, and I soon learned why. The person on the other end of the line was none other than the man who wrote the MacBible software. He gave me a brief set of instructions; I took them down and hung up the phone. In minutes, my computer software program was up and running. I just had to go to the man who wrote the program.
How many times in life do we try to work out our problems our own way? Finally when all else has failed, we go to the one who designed us. Soon, if we obey, we find ourselves once again at peace with God and functioning as he planned”. (David P. Barrett. ed. More Perfect Illustrations For Every Topic And Occasion.. [Citation: Tim Quinn; Holland, Michigan] . “God, Our Ultimate Troubleshooter”. ”. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. 2003, p. 125). The renewal that Jesus Christ brings enables us to find our peace with God.
Consider the empty tomb and what it means. Like the wonderful sermon sentence that someone came up with: “The tomb is empty so you don’t have to be”.
What does the empty tomb mean for us? Jeremy, a terminally ill student, was twelve years old and still in the second grade. He couldn't learn, made unusual noises, and often drooled. To most kids he was an object of humor; to his teacher, Jeremy was an exasperatingly difficult student. Three months before he died, both students and teacher changed their opinion of him. Miss Miller gave an assignment before Easter that required all of the students to take an empty plastic egg and bring it back the next day with something in the egg that represented new life. The teacher planned to call Jeremy's parents that night and explain the assignment so that Jeremy would do what she asked, but several emergencies prevented her from calling. When she opened the nineteen eggs with the children, the first one had a flower in it, and the teacher affirmed the fact that a flower represents new life. The second egg contained a butterfly, which everyone agreed signified new life. A third egg with a moss-covered rock demonstrated new life as well. To the chagrin of Miss Miller, the fourth egg was empty. She quickly guessed it was Jeremy's egg and laid it down without comment. Jeremy piped up, "Miss Miller, aren't you going to talk about my egg?" Flustered, she said, "Jeremy, your egg is empty." He looked softly into her eyes and replied, "Yes, but Jesus' tomb was empty, too!" Miss Miller later spent the recess period crying with a softened heart. Three months later when Jeremy died, his theology was represented by nineteen plastic eggs on his casket--all of which were empty. The great hope of Easter is found in an empty tomb that promises new life. (Raymond McHenry. ed. McHenry’s Quips, Quotes And Other Notes. [quoted from: Focus On The Family. April 1988, p. 2-3]. Third Printing. Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 2004, pp. 238 – 239)). Nothing this world has to offer can give us the hope in the gift of eternal that Jesus gives to us!
Our faith should be a part of every thing that we do. John Wesley had a rule for serving the Lord. It went like this…
Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.
Are we living a noble life of godliness that demonstrates that we are God’s children? This world is a mess! The treasures that the world offers cannot help because they hinder us. Knowing Jesus is to know the truth----Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life. Jesus Christ conquered sin, death and the fear of death. Colossians 1:19 -20 says For in him [Jesus] all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, (20) and through him [Jesus] to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross (ESV). May we live nobly now through the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ who reconciled us to God made us new creatures as we seek to store our treasures in heaven. May we live as the salt of the earth and the light of the world as we seek to make His kingdom first. In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
