INTRODUCTION:
Our Bibles are filled with statements about the sound of ratteling.
We are told in Jer 47:3 about the ratteling of the hooves of war-horses.
Eze 37:3 tells of the valley of dry bones and how Ezekiel prophesied over the bones and they began to rattel and come together
Think of that morning in Gen. 22 when Abraham rose up early and took Isaac to Mt. Moriah to sacrifice him. Can you imagine the rattel of the rocks under their feet
What a morning it was for Jacob when he awakened from sleep in the morning and set up a pillar of stones in honor of God at Bethel. There surely was a picular rattel of the rocks as he gathered them
It must have been a glorious morning for Daniel when awoke in the lions den the rattel of sleeping Lions
Imagine how beautiful was the morning was after the disciples spent that terrible night on the Sea of Galilee in the rattling storm.
Yes, all of these are examples of Ratteling in the bible. However none of them can compare to the RATTEL OF THAT FIRST FIRST EASTER!!!!!!!!
I would like for us to spend some time today looking at that grand morning when
therer was a rattel of the earth and Jesus Christ, conquered death, Hell and the grave forever.
There has never been a morning that rattled like this before, Oh what a morning it was when Jesus Rattled the grave!
Oh what a morning it was when He RATTLED the stinger from death and gave life eternal to all those who will place their faith in Him.
I HEAR A RATTLE IN THIS HOUSE THIS MORNING ALREADY !!!!!
JESUS IS ALIVE!!!!
HE IS RISEN - HE IS RISEN INDEED!
LETS TALK ABOUT THE MORNING OF RESURRECTION RATTLE
IT WAS A MORNING FULL OF:
1.) RATTLING REFLECTIONS
As dawn began to break on the first day of the week Jesus was dead and in the tomb from the brutality of the Romans and the Cross.
Some women came to the tomb to finish anointing His body for burial that had been startted by Nicodemus and Joseph
While these women were heading to the tomb, our Lord's disciples were locked up inside the Upper Room trembling in fear that the same kind of death awaited them also.
Why were these women so scared?
Could it be that they reflected of the fact of the words of "The Shepherd will be smitten and the sheep will be scattered," Mark 14:27.
Why were they so upset?
They had all believed Jesus to be the Messiah. They had placed their faith in Him and they had expected that He would set up His Kingdom.
(little did they knoew He did set up His Kingdom right before their eyes with a hand full of people.)
They had never grasped his message, or the meaning of His words.
Now, He is dead!
The One that they had placed all their hopes in was gone.
This man Who had so radically changed their lives by His power and had demonstrated the love and power of God to them had died a violent and humiliating death.
Surely, it was a sad day for His followers.
I am going to tell you why they were so upset.
You see, we usually don't see how God is at work in our lives while He's working in our lives.
It's usually in looking back that we recognize the hand of God.
Especially when things don't feel good, or when things don't make sense to us, logically.
It is when we process things sometimes, that we get perspective, once it's in the past, to know that hey, you know what, that was God.
That break-up was God. Amen.
Me loosing that job was God.
Going the wrong way getting stuck in traffic was God
It never feels like God when your heart is broken.
When we let the Rattel of the Reflections sink in and look back, we can see God all in it.
We need to do like Cleopas on the roa d to Emmaus we need to go all the way to the destination where we thought we can bury our Shame, hurt, pain, dysfunction, addiction, sinful desires, and watch is die like Jesus died on the cross.
You need to have encounter with Jesus and recognize Him. Then do what Cleo and his friend did ... REFLECT, PROCESS IN THER PAIN then do wat Luke 24:33 what a great Easter verse by the way,
it says "they got up and returned at once to Jerusalem where the holy spirit was promised to be given not many days from then."
DON'T SIT BY THE TOMB YOUR WHOLE LIFE IN SORROW AND REGRET.
GEY UP !!, LEAVE ALL THAT MESS BURRIED AND RUN TO HOPE THE HOLY SPIRIT IS WAITINMG ON YOU B/C HE IS ALIVE!!
IF JESUS DID NOT RATTLE THE GROUND AND RESURRECT tHE IS NO HOPE!
2.) RATTLING REVELATIONS (v. 2-12)
LOOK WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE REFLECT ... WHEN WE REFLECT THING ARE REVEALED
In the midst of their sadness on that morning, God the Father took great pains to minister to the needs of their hearts. Aren't you glad that the Lord cares when you hurt? He moved in several mighty ways to encourage the hearts of these saddened believers.
Check out a few of the things He did:
? He rolled the stone away from the tomb. [ Not to let Jesus escape, but to allow man the opportunity to look in!]
? He sent an angelic messenger with the good news that Jesus was alive
[Never has the world heard a message like that one! It still rattels through the halls of time and will through out eternity - He is Alive!]
? He had a word of encouragement for Peter, who had denied Him
? He met Mary Magdalene outside the tomb - She had a great love for the Master - Mark 16:6. Great love begets great love
?He left a message for His followers inside the tomb - John 20:5-8.
? The oriental custom of the napkin. When a man with servants was eating a meal, he would use his napkin to signal them during the course of the meal. If he left the table and wadded his napkin up, it meant that he was finished and would not be back. If, however, he neatly folded the napkin, it told his servants that he was stepping away for a moment, but he would be back! Jesus was telling His disciples, “I may be out of your sight right now, but I'll be right back!”
? He revealed Himself to other disciples as they traveled on the 7 mile road called Emmaus Luke 24:13-35.
? To the person who feels trapped and sees no avenue of escape needs to know that Jesus made a way to set you free!
You need to know, that if you come to Jesus for help that He will be there to hear you, to save you and to help you through the darkness. Jesus Rattled the ground and walked out of the grave - Jesus is alive!
3.) RATTLING REALIZATIONS (v. 36-43)
When we Reflect we Relaize and things become Real.
While the disciples were cowering in the Upper Room out of fear for their lives, something miraculous happened.
Jesus, the One Who had died just three days before, was standing in their midst!
They RATTLED with fear and thought they saw a ghost.
However, Jesus had some news to tell. He showed them the nail holes in His hands and in His feet and to prove that He was real, He offered to let them touch Him and then He sat down with them to eat.
Most of the disciples hadn't believed until this moment, now they are convinced, Jesus is alive!
ILLUSTRATE EATING AT THE TABLE WITH JESUS.
This is what needs to happen in your life and the lives of many people in this room and watching on line today.
Men women boys and girls need to realize that Jesus
is more than a baby in a manger or some poor old fellow Who got Himself crucified.
He is more than a story in a dusty old book.
You need to understand that Jesus is alive! He is real and that He is the only hope you have of missing Hell and getting to Heaven and living a life of peace!
This day is about Jesus!
It is about the fact that He died for our sins while we were yet sinners, Rom. 5:8.
It is about the fact that He was buried and then three days later, He kicked the backdoor out of the tomb for ever and made a way for you and me to enter into eternal life by you merely trusting Him as your Savior!
CONCLUSION:
When Jesus arose from the dead, old enemies that had plagued man since sin entered into the world were forever defeated that day.
SIN ANXIET STRESS DEBT IDENITY CRISSIS
DEATH CANCER WORRY POVERTY SEXUAL INMORALITY
HELL ADDICTION PAIN HUNGER
GRAVE SICKNESS FEAR INSECURITY
THE TOMB MAY BE EMPTY TODAY BUT ITS FULL OF ALL OF THE ABOVE AND THAT JESUS DIED FOR.
RATTLE CHURCH RATTLE ! VICTORY IS YOURS!!! HE IS ALIVE!!!!
PRAYER
God, this is a moment for you to bring forth out of darkness and brokeness from your tomb amazing glory, amazing purpose, amazing power and amazing grace.
I have spoken today to the dead both spirtually and emotionally, I ask you in this moment to awake the dead and melt hard cold hearts.
I thank you, Lord, that everybody under the sound of my voice right now is rattled by the truth of your word, pain, and torture they are in because you have compassion for them, because you hear their cries, You Lord are alive today to make intercession, because you walked out of the grave, Jesus. We Love you Jesus ! Right now move the hearts of these people.
