Imagine Easter
“He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” The Ascension of Jesus 50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.” Luke 24:44-53 NIV
Intro: As a kid, our imagination could fill up an entire day.
Me and a couple of friends would get together
The next thing you know…, we had taken a scrap pile of old lumber
And turned it into a fort and would fight off whole armies of invading bad guys.
Or maybe you remember the days when newspapers had cut out paper dolls and paper clothes?
Her name was Betsy McCall.
She was just a flat piece of paper, but each week there was a different printed cutout change of clothes.
You could have scrap books filled with outfits for every day of the week…, every season of the year.
Your imagination could run wild dreaming about all the fancy places Betsy McCall would go.
Today it is anything electronic, images onscreen-online.
God created us with an imagination.
God made us so that we would dream and build and learn and grow greater.
That same God given imagination can help you achieve God’s created purposes in your life.
Today we are going to “Imagine Easter.”
We are going to Imagine Easter before there was an Easter.
That is what the disciples and early follower of Jesus had to do.
Jesus said, “Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 45 Then he opened their minds…, so they could understand the Scriptures.
There was a high school basketball team that was in the final game of their District Play Offs.
Their star shooter was sick, hadn't even dressed out for the game.
Four out of five starting players had fouled out.
Their second line guard had just been injured.
All the coach had left was a 3rd string freshman guard.
They had only one senior left on the floor who was a shooter.
To make matters worse, the team was down by one point in overtime,
with only a few seconds left on the clock.
It was a desperate situation, the coach's only thought was for the guard to get the ball to their one senior
And hope for either a foul or a clean shot.
Sending in the 3rd string guard, the coach said, "Whatever you do Tommy don’t shoot the ball,
just get the ball to the senior player.
The players went in.
The guard received the ball.
The 6’4” senior was double guarded, even tripled teamed.
The experienced senior realizing what was happening
ran out of the paint and back almost to the half court line.
This opened up a clear path for the freshman guard to go straight in under the basket.
The guard dribbled under the goal.
The guard looked up at the time clock.
The guard looked at the basket.
The guard threw the ball all the way back to senior player at the half court line
The senior shooter took a long wild shot that hit the rim at the buzzer but rolled out.
The coach ran onto the floor and demanded of the freshman guard,
"Why didn’t you take the shot?
You were unguarded. You were standing right under the basket.
What in the world were you thinking?
The freshman answered, "I was thinking what a dumb coach we have."
What does it mean to have an “open mind to the scriptures?”
The disciples had heard the prophecies of God’s word.
They knew the rules of faith.
But knowing the rules of the game and thinking on your feet are two different things.
“What makes us Christians?”
The question that also begs to be asked is: “What makes us United Methodist?”
The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,
47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations,
48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you
Stop and think for a moment about what I just read.
Do you understand those words?
Do you know what Jesus means?
He is not just saying the Messiah will suffer.
He is saying when you follow Jesus you will suffer also.
He is not just saying that you can repent you receive forgiveness of your sins.
He is saying you have to talk to others about repentance and forgiveness.
He is saying every believer is a witness
He is saying your must put your faith into action.
You are carriers of the record of truth, the workers of the Gospel
Jesus is not just sending out the disciples.
Jesus is sending you out.
Somebody is thinking: Wait a minute. I must have gotten into the wrong line.
I thought this was the serve me line for potluck and supper.
I thought I was in the supper line not the suffer line.
Aren’t you thankful to be part of a church that knows what it means to work and serve in the community.
Church is a lot less about coming in and sitting down.
And a lot more about being sending out on the church bus and serving hurting people
and reaching broken and damaged lives,
and going out transforming the world
Showing the world the sacrifice and love of Jesus.
Listen closely to the original Greek
48 You are witnesses of these things.
48 ?µe?? You este ‹?ste› are martyres µ??t??e? witnesses touton t??t?? .
hu mace…, este…, mar toes…, two tone
You are martyrs of these things.
Are you sure you understand?
what your decision to follow Christ means?
and your commitment to follow Jesus really mean?
Imagine Easter through the eyes of the disciples.
Jesus said “Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses,
the Prophets and the Psalms.”
The purpose of the Old Testament Law and Prophecy and Psalms was to be like a mirror.
Its purpose was to help us realize that something was wrong in our lives.
Let’s say you go outside into the garden or yard to do some work
You have gotten your face dirty.
You go into the house and look into the mirror and you see the dirt.
Can the mirror cleanse your face and wipe off the dirt?
Of course not… the mirror only makes us conscious and aware of the dirt.
In the same way, the Law could not to cleanse your heart and make yourself acceptable to God.
The Law can’t do that.
That’s what Jesus is for.
That’s why Jesus went to the cross.
Jesus’ blood can cleanse every stain.
Jesus’ blood can forgive every sin.
There is no sin to little
There is no sin too big for the blood and the cross.
The proof is an empty grave!
The evidence is the resurrection!
Now you can Imagine Easter morning!
You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised;
but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
What is the power from on high? (Not an electric bill)
THIS IS THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Jesus commanded His followers to wait in the city of Jerusalem until they had received power from on high,
a clear reference to the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8), who was promised by the Father.
The apostles are the first witnesses,
but through the power of the Holy Spirit, all believers down through the years are commissioned
all believers are empowered to act as God’s witnesses.
God poured out His Spirit at Pentecost.
That Spirit is still a present power in our lives.
Our brokenness healed…, addictions/bad habits transformed…, chains are gone…, set free/liberated…,
and then sent out on missions…
because of the supernatural God living in and among us by His Spirit.
Have you ever felt empty?
Have you ever been alone?
Have you ever seemed weak?
Imagine NO Easter!
Imagine NO Resurrection!
Imagine NO Holy Spirit!
Imagine life with no armor…., without being clothed with the Power from on High!
Without the Holy Spirit we can do nothing.
We are like ships without wind, ores or motor.
We are like trees without leaves or fruit or sap.
We are like coal without fire.
Let me ask you again. Do you understand what you signed up for when you became a believer?
Are you standing in the supper line or the suffer line.
Our Sunday even “607” Praise and Worship Service is in some ways the most Traditional Service we offer because of its Sacramental and Creedal Theology.
In case you don’t know understand what that means.
We serve Holy Communion at every service.
We have small group prayer time
We start every service by praying the Wesleyan Covenant Prayer.
I want you to stand if you can and pray this prayer with me.
I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee,
exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
thou art mine, and I am thine.
So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.
Jesus often took His disciples aside and said, "I have something important to tell you.
Jesus would help his disciples to Imagine Easter before Easter every happened.
He would say: We are going to Jerusalem,
when we get there they will turn me over to the Gentiles,
they will mock me, insult me, flog me, and kill me.
Then Imagine…, on the third day I will rise again.
Just like the widow Nain’s son rose from the dead
Just like Jarius’ daughter rose from the dead
Just like Lazarus rose from the dead.
This week was the first day of Spring.
The warmer weather unwraps the flowers as they begin to bloom.
It reminds me that we have become a “cut flower” people.
We enjoy the instant gratification and beauty of cut flowers
that are bought at superstores or delivered from the florist.
We have become a people without the patience to plant the seeds and water the soil.
We no longer have the endurance or commitment to be the source of NURTURE
No long have what it takes to care for and raise them ourselves.
Artificial flowers are beautiful on a table.
They help us embrace worship and make a statement of love and concern.
But they lack the smell and authenticity of the real thing.
They are just not the same as being able to watch the plants to grow.
Or have the delight of being able to go out and pick a fresh spray of flowers.
Flowers with roots keep returning.
They may lie dormant in the winter.
But they bloom in the spring.
Many bloom not just once or twice but keep on blooming all summer long.
Are you a cut flower? Are you an artificial bouquet?
Or are you a deep rooted person?
Are you connected to the water of life?
Are you committed and have the power to grow?
Are you rooted in the soil of a strong relationship with God.
Nurtured and loved by faithfulness.
Do you grow? Do you bloom?
What do you see when you Imagine Easter?
When it comes to Christianity, all the world is lives in the “Show Me State.”
“I’ll believe it when I see it.”
50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.” Luke 24:44-53 NIV
I believe in the sun, even when it does not shine.
I believe in love, even when it is not shown.
I believe in God even when he does not speak.
George H. Bush tells the story of attending the funeral of Soviet Leader Brezhnev.
The service contained marching soldiers…, steel helmets…, Marxist rhetoric.
not a single prayer…, no hymns…, no mention of God.
This was the cold grey center of atheism.
But what happened next was amazing,
“As the grieving widow Mrs. Brezhnev walked up to show her final respects to her husband.
she traced the sign of the cross over her husband’s chest.
Imagine this simple expression of faith, God had broken through the core of atheism and disbelief.
If you are not a Christian you can be today.
The formula is simple: Believe + Receive = Become
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Receive him as your Lord and Savior.
Become what he has created you to be.
Can you Imagine Easter in your life?
I don’t want to be labeled the dumb coach who told people all the rules
but never taught the people to think on your own feet.
Let your imagination run wild.
Let yourself believe like a kid again, and see what inspiration shows up.
Closing: Easter is something marvelous. Please don’t let it pass unnoticed.
Would you pray this prayer with me?
Dear Jesus,
I want to believe in you and in the power of your resurrection.
I long to experience your healing presence…, in the wounded places of my life.
Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.
Now take my life and let it be consecrated and sanctified Lord to thee.
Take my moments and my days…, let them flow in ceaseless praise. Amen
