“WHAT A DIFFERENCE EASTER MAKES”
Acts 10:39-43
In 1957, a song, entitled ‘What A Difference A Day Makes’ sold more than two million copies. When I think of of that song title, I realized that could apply to many dates and events.
But the greatest day in history was the day that Jesus Christ came forth from the tomb. That was the first Easter.
We come to Church because Sunday is the day of His resurrection. Ever since Jesus burst out of the grave having conquered death and hell, Christians have worshiped on Sunday, the first day of the week.
Philip Henry used to call the Lord’s day the queen of days, the pearl of the week, and observed it accordingly. His common salutation of his family or friends, on the Lord’s day in the morning, was that of the primitive Christians--"The Lord is risen, He is risen indeed;" making it his chief business on that day to celebrate the memory of Christ’s resurrection; and he would say sometimes, "Every Lord’s day is a true Christian’s Easter day."
But I want to ask you a question today. What difference does Easter mean to you? Has it made a difference
In your life?
What a difference a day makes, the day of resurrection of Jesus Christ. Thus I want to share with you several ideas about where Easter make the difference.
I-EASTER MAKES A DIFFERNCE IN ENTHUSIASM:
Notice what the two disciples said after Jesus had appeared to them on the Emmaus Road in Luke 4:32
When you understand what the resurrection means, you will not have to work up excitement, for it will be natural as a day following night.
We see Peter going from a coward at the fire to a bold preacher in Acts 2:14. Why did it happen? Because, Peter knew Jesus was alive.
Easter can make a difference in you enthusiasm for life. Without it, our life would be one gloomy , dark, dead-end street.
Years ago, a policeman saw Billy Sunday kneeling on a street corner. He thought he was drunk but found out that he was praying and celebrating His Lord and Savoir, Jesus Christ. The policeman then said, Billy, you keep it up, I will keep the Crowd away until you finish.
When I think about Jesus coming out of that grave and that He’s alive today, I can’t help but get excited about His glorious work.
This past month we had the final four in college basketball. It was called final four excitement. But I tell you real excitement is “Jesus excitement”.
II-EASTER MAKES A DIFFERNCE IN ENDURANCE:
These disciples were not roman rocket Christians. They didn’t start with a bang and then fizzle out. But they endured until the end of their life. Many of them were faithful even unto death.
I remember watching Jim Brown playing football for the Cleveland Browns. But I was shocked when he retired at an early age of 29. He said, he was just burned out on football.
You and I are not to burn out or rust out for the Lord, but we are keep running the race for Jesus.
I was visiting a man once several years ago while I was in revival. I asked his was he a Christian? He replied, I guess you can call me an off and on Christian. I found out later, it was mostly off.
But Easter can make you a “on “ Christian not a “off” Christian. Easter should make you faithful not just on Easter but every Sunday during the year.
We should be like the Woman who I read about in the Alabama Baptist several years ago who honored for going 36 years without missing a Sunday Service.
Fanny Crosby wrote over 500 gospel songs despite being blind from birth. A preacher told her that he wanted to pray for her that she might have her sight. She told him, don’t ask God to heal me for the first sight I want to see is the face of Jesus when I get to heaven.
She endured because Jesus had made a difference her life.
III-EASTER MAKES A DIFFERCNCE IN EVANGELISM:
When we read about Paul experience in the jail in Acts 16, we see him singing, praying and witnessing. Why? Because he had somebody to sing about, someone to pray to, and somebody to witness of.
Someone has said, the world has not rejected Jesus, but we have kept him a secret.
Cal Chappell said that in France, there 100 of cities and town which have no Christian witness. One out if twelve persons in Paris have never held a Bible in their hand. They are ripe unto harvest if someone will go in the name of Jesus and evangelize them.
Easter has made a difference in our life. Thus we need to proclaim Jesus to the world. We have to tell them that Jesus can save them , can cure their failing marriages, can give them power to kick the alcohol and drug habit, can enable them to get the garbage out of their life.
IV-EASTER MAKES A DIFFERNCE IN EVERDAY LIVING:
We notice how Jesus changed the lives of the early Christians in Acts 2. They were involved in prayer, in Bible study, in worship, and in witnessing every day. They were just the same on Monday as they were on Sunday.
Someone has said, that a person who is right with God is one who could learn on Sunday he is going to die on Monday and yet would not have to change anything.
A reporter once asked Martin Luther, what would he do if he knew he was going to die at midnight that day. The first thing he said he would do was he would finish hoeing his garden. Thus he was saying, he didn’t have anything to do, for he was ready to meet His Lord.
How do I know that Christ has risen?
What proof have I to give?
He touched my life one blessed day,
And I began to live.
How do I know he left the tomb
That morning long ago?
I met Him just this morning,
And my heart is still aglow.
How do I know that endless life
He gained for me that day?
His life within is proof enough
Of immortality.
How do I know that Christ still lives,
Rich blessings to impart?
He walks with me along the way
And lives within my heart.
V-EASTER MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN ENEMIES:
The Bible says, we have three enemies; the world, the flesh and the devil.
Our first enemy is the world. But because of resurrection of Jesus, we will one day leave this one for a better one in heaven.
D. L. Moody was walking down a street one day when he met a little girl who scared of the approaching storm. The sky was dark and black. She said, Brother Moody, the world is coming to an end. He said, that all right honey, we can live without it, for this is not our home, we are just passing through to a better world.
Our second enemy is the flesh. Not our bodies, but our carnal desires.
Billy Sunday was talking one day to man who was deep in sin. Brother Sunday, I couldn’t help it for the devil made me do it. Sunday told him, if the devil were dead, you would still sin, for you still had the old nature in you.
But the resurrection of Jesus gives us power to conquer the sins in our lives.
The third enemy is the devil. A man once said, I don’t have any trouble with the devil. Well of course, he didn’t for he was walking with him. Many are like him today, they are sold out the devil. But because he have the risen Lord in our heart, we can overcome the devil
A United States marshal had an encounter with "moonshiners," in the mountains of eastern Kentucky, and though struck by eighteen bullets fired at him by the outlaws, he escaped unharmed because he was wearing a bullet-proof vest and other protective clothing that shielded him from enemy fire. The Christian has the best coat of mail ever invented. We need never to go into battle without knowing that the darts of the enemy have no power to harm us. Christians everywhere need to have emphasis put on Paul’s earnest appeal: "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (Eph. 6:11).
Conclusion: In the villages of Northern India a missionary was preaching in a bazaar. As he closed, a Muslim gentleman came up and said, "You must admit we have one thing you have not, and it is better than anything you have."
The missionary smiled and said, "I should be pleased to hear what it is."
The Muslim said, "You know when we go to Mecca we at least find a coffin. But when you Christians go to Jerusalem, which is your Mecca, you find nothing but an empty grave."
But the missionary just smiled and said, "That is just the difference. Mohammed is dead; Mohammed is in the coffin. And false systems of religion and philosophy are in their coffins, but Jesus Christ, whose kingdom is to include all nations and kindreds and tribes, is not here; He is risen. And all power in heaven and on earth is given unto Him. That is our hope."
A living Christ! That is our hope. He is not dead, but alive forevermore.
