"RESURRECTION 2004 MEANS REJOICING EVERYDAY!"
TEXT: Matthew 28: 1-10
Introduction
One Sunday morning, during the Bolshevik Revolution (Russian Revolution), the Red Guards rounded up all the people of a small village into the town chapel. After a very lengthy lecture about "Communism" the Captain summoned the town pastor to the front and said, "I’m giving you only three minutes to respond."
The pastor replied, "I don’t need three minutes, I just need three seconds." With a joyful face the pastor uttered the words, HE IS RISEN!" In one thundering voice the village people responded, "HE IS RISEN INDEED!"
(Exclaim HE IS RISEN! Let the congregation respond)
I believe that "RESURRECTION SUNDAY" must not just be a one event, then tomorrow its gone. I believe it must impact our life ona a daily basis.
I would like us all to remember "Resurrection Sunday 2004" because today we’re going to learn one important Christian value that will make a different in our daily life.
MESSAGE
The attitude-changing lesson Jesus wants us to learn is found in verses 8 and 9. (Just read the verses)Did you take notice of these two women’s reaction to the Angel’s news?
It’s good THE NATIONAL INQUIRER wasn’t there yet, otherwise the report would have been, "TWO WOMEN HELPED MEL GIBSON RESURRECT CHRIST." Well, we all know that Media a lot of times tends to sensationalized news just to get the rating.
According to our scripture, the women were fearful but overjoyed by the news of Christ’s resurrection.
Now, let’s go to verse 9. What is the very first word Jesus uttered to them? The word is REJOICE! I believe an attitude-changing lesson Jesus wants us to learn right after He resurrected is: TO HAVE A JOYFUL ATTITUDE IN OUR DAILY LIFE.
Our time is too limited to enumerate all the reasons but let me give you two major reasons:
1) EVERYDAY OUR LIVES MUST BE REJOICING, BECAUSE THE GOD WHOM WE WORSHIP AND SERVE IS ALIVE!
Yes, He died but He rose again. Let’s listen to what the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15: 17--19, (just read them).
The word "only" in verse 19 must be taken with the entire clause, which gives us an idea that, *"If our hope in Christ does not take us beyond this present life, then we are of all men the most miserable."
(*The Parable Bible Commentary, Nelson)
The argument that is running through the entire paragraph of this passage of scripture is that, as believers, we place our hope in Jesus Christ, who claimed that He is the "resurrection and the life," and then, Paul is saying, if there is no resurrection, then our hope in Christ is useless, its so much better to have no hope at all. Did you get the point?
Illustration: A Moslem said to a Christian, "We Moslems have one thing you Christians do not have. When go to Medina (Saudi Arabia), we find a coffin and know that Mohammed lived there because his body is in it. But when you Christians go to Jerusalem, you find nothing but an empty tomb."
"Thank you!" exclaimed the Christian. "What you say is absolutely true, and that makes the eternal difference. The reason we find an empty tomb is because we serve a RISEN CHRIST."
Brothers and sisters, the God that we worship and serve is alive, that should make a difference in our attitude. Everyday our lives must be full of enthusiasm, full of life! Full of hope! Full of courage! Full of excitement! Full of praises and thanksgiving! Full of Christ!
Illustration: An elderly Christian man was taken to a plaza by the Red Army when the Communist Korea taken over the North. Trying to create fear among the people, they beat up the old man to denounce Jesus in front of many people. But each time he got hit, he exclaimed JESUS! as he was repeatedlty beaten up. After a while the beaters stopped and asked the old man, "How come each time we hit you, you always exclaim the word JESUS?" "Because," the old man replied, "my life is full of JESUS, in anyway you hit me JESUS will come out because HE IS ALIVE in my life."
That is the kind of Christian attitude that attracts people to the living Christ.
2) EVERYDAY OUR LIVES MUST BE REJOICING BECAUSE OUR SAVIOR IS A LIVING SAVIOR. THAT MEANS HE IS ABLE TO HELP US.
You see our Savior is not the one that is mounted on the different corners of the wall ina chapel, or in a house. Our Savior is not a decoration in the hall way, in the garden, nor on the dashboard of a car. He is risen Savior, "who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us" (Romans 8:34). Explain "intercession."
Illustration: Foot Prints In Th Sand
One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was
walking along the beach with Lord.
Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.
For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints
in the sand; one belonegd to him, and the other
belonged to the Lord.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him,
he looked back at the footprints in the sand.
He noticed that many times along the path of his
life there was only one set of footprints.
He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest
and saddest times of his life.
This really bothered him and he question the Lord
about it. "Lord, you said that once I decided to
follow you, you’d walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most troublesome
times in my life there is only one set of footprint.
I don’t understand why, when I needed you most, you
would leave me."
The Lord replied, "My precious child, I love you and
would never leave you.
During your times of trials and suffering, when
you see only one set of footprints, it is then
that I carried you."
Brothers and sisters, Jesus can carry us through trials and the saddest times of our life, because HE IS ALIVE! He knows exactly what we are going through. He can feel what we feel. He can see. He can hear. He understands and always ready to embrace us; "To eveyone who are weary and heavely laden," His open invitation is, "Come to Me and I will give you rest."
A living Savior should make a difference in our daily lifer.
CONCLUSION
You know the power of RESURRECTION can only impact our life if the living Christ is residing in our heart. If you have not yet receieve Him, then you daily life makes no difference. It remains dormant, hopeless, discouraged, lost, no thanksgiving, no praises.
Yes, every morning you get up, go to your work well dressed, well groomed, but inside, your empty. Invite the living Savior into your life and you’ll see the big difference.
