Easter Sunday – April 11, 2004
To get us started off for the morning, I would like to share a few things that you should never do in Church:
6. Never ask an usher to break a $20.
5. Never do a cannonball in the baptismal tank.
4. Never hold a church business meeting on Super Bowl Sunday.
3. Never tell the pastor, "We love your church so much we might even come back next Easter."
2. During youth group activities, never bungee jump off the church steeple or play chicken with the church buses.
1. After singing "Love Lifted Me," never follow up by singing the hymn "It Took a Miracle."
Will you bow with me for a Word of Prayer?
You know, I really got to thinking about this Sermon today. I knew we were going to have a larger than usual crowd simply because of all the family we had coming today – and now that I have a captive audience so to speak…I thought…what better time to review the past year?
So…I brought up every Sermon I have preached in the last year and thought we would just kick back and spend some time reviewing! (Bring out stack of Sermons)
Ok…page one…
Well, I see a few people getting up to leave – hang on – I’ll cut it down by a few pages - -
Actually, I brought these up here to let you know that although we have covered some pretty hefty stuff over the last year, today’s Sermon is one I hope you will pay close attention to. Some of you will probably start off the morning paying close attention, and then you will begin to drift, thinking to yourself “Oh, just another Easter sermon…been there, done that, spent some time underwater…”
Well, I am here to tell you – that no matter how “been there, done that” you think you are this morning – if you will give me 15 minutes of your attention, you will walk out of here thinking a little different.
I had a chance to go play golf the other day – not something I have had the opportunity to do much of lately, I used to play quite a bit – but, as we were standing out on the tee box, waiting for our turn to tee off - - - I looked out across the horizon and said to the guy next to me, “There is no way that any sane person can look out at this beautiful morning sky and smell this fresh cut grass and deny that there is a God in Heaven.”
The funny thing is, amongst that beautiful sky and fresh cut grass was a bunch of mesquite trees and cactus plants! It got me to thinking that if this old desert they call Texas is beautiful enough to enjoy – how do you reckon Eden looked?
The Bible tells in Genesis that God created the garden – that He created man to rule over all the animals of the earth – He created trees that were pleasing to the eye – with rivers – all the beauty that man could behold. Just try to picture Adam standing out amongst the sunrise – can you imagine such magnificence?
I can just see him now, standing out on a hilltop – basking in the morning sun – and then for some reason God decided it was too quiet on earth…so He created woman…
Seriously, here is this perfect world – and God tells them in Genesis 2:16 “”You are free to eat from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”
Every time I read this story I am always amazed. Here they had everything anyone could ever wish for – at this point in the story you have to ask yourself, “ Why in the world did God put that rule in there? Why didn’t He just leave out that tree and leave them be?”
I have heard some people describe God as some great big puppeteer in the sky – making us dance to whatever tune He decides to play at the time. Well, the very fact that He gave Adam and Eve the choice to obey or disobey proves that theory wrong. God loved His creation so much that He gave them free will – He allowed them to make the choice – He didn’t create a bunch of “toys” or robots – He created man in His image – and He loves us enough to give us a choice.
I wish I could stand up here and holler out “April Fool!” That Adam and Eve really didn’t make the wrong choice – it was all a big joke – but, once they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil – Sin entered into the world…we would forever be separated from God. And the wages of Sin is death.
I think it’s funny how lightly we take sin these days. Things that would cause June Cleaver to fall over dead are the norm nowadays – people are more worried about instant gratification than offending or sinning against God - - we’ve become immune and indifferent to God’s standard. It’s almost as if Satan is still using that same old line that he used clear back in the 3rd Chapter of the Bible – clear back at the beginning of time…”Did God really say"…and "surely you will not die!”
Satan has no new tricks – He tells us…"try it just a little" – "it won’t hurt you!" "God won’t hold that against you!" "Come on….just one little nibble won’t hurt ya!!"
I can remember a few years ago when my cousin bought me this really neat computer game – it was called NASCAR Racing. Man, that was something else! Going into the computer room, with a very real looking steering wheel and foot pedals. I was a big NASCAR fan and now I was going to get to see what racing was all about!
Really – it started out innocent enough. I would go in every few days and race for 30 minutes or so and then head on back into the living room where Melesha and the kids were – but just as I was getting ready to put it all up – online racing became the craze. Now, think about it for a second – all across the nation there were thousands of other “Tex Cox’s” – all hooked up to the Internet ready to race the night away! I was hooked!
Slowly, but surely, I went from racing just a little bit to see what it was like – to literally coming in from the day at work, eating supper – pat the wife and the kids on the head – and head on into the computer room – only to emerge when my eyes could stay open no longer…night after night after night.
I didn’t think there was anything wrong with this! After all, I worked hard all day! I deserved some relaxation! I wasn’t going out to the bars all night like some of my friends! I wasn’t running around with other women!
Well, one night – or should I say one morning, I got up from the computer at about 4 a.m. – and you know how you can walk around your own house when it is dark – well, I began to head to my room – I grabbed the door knob to walk in, just like always – except this time…BOOM!...this time the door was LOCKED!
And there attached to the door was a note. It read, “If you love your computer that much you can just sleep with it!!”
Whew! Talk about a wake up call! I tried to get a coat hanger and open the door like I had seen my wife do numerous times when the kids locked the door. But try as I might, I could not get in that door – I tried and tried to figure it out for myself – but I was locked out!!
Luckily for me, my wife got out of bed and came to unlock the door and let me in. Now, at this time, I had a choice to make. I could either thumb my nose at her and swell up with pride and give her the old “I am the man around here!” and continue to drive that wedge between us and our relationship – or, I could repent and ask her to forgive me – and restore the love that had been torn between us.
But you see? When Adam and Eve sinned against God by making the wrong decision, there was no way to return to God! Without perfect obedience, they were doomed!
I often wonder what made God love us so much that He would give us a second chance – I often wonder the same thing about my wife…why in the world would she want to give a goofball like me a second chance - - - that being the one and only time in our 40 years of marriage that I have ever messed up…. oops! Make that twice now…
But, why would God love us that much?? You all know the most famous verse ever quoted – if you ever watched a Cowboys game in the 70’s you can remember that guy in the stands with the rainbow hair – and John 3:16 on his shirt – “For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever should believe in Him, shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
God knew that “the wages of Sin is death” and He also knew that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
He KNEW that there was no way we would be reunited to Him! So He made a way – He sent His Son to die for us – a one time sacrifice to cover all sins – past, present, and future!
The Bible tells us in Romans 5:12 that “just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.”
Sin and death entered through Adam – and righteousness and life entered through Jesus Christ.
I want to stop right here and tell you something. If you should be stricken deaf from this moment on – and you never hear another word spoken for the rest of you life – hear this:
Jesus Christ died so that you may have life. If you believe in your heart that Christ died to pay for your sins and you confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, you will be saved.
I am here to tell you – that no other decision you ever make in your life will be as important as that one. If you live to be 120 years old and break the modern world record for longest living person – you will have lived an eye blink in comparison to eternity – and every single person sitting here this morning WILL have an eternity.
The saddest thing about our gathering here this morning is that in all honesty – not all of us sitting here are saved. We may have the HEAD knowledge that Christ died and rose again – but we don’t have the HEART knowledge.
And when that day comes – as our sign outside this morning says, “He IS Coming” – when that day comes – many that are sitting here in this room will have to hear those awful words – “Depart from me – for I never knew you!”
For me, this morning is about trying to wake some of you up. It’s time to wake up to the reality that your eternity is not to be taken lightly. The BEAUTY of the morning is that Someone loved you enough to die for you!
You know, my sister understands this better than anyone else I know. She had a great friend in high school that gave her life for someone else. She saved a little child from being run over by a hot oil truck. I still remember that night just like it was yesterday – I still remember holding my sister as she cried and wondered why that had to happen. But somewhere out there is an adult that understands what it is like to have another person die so that he might live – I often wonder about that little boy – is he living the kind of life that Kelly would have had him live? She died for him that night – is he wasting his life away doing things “his” way – living life for the next pleasure or for the next feel good thing – or is he trying his best to live the kind of life he knows Kelly would approve of – one that would make her proud that she gave her life for him.
How about you this morning – if you claim to be a Christian this morning – are you living the kind of life that you can look Jesus Christ right smack dab in the eyeballs and say, “Thank you Jesus for dying for me – I am living the life you would have me live today.”
“I KNOW that I KNOW you are proud of me.”
Is Jesus proud of you this morning?
Don’t let Satan pull the wool over your eyes – God knows your secret sins. Your Mama may not know – your Daddy may not know – but your FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN knows!! God knows your secret sins!! Are you living your life the way that shows Him you love and respect Him???
You know, some of you are sitting there this morning saying, “Ding Dang that goofball Preacher is on a roll this morning trying to make me feel bad!” Well, let me explain something to you.
Once you become a Christian – you don’t get a “Get out of Sin free card.” You get a “Get into Heaven Free Card” it doesn’t cost you anything but your heart.
But you are still going to sin. This is where country living has really helped me out. You see, when I first moved here the local yokels like to tease me about being a “city boy” – some of em still do – but I’ve learned a few things out here – spend a year out in the country with your kids bringing in bugs you never thought could even be created –
Frogs – snakes – all kinds of stuff – spend a yr out there and you learn a few things.
Let me tell you – the number one thing that I have learned that has done me the most good – is I have learned the difference between pigs…and sheep.
Yep, that’s right – the difference between pigs and sheep.
You see, when a pig is walking down the road after a big rain - - and he falls into a mud hole, he gets right down into it – he wallows around – he spends some time just rolling and playing and slopping all around in that big old mud hole.
When a sheep walks up and falls into that mud hole – he gets out as fast as he can!
And that’s just like you and me – when you find yourself falling into the hole of sin – do you hang out, roll around, slop around and just have you a good old time? Or do you get out as soon as you can?!?!?!
God sent His Son to die for you. He endured beatings and whipping – he endured ridicule – pain beyond belief – but the physical pain is nothing compared to the pain He suffered when He took the weight of the world’s Sin upon Himself.
The most beautiful story ever told is what we are here to celebrate this morning! If you go ask someone who worships Muhammad this morning where he is – they will show you his tomb! You can go see where his dried up old crusty body is – and that is the one they worship! MY GOD IS ALIVE!!! MY JESUS ROSE FROM THE GRAVE! HE ISN’T DRIED UP IN SOME TOMB BURIED AWAY ALL THESE YEARS!! HE SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD ALMIGHTY READY TO COME BACK FOR ALL THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN HIM!!! HE IS ALIVE!!!!
Do you understand this morning that when He died up on that cross that He died for YOUR SINS? The ones you may very well be committing here this morning?
God wants a relationship with you. I can tell you this much – He is happy if you have made that commitment to Him through His Son – but, Christianity does not stop there. You don’t just get your “Get out of Hell” card and then go on about your business. God wants to have a relationship with you. He wants to talk with you and walk with you – He wants you to live your life in a manner that is worthy of the sacrifice that He gave for you.
How worthy is your life this morning? As unbelievable as it may seem, some of you are sitting here this morning thinking to yourself, “How much longer is this Preacher going to talk about this stuff?”
The most important day of your life – and you are letting it slip right by. Ask yourself, as you bow your heads – where do I stand this morning? As I take my last breath – have I made SURE of my eternity? Is it really worth the risk not to know for sure?
