INTRO.- DID YOU HEAR THE NEWS? It did it again. It was number one again! What’s that?
The movie THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST was the number one box office hit at the movies this last Easter weekend with an income of $17 million. The second on the list was some crazy movie called HELLBOY. (I’m certainly glad to know that Christ beat the Hellboy on Easter) And third was the new Alamo movie with Billy Bob Thorton.
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST has now made $355 million dollars and some authorities estimate that it could make $400 in America alone. It is now number 8 on the top ten list of movies in America.
I think this is good news about the good news! The good news is actually about the fact that Jesus Christ died for all mankind. He made eternal salvation possible through His death on the cross! That’s good news! WE CAN LIVE FOREVER BECAUSE OF HIM! And it’s also good news that the movie THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST is causing such a positive stir across America and around the world.
We haven’t heard the last of this yet. GOD IS STILL AT WORK IN OUR WORLD AND IN THE LIVES OF PEOPLE!
ILL.- The president of the North American Christian Convention, Dick Alexander, who preaches at the Clovernook Christian Church in Cincinnati, OH, wrote these interesting and insightful words entitled, “The Perfect Storm.”
“It surely seems like things are stirring in America in unusual ways. I don’t remember in my lifetime hearing the amount of conversation about Jesus that’s taking place in our country right now.
“Jesus is everywhere in the media. He was on the cover of Time magazine. That’s happened before, but last week ABC also did a three-hour special on Jesus, and Fox did an hour-long special that was very positive
“More impressive than the media coverage is the stream of stories people are telling about conversations at their workplaces and schools. Non-church folks are asking questions and raising substantive issues. People aren’t talking about church, but about God.
“This may be a ‘perfect storm’—a convergence of forces bringing deep spiritual reflection. The week after 9/11, church attendance surged all over the country. But by the end of that month, it had dropped back to normal. The upswing appeared to be a small blip on the screen. Yet that may not have been the end of the story.
“After 9/11 came Afghanistan, and then Iraq. And now Iraq looks messier that ever. Also, in the back of many people’s mind lurks the possibility of terrorism returning to our shores. These are unsettling times.
“Then came Mel Gibson’s film The Passion of the Christ. It was a gift from God for our time. A foreign language film with English subtitles, all it did was tell THE STORY.
“And now they’re talking—everywhere they’re talking. And our friends, neighbors, classmates, and co-workers are talking about the important things—not the quirky, weird religious stories that sometimes make the news. They’re open to discussing God, prayer, life after death, forgiveness.
“There’s no way to tell how long this time will last. Americans have notoriously short attention spans.
“This could be just a few months, or it could be the beginning of an urgently needed national spiritual renewal. In any case, the only day we have for sure is today—let’s make the best of it. These are unprecedented days for sharing Good News with those you care about.”
I believe that Dick Alexander is right. We may well be seeing the beginning of a greatly needed spiritual revival. America certainly needs a revival. The world needs a revival and so do we!
In the light of Easter, what should we do? Do we just attend Easter services and that’s it? Shouldn’t there be something more?
PROP.- There are least three “musts” for us to fulfill or do after Easter.
1- Live passionately
2- Preach humbly
3- Love sincerely
I. LIVE PASSIONATELY
Phil. 3:7-8 “But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”
Phil. 3:12-14 “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
That’s passion. The apostle Paul was willing to forget his great past in order to pursue and know Christ. He was willing to give up everything for the sake of Christ. If that isn’t passion, I don’t know what is!
ILL.- Mel Gibson has found some of that same passion in the making of his movie, THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST. Christ’s passion for mankind has become something of Mel’s passion.
In speaking of his movie, Mel said, “There is no greater hero story than this one – about the greatest love one can have, which is to lay down one’s life for someone. The Passion is the biggest adventure story of all time. I think it’s the biggest love-story of all time; God becoming man and men killing God – if that’s not action, nothing is.”
The movie, THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, has also awakened the passion of many people for Christ. The passion has sparked some good in many people’s lives. There is an internet site devoted to this: miracles of the passion.com.
What’s your passion? What’s the thing that captures your heart and interest most of all? All of us have our passions in life whether we want to admit it or not. Sports, hobbies, cars, shopping, decorating, gardening, TV, eating (food), movies, hunting, fishing, gardening, golfing, baseball, etc.
ILL.- I read a story one time about an Arkansas Bass Fisherman who discovered that night fishing for bass could be fantastic. It was nothing for him to catch as many as 100 bass a night. He got so excited about it that he went 40 nights straight. He didn’t eat much and didn’t sleep much. He lost over 20 lbs. and he said he nearly lost his health over it. THAT’S PASSION!
Regardless of our passion, we all must have a passion for the Christ! And this passion must be evident in our lives in certain ways.
ILL.- Edward Everett Hale, the distinguished poet and former Chaplain of the U.S. Senate, eloquently captured the essence of every American’s duty: "I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, that I ought to do. And what I ought to do, by the grace of God, I shall do."
Some people don’t want to get involved in any kind of Christian service and really, it’s just a lack of passion for Christ!
If we truly believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God and the only Savior of the world, how can we not get involved in serving in some form?
Not everyone can preach or teach, but everyone can do something to serve Christ in the church and outside the services of the church. If we are passionate for Christ we should always be looking for opportunities to serve, to bless, to help, etc.
Whatever you are interested in can be used for Christ.
ILL.- An avid hunter, Ron Brent thought he knew what to expect when fellow outdoorsmen gathered to boast of their bounty.
He envisioned a rowdy crowd where the fish tales became more unrealistic with every beer gulped. What he found was a group of hunters more interested in being fishers of men.
"I saw men who weren’t drinking, and they weren’t cussing, and they were having a great time," Ron says. "I left knowing they had something I didn’t have. Three months later, I became a Christian."
Ron is now pastor of global evangelism at Hebron Baptist Church in Dacula, Georgia, an outlying suburb of Atlanta. The church sponsors an annual wild game dinner to appeal to people like Ron who was unchurched when co-workers invited him to the dinner.
Now the event is held at the county fairgrounds and draws about 3,500 people. In addition to a menu of deer, rattlesnake, elk, ostrich and alligator, the program features sports figures who share their faith. And each year about 200 people make professions of faith at the dinner.
Almost anything, any passion, any hobby, any talent, any interest can be used for Christ if we are passionate enough.
ILL.- Some years ago there was song entitled, “Light my fire.” All I know is that something needs to light our fire for Christ and His church! Easter is over, but it’s not over. It’s time to get fired up for Christ and do whatever we can for Him.
II. PREACH HUMBLY
ILL.- From 1974 to 1984 I preached for the First Christian Church of Iberia, MO, which is near the Lake of the Ozarks. That’s when got into bass fishing. I had a friend whose parents attended our church. He didn’t attend church at that time, but he was good bass fisherman and had a Ranger Bass Boat. He’d call me on the phone and simply say, “Let’s go!” I knew what he meant. If something wasn’t pressing at that time, I’d grab my rods and tackle box and head out the door.
We had a young man in the church who was a very good hunter. He said to me one day, “If you’d go turkey hunting with me you’ll quit that bass fishing.” He never did sell me on turkey hunting because I never did go.
Brothers and sisters, most everybody is selling something. Maybe not everyone, but many people are selling something.
We, too, are supposed to be in the selling business. We need to be selling the Lord Jesus Christ to others any way we can. We need to preaching or presenting Christ to people, if we are sold on Him.
ILL.- John Morely, the Englishman, who was not a Christian wrote, “If I believed that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and my Savior, I would never write or talk anything else.”
That’s a humbling thought. We DO believe that Jesus is the Christ and our Savior, but we talk about a lot of other things.
ILL.- Robert Speer said, “Any man who has a religion is bound to do one of two things with it: change it or spread it. If it isn’t true, he must give it up. If it is true, he must give it away.”
We need to be selling Jesus Christ to people!
Rom. 1:14-16 “I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome. I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”
I Pet. 3:5 “In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
II Tim. 2:24-25 “And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gentle instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth…”
Preaching Christ is what the early church did very well. They went everywhere preaching the word. And most did it with the right attitude: humbly, gently, respectfully, lovingly.
People don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care. The only way to preach Christ to people is by showing first of all that we truly care about them. We must befriend people, care for people, love people and then when the timing seems right, present Christ to them.
Easter is over, but it’s not over. It’s time to preach Christ in a loving and humble way. We need to get with God’s program. Some people must be doing something because their churches are growing.
ILL.- I read where the Central Christian Church of Wichita, KS, normally runs about 3,200 in their services and on Easter they had about 7,000. They doubled their attendance. That’s outreach!
The Central Christian Church also did a huge evangelistic outreach in the community during the first two weeks of the Passion movie. They had tents outside the 3 largest theaters with counselors where people could go after the movie to talk, just sit or have someone to pray with. That’s preaching Christ!
ILL.- The large Southeast Christian Church of Louisville, KY, has weekend attendances of 18,000 or more. This last Easter they had 29,424 for all their services!
We need to be preaching or presenting Christ in our community! Somehow. Anyhow.
III. LOVE SINCERELY
Rom. 12:9 “Love must be sincere.”
Rom. 13:8 “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.”
Getting out of debt is a great feeling, but you’ll never get there. All of us owe the debt of love to others every day of our lives. God put us here to love people. That obligation or debt will never be fulfilled.
I Pet. 4:7-8 “The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
ABOVE ALL, love people deeply. This is what all people need.
ILL.- I found this ad on the internet while researching for this message. Sincerely in love with love. And then this woman puts in her ad what she is looking for.
Attractive, compassionate, open, sensitive, spiritual woman seeks same, for long walks on Beach Street and breakfast by candlelight. Must be vegetarian, preferably vegan (except for cheeseburgers). Tattoos OK as long as they tell a story. Piercings optional. No SUV owners, please! No smokers. No drinkers. No drugs. No negative vibes. Must be adventurous, imaginative, sincere, creative and able to prove that your wealth comes from earth friendly investments.
Not looking for much, is she? Very particular woman, I’d say. I don’t know if that woman is looking for a mate, a man or a woman or what, but I don’t think most people are not that particular when it comes to being loved by someone.
God wants us to love all people the best we can: the attractive and unattractive, the compassionate and the uncompassionate, the sensitive and the insensitive, the spiritual and the non-spiritual.
Christ didn’t die on the cross for good people only, He died for everyone, the good, the bad and the ugly.
ILL.- A lady by the name of Ann Weems wrote: "It was a family treasure. That golden vase, the priceless vase that had belonged to my great-grandmother and my grandmother and now to my mother. The vase sat on the mantle, out of reach of little fingers. However, I managed to reach it. I climbed to reach it and I broke it. I broke the family treasure.
"Then I began to cry in loud sobs that brought my mother running. I could hardly get it out. ’I broke the vase,’ I said. ’I broke the treasure.’
"A look of relief came over her face and she said, ’Oh, I thought that you had been hurt.’ She hugged me and made it very clear that I was her priceless treasure."
ALL HUMAN BEINGS ARE GOD’S PRICELESS TREASURE. We must demonstrate love to all as best we can. Jesus did that very thing. He demonstrated love to the blind, the lame, the infirm, the dirty, the leprous, the outcast, the adulterous, the greedy, etc. WE NEED HIS HEART.
ILL.- A young boy was overheard asking his playmate, "Wouldn’t you hate to wear glasses all the time?" "No," came the answer, "not if I had some like my grandma’s. She always sees when people are tired or sad, and she knows just what to do to make them feel better. One day I asked her how she could see that way all the time. She told me it was the way she learned to look at things as she grew older." After thinking for a minute, the first boy concluded, "Yeah, I guess you’re right; it must be her glasses."...
No, it wasn’t grandma’s glasses that made her love people, it was heart. A heart like Jesus’ heart. And we all need a heart like that. Above all, love people deeply.
CONCLUSION---------------------------------------
Resurrection Sunday is past, but Christ lives on! Easter is over, but it’s not over! It’s not a done deal!
We’ve only just begun to live,
White lace and promises
A kiss for luck and we’re on our way.
And yes, We’ve just begun.
Before the rising sun we fly,
So many roads to choose
We start our walking and learn to run.
And yes, We’ve just begun.
Sharing horizons that are new to us,
Watching the signs along the way,
Talking it over just the two of us,
Working together day to day
Together.
And when the evening comes we smile,
So much of life ahead
We’ll find a place where there’s room to grow,
And yes, We’ve just begun.
Yes, just the two of us, we’ve only just begun. You and Jesus. Jesus and you. When it comes right down to the nitty, gritty, it’s just the two of you, hand-in-hand, heart-in-heart. Easter is over, but it’s not over. We’ve got so much to do.
