O Sing!!!

O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gained him victory. The Lord has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises. Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody. With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord. Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it. Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. (Psalm 98, NRSV)

Have you ever been annoyed with the new hymn or song in worship?

Why do we have to sing this?

We don’t know it!

We’ve never done this before!

It is true doing new things is hard. Change is not easy, but wait just a minute and reread the psalm above…

O sing to the Lord a NEW song!

God doesn’t want the same old same old!

God wants you to be ready at a moments notice to do something new! Something different.

He is not content with the tired and true, but wants us to soar on the wind and sing to Him a new song!

 

Witnesses!

Of this man’s posterity God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised; before his coming John had already proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John was finishing his work, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but one is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of the sandals on his feet.’ “My brothers, you descendants of Abraham’s family, and others who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent. Because the residents of Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize him or understand the words of the prophets that are read every sabbath, they fulfilled those words by condemning him. Even though they found no cause for a sentence of death, they asked Pilate to have him killed. When they had carried out everything that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead; and for many days he appeared to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and they are now his witnesses to the people. And we bring you the good news that what God promised to our ancestors he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising Jesus; (Acts 13:23-33a, NRSV)

John was here and proclaimed the coming of the Messiah, one we needed to prepare to meet, for He would save us. John never claimed to be the savior, but pointed to Him, as did Peter, and the disciples, and many others…

And even though the church leaders of John’s day found nothing in Jesus to convict Him, they still took Him to Pilate and had Him tried and then hung on a cross for us, His children.

Who was a witness to you?

Who told you the story?

Who helped you understand the love God has for you?

Who can you tell?

Who can you help know the love God has for them?

You see, you are a witness, and called by God, through Jesus to go into the world and tell the story, bot to everyone, but to one…

Who are you going to be a witness for?

Not necessarily in words, but in how you live your life for Him?

For they witnessed, and many believed, and those who believed witnessed and so on down to you, and now it is our turn… So go therefore and be a witness to the love we all have available to us!

Seeing…

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes. But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her. (John 20:1-18, NRSV)

Seeing isn’t believing, believing is seeing…

In this passage, as well as the rest of the gospel of John, seeing is a big thing…

Mary sees the stone rolled away in verse one, and here she believes that someone has taken the body.

The two disciples, Peter and the disciple that Jesus loved, see the clothes lying in the tomb in verse 5 and 6. And in verse 8 it says the disciple that Jesus loved sees and believes… And I wonder what he believed, as he went home, without understanding that He must rise from the dead, the verses say… They saw He was gone and that is what they believed since He was not there…

Then Mary sees the 2 angels in the tomb, but still believes that someone has taken the body…

Then Mary sees Jesus and believes him to be the gardener…

Then after Jesus calls her by name, she really sees Him. And she goes to see the disciples and tells them she has seen the Lord…

The eyes can deceive you… But our mind and our heart will help us to see what our eyes never could…

Seeing isn’t believing, believing is seeing!

 

For they were afraid…

When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?’ When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.’ So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. (Mark 16:1-8, NRSV)

Not really the ending to the story we expect, right?

I mean come on. Jesus is alive and all that happens here is the women, who came to prepare Him, fled from the tomb when they were told He was alive and was going on to meet the disciples, because they were afraid!

But how many of us have done anything about the fact that Jesus was raised?

How many of us tell people about our loving savior that died for us, and rose to give us new life?

How many of us flee from a chance to talk about God because we are afraid?

There is nothing to fear for the Holy Spirit will give you the words to speak.

So boldly tell all about Jesus who died for all so that all may have a place with God for all of eternity!

Hope…

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ—whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have died in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. (1 Corinthians 15:12-20, NRSV)

Have you ever had one of those things that could not be explained but you believed it?

Some in Paul’s day were saying that Christ was not raised from the dead… Yet we say there is resurrection and that Christ rose from the dead. Yet if He didn’t rise, where is our hope?

What do we have to cling to if Christ did not rise from the dead?

Our faith is futile and in vain.

But you see that is the hope, because we know that Christ was raised from the dead. Can we prove it, not in a CSI way, but to me I do not need to. I know the promises the Bible tells me are true. And that may not be enough for some, but it is enough for me. God gave me the Hope that Jesus loved me enough to endure the cross and God loved me enough to not leave Jesus in the grave and I know that the Father will not leave me there either. And you can hope in our Daddy God and know that He will not leave you there either!

First Importance

Now I should remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—unless you have come to believe in vain. For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to someone untimely born, he appeared also to me. (1 Corinthians 15:1-8, NRSV)

What is the most important thing in your life?

What is first on your list of important things to remember?

Well Paul is telling the Corinthians to remember what is most important in life.

Christ died for your sins, was buried and was raised from the dead on the third day all in accordance with the scriptures!

Then He came back and showed Himself to Peter (Cephas) and the disciples and then many more…

And Paul says He then came and showed Himself to Paul. But the accounts we have of this is a bright light that blinded Saul and a voice of one saying He was Jesus and asking Saul why He was persecuting Him…

So sight is not needed to believe in Jesus, but believing in the promises the scriptures tells us about Him. If we believe what we have been told has happened, and hold it as the promise of God for our life, the first and most important thing for us to remember, we can count ourselves as one who Jesus appeared to, and hold all of the promises for ourselves!

Do not be afraid!

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.” This is my message for you.’ So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’ (Matthew 28:1-10, NRSV)

Do not be afraid! Right!

I came to this place expecting to find the body of Jesus and instead there is an angel, telling me He has risen and is going ahead to meet the disciples in Galilee… And I’m not suppose to run away afraid!

Well the good news is it is all true! Everything Jesus told us, is true and the promises of God are coming to fruition.

And the interesting thing here is that women are the ones who witness Jesus’ rising! You see God is bringing the things that the world looks down upon and raising them to a new level!

Shepherds at His birth. Tax collectors, fisherman, and those the world would not trust as disciples. And here at His resurrection women are the first to see!

God uses the weak and the lowly to be the strong and the highly exalted to be the first! For when the world makes you last, in God’s kingdom you will be first.

Jesus died and rose for all! And thanks be to God that He loved me enough to die and rise so that I might be with Him!

The sweet sound of your name

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’ Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes. But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’ When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” ’ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her. (John 20:1-18, NRSV)

Close your eyes… And remember the sound of your greatest relative calling your name.

Can you hear the sound of your mother calling your name?

Can you hear the voice of your father calling your name?

Your brother? Your sister? Grandmother? Grandfather?

Isn’t it sweet to hear your name come flowing off their lips…

Now you can see and feel how Mary felt that morning at the tomb.

Distraught and in anguish because her savior was gone. She did not eve recognize Him…

But then He says her name! And she knows who He is. He is not dead! He is alive!

And if you listen, you will hear Him call your name!

And how sweet is the sound of your name as it flows off the lips of your Savior!