My Cup Runneth Over, Easter
My Cup Runneth Over • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 3 viewsA close week at Jesus' final week and what that means for us.
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Transcript
Easter Video
Welcome and Announcements:
Pastor - “Christ is Risen!”
Congregation - “Christ is Risen Indeed!”
If you are joining us for the first time today, we would like to thank you for joining us. We know you have options, and we are honored that you would choose to be with us today.
I am skipping any announcements today, so please refer to your bulletin for them.
Stand with me as we open our worship with scripture and celebration. I invite you to join with me. Each verse ends with “His love endures forever.” Unite with me by saying this all together each time we come to it.
Opening Scripture:
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. 2 Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. 3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever. 4 to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever. 5 who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever. 6 who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever. 7 who made the great lights— His love endures forever. 8 the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever. 9 the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever.
23 He remembered us in our low estate His love endures forever. 24 and freed us from our enemies. His love endures forever. 25 He gives food to every creature. His love endures forever. 26 Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.
Prayer
Worship Set
Prayer
Worship Through the Word:
My Cup Runneth Over
My Cup Runneth Over
How many of you like details? The more details you have, the better you feel?
How many of you prefer few details. You say, just cut to the chase. I just want you to get to the point as quickly as possible?
Well if you are a “cut to the chase” kind of person, you will appreciate my sermon today. You see, the heart of the gospel is very simple. We must ask ourselves one question. Is Jesus who He said He is? If He is, then everything He said and taught are true as well. The only real choice is whether you are willing to follow Him or not.
The Bible is full of evidence that Jesus did live, die, and rose from the dead. Many critics have set out to refute this evidence, only to become Christians and write books on their discoveries and experience. Two of my favorites are “More than a Carpenter” by Josh McDowell and “The Case for Christ” by Lee Strobel. I actually have a few of an abbreviated version of Strobel’s book if you would like a copy. Just ask me after the service.
I have even preached on these things in the past. However today, I am addressing the two imperatives of the resurrection. It has happened, and you know it. Now what do you do with that knowledge. To begin, let us look at the final chapter of Matthew.
Please stand as I read the account.
1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” 11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day. 16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
The Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God!
Father, please bless this Word which you have provided and which we now receive. Amen!
I. The Two Imperatives of Resurrection
I. The Two Imperatives of Resurrection
Happy Easter! He is risen! Hallelujah and Blessed be His Name!
Today we celebrate Easter. For the last six weeks, we’ve been walking through the Lenten season of reflection. Reflection is not always easy and we become aware of how easy it is for us to fail, even when we desire to do what is right. However, that prepares us for the excitement and celebration of Easter! We’ve been preparing our hearts for this day. We’ve acknowledged the seriousness of what Christ suffered on the cross. We’ve even contemplated what it means to make those same sacrifices while following God’s plan for our lives.
Now we get to celebrate! We rejoice in the fact that Jesus’ sacrifice covers are weaknesses when we fail. And even more, that salvation comes through faith not an ability to do everything perfectly every day. If salvation were based solely on our ability to live perfectly, we would all fail. So, let us move into today’s message and find our the imperatives of the resurrection.
In today’s passage, women went to the tomb only to find that Jesus had risen from the dead. An angel told the women to go and tell the disciples what had happened. He said Jesus would meet the disciples in Galilee.
Today’s message includes two commands for us: “come and see,” and then “go and tell.”
To begin, we will focus on the first.
A. Come and See Matthew 28:6
A. Come and See Matthew 28:6
The women came to see Jesus, but he was not there. They were invited to “come and see” for themselves the place where he had been in the tomb and was no longer.
Matthew tells us they were afraid yet filled with joy. I can only imagine the mix of emotions they felt. They were probably afraid of all the unknowns but excited to hear that the Savior they were mourning was alive!
They ran to tell the disciples what happened, but as they did so, they ran into Jesus on the way, who told them not to be afraid.
When the disciples saw Jesus in Galilee, they worshiped him. They had been convinced that He was the Christ from early on. However, things did not go down like they had expected. Even though Jesus and openly told them many times that He would be killed and He would rise again, it just did not stick with them. It was so contrary to what they had expected. We often miss vital information, when it is contrary to what we expect. However, even though they still do not fully understand why He had to die, they do know one thing, He definitely is the Christ because no one else could raise from the dead without the hand of another. No one was in that tomb with Jesus. And Jesus was the only one to have raised anyone who had been dead that long. When prophets did it, it was someone who had just recently died.
Through the lives of these early followers of Jesus, we find an important message for us.
1. We each need to have a life-changing encounter with the resurrected Jesus.
1. We each need to have a life-changing encounter with the resurrected Jesus.
It is not enough to just believe in God or to believe in Jesus. But we are to have a personal experience. Just this week, I read the story of a man in Turkey. His life was a mess! He had a serious drug issue along with many other issues. His family took a family vacation and literally asked him not to come because he was an embarrassment to them.
One day when he was beginning to feel at his wits end, and considering death, he began flipping through stations on satellite television. One of the channels was a Christian station and he overheard someone say, “When I gave my heart to Jesus...”. He quickly changed channels and thought, “wow, these Christians are weird.” A few days later, it happened again. Once again, he changed the channel thinking how weird that sounded. Then not long after that, he was in a bad fix needing drugs. He was on the roof and he shouted out, “God save me. Save me from my addiction.” He waited expecting something but did not know what. He was really disappointed and returned to the house. He turned on the television and again, someone was saying, “When I gave my heart to Jesus...”. This time, he did not change the station but listened. Then he knelt on the floor and confessed his sins and asked Jesus to save him. This time, he offered Jesus his heart and every aspect of his life to Jesus. He said that as he was there on the floor with his eyes closed, he felt the presence of Jesus. It was so obvious that he felt that if he opened his eyes, he would literally see Him. However, he didn’t open his eyes because he felt so ashamed of his life.
When he finally did open his eyes, he heard a voice say, “It is finished. Your old life is finished!” He left there a changed man.
Everyone needs that kind of experience. A point where we come to the end of ourselves and ask Jesus to give us a new life. It is only found by placing our life in Jesus hands. That’s the first step in our faith journey.
Many in this room have already had that first step. Today, I would ask you to reflect on what that moment was for you. Remember what it was like giving your life to Jesus for the first time. It is important to remember that from time-to-time.
Sometimes people know about God but haven’t felt like they’ve had a real encounter with the Savior. Even the great John Wesley was serving in ministry yet didn’t feel like he’d been truly saved—until one day when he did. He had several family members who had shared their experiences, and he had placed his faith in God based on their experiences. Yet he had never had his own. When the time came that he did, he famously described the experience as feeling his “heart strangely warmed.” That was the first time he trusted in God alone for salvation. Up to that point, he had just been jumping through hoops to try to please God. After that, he didn’t stop talking about it.
If you do not usually go to church, but you are here today, then I would say you are in the “Come and See” stage. You either believe in God and you are here because you think it is what God would have you to do. Or, you are exploring the possibility if the claims about Jesus are true. As I have said, there are lots of books that share the physical evidence. However, the best evidence of all is that personal experience. If you believe, follow that man from Turkey who knelt on the floor and prayed to God to receive him and then pledge your heart to Jesus.
If you are not sure, talk to God. Ask Him to show you the truth. If you have a genuine desire for the truth, God will reveal Himself to you. No one wants you to know the truth more than He does, I guarantee you!
Once you have discovered Jesus for yourself, the next important step is to...
B. Go and Tell Matthew 28:19-20
B. Go and Tell Matthew 28:19-20
After appearing to the disciples, Jesus gave them the Great Commission.
1. Jesus said to go and make disciples of all nations.
1. Jesus said to go and make disciples of all nations.
The disciples went out and spread the gospel to the corners of the world as they knew it, completely changing our world as we know it. Many of Jesus’s disciples in that day, ended up traveling far from home to tell people about Jesus. There are still some today who accept calls to pick up stakes and move across borders to share with others in other nations the good news. However, for most, it is just being active about sharing the gospel with those around you, neighbors, co-workers, family and friends.
We do not need to persuade them. We only need to share our experience and be willing to answer their questions. If we do not know an answer, we take time to find out the answer. Church is a great place to do so. Then we answer their question. The rest is between them and God.
The second thing Jesus told us to do was to...
2. Go and baptize them.
2. Go and baptize them.
The Great Commission also tells us to baptize in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Baptism existed before the resurrection (Jesus himself was baptized by his cousin John), but it became a symbol of new life in Christ for those who choose to follow Jesus. If you have placed your faith in Christ, we ask you to be baptized. Baptism is a public witness to the work that God is doing in your life.
If you accept Jesus as your Savior at our church, we will encourage you to be baptized as a second step. If you have come to our church, you have placed your faith in Christ but have never been baptized, it is not difficult to make happen. Just talk to me and we will get a time scheduled to do so. Baptisms are joyous celebrations in the church. We all come and stand with you and celebrate with you what God is doing in your life.
The final part of the Great Commission is a reminder to teach.
3. We are to teach new disciples so that they obey all that Jesus has commanded.
3. We are to teach new disciples so that they obey all that Jesus has commanded.
We are saved by faith. Salvation opens the door for us to have a relationship with God. However, God is holy and cannot associate with sin. When we receive Jesus as our Savior, his Spirit takes residence within us. We become the temple of God’s Spirit. He begins the work of cleansing us, but this does not mean we continue to live the way we used to.
When we lead someone to God, we do not abandon them there to figure things out for themselves. Instead, we walk along with them, mentoring them. This does not mean we have to understand everything or know everything. We help them as best we can with what we know. We often learn and grow more ourselves as we try to assist others.
The church is an important part of this process as well. We all come together to help each other learn and grow. We encourage each other. We comfort each other. Not all churches are equal and as good about this, so it is important to find a church that is helping you to do these things. A place where you are welcomed, feel loved, and are learning.
It isn’t enough to have a one-time encounter with Jesus. That is just the beginning. From that point we all begin to learn how Jesus would have us to live. We learn and teach each other. The way of holiness is an essential part of living out the Great Commission.
For this reason, church is important. Following Jesus isn’t just about coming to church occasionally, although of course anyone is welcome at any time, regardless of how often they come. We want to give everyone a chance to hear about God, and so our doors are open to everyone. But the church is not only about that but about providing a safe place for us each to learn and grow in our faith and relationship with God. We are God’s family, and if the church is doing its job correctly, it should become like an extended family to you. A good family.
Following Jesus is about the charge to go and tell others about what we’ve experienced in Christ. Jesus does a wonderful thing within us and He wants us to share it with others so they too may know Him. If the only people who hear the message are those who come within these walls, can we really say we’ve lived out the Great Commission?
Conclusion
Today is not just a day of remembrance and celebration but a day of commission (or, in many cases, re-commission). Where will you go? Whom will you tell? You do not have to be a theologian. You do not have to fully understand the Bible. You just need to be willing to share your personal story. Personal witness speaks far better than memorized verses or theological jargon.
We all know what it feels like to share exciting news. Whether you just got engaged to the love of your life or got a big promotion at work, you’re bursting to tell people about the great thing that’s happening in your life. How much more should we as followers of Jesus be excited and ready to share the good news of Jesus with those we meet! Every person— not just the one in the pulpit but everyone in the pews as well—is called to go and carry out this commission. This isn’t about whether you’re clergy or laity but about whether you’re a follower of Jesus. Those closest to Jesus who were the beginning church were fishermen! Yet, they and those they shared with spread the tenets of Christianity at a rate that has been unequaled since. It was nothing but word of mouth about what they had seen and experienced.
At the end of the Great Commission is a wonderful promise. Jesus promises to be with us always, to the end of the age. God may be leading you on some wild adventures this year. But God is faithful to go ahead of, and alongside you, as you go. He is risen!
Copyright © 2024 The Foundry Publishing®. Permission to reproduce for ministry use only. All rights reserved. (Outline was denomination generated, I then added the majority of the body of the sermon.)
Prayer
Father,
I do not know what is up the road ahead of us. However, I do know that when we walk with You and follow Your leading, it is never dull. It is always an incredible journey. I pray your hand upon every person that is in this room, as well as those who may view our video. May they feel your presence, just as the man in Turkey did. May they know that You have their best interest at heart and You will never leave them alone. You are always right in the center of all we do.
If there are any here who do not personally know you. Perhaps they are here today seeking to understand about You. I pray that they too, will feel a sense of Your presence in this place and sense that You are calling to them to put their trust in You.
Father, I do not speak as a pastor, trying to persuade someone to come to my church. I speak as one who has experienced You in incredible ways. I have seen and experienced miracles that are not of this world. It is my sincere wish that each person here experience their own encounters with You and that they understand this is not my church, but Your church.
In Jesus Name we pray, Amen!
Worship Set
Announcement: “Torn” beginning May 11. If you plan to be with us for this series, please pick up your packet today. Please do not open the packet until Wednesday, May 7. Consider placing this on your phone task lists as a reminder or in your calendar. Plan to take about 10 - 15 minutes each day with the materials inside as they will correspond with the series I will be preaching. We have been focusing on all that Jesus suffered. This series will illuminate for us the rewards and benefits we gain because of what Jesus did by dying for us on the cross.
There is also two items within the pack to keep with you each day to remind you of the things you are learning. There is one for your wife and one for your husband. If you are alone and only need one, please return the one and if there are larger families, we can give the item to any of the kids that may desire one. I had to take a shot in the dark of how many we needed, so if I do not have enough and your kids or others want one, I will see about getting more.
We do have an Easter Egg Hunt taking place behind the Bryant Center as quickly as we dismiss. I wish you a wonderful Easter and will dismiss you with this benediction.
20 Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
