SERMON: THE SOUNDS OF EASTER

EASTER SUNRISE SERVICE

8 April 2012 (Modified from 12 April 2009)

I.  Introduction

            -- if you have your Bibles with you, invite you to turn with me to Luke 23 -- I’m going to read verses 50-56 this morning as we begin our Easter sunrise service together

Luke 23:50-56 (NIV)

50 Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man,

51 who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God.

52 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body.

53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid.

54 It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.

55 The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it.

56 Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

           

II.  The Sounds of Easter

            -- I want everyone here to do something for me -- in just a second, I want you to close your eyes and take just a moment and listen to the world around you -- I’ll tell you when to open your eyes again -- but for just 15 seconds, I want you to pause and to listen -- ready? -- close your eyes and let’s start

            -- what did you hear? -- what sounds caught your ear this morning?

            -- we’ve gathered here at sunrise on this Easter morning just like Jesus’ disciples did over 2000 years ago -- have you ever stopped to think about what they heard as they stood there that first Easter? -- have you ever stopped to think about what Jesus heard that last week of His life?  -- have you ever stopped to wonder about the sounds of Easter?

            -- that first Easter week started when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey on Palm Sunday -- what was it like riding down the Mount of Olives into the Kidron Valley? -- what noises filled His ears? -- the sound of the donkey plodding along? -- the sound of sandals slapping against the hard earth? -- the sound of His disciples quietly talking amongst themselves?

            -- we do know what happened as He neared Jerusalem -- the Bible tells us that the air was filled with the sound of the crowd -- with the people shouting joyfully, “Hosanna, Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord -- Hosanna in the highest”

                       

            -- What about on Maundy Thursday -- the night of the Last Supper? -- What sounds surrounded Jesus then? -- probably the sound of the temple -- of the people gathering to sacrifice the paschal lamb -- lambs bleating -- people talking and singing -- babies crying

            -- What about later that night, as He reclined at the table with His closest disciples and shared the Passover Meal? -- perhaps the sound of a fire crackling in the stove? -- dishes clattering -- glasses clinking -- the sound of friends enjoying each other’s company over a meal -- the sound of conversation and laughter

            -- What about when He washed their feet? -- what do you think the disciples heard then? -- the rustle of cloth as Jesus bent before them? -- the sound of water dripping as He washed their feet -- the sound of cloth against skin as He dried them -- the words of Peter saying that Jesus would never wash his feet and then changing his mind and saying, “not just my feet -- but my heads and my hands, as well”

            -- What other noises did Jesus hear? -- did He hear the clink of the 30 pieces of silver as the priests gave them to Judas for betraying Him? -- did He hear the sounds of the temple guards approaching -- of the clatter of their swords bouncing against their armor? -- did He hear the sound of the torches and the crowds gathered to judge? -- did He hear the rooster crow as Peter denied Him? -- did He listen as the demons rejoiced at the sight of His capture and trial?

            -- What about on Friday? -- as Jesus was passed around between Pontius Pilate and King Herod -- as He was paraded before the crowd -- what did He hear? -- what noises caught His attention?

            -- the noise of the whip as it whistled in the air before striking His flesh? -- the angry cries of the crowd -- the same voices that shouted “Hosanna” just five days before now shouting “Crucify?”

            -- the noise of His own feet as He trod along the Via Dolorosa toward Calvary -- the sound of His cross dragging along behind Him -- the muttering of the crowd that lined the street -- the cries of His family and friends?

            -- What about at Calvary? -- what then? -- did He hear the sound of the hammer striking the nail as it punctured His hands and His feet? -- the sound of the cross being lifted, with ropes straining to seat it into the hole carved in the hill? -- the moans of pain and the cries of derision from the thieves surrounding Him on the other two crosses? -- the jeers and taunts from the Pharisees and the priests and the others gathered to watch? -- the sobs from His mother and the other women?

            -- we don’t know exactly what Jesus heard that week -- the noises that filled His ears -- but we do know one thing that He listened for with all His heart -- straining to hear it, even from the cross -- especially from the cross

            -- He longed to hear the sound of His Father -- He longed to hear His Father’s voice -- but He didn’t -- He couldn’t

            -- Matthew and Mark tell us that right before Jesus died, He cried out in a loud voice, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" -- Why have You left me? -- Why aren’t You here? -- Why can’t I hear You?

            -- In 1 Kings Chapter 19, we read about Elijah following his showdown with Jezebel’s priests on Mount Carmel -- like Jesus, Elijah longed to hear the voice of God -- like Jesus, Elijah longed to know, just for a moment, that God had not abandoned him -- that he was not alone -- that God was still there and things were still o.k.

            -- and the Bible says that Elijah went out of the cave where he was hiding and listened for the Lord -- as he listened, a strong and powerful wind blew over him, tearing the mountain apart and shattering the rocks, but the Lord wasn’t in the wind

            -- After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the quake -- After the quake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire -- And after the fire -- after the chaos -- after it was all over -- in the stillness and the silence -- there came a gentle whisper -- and it was in the quiet of the whisper that Elijah heard God

            -- in this passage that we opened with, it’s all over -- the betrayal and the capture are done -- the trial and the beating is over -- the crucifixion has ended -- the darkness that had covered the land for three hours has lifted -- the veil in the temple has been torn in two, exposing the Holy of Holies and the Ark of the Covenant to all for the first time in over 2000 years -- Jesus has proclaimed, “It is finished” -- and He has died

            -- the show’s over -- and the crowd leaves -- looking over their shoulders one more time at the three men left there on the crosses at Calvary -- only a handful of people remain at the foot of their Master -- at the foot of the cross holding Jesus

            -- let me read this passage again, starting at verse 50

Luke 23:50-56 (NIV)

50 Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man,

51 who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God.

52 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body.

53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid.

54 It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.

55 The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it.

56 Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

            -- as always happens after a funeral, the crowd begins to leave first-- and the family is left there to mourn alone in silence -- Joseph took Jesus’ body -- and, as John tells it, he and Nicodemus carried Jesus together to the garden, where there was a new tomb where no one had ever been lain before

            -- and Jesus’ mother and Mary Magdalene and a few other faithful women followers of Jesus watched as Joseph and Nicodemus prepared the body for burial -- and then they all left the garden together

            -- think for a moment what that place sounded like as the sun started to set on Good Friday -- as the Sabbath was beginning -- as Joseph and Nicodemus and the women had just left

            -- the garden would have been quiet -- peaceful -- still -- like the calm before a storm

            -- you’d almost think no one was there -- you’d almost think that Jesus had finally been abandoned by everyone -- but in the silence of that place, God was there and He finally spoke the words that Jesus had longed to hear

            -- you would have expected to hear God’s voice earlier in the week -- when the crowd shouted “crucify” -- when the guards flogged the Son of God -- when the crowds jeered as Jesus carried the cross -- when the sound of the hammer reverberated from Golgotha

            -- but just like with Elijah after Mount Carmel -- God’s voice was not heard in the chaos of that week -- His voice wasn’t in the wind of the crowd’s shouts of “Crucify” -- His voice wasn’t in the quake of the hammer’s blow on the cross -- His voice wasn’t even in the fire of the judgment and wrath being poured out on Jesus on the cross for our sake

            -- His voice was in the whisper that echoed in the walls of the tomb -- “Yes, Jesus, You are right -- It is finished” -- and with that whisper, Jesus rose from the dead -- in the quiet of that place, God spoke and Jesus heard and eternity was never the same

            -- sometimes we get caught up in the action -- we get swept up in the chaos of life -- and, try as we might, we just can’t hear God speak -- we call out for Him in the wind -- in the quake -- and in the fire -- but we can’t hear His voice

            -- sometimes we can only hear Him after the crowds have gone home and we are left in silence and we listen with ears of faith

            -- this morning, as we are gathered here as God's people to remember the empty tomb -- and the risen Christ -- and the whisper of victory -- let’s take a moment and listen again for God’s voice to speak to us

            -- let’s take a moment to listen in the stillness of this place -- and let Him whisper to our hearts -- and let Him remind us that He is our God and we are His people -- and this day is all about what He did for us

            -- as we close, let’s remember that it is not the sounds of Easter -- it is not the sounds of the chaos -- of the excitement -- of the action -- that we need to be focusing on -- but on the quiet whisper that changed eternity forever -- on that still small voice that continues to speak today, “It is finished -- sin and death have been destroyed -- I live -- and because I live, so can you”

            -- let’s pray

SERMON: THE SUFFERING SERVANT

Easter Sunrise Service
4 April 2010

I. Introduction

-- this morning, as we gather here at the foot of these three crosses and watch the sun rise on the horizon, we can't help but think of Charles Dickens' great quote that opened his book, "A Tale of Two Cities"
-- "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times -- it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness-- it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity -- it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness -- it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair -- we had everything before us, we had nothing before us"
-- think back over the events of the past several years and you'll see that Dickens quote so aptly fits our own generation

-- in various places in the world, we are experiencing the best of times -- democracy is being brought to regions of the world that never really understood the dignity of individual citizens or the joy of liberty -- people in oppressed regimes such as North Korea and Iran are finding their voice and sowing the seeds of revolution and freedom -- countries and people are coming together in unity as never before
-- we are experiencing an unprecedented ability to communicate ideas and beliefs to any part of the planet -- we can sit in our own homes and communicate with strangers on the other side of the world -- we can watch real time events happening in China and Iran and Afghanistan all in our own living rooms -- with our global economy and our ability now to move goods and supplies around the world, we can change the life of others and bring significant relief to regions that are suffering because of drought or famine or poor economic conditions
-- on the other hand, we have also experienced the worst of times, even in our country -- HIV/AIDS continues to take its toll around the globe -- natural disasters such as our recent streak of earthquakes in Haiti and Chile and Japan affect many -- Countries face off in tense negotiations over trade, border disputes, and ancient grievances -- and our economy has been rocked by bank failures, skyrocketing unemployment rates, and an ever expanding federal debt and deficit
-- it surely is the best of times and the worst of times -- but, to quote John Ortberg, "I can't think of an Easter in recent memory where there was a bigger need for hope, for something that would breathe life into the human spirit

-- None of us ever want to go through a season of hard times like we have over the past several years -- but when you're in the valley -- when you're suffering through the hardships of life -- those are the times when you come face to face with what you truly believe -- with what you truly stand for
-- it's times like these that force us to ask the questions, "What am I really counting on? -- Am I building my life on a foundation that's solid enough that circumstances beyond my control cannot take it away?"
-- it's times like these that bring us to this place to remember that when it seems that all hope is lost -- that when we realize that man is powerless to turn the tide and to change our lives for the better -- that there is One who has already paid the price and redeemed us from this world with His very own body and blood
-- as Ortberg put it, "People have not gathered for the past 2,000 years to say, "The stock market has risen. It has risen indeed." -- They have not gathered to say, "The dollar has risen. It has risen indeed." -- Or, "the employment rate has risen." -- Or, "the gross domestic product has risen." -- Or, "General Motors has risen." -- Or, "The value of your 401(k) has risen."
-- Here at the cross is the "one hope that has [sustained] human beings across every continent and culture for two millennia [as they have struggled through the] difficult times of poverty, disease, pain, hardship, [and] death itself
-- here at the cross we gather to proclaim with all the world, "Christ is risen. He is risen indeed." -- and we are reminded that He suffered for us so that we might gain eternal life with Him

-- this morning, I wanted to take a moment to look at a passage from Isaiah -- Isaiah Chapter 53 -- that we call, "The Suffering Servant"
-- in this prophetic chapter, Isaiah gives us a moving portrait of the life and death and resurrection of Christ -- and he reminds us that, through Christ, we have already won the victory

-- so, if you have your Bibles, please turn with me to Isaiah 53 and let's look at this together as we begin our celebration of Easter

-- verse 1

1. Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

-- Isaiah reminds us that this message is for us -- we are the ones who heard the good news of Christ and turned from our sins and from the darkness of our former lives to the life that Christ had to offer -- we are the ones who have received salvation from God and it is our responsibility to pass this message of hope and life to those who are still walking in darkness

-- verse 2

2. He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

-- Jesus knows what it means to suffer -- when Jesus came to dwell among us, He came as one of us -- He was not clothed in glory -- He was not clothed in majesty -- there was nothing to draw us to Him physically
-- Jesus lived as one of us -- He got hungry -- He got thirsty -- He knew what it was to feel cold and hot -- to feel tired and exhausted -- to feel alone and abandoned -- He suffered just what we suffer -- He experienced everything we experienced, but even more so, because He was despised and rejected by His own people -- by the people He came to save
-- what must it have been like for Jesus to stand in the court of Pontius Pilate and to hear the people who He came to save cry, "Crucify, crucify?" -- Jesus knew what it felt like to suffer and to be rejected

-- verse 4

4. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
5. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
6. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

-- Isaiah tells us that Jesus suffered for a reason -- He suffered for us -- He who knew no sin became sin for us -- He took up our infirmities and our frailties -- He took our sorrows and our burdens -- He took our transgressions and our sins -- He bore them in His own body and took them to the cross on our behalf
-- everything that happened to Jesus on that day -- the sword that pierced His side -- the flogging that striped His back -- the nails that went through His hands and feet -- all of that was because of us -- all of that was for us
-- He took our punishment so that we might know peace -- He took our wounds so that we might be healed -- He paid the price, so that we might not have to

-- verse 7

7. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

-- Jesus could have spoken up -- He could have stopped the beating and the flogging at any point -- He could have stopped on the Via Dolorosa and dropped His cross -- He could have called down ten thousand angels and stepped down from the cross -- He could have told the Romans and the Chief Priests and the Sanhedrin that it was our fault -- that it was our sin -- not His
-- but He didn't -- He willingly took our sin -- He willingly took our punishment -- and He never said a word, but just endured it for us

-- verse 8

8. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.

-- Isaiah reminds us that Jesus died for us -- because of our transgressions -- because of our sins -- He was cut off from the land of the living -- He died in our place

-- verse 9

9. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

-- this is really amazing -- Jesus was assigned a place with the wicked -- He died the death of a criminal -- He died the death of a rebel -- because He died in our place -- His body should have been taken down and thrown into a common grave with all of the others -- even though He was sinless and had never done one thing wrong, He was condemned to suffer as the wicked
-- but, over 1000 years before the cross, Isaiah prophesied that although Jesus should be buried with the wicked, that this would not happen -- Isaiah said that Jesus would be buried in a rich man's tomb -- a borrowed tomb owned by Joseph of Arimathea

-- verse 10

10. Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.

-- Isaiah reminds us that this was not an accident -- that the cross wasn't a mistake -- that God didn't just make the best of a bad situation
-- the cross was planned from the beginning -- it was God's will that Jesus might die so that we might have eternal life through Him -- God made Jesus a guilt offering for us -- He made Jesus a sacrifice for us -- to take our place so that we might live forever

-- verse 11

11. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied ; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.

-- when I was taking classes at Emory, I had several professors try to tell me that the ancient Israelites did not believe in an afterlife -- that they did not believe in a resurrection -- but Isaiah clearly says here that Jesus, after having died for us, would once again see the light of life -- and that through His death and resurrection, we would be justified and made righteous in the eyes of God because He bore our iniquities on the cross

-- verse 12

12. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

-- this verse speaks of the kingdom of the Messiah -- of the time when Jesus will reign over all creation and will reward us for what we have done for Him -- Jesus died for us that we might live for Him -- He died for us so that we might go forth in His name and tell others about the message of Easter -- about the hope that we have in the cross and the empty tomb

-- this morning, as we close our service, I wanted us to join together and share Holy Communion -- for what better place to remind ourselves of Jesus' death on the cross than before these three crosses this morning -- what better time to remind ourselves of the victory that we have in Jesus than on Easter morning as we celebrate the empty tomb and the risen Savior?
-- so, let us join together now, as one body and one people, to rejoice and to remember the suffering servant who bore our sin on the cross and who intercedes for us with the Father

[lead in Holy Communion]

SERMON: A CALL TO ACTION

A CALL TO ACTION
Sunrise Service -- Wright's Chapel UMC
8 April 2007

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Acts 1

1. In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach
2. until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.
3. After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.
4. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.
5. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
6. So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
7. He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.
8. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
9. After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.
11. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."
12. Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day's walk from the city.

-- if you would, please listen as I read from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, "Paul Revere's Ride"
"Listen my children and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.

He said to his friend, "If the British march
By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch
Of the North Church tower as a signal light,--

One if by land, and two if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm."

-- In the spring of 1775, the American colonies -- especially the colony of Massachusetts -- were hotbeds of sedition -- they had been preparing for open conflict with England throughout the winter -- producing and storing arms and munitions -- training milita and minutemen -- and organizing defensive positions around key American towns and villages
-- in April, General Thomas Gage -- the English military Governor of Massachusetts -- decided to counter the brewing revolution by sending a force out of Boston to consfiscate the weapons in the village of Concord and to capture John Hancock and Samuel Adams -- leaders of the patriots who were staying in Lexington
-- when word of General Gage's intentions were made known, the patriots set up a messaging system to altert the countryside of any advance by the British troops -- Paul Revere arranged for a signal to be sent by lantern from the steeple of Christ Church if the British troops were on the move -- one if by land -- and two if by sea
-- on April 18th, 1775, two lanterns were lit in the steeple -- alerting Revere that the British were coming across the harbor towards Lexington -- so Paul Revere, William Dawes, and a few other riders took the road to Lexington -- to warn the villagers that the British were coming and to alert Hancock and Adams so they could get to safety
-- as they rode through the countryside of Massachusetts in the early morning hours of April 19th, they cried out to all the villagers they passed -- "To arms -- to arms -- the British are coming -- the British are coming"
-- and in the rider's wake, church bells began to ring -- drums began to beat -- gun shots rang out -- and pots and pans were beat on to announce the danger and to call the local militias to action

-- so what does the story of Paul Revere have to do with us being gathered here this morning at the foot of the cross to watch the sun rise on Easter morning? -- in one sense, nothing -- the story of the American Revolution may be stirring and patriotic, but it has nothing to do with the resurrection of Christ
-- however, in another sense, the story of Paul Revere -- of his willingness to not just stand by while others prepared for war -- of his willingness to become actively engaged with the enemy -- of his willingness to take action against oppression -- speak to us this morning as followers of Jesus Christ

-- as we all know, after the death of Jesus on the cruel cross of Calvary on Friday, the 14th day of the Jewish month of Nisan -- He was taken from the cross by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus and was buried in Joseph's own tomb in a garden
-- in the early morning hours on the third day -- on Sunday morning -- Mary Magdelene and a few other women went to the tomb to finish anointing the body of Jesus with spices and oils in accordance with the Jewish burial traditions
-- as they approached the tomb, they saw that the rock that had been placed over the door to seal the tomb had been rolled away -- and they found the tomb empty -- Jesus' body was gone -- He had been resurrected, just as He had said -- and He subsequently appeared to Mary and to the disciples on many occasions
-- Luke tells us in this passage that Jesus continued to spend time with His disciples for 40 days after the resurrection -- teaching them through His Word and through the Holy Spirit what had happened on the cross and what it meant for mankind
-- at the end of those forty days, Jesus went with His disciples to the Mount of Olives -- a small hill located about ¾ mile from Jerusalem -- a place where they had often gathered to pray and spend time with Him
-- as they were walking toward the mount, they asked Jesus if He was going to restore the throne of Israel at that time -- in other words, they wanted to know if Jesus was about to set up His kingdom on earth

-- look back at verse 7

7. He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.
8. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

-- "No," He said -- "It's not that time yet -- you don't need to worry about when that will happen -- for I have other plans for you -- I don't want you to sit around here waiting for me to set up the kingdom -- I want you to carry the message of my death and resurrection -- of the good news of the forgiveness of sins -- to Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria -- to all the ends of the earth -- tell them I have risen and that I am coming again"
-- right after He said this, Jesus ascended into heaven -- look at verse 9

9. After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.

-- I want you to get the picture of what is going on in that moment -- Jesus has just been standing there talking to the disciples -- in His last words, He tells them to go and be His witnesses to all the ends of the earth -- and when He finishes speaking, He starts to rise and physically goes up into the sky towards heaven
-- and all the disciples are standing there -- looking up at the sky -- where Jesus has just been -- straining their eyes to see Him -- when all of a sudden, two men dressed in white -- angels -- messengers from God -- appeared next to them -- standing there with them on the Mount of Olives
-- verse 11

11. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

-- now this is the key verse that I want you to focus on this morning -- "Men of Gallilee -- why do you stand here looking in the sky?"
-- that is a good question -- that is a loaded question -- in other words, the angels were sent by God to the disciples standing there to find out why they were still there
-- Jesus had just given them the Great Commandment -- He had just told them to go out in His name -- in the power of the Holy Spirit -- to be His witnesses -- to testify to His death and resurrection -- to tell people the good news of the Kingdom of God and to let them know that Jesus was coming soon
-- God wanted to know why the disciples weren't moving -- why they weren't responding -- why they weren't doing what Jesus had called them to do
-- and so He sent two angels -- two Paul Reveres -- who called out to the disciples and said, "To arms -- to arms -- the Lord is coming again -- the Lord is coming again"

-- Paul Skogstrom wrote that Paul Revere became a symbol for the American Spirit -- a citizen-patriot ever ready to drop his plow, grab his musket, and awaken the sleeping masses to the danger that was at hand -- writing at the onset of the Civil war, Longfellow wanted to ignite that same spirit in his fellow countrymen -- to call them to action -- and so he tried to stir the hearts of men with his poem about Paul Revere's ride
-- the angel's words to the disciples on the Mount of Olives was a call to action -- a call from God to stir their very spirits -- to compel them to go forth in the name of Christ -- to be His witnesses and to share His message to the ends of the earth

-- these very same words are a call to us who are gathered here this morning -- I believe God is asking us, "Why are you still standing here? -- Why aren't you moving and doing what My Son called you to do? -- Why aren't you going forth in the power of My Holy Spirit to share My message of reconciliation and the forgiveness of sins? -- Why are you still here?"
-- the message of the angels tells us that Christ did not die just so we could enjoy sunrise services -- He did not die so that we could spend our lives sitting in church each Sunday
-- Christ died for the forgiveness of the sins of the world -- and He has commanded us to go and make disciples of all nations -- baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit -- and teaching them to obey everything that He has commanded us to do

-- Jesus does not want us to be like the disciples -- just standing there on the Mount of Olives -- looking up to Heaven and waiting for His return
-- He does not want us to be static Christians -- to be static churches -- content with coming to sunrise services -- content with coming to church every Sunday -- content with just sitting on the pews while the world around us is going to Hell
-- He is calling us to arms -- to battle against the spiritual forces of evil in this world -- to assail the very gates of Hell itself -- and to win souls for His kingdom

-- in the same way the angels called the disciples to action, Paul Revere called a nation to action -- let me ask you this morning, "Who among you is going to be our Paul Revere?" -- Who among you is not going to be content to just do church any longer? -- Who among you is not going to be happy just sitting in a pew, doing nothing?
-- Who among you is going to rise to the challenge -- to carry the message of God to your family and your friends -- to the cashier at the grocery store -- to the waitress who serves you?
-- Who among you is going to be stirred to action -- to fulfill the command of God?
-- God is calling us to more than we are -- to more than we do -- He is calling us to be His hands and His feet -- to be His army who responds to the call and wins the battle for Him

-- a few years ago, a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago -- they had assured their wives they would be home on Friday night in plenty of time of supper
-- well, on Friday, they were running late -- and as they were rushing through the airport, trying to make it to the gate to get on the plane which was already boarding -- one of the salesmen accidentally kicked over a table which held a display of apples
-- apples flew everywhere -- rolling all across the terminal floor -- but without stopping or looking back, the salesmen all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly missed boarding -- all but one
-- this one salesman looked back -- he paused -- took a deep breath -- and felt a twinge of compassion for the girl who owned the apple stand
-- he told his buddies to go on without him and to call his wife and tell her that he would be taking a later flight and would miss supper
-- he went back to the table that they had knocked over -- and he was glad he did
-- the teenaged girl who owned the apple stand was totally blind -- she was softly crying -- tears running down her cheeks in frustration as she helplessly groped around on the floor -- trying to find her apples that had rolled away and that she couldn't see
-- the salesman knelt on the floor with her -- gathered up her apples, and put them back on the table -- as he did, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised -- he put those in another basket
-- when he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said the to the girl, "Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did -- are you okay?"
-- she nodded through her tears -- he said, "I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly -- and as he started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, "Mister" -- he paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes -- "Are you Jesus?"
-- he stopped in mid-stride and his heart skipped a beat -- he slowly made his way to the gate to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul -- "Are you Jesus?"

-- do people mistake you for Jesus? -- that's our destiny, isn't it? -- that's our calling -- that's the challenge from the angel's message to the disciples -- to be so much like Jesus that the world cannot tell the difference as we live and interact people that are blind to His love -- His life -- and His grace
-- if we claim to know Him -- if we claim to be Christians and to be part of His church -- then we should live and walk and act as He would
-- knowing Jesus is more than simply quoting Scripture and going to church -- it's actually living the Word and sharing His message with others as life unfolds day to day

-- we are gathered here this morning because we are like the apples in this story -- we have been bruised and battered by a fall -- but Jesus stopped what He was doing and He picked us up on a hill called Calvary -- and He paid the price for our damaged hearts -- for the sins that we had committed -- and all He asks in return is that we do the same for others -- that we take a moment and share with them His message of salvation and forgiveness of sins
-- we can't do that sitting in our pews -- we can't do that standing at the foot of the cross looking up at the sky -- we can only do that if we leave where we are and go back into the world
-- will you be a spiritual Paul Revere today? -- Will you carry the message of Christ to this world -- letting them know that the battle has been won and that Christ is coming again? -- Will you take up your arms for Him?
-- let us pray