Easter
Sunrise
April
4, 2010
Introduction
Do people see Jesus? Is the gospel preached? Does it speak to the
broken hearted? Does it build up the church? Milk – Meat – Manna Preach for a
decision
If we go back
to the upper room, where Jesus was with His disciples on the night before He died, we see that
He was getting them ready for His death. He was getting them ready for a time
when He would no longer be physically present with them.
(John 14:1–19) —1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe
also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I
would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be
also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
When Thomas spoke up and admitted that they weren’t really sure what the
“way” was…
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to
the Father except through Me.
Jesus talked about those who believe in Him and the kind of life they would
have…
12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will
do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 And whatever you ask
in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If
you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
We’ll see this actually being lived out in the lives of the apostles as we
follow them in the book of Acts. They were not afraid to trust in Jesus and to
ask Him for impossible things. They were
not afraid to step out and do hard things.
15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He
will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth,
whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but
you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you
orphans; I will come to you.
Jesus had been there day and night for the disciples. He had been their
“comforter”. They would soon have another “comforter”, the Holy Spirit.
19 “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me.
Because I live, you will live also.
After Jesus died, rose, and ascended into heaven, the world would no longer
see Jesus.
But the disciples would. They would see Him because they too would rise
from the dead. They would see Him in heaven.
… Because I live, you will live also.
Jesus said this before He was crucified. He said this before He rose from
the dead.
The fact that He died and rose again only goes to reinforce the idea that
WE TOO will live after we die.
Our future is secure.
There are two ways this impacts us:
You will live
Priorities
As you get older, your priorities change:
A group of 40-year-old girlfriends discussed where
they should meet for dinner. Finally,
it was agreed upon that they should meet at the Ocean View Restaurant, because
the waiters there
were good looking and had buff bodies.
10 years later at 50-years-of-age, the group once again
discussed where they should meet for dinner. Finally, it was agreed that they should meet at
the Ocean View Restaurant, because the food there was very good and the wine selection
was good also.
10 years later at 60-years-of-age, the group once again
discussed where they should meet for dinner. Finally, it was agreed that they should meet at
the Ocean View Restaurant, because they could eat there in peace and quiet and the
restaurant had a beautiful view of the ocean.
10 years later at 70-years-of-age, the group once again
discussed where they should meet for dinner. Finally, it was agreed that they should meet at
the Ocean View Restaurant, because the restaurant was wheel chair accessible and they even had an
elevator.
10 years later, at 80-years-of-age, the group once again
discussed where they should meet for dinner. Finally, it was agreed that they should meet at
the Ocean View Restaurant, because
they had never been there before.
Every once in a while we stop and sit back
and think about what’s up ahead.
When you’re sixteen, you might wonder about what college you’ll
go to, what guy/girl you’re going to meet, or maybe even what you’re going to
do for a living.
When you get
into your twenties, you start thinking about finding that job you’ve dreamed
of, you start thinking about settling down with that special someone.
When you get
into your thirties, you might begin to wonder what your kids are going to grow
up to be.
When you get to
your forties, you start some serious thinking about retirement. How are you
going to retire? When are you going to retire? What are you going to do when
you retire?
This week I was talking with Frank Lindley. He told me about a conversation he had with his
neighbor who’s a fireman.
The fellow said that because firemen have such a dangerous job, that the
average fireman
dies five years after they retire.
I was having breakfast with Dave Ritner last week and he was telling me about this fellow he
met who used to work for the Northrup
corporation. The fellow was familiar with the retirement system set up at
Northrup and the pension checks that went out to the retirees each month. This
fellow said that on average, they only send out 14 pension checks for each retiree. In other
words, the average Northrup employee dies about fourteen months after they
retire.
I don’t know about you, but part of me is thinking, “I’m not sure I want to
ever retire!”
I heard that a few years back Pastor Chuck decided he was too busy to
retire. He has a little sign up in his bedroom:
“God put me on earth to accomplish a certain amount of things and I am so
far behind that I’m never going to die!”
Illustration
The Obituary
Brad and Mike
are two old retired widowers who reside close to each other and do constant
welfare checks on each other. Much of their relationship is based on pragmatism
rather than real friendship or personal affection. One day, as he drinks his morning coffee,
Mike opens the morning paper and turns to the obituaries page. He gets the
shock of his life when he sees his own obituary in the column. He realizes that the
query for info on him by the local newspaper several months earlier was in
preparation for this event. He correctly surmises that it is a mistaken entry
from their database. It still excites and rankles him, so he calls Brad up. “Brad, are you up yet?”
asks Mike. Brad sleepily answers, “Yeah, but I’m only now starting my coffee.”
“Brad. Open the newspaper to page 31.” “Why, what’s in the paper?” “Brad, get
the paper and open it to page 31 NOW!” “Ok, Ok, I’ve got the paper here, so
what’s in page 31?” “Brad, open the paper to page 31 already!” “All right,
don’t be such a pain so early in the morning already. So, what’s on page 31
that’s so important?” “Brad, look at the bottom of column 4.” “Why? What’s that
story on?” “Brad, read the story on the bottom of the column already!” “OK, OK,
I’ll start reading the column if you stop yelling in my ear!” The paper rustles
for a few seconds, and then a long silent pause ensues. Finally, Brad comes on
the line quietly and fearfully asks, “So Mike, where are you calling me from right now?”
Actually,
here’s my point: If you are a person who is working hard towards your
retirement – don’t stop. That’s not a bad thing. But perhaps there’s something
BEYOND retirement that you ought to be working for as well.
You WILL live again.
And the life you and I will live in heaven is WAY longer than the life you
or I might live in retirement.
I think it’s great if you are able to put away money into a retirement
account. But be sure you also learn to
put away some in your heavenly account as well – not money, but living a life
of honoring and following Jesus.
What are you living for?
Are you living for something that will last for just a couple of years? Are
you living for something that might last for forty years?
Or are you living for something that will last forever.
The Present
How do we handle present disappointments and pain?
Sometimes life is just plain hard. Play “Denny’s Chickens” video. (This is an OLD commercial that played during
the Superbowl. There is no free breakfast this week).
Paul knew about how hard life could get.
Paul wrote,
(2 Co 4:8–11 NKJV) —8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we
are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down,
but not destroyed— 10
always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the
life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always delivered to death
for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal
flesh.
Drew Brees, the
quarterback for the New Orleans Saints and the winner of this year’s Super Bowl
is a born again Christian.
You might not know this, but Mr. Brees knows a little about difficulty.
Drew had been a top rated quarterback, drafted by the San Diego Chargers in
2001. In 2005 he had the best numbers of his career, but in the last game of
the season against the Denver Broncos, Drew injured his shoulder while trying to pick up
his own fumble. He ended up needing arthroscopic
surgery to repair the torn labrum in his right (throwing) shoulder. He had also suffered additional rotator cuff
damage.
Things got a
little difficult with the Chargers’ front office. Their next batch of contract
offers to Brees indicated that they thought his career was on the way out.
He ended up signing with the New Orleans Saints.
Play Drew Brees
“Difficulties” clip
I am not trying to say that God will turn every difficulty in your life
into a Super Bowl victory. But I am saying that we can trust God with every
difficulty in our life. He knows what He’s doing.
It helps when we keep our eyes on our future. This present life isn’t all
we have. We will live again. Paul goes on to write,
(2 Co 4:16–18 NKJV) —16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our
outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light
affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding
and eternal weight of glory, 18
while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things
which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things
which are not seen are eternal.
When you look at the next fifteen years in the light of eternity, you
realize that eternity lasts a WHOLE lot longer.
This life isn’t all there is. You
can make it.
You WILL live.