Lessons from Resurrection Sunday

Lessons from Resurrection Sunday
Matthew 28:1-8

From the day of His crucifixion on Good Friday to that first Easter morning. The day we know as Resurrection Sunday only three days have elapsed. Three days for the itinerary preacher of Nazareth to rise from the dead and check out of His borrowed tomb. Today, His tomb stands empty. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ has become the solid foundation upon which our Christian faith is built. The empty tomb is a sign for us that God’s plan of salvation is complete. The empty tomb is a testimony that Jesus, the carpenter of Nazareth, is who He claimed to be, the Son of God. The empty tomb is a symbol of hope for those who believe in the power of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Today, we must be concerned with the message that is going forth in our world that attempts to dilute the power of the resurrection. The angels at the tomb of Christ declared He Is Alive. The songwriter said it best “Because He Lives, I Can Face Tomorrow, Because He Lives, All Hope Is Gone.” With all the lessons that we can learn from the Resurrection of Christ, I will only look at a few. Max Lucado writes in his book “He chose the nails.” Jesus was a backwater peasant. He never wrote a book, never held an office. He never journeyed more than 200 miles from His hometown. Friends left Him, one betrayed Him. Those He helped forgot Him. Prior to His death they abandoned Him. But after His death they couldn’t resist Him. What made the difference? The tomb was empty.

1) One of the lessons we learn from Resurrection Sunday is God alone has the power to move some of the stones in our situations. The women on their way to the gravesite expressed concern about their inability to move the stone at the entrance of the tomb of Christ. How many times in life do we face situations that we do not have the authority, ability or assistance needed to change the situation? We only complain. How many times are we faced with problems that are as solid as a rock? Too large to move. Not enough manpower to move it. And oftentimes those who could help us really don’t care about what’s happening to us. However there are times and stones that are only moveable through and by the hand of almighty God. God alone has the power to move the things in our lives that keeps us in tombs. Faith in God can move the stone of fear. Faith in God moves the stones of doubt and indifference. God’s love can and will move the stones of hatred. Whatever it is that has become a stone in your life, remember God has the power to move it. Oftentimes God does not move the stone to allow you to exit, but more often that not it is for others to enter. God did not roll away the stone for Jesus to leave, but for the troubled women to believe. To believe that He has the power to move, that which seems impossible with men is possible with God. God knows when to move that which impede His blessings for our life.

2) Also, we learn from Resurrection Sunday that God always keeps His word. The angels declared He had risen as He said. In a day when our word is no longer our bond. In a world of untrustworthy individuals, it’s good to know that we have a God who honors and keeps His word. All throughout the Bible, we read the words, “and it came to pass.” Jesus had spent more than 3 years teaching His disciples and others that He would be handed over to sinful men and be killed but would rise from the dead victorious. Since Christ keeps His word we should trust His word. In His word, He assures us as believers that we too will live forever with Him. He sits presently at the right hand of the Father interceding for us, yes for all of us, saved and unsaved. We have His word that He will never leave us nor forsake us. We have His word that what men intend for evil; God often works it for our good. Nothing can bring us closer together than difficult times. We have His word, He is no longer in the grave, but He is alive. He will one day return for all believers. You can be rest assured in the Word of god that God will take care of His own. “Be calm; don’t be afraid” was the message given to the first sonrise visitors. This message is still a resounding message for us today. Regardless of how bad things appear, no matter how lifeless it maybe now, God keeps His word to those who are submitted to Him through Jesus Christ.

3) Another lesson we learn is that you cannot keep a Godly man down, but the Bible declares there is only one that’s good, “God!” The text declares that He is risen which indicates He was down but he is no longer. God will always raise those who follow Him. The Bible declares that a righteous man may fall seven times but he will not remain down. We may sin but as Christians we don’t remain in the same sinful state, day in and day out. We correct our errors by repenting. Jesus shows us in the Resurrection narrative that regardless of who or what it was that knocks you down, we should rise again. If you are down today, you owe it to yourself to find a way to get up. You don’t have to remain down. Things don’t have to remain the same. You cannot keep a Godly man/woman down. You don’t have to remain in a life of sin. You don’t have to go through life feeling bad about your mistakes, correct them and move. All of us present today are recipients of Resurrection Sunday liquid paper (correction liquid) called the blood of Christ. We have all sinned and come short of God’s approval. However the Resurrection provides for us hope of a new life to come. Jesus is our correct type, error fixer, Savior and friend.

As I viewed “Passion of The Christ” movie, I was extremely disappointed in not what I saw, but what I did not see. I did not see a scene that portrayed Christ as a risen Lord. The end of the real story of the passion of Christ says He bleed, He suffered, He died, but that He also rose again. He is alive, He is alive and alive forever more. To God Be The Glory!

Palm Sunday Lessons

PALM SUNDAY LESSONS

Matthew 21:1-11


The Sunday before Easter, the Sunday Jesus made His triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem is known as Palm Sunday. This Sunday bears the name Palm Sunday primarily due to the fact that when Jesus entered the city everyone waved palm branches to honor Him. Palm branches were viewed as a symbol of victory. (Olympics) The winners of the Olympic races carried a palm branch as a flag. Jesus descends off the mount to Jerusalem as the victorious King in Israel. The crowd shouted “Hosanna to the King” on Palm Sunday. Hosanna means save. They were crying, “Save us, save us” and that is still our present day request. Palm Sunday crowds are still popular crowds today. Many believers love the Palm Sunday festivities and the Easter Sunday miracles, in spite of our Good Friday attitudes. We are accustomed to and love celebratory moments like the one's Palm Sunday depicts. We are also proud of Easter Sunday miracles. It is because of the resurrection of Christ that we find so much hope in a world full of uncertainty, perplexity and profanity. However, Good Friday is the day we love to skip over. Many Christians ignore Good Friday for various reasons. Some chose to ignore Good Friday because of the wicked and unrighteous acts inflicted upon Christ. Others ignore Good Friday because they understand the good news of Easter Sunday. Regardless of the reason, many Christians and non-believers continue to participate in Palm Sunday festivities and Good Friday crucifixions. In layman’s terms, our Palm Sunday worship does not match our Good Friday words. Our words and hearts do not match! Let’s look briefly at the words of our narrative. In our narrative today, we are blessed to be able to examine what I have called Palm Sunday lessons. Even though it’s Palm Sunday, the lessons found here are applicable not just for Palm Sunday but every Sunday and everyday. The Palm Sunday lessons are too numerous to cover all of them in one sermonic moment. However, I will examine and lift several from the text. One lesson we learn from Palm Sunday has to do with the dialogue that Jesus has with His disciples concerning His need of animals for transportation and teachable moments.

1) In this conversation we learn the importance of making provision before the need arises. Jesus no doubt had spoken to the owner of the animals before sending His disciples for them. Anyone or anything worth having will require necessary preparation. Too many believers are being denied many valuable possessions due to a lack of pre-planning. Things do not “just” happen to work out to our good. We must plan. Not only plan, we must work the plan. You can’t borrow money from a bank for a business without a good business plan. You cannot expect to do much in life without having a plan for the future. We cannot wait until it starts to rain to decide that we need a place to keep dry. Jesus made provision for His final days on earth. Therefore, as Christians, we should follow His example and make provision for ourselves as well. We make provision for job interviews, we make provision for vacations, we make provision for college, marriage, retirement, children, grandchildren and the list goes on. How many today make provision to spend eternity with Christ? In all our planning, let us not fail to plan to meet Jesus.

2) Another Palm Sunday lesson we learn is never place more trust in casual faith Christians than you do in committed faith Christians. Casual faith Christians will always celebrate Palm Sunday moments. They are the ones who love moments of attention and recognition. However, they are the ones who show up on Palm Sunday but will not be committed on Good Friday. They are the ones who will allow the presence of the Pharisee’s to silence their praise. Casual faith Christians are those who are Christians when it’s convenient, when the tempo is upbeat. Casual faith believers are those who are mislead because of mistaken identity. They celebrate you as long as you look like you are the one that they thought you were. They celebrate you as long as they have the ability to control you and receive something from you. Jesus was truly their hero until He turned over the money tables in the temple and announced the restoration of prayer meeting to the church. Many believers love cheering and accumulating things, but many have serious issues with prayer, communing and communications with God. Committed faith Christians will not allow the Pharisees to stop their praise anywhere or at anytime. They believed and live the words of the Psalmist, “I will bless the Lord at all times, and His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord, the humble shall hear thereof and be glad. Oh magnify the Lord with me”.

3) Last thing I want to point out is in Verse 10 and that is the question asked by the multitude, “Who is this?” Christians ought to have such a disposition about themselves until the world develops inquiring minds about our relationship with Christ. Our presence should make a difference in the lives of those we encounter. The world should be inquiring about our Palm Sunday activities, our marvelous Mondays, our terrific Tuesdays, our wonderful Wednesdays, our thankful Thursdays, our fiery Fridays, our satisfying Saturdays and our sanctified Sundays. The multitude rejected Jesus on Good Friday because He no longer looked like a King who would overthrow the Romans. They no longer saw him as their King who overthrew the government and established His own kingdom on earth. They saw Him, arrested and condemned Him.

Leadership 101

Leadership 101
St. John 13:4-12


An army of sheep led by a lion will always defeat an army of lions led by a sheep. No doubt the single most important ingredient missing in our society today is leadership. We are in desperate need for men and women who will lead and provide leadership. In our homes today, we continue to search for men like Joshua who will declare that, “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” Leaders like Moses who will challenge us and encourage us to abandon a slave labor force and enter a land flowing with milk and honey. A land filled with necessities and niceietes. A leader like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who will help to change both laws and hearts in America. Leaders like Nehemiah who motivated the people of his day to rise up, build their community walls. A leader like Queen Esther, a beautiful woman who discovered her purpose and save her people. Leaders like Nelson Mandela who did not seek to attract followers, but fought to eliminate apartheids in South Africa. Leaders like John F. Kennedy who inspired a nation to take care of those who are less fortunate, exemplified by his statement, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” In layman’s terminology he was saying it is our responsibility to serve others and not just ourselves. Leaders like Mother Teresa who will be moved to help those who are considered the poorest of the poor. Leaders like James Brown who could inspire millions of African Americans by saying, “Say it loud, I’m black and I’m proud. Leaders like Jessie Jackson who helps to build self-esteem in many of us, by constantly reminding us to repeat these words, “I am somebody, I am somebody, Keep hope alive.” We are in need of leaders today who will help to change our communities for the better. This morning in our text, we have Jesus sharing with his disciples a lesson on servant leadership and what I have entitled “LEADERSHIP 101.”

Many in our society today are enrolled in Leadership 201 who have not taken Leadership 101. 101 is a prerequisite 201. However, someone has convinced the Advisor and Registrar’s Office to allow this to happen. It is extremely important for us as leaders that we take Leadership 101 first. Leadership 101 provides fundamental and foundational essentials that we must have in order to make in today’s society. Therefore, Jesus who for three years had been trying to teach his disciples this course, but they were still flunking the course. In our text today, Jesus opens the classroom one last time with an attempt to teach his disciples this important lesson. It was on the evening of the Passover meal that Jesus discovered that the disciples had still not gotten his instruction and the semester was about to end with the disciples receiving an F once again.

Jesus knowing that this was his last semester with them, really wanted to close the class knowing that his students understood the principles of Leadership 101. These men had a difficult time getting the message from Jesus. He had taught them many times before using many illustrations but he was not successful in getting them to understand. He had used a little boy to teach the lesson on humility. He had denied the request of the mother of James and John for special seating privileges. He had told them that leadership begins with serving. Now Jesus makes one last attempt to help them understand what real leadership is and what real leaders do. Jesus had to deal with a spirit that was among the disciples, the spirit of competition and criticism as they fought among themselves to determine who would be the greatest. They were at it again, fighting to see who would sit next to Jesus during the Passover meal; the seats next to Jesus or any honored guest were considered the seats of honor. The disciples are not the only one who needs a lesson in Leadership 101, we need one also. We live in a world where competition resides and the desire to be at the top is alive and well. The problem is we desire top seats without top work. For those who are in Leadership 201 and have not been to 101 they believe that you have to manipulate people in order to manage them and make it. They believe they have to keep others down in order for them to stay up. They believe they have to fight against others in order for them to succeed rather than fight for them. They believe they have to downgrade others to upgrade themselves. They practice lieing and deceit as a means to get to the top.

However, the lessons Jesus teaches us in Leadership 101 differs from self taught lesson in Leadership 201. The first lesson that Jesus teaches us in Leadership 101:
(1) is that you cannot allow what you know about others to keep you from doing what you should do. Jesus knew that Judas had planned to betray him but it did not alter his plans for him and the others. That’s grace at work; someone has said that grace is doing something for someone who does not deserve it one little bit. Jesus was letting the disciples know that there would be many times in their life as leaders when they would face opposition from within and without but they must continue to give of themselves. Leaders do not quit just because there are those who are trying to destroy their careers, plans, business, families and even their lives. Leaders do not quit because someone dislikes them or opposes their agenda. Jesus teaches the disciples that even though he knew what they were planning to do to him, it made no difference in the way he served them.

(2) Jesus in Leadership 101 teaches that leaders must do what others will not do. It’s amazing how many leaders today see themselves as being to big and to important to do certain things for the people they serve. They have developed a me first perspective instead of me last attitude. Jesus got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing and wrapped a towel around his waist. Afterwards he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ dirty feet. Only slaves were assigned this menial task. The disciples were too busy politicking that they miss this opportunity to emerge as true leaders. The usual custom was that the host would see to it that a servant or a woman washed the guest feet. The host no doubt had omitted it on this occasion. You would think that one of the disciples who have performed the task. Not one of them step forward. Not one of them saw their role as leaders to do what was considered dirty work. They were more concerned with their perceived rights than their obvious responsibilities. No doubt they were all wishing that someone else would do it. Why me? Why not him? I knew Jesus first the one that came last should do it. I’m the oldest; it’s the young people’s work. No doubt Peter was to busy talking too much as he was always in the habit of doing. Every church and community has a loud talking Peter, a devilish doubting Thomas, a negative Nathaniel, inadequate Andrew, arrogant James and John. Jealous - Judah’s, lying and cheating - Matthew and a host of unbelievers, spectators, agitators and dictators. The spectators are the one that always sit there. They don’t do anything but critique everything that goes on. Agitators - they are the ones always stirring up mess, they can stand for it to be peaceful. The dictators - they want everything to go their way. But Leadership 101 teaches us to be participators and congratulators instead of agitators, dictators, spectators and alligators.

(3) Last, Jesus in Leadership 101 teaches us to learn how to submit to authority. He teaches us that submission is one of the greatest qualities of leadership. Peter started grandstanding when Jesus got to him and refused at first, but quickly consented when Jesus addressed him. He instructed Peter that fellowship with him requires submission. Permit me to close this message abruptly by saying that is not the only time Jesus got up, and pulled off his outer garments and ministered to those in need. One day hanging on a cross, men stripped him of his clothes, nailed his feet to a cross, but that’s not the end, that’s what men did. But Jesus himself got up from the grave, pulled off grave clothes and washed our sins in his blood. THANK GOD FOR JESUS!