April 22, 2012

“Starting From Here”

I John 4:7-12; Luke 24:36b-47

Introduction

    Okay… so Jesus came… he lived and died and rose again… “ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God.”  So what? What now? We have the fortune and the misfortune of living in 21st century America: fortunate because we live on this side of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the countless blessings of a culture founded on biblical principles; unfortunate because it’s old news. For a very long time, we have become used to culture shaped by the good news of God in Jesus Christ. We take for granted – never even think about having hospitals and medical care, libraries and education, churches with freedom of worship, human rights and personal freedoms. We’ve forgotten the how and why they were developed. Most or all of these came about as result of God’s love in Christ being expressed by Christian people. In our day, the church and its influence on culture is becoming more and more passé, even rejected. Even if many went to church from the time they were children, church has become for the many be a bit humdrum and ordinary.
    Yet you and I can hardly imagine a world without Jesus Christ, his church and the godly influences that have shaped our world. When the Risen Lord told his first followers, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem,” could they have imagined what would have happened over the next 2 millennia? Yet here we are worshiping Christ, praying together, hearing his word, out in the world serving in his name. It is so amazing. But we’ve become used to it. How can we recover the joy and reality, the motivation and blessing of the resurrection?

I. Jesus Is Alive (vs. 36-43)

    First of all, the resurrection is very hard to accept, believe, or trust to be real. Yet, the Bible presents the Risen Christ in very real terms. For a third or fourth time (maybe many others not recorded by the New Testament writers), the once-dead and now alive-again Jesus shows up. Luke writes: “Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.”
    It took the disciples a while to be able to see and accept the reality of the resurrection. It can take us a long time as well. Resurrection doesn’t make sense. It is completely outside our experience. It cannot be scientifically measured, analyzed, or proven. Even with the continuing appearance of books like Heaven Is for Real by Lynn Vincent interviewing 4-year-old Colton Burpo and his parents. While undergoing appendicitis surgery, this little boy said he visited heaven, sat in the lap of Jesus and met John the Baptist who was “really nice,” and saw Mary who was still acting like a “mom” to Jesus.
    Near death experiences abound. For decades they have been studied and researched with various conclusions. Last year Stephen Hawking (dubbed the “smartest man in the world” – probably too smart for his own good) said, “I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken-down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.” But the New Testament is very clear. Jesus is risen; he is alive; and the people reacted just like we would: a mixture of fright, confusion, joy, doubt, needing proof, tears, faith and the like. We are afraid of the dark! But that doesn’t have to mean that belief in the resurrection or looking toward eternal life is just wishful thinking.
      “Jesus said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.’ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it (they still did not believe it!) because of joy and amazement, he asked them, ‘Do you have anything here to eat?’ They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.”
     Again the New Testament presents the Risen Christ. “It really is me! It is I myself… touch me… see me… give me something to eat… I’m hungry… just like you knew me before my death and resurrection.” For the next 40 days, Jesus ate with them, talked with them, continued to teach them – just like the three years before. Troubled and doubting minds are natural responses. Jesus provided as much proof as he could. It took the disciples a while to grasp it all. But they finally did. And the Lord wants us to as well.

II. Implications of the Resurrection (vs. 44-47)

    “Then He said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’ He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.”
    “Then he opened their minds.” Life and faith in Jesus Christ is not something any of us would have sought or pursued unless God had done something to open that possibility. With the first disciples it was Jesus’ teachings, his healings, his miracles, and finally his resurrection. Jesus called his disciples to follow him – not the other way around. For you and me, the Lord put people, circumstances, and experiences into our lives. And at some point (and maybe it’s yet to come for you), Jesus opened our minds so that we could understand and know and have faith in him.
    In Romans 1, the apostle Paul describes our fallen human nature. “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of human beings who suppress the truth… what may be known about God is plain to them… his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made. People are without excuse. Although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.”
     So it is with the resurrection. In I John we read, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son.” It takes divine enlightenment. Only the grace of God can reverse our futile thinking and heal our darkened hearts.
Then Jesus told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” Repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, a total life-change through the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed in Jesus Christ to all peoples, to all ethnic groups—starting from here.
    Here’s the “so what;” the “what now?” As God’s people, a believers and followers of Jesus Christ, we continue to proclaim repentance (a changing of mind) for the forgiveness of sins for anyone and everyone to consider. We also read in I John, “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him… he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
    This is what still needs to be proclaimed for everyone person, every family, every nation. The need for salvation, the need for resurrection hope, the need for God’s love to be known and shared are clearly evident throughout the world today. Do you know how to preach it?
    I don’t mean from pulpit on Sunday morning. I mean, can you share the basic message of Christ in everyday terms and conversation? When the subject of religion comes up (and I know it does quite often in Utah culture), do you know how to express your faith and hope in the Risen Lord?

Conclusion

    This coming week, when people are talking about some of the good things in life – a beautiful weekend, experiences of biking or hiking, family joys or accomplishments, etc. etc. – what are you going to say? “I am so thankful for the beauty of God’s creation,” or “Isn’t God’s gift of life wonderful!”
Or when people are talking about their struggles of challenges in life, are you able to say, “Do you mind if I keep you in my prayers about that?” or “For me, God’s forgiveness and goodness has helped me through difficult times” or “You know, we just celebrated Easter in my church… I especially love it when I hear Jesus say to his friends, ‘Peace be with you.’ I wish his peace for you as well.”
When people say they are not religious or that they are spiritual, can you say, “I believe that Christ offers great meaning and purpose for our lives,” or “I don’t think God is interested in religion either… I believe that God is interested in you and in me… in relationship” or “I hope that you will come to a personal experience, a faith, a knowledge of God in your life.”
How often we let conversations or even one-liners pass by without taking the time, energy, risk and love to interject the saving message of Christ. Many times, people will turn away or ignore your overture. But many times they will inquire, ask more of you, show interest, and even want to join in your faith.
It says how Jesus went on to open their understanding of the Word of God, showing them how to read their Bibles this way. He said, “You can see now how it is written that the Messiah suffers, rises from the dead on the third day, and then a total life-change through the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed in his name to all nations—starting from here, from Jerusalem! You're the first to hear and see it. You're the witnesses.” Starting from here! Right where you are in life. Starting here! Right where I am in life. Starting here – in Salt Lake City, Utah. We are his witnesses. Go and spread the news. It really matters.
Let us pray together for one another.