Celebrating the Resurrection

If you didn't get a an outline for today's message that you'd like to take some notes on when you came in this morning. They are on the back table by the offering plate. Please feel free to to get up and get one if you'd like like that right now. Well welcome again to the celebration of the Lord's resurrection that celebration in this season of Easter of joy and gladness of Life continues to be known among us and we will lift that up and Proclaim that to the world in the joy for what we know that the Lord is risen indeed Alleluia. And how good it is to celebrate that among us and this past week some of you been commenting to me doesn't seem like so long ago already and we are just a week and every move through the the seasons of the church year celebrating Christ work for us. We also moved through the seasonal changes of of life and and some of us are beginning to wander out of our dens like Bears into our yards and we're beginning to see the blessings of what spring is like around us. Isn't it flowers blooming beautiful and trees budding grass is getting Green Crack as some of you already are dealing with sore bodies from getting out there and they be mowing the grass already. And with those blessings and we also recognize that there's some some work to go with it. Now picking up sticks getting the yard ready for mowing like maybe put some grass seed down pulling those weeds. I've already collected up a bucket of dandelions before they spread. So you're doing those kinds of thing recognizing that kind of work which is which is part of the blessing of this this season of the year and the joy then of anticipating of what's to come when the weather gets warmer and we can be outside a little bit more maybe with family and friends and and picnicking and fans already getting his soccer goals set up in the yard and is cornhole boards cleaned off so that when the weather is right we can get out there and then enjoy some family time together Easter is about New Life at least for us in the northern hemisphere as it ties in with the season of spring and it's still about the season of life. Even for those in the southern hemisphere. I even though you're in a very different season than we are here in the in the northern hemisphere. Life and celebrating that resurrected new life that Jesus shares with us as the Risen Lord. We pick it up this morning on that. First day of the week is the Resurrection Day of Our Lord, but now it's in the evening and he's gathered with his disciples not wandering out kind of aimlessly from the den of the Tomb but purposefully intentionally Our Father raises son with a purpose and the intent of letting his life be ours and we have that as people of faith and believe that by God's grace that we are alive in Christ Jesus and our lives show that as disciples and followers of the Risen Lord. Jesus shares this life now with his disciples purposely and intentionally, I behind those locked doors as they were hiding. Jesus makes his glorified risen presence known and as we enter into the word of the Lord today in this gospel account, we can see several things that Jesus is bringing his disciples into and he brings us into one is that he shares with them a blessing. T-shirts with Thelma a profound blessing a blessing we do when we fact we've already shared together this morning. We'll get to that in a minute and that blessing builds for them a new founded responsibility. The disciples were given something a blessing in Jesus with a great anticipation attached to it. A blessing responsibility with anticipation but let's move through those we pick it up in verse 19 where Jesus is with his disciples in the room and he speaks.

Peace be with you.

Peace that is of Heaven. Be with you the message that the Angels sang at the announcement of Jesus birth because of the birth of this child is that peace is accomplished his mission shares with his people. There is peace in the heavenlies with you who are mine and peace known among you as brothers and sisters of mine. And that blessing builds them into a responsibility where Jesus says As the father has sent me I now I'm sending you. And with that he breathed on them and he said receive the Holy Spirit. Wow. the disciples receive that Breath of Life Our Father the the godhead when he was creating mankind shaping that dust that into mud and into the person that we know as a Dom Hebrew Spirit life breath Jesus breeds Spirit life breath and with that breath and life comes a responsibility, he says if you forgive anyone sends their sins are forgiven, but and if you do not forgive them while then they are not forgiven not that they're not to forgive sins, but if there's an unrepentant heart or someone is it is failing to acknowledge sin. Well, then you can't forgive them. This is what we call in one of our six Chief articles in the foundation of our Biblical theology the office of the keys, right, you know, this the office of the keys that Jesus gives through his disciples and apostles establishing for the him this Kingdom on Earth called The Church in which this office of the keys is made known to proclaim the forgiveness of sin in the calling to repentance and if there is no repentance to warn that they have the Gates of Heaven are closed. There is no forgiveness without repentance in Jesus Christ. And in the church has has shared this responsibility in the knee and the individual living out of our Lives. We have that privilege of forgiving sin when we failed each other in our sinfulness and in the corporate Gathering of the body of the church that goes to the office of the pastor and that office has the has the authority as we do share this morning together your sins are forgiven in this office as of the authority of the Lord God we share this together. White Privilege in that responsibility that the Lord gives to us and it sets us up then for our mission today. For who we are as forgiving people in the Lord and we profess this. Is it found in the second or the third article. I should say the Nicene Creed. I believe in one holy Christian and Apostolic Church. What was handed to those Apostles and given to them? So that's given to us as the body of Christ the church following in the truth that the Apostle's have passed down that's important for us because it links us to the moment here in that room or Jesus entered with his disciples and breathe on them the Holy Spirit and it links us with the church historic going on before us for two Millennia that we share in these truths together and professed them together. in the anticipation of what is to come and that anticipation goes on with Jesus words blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed this is And this is those who are going to come after us and however many years the Lord deems necessary to continue his creation until he makes all things new those who are in Christ Jesus our part of this blessed blessed. Are you who have not seen and yet have believed.

We have not seen in the same way as those disciples I get we believe that the Proclaim that and leave that out. Wow. Give me a kiss a patient of what's to come. What a joy that is for.

But there was something missing that night that Jesus appeared to his disciples coming through those lock the doors sharing all of these things. There was something there was somebody missing right? Thomas wasn't there to pick it up and vs24 now Thomas and continuing lawn. I wasn't there when the disciples tell him that this good news that Jesus risen from the dead and it appeared to them. He says in his hands unless I put my hand and fingers were the nails were and put my hand on this side. I'm not going to believe fine for you guys, but I need proof. I want to be an eyewitness of all of this.

What if you said that? I said that what is the church that you know Lord unless I'm an eyewitness and get to do these things like Thomas is saying I'm not going to believe you.

Thomas gets this this nickname. Now out of this event called doubting Thomas right in and of itself.

But what it leads to often times then is sin and sinful because it separates us from God. What doubt can lead to in this is where this is where Thomas is he's ransoming his faith. He's ransoming the resurrection of Jesus Christ unless I Thomas is putting the emphasis on him. I want to see these things unless I get to do these things unless I'm not going to believe Thomas your Ransom in your face if you really want to go there. Oh and yeah, how often do we do that right? What are the nice I really see your hand at work here in this particular way. We pray don't we then I'm going to kind of not really believe that you're that powerful. Unless Lord, you you you you really comfort me with your peace that you promised me. Well, I'm just going to hold off then until you really recognizing that you're the Sovereign God saving God resurrected Lord that I've been claimed to know. When we put these unless has into our walk of faith and discipleship. Let me put these sunglasses on our brothers and sisters are husbands and wives and children. We're ransoming our faith and maybe even ransoming there's And what's left?

What's left for the wrath of God under his judgment that we would put ourselves in his position?

Well week later. We're told. His disciples were in the room again and Thomas was with them this time and do the doors were locked. Jesus came and stood among them. and said And he shares with them. Peace be with you. I don't know if he was looking right at Thomas when he said that I like to imagine that he was that he was pinpointing Thomas at this particular time. But the fact that Jesus would would come to them again and share that same Eternal spiritual binding blessing peace be with you and that Thomas would hear this. Listen to speak to the kind of Savior that we have one who in our Father's Love For humankind for you and me would pursue us even when we would Ransom him. Oh How He Loves Us And how he forgives Us and how he comes to us over and over and over again with that saving message of binding him finding us to him and in our love of our heavenly father unto eternity. Peace be with you and I Optical. from heaven above to you All is well. This is what John was talking about. When he wrote in his first letter that the Risen Lord is my Advocate with the father. He's Jesus Christ the righteous one and a toning that bringing together that which was separated and split apart that which I ransomed has now been forgiven because of the coming together sacrifice of Jesus for our sins and not only 4 hours, but for the sins of the whole world blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe those people who Jesus died for a longing for them to be with him and Eternity those coming after us and this good news that we know and celebrate Jesus now, we know his given us a new life a new life ransomed from my sin. And a powerful living faith based off of and living in that resurrected one. Jesus is the one now who takes my life like Thomas swell, like the other 10 who were there in that room and shapes us into those christ-followers those Christians that we are by faith for Jesus recognize my weaknesses of faith and addresses that in Grace doesn't he where he could come with judgments and fire and brimstone. He calls me by his grace for giving us and moving us into a relationship with him. Peace be with you that I might recognize then his presents at all time. At all times in all situations when it's hard and I'm struggling when it doesn't make sense of what's going on peace peace. Peace is mine in Jesus. His presence is here, and he will make all things clear one day. In the meantime. I trust peace I walk with him. in that an incredible blessing that when Jesus intentionally and purposely walks out of the Tomb. This is what he gives to us.

Heavenly Divine eternal

and He blesses me then with that Living Faith to know the power of his resurrection. Only the resurrected Living Lord would be able to say the Thomas come here and put your finger here. See my hands come on reach out your hand and put it in my side because only a resurrected Living Lord would have that kind of patience with us. And willingly shares that kind of patience with us that we might walk with him in a new life enjoying the blessing of a new life that helps others then encounter Jesus as well. Isn't that why we live in the spirit and in The Fellowship of Jesus with him lives in Us in that new life that others would encounter him through you and me. Yeah, that's a blessing that we know that others would recognize Jesus and me and you and already has anticipated what I need because Jesus was very resurrected power and presence empowers my face. Empowering us everyday brothers and sisters he would say stop doubting believe exercise that you live in my Grace. Peace be with you in a few Wars. Come and walk with me. That I might anticipate then his victory in the upcoming struggles that I'm going to face. Just because we know I resurrected Living Lord doesn't mean we're not face troubles, right we are but in those I know his victory and he is empowered my face to face them.

I got to admit to you that. This encounter with Thomas doubting Thomas. The nickname has been given in that first day of the resurrection of our Lord and then a week later. It's the hard one for me. It's hard for me because one of the spiritual gifts that the Lord has blessed me with is the the spiritual gift of faith not believing Faith. That's what we all have in Christ Jesus, but Faith, that's what that's allowed to be exercising away for leadership and for encouraging it particularly the church right now with where Thomas is at because I don't deal with some of the stuff that Thomas does because of that spiritual gift that I've been given. What does it mean it doesn't apply to me because there's times when of course I want to listen to Lorde waiting until I see his presence in this power like Thomas some maybe some of you this speaks a little bit more clearly too because of different spiritual gifts that you have. Regardless for us what it brings us into is the truth of the resurrected Lord as he encounters Our Lives. the blessing with a responsibility and the anticipation of what is to come in this living one who lives in you and in me? With that and in the name of Our Risen Lord, and let's pray. Our heavenly father. Thank you for your words today of life in the Risen Living Lord. Thank you for how that word impacts us not each of us where we find ourselves. Thank you for that. You have forgiven us and released us from any kind of desire to Ransom our faith waiting for our needs to be answered when you've already met them fully completely. Now as we live in the blessing of your peace with us and with the opportunity to respond under the responsibilities of a living in that forgiveness, that's ours that others would encounter Jesus in us. So Heavenly Father we long for that day when you will make all things new and that you will continue to draw people to you that they might know the blessing that we know are those who have not seen and yet believe thank you. That's a horse give you the praise and the glory as your celebrate or celebration of your Resurrection continues to move through Us in Jesus name, we praise you and we pray I'm in