Wholly Living
Trey Little | 4-Apr-10
"Wholly Living"
Have you heard the story about the three executives who were sitting around trying to define the word "fame?" Specifically, they wanted to define what it meant to arrive at "fame."
One of them said: "Fame is being invited to the White House for a visit with the President. That's got to be the ultimate expression that you have arrived at fame.
The second executive said: "No, that's not fame. Fame is being invited to the White House for a visit with the President and when the hotline rings, he doesn't even get up to answer it. He just lets it ring! That's fame."
The third executive said, "No, you both have it all wrong. Fame is being invited to the White House for a visit with the President and when the hotline rings he DOES answer it--listens for a moment--and then says, 'Here, this call is for you!"
Wow!! Have I got some good news for you--being famous is not what it is all about--getting called by Jesus Christ is!! Have you arrived?
Well, you have arrived here this morning so let's open God's word together--turn to John 20: 1-18 (p. 1074 in pew Bibles).
Can you think back to those moments in your life that are frozen in time and frozen in your memories? They can be good moments or bad moments. Moments of utter joy or moments of profound grief. Whatever they may be, these are moments locked in our hearts and minds because of the power they hold for our lives. In fact, we have probably already begun to relive some of those moments now.
Do you remember that first kiss? How about the time when you got down on one knee and asked her to marry you and she said "yes." Do you remember the day a child was born? Do you remember when you closed on the purchase of your first home? Do remember getting your drivers license? How about the time when you lost the person you love the most?
The bottom line is this: the most dramatic--whether in life or death--moments--whether the most wonderful or most devastating--they are "Defining" moments in our lives.
And, as we gather this Easter Sunday morning we celebrate the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT DEFINING MOMENT of THE Christian faith--the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Without this moment, none of the other defining moments of our lives would ever make sense (John Jewell, Frozen Moments and the Other Mary). Without the resurrection--the life and purpose of Jesus Christ would be incomplete. The wholeness of Jesus was solidified by the emptiness of the tomb!
But is the resurrection of Jesus Christ the single most important defining moment in YOUR faith?
I don't know why I am on this subject this morning--not the resurrection subject--I am pretty sure why I am on that topic. But why am I on this subject of defining moments. Easter Sunday--the Sunday when people gather in various places of worship and shout with great conviction, "He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!" Easter Sunday is the day that families gather together and get dressed up and go to church. For some, it is the only Sunday in the entire year that they arrive in any Sunday morning church gathering. So much of the Christian faith has become "famous"--if you will -because the tomb was empty and Jesus has been raised from the dead. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation of hope for life for those of us who put our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We know that our REDEEMER lives--hallelujah!
But as I consider John's account of that first Easter Sunday morning I find myself being drawn to the words of Mary. Take a look at verses 1-2: "Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, 'They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we don't know where they have put him!'"
They have taken the Lord out of the tomb--Jesus was no longer in the grave. Imagine what that must have felt like to show up--after an excruciatingly painful Friday--watching her Lord being crucified--hanging on the Cross for the sins of the world--hearing His final words "It is finished"--seeing one of the soldiers piercing the side of Jesus with His spear--surely Mary was overwhelmed with pain. And something we don't usually talk about is Saturday. Surely Saturday for Mary and the other disciples was a day filled with tears, grief, a sense of loss, and perhaps even a hunger for closure and direction.
So on Sunday--Mary ventured to the tomb of her Lord. She could go, so she thought, and see Him with her own eyes, lying in the tomb. She could pay her respects. She could tell Him she loved Him. She could simply be with Him--even if it was just for her. But all of that changed with one step into the tomb.
So here is a question for us--how has the empty tomb changed everything for us?
Or perhaps I should ask it this way: Have we taken Him out of the tomb?
For Mary Magdalene--seeing the empty tomb was one of the most emotional times of her faith journey. She literally stood outside the tomb and wept--perhaps out of fear; perhaps out of a deep sense of loss; perhaps even out of anger--but definitely emotional.
What emotions are stirred within you as you consider the empty tomb?
Does it stir up tears of joy? Does it remind you that death did not win but life did? Does it help you deal with pain? Does it give you hope to live for today? Does it conjure up a sense of comfort for you? In some way, does the emptiness bring about wholeness for you?
You see, what Mary couldn't get over was not so much that the tomb was empty but that she didn't know where her Lord was. She said, "We don't know where they have put him."
Are we much different today? We get up on Easter Sunday morning and we make our short journeys to church--knowing that we are coming to celebrate the empty tomb--knowing that Easter Sunday is the day we rejoice in the fact that death has been conquered and life ushered in for eternity. But what about tomorrow?
Will people wonder--like Mary did? Will people look around and ask, "We don't know where they have put him?" Do you get it?
If the resurrection of Jesus Christ is so essential in the lives of Christians then why would people ever wonder where He was? It was Anne Lamott who said: "We are Easter people living in a Good Friday world." Living in the victory of the resurrection is not something that we pull out only on Easter Sunday. If we have been made WHOLE by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ then--walking with the Risen Lord must be a way of life. I call it WHOLLY LIVING: living in such a way where people don't have to ever ask you where you have put Jesus.
An encounter with the resurrected Christ changes fear to courage; timidity to boldness; uncertainty to confidence; bad news to Good News; death to life! Everything changes because we have been changed--we have been changed because Christ has risen! We are not pre-resurrection people--we are post-resurrection people. And if we believe this then we will have to make some purpose driven life choices and change our priorities and behaviors. Only then can God transform us and use us to change the world. Only then will people no longer look at us and wonder where we have put Jesus. Only then will they see with their own eyes that we have put the Risen Lord FIRST!
Where have you put Him?
Let me close with this: Chris Tomlin, one of my favorite contemporary Christian recording artists, has a great song out entitled: I Will Rise. I listened to it this morning and I thought--that is it--that is the message of Easter but also Wholly Living. He sings: "There's a peace I've come to know though my heart and flesh may fail. There's an anchor for my soul--I can say, "It is well." Jesus has overcome and the grave is overwhelmed. The victory is won--He is risen from the dead. I will rise when He calls my name--no more sorrow--no more pain--I will rise on eagle's wings! Before my God, fall on my knees. And rise--I will rise.
Friends, I am convinced that what makes the resurrection real--when we truly know that the resurrection has ARRIVED in our lives--is when we live it! I call that WHOLLY LIVING.
The victory is won--He is Risen--RISE UP CHURCH--RISE UP!
AMEN.
Have you heard the story about the three executives who were sitting around trying to define the word "fame?" Specifically, they wanted to define what it meant to arrive at "fame."
One of them said: "Fame is being invited to the White House for a visit with the President. That's got to be the ultimate expression that you have arrived at fame.
The second executive said: "No, that's not fame. Fame is being invited to the White House for a visit with the President and when the hotline rings, he doesn't even get up to answer it. He just lets it ring! That's fame."
The third executive said, "No, you both have it all wrong. Fame is being invited to the White House for a visit with the President and when the hotline rings he DOES answer it--listens for a moment--and then says, 'Here, this call is for you!"
Wow!! Have I got some good news for you--being famous is not what it is all about--getting called by Jesus Christ is!! Have you arrived?
Well, you have arrived here this morning so let's open God's word together--turn to John 20: 1-18 (p. 1074 in pew Bibles).
Can you think back to those moments in your life that are frozen in time and frozen in your memories? They can be good moments or bad moments. Moments of utter joy or moments of profound grief. Whatever they may be, these are moments locked in our hearts and minds because of the power they hold for our lives. In fact, we have probably already begun to relive some of those moments now.
Do you remember that first kiss? How about the time when you got down on one knee and asked her to marry you and she said "yes." Do you remember the day a child was born? Do you remember when you closed on the purchase of your first home? Do remember getting your drivers license? How about the time when you lost the person you love the most?
The bottom line is this: the most dramatic--whether in life or death--moments--whether the most wonderful or most devastating--they are "Defining" moments in our lives.
And, as we gather this Easter Sunday morning we celebrate the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT DEFINING MOMENT of THE Christian faith--the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Without this moment, none of the other defining moments of our lives would ever make sense (John Jewell, Frozen Moments and the Other Mary). Without the resurrection--the life and purpose of Jesus Christ would be incomplete. The wholeness of Jesus was solidified by the emptiness of the tomb!
But is the resurrection of Jesus Christ the single most important defining moment in YOUR faith?
I don't know why I am on this subject this morning--not the resurrection subject--I am pretty sure why I am on that topic. But why am I on this subject of defining moments. Easter Sunday--the Sunday when people gather in various places of worship and shout with great conviction, "He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!" Easter Sunday is the day that families gather together and get dressed up and go to church. For some, it is the only Sunday in the entire year that they arrive in any Sunday morning church gathering. So much of the Christian faith has become "famous"--if you will -because the tomb was empty and Jesus has been raised from the dead. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation of hope for life for those of us who put our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We know that our REDEEMER lives--hallelujah!
But as I consider John's account of that first Easter Sunday morning I find myself being drawn to the words of Mary. Take a look at verses 1-2: "Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, 'They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we don't know where they have put him!'"
They have taken the Lord out of the tomb--Jesus was no longer in the grave. Imagine what that must have felt like to show up--after an excruciatingly painful Friday--watching her Lord being crucified--hanging on the Cross for the sins of the world--hearing His final words "It is finished"--seeing one of the soldiers piercing the side of Jesus with His spear--surely Mary was overwhelmed with pain. And something we don't usually talk about is Saturday. Surely Saturday for Mary and the other disciples was a day filled with tears, grief, a sense of loss, and perhaps even a hunger for closure and direction.
So on Sunday--Mary ventured to the tomb of her Lord. She could go, so she thought, and see Him with her own eyes, lying in the tomb. She could pay her respects. She could tell Him she loved Him. She could simply be with Him--even if it was just for her. But all of that changed with one step into the tomb.
So here is a question for us--how has the empty tomb changed everything for us?
Or perhaps I should ask it this way: Have we taken Him out of the tomb?
For Mary Magdalene--seeing the empty tomb was one of the most emotional times of her faith journey. She literally stood outside the tomb and wept--perhaps out of fear; perhaps out of a deep sense of loss; perhaps even out of anger--but definitely emotional.
What emotions are stirred within you as you consider the empty tomb?
Does it stir up tears of joy? Does it remind you that death did not win but life did? Does it help you deal with pain? Does it give you hope to live for today? Does it conjure up a sense of comfort for you? In some way, does the emptiness bring about wholeness for you?
You see, what Mary couldn't get over was not so much that the tomb was empty but that she didn't know where her Lord was. She said, "We don't know where they have put him."
Are we much different today? We get up on Easter Sunday morning and we make our short journeys to church--knowing that we are coming to celebrate the empty tomb--knowing that Easter Sunday is the day we rejoice in the fact that death has been conquered and life ushered in for eternity. But what about tomorrow?
Will people wonder--like Mary did? Will people look around and ask, "We don't know where they have put him?" Do you get it?
If the resurrection of Jesus Christ is so essential in the lives of Christians then why would people ever wonder where He was? It was Anne Lamott who said: "We are Easter people living in a Good Friday world." Living in the victory of the resurrection is not something that we pull out only on Easter Sunday. If we have been made WHOLE by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ then--walking with the Risen Lord must be a way of life. I call it WHOLLY LIVING: living in such a way where people don't have to ever ask you where you have put Jesus.
An encounter with the resurrected Christ changes fear to courage; timidity to boldness; uncertainty to confidence; bad news to Good News; death to life! Everything changes because we have been changed--we have been changed because Christ has risen! We are not pre-resurrection people--we are post-resurrection people. And if we believe this then we will have to make some purpose driven life choices and change our priorities and behaviors. Only then can God transform us and use us to change the world. Only then will people no longer look at us and wonder where we have put Jesus. Only then will they see with their own eyes that we have put the Risen Lord FIRST!
Where have you put Him?
Let me close with this: Chris Tomlin, one of my favorite contemporary Christian recording artists, has a great song out entitled: I Will Rise. I listened to it this morning and I thought--that is it--that is the message of Easter but also Wholly Living. He sings: "There's a peace I've come to know though my heart and flesh may fail. There's an anchor for my soul--I can say, "It is well." Jesus has overcome and the grave is overwhelmed. The victory is won--He is risen from the dead. I will rise when He calls my name--no more sorrow--no more pain--I will rise on eagle's wings! Before my God, fall on my knees. And rise--I will rise.
Friends, I am convinced that what makes the resurrection real--when we truly know that the resurrection has ARRIVED in our lives--is when we live it! I call that WHOLLY LIVING.
The victory is won--He is Risen--RISE UP CHURCH--RISE UP!
AMEN.
