Following Love

Ruth 1:1-18 23rd Sunday after Pentecost Proper 24 Year B Following Love Opening Song Welcome – All Hallow’s Eve Call To Worship Make every other line bold You who are famished Come to be fed. Leave behind what is arid Let go what is dead. Step with confidence toward newness Step bravely toward Christ. God is here to embrace us Worship God, receive life! Invocation Meet us here, O God. None of us have made it this far unscathed by life’s heartaches and tribulations. Meet us here, O God. Put our hands in the hands of each other. Put our hearts in the care of this community of grace. Strengthen us through this hour of worship that being healed, we may become healers, that finding our home, we may welcome foreigners, friends and kin home with Christ, home with you. Amen. Stewardship Moment Invitation to Give: (After Ruth 1:1-8) May each of us possess the generosity of spirit that led Ruth to promise, “Where you go, I will go. Where you lodge, I will lodge.” Through our offerings may we go where our neighbors are in need, may we lodge with those who sorrow, may we share ourselves and what is ours, that all whom God loves will not feel abandoned nor alone. Prayer of dedication Gracious and generous God, please accept these gifts that we have brought. May these offerings serve to draw others to love, honor, and serve you. Multiply these tithes and offerings, Holy One, and use them for the edification of your people all around the world. All for love’s sake, amen. Scripture Ruth 1:1-18 Ruth 1:1-18 Common English Bible The family in Moab 1 During the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. A man with his wife and two sons went from Bethlehem of Judah to dwell in the territory of Moab. 2 The name of that man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They entered the territory of Moab and settled there. 3 But Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died. Then only she was left, along with her two sons. 4 They took wives for themselves, Moabite women; the name of the first was Orpah and the name of the second was Ruth. And they lived there for about ten years. 5 But both of the sons, Mahlon and Chilion, also died. Only the woman was left, without her two children and without her husband. 6 Then she arose along with her daughters-in-law to return from the field of Moab, because while in the territory of Moab she had heard that the LORD had paid attention to his people by providing food for them. 7 She left the place where she had been, and her two daughters-in-law went with her. They went along the road to return to the land of Judah. 8 Naomi said to her daughters-in-law, “Go, turn back, each of you to the household of your mother. May the LORD deal faithfully with you, just as you have done with the dead and with me. 9 May the LORD provide for you so that you may find security, each woman in the household of her husband.” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. 10 But they replied to her, “No, instead we will return with you, to your people.” 11 Naomi replied, “Turn back, my daughters. Why would you go with me? Will there again be sons in my womb, that they would be husbands for you? 12 Turn back, my daughters. Go. I am too old for a husband. If I were to say that I have hope, even if I had a husband tonight, and even more, if I were to bear sons— 13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you refrain from having a husband? No, my daughters. This is more bitter for me than for you, since the LORD’s will has come out against me.” 14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth stayed with her. 15 Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law is returning to her people and to her gods. Turn back after your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to abandon you, to turn back from following after you. Wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. 17 Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD do this to me and more so if even death separates me from you.” 18 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her about it. Sermon – Following Love Speaking of fictional stories in the bible – it is said that the book of Ruth and the book of Job have a lot in common. The book of Ruth is called a Novella – a medium sized story in between a short story and a novel. Today we are going to look at the first chapter of this book, but you could easily read the whole story in less than 20 minutes. The story ends with the birth of Obed, the grandfather of King David. We hear a lot about David being the first king of Israel. But here is the thing – there is no historical proof that David ever existed. Was David a fictional character also? How can Jesus be a descendant of David if he never existed? I can assure you that Jesus and his mother Mary were historical people. But if David is not a historical person, why is he in the bible? Well because the old testament is a book of stories that were passed down for thousands of years. The point of the stories are not in the exact details, it is in the timeless truths that guide our actions and become a foundation of our faith. And just like a lot of novels – the story is true, the names and the places have been changed to protect the reality of the story. The book of Ruth has some disturbing truths that can hit home for us – 3000 years later. It is the story of a fairly well off family that lived in Bethlehem. Bethlehem means beth – house – lehem – house of bread. The family was doing pretty well off until the bread disappeared. The happy family fleed to Moab. Now moving to Moab was like jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. No self respecting Hebrew would be willing to live with their distant cousins the Moabites. And there were strict rules about marrying them. Which the two sons in this family do. And then the story specifally says that this was in the time of the judges. These were not necessarily wise people – they were strong warlords who kept order the old fashioned way. So in other words, there were no rules, no laws, no covenants, no government control. It was every man for himself. So this family was responsible for their own survival. And the story gets worse – first the father dies, then the two sons die – leaving three women to survive on their own. With no food, no jobs, no family, no government assistance – this was a death sentence for the 3 of them. Women were second class citizens subject to abuse, resentment . foreign women, were less than less than. Let’s respect Naomi for her honesty. We are more comfortable with people who grieve privately, who put on a brave face and never talk about what’s tearing them up inside. But that’s not healthy. Author Lynn Caine wrote her best-selling book Widow after the death of her husband. In it, she writes, “being a widow is like living in a country where no one speaks your language.” (5) And yet Ruth is one of 4 women listed in Jesus lineage. All 4 were foreign, all four went above and beyond to remain loyal to the Hebrew people. There is a lot going on in this story, but the important point is that love always finds a way, love always wins, love is always strong enough to overcome hatred, love is no respector of race, gender, status or circumstances, love can bring those at the bottom to the top, love will cling to us no matter where we go in life. You know Oprah Winfrey says that she was supposed to have a biblical name, but it was misspelled on her birth certificate. Orpah was the daughter in law in this family. she was a Moabite and they lived in Moab. So when her mother in law Naomi told her to go home – she didn’t have far to go. Never to be heard from in biblical history again. It is the other daughter in law – ruth who insists on staying. Perhaps she had no place to go, perhaps she came from an abusive home. There is some speculation that these two women were kidnapped to become wives, and to return home at this point meant death. Whatever her reason, that bible says that she clung to her mother in law Naomi. She says these famous words – wherever you go I will go, wherever you stay I will stay, your people will be my people your god will be my god wherever you die, I will die.” These words are used in weddings, in commitment services, in friendships, in our faith. Who is it that clings to us no matter what? Who goes above and beyond for us. That person is Jesus. Jesus is a reminder of how far God will go for us. Jesus cared about us and saved us before we were even born. God always comes to us in the form in a relationship. God shows us hesed – steadfast love. Ruth name is an important lesson. Ruth means kindness. When we say that someone is ruthless – they are without kindness. Who is the Ruth in your life? So the rest of the story quickly – ruth and Naomi go back to Bethlehem. Naomi has ruth in the fields gleaning grain in order to survive. Naomi sets Ruth up with the owner of the field. They get married, have a baby names Obed. Obed is the father of Jessie, Jessie is the father of David and the legacy continues to Jesus Christ. This is a story about family, it is a story about hesed love, ultimately it is a story about redemption. The word redemption is used in this 23 times. God’s love always redeems us. Virginia Duran was born in a migrant worker camp in central California. Her father was in jail, and her mother could not afford her. There was a doctor in the area, also named Virginia, who made sure that there was enough food for the young girl and her mother. That's why her mother named her Virginia: after the doctor who helped feed, clothe and pay the rent for them. As Virginia grew and her family moved, she eventually lost contact with that caring doctor. Years later, when Virginia was grown, she was visiting Mexico when she saw a picture of a poor girl in the newspaper. At that moment Virginia realized that, if it hadn't been for that one doctor many years before, she could have ended up like the girl in that picture. When Virginia went home she told her sister about the picture. She had decided that she wanted to do something to help poor children. The two sisters traveled to Mexico and found a dusty village filled with migrant children. Many of the children's parents were unwed teenagers or alcoholics. Many of the children were also malnourished and sick. Virginia and her sister helped as many of these children as they could. Today they have 35 children in their care. As Virginia was taking care of the children one day she suddenly remembered something she had long forgotten. Doctor Virginia once told her that she, the doctor, had been rescued by a wealthy woman herself. That woman had also been saved from poverty by yet another woman, who had been rescued by another woman ” back six generations. All of these women lived in the west, and all were surrogate mothers for children who desperately needed love. Interestingly, all of the women were named Virginia. "You're the seventh in a long line," the doctor told her. "And someday, you'll do as much for someone else." (4) Virginia Duran was in a long line of love. Ruth was in a long line of love – and so are we. We know of a Ruth in life, but we are called to be Ruth to those around us. Let us pray…… Amen Halloween Prayers Prayers for the children and young people Holy God, giver of life, we know you are ruler over all things that make us fearful. You triumph over the evils in our world, and you raise your people to life again after death. As the One who created us, we know it makes you glad to hear us laugh, and to watch us play. So, we ask you to bless all here today who have dressed up in their Halloween costumes. Bless all who will go out “trick-or-treating” this week. Let their laughter and the wholesome fun they enjoy be a sign to all who do not know you, that your Love reigns over all things in heaven and on earth. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Prayers for all Lord, tonight, We will face all that most concerns us: our fears, the shadowed places of the mind; the coming of winter darkness; the cold thin place between waking and sleep. We call to mind the powerless, the lonely, those who most fear the knock at the door; all those deceived by the world’s empty promises; all those cowed by menaces or threats. 5 We stand with those weak in body, mind or spirit and those seduced by treats or hurt by tricks. Lord, your light shines into every darkness. You told us: pray ‘deliver us from evil’. Your Spirit gives us hope, gives us courage, a candle in the window unhurt by the wind. Amen Song – Pass It On UMH 572 Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook In this company of friends, we have shared the feast of Christ’s love. May we go from this hour of worship empowered to accompany our neighbors on love’s journey, until in Christ, we walk each other home. Amen. Community Time Benediction Charge and benediction May we go from this place knowing that the love of God, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit go with us, guiding us, carrying us and reforming us, today, tomorrow and always. Amen Children’s Sermon Children sermon / interactive Sunday School lesson: Good morning children! Do you know what time of year it is? Yes, that’s right. It’s Halloween. (It’s also a time many churches celebrate the great saints of God down through the ages.) Sometimes Halloween can seem like scary time. Some people dress up as ghosts, monsters and all kinds of evil looking creatures. When I was very young, I went outside at Halloween with my mother and saw some frightening things! But I wasn’t really that afraid because I held my mother’s hand and I knew she was right their beside me. I will show you what it was like. Betty, will you come here and hold my hand. Now, let’s have the other kids make a scary face! (Holding the young child, walk past the children making faces.) Now Betty, was that really scary? (Most likely they will be laughing.) No? That’s good. There was no need to be afraid because I’m right here with you holding your hand. I want you all to know that there are many places in the bible where God says he is with us always, so we don’t need to be afraid. Jesus also said, “I am with you always” (Matthew 28). Although we can’t see God holding our hand, the Bible says he is right beside us. He is just like a parent holding us close. So, even at Halloween we don’t need to be afraid – God is with us! Children’s Prayer: Dear God, thank you that you are with us always. When we are afraid help us to remember you are right beside us. In Jesus’ name – Amen! Copyright Sundaychildrensfocus.com 2021 Feel free to use this at your own church. Please “Like” us on social media or link to this site. Blessings, Pastor Andrew Prayers for the children and young people Holy God, giver of life, we know you are ruler over all things that make us fearful. You triumph over the evils in our world, and you raise your people to life again after death. As the One who created us, we know it makes you glad to hear us laugh, and to watch us play. So, we ask you to bless all here today who have dressed up in their Halloween costumes. Bless all who will go out “trick-or-treating” this week. Let their laughter and the wholesome fun they enjoy be a sign to all who do not know you, that your Love reigns over all things in heaven and on earth. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Additional Illustrations The word “redemption" appears 23 times in this short story. It's not a word we use much anymore. My mother used to redeem S&H Green Stamps for prizes. I was at a convenient store up in Maine when I made the mistake of throwing a Coke bottle in the trash. The lady almost jumped over the counter to grab it out of the trash and said, “You don't understand, that's worth something up here; we have a bottle bill in this state." Bottles and cans are redeemable in Maine. Some of you redeem your frequent flyer miles for more trips. To redeem something is to buy it back, cash it in, set it free. Now I need to tell something about this story because what makes this story really neat is that there is something else going on underneath the surface. Isn't that what makes stories intriguing? S.D. Gordon was a dynamic preacher up in Boston in the early part of last century. One Sunday Dr. Gordon carried an old, beat-up, rusty bird cage into the pulpit with him. “I guess you are wondering where I got this bird cage," said Brother Gordon. “Well, I bought it from a boy on the street. He had birds in it. I asked him what he was going to do with those birds." The kid said, “I'm going to play with them, tease them, irritate them—then take them home and feed them to my cats." “How much do you want for those birds?" asked Brother Gordon. “You don't want these birds," replied the boy. “They are worthless—they don't sing or anything." Nevertheless I hung in there until I bought the birds. Then I took them to the park and set them free. Then S.D. Gordon leaned over the pulpit and said this: God saw Satan playing around with the people God had made in His own image. God said to Satan— What are you going to do with my people? Satan replied, “I'm going to tease them a while, make them marry and divorce, fight and kill each other, throw bombs and shoot missiles. Then I'm going to condemn them to hell for they are worthless anyway." “How much do you want for them?" asked God. “It'll take the life of your son," said Satan. That day, God so loved the world that He sent His only Son to set us free. New Life is costly—you are worth it. Have you heard of a game called “Would You Rather . . . ?” You and a partner take turns asking each other to choose one option between two equally unpleasant things. Would you rather do this . . . or would you rather do that—two equally unpleasant tasks? It’s an interesting way to get better acquainted with someone. Here are some examples: Would you rather be wealthy, but only able to walk everywhere . . . or broke, but able to travel anywhere in the world? Would you rather always have an annoying song stuck in your head or always have an itch that you can’t reach? That’s a tough one. Would you rather be trapped on a deserted island with someone who never speaks or with someone who never shuts up? (1) I probably couldn’t guess your answers to these questions. But there is one “Would You Rather” question that is pretty easy for everyone to answer: “Would you rather move across the country or get a root canal?” You could replace “root canal” with all sorts of unpleasant options, and most people would still choose anything else rather than moving. Just ask somebody about their last move and see how they respond. “Never again!” is a common response. “I don’t even want to talk about it!” is another. However, Ruth and Orpah, her daughters-in-law, wanted to stay with Naomi. They protested. But Naomi knew a sad truth: her daughters-in-law would not be accepted by her family in her home country because they were foreigners. The law was very clear about such things. No Moabite could enter the household of faith even after ten generations. (Deut. 23: 3) If her daughters-in-law remained with her, they would never be accepted among her people. So Naomi once again encouraged them to stay in their homeland. She told them that it was absurd for them to follow her, “Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your husbands?” she asked them. Finally, Orpah decided that her mother-in-law was right. It would be best for her to remain in her own country. Ruth, however, still wanted to stay with Naomi. Ruth loved Naomi deeply. It was in this context that Ruth spoke some of the most famous words in all of literature: “Where you go, I will go,” she told Naomi, “your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” Let’s respect Naomi for her honesty. We are more comfortable with people who grieve privately, who put on a brave face and never talk about what’s tearing them up inside. But that’s not healthy. Author Lynn Caine wrote her best-selling book Widow after the death of her husband. In it, she writes, “being a widow is like living in a country where no one speaks your language.” (5) That is the heart of our message today. That kind of love is what the cross is all about. It is about a love that never quits, never gives up, never fails. It is agape love—sacrificial love from the heart of God. It’s not, “I love you for what you can do for me,” or “I’ll love you as long as it is convenient.” It’s “I’ll love you no matter what. I’ll always be there for you.” Dr. David Wilhelm shares a story of sacrificial love he witnessed in the lives of two of his elderly patients, Fred and Ruby. Ruby had advanced Alzheimer’s, and she became more angry and difficult as the disease progressed. But Fred continued to nurse his wife lovingly. Fred devoted himself to her care, even though Ruby could no longer return his love. And then one day Fred ended up in the hospital. He had late-stage colon cancer. Fred admitted to Dr. Wilhelm that he had known about his diagnosis for over a year. He had refused treatment because he needed all his energy and money to take care of Ruby. Her needs came first. He was willing to suffer and even to die to ensure Ruby got the best care possible. (6) The cross of Jesus is the ultimate symbol of a love that will never give up on us, a love that would give up everything to save us. And you and I are the recipients of that love. Over the past two thousand years folks just like us have believed in that love, and they’ve passed that love on. Through plagues and wars and famines, oftentimes under barbaric oppression, they did not let go of it. And we are the recipients of that love. It would be tragic if we didn’t pass that love on. It would be tragic if we lost the joy of sharing Jesus’ love with others. He gave all of himself to show us God’s overwhelming love for us. And the only thing Jesus asked in return is that we share that same love with others. One of the world’s great love stories between a widow and her daughter-in-law. Let it remind us that the greatest love is a love that’s sacrificial and self-giving. It is love that flows from the heart of God. When Abraham and Sarah were told to pick up and move to a strange land, God made a promise that he would bless them and be with them. But Ruth has no such divine reassurance. She links her life with Naomi on the basis of nothing more substantial than the affection one young woman has for an older one. It's a story about the strange yokings, the unusual linkages which occur in love in an ordinary family. Yokings and linkages made all the more strange because you and I live in a culture which doesn't understand such clinging and claiming of one person by another. We have trouble understanding this story, not because it is nearly three thousand years old, but because we have constructed a society which acts as if it were possible to be a full human being with no attachments, no claims, no bonds between people. For us, the individual is everything, the free, autonomous, liberated, self-sufficient individual standing alone. We have devised an educational system to suit our ideology of the individual. Here we educate by detaching you from your family, moving you out of the home, putting you in the hands of strangers, abandoning you to the peer group in Pegram, and after we have completely detached you from home, family, tradition, community, we give you a degree. We thereby imply that the way to wisdom is by making everyone a stranger to everyone else. We are shocked whenever someone comes along who makes a claim on our lives--parents who have opinions about our behavior, children who hold parents to account. We are shocked because we have defined freedom as the fewest possible number of attachments. Such "freedom" makes marriage, family, the bearing of children incomprehensible. After all, why would anybody want to limit his or her options by becoming unnecessarily tied down to the messy complications of other human beings? See? Ruth, a foreign, Moabite woman, through the twistings and turnings of providence, becomes the means of salvation for Israel, for us. Bethlehem's baby reminds us that this is a family story, but it's not just an isolated story about an ordinary family like yours or mine. It's a story about the whole human family, about the way in which God can use your little, ordinary human family from New Jersey in spectacularly wonderful ways. God saves through ordinary people like Ruth, Naomi, Joseph, Mary and Jesus doing ordinary duties like having babies and putting up with daughters-in-law in ordinary families like yours and mine. If we'll just stick together, through thick and thin, and trust God to use our ordinary fidelity to one another to bless the world in his extraordinary love.

Christ Has Risen Indeed

Year C Easter Sunday – regular service Luke 24:1-12 April 20, 2019 Text: Luke 24:1-5 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?" Materials: No specific materials are required. Message: How many times have you lost something, and no matter how hard you looked, you just couldn't seem to find it? That happens to me sometimes, and it is so discouraging to look and look and still not have that thing turn up anywhere! The other day I had one of my shoes, but I just couldn't find the other one. I ended up looking all over the place - in the refrigerator, in the washing machine, I even looked in the dishwasher - but it was nowhere to be found! Then I was looking for my toothbrush. It wasn't in the car, it wasn't in the bottom of the fish tank, I even looked in my tool box - but I still didn't have any luck in finding it! Can you think of some places I should have looked for these things? (Wait for responses from the children indicating that you didn't find them because you were looking in the wrong places.) If I had looked in some other places, I probably would have had better luck! Did you know that was the same problem Jesus' followers had after He was put to death. They went to the tomb where His body was placed after He died, looking for Him on that first Easter morning. But guess what? He wasn't there because that was the wrong place to be looking! He was alive, not dead. He had won a victory, not suffered a defeat. Therefore the angels said to them: "Don't try to find Jesus here ... for now He lives forever more!" CSS Publishing Company, FROM A MUSTARD SEED, by Mark A. Hultquist Luke 24:1-12 Common English Bible (CEB) The empty tomb 24 Very early in the morning on the first day of the week, the women went to the tomb, bringing the fragrant spices they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in, they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 They didn’t know what to make of this. Suddenly, two men were standing beside them in gleaming bright clothing. 5 The women were frightened and bowed their faces toward the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He isn’t here, but has been raised. Remember what he told you while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Human One[a]must be handed over to sinners, be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” 8 Then they remembered his words. 9 When they returned from the tomb, they reported all these things to the eleven and all the others.10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles. 11 Their words struck the apostles as nonsense, and they didn’t believe the women. 12 But Peter ran to the tomb. When he bent over to look inside, he saw only the linen cloth. Then he returned home, wondering what had happened. Footnotes: a. Luke 24:7 Or Son of Man Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible Each Gospel tells a different version of the Eater story. Each teaches a different lesson. But they all agree on one thing – the tomb was empty. Jesus was nowhere to be found. Jesus is not even the main character in the story today. The resurrection is about the power of God, the affect on those around him, the difference that it makes in our lives, not Jesus life. In the weeks to come we will hear stories of Jesus appearance, but today we are left wondering what happened. The story in Luke is by far my favorite version of the story. The women decide to return to the place that they had abandoned just three days before. They come to finish a job. The angel stops and ask why are they looking for a living person in a grave. Mary speaks to Jesus. The disciples come to see what is going on. Once again three days ago, Peter abandoned God, but today he is the first to see what is going on. But what struck me as significant about Luke’s telling of the story is the last part of our scripture. It says that the women ran back to tell the disciples what happened, and scripture says that the disciples thought that the words of the women was nonsense. They did not believe any of it. The word nonsense in our text for today is a euphemism for a bunch of crock. Total insanity, making no sense. It was no outrageous, that only 1 of the 11 even bothered to go to the tomb and to see what was going on. And when he saw the empty tomb, and he saw the linen cloth, he had to take a walk and figure out what was going on. Sometimes I think that is our problem too. We all know that story, we hear it again and again. But we are still struggling with whether it is a bunch of nonsense or not. We don’t struggle with the story we struggle with whether we believe that story or not. Is it fairy tale or is it real. And if it is really real, what does that mean for our lives? Peter struggled with his unbelief even back then. He knew that story too, he was there. When Jesus was in court being tried, he was outside denying that he even knew that man. When Jesus breath his last breath, he ran with the rest of them to hide and make sure that they would not be next. And now his body was missing. If anybody was going to steal his body – it would have been him and the other disciples. And all of them thought this whole story was a bunch of nonsense. But now what would it mean for him if it is not nonsense. What if it really happen. What would that mean for Peter? But more importantly, what does that mean for you and for me? Peter realized that if this story was real, then he would really have to believe in Jesus. And if he believed in Jesus, then he might have to change his lifestyle. He couldn’t be a coward any more. He couldn’t pretend that he didn’t know Jesus. He couldn’t just run and hide. There was no more taking the easy way out. Jesus said Peter if you love me, them feed my sheep. He said that Peter was a rock upon which the church would be built. If this story was more than nonsense, if he was really going to believe this story, then there were a lot of other things that he was going to have to believe also. One biblical scholar made a good point, when he said that the empty tomb and the resurrection has to be the center of our belief. If we don’t believe that, then we are not Christian. It was Billy Graham that said if the devil is going to attack anything about the church, then he is going to attack our belief in the resurrection. He wants us to doubt the story and call it nonsense. Because if it is nonsense, then everything else that Jesus said is wrong. And what Jesus was trying to do for the world has been defeated. This is not something that Peter came up with on his own, and made up on the church. If Peter had not moved from nonsense to truth – the church would not exist, and we would not be sitting here today. But here we are, what difference does the resurrection make today in your life? Let me tell you about one woman who had a special way of sharing her resurrection faith. Her story is told in a book by her physician, Dr. Will Phillips of San Antonio. Her name was Edith Burns. She was an elderly widow who loved Jesus. She would often sit down with someone and say, "Hello, my name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" If they said yes, she would ask them what they believe about Easter. If they talked about Easter bunnies and colored eggs, she had a chance to share with them the real meaning of Easter. Countless people were led to Christ by Edith Burns, including Dr. Phillips’ head nurse. One day Dr. Phillips called Edith into his office and said, "Edith, I’ve got bad news for you. Your tests have come back positive. You have an aggressive form of cancer, and you may not have long to live." Edith replied, "Why Dr. Phillips, you need not look so sad. I have had a full life. Now you are telling me that before long I’m going to see my Lord Jesus face to face. I will be reunited with my dear husband, my parents, and so many old friends." After several months of chemotherapy, it was clear that the cancer was winning the battle for Edith’s life. She went into the hospital. Everybody who met her was attracted by her warmth and positive faith. And if she got half a chance she would say to anyone, "Hello, I’m Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" She picked up a nickname in the hospital—"Easter Edith." But there was one person who was not attracted to Edith. Phyllis Cross was a mean, ornery nurse. She had been an Army nurse for twenty years. She had been married four times. Phyllis told her supervisor, "I don’t want to have anything to do with that religious nut, Edith Burns." One day Phyllis had to go to Edith’s room to draw some blood. Edith said, "Phyllis, God loves you and I love you too, and I’ve been praying for you." Phyllis said, "Well, you can stop your praying for me. It won’t work and I’m not interested." Edith said, "I can’t stop praying for you. And I’ve asked God not to let me go home until you have come into his family." Phyllis replied, "Then you will never die because that will never happen." Then she walked out. Edith and Phyllis saw each other regularly over the coming weeks. But Edith never asked her the question she posed to everybody else, "Do you believe in Easter?" Finally, Phyllis’ curiosity got the best of her. She said, "Edith, why have you never asked me if I believe in Easter?" Edith smiled and replied, "I asked God to cause you to ask me about the Easter question, and you just did." Phyllis was caught off guard. Her defenses dropped. Edith shared Christ with her. This tough old Army nurse invited Jesus into her heart as Savior and Lord. A few days later Phyllis walked into Edith’s room and said, "Hey Edith, today is Good Friday." "No," said Edith, "It’s Easter. In the life of a Christian, every day is resurrection day. Happy Easter, Phyllis." Two days later, on Easter Sunday, Phyllis walked into Edith’s room and noticed a tranquil smile on her face but it was obvious that her soul had departed to be with the Lord. Phyllis placed her hands on Edith’s and said, "Happy Easter, dear." Then she assisted the family in making funeral arrangements. Several hours later Phyllis managed to get a few minutes off duty. She sat down in the break room to have a cup of coffee. One of the new student-nurses happened to be there. Phyllis said, "Hello, my name is Phyllis Cross. Do you believe in Easter?"(5) So what about you? Do you believe in Easter? If the story is true and the tomb is empty – how are you going to have to change. If Peter went from coward to evangelist, if the disciples put aside their fear to tell the world about Jesus? What is going to happen to you? If God can raise a man from death to life, then anything is possible. Easter is the first day of the rest of your life – what does God have in store for you? The resurrection is God’s creative response to death. It is new day, a new way of doing things. It is time to put aside old beliefs about yourself, about life about others, It is time to give up old predjudices and to move forward. God has a plan for you and for your life. And just like God left the tomb empty, the holy spirit is working quietly behind the scenes to transform you and your life. You may not believe god’s story, but he believes yours. This is a totally different sermon from the one I told at the sunrise service. But I want to end with the same video. Of how the resurrection affects our life today. The good news for me in that story is that Jesus overcoming death means that our story never ends. It is never too late, we always get a second, or third or fourth chance to be right with God. Now what kind of nonsense it that? On Redemption The catholic priest Erasmus two centuries ago wrote these powerful words. Listen: How much more wonderful the work of redemption is, in comparison with creation. It is more marvelous that God was made man than that He created the angels; that He wailed in a stable than that He reigns in the heavens. The creation of the world was a work of power, but the redemption of the world was a work of mercy. Erasmus That nonsense is the essence of God’s great love for us. Let us pray……. Additional illustrations……. The Easter Formula In April 2002, the well-respected Oxford University philosophy professor Richard Swineburne defended the truth of the Resurrection at a high-profile gathering of philosophy professors at Yale University. Swineburne used Bayes Theorem, a broadly accepted mathematical probability theory and tool to defend the truth of Christ's resurrection. In a New York Times interview, Swineburne said, "For someone dead for 36 hours to come to life again is, according to the laws of nature, extremely improbable. But if there is a God of the traditional kind, natural laws only operate because he makes them operate." Swineburne used the Bayes Theorem to assign values to things like the probability that God is real, Jesus' behavior during his lifetime, and the quality of witness testimony after his death. Then he plugged the numbers into a probability formula and added everything up. The results? There's a 97 percent probability that the resurrection really happened. That's nice to know. It's one more tool in the tool kit of ministry. But the truth is that you and I don't really need that. The church doesn't really need that information. Because we have our own formula. It's the Easter Formula: R+ET+F=LE. The Resurrection plus the Empty Tomb plus Faith equal Life Eternal. That's the Easter Formula. Billy D. Strayhorn, From the Pulpit, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. I Want to See Your Resurrection Father Basil Pennington, a Roman Catholic monk, tells of an encounter he once had with a teacher of Zen. Pennington was at a retreat. As part of the retreat, each person met privately with this Zen teacher. Pennington says that at his meeting the Zen teacher sat there before him smiling from ear to ear and rocking gleefully back and forth. Finally the teacher said: “I like Christianity. But I would not like Christianity without the resurrection. I want to see your resurrection!” Pennington notes that, “With his directness, the teacher was saying what everyone else implicitly says to Christians: You are a Christian. You are risen with Christ. Show me (what this means for you in your life) and I will believe.” That is how people know if the resurrection is true or not. Does it affect how we live? King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com The Risen Christ Pastor Rick Calhoun writes, “The Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead was never meant to be proved but experienced. As a matter of fact it cannot be proved, as no one of us was there. We have to take the word of others who were. Those early witnesses were very passionate about their testimonies. Many were to be martyred in defense of their convictions. But ultimately the resurrection is to be experienced not proved. The most convincing evidence of the Resurrection of Christ is the transformation of the people who know Jesus and believe in Him. I decided long ago, the only proof of Easter I will ever need is memory. I remember what my life was like before I met the living Christ and I know what my life is now, as I share it with Him. I would not stand here and tell you I am always the man I should be. But thanks to the living Christ, I am not the man I used to be either. The risen Jesus Christ has made all the difference.” King Duncan, www.Sermons.com The Cape of Good Hope I can still recall a geography lesson from elementary school in which we learned that the southernmost point of Africa is a point which for centuries has experienced tremendous storms. For many years no one even knew what lay beyond that cape, for no ship attempting to round that point had ever returned to tell the tale. Among the ancients it was known as the "Cape of Storms," and for good reason. But then a Portuguese explorer in the sixteenth century, Vasco De Gama, successfully sailed around that very point and found beyond the wild raging storms, a great calm sea, and beyond that, the shores of India. The name of that cape was changed from the Cape of Storms to the Cape of Good Hope. Until Jesus Christ rose from the dead, death had been the cape of storms on which all hopes of life beyond had been wrecked. No one knew what lay beyond that point until, on Easter morning, those ancient visions of Isaiah became the victory of Jesus over our last great enemy. Suddenly, like those ancient explorers, we can see beyond the storm to the hope of heaven and eternal life with the Father. More than that, we dare to believe that we shall experience in our own human lives exactly what the Son of God experienced in his, for the risen Christ says to us, "Because I live, you shall live also." This is the heart of the Easter faith. Robert Beringer, Easter People, CSS Publishing Company Anticipation: What Is Going to Happen Today? In Winnie the Pooh, Pooh and Piglet take an evening walk. For a long time they walk in silence. Silence like only best friends can share. Finally Piglet breaks the silence and asks, "When you wake up in the morning, Pooh, what's the first thing you say to yourself?" "What's for breakfast?" answers Pooh and then asks. "And what do you say, Piglet?" Piglet says, "I say, I wonder what exciting thing is going to happen today?" You and I can't really plan to meet the Risen Christ because we never really know when or where He's going to show up. But you can be sure of this, He will show up. If you believe, He will show up. And the attitude you need to meet him is the attitude of Piglet, "I wonder what exciting thing is going to happen today?" Billy Strayhorn, Easter Heart Burn, www.Sermons.com Turning to God on Easter J. Wallace Hamilton, the great preacher of yesteryear, once told the story of a group of American soldiers stationed in London during the first World War. They had received orders that the next day they would be going to the front lines. The church where many of the men attended while away from home hastily gave them a dinner. It was a joyous time and the conversation was light and upbeat. Before the pastor gave the benediction, one of the soldiers was selected to share words of appreciation. He was a man of charm with the gift of speech. As he brought his speech to a close he said, "Tomorrow we are leaving for France, and the trenches, and to die." He did not mean to say that. Looking around with embarrassment, struggling for some better words to say, he said: "Can anybody tell us how to die?" And, nobody laughed or even smiled. There was an awkward pause as though he had said the wrong thing--and then a period of strange silence in which nobody said anything. Then someone walked quietly to the piano where they had been playing and singing fun songs and began to play and sing the old gospel hymns. In the quiet that followed, every man's soul was forced to deal in a serious way with the question of life and death. Without anybody planning it, a party became a prayer meeting in which they had to turn to God. Easter gives us the opportunity, without being morbid to reflect on the ultimate meaning of things. Are we mere creatures of the dust who are here only for a moment--or were we created for eternity? On the southwest coast of Scotland lies the little town of Whithorn. In its ancient cemetery can be found a tombstone with an intriguing epitaph: YOU THINK I'M FORGOT. I'M NOT. King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com