Resurrection Relevance

I am so proud to have the opportunity to learn with each of you on Sunday mornings. I am glad you came today. Thank you.
Please remember Wayne and his family at the loss of his Grandfather.

Next week we will talk about the Upper Room and focus more on our own Witness. The attached PDF might help you both as you prepare for our Life community next week, and as a good reference point for writing your news article/homework..

INVITE your friends, colleagues, etc to our class. Without your invitation, they won't know we are there. The Door is Open, even when it is closed.. ;-)

Happy Easter. HE IS RISEN!
jeff

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We talked about a lot today. My discussion points come from a lot of places, but I relied heavily on a post from a prayer group blog I read regularly. I think Wayne participates too. Click here to read the entire post.

Think about your "assignment" whatever that may be. Easter is a season, not a Sunday. We celebrate for the next 6 weeks.

Live your life and make the resurrection relevant to today, to your daily grind, to your kids, to you and your spouse... As you see the trees blooming, the flowers blossoming, and the life returning to the Earth around us. Take time to think a bit. Enjoy the colors and the palettes. Listen to the wind and the sounds. Experience the world around you in your moment so that you can be more aware of God in your life.

He is Risen. He is Risen Indeed!

My assignment to you... for all that is worth. Write a headline and an article explaining the resurrection of Christ in your words. Tell about the event. Think in terms of perspective, setting, facts, heresay, faith, etc... Make it real in your mind. To do that, I would suggest that you find and read the story in the other Gospels, and that you explore the entire passion story, and the pentecost writings in Acts. Choose today to complete a simple act, of reverence to explore your own abilities, ideas.

Whether or not you share it with Open Door or anyone else is up to you. We would like that . Personally,
I would love to read what you think and discuss, but that is not the point. My challenge to you is that you WITNESS. Embrace, a spirit of Wonder, Worship the Lord, and Witness to YOUR world. Start small, with a conversation, an article, etc.
Just say to a neighbor.
"HE IS RISEN."

Don't be afraid to step outside of your norm. Be not afraid, for Jesus is with you, even unto the end of the age.

The story (Matthew 28:1-10 NIV) this morning was built on three central happenings...
1. Deep wonder as they beheld the angel who stood before them as a shaft of lightning.
2. Worship as they fell at the feet of Jesus.
3. Witness as they obeyed the Lord to "go and tell."

We have to go beyond the head to the awe-struck wonder of the heart.
Wonder leads to worship . . . and worship leads to witness.

Age of Reason vs Faith. Do you require proof?
How do you deal with your doubt?
Do you fear Death?
This passage is a and the resurrection as a whole is a Call to action, not complacency
How do you use this church, this class, to fulfill YOUR mission, YOUR call?
Is spreading the Gospel, the mission of the church or its people? What is the difference?


The Resurrection(NIV)
1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."
8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

Matthew 28:1-20(The Message)
Risen from the Dead
1 -4 After the Sabbath, as the first light of the new week dawned, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to keep vigil at the tomb. Suddenly the earth reeled and rocked under their feet as God's angel came down from heaven, came right up to where they were standing. He rolled back the stone and then sat on it. Shafts of lightning blazed from him. His garments shimmered snow-white. The guards at the tomb were scared to death. They were so frightened, they couldn't move.
5 -6 The angel spoke to the women: "There is nothing to fear here. I know you're looking for Jesus, the One they nailed to the cross. He is not here. He was raised, just as he said. Come and look at the place where he was placed.
7 "Now, get on your way quickly and tell his disciples, 'He is risen from the dead. He is going on ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there.' That's the message."
8 -10 The women, deep in wonder and full of joy, lost no time in leaving the tomb. They ran to tell the disciples. Then Jesus met them, stopping them in their tracks. "Good morning!" he said. They fell to their knees, embraced his feet, and worshiped him. Jesus said, "You're holding on to me for dear life! Don't be frightened like that. Go tell my brothers that they are to go to Galilee, and that I'll meet them there."
11 -15 Meanwhile, the guards had scattered, but a few of them went into the city and told the high priests everything that had happened. They called a meeting of the religious leaders and came up with a plan: They took a large sum of money and gave it to the soldiers, bribing them to say, "His disciples came in the night and stole the body while we were sleeping." They assured them, "If the governor hears about your sleeping on duty, we will make sure you don't get blamed." The soldiers took the bribe and did as they were told. That story, cooked up in the Jewish High Council, is still going around.
16 -17 Meanwhile, the eleven disciples were on their way to Galilee, headed for the mountain Jesus had set for their reunion. The moment they saw him they worshiped him. Some, though, held back, not sure about worship, about risking themselves totally.
18 -20 Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: "God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age."