Encouragement….

Right now my head is going in a million different directions. Friends coming into town, Passion Services tonight and tomorrow, Easter services Saturday and Sunday, SLW Tuesday, writing a sermon, working on future plans, thinking about the summer trips, working on a mission trip, balancing my schedule, needing to type a lot of documents for the future, needing to get ready for a recruiting push in May. I feel like the list can continue going on and on and on and on.

Does anyone else feel like that right now?

It is funny to me how Easter can cause a roller coaster of emotions. I mean some of the largest turns and flips that you will ever go through. But I wonder, is that how it felt for the disciples when they watched Jesus die on the cross? I mean they stood there, watching who they beleived to be the Son of God/ The Messiah, just hanging on a tree and didnt do anything to free himself. Now for some, they were probably cheering that Jesus was finally going to be gone. But for some reason I feel like the disciples had more going on in there head: confusion, nervousness, weeping, hurting, yearning. What were they going to do now? Jesus didnt really give them step by step directions for when he was gone. At least not yet.

So it brings me to a point that is sticking out in my head. I am sitting in my office and thinking about how to preach the story of Jesus Christ. The life, the death, the resurrection, the purpose. For some reason it is hard right now to put into words or even put down thoughts on paper because in all of the stuff going on in my life:

I am finding rest in the worst death that I have read and studied.

Is that weird? I feel like I should be preparing for the sermon of the decade and all I can do is take a deep breath and remember a few things:

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrated his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”

John 17:24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given because you loved me before the creation of the world”

John 11:25-26 ” Jesus said to her “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Ephesians 2:3-4 ” All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest we were by nature objects of wrath. But because if his great love for us, God who is rich in mercy made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace we have been saved.”

Colossians 1:22 ” But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation”

Matthew 11:28-30 “ Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light”

This is all that I can think about.

The even imaginable thought that the Creator of the Universe, God the Father, sent his chosen servant, God’s only son, Jesus Christ to live a life of perfection and then die an excruciating death to give life to those who don’t deserve it. Becuase let’s be honest, none of us deserve the love that God has given us. Because we have all fallen short, we have all doubted, we have all made bad choices, we have made wrong moves in our lives. No one deserves the Love that God has for all of us.

We are in a season of church work that we should remember that not only do we get the incredible opportunity to preach/teach/sing about this love that God has for us, but we get to also live in the Love that God has given us.

So if you are in a church, volunteering, bringing a friend to an Easter Service; remember that God loves you just as much as he loved his Son Jesus Christ. The same Jesus Christ that took on all of your faults and all of your short comings with him to the Cross on Golgotha and took them away from you. All we need to do is believe, live in love and follow Jesus’ teachings and we will be presented to God the Father some day with no blemishes.

Jesus Christ died for every single one of our sins. Profess the name of Jesus with confidence, power and love.