Our past election was a monumental moment in history. What struck me the most was not the fact that the first African-American was elected into office, but the message that was sent by Obama and his campaign. Obama was about change. He said statements like “Obama for change,” “change we can believe in,” and “the change we need.” There were news articles saying that the inauguration of Obama was a sign of hope and change. People wanted change. Change from their current situations. Change from their current struggles. People wanted hope in their future. Don’t we all want change that gives us hope for the future?
Here we all are together on this Easter Sunday, where we gather to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Millions of people around the world are coming together to celebrate a God who so loved us that He sent His one and only Son to die for us on the cross so that we may come to know the one, true, living God. And not only did Jesus die for us so that our sins may be forgiven, He was risen from the dead to defeat death so that we may have eternal life with God the Father. I just unpacked the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ, and many of you just heard it and it didn’t do anything for you. I really want you to wrap your head around this! God wanted you so bad that He took on the form of a human being as Jesus, lived a sinless and perfect life, died on a cross, was buried, and then on the third day was resurrected! THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING! This was the change that gave us hope for all eternity! This is the truth that I bring you today.
“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times.” Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” ~Mark 4:3-9
Do you really want the truth? Truth is a funny thing. Especially when it comes to spam. I enjoy eating spam. Spam in fried rice, spam in soups, spam in lo mein, spam in just about anything, but please, don’t tell me what spam actually is! What animal really comes in the shape of this can?!?! The can I hold here is spam lite. It’s actually healthy for me! You know I can keep justifying why I can keep eating this stuff, but just don’t tell me what it actually is!
The truth is, many Christians are like this. They take God and make Him into what ever they want Him to be. Some Christians seek God for their self serving motives. They live a life of faith not under the who God truly is, but what we make God out to be. They keep going on that way thinking that as long as I can avoid the truth of who God really is. Sometimes the truth is hard to swallow. Sometimes the truth is hard to hear. Do you really think that God needs you? Do you really think that by your works you can be right with God? Do you really think that God needs your help to accomplish His will? Do you really think that the church that God created through Christ exists for your own pleasure?
“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. ~Acts 17:24-25
For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. ~Colossians 1:16
The truth is, Jesus died on the Cross and was resurrected so that God would receive the credit for saving man. Jesus died on the Cross and was resurrected so that God would be worshiped for all eternity. Jesus died on the Cross and was resurrected because God wanted you.
The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ changed everything. Our hope for the future does not lay with man, any government, or any worldy things, but our hope for the future lies with God only through believing in Jesus Christ.
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