Luke
24:1-12 –
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 the Lord 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 down with
their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the
living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you,
while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over
to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ”
Then they remembered his words.
When
they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to
all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and
the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe
the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. Peter, however,
got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by
themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.”
Luke
24:25-35
He
said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the
prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then
enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained
to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
As
they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if
he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is
nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
When
he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began
to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he
disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts
burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures
to us?” They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the
Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The
Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened
on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
Proverbs
3:5-6 –
Trust
in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all
your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Genesis
4:7 –
If
you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is
right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule
over it.”
John
3:16 –
For
God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes
in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Revelation
3:20 –
Here
I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the
door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
We
had a special Easter treat: we got to worship with a daughter and her family that
we haven’t spent enough time with in the last year. Church on Easter was way
better with loved ones.
Friday we went to a Stations of the Cross-type service at the Crossroads North Fayette
campus. When we arrived, we were quickly handed a booklet and immediately
ushered into a darkened room for a Genesis video. Arrows then led the way to
walk through the rest. It was so dark I couldn’t read much till we were almost
done so I lost a lot of what was presented. There were some things I wish I
could have taken a picture of, they were that superb.
Today
our family was glad to see us and the grandchildren sat with us for worship. I
was admittedly distracted but discerned the Presence of the Risen Christ. The
message was the first in a series titled Decisions
and todays was called Direction.
When
I noticed a door on the chancel, what came to mind was the movie Monsters, Inc., which was used in the
message. After talking about the life choices door and the wrong choices door,
he got to the reaction door, part of which was to forgive and “let it go.” I
thought it was pretty impressive to utilize Pixar and Disney movies to make the
point that we are on track when we choose the abundant life door.
The
joy of this day was made full by the opportunity to worship with our family.
This
congregation has consistently been warm and welcoming, the music presented
imaginatively, and the sermons on target.
This
message was the first of a new series called Decisions, with today’s part entitled Direction. The pastor pointed out that our decisions determine our
destiny and that we all face doors in life that bring on trials of one sort or
another.
He
declared that the single most important choice we have in life is accepting
Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, as this one decision affects not only the
rest of our life on earth but our everlasting life.
I
loved the analogy of the doors and the connection to Monsters, Inc. It’s an inspired correlation to the opportunities
with which we’re presented because walking through different doors indeed creates
alternate endings to our stories.
Lord, we pray You continue to overwhelm Your church with blessings and lead them to the abundant life door. Amen.
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