Don't Miss Moments - Week 7 - St. Peter - Pastor Tim Glende
Don't Miss Moments
Week 7 - St. Peter
Pastor Tim Glende
Welcome to our Easter Service here at our St. Peter campus of 922 Ministries this the last week of our focus on Luke's gospel. And “Don't Miss Moments” in Jesus' life.
Whether it's that play from a championship series, or game, or the presidential debate. From the presentation to the CEO of the company. So the interview that you have before the board who will accept you into that program, or maybe it's simply that question that you asked and the answer that you gave, All of those situations and scenarios are things that people in life have referred to as moments that everything hinges on.
Summer. Game 4. If the block doesn't happen, if Giannis, doesn't do the amazing miraculous block, you might not own that “Bucks in Six'' t-shirt. Because everything hinged on that moment, the momentum changed game 5 happened and then he dropped 50. And maybe you were in the moshpit that day outside the Fiserv Forum.
Everything hinged on that moment.
I think about 922 with history and our history, like three times over the last eight years. We've had capital campaigns to build new buildings and behind closed doors. I've said everything hinges on this moment whether we're able to do it or not, depends on the resources. We receive in the blessings that God's people bring and time and time again. You have brought gifts and love for your savior to do that. Everything hinged on those moments.
I think about you and me. My life has those moments that decision, that choice, that job offer that event that transpired and took place that everything hinges on and then I want you to think about that for just a second because sometimes, you know, we fight honestly with the phrase, We overuse it. When you hear announcers say that was probably the biggest play in the game until later in the game and there's another big play.
You might think in your life right now. You just made that everything hinges on this moment decision in two years from now, you're going to stop and pause and go. Well it got me here, but this one's far bigger and matters hard. Well, the day is here to tell you that, as we gather in God's house. I want you to have that idea in mind, this, this idea of everything hinges on something because history, usually, if we can look back. Allows us objectivity to know when those moments actually happen.
Those don't miss moments that everything hinges on. And today I'm actually going to give you perhaps a truth that you would expect to come at the end and not at the beginning. We'll fill in the blanks. You can see it on the screen. I'll make the case for it today for you for anyone who's listening here in person that when it comes to Christianity in the Christian faith, everything hinges on Easter. Like we've stopped and paused for six weeks and seen amazing moments. Don't miss moments in the life of Jesus. Put those miracles, those events, those things that took place that I didn't want you to miss nor do any of your pastors. They don't matter if Easter didn't happen and imposing this to a group of people. I know who are here today to come from the wide spectrum of ideas about Easter and religion and Christianity. And so I don't make a compelling case to you to the world to no matter what position you have, or what belief you have about God or Christianity or faith, that everything at the end of the day hinges on Easter. I want to make that compelling case. I want to share some truths with you because I want you to see how central it is, why it's the ultimate don't miss moment.
So, if you are someone who Is uncertain about Christianity. If you are a skeptic of Christianity, I'm glad you're here. I'm glad you're here to see why everything hinges on Easter. And also what the Bible tells us about it. If you are a lifelong Christian, and you have not missed an Easter in your whole life, like you have gotten up, you've done the Easter breakfast thing every year and you worshipped. I'm glad you're here because maybe, just maybe, your life is real busy. This has become a “have to” and not a “get to” do it. I pray that it inspires you to celebrate every day after that everything hinges on Easter.
Because Christians and non-Christians alike would echo that belief.
Like non-Christians. No. That for Christianity to rise and fall to stand hinges on Easter.
And Christians know it too. But sometimes we forget why.
And before we get into the wise, I need you to take a step back and understand the Bible.
Resources that statement it's not just Pastor Tim making up, its not just a bunch of Christians who over time have have sold you on it and try to convince you, there's a day to stop and go and do the church thing. The Bible, the gospels, the four books, in the New Testament, the life of Jesus actually tell you that everything hinges on Easter. Those four books, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John record the events of Jesus' life from beginning to end his birth. One don't miss moment was very huge. But only one gospel actually gives you any sort of detail about it. Well, all four gospels, stop and pause and give you insight.
Give you the events in details of Easter Sunday.
When it comes to Christmas the birth of Jesus, there are six hundred and thirty three words that record it and describe it according to Pastor Mike Stone. What do those four gospels? There are 3575 words about Easter? So when God inspired the Bible to be written, when those authors recorded, the words, there are six times the number of words about Easter than there are Christmas. Both mattered. Both are don't miss moments, but the Bible is sending you a loud and clear message that above all else. Everything hinges on Easter. In fact, everything hinges. On Easter goes back all the way to Genesis chapter 3 and the book of the Bible Revelation chapter 22 would tell you the same.
So no matter what side you are on skeptic or doubting, maybe veering away from faith wondering, because you've heard other opinions or you are a bedrock cemented in your faith Christian, I'm glad you're here because I want to show you why. Everything hinges on Easter and why we can believe it. Why it's true. I want to make a compelling case. Because this might be the only time you ever set foot in church.
For the last time you set foot in church.
In order to really understand why everything hinges on Easter. On that Sunday. I need you to go back to Friday. A Friday when all hope was lost Friday when Jesus died Friday. When the one in whom the all their Hope was hinging on breathed is last. Luke recorded it this way.
Jesus called out with a loud voice. “Father into your hands. I commit my spirit. And what he said this, he breathed his last. When all the people had gathered to witness the site saw. What took place? They beat their breasts and went away with all those who knew him including the women who had followed him from Galilee. They stood at a distance watching these things. But women would come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it, then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes, but they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the Commandment.
When everything we talked about in the Christian faith hinges on Easter this celebration, why you're here today, has the first reflect and understand this. You. Just the moment that Friday was it is significance.
Because for those ladies for Joseph, for Jesus followers,
They didn't know there was another chapter to the story.
Like we read the book. And we know there's another page to Luke's gospel. We come to church on Good Friday and we have actually labeled that, but they would not have thought Friday was good.
Nor do they have left will be saddened by their sin thankful for their God.
Because everything, their hopes, their dreams. Hinged on Jesus being the Messiah. And the one who raised people from the dead that empowered the ability to of is now dead. Hope was lost.
They left weeping, beating their breasts over sadness. A sign of someone's life being robbed from them.
Joseph, literally held the lifeless body of God's one and only son that had a huge gaping hole in the side, which is verified. He was dead.
And those women went whole with one thing on their mind to do right by their friend who had died. And give him a proper burial.
We sometimes lose the significance.
And while they were hopeless, you know, who is smiling?
Satan.
Because it's Satan's tine. Everything hinged on Friday.
Like he lurked behind the scenes. He lurked. One of Jesus own to fall prey to the love of Money, betray him.
To some political rulers to do the right thing and you convince them to save their own skin and condemn Him. He actually manipulated the religious leaders of God's own people. The one who knew the word and knew the truth. To lead the crowds to call for his death. And he got the 12 closest people in his Circle to be. So afraid that they ran and hid. Everything hinged on Friday.
And you can't miss Friday significance to the story. All hope being lost death. Winning Jesus being buried, Satan smiling.
But what the devil didn't know and what the ladies for God was that as significant as Friday was?
Jesus knew Sunday’s coming.
Is Friday significance. when you attach it to Sunday, is so important to Easter and why everything hinges on it? Listen again to Luke's gospel record. The amazing events that don't miss a moment of that first Easter Sunday. 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 and clothes that gleamed like lightning Stood Beside them.
Bow 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 and Galley that the son of man must be delivered over into the hands of sinners, be crucified. And on the third day, be raised again. Then they remembered his words. Like Friday was significant, Jesus predicted it. The Bible tells us he was handed over to death for your sins and my sins. There was a purpose behind it. The ladies had forgotten it in the midst of their sadness. The emotions that overwhelm them. The visuals that they saw, they had forgotten.
What he said? They had forgotten what he predicted. They had forgotten who he was?
And they forgot who the father was.
God. Able to do all things able to even raise the dead able to even raise himself from the dead.
See in the midst of the significance, that Friday brought that women were overwhelmed with sadness and grief, but that's significance of that day. Paled in comparison to the significance of Easter that morning and how everything changed. What? They went to the tomb to do was no longer needed to be done. What they went believing had changed because they heard those words. What they expected to find a dead body. Was not there instead. There were angels in that place, delivering a message that they could not even have fathom would have happened. He is not here, they said,
He is risen just as he said.
And that was just the beginning of everything changing for those women. And this is the beginning of the story that God gives to us in the Easter account. The Story Goes On after the angel, spoke with them. Please left. They came back from the tomb and they told these things to the eleven and to all the others, because Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James and the others with them who told this to the apostles.
But they do not believe the women because their words seemed to them like nonsense, Peter 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. Stone rolled away, angels, strips of linen, cloth wrapped up in their place. No body, all things that were a beginning of the evidence.
Like the angels declared it to be true, God's word is recorded it to be true, but on the streets of Jerusalem that day that moment that they didn't miss led to another moment. That was not missed tomorrow moments. Where the person whose body was no longer in the tomb was alive. And well. Who's breathing invisible? Was able to put his hands out for people to see and decide for others, too.
The scar.
And then for the next 40 days, and on that day, Jesus continued to appear to person after person to the disciples that night to the disciples time and time again. And one time along the way you'll find in the book that he appeared to 500 at once. 500. And one of the people in the group was his half-brother James. Who up until that point, most people believe was a skeptic and a doubter and an unbeliever.
Everything hinges on Easter and I don't want you to miss Friday significance to those who were there or for you and your life of Faith. It's essential. I need you to also not miss this because everything. If it hinges on Easter for the Christian faith, don't miss. The evidence. Don't miss Easter's evidence. Like for two thousand years people who are not Christians, have been trying to poke holes in it, say it's a fable and a myth and it's made up.
Words to be written and most historians, accept the fact that Most books are accurate. And there are reliable witnesses to these facts. Even more. So God, on the pages of scripture talks about all the evidence. Strips of cloth. Resurrection appearances. Not just to assert all disciples, but to doubters and haters.
And God wants all people to know that the truth of the day, but he leaves behind the evidence.
I don't want to miss some of those moments about hampers evidence. I want you to think about them and hold on to them whether you are a Christian who is known God for a long time and your faith is strong or you're wondering or doubting or you're not certain. Like understand all the gospels record to us that the first people who who got the news of the Resurrection were women. Do you know that the first person most likely who saw the Risen? Jesus was the one that we heard about in John's gospel. I can't do all the timeline because we know he appeared other people. But in my mind, Mary Magdalene was number one on the list. And that evidence is compelling when, you know, first century politics and justice.
Because you know, who would never be relied on as a reliable witness in a court case in 1st Century world of the Roman world. Ladies, it's you.
They would not let women be eyewitness testimonies and give their witness. Even if they had seen something because of the culture of sexism against women. If you do is unreliable and hysterical.
So just think about that. If you're trying to make a compelling case for your story, that this man. Is the Son of God that this man is the one whom on all your hopes and dreams matter, tell me why if you're a founder and of that movement, that you would have women be the eyewitness testimonies first, and foremost, like you'd lead with that.
Or how about this? All those people that Jesus appeared to. Most 12 who were in The Upper Room minus Judas. Who all fear their life, 50 days later, they stood in front of people in the temple courts, and you know what? They pointed them, too. You know what evidence? They directed them to? To make a compelling case you crucified him.
You did it. And he rose from the dead and 3,000 that day by the power of the Holy Spirit came to Faith. None of those people denied. It told that they were fakes. Instead. They drop to their knees and said what must we do? And Peter said repent and be baptized. Because everything hinges on Easter.
Or how about this? That those eleven disciples plus the new one they added. All them suffered ridiculously for their Christian faith.
All but one of them died a martyr's death. Over the course of the next decades.
Would you die for something? That was not true? That would cost you everything. Including your life.
Hey, do you think in a group of 12 that not one would crack? Like, you know, and when people make of a story not to get in trouble and you two probably done it a couple times and and maybe other siblings in your done. It eventually. Mom and Dad will get one of you to crack.
Like you can't hold the story. None of them crack instead, they all were willing to die.
And for two thousand years, the Christian church has made its compelling case. On Easter because everything hinges on a risen Savior.
Every moment before this, every miracle, Jesus did, every last thing he said, every message he delivered about Sin and Grace if Easter didn’t happen but if he didn't rise, he's a fraud and he's not the son of God.
But he did rise. As the Bible says, if he did rise as the angels declared, if he did rise as witness after witness declared and taught and proclaimed as the Christian church has done for 2,000 years. If he did rise, he is worthy of your trust your hope. And your future.
Don't miss Easter's evidence because it has everything.
Is everything.
And that's why everything hinges on Easter because Easter, My Friends Easter my friends and its message is simply this. He is not here. He has risen the empty tomb, the angels message, all the evidence.
And that evidence reminds you of this important truth. Easter changes, everything. Everything hinges on Easter because Easter changes, everything for you. And for me.
Without Jesus, and without a resurrection. There is no heaven for you. Without Jesus having risen from the dead. Those promises. He makes are empty and do you? No good? But because Easter, the Bible tells us happen because the Holy Spirit, I pray as worked in your heart, to keep an open door. If you're not sure, or has strengthened that Faith because of Easter everything changes for you. And for me.
When you dislike, you will have trouble Jesus promise. Gives you hope because he is overcome the world. Paid for sins and conquered the grave.
Like when you lose someone that you love Easter, changes everything, the Apostle Paul encourage Christians who lost loved ones. It's okay to die, but we don't weep as people who have no hope because Jesus died and rose again. Easter changes everything. When you're anxious, when you're doubting, when your life is a mess, when whence it overwhelms, you in the devil, would convince you that you're not good enough. God doesn't love you. The significance of Friday and
Facts of Easter change, everything. Your guilt is gone because Grace trump's guilt. You are loved by God. Easter changes, everything.
And, you know who knew that?
A skeptic. A first-century doubter. Someone who knew that everything in Christianity hinged on Jesus Christ, someone who understood very clearly that the Christian faith and everything about it was that don't miss moment of Easter. He made his life mission to eradicate the name of Jesus Christ from the face of planet Earth. Shortly after Jesus ascension. His name was Saul. We know him as Paul. And he went out of his way to arrest and kill Christians.
For the trajectory of his life changed one day when you know, what happened for him. A resurrection appearance evidence. He didn't believe their message until he heard the message from the Risen Lord. Jesus Christ.
Telling case the first century man named Paul who gave up his life, who suffered ridiculous amounts of of jail time, and beatings and everything kind of ridicule possible. He had made his life mission eliminating Jesus from the face of planet Earth. And hoping that no one ever would share the evidence to becoming the greatest proclaimer of the evidence ever of Easter changing everything. Which is why I love First Corinthians 15, but the Apostle Paul understood everything. Hinged on Easter and he understood everything changed because of Easter.
Your faith is futile. You're still in your sins. Then those also have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life, we have hope in Christ. We are of all people. Most to be pitied, Paul's words were if Jesus didn't rise if Easter didn't happen without all this evidence, you've gone all in. You put all your chips in the middle of the table and you lose all Is lost. You're a fool. And the most amazing time, the word but is used in the Bible might be this one.
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead. Paul was an eyewitness to it. The firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. In other words, that first crop that comes up that tells you more as behind it. Jesus rising is an indicator that those who die will rise for since death. Came through a man, Adam you and I will face death because of sin. The resurrection of the dead comes also through a man for as in Adam all die. So in Christ all will be made alive Easter changes everything. The Holy Spirit has given you new life. The Holy Spirit has made you a child of God through faith. If you believe that by grace, you know what, you have life with God now and life eternal waiting for you.
And one day this is what'll happen. Because Easter changes everything. I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed. Jesus is going to come back someday, the Risen Lord in all his glory people who have died will re be raised to life. Others who are still living, all will in a twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet called the dead will be raised imperishable and we will all be changed. This sinful body, this body that is broken. This world that is broken will no longer exist.
He's perfect and all glorious. Because Jesus rose because Jesus is Alive, Easter changes everything for you and for me. In the chapter closes, with this amazing reminder, “where o death is your Victory, where o death is your Sting. The sting of death is sin and the power of sin is the law. We die because we are sinful death entered the world because of Adam and Eve's sin for the law, can fix us that. We are sinful or deserving of, but maybe the even better one. Thanks be to God.”
He gives us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ.
He gives us you and you and those of you way out there to you and you, and those of you online. He gives us all of us. The victory. We are the ones who win. We are the ones who get the blessings. We are the ones who will live forever with him. We have hope, we have joy. We have been forgiven. Thanks, be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord. Jesus Christ today, whether you are a skeptic or a rock solid Christian.
Have doubts are wonders today. I don't want you to miss that moment. And Jesus doesn't want you to either as amazing as that moment was for those women as amazing as it was for. Mary, Magdalene to see Jesus as amazing as it was. For those disciples to be overjoyed in his presence. One day, one day. God does not want you to miss the moment, your Victory when you stand before him and eternal Joy.
Don't miss that moment.
God doesn't want you to miss that moment. He doesn't want you to miss out on the ultimate Easter victory that is yours and mine through Jesus Christ.
Which makes me think of so many people in our church. Some of you who are here, probably are thinking about someone close to you has passed away or died and Last year, the last few years is the first Easter without them or every Easter without them as the same. Remember the victory they have.
Don't miss the victory.
Because everything hinges on Easter happening. To make you a Victor. An Easter changes, everything and makes you Victorious. Which is what Marty new.
Was the last funeral I did here at St. Peter, Marty who passed away on December 31st, like LOVED holidays, like she had three or four bins in her basement. For Fourth of July, Labor Day Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and you guessed it, Easter.
We set at home one day, when they weren't able to be here in person. And on vacation count, how many times I say, “H e is risen” andthe congregation responded.
Because you're not sleeping yet. She didn't miss the moment. And her final days, we talked about the victory.
Because she knew everything. Hinges on Easter. And by grace through faith. She knew the evidence. By God's grace on December 31st of this last year. She celebrated the victory.
Friends, don't miss the victory. If you're skeptical, you don't know, you have questions. Come and join us for starting point. If you know, and you are rock solid in your faith, don't miss next week's moment. Because growing in our faith, it matters because it points us all under ection of Jesus. It takes us back to the grave. That takes us back to the angels message. He is risen.
He is risen, indeed. Amen. Did you stay in a join me in prayer?
Heavenly Father. So many times we missed the moment. And they are defining moments Lord, if if your life and the gospels recorded all the moments, John said, the library's will be full. And yet you inspired all the gospel writers to not miss this moment. Six times the amount of words as your birth.
Scripture points in its direction, everything hinges on Easter. And what a moment it was. And the evidence speaks for itself. But even greater is the holy spirit at work. Through that message, that takes us back to that tomb has the Angels declared it which it is true. He is not here. But me, that message of Easter remind us of the victory. That is ours. It helped us in the moments. When life is hard, when our faith is challenged. I mean, it keep us strong in our faith until the final moment and the ultimate Victory because you live, we also will live forever with you. Amen
