922 Ministries - The CORE & St. Peter Lutheran

Jesus Unfiltered
Week 7 - The CORE
Pastor Mike Novotny

Morning everyone, happy Sunday and happy Easter to you all. What a huge important, amazing day. Happy that you can be here to celebrate with us. It's been a packed house today. This is actually the fewest number of people we've had in this sanctuary in the last three services. I think compared to last year at Easter, we've doubled, the number of people who are worshiping the name of Jesus, which is super special and I’m thankful for that. But numbers are one thing. I was thinking a lot about names and the name “number” of church attendance is one thing but to think that every one of those people that we count is a real person like you with a real story. I know there's some people in the house today were celebrating two months of sobriety, six months of sobriety, their first Easter as a Christian. All kinds of things are celebrating. So we are so grateful for the names and the stories of the people that are here, have a better than all that if there was nothing special and it was just you In this place. And the name, the name of Jesus. That is the best thing to celebrate of all. So that's what we're going to celebrate today. Let me tell you right from the start. My big idea for today? Here it is.

Easter. Is a big deal. You probably knew that even before I said it, when you woke up this morning, if you're watching at home, you felt this. That even though it's Sunday, it's not an average Sunday and I thought, I bet you could feel it. The decorations in your neighborhood, maybe the Easter baskets the kids were searching for, maybe the Easter Decor, maybe the Easter dress, and the Easter outfits. There's Easter chocolate, there's Starburst, jelly beans. It is a great time of year because the best thing is you know Easter brunch is so so so so close. I think of the other day what other major holiday celebrates breakfast, quite like Easter. So I love Easter then you come to church and you realize it's not a normal church Sunday, either? I mean, you could smell it with the Easter flowers here. Maybe you could sense it, like why does Pastor Mike have this shirt tucked in one. One one day your folks one day a year someone comes through the ball to honor the name of Jesus. 0 unit Eastern, get donuts in the lobby. If you're watching at home I'm so sorry we can give you Jesus but we can't give you those free donuts. So it's, it's a different Sunday, a better Sunday, there's an anticipation in the air. You feel it from the first Beat of the Music and there's no accident because Easter is a big deal.

But today I want to propose to you that Easter isn't primarily a big deal because of the amazing brunch or the Easter dresses or the donuts in the lobby or the extra attendance. What makes Easter so amazing? From a Christian point of view, is that it gives us the answer to all of life's most important questions. After taking notes in your program, I love you to write this down to the two. Most important questions I think that you need to answer personally, are this number one? What about Jesus?

Number two. What about death?

It's a big question. What do you personally do with Jesus? Yes, I'm not sure how much you personally know about Jesus, but when one of Jesus’ best friends, named John, recorded in this book, the stuff that Jesus said, Jesus refused to let people be kind of Christian. The stuff that came out of his mouth did not allow you spiritually to sit on the fence of faith. Claims He made were so big and so demanding, and so amazing that back in the first century either you were all into worship and follow Jesus, or you were so put off and appalled by the things that Jesus would say.

I heard some of the things that Jesus said, Like, I am the bread that came down from heaven.

Eats me like, believe in me. And your soul will be well fed, take a diet from me and your very soul will die. That was Jesus.

And he said, I am the light of the world. Follow me. Stay close by my side. Believe in me and you will see the world as it really is. You'll see how God is, you'll see how you are, you will see the truth walk away from me with your own independent spirituality and you will be in the darkness deceived and just guessing when it comes to God. Jesus said that too. He said, I am the Good Shepherd and y'all are like sheep. Stay right here by my ankles and I will lay down my life to protect you from the wolf straight from me to live out your truth and you are dead meat. I'm like a Vine and you're, like, branches, remain stuck to me in faith and you will produce fruit. A life that is pleasing to God. Separate yourself from me and you will shrivel and God will not be happy with a single thing, you do as good as it might seem to you. Then Jesus said, I am the way. You want to get to God? You want something good to happen to you after you die. I am not A way. I'm not an option. I am THE way. He said, no one comes to God the Father but through me. What? When Jesus said stuff like that, it forced you to answer the question. What do you do about Jesus?

We can't give him Knuckles and kind of respect him. You either gotta think. Whoa, no, no, that's too much. Or you have to be all in to acknowledge Him as God and King and Savior and Lord, and today, the same question remains, what do you do with the real unfiltered, unedited, unadulterated Jesus of Nazareth? Well, I would suggest that if, you know what happened, on that first Easter, you can answer an important question.

My youngest daughter.

My kids, kids like the early release edition of Easter sermon was like the premium subscriber except they don't subscribe and I just say it to them anyway. I said of my youngest daughter, my 13 year old, my Maya. Here's what I'm thinking about saying at the start of the Easter sermon, You're all going to die.

And Maya said, “Dad. Don't. It’s Easter, its supposed to be happy, so I try to justify myself. I said, well, you said as a mother resurrection of the Dead, how can I talk about the resurrection of the Dead? We don't talk about people being dead to which he responded, Dad.

Don't. My kid was kind of right, you know, on Good Friday we tend to talk about death and sin and the serious stuff and Easter Sunday is for the joy and the happiness and the hope. But I'm kind of right too.

Death is something that all of us are going to face some way or no matter how fit we are. Some of us are closer than others, but all of us are mortal. And we can try to avoid it and distract ourselves from it as we scroll on our phones, but sooner or later you're going to have to face it. What do you do with death? My capital D death your last breath. How do you face it? And all those lowercase D deaths, those little losses that the things that you had last year but not this year. How do you get through that whole? But how do you cope? The fact is some of you on this Easter Sunday are missing things that you had last year. Loved one who is at the Easter table, at a job that you loved, a pet that used to run around and eat up the Easter scraps. Sometimes marriages, don't make it from Easter to Easter. Sometimes good health doesn't survive from year to year, you're going to face it as much as I do. My question is, how do you deal with that? How do you face the reality of this death filled world without just getting lost and depressed? How do you have this hope and joy that Christians talk about in a world where this is all around us? Today, I propose to you that Easter answers that question, too.

So as much as I'm tempted to spend the next 20 minutes talking to you about my favorite parts of Easter brunch, I could. Hint. It would start with a cinnamon roll and it would end with another cinnamon roll. I'm gonna leave the brunch and the bunnies for some other time today. I want to answer those two big questions and use Easter as the proof. What do you personally do with Jesus and how do you personally face a world filled with death? So let me remind you today. When the Bible, why is Easter such a big deal? Okay, let's jump into part 1. Is Easter a big deal. Here's what I want to write down: Easter is a big deal because, news flash, Jesus stopped being dead.

I do know the history.

Thursday night, Jesus is gathered with his closest friends and then one of them named Judas leaves, and stabbed Jesus in the back. He sells him out for a handful of money. He leads the soldiers to Jesus’ private prayer place. He's arrested in the middle of the night. Put on this totally unjust trial, he's condemned and by 9 a.m. on that Friday morning. He's on a cross. And by three PM, Jesus of Nazareth is dead. When I say dead, I mean, physically, biologically, no breath, no heartbeat, no brain waves, dead.

I was reminded of the grittiness of that moment when I read an archaeological news story from 2017 that you're with the US, 60 miles north of London in a little town called Stanton. Archaeologists are digging. They find this full skeleton of a man in a grave that dated all the way back to the Roman Empire. They find the skull. They find the ribs. They find the arms, they find the legs. And what do they find? Smashed through this man's heel bone. A 2-inch nail. Is a victim of crucifixion. Who reminded me of something that I saw with my own eyes. A picture that I took in Jerusalem another man that they found outside of the city, the nail bent. So the Romans can pull it out, they left it in his bone. Can you imagine what it would be like to be crucified?

North of London, they saw signs of major trauma and maybe one of the more traumatizing things right next to where the nail was was an indentation. The Romans had tried to pound the nail through, it wouldn't go like a screw in your wall, they pulled it out. They tried again and killed him on a cross.

And that's how Jesus ended up dead.

Imagine what he went through for us.

Let's try to just feel a glimpse. It would you put your hand out like this for a second? Don't you take your thumb and put it right here between the bones? Would you push just for 2 seconds? As hard as you can?

Jesus, who came down from heaven with flesh and blood and bones, and nerves. The Romans didn't push the curse.

But the Bible says that Jesus did that, and he actually chose that one of inexplicable love for people like us.

Sin was serious in the eyes of God. There was a price that had to be paid. And instead of sending us the check, Jesus picked up the bill. He came down from heaven, took on flesh and blood as a human being and he died on a cross, he was dead there for the Forgiveness of my sins and yours.

And that seems too good to be true. Then, on the third day, just like he said, Jesus stopped being dead.

You know, the history of that too.

All of his friends assumed that dead people stay dead. Just like you would. And so, his female friends went to honor their dead friend of Jesus, except the Big Stone in front of the tomb, was rolled away. And the body was gone. They assumed someone must have taken Jesus. He has to be dead until Jesus was standing in front of one of them. Definitely not dead.

The other disciples and I thought it was nonsense. Come on, ladies, dead people stay dead. Until Jesus appeared to them too, definitely not dead. One of the guys named Thomas wasn't there on that first Easter evening and he said no, no way, come on, unless I see it with my own eyes. I'm not believing you dead people. Stay dead until the next Sunday. Jesus appeared, not dead. People like Saul of Tarsus who thought that Christianity was fake, just another Twisted religion that people make up. That's what they thought. In fact, he persecuted Christians with his own hands until Jesus showed up on the road to Damascus. Definitely not dead. Why is it now that 2,000 years later? We count the date on our calendar from the approximate number of years since Jesus lived. Because he's not just some teacher, he was not just some religious founder. He was the guy who made the biggest claim in the world. I am God among you. And he fulfilled the greatest promise in the world. I will come back to prove it. That's why the Christian faith did not take centuries and centuries to develop some big ideas about the resurrected Jesus. Let me read to you. One of the earliest Christian songs, perhaps composed within 18 months of the resurrection of Jesus, the Apostle Paul says this,

For what I received. I passed on to you as of first importance. The Christ died for our sins. According to the scriptures that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day, according to the scriptures and that he appeared to Cephas, another name for Peter. And then he appeared to the twelve. Twelve Apostles after that, Jesus appeared to more than 500 of the brothers and sisters at the same time most of whom are still living though. Some have fallen asleep. Why did Peter stake his whole life on Jesus? Why did Paul give up his comfort and his riches to follow Jesus? Why did the early Christians face crazy persecution? Some of them being persecuted and crucified themselves to be faithful to Jesus? Why would they believe these big things that Jesus is bread and light and resurrection and life? The answer is because Jesus did the biggest thing in the world. He died for their sins and he was raised from the grave, just like he said,

So, what about you?

What do you do?

There's all kinds of all kinds of you watching at home. So let me speak to three groups. I'm guessing you're in one of these three. First, I want to speak to those of you who are the kind of Christians who are all in with Jesus. Like this passage. As he is a first importance to your faith, your schedule, your budget, your values, everything. Though, I speak to those of you who do you believe in Jesus, you consider yourself Christian, you do believe he died for your sins, you do believe, he came alive on Easter morning, but, you know, it's not like you're super, super religious about it. Then finally, let me speak to those of you who aren't quite sure. This is true. Is this religion really any different than all the other religions? Or are you really saying a dude rose from the dead?

I know a lot of you who are incredibly committed Christians, You are wagering so much on Jesus.

Your weekend schedules are busy enough and yet you carve out time as a priority to be in a place like this to lift up his name. Some of you before, you'll eat a single bite of any meal on any day of the year. You will fold your hands and speak the name. Some of you when you make your budget, even though you're not a billionaire, you give to the poor because Jesus said you give to spread his name because that's what Jesus wanted. Some of you actually determine what's right or wrong, not based on how you feel, or what your friends think. But on what Jesus said in this book that he loves you, you bet an insane amount on Jesus

And Easter would say to you,

Good choice.

If Jesus was just some philosopher back in the day like any other philosopher, you might be taking a big risk. But if he really loved you enough to die for you,

The greatest confirmation of his authority and identity by conquering the grave. You are no fool. For opening the book every day. For speaking his name before every meal, Prioritizing your schedule, your values, your budget, your life. If Jesus is a first importance in everything you do, if you love him, more than your spouse, more than your kids More Than This Nation, more than your own feelings or instincts. You're no fool. If there's a God who actually loved you enough to come down from heaven so you could get to heaven. Who would shed his blood? So God would not be mad. But please with you, the most logical thing in the world would be to follow him with all of your heart, all of your soul, all of your mind and all your strength.

What about if you're not there yet? I would have here in group number two. You know, it's Easter so you're in church but you're not always in church, you're a spiritual person but not super religious. What does the Easter message say to a person like that? Honestly, I think Easter would say

Nah.

No, that doesn't make sense.

Wait. You believe in God. Died a gritty death, on a cross. He rose from the grave to conquer your fear of death, and you're going to, you're going to treat him like your dentist.

You're gonna stop in twice a year on Christmas and Easter and call on his name. If there's an emergency now. No, no. No, no offense. But that, that doesn't make any sense.

I was trying to figure out how I would explain to Peter and Paul and Mary Magdalene the concept of worshipping Jesus, with other Christians, two times a year.

And I think they would have gone.

You can reject him. If you want to, you don't have to believe in him, but if you believe in your heart, that God died for you, that he conquered the grave for you. Then being kind of spiritual, it's it just doesn't make sense. Jesus won't allow it. And that's why Jesus wants you here today.

It happens. Life gets busy. You get your job in high school. You're trying to pay off college debt, establish yourself in your career. That the kids have tournaments things, get busy, you kind of Drift from those habits. But today, Jesus wants to remind you that Easter is a big deal. Are following Jesus is Worthy of our time, our everything, because this is the Jesus who gave up everything, so we could have everything spiritual in the presence of God. You might be here out of habit or because Grandma really wanted you to come, to make her happy on Easter, but God has you here for a greater purpose? He wants to be your bread, that feeds you every day. He wants to be your light, so you never walk in the darkness, he wants to be your Vine, so you can produce fruit. He wants to be your way. So that you know truth and have life today is God's day of calling you back to a full hearted commitment to the real Jesus. He's worth it. And he proves it.

You're one of those people was not even sure.

And when you hear that, like wait, Jesus wants my life. He wants me to surrender everything to his truth and you're not so sure what I respect the fact that you're here today and I hope that this story and the historical background of it just makes you curious enough to at least explore it. You might not buy it yet. You might not be back next Sunday, we don't want your money. That's not why we're here. We we would be remiss if I'm Easter Sunday, we didn't just ask you to at the very minimum, understand the real Jesus. Because what he's offering you is so good. He's worth living for and he's worth dying for. As I really hope you can pick up one of these, lots of you know, this little book called “The Basics”. One of the main parts of this is about you and Jesus. This new edition is only 36 pages long. I know some of you don't read so that's you. The chapter on. Jesus is nine pages long, they just 20 through 28. After you get out from your Easter brunch coma. You could read this before the day is done and I hope you do. If you're watching at home, you go to timeofGrace.org/thebasics.

On that website to if nothing else just once you and need you to know who the unfiltered unedited. Jesus was, he was maybe more than you thought. And maybe there's more facts to prove this Christian faith. And you ever believed, I hope you take a Next Step.

This is the name that will be spoken literally by billions of people on this day. It will sing his praises and treat him like no one else. I pray that you and I no matter where we're from can too,

Now for a jump, the part to let me say one thing real quick, I need to make sure that some of you know, that what I just said is for YouTube.

When I get to meet people one-on-one, I find out that there's always someone in church every single Sunday, there's a lot of people like this on. Easter Sunday who assume that they've missed their chance.

They're the black sheep in the family.

The person with. The messed-up family, the broken marriage, the abortion, that divorce the year is apart from Jesus. And that's part of your story. Maybe you think like, yeah, I'm probably never going to be good with God. I live like was demon possessed as a kid. I'm never going to make it with the angels and Heaven it. If that's what you think. You make me think of that Uber driver. I had.

It's about a year ago. Crazy thing happened. My car won't start and I lost my voice on the same day. So six in my family to try to give me a ride to church known as answering. So I order an Uber, it is big like pimped-out Jeep rolls into my driveway, This woman's driving. I jump in the passenger seat and she and I have the funniest conversation on the drive to church with me texting and her talking. Her phone is kind of hurt severely who were drivers. Sometimes, she could read my text. We were joking and laughing and then Jesus came up. We're just a few blocks from church here. We drove past the gas station and she commented just how expensive gas was. I thought about this gas-guzzling tiptoe cheap, so I texted her time to get that Prius came up, she laughed and then I added it's what Jesus wants. And literally as we pull into the parking lot of this church and she dropped me off at the front door. She says, well, Won't be the first time I disappointed Jesus.

I wonder if that's what's in the back of your mind when you hear that name.

Some memory of how far you've been from this book, this place, this God, But if that's you, I need to remind you who started with Jesus in the first Easter story. To remember the names. Mary. The first witness. You don't hear her story. Demonic. Dark. Jesus spoke her name and revealed himself as gods or her before anyone else Peter, you know that story. He was the dude who denied he even knew Jesus the Thursday before Easter Sunday and he appeared to him to the disciples who fled and bailed on Jesus. They were they're cowards, not courageous and he appeared in what did he say? You guys know. He said, Peace be to you and Thomas the doubter who didn't have great faith. Jesus appeared to him personally and Saul was murdering Christians. Jesus appeared to him, he appealed to the broken, the sinful, the lost, because the message of his death and Resurrection. Forgiveness of sins did not have exceptions or asterisks at the end of the good news. It was for them. It's for me, and it's for you. So every bad, it's been however messier story is. Please don't assume that your chance is lost and you are too far gone not for Jesus. Good Friday and Easter are the proof.

Which means ready for part 2. This is the crowd participation part of the sermon. I'm ready for you to turn to someone next to look them in the eye real quick, kind of partner right now. Repeat after me, ready? in a nice loud voice. Say to them: you are going to die.

Well, that's funny to you all. Yeah, that's true. I'll grab a pen. Write this down. I'm going to cover this part quickly. Jesus is a big deal because sort of bring it up, you are going to die. And lots of us laughed when we said that, but I thought about our church family and just today we had husbands and wives saying, those words with major surgeries, chemo and cancer.

My neighbor was here at the last service. She has a brain tumor, the doctors say, she probably won't make it to next Easter.

We try to rebrand in America death, where you go to a funeral and what do we call it now? Celebration of life. I've been to a lot of celebrations. They don't feel quite like that. I'm sooner or later you face it when you come face to face with it. You start to believe what the Bible says that death is not our friend. It's not part of the circle of life. It is an intrusion and an enemy that brings deep fear and sadness.

My question to you is, how do you face that?

When the diagnosis comes, when you get the phone call that there's been an accident, how do you deal with that? And Until that like capital D death day, how do you just deal with life with all of its losses? When parents die and pregnancies don't come to fruition when sometimes relationships that had so much hope are torn apart when your hopes and dreams to stay sober or stay connected to someone doesn't. How do you deal with that? The Jesus, who conquered the grave has a perfect answer. Let me share with you one last passage from the Gospel of John chapter 11 Jesus. Spoke these words? Just friend, Martha. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even though they die.

Whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?

I love how honest Jesus is, you have to say, hey, become a Christian and you'll never die. He said no even though you will die even though you will suffer Christians aren't immune from the pain of this world. And yet, what did he promise in the midst of it? He said because I am the resurrection and the life you will live Even if you got it.

Am I the only one in the room today who can't wait to die?

You think people get freaked out of death? Maybe for good reason. The process sometimes is very very unpleasant but have you ever just thought about how it will feel when your moment comes? We gather at a service like Easter worship and I see people from all different backgrounds, tribes, countries and languages. And just hundreds of us are lifting up the name of Jesus. When the harmonies of a few human vocalists just melt my heart. Can you imagine when you hear the first chords of billions of people from every place on the planet surrounding the angels, in the Throne of Jesus, can you imagine how that church service will feel? I mean I love a good cinnamon roll, but can you imagine the feast in heaven? Jesus, I mean it's better than anything we've ever experienced. No one has to do the dishes after it's done. Right. Can you imagine the people I love being with, the people that I love, but all of us are flawed people. Around that Easter feast in heaven, there's no drama or division, there's no worry or frustration, no one's tired or moody, sin is gone. Pain is gone, death is gone. No one excuses themselves to take an aspirin because they're bought, it's all gone. And said there is just Jesus, who is the life? I know we saw if we miss the ones that we love, but if you believe in Jesus even though you die, you get to live and I cannot wait for that day. Some people without faith fear death. You don't need to the one who believes in him will live even though they die.

And if that weren't enough, then Jesus said in until that day comes, I'm Not Dead. One of his last closed quotes. His closest friends was surely, I will be with you.

Always.

Here's that means to me means even if this is a bad day, The living Jesus is with me. Even if this is a rough week. He's not far away. Waiting at the finish line of death, he's with me. Even if this is the year, when the marriage doesn't work out, you can't have a kid, you end up in bed. You lose the job that you love. If you believe in him, he is right with you the most important person in the universe is with you. So here's what Christianity says, if you die, you live with him and because he is risen. He now lives with you. So Hills, valleys, you win, or you lose? You get the blessing or you feel cursed because Jesus conquered death and the grave, you always get God. How do you deal with death? How do you deal with loss? How do you have hope, how do you have peace? There is a simple answer, the presence of God and that is what the death and resurrection of Jesus gives to us all

So I'm guessing your plants need some good food time for me to say, Amen. But I hope you have the most important answers to Life's biggest questions. What do you do with Jesus? Answer you follow him. With everything you have. You believe the promise you made to forgive your sins, he gave you enough proof to do so. How do you deal with death in all of its forms? You remember that? Jesus gives you life life with God now and forever like that will never end.

Let me leave you today with this, but a month ago. I took my first ever hike through the beautiful desert of Sonora in Southern Arizona. Have you been there? I think of prickly pear cactus dead towering Saguaro multicolored mountains sunset coming up over like the Phoenix and Tucson area. My friend told me about this amazing State Park so I found the map and got up early in the morning. Ready to see this on a hit out on the trail. It was amazing especially because like it was still snowing here in Wisconsin. So it is even better. Sorry, I'm not trying to rub it on your face. Um, I'm on this Trail.

Because what happens? I got lost. Here in Wisconsin. There's a difference in color between the trail and the not Trail when you're in the desert, there is no difference. It's about, I don't know how I missed the trail. Like felt like the trail was getting smaller and the cacti were getting closer. I heard that when you hike in the desert, you know, sometimes the snakes like to hide in the shade under the big rock, so step on top of the Rocks. But I ended up in a spot where I try to step on top of a rock. But it was in between another rock and one point there were cacti on every side. I was literally like this crawling. Beneath the spiky thorns thinking, this can't be right. For 20-30 minutes. I'm lost in the desert. All by myself. I'm slightly starting to panic until I remembered there's an app for that.

Mike, my phone was in my pocket and on my phone was an app where I had downloaded this exact Trail. I was supposed to hike on and thank you Verizon and thank you. Jesus, when I open it up, Boop, if put that little blue dot exactly, where I was on planet Earth in exactly where the trail was, I turn my phone to the area was there. And within 10 minutes, I was back safe and sound on the way that led to one of the most beautiful views I had seen in a long, long time.

To be wandering spiritually. I'm sure if you're good with God, unsure about faith in God. In general, afraid to die. Struggling in life. Here is where you are. Easter points you back to the path, who is Jesus. The one who is the way that leads to the most beautiful sight you've ever seen the face of a smiling and forgiving Father in heaven. So if you're frank and Jesus, Easter is a big deal. Because it is all about Jesus, the resurrection and the life. Do you believe this if so say amen? Amen.