Lamberhurst
Sermon
Acts
2; 36 to 41 and Luke 24; 13 to 35
I
love the Easter season when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, because the
resurrection is at the very heart of Christianity.
We
become Christians as we each encounter the risen Lord Jesus and come to believe
in him - and he then shares his resurrection life with us. He brings us new
life and hope and forgiveness.
And
I love that in this country Easter always comes during the spring – because
spring in a way, mirrors the resurrection.
We
see new life coming to the earth as plants that had died back over the winter -
burst into life and new leaves and buds break forth.
Winter
passes away and a new season of abundant growth begins.
And
I think we see this change from a spiritual winter to spring reflected in
today’s gospel reading from Luke.
The
two disciples on their way to Emmaus were initially sad and disillusioned and
their faces we are told were downcast.
Jesus
on whom they had pinned their hopes has been crucified and buried and now his
body seems to have disappeared and they don’t understand. Life seems bleak and
confusing.
But
Jesus comes alongside them and explains the scriptures to them showing that it
had to be this way. As the Christ, the Messiah, it was his destiny to suffer
and die for mankind in order to free us from our slavery to sin and death.
And
then Jesus acts as if he’s going to leave them. He’s testing them to see if
they really want to know him and continue their journey through life with him.
They
urge him to stay and eat with them and welcome him into their home.
They
are sincere in their desire to know him and as they break bread – their
spiritual eyes are opened and they recognise him as their Lord and their God – and
their lives are transformed for ever.
They
have their own resurrection experience. And they can now say with certainty
that Jesus is alive - that truly, he is the risen Lord.
And
of course this is what God wants for each one of us here today. He wants each
one of us to have our own individual resurrection experience. To encounter him
and come to know him. He wants to move us from a spiritual winter – as it were
– to spring.
In
our wintery state we are cut off from God by our sin and selfishness. We are
spiritually dead and blind and we don’t really know God. Life can seem bleak
and hopeless and pointless.
But
when spring comes – when the Holy Spirit – the spirit of Jesus comes to live in
us - we are made spiritually alive.
We
are born again as Jesus puts it – and our spiritual eyes are opened to
recognise Jesus as our Lord and our God.
And as we encounter Jesus, hope and
purpose and joy come with him. We are forgiven and put right with God and
accepted by him.
We become his dearly beloved children
and we receive all the benefits of what Jesus did for us on the cross.
We are saved for ever from condemnation and judgement.
So
many people including many church goers have the wrong idea about Christianity
and salvation.
They
have a religious mind-set and they believe that their salvation – being put
right with God - is dependent on them impressing God sufficiently.
They
believe that if they try and do the odd good deed and give a bit of money to
charity God will put a tick against their name.
And
if they come to church God will put more ticks against their name. And they
believe that as long as they don’t do anything too terrible – and keep adding
ticks to their religious scorecard – they will make it to heaven.
That
when they die God will tot up their ticks and say well done – you’ve passed
come on in.
But
salvation doesn’t work like this at all. These things are worthy things to do –
but if we are doing them to impress God and earn our right standing with him –
then we have completely missed the point.
You
see God loves people. God loves you - and above all God wants a relationship
with you. And this is why he created you and this is why he died for you.
So
that you can live in a relationship where you know him and his love for you.
Where you can know he has accepted and forgiven you.
Not
because you’re especially good or holy – or because you try and be religious - but
because you’ve acknowledged your need for him and you’ve put your trust in what
Jesus did for you on the cross.
However
much we try and be good – however often we come to church - however much money
we give to charity – we know if we’re honest that we will still end up falling
short of our own standards let alone God’s.
We
will still end up on occasion being selfish and greedy and unkind and hurting
other people.
And
this of course is why Jesus died for us on the cross. It’s why he died for you and
for me personally. He took all of our sin and wrongdoing upon himself on the
cross – because he loves us. And he was punished in our place so we could go
free.
The
prophet Isaiah puts it like this; “He was pierced for our transgressions, he
was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on
him, and by his wounds we are healed.
“We
all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and
the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
So,
Jesus died for us in order that we can know him and have a relationship with
him without the fear of being judged or condemned.
But
how can we find a relationship with him? How can we receive the forgiveness and
salvation he offers? How can we move from a spiritual winter to spring?
Well,
simply put, we need to repent and then put our faith in Jesus and what he’s done
for us on the cross.
And
we see this illustrated in today’s passage from Acts where the crowd asks Peter
– “what shall we do” and he tells them to “repent and be baptised every one of
you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”
Many
people have a negative view of repentance but actually it’s a very positive
thing.
To
repent means to change one’s heart or mind. It’s coming to a realisation that
we need God, that we need his forgiveness and love in our lives – and that we
were wrong to try and live our lives independently of him.
If
you think of points on a railway track that change the direction of a train.
Well genuine repentance changes the course of our life from living without God
to living with him.
People
can repent for different reasons. Some people – as in today’s reading from Acts
- repent because they feel a burden of guilt. They know they’ve messed up their
lives and hurt other people and they want forgiveness and a new start.
Peter
has just explained to these Jewish people that they’ve crucified their Messiah
– the very one who God had sent to save them – and they are cut the heart.
They
are willing to acknowledge their guilt and they want God to forgive them and
make them clean.
Perhaps
there are some of you here this morning who are bearing a burden of guilt and
you want God to forgive you and make you clean. You want a new start in life.
Some
people repent because their lives feel empty and pointless. They want to know
God and find a meaning and a purpose to their life.
The
only proviso for repentance as far as God is concerned is that it is genuine. That
there is a genuine desire within a person to live from now in a way that is
pleasing to God – under his direction and guidance.
And
when we truly repent as Peter says in verse 38 of today’s passage from Acts –
God will give us the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The
Spirit of Jesus will come to live in our hearts and lives and will make us
spiritually alive. And as he did for the disciples on the road to Emmaus - he
will open our spiritual eyes to recognise Jesus as our Lord and God.
And
we will move from winter - being spiritually dead – to spring, to being
spiritually alive. And God will be in our lives to guide us into the fulfilment
of the plans that he has for us.
And
the purpose of our life with God is to love him and to love those around us – and
to share the good news of the new life we have found.
As
soon as the two disciples who were going to Emmaus encounter Jesus they
immediately head back to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples – its true Jesus
really is alive.
There
are so many hurting people around us in the world today – people living in a
spiritual winter - who need to know that God loves them, who need to know that
they can be forgiven, who need to know that there really is the hope of spring
and a new start in life.
And
it is our job a Christians to share the hope that we have found with them.
I’d
like to end my talk with a time of prayer – which we’ll have in just a moment.
And this will be a time where you can ask God for the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Perhaps
Jesus has been alongside you in the service this morning and your heart is
burning within you - and you really would like him to stay with you.
Or
perhaps you have a burden of guilt and you want to be forgiven and made clean.
You want a new start in life.
Or
perhaps you just really want to move from a spiritual winter to spring – and you
would like to know God’s great love for you.
Whatever
your reason - just repeat the prayer I’m going to say now silently in your own
heart.
So
let’s pray.
Lord
Jesus I’m sorry for the things I’ve done wrong in my life and the people I’ve
hurt.
Please
forgive me as I now turn from everything which I know is wrong.
Thank
you that you died on the cross for me so I can be forgiven and set free.
Thank
you that you offer me new life and the gift of your Holy Spirit.
I
now receive that gift.
Lord
Jesus please come into my life by your spirit and stay with me for ever.
Thank
you Lord Jesus. Amen.
