What About the Change?
3 eggs: -.01 -$20 (fake) -$50 (Real) There is something value in these eggs. Who would like a chance to get one? Inside this first egg there is real money. When I toss it your way whomever gets ahold of it can keep it. Inside this second egg is a MUCH larger sum. Who would like the chance to get ahold of it? Inside this third egg is the best opportunity for someone? Who would like the chance to gain possession? -Have you lost confidence? Is your enthusiasm waning? How can I re-instill your desire? (open the eggs and demonstrate that there is a very real $50 Bill inside) -Why the sudden excitement? Why the change? (new informationa different response)
People change, sometimes radically. Why? -Take some responses
What’s the Story? Have people in the congregation build the Easter narrative? So let’s get caught up really quick… Who was Jesus, why was he significant? What is the reason he offered to take on a punishment he did not deserve? What happened to him? Why is the empty tomb significant? What does any of this have to do with jelly beans? In all seriousness the story of The Passion has been told and retold many times over, and will be told many times more. What we need is to figure out what the point of it all really is.
1 Peter 1:13 to 2:3 Redeemed—by blood. Redeemed from—an empty way of life. Redeemed to—LIVE! Redeemed by blood! (costly) Money, hard work and sacrifice are one thing…blood is quite another. Redeemed from emptiness (a lack of function or purpose) Something innate within us wants to matter. Jesus gave himself in part so that we might have the chance to truly matter. Redeemed to live! Jesus most certainly did not shed his blood to leave us parked in our recliners, playing it safe while taking our morals up a tick. It’s perhaps the saddest of many misconceptions regarding Christianity, this idea that being a Christian simply means being a “good and moral person”. If the most we ever do in light of the cross is stop cussing or start saying “thank you”, we’ve really missed something.
(Common) Christianity has basically communicated to men that the reason God put you on this Earth is to be a good boy, to mind your manners and be a nice guy. That’s soul killing. -John Eldridge We don’t need a cross and an empty tomb to be “good people”. We can accomplish that with a class on etiquette. There MUST be something more to this Easter story. It’s about producing changed people, people who no longer live for selfish gain, souls who no longer survive on personal pleasure. The Passion and the empty tomb are the spark that brings change. It’s about change.
Read 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 and 21 The cross and the empty tomb are about so much more than the over $2B spent on the120M lbs. of candy that gets sold. It’s way beyond the new shirt or dress that is often purchased so we might look pastel for our Easter festivities. It’s about change. The presence of change reveals that we “get it”. People CAN change. In fact we want to. We long to. Do we live a resurrected life? Are we changed by the cross and the empty tomb? Does this narrative make us come alive or does it only inspire better behavior and perhaps a little participation in ritual? Jesus gave himself for so much more than that. If you’d like to come alive, we’d love to help. Disciple who has been flat? We’ll pray for you and make some time to guide you back on to the right path. Guest or friend who is somewhat new to us? We’ll study the scriptures with you and share the powerful basics about what Christianity looks like in the Bible. Pray