The Sunday Sermon

From the beginning God has been a mystery to mankind. But a mystery is different than a secret. A mystery remains a mystery even after it has been disclosed. While humanity continues to grapple with questions about God, the same God has made himself known. He remains a mystery, but who he is and what he has done is now known.

From the beginning God has used the simple power of words to deliver the promise of redemption. Yet mankind has often sought to repurpose God’s good gifts for their own designs. Only by God’s intervention can the fundamental conflict between our ways and God’s ways be reconciled. God still intervenes with a powerful word and keeps our human chaos under control.

This week we perceive power. There are many circumstances in which we wish we had more power to accomplish what we want. But power in our hands is not as safe as we might think. Why? Because we are unable to use power properly. Only the resurrected Jesus is worthy of the title “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”

This week we discover joy. Even after Easter Jesus bore the marks of his crucifixion. His resurrection does not erase his suffering. Why? Because resurrection enables us to see suffering in a new light and find joy in what would otherwise be a source of sorrow.

This week we offer praise. God has always been worthy of praise. His gift of creation alone testifies to his goodness, his greatness, and his glory. But after the resurrection there was a new song to sing. Why? Because now God had done even more: he had defeated death and delivered redemption.

Even after the resurrection of Jesus there were plenty of forces that could leave his followers fearful, but Jesus leaves the kind of peace that can actually endure. Why? Because it’s backed by the resurrection.

The resurrection of Jesus is at the center of every Christian conviction. It even upends some of our most common spiritual assumptions. Why? Because the salvation Christ came to bring is not rescue from a world gone bad but resurrection for a world that will once again be very good.

This week there are no strings attached. The human heart lives on the instinct that if someone is to receive grace they must be worthy of it. But when we accept that there are no strings attached we can finally taste what real forgiveness is like.

This week there are no exceptions. The intuitive assumption of religion is that if you have God on your side then you’ll be immune from the troubles of life. But when we realize that there are no exceptions we can finally find peace in every circumstance.

This week there are no excuses. The practice of confessing sin has unfortunately acquired a bad reputation. But when we admit that there are no excuses we can finally receive the good gifts God wants to give.