Easter

Impacting our world with the Word of God and the love of Christ

Evangelical Free Church

Pittsfield, Massachusetts

Easter Sunday

March 31, 2002

"Bouncing Back from Defeat"
Jeremiah 31:1-6

In the final days of Jesus' ministry it appeared to the disciples that everything they worked for had fallen apart. During the course of his ministry the disciples had come to believe, one by one, that he was the Messiah. They had seen him heal the sick, perform miracles, & raise people from the dead--they believed that he would soon establish God's kingdom here on earth--a kingdom that would compete with & ultimately defeat the Roman Empire. Only, it didn't happen that way. Somehow,
things began to unravel. Judas Iscariot betrayed him, arranging for him to be arrested. Jesus was put on trial for treason, found guilty, & sentenced to death. In the final hours of his life, all but one of his disciples deserted him. From all appearances, his plan to save the world had failed & the dream they had shared suddenly ended in despair. But, as you know, that's not how the story ends. In fact, the only reason we are here today is because the story has a different ending. You know what happened. After Jesus died on the cross on Friday evening, he was
placed in a borrowed tomb. On the third day, Sunday morning, was raised from dead.
This is the significance of Easter. This is what distinguishes Christianity from all the other world religions. We're not here to pay homage to our dead founder; we're here to celebrate the one who died & has the power to destroy even death.
The lesson that the life, death & resurrection of Jesus teaches is that there is no defeat that anyone can experience in life that God cannot turn into victory...no failure that God cannot turn into success...no life so broken by sin that God cannot turn into a life giving him glory.
Everyone here today has experienced defeat. Some of you have been defeated in your marriage. Some of you have been defeated in your relationship to your children or your parents. Some of you have been defeated by drugs, or alcohol, or sex, or some other behavior you can't control Some have been defeated by your own selfish, sinful nature. The message of the gospel is that God can turn any defeat to victory.
Whatever failure you have experienced, God can renew, restore & rebuild your life. That's his promise to you.
Today we're going to look at a few verses of scripture that God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah. These promises were first addressed to the people of Israel. The Israelites had a history of following God, then falling away, then following, then falling away. As a people, they did this many times throughout history. Yet, when they repented & turned back to God, he always received them.
In the 31st chapter of Jeremiah, God promised his people them the chance to bounce back from the defeat they had suffered as a nation. These words are just as true today as they were then. Here are four promises from God that reveal how he will help you bounce back from any defeat in life. First of all...
1. God has promised his everlasting love.
To put it simply, humans cannot comprehend the concept of the kind of love that God has for us. He loves us beyond what we are capable of understanding. Think of the person you love the most. Maybe it's your husband, or wife, your best friend, or your children. A person to whom you would give your undying love--no matter what they did, you would continue to love them, support them & believe in them. Do you know
someone like that?
There is a reason why you love that person. Maybe you see certain qualities in them that make them lovable--like goodness, or kindness, or a great sense of humor, or loyalty. Or, if it's your child, maybe you see in them a reflection of yourself, or of your spouse.
Even though humans are capable of great love, we tend to love those most who are most lovable. God's love is different.
First, his love for us is incomparably greater than any love we could ever have for him or anyone else--our greatest love is merely a drop in the ocean compared to his love for us. Second, God's love for us is not based on anything we have done to be considered worthy of his love. God doesn't love you because you are lovable; he loves you because he is love. Regardless of anything you do, or anything that happens to you, his love will never change. He cannot love you more, & he will not love you less. He said...
(v. 3) I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.
Recently the diary of Madelyn Murray O'Hare (founder of American Atheists) was auctioned off by the IRS in an attempt to raise money for back taxes & creditors. On several different occasions she had written in her diary, "Somebody, somewhere, love me." Throughout her life, as she was seeking to be loved, she fought against the God she believed didn't exist. And all the while he continued to love her--with an
everlasting love.
God loves YOU with an everlasting love. His love will never change.
There's no defeat that God can't turn to victory--because he loves you with an everlasting love. The second promise I want you to see is that...
2. God promises to rebuild your life.
(v. 4) I will build you up again, & you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel.
We all face challenges of different types--some bigger than others. Some of you here today may feel like you're losing the battle; others might feel like you're losing the war. Whether your defeat is great or small, God has promised to turn your defeat into victory. He says "I will build you up & you will be rebuilt." I like the emphasis in these words: When God rebuilds, you are REBUILT--totally & completely. When we are defeated, God can rebuild us. In the last 50 years Billy Graham has had more influence on American presidents than any other spiritual leader.
He's been a friend to all of them, a close friend to many of them. On the first night of the Persian Gulf war, it was Billy Graham whom President George Bush asked to be by his side--offering prayers & spiritual leadership during this time of crisis. If any man has the personal integrity & undeniable blessing of God on his life to offer this kind of leadership, it is Billy Graham--& he has done this very well. Did you know there was a time when Billy Graham was told he would never be invited to the White House again? It was 1950 & he had managed to arrange an audience with President Harry Truman. Billy Graham was America's best known evangelist even then--he had preached at huge crusades in LA, Boston, & a number of other cities. President Truman gave Graham 20 minutes. Billy showed up at the White House on July 14,
1950 wearing a "pistachio-green" suit, red socks, a hand-painted tie & white-buck shoes. (Apparently it was he, not Pat Boone, who started this trend.) Graham met with Truman in the Oval Office. As his time came to an end, he asked the President if he could pray. Truman said "Yes" & Billy Graham prayed for an additional 5 minutes. As he left the Oval Office, reporters asked him all the details of the meeting, & Graham told them everything he said & everything Truman said. Then Billy Graham & his evangelistic team re-enacted the Oval Office prayer on the White House lawn, while photographers snapped pictures. President Truman was
annoyed, to say the least. He was annoyed at Graham's questions; he was annoyed that Graham overstayed his allotted time, he was annoyed that Graham had quoted the president without White House authorization; he was annoyed that this evangelist had tried to use the entire event for publicity. And he said that Billy Graham would never be invited back.
Billy Graham himself realized that he had made some mistakes in this meeting. (He now refers to the incident as "The Truman Fiasco.") Graham realized he had the opportunity to influence spiritually the most powerful man in the world--but instead of influencing him he alienated him. Simply put, he had a great chance, & he blew it. When you mess up in politics you don't often get a second chance. With God, however, you do. There is no defeat that he can't turn to victory. Billy Graham was
able to rebuild trust with future political leaders, & ultimately became a trusted spiritual advisor to several presidents. But in his first attempt, he was defeated.
Your defeats may threaten your career, or your marriage, or your family, or your finances, or your soul--but God can turn any defeat to victory.
If you will put your faith in him, he will rebuild you & restore you.
The third promise we see in Jeremiah 31 is...
3. God promises to fill your life with joy.
When you experience defeat, it sometimes seems that you will never be able to laugh again--that this dark cloud of defeat will haunt you forever. Many of us do this--we blow our mistakes out of proportion & make them larger than they really are. We make the darkness of failure darker than it really is. We give defeat more credit than it deserves.
Don't get me wrong. Sin is sin. I'm not trying to diminish the seriousness of sin in our lives, but I want to emphasize that as destructive as sin can be, God's forgiveness is even greater. There is no sin that is too great for his mercy to cover. God can take any defeat & turn it to victory. Jeremiah said...
(v. 4-5) Again you will take up your tambourines & go out to dance with the joyful.
God turns sorrow to joy; that's his promise. The fourth promise he makes is...
4. He promises to make you effective in life.
(v. 5) And you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria; the farmers will plant them & enjoy their fruit.
The biggest lie you will ever be told is "God is finished with you & he can never use you." Many times in life our greatest victories come after our greatest defeats. Do you know what H.J Heinz, Walt Disney & Milton Hershey have in common? Two things: one, they are household names (Heinz 57, Disney World, Hershey's Chocolate). Two, they all declared bankruptcy before becoming successful. Many people decide that after failing once, they'll never succeed again. It can be said that Moses felt this way. When he was young he wanted to be the leader of the Hebrew people, but the first time he tried, he failed. He ended up committing murder & had to flee Egypt before being killed by Pharaoh.
Years later, when he was tending a flock of sheep in the land of Midian God came to him & said "I'm sending you to bring my people out Egypt."
Moses' response was, "Who am I?...What if they don't listen?...Please send someone else." (Exodus 3-4)
Of course, you know what eventually happened. Moses came back to Egypt, & he led the Hebrew people out of slavery & helped them make it to the promise land. God made Moses successful, even after his greatest defeat.
There is no defeat that God can't turn to victory.
CONCLUSION
A man said to me once, "I tried to be a Christian when I was a teen-ager--but I couldn't stick with it. Christianity just isn't for me."
I hear this a lot about many different things. People will say, "I tried once, but I failed. Now it's too late. I'll just have live with being a loser... I'll just have live with being alone... I'll just have live with being overweight... I'll just have live with being a failure...
I'll just have live with being a sinner. It's too late now."
Here's the good news: it's not too late.
Easter Day is a celebration of the fact that God has power over death.
If he can beat death, he can beat anything. He can take your defeats & turn them to victory. He can rebuild your life, restore your joy & make you effective once again.
As Jesus hung on the cross, all of your sin, all of your failure, all of your defeat was placed on him. He paid the price for it all. The weight of our sins was so great that it cost him his life. But, as you already know, death wasn't the end. On Sunday morning, Easter Day, Jesus was resurrected.
This wasn't merely a "spiritual" resurrection--he didn't come back as a ghost. The body that died & was placed in the tomb was dead. Jesus was dead. His heart had stopped beating; his lungs had stopped breathing; his blood had stopped flowing through his veins--he was completely lifeless, completely dead. And yet while he was in that tomb something happened. The spirit of God entered that tomb & touched the dead body of Jesus--& his heart began to beat again, his lungs filled with air, his
blood began to flow, his eyes opened, & he stood to his feet. He had been as dead as a man could be, & now he was alive. And he IS alive, to this very day.
God turned his greatest defeat into victory--& he can do the same for you. When you put your faith in him, he will forgive your sins & enable you to bounce back from defeat. That's what Easter reminds us: There is no defeat that God cannot turn to victory.
Illust. Easter lady...THE STORY OF EDITH BURNS...
Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio, Texas.
She was the patient of a doctor by the name of Will Phillips. Dr. Phillips was a gentle doctor who saw patients as people. His favorite patient was Edith Burns.
One morning he went to his office with a heavy heart & it was because of Edith Burns. When he walked into that waiting room, there sat Edith with her big black Bible in her lap earnestly talking to a young mother sitting beside her. Edith Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way. "Hello, my name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?"
Then she would explain the meaning of Easter, & many times people would be saved. Dr. Phillips walked into that office & there he saw the head nurse, Beverly. Beverly had first met Edith when she was taking her blood pressure. Edith began by saying, "My name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Beverly said, "Why yes I do." Edith said, "Well, what do you believe about Easter?" Beverly said, "Well, it's all about egg hunts, going to church, & dressing up." Edith kept pressing her about the real meaning of Easter, & finally led her to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Dr. Phillips said, "Beverly, don't call Edith into the office quite yet. I believe there is another delivery taking place in the waiting room.
After being called back in the doctor's office, Edith sat down & when she took a look at the doctor she said, "Dr. Will, why are you so sad?
Are you reading your Bible? Are you praying? Dr. Phillips said gently, "Edith, I'm the doctor & you're the patient." With a heavy heart he said, "Your lab report came back & it says you have cancer, & Edith, you're not going to live very long." Edith said, "Why Will Phillips, shame on you. Why are you so sad? Do you think God makes mistakes? You have just told me I'm going to see my precious Lord Jesus, my husband, & my friends. You have just told me that I am going to celebrate Easter
Forever, & here you are having difficulty giving me my ticket!" Dr. Phillips thought to himself, "What a magnificent woman this Edith Burns is!" Edith continued coming to Dr. Phillips. Christmas came & the office was closed through January 3rd. On the day the office opened, Edith did not show up.
Later that afternoon, Edith called Dr. Phillips & said she would have to be moving her story to the hospital & said, "Will, I'm very near home, so would you make sure that they put women in here next to me in my room who need to know about Easter." Well, they did just that & women began to come in & share that room with Edith. Many women were saved. Everybody on that floor from staff to patients were so excited about Edith, that they started calling her Edith Easter; that is everyone
except Phyllis Cross, the head nurse. Phyllis made it plain that she wanted nothing to do with Edith because she was a "religious nut". She had been a nurse in an army hospital. She had seen it all & heard it all. She was the original G.I. Jane. She had been married three times, she was hard, cold, & did everything by the book. One morning the two nurses who were to attend to Edith were sick. Edith had the flu & Phyllis Cross had to go in & give her a shot. When she walked in, Edith had a big smile on her face & said, "Phyllis, God loves you & I love you, & I have been praying for you."
Phyllis Cross said, "Well, you can quit praying for me, it won't work. I'm not interested." Edith said, "Well, I will pray & I have asked God not to let me go home until you come into the family." Phyllis Cross said, "Then you will never die because that will never happen," & curtly walked out of the room. Every day Phyllis Cross would walk into the room & Edith would say, "God loves you Phyllis & I love you, & I'm praying for you." One day Phyllis Cross said she was literally drawn to Edith's
room like a magnet would draw iron. She sat down on the bed & Edith said, "I'm so glad you have come, because God told me that today is your special day. " Phyllis Cross said, "Edith, you have asked everybody here the question, 'Do you believe in Easter?' but you have never asked me." Edith said, "Phyllis, I wanted to many times, but God told me to wait until you asked, & now that you have asked." Edith Burns took her Bible & shared with Phyllis Cross the Easter Story of the death, burial & resurrection of Jesus Christ. Edith said, "Phyllis, do you believe in Easter? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is alive & that He wants to live in your heart?" Phyllis Cross said, "Oh I want to believe that with all of my heart, & I do want Jesus in my life." Right there, Phyllis Cross prayed & invited Jesus Christ into her heart. For the first time Phyllis Cross did not walk out of a hospital room, she was carried out on the wings of angels. Two days later, Phyllis Cross came in & Edith said, "Do you know what day it is?" Phyllis Cross said, "Why Edith, it's Good Friday." Edith said, "Oh, no, for you every day is Easter. Happy Easter Phyllis!" Two days later, on Easter Sunday, Phyllis Cross came into work, did some of her duties & then went down to the flower shop & got some Easter lilies because she wanted to go up to see Edith & give her some Easter lilies & wish her a Happy Easter. When she walked into Edith's room, Edith was in bed. That big black Bible was on her lap. Her hands were in that Bible. There was a sweet smile on her face. When Phyllis Cross went to pick up Edith's hand, she realized Edith was dead.
Her left hand was on John 14: "In my Father's house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again & receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also." Her right hand was on Revelation 21:4, " And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, there shall be no more death nor sorrow, nor crying; & there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Phyllis Cross took one look at that dead body, & then lifted her face toward heaven, & with tears streaming down here cheeks, said, "Happy Easter, Edith - Happy Easter!" Phyllis Cross left Edith's body, walked out of the room, & over to a table where two student nurses were sitting. She said, "My name is Phyllis Cross. Do you believe in Easter?"
God works in wonderful ways, & to believe in his power is to truly be free.

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