{"id":10946,"date":"2016-03-29T15:38:00","date_gmt":"2016-03-29T19:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=10946"},"modified":"2016-04-28T13:45:54","modified_gmt":"2016-04-28T17:45:54","slug":"a-rock-n-roll-resurrection-32716","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=10946","title":{"rendered":"A Rock ‘n Roll Resurrection! (3\/27\/16)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Christ our Lord is Risen Today!\u00a0 This is not only a historical event, but a reality that should shake our being on each and every breath we take.\u00a0 Pastor Jim’s Easter Sermon encouraged us to Experience the Resurrection; not just to commemorate it once a year.<\/span>
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Click the below “Play” button and scroll down to follow along (the recording is from the 11:00 service)…<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The scripture was Matthew 28:1-10.\u00a0 Click the following Drop Down box to follow along.\u00a0 Pastor Jim read from The Living Bible, and the New International Version is shown below…<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t

Matthew 28:1-10<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t

1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.<\/p>\n

2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.<\/p>\n

3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.<\/p>\n

4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.<\/p>\n

5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.<\/p>\n

6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.<\/p>\n

7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”<\/p>\n

8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.<\/p>\n

9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.<\/p>\n

10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

It’s Now or Never…<\/span><\/h3>\n

On Easter, every preacher is tempted to overstate the familiar message.\u00a0 So let’s be like the chicken that decided to lay an egg on the California freeway.\u00a0 The rooster said:<\/p>\n

“Here’s how you do it- Lay it on the line and do it in a hurry!”<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

All Shook Up…<\/span><\/h3>\n

Does the resurrection affect you?\u00a0 Anyone alive in the 60s and 70s can remember the Apollo moonshots.\u00a0 Here’s a description from Joe Needleman about the launch of Apollo 17<\/a> (the last moon landing), which occurred in 1975.\u00a0 This account was included in Bill Moyer’s book “A World of Ideas II”…<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t
I was an observer at the launch of Apollo 17 in 1975.\u00a0 It was a night launch… and there were hundreds of cynical reporters all over the lawn; wisecracking, and waiting for this 35 story high rocket…. \"apollo-16-877336_960_720<\/span><\/p>\n

The countdown came, and then the launch.\u00a0 The first thing you see is the extraordinary orange light, which is just at the limit of what you can bear to look at.\u00a0 Everything takes a few seconds for the sound to come across.\u00a0 You hear a WHOOOOOOSH\u00a0 HMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!\u00a0 It enters right into you…<\/span><\/p>\n

You can practically hear jaws dropping.\u00a0 The sense of wonder fills everyone in the whole place, as this thing goes up and up.\u00a0 The first stage ignites this beautiful blue flame.\u00a0 It becomes like a star, but you realize there are humans on it.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

And then there’s total silence…<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

What do you think it would have been like to observe the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave?\u00a0 I suspect you would have experienced something similar to what Jacob Needleman experienced at the Apollo 17 launch.\u00a0 On this Easter, is our relationship with God taking off like a rocket?\u00a0 Or, is it all too familiar and routine?<\/p>\n

Does the Resurrection have any effect on you at all???<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Goin’ Out of My Head, Over You…<\/span><\/h3>\n

During the crucifixion and resurrection, Nature got it.\u00a0 All of this was a big deal; nothing routine about it.\u00a0 Nature was listening to Frankie Valle and the Four Seasons and was going out of its head…<\/p>\n\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\tThere was a violent earthquake…<\/span><\/p>\n

(Matthew 28:2)\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tFrom the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land…<\/span><\/p>\n

(Matthew 27:45 )\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tAt that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom….<\/span><\/p>\n

(Matthew 27:51)\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tThe earth shook and the rocks split….<\/span><\/p>\n

(Matthew 27:51)\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tThe tombs broke open…<\/span><\/p>\n

(Matthew 27:52)\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tThe bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life…<\/span><\/p>\n

(Matthew 27:52)\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\n

The crucifixion and the resurrection set nature spinning out of control.\u00a0 It knocked creation off balance.<\/p>\n

\n

When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0 Matt 27:54<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

And this isn’t the only event in history where we see creation reacting and responding to the presence of the Lord.\u00a0 Take a look at the following…\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t