Oakbrook Evangelical Free Church

Easter 2010 Power Point
Finding Peace – Renewing Strength
Ed Riddick, April 4, 2010

Climate, atmosphere: Do you feel the tension?  Can you sense that the room is laced with emotional markers of anxiety and fear.  Have you ever notice how children and even pets can pick up on the mood of the moment?  Feel it with me.

Put yourself in his shoes…  I have never seen anything like
INDIANAPOLIS — West Virginia forward Da’Sean Butler had to be helped off the court after injuring his left knee in a hard collision against Duke in the Final Four.

Butler, the Mountaineers’ leading scorer, drew a foul after driving into Duke’s Brian Zoubek under the basket with 8:59 left in the second half of Saturday night’s NCAA semifinal. The senior forward collapsed to the court and writhed in pain as a trainer tried straighten his leg. Teammate John Flowers stood over him clapping his hands in encouragement.

DeSean and WV beat the _________ Cardinals the week before.  A lady listening to the broadcast had a heart attack.  He went to visit her.
West Virginia coach Bob Huggins didn’t come out at first, but walked over to Butler after a minute or so as his star player lay there in agony.

Huggins barked at an official for a second, arguing that a foul should have been called on Zoubek, then knelt on the court next to his player. He leaned down to put his face nose-to-nose with Butler, cradling his head and stroking his face, trying to get the senior to calm down.  Butler pounded his fist on the court, then was helped up by a teammate and a trainer, unable to put any weight on his leg as it dragged behind him. He was lifted onto a nearby golf cart and rode to locker room facing backward, stone-faced toward the scoreboard as West Virginia’s fans chanted “Da’Sean! Da’Sean!”

John 14:1-3, 16-21 “Let not your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also…And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ¹⁹ Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. ²⁰ On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. ²¹ Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”

Do you feel the anxiety?  Do you feel the questions…the unrest?
Do you feel the fear of being left alone?

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Luke 22:31-34, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, ³² but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” ³³ Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” ³⁴ Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”

Finding peace…renewing strength!

Clearly, Peter does not know himself well.  He is over-confident. But maybe even his reaction isn’t in reality, over-confidence but nervousness.   And out of the same fear he will soon deny Christ he is speaking to Christ.  And after he denies Christ he is very discouraged and weeps bitterly.

Max Lucado points out in his book Fearless that Jesus issued 125 imperatives.  The 2^nd most common command was to love God and our neighbors.  He gives this command 8 times in the Gospels.

He points out that the 1^st most common command that Jesus gave was “fear not”. 21 times he said, “do not be afraid” “do not be troubled” “fear not” “take heart” “be of good cheer”.

He sent them out to do something they’ve never done before.
Matthew 10:5, 21-23, 26-31 “These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions…Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, ²² and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. ²³ When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes…
So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. ²⁷ What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. ²⁸ And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ³⁰ But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows”

Did you notice the context? Jesus is sending them out on a mission. He is asking them to step out in faith into a world where they will be like sheep among wolves.  They are to be shrewd as snakes but as innocent as doves.  They will come back with joy.  They will not be defeated this time.  But he warns them that there will be times when the world will push back on their message and on them.  “Christ-followers contract malaria, bury children, and battle addictions and face fears.”  It is not the absence of storms that defines Christians. It is that in these storms we discover the resurrected Christ.

Lucado is right to point out that “Fear never wrote a symphony or people, negotiated a peace treaty or cured a disease.  Fear never pulled someone out of a burning building or reached out to someone who might disagree with you and reject you.

Disheartened by permanent disability and discouraged by crowd
Matthew 9:2 “And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.””(Reassured of a right relationship with God)

The news strikes fear into you!  Like someone hit you in the gut!
News about yourself or news about someone you love and care about.

Worried and anxious about fiancés & making ends meet
Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing…Why are you anxious about clothing? …do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

I never saw this before!  I never put 1 + 1 together!
Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your life free from love of money, be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

Frightened by a Storm
Matthew 8:23-27 “When he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

Have you ever wondered what pilots do when there is turbulence or an in-flight emergency?  They keep their eyes on the instruments and fly the plane!

Mark 4:35-41
1.         Jesus was sleeping on a cushion
2.         “Don’t you care”!  Fear corrodes our confidence in God’s goodness in our lives.  The pelting wind driven rain of life’s unexpected storm has caused them to panic and to question the love of God.

Matthew 14:22-33 “Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Fear raised by life’s mysteries and overwhelming circumstances!

Uncertain times of threatening national and international turmoil
Matthew 24:6 “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.”
Matthew 17:7 “But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.”
Luke 8:50 “But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.””
Luke 12:32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

Luke 24:36-39 “As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” ³⁷ But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. ³⁸ And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? ³⁹ See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” ⁴⁰ And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.”

Hebrews 2:14-15 “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, ¹⁵ and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”

Story
Professor Robert Wuthnow of Princeton University has explored how it is that people make everyday ethical decisions. Many people, he found, perform deeds of compassion, service, and mercy because at some point in their past someone acted with compassion toward them. He wrote, “The caring we receive may touch us so deeply that we feel especially gratified when we are able to pass it on to someone else.

He tells the story of Jack Casey, who was employed as an emergency worker on an ambulance rescue squad. When Jack was a child, he had oral surgery. Five teeth were to be pulled under general anesthetic, and Jack was fearful. What he remembers most, though, was the operating room nurse who, sensing the boy’s terror, said, “Don’t worry, I’ll be right here beside you no matter what happens.” When Jack woke up after the surgery, she was true to her word, standing right there with him.
Nearly 20 years later, Jack’s ambulance team is called to the scene of a highway accident. A truck has overturned, the driver is pinned in the cab and power tools are necessary to get him out. However, gasoline is dripping onto the driver’s clothes, and one spark from the tools could have spelled disaster. The driver is terrified, crying out that he is scared of dying. So, Jack crawls into the cab next to him and says, “Look, don’t worry, I’m right here with you; I’m not going anywhere.” And Jack was true to his word; he stayed with the man until he was safely removed from the wreckage.

Later the truck driver told Jack, “You were an idiot; you know that the whole thing could have exploded, and we’d have both been burned up!” Jack told him that he felt that he just couldn’t leave him.  Many years before, Jack had been treated compassionately by the nurse, and because of that experience, he could now show that same compassion to another. Receiving grace enabled him to give grace. Jesus said, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet, you should wash one another’s feet.”

Luke 24:1-5 “But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?”

Hebrews 4:14-18 ^“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, ¹⁵ and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. ¹⁶ For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. ¹⁷ Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. ¹⁸ For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

Jesus is alive.
He is here now
Do not fear or be disheartened!

Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

Hebrews 2:12-15 “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ,

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

Come Alive
(Chorus)
Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave

Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with Him again
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave  (2X)

(Verse)
O death where is your sting
O hell where is your victory
O church come stand in the light
Our God is not dead
He is alive, He is alive

Chorus