Monday, April 04, 2016

sermon, "On The Third Day", by Pastor Ruth Foss, Easter Resurrection Sunday, March 27, 2016, Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church, Patten, ME

March 27, 2016
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Easter Sunday
Acts 10:34-43 AMP
John 20:1-18 AMP

On The Third Day…

          Scripture Reading From John Chapter 20…
Prayer for God’s word to be heard through me or in spite of me…

How many of you have ever had such good news that you just couldn’t contain it? I know I have. It seems as if I would explode if I didn’t share the news with someone…be it something about myself or someone else…I just can’t help but spread the news! How about if you had a great idea that would solve so many issues? It might be an easier way to do something or an idea that would help humanity…the possibilities are endless. There is no telling where we might have good news for some one. The only boundary that it may have is our own imagination. We might right now have some good news that needs to be shared. What’s stopping you?

We have come to the end of our Lenten journey. We have journeyed many different roads to get here. We also visited the Upper Room and shared a meal and were given a new command from Christ…the command to love others not as we love ourselves but as Jesus loved and still loves us. We even sat at the foot of the cross and stood with those who stood by when Christ was put to death for all of humanity’s sake. But here…today…we celebrate Christ’s victory over death and joyfully…with enthusiasm…with all of our heart… can say “CHRIST IS RISEN”…YES HE IS RISEN INDEED!

But is that the end of the story? Are we to just say our thank you’s and good bye’s to the Cross of Calvary? Or, is there something more? My answer is NO! This is not the end but only the beginning of the story, the beginning of the new life…the beginning of a new age. Christ went to the cross not just to save you and me but to save all of humanity and there is so many who need the hope and forgiveness of the cross I just can’t imagine Jesus wanting us to keep it for ourselves. God wants all of humanity to be saved and we are here to share the good news so that it is. That’s part of mine and your mission here…part of the purpose of why we were created…to love, to share, to be Christ for the world.

So…what happened on the third day? What does the Resurrection Reveal to us? It reveals 4 things…
1.     Love reaches beyond the graveSpeak from the Spirit
2.     Loyalty to God is rewarded (Mary stood by Jesus)…
3.     God knows us personally…
4.     A gospel worth proclaiming…

In Acts Peter…the Rock…proclaims the resurrection…read Acts 10:34-43. What can we see from Peter’s reaction that is also for us today?
·        He proclaimed Christ’s ministry of healing and peacemaking (36-39)
·        Proclaimed that God raised Christ from the dead (39-40)
·        Proclaimed that they ate and drank with the Risen Christ (41)
·        Proclaimed Christ is the judge of the living and the dead but there is forgiveness in and through His name…
Today, Easter Sunday, is not the end of the story. We have the best news ever to share. There are those out there who haven’t heard the good news and it is our commission to share this news with all who will hear.

Are there people in your lives or mine that need a little bit of good news? Are there those around us that are suffering with the penalty of sin that need to be freed from their oppressor? Are there people in our live that are frozen in fear because of their uncertainty of their future of the future of their loved ones? Share the good news…shout it from the roof tops…give others a hope for the future. CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED! Christ has conquered death for you and for me…for all of humanity! Alleluia He is Risen! He is Risen indeed!

Amen!







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April 3, 2016



March 27, 2016
Stetson Memorial UMC
Resurrection (Easter) Sunday
Acts 10:34-43 AMP
John 20:1-18 AMP
sermon, “On the Third Day”
text:

video:


by Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon blog
meditation blog
“God’s Whisper” blog
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Children’s Message from Mystery Box


by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Resurrection (Easter) Sunday
March 27, 2016
&
March 20, 2016
Stetson Memorial UMC
Palm Sunday
distribution of palms
“A New Way”
Adapted Sermon Series
 by Marcia McPhee
“The Wandering Way”
adapted by Pastor Ruth Foss
Luke 19:28-38
sermon, “A New Way”
text:
video:


by Pastor Ruth Foss
Children’s Message from Mystery Box
cotton ball, tweezers, zip lock bag
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Palm Sunday
March 20, 2016
&
March 7, 2016
a way home
March 7, 2016
at home in our Savior
March 6, 2016
Stetson Memorial UMC
Fourth Sunday of Lent
“The Way”
Adapted Sermon Series
 by Marcia McPhee
“The Wandering Way”
adapted by Pastor Ruth Foss
Psalm 100
Luke 15:11-24 and
sermon, “There’s No Place Like Home”
text:
video:
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Children’s Message from Mystery Box
-          $1 dollar bill
-          Message – “In God We Trust”
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Fourth Sunday in Lent
March 6, 2016
&
February 28, 2016
Stetson Memorial UMC
Third Sunday of Lent
“The Way”
Adapted Sermon Series
 by Marcia McPhee
“The Wandering Way”
adapted by Pastor Ruth Foss
Psalm 139:1-18
Isaiah 55:1-9
Acts 10:9-16
sermon, “A Higher Calling”
text:
video:
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Children’s Message from Mystery Box
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
3rd Sunday in Lent
February 28, 2016
&
February 21, 2016
Stetson Memorial UMC
Second Sunday of Lent
“The Way”
Adapted Sermon Series
 by Marcia McPhee
“The Wandering Way”
adapted by Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon blog
meditation blog
“God’s Whisper” blog
Psalm 8:1-4
Mark 1:16-20
sermon, “The Way Around”
text:
video:
by Erica Berberena
Children’s Message from empty Mystery Box
by Raymond A. Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
2nd Sunday in Lent
February 21, 2016
&
February 14, 2016
Stetson Memorial UMC
First Sunday of Lent
“The Way”
Adapted Sermon Series
 by Marcia McPhee
“The Wandering Way”
All Scripture is from the AMP Bible
Luke 1:46-49
Luke 4:1-2
Luke 15:11-32
sermon, “I Am A-Maze-D…”
text:
video:
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Children’s Message from Mystery Box
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
1st Sunday in Lent
February 14, 2016
&
Ash Wednesday service
Joel 2:12-17a
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
centering song, “Surely the Presence”
Opening Words
Greeting
Lenten Prayer
Hymn, “In the Garden”
Prayer of Confession
Words of Assurance
Invitation to Communion
Prayer after Communion
Invitation to receive ashes
Distribution of Ashes
Lenten poem: ”Journeying to Jerusalem”
sermon, “The Math of Lent 2.0”
text:

video:
by Pastor Ruth Foss
and closing hymn,
“It Is Well with My Soul”
Closing Prayer
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Ash Wednesday
February 10, 2016

All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 41,180+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

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