Rev. David Holwick Eastr96L Easter 1996
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
April 7, 1996
John 20:1-18
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I. The importance of hope.
"Little Annie" was hopelessly insane.
As a young girl she was kept in a cage on the lowest level of a
Boston asylum.
The doctors saw no hope for her, so she was confined to a damp,
dark basement.
Here she lived in a world with little light and even less hope.
"Little Annie" was like an unpredictable animal.
At times, she would violently attack anyone who came near her.
At other moments, she existed in a fugue state and was seemingly
unaware of anyone's presence.
Into this dark dungeon of "Little Annie's" world came an elderly
nurse.
The nurse had a special compassion for this hopeless cause, and
she began to eat her lunch just outside of Annie's cage.
The child gave no indication that she even noticed the woman.
One day, the nurse left some brownies just outside of
"Little Annie's" cage.
The girl didn't seem to care.
The nurse left them for the girl anyway, and on her return, the
brownies were gone.
This became a regular appointment for these two women.
Each week the nurse brought brownies for "Little Annie."
They began to eat lunch together, and the hopeless cause began
to talk to the nurse.
The doctors began to notice a change in the young girl, and soon
she was moved to the main floor.
She began to show great improvement, and after several years of
treatment they felt she was well enough to return to her home.
But this hopeless cause decided to stay at the asylum and help
others who were without hope, as she had been.
It was "Little Annie" who grew up to give help to Helen Keller
and others like her.
"Little Annie" was Anne Sullivan, the miracle worker.
#3637
A. What a glorious thing it is to bring hope to people.
1) The Bible says that three realities will always exist:
faith, hope, and love (1 Cor. 13:13).
2) Hope is often the forgotten member of that trio.
B. Many believe hope is unrealistic.
1) Ancient philosophers such as Aristotle did not think
hope was a virtue, but rather a passion.
Hope was something that hindered rational living by
fostering unrealistic expectations.
2) We all face hopelessness.
a) Many things don't work out the way we want.
b) Prayer request for family of accident victim and 2 friends.
3) God can seem slow to answer, or even silent.
a) But he usually works in ways that surprise us.
b) His ways are above ours. Isa 55:8-9
C. Despair seems so much more realistic than hope.
A few weeks ago I went with Daniel on a Cub Scout tour to
West Point.
One of its most famous graduates was General Douglas
MacArthur.
After MacArthur was fired as commander of the armed forces
in Korea, he was given an opportunity to address the
United States Congress.
As he spoke, he said,
"I am closing my 52 years of military service.
When I joined the army, even before the turn of the century,
it was the fulfillment of all my boyish hopes and dreams.
The world has turned over many times since I took the oath
on the plain at West Point, and the hopes and dreams have
long since vanished."
It was a stirring speech, but a very sad one.
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II. The events of the first Easter.
A. 2,000 years ago the disciples must have felt the same way.
1) They were shell-shocked.
2) At this point, they were not expecting a happy ending.
3) (Note John's remark on not expecting resurrection. 20:9)
B. They find an empty tomb.
1) Ambiguous. Body stolen?
2) Peter goes in, sees neatly folded strips of cloth. 20:6f
a) He believes - but what exactly?
1> That Mary is correct, the tomb is empty?
2> That a miracle has occurred?
3) Mary stands weeping.
a) Unrecognized, Jesus appears and questions her.
b) He reveals himself, and she clings to him as if her
life depended on it.
c) Out of hopelessness, she receives hope.
C. God doesn't always follow our expectations.
1) When we think all is lost, he can do surprising things.
2) ...things we can't even anticipate.
III. God's surprises throughout history.
A. Abraham, given a son in his old age.
B. Moses, his back to the Red Sea, then God parts it.
C. Joseph was surprised twice.
1) He was sold into slavery, then made the master of a
house.
2) Later he was made a prisoner again. God's surprise
was to make him the master of a kingdom.
D. If God did these things, what can he do for you??
IV. The greatest surprise of all.
A. The greatest surprise in history is the resurrection of Jesus.
1) It appeared that evil had triumphed.
a) His followers were understandably terrified.
b) If God is defeated, what hope is there?
2) The real triumph was invisible.
a) No one saw it happen. Not a single person.
b) They only saw the results.
1> The empty tomb.
2> The appearances of the resurrected Jesus.
c) Even today, it requires faith, not sight.
B. Nothing can overcome God's power.
1) Resurrection proves nothing can overcome God's love & power.
2) Promise: we also will be raised. 1 Cor 6:14
3) Anticipate God's power in your life.
a) Jesus can give us peace even when our world is collapsing.
b) Have no fear of death.
V. One thing should not surprise us. John 3:7
A. God requires spiritual rebirth.
1) He provides what he demands.
B. Trust is the key.
1) Sounds simple, but is among most difficult decisions.
a) Trust is the basis of love.
b) God doesn't ask us to do what we are incapable of.
2) Trust is loving God with whole heart, mind and soul.
a) Hard to do, because we want to trust people, things.
C. Love so amazing, so divine, demands our heart, our life, our all...
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Study notes:
Rev. Robert L. Moss
First Church of God
St. Joseph, Michigan
"Trusting the God of Surprising Outcomes"
I. Introduction.
A. Mary's weeping. "Why are you weeping?"
B. She recognizes Jesus.
C. He proved himself to be the Lord of surprising outcomes.
II. The God of surprising outcomes.
A. All Christians grapple with disappointment and disillusionment.
1) We are surrounded by futility.
2) At times there is no clear signal to guide us.
3) We simply don't know what to do.
B. Where is God?
1) He is not always silent or slow.
2) But he usually works in ways that surprise us.
a) His ways are above ours. Isa 55:8-9
C. God's surprises throughout history.
1) Noah.
2) Abraham.
3) Moses.
4) Joseph.
5) Hall of faith in Hebrews 11 points to God of surprising
outcomes.
D. God also cares about us and knows our situation. Matt 10:29-31
III. The greatest surprise.
A. The greatest miracle in history - the resurrection of Jesus.
1) God became flesh.
2) He made himself vulnerable.
3) He allowed himself to be tortured to death.
B. It appeared that evil had triumphed.
1) His followers were understandably terrified.
2) If God is defeated, what hope is there?
C. Nothing can overcome God's power.
1) Resurrection proves nothing can overcome God's love & power.
2) Promise: we also will be raised. 1 Cor 6:14
IV. Trusting the God of surprising outcomes brings release.
A. Emotional and spiritual release.
1) Consider the times you have been gripped by fear, anxiety.
2) Does life always have to be a rollercoaster?
B. Jesus promises us peace. John 16:33
1) He does not promise us no trouble.
2) He tells us to "take heart."
C. Trust in God.
1) Sounds simple, but is among most difficult decisions.
a) Trust is the basis of love.
b) God doesn't ask us to do what we are incapable of.
2) Trust is loving God with whole heart, mind and soul.
a) Hard to do, because we want to trust people, things.
V. Conclusion.
A. Missionary translates "believe" as "put weight on."
B. Believe and be saved. Acts 16:31
1) (Trust and Obey hymn)
Below not used in sermon:
I. (Alternative - Jesus' surprises:
A. Making new rules. Not washing hands ceremoniously.
1) LUK 11:38 But the Pharisee, noticing that Jesus did not first
wash before the meal, was surprised.
B. Removing old boundaries. Talking to Samaritan woman.
1) John 4:27 Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find
him talking with a woman. But no one asked, "What do you want?"
or "Why are you talking with her?"
C. Pointing to spiritual reality. You must be born again.
1) JOH 3:7 You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be
born again.'
D. His death. Pilate surprised he died so quickly.
1) MAR 15:44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead.
Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died.
E. The way he works today.
1) ACT 3:12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel,
why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our
own power or godliness we had made this man walk?
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