I love Easter sermons. It is one of the few times during the year when I get to preach to a group of people who would not normally come to worship (Christmas and funerals are the other times). So the question that I asked people this year was the same one that the angels asked the women who were weeping at the tomb (from Luke’s account of the resurrection), "Why do you search for the living among the dead" (See my sermons blog for the full sermon text). I challenged people to stop looking for meaning and life and purpose elsewhere — Jesus is all you need. I don’t know if I got through to people, I will TRY to leave that up to the Holy Spirit.
But sometimes I feel like shaking people and asking them where they have been all year. I mean, do they honestly think they can find a better savior than Jesus Christ? "Come on…really…stop your searching and let Jesus give your life meaning." Then again, maybe I should grab them and shake them up a little bit. Maybe I should smack them across the head with a 2 x 4 and not just the Gospel. Maybe that will get their attention (or get me thrown in jail). Either way, I hope I don’t stop being feisty. I hope I never stop caring for people’s souls. I hope and pray those CEOs (Christmas, Easter Only people) finally figure out (through the Holy Spirit) that their search for a "savior" is a feeble one. Jesus is the only Savior that can bring us life. Nobody else died on a cross for us.
Anyway, I hope you all had a wonderful and blessed Easter weekend. May the joy of the resurrection stick with you all year long. Praise be to God. -edh-
The Heart of a Pastor 
Eric
I agree with you 100%
WHen you said “But sometimes I feel like shaking people “”
Our Easter sermon had a part about How picking up dog poop helps the enviroment, poop was mentioned over 6 times. and then another part of the Sermon was about the pastor’s first kiss on the playground.
Sigh.
I was wondering what the CEO’s thought.
Can i come to your church?
peace
Rick
Rick,
Dog poop…interesting. I preached a sermon once where I talked about cockroaches. I was talking about Jesus being the light of the world, so I thought I was making a good connection. But afterward a lady came up to me and said, “Don’t you ever do that again”. I guess she doesn’t like cockroaches.
I am not going to comment on your pastor’s sermon since I do not know them or know the full text of the sermon, but I will say this. One thing I remember my serminary preaching professor telling us is to mention Jesus’ name at least once during the sermon and something about Jesus dying for us; for the forgiveness of our sins. After all, that is the Gospel. I am not sure what your pastor’s point was, but we can only hope and pray that the Holy Spirit will doing something with it.
Thanks for the comment, Rick. It is good to hear from you. And “Yes”, you are always welcome here, but Jackson, MN might be kind of a long communte for you from Michigan.
Take care, Eric