March 23, 2008 -- Easter

"Don’t Hold Back"


[First Service introduction: Perhaps you have heard this one before. The day was blistering hot and muggy. The house was full of guests, and things were not going well. Finally, the hostess got everyone seated for dinner and asked her seven-year-old daughter to offer the blessing. “But mother,” said the child, “I don’t know what to say.” “Yes you do,” said her mother. “Just say the last prayer you heard me use.” Obediently, the child bowed her head and recited hesitantly, “O Lord, why did I invite all these people to dinner on such a hot day?”

Aren’t you glad that God will never regret sending us an invitation to join Him? We have so many here on this glorious day. Welcome to the house of God!

Today’s scripture passage is just one verse. It comes from Isaiah 54:2 "Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes” (NIV).]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Second Service introduction: A car was involved in an accident. As expected, a large crowd gathered. A newspaper reporter, anxious to get his story, could not get near the car. Being a clever sort, he started shouting loudly, “Let me through! Let me through! I’m the son of the victim!” The crowd made way for him. Lying in front of the car was a donkey!”

Talk about embarrassment! I think he got what he deserved. It never pays to be dishonest. Let us turn to the Bible, the book of Truth, for today’s scripture passage:

"Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes” (Isaiah 54:2 NIV).]

Let me share a story about how one man enlarged the place of his tent. It is a modern Easter story.

The church’s pastor slowly stood up, walked over to the pulpit and, before he gave his sermon for the evening, briefly introduced a guest minister who was in the service that evening. In the introduction, the pastor told the congregation that the guest minister was one of his dearest childhood friends and that he wanted him to have a few moments to greet the church and share whatever he felt would be appropriate for the service. With that, the elderly man stepped up to the pulpit and began to speak.

“A father, his son, and a friend of his son were sailing off the pacific coast,” he began. “When a fast approaching storm blocked any attempt to get back to the shore. The waves were so high that even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright and the three were swept into the ocean as the boat capsized.

“The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in the story. The aged minister continued with his story. “Grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating decision of his life: to which boy would he throw the other end of the life line. He only had seconds to make the decision. The father knew that his son was a Christian and he also knew that his son’s friend was not. The agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of waves.

“As the father yelled out, ‘I love you, son!’ he threw out the life line to his son’s friend. By the time the father had pulled the friend back to the capsized boat, his son had disappeared beneath the raging swells into the black of the night. His body was never recovered.

By this time the two teenage boys were sitting straight in the pew, anxiously waiting for the next words to come out of the old minister’s mouth. “The father,” he continued, “knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus and he could not bear the thought of his son’s friend stepping into eternity without Jesus. Therefore he sacrificed his son to save the son’s friend. How great is the love of God that should do the same for us. Our heavenly Father sacrificed his only begotten son so that we could be saved.

I urge you to accept his offer to rescue you and to take a hold of the life line He is throwing out to you in this service.”

With that, the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as silence filled the room.

The pastor again walked slowly to the pulpit and delivered a brief sermon with an invitation at the end. However, no one responded to the appeal. Within minutes after the service ended, the two teenagers were at the old man’s side. “That was a nice story,” politely stated one of the boys, “but I don’t think it was very realistic for a father to give up his only son’s life in hope that the other boy would become a Christian.”

“Well, you’ve got a point there,” the old man replied, glancing down at his worn bible. A big smile broadened his narrow face; he once again looked up at the boys and said, “It sure isn’t very realistic, is it. But, I’m standing here today to tell you that story gives me a glimpse of what it must have been like for God to give up His Son for me. You see – I was that Father and your pastor is my son’s friend.”

Remember, everything has a purpose; everything happens for a reason – even the most minute detail figures into God’s eternal plan. Some of you have experienced tragedy and suffering – maybe the sort that is even off the scale. Know this, God sent his Son for you. The suffering, as hard as it is, is a reminder that you need a savior.

Some of you doubt – with all that you are – because you can’t believe without seeing. Let me share this, because, someone here today, is at the brink of belief, but you are hung up on someone else’s version of religion.

Frederick Buechner (pronounced Beek-nur) is his book Now and Then, has a section on his comparison of the teachings of Buddha and of Jesus Christ, a topic he wrestled with when he was teaching at Phillips Exeter Academy in southern New Hampshire:

“Finally, lest students of comparative religion be tempted to believe that to compare them is to discover that at their hearts all religions are finally one and that it thus makes no difference which one you choose, you have only to place side by side Buddha and Christ themselves.

“Buddha sits enthroned beneath the Bo tree in the lotus position. His lips are faintly parted in the smile of one who has passed beyond every power in earth or heaven to touch him. ‘He who loves 50 has 50 woes, he who loves 10 has 10 woes, he who loves none has no woes,’ he has said. His eyes are closed.

“Christ, on the other hand, stands in the garden of Gethsemane, distressed, beleaguered. His face is lost in shadows so that you can’t even see his lips… ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.’ He has said. His eyes are also closed.

“The difference seems to me this. The suffering that Buddha’s eyes close out is the suffering of the world that Christ’s eyes close in and hallow. It is an extraordinary difference, and even in a bare classroom in Exeter, New Hampshire, I think it was as apparent to everyone as it was to me that before you’re done, you have to make a crucial and extraordinary choice” (James Hewett, ed., Illustrations Unlimited).

According to an old legend, a man became lost in his travels and wandered into a bed of quicksand. Confucius saw the man’s predicament and said, “It is evident that men should stay out of places such as this.” Next, Buddha observed the situation and said, “Let that man’s plight be a lesson to the rest of the world.” Then Muhammad came by and said to the sinking man, “Alas, it is the will of God.” Finally, Jesus appeared. “Take my hand, brother,” he said, “and I will save you.”

Jesus, as he appeared before Pilate on Good Friday said this, "In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me" (John 18:37 NIV).

"Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. Receive what God has intended for you to have – everlasting life. “Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it” (Mal 3:10 NIV).

Either you are in the tent or you are out of it. If you have one foot inside and one outside, it is the same as being out. Don’t hold back. Go for it with all that you’ve got. Eternity weighs in the balance. The choice is yours.

How to pray to be saved:

God, I need you. Come into my life. I ask Jesus, right now, to come into my heart. I trust that he is life. Forgive me of my shortcomings, and help me to live my life for you. Amen.