Scripture/Sermon of the Day. April 9, 2023 Easter
Acts 10:34-38
Peter fairly exploded with his good news: “God plays
no favorites! It makes no difference who you are or where you’re from—if you
want God and are ready to do as he says, the door is open.“You know the story.
Jesus went everywhere, doing good and healing all who were under the power of
the Devil, for God was with him.”
Colossians 3:1-4
He Is Your Life
1-2 So if you’re serious about living this new
resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ
presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things
right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around
Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.
3-4 Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is
your real life is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ shows up
again on this earth, you’ll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you.
Reflection/Sermon:
I. In our reading this morning from the Gospel of
Matthew at the Sunrise Service, Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary” went to the
tomb where the body of Jesus was placed. An angel said, “Jesus is not here — he
has been raised. Go tell his disciples that Jesus has been raised from the dead
and is going ahead of you. You will see him.”
II. But where is he?
III. Our reading this morning says: HE GOES
EVERYWHERE, “DOING GOOD AND HEALING ALL WHO ARE UNDER THE POWER OF THE DEVIL.”
IV. Last week I saw the power of the risen Lord on the
news — I saw his healing power and love coming through three people, who are
being called The Tennessee Three. Jesus was in Nashville!
JUSTIN JONES, JUSTIN PEARSON, AND GLORIA JOHNSON are
legislators in a state that is still trying to recover from a recent mass
shooting in a Christian school where three nine-year-old children and three
adults were shot to death by a former student. The parents and families of these
children and adults who were shot want help, they want their voices heard.
V. So JUSTIN JONES, JUSTIN PEARSON, AND GLORIA JOHNSON
came forward in the Tennessee State Legislature to give a voice to people in
Tennessee who want more control over these weapons that kill so many people each
year in the United States. According to the NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE, May
19, 2022 issue, firearm injuries have surpassed auto accidents as the leading
cause of death among children and adolescents.
BUT WHEN JONES AND PEARSON AND JOHNSON ROSE THIS ISSUE
IN THE LEGISLATURE, THEIR MICS WERE TURNED OFF. Those who controlled the agenda
did not want to discuss the issue of mass shootings and the increasing number of
firearm fatalities. With their turned off, they held a rally in the building and
spoke with bullhorns.
For doing this, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson were
expelled from the legislature. Gloria Johnson was not. Asked why she wasn’t
expelled, she said: “The reason is pretty clear. I’m a 60 year old White woman
and they are two young Black men.”
VI. The Tennessee House has only expelled two state
representatives in the last 157 years. One in 1980 for taking a bribe while in
office, and one in 2016 over allegations of sexual harassment.
In the past, representatives have been guilty of
domestic violence and child molestation, but they were not expelled. One
representative unzipped his pants and peed on another representative’s chair,
but he was not expelled. The current speaker of the Tennessee House is under
Federal investigation — but he will not be expelled.
VII. Representative Justin Pearson was given a few
minutes to speak before he was removed from the chamber. He said: “What I can
say to you is that the movement for justice can never die — because the heart
for justice can never be killed.”
“We’ve got good news that Sunday always comes!
Resurrection is a promise! And it is a prophecy!
It is a prophecy that came out of the cotton fields.
It is a prophecy that came out of the lynching tree.
It is a prophecy that still lives in every one of us
in order to make the state of Tennessee the place that it ought to be. And I’ve
still got hope BECAUSE I KNOW we are still here and we will never quit!”
VIII. Hallelujah! THAT WAS THE RISEN JESUS SPEAKING
THROUGH REPRESENTATIVE JUSTIN PEARSON IN NASHVILLE.
Jesus spoke last week in Nashville through State
representatives Justin Pearson, Justin Jones and Gloria Johnson.
AND JESUS CHRIST HAS BIG PLANS TO SPEAK AND WORK
THROUGH US, doing good and healing all
who are under the power of the Devil —
Because he is risen from the dead! Hallelujah!