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!