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The Easter Door Series
Contributed by Steve Malone on May 16, 2008 (message contributor)
Summary: The kick off message for our ’One Month To Live’ Campaign. In this message I talk about the 3 doors, the Door Of: Forgiveness, Restoration and Hope.
The Easter Door
One Month To Live
I’M SURE - you’ve noticed that we have a door on the stage. NOW - whenever you walk through a door you’re going from one place to another. AND - as you walk through a door you have certain emotions, depending on what’s on the other side of the door. WHEN - you walk through some doors you may have a feeling of excitement or joy. WHEN - you walk through other doors you may have a sense of anxiety or of fear. AGAIN - it all depends on what’s on the other side of the door.
THINK ABOUT – the various doors you walk through on a regular basis… AND - the emotions they create within you. QUESTION – what emotions do you feel (picture these doors in your mind) when you walk through the door to:
• your home
• your room
• a sports arena or stadium
• a movie theatre
• your favorite restaurant
• your best friends house
• your school or the class you dislike the most
• your place of employment (kind of depends on whether or not you are coming or going).
• Your bosses office
• a mall (a feel I need some oxygen – malls suck the life out of me)
• your dentist office for your annual cleaning
HOW ABOUT – the doors to the church… What emotions did you feel when you walked through the doors of the church a few moments ago: Did you feel:
• a sense of excitement?
• a sense of anticipation?
• did you feel pumped up – because it’s Easter/Resurrection Sunday! And your Savior is alive!
• or did you feel a little uneasy, because this is your first Sunday at SE or it’s been awhile since you’ve been in church and you are not sure what to expect? Will I like the music? Will the people be nice? Will I have to do anything weird?
NOW - the reason we chose a door as the prop for Easter this year is because when you think about it Easter is all about A DOOR! UNDERSTAND - Two thousand years ago, God the Son (the alpha and omega… the beginning and the end… the prince of peace, the everlasting Father, the Mighty God) LEFT - all the glories of heaven, put on human flesh (accepting it’s limitations) and walked through the door of human history… OR – should I say, walked through the door of HIS STORY…
UNDERSTAND – all of human history, every bit of it is REALLY ‘His’ Story. IN – the beginning God CREATED everything. AND LISTEN SINCE – the dawn of creation the overriding theme of human History has been God’s passionate pursuit of a prodigal people. HAS BEN – the story of a loving God doing whatever it takes to bring people back to Himself.
That’s why Easter is the focal point of all history – because Jesus Christ (Our king who came to bring us back to him) is the focal point of all human history (think about it all time revolves around Him. BC/AD. Every time you date a check, print a calendar… every time this unbelieving world puts a date on a news paper or magazine they are bearing witness to Him… YOU SEE - History just cannot get away from Him). That’s why 2000 years later over 2 billion people all around the world are celebrating His Resurrection this weekend. AND OUR GOAL – this Easter, is to help you find your place in His story.