WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.700 --> 00:00:05.100 Grace and peace to you from God, our Father our Lord 2 00:00:05.100 --> 00:00:11.500 Jesus Christ. In the name of the Father the Son and Holy Spirit one 3 00:00:11.500 --> 00:00:12.900 true God. Amen. 4 00:00:15.300 --> 00:00:16.900 The title of my 5 00:00:18.400 --> 00:00:25.700 short message today is living as a resurrected people in Christ. 6 00:00:27.800 --> 00:00:33.000 Two weeks ago, we celebrated the Resurrection Sunday and began 7 00:00:33.400 --> 00:00:36.200 what is called Easter season. 8 00:00:37.300 --> 00:00:43.600 It lasts five Sundays, taking us up to the Ascension and to Pentecost. 9 00:00:45.200 --> 00:00:50.100 On each of these Sundays, the lesson point us to what it means to live 10 00:00:50.100 --> 00:00:53.700 out new life in Christ. 11 00:00:55.500 --> 00:01:01.500 In the ancient Church, the Christian Community celebrated Easter for a 12 00:01:01.500 --> 00:01:02.400 whole week 13 00:01:03.300 --> 00:01:04.700 not only on Sunday. 14 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:08.400 The focus of their week-long 15 00:01:08.400 --> 00:01:17.200 Resurrection was on those who were newly baptized at the Easter Vigil. 16 00:01:18.500 --> 00:01:23.600 Those new Christian would wear white baptismal robes through the whole 17 00:01:23.600 --> 00:01:25.500 week. Th already 18 00:01:25.500 --> 00:01:31.900 baptized brothers and sisters would remember their baptism and the joy 19 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:34.800 of being new in Christ. 20 00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:39.600 And then, at the end of the Easter week, the new Christian would be 21 00:01:39.600 --> 00:01:45.000 gathered together with the church and they would take off the white 22 00:01:45.000 --> 00:01:45.500 robe. 23 00:01:46.700 --> 00:01:51.500 They would be back in their everyday street clothes. 24 00:01:53.100 --> 00:01:58.100 But the priest or the bishop, or the pastor would exhort them using 25 00:01:58.400 --> 00:02:00.000 Saint Paul word 26 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:03.000 in Galatians, chapter 3, verses 27. 27 00:02:04.300 --> 00:02:12.500 All you who are baptized in Christ, have put on Christ. 28 00:02:14.200 --> 00:02:18.500 The point was to remind them that even though they were taking off 29 00:02:19.100 --> 00:02:26.000 those white robes, and going back to their normal work day lives, even 30 00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:29.800 though they're great, Festival of Easter was over. 31 00:02:30.400 --> 00:02:33.700 They were to continue to be Easter 32 00:02:33.700 --> 00:02:35.900 people a resurrected people. 33 00:02:36.500 --> 00:02:41.800 There were to be faithful in living out their new life in Christ. 34 00:02:43.500 --> 00:02:50.400 One of the most important celebrations in Easter is the great Easter 35 00:02:50.900 --> 00:02:51.500 vigil. 36 00:02:52.700 --> 00:02:56.700 It is the central celebration of the Easter season. 37 00:02:57.400 --> 00:02:59.800 It is what lead us from good Friday 38 00:03:00.200 --> 00:03:06.600 into Easter Sunday. It does that in part by taking us back to our 39 00:03:06.700 --> 00:03:07.500 baptism. 40 00:03:08.700 --> 00:03:13.200 As part of the visual, we read through the Old Testament to recall 41 00:03:13.500 --> 00:03:16.100 the redemption God has accomplished for us. 42 00:03:17.100 --> 00:03:21.700 Then we gather at the baptismal font and renew the vows 43 00:03:22.200 --> 00:03:29.700 we took when we were baptized. And I think we did it last week, first 44 00:03:29.700 --> 00:03:35.400 week after, when we consecrated the the candle there. 45 00:03:36.500 --> 00:03:41.500 This is an ancient not only Doctor Vieker created this. 46 00:03:43.800 --> 00:03:45.000 So, it's an ancient one. 47 00:03:46.700 --> 00:03:52.400 When we were baptized, we were asked, or our sponsor were asked on our 48 00:03:52.400 --> 00:03:53.100 behalf. 49 00:03:54.000 --> 00:03:56.800 Do you renounce, the devil and all his work? 50 00:03:57.100 --> 00:04:01.100 The empty display and the false value of the world and the sinful 51 00:04:01.100 --> 00:04:06.400 desire of the flesh? So that you will not follow nor be led by them. 52 00:04:07.400 --> 00:04:09.100 And each of us answered. 53 00:04:09.800 --> 00:04:13.500 I renounce them all. Saturday night 54 00:04:13.500 --> 00:04:16.899 as we prepare for Easter, we were asked, again. 55 00:04:17.700 --> 00:04:24.500 Do you reaffirm your renunciation of evil and renew your commitment to 56 00:04:24.500 --> 00:04:25.300 Christ? 57 00:04:26.200 --> 00:04:29.600 And each answer I do. 58 00:04:31.900 --> 00:04:37.100 1.600 years ago, Saint Augustine, preached to his congregation about 59 00:04:37.100 --> 00:04:40.800 their baptismal pledge and commitment to renounce 60 00:04:40.800 --> 00:04:41.400 the devil. 61 00:04:42.200 --> 00:04:48.500 He reminded them and this is I remind to all of us, and I quote. 62 00:04:49.900 --> 00:04:54.600 You did not renounce, the devil in the presence of men, but in the 63 00:04:54.600 --> 00:05:00.200 sight of God and angels. Nor do you renounce, the devil, merely by 64 00:05:00.200 --> 00:05:04.300 words, but by the works, you perform. 65 00:05:05.000 --> 00:05:12.100 Never forget that you are at warfare with a cunning and ancient enemy. 66 00:05:13.000 --> 00:05:15.700 How many of us sing songs of praise on Sunday? 67 00:05:16.200 --> 00:05:19.400 Come to the Lord's table to partake of his body and blood? 68 00:05:19.800 --> 00:05:26.800 Committing ourselves to him and then walk out those doors and go back 69 00:05:26.800 --> 00:05:31.400 to living unregenerated lives 70 00:05:31.900 --> 00:05:33.000 and of God. 71 00:05:35.000 --> 00:05:39.000 Our baptismal, vows expresses, the reality of the new life 72 00:05:39.000 --> 00:05:40.500 Jesus has given us. 73 00:05:41.300 --> 00:05:46.500 And if we would remember those vows, if we will, if we would live by 74 00:05:46.500 --> 00:05:51.100 them, trusting in the world, Jesus did at the cross to give us a new 75 00:05:51.100 --> 00:05:51.700 life. 76 00:05:52.500 --> 00:05:59.300 We would be truly a resurrected people or an Easter people. 77 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:05.800 We would be truly different, and we would have a bright light to hold 78 00:06:05.800 --> 00:06:06.200 up 79 00:06:06.200 --> 00:06:10.100 when we are out in the dark world. 80 00:06:11.000 --> 00:06:16.400 This is why, when someone is baptized, we give them a candle. The 81 00:06:16.400 --> 00:06:21.600 Candle is lit from the Paschal candle from the Easter flame, that 82 00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:27.600 present the light of Christ in our midst and it is delivered with 83 00:06:27.600 --> 00:06:28.900 these words. 84 00:06:29.700 --> 00:06:37.700 Receive these lighted candle and keep your baptism above reproach. 85 00:06:38.600 --> 00:06:43.400 We take that candle and let it burn for a minute or two, and then blew 86 00:06:43.400 --> 00:06:44.100 it on 87 00:06:44.100 --> 00:06:47.500 go back to our seat, as a service continue. 88 00:06:49.200 --> 00:06:54.000 Easter is the fulfillment of the Old Testament types, and shadow, that 89 00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:56.500 was given to the people in the Passover. 90 00:06:57.800 --> 00:07:06.700 One of the practices of the Old Testament is the Lord asked the people 91 00:07:07.200 --> 00:07:13.800 to leaven their bread or to eat and unleavened bread. 92 00:07:14.500 --> 00:07:18.300 Paul in the First Corinthian comments on this. 93 00:07:19.100 --> 00:07:20.300 And this is what he said. 94 00:07:20.300 --> 00:07:22.200 First Corinthians 5:6-8. 95 00:07:24.700 --> 00:07:26.200 Do you not know that 96 00:07:26.200 --> 00:07:33.000 a little leaven leavens, the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old 97 00:07:33.000 --> 00:07:36.900 leaven so that you may be a new lump. 98 00:07:37.900 --> 00:07:42.600 Just as you are, in fact, unleavened. For Christ 99 00:07:42.800 --> 00:07:46.400 our Passover also has been sacrificed. 100 00:07:47.200 --> 00:07:54.300 Therefore, let us celebrate the feast not with old leaven nor with the 101 00:07:54.300 --> 00:08:00.400 leaven of malice and wickedness, but with unleavened bread of 102 00:08:00.700 --> 00:08:03.200 sincerity and truth. 103 00:08:05.300 --> 00:08:07.400 Jesus has redeemed us at the cross. 104 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:13.000 Jesus has washed us clean and has given us his grace. 105 00:08:13.900 --> 00:08:18.500 So, as we hear his word, as we received his sacraments, as we are 106 00:08:18.500 --> 00:08:24.700 united with, and in fellowship with his body, and most of all, as his 107 00:08:24.700 --> 00:08:30.900 Spirit works in us to make us, holy, he expect us to get rid of the 108 00:08:31.200 --> 00:08:34.900 leaven of sin. To get rid of the things that 109 00:08:35.100 --> 00:08:41.400 drag us down that causes us to stumble and to instead learn to be 110 00:08:41.600 --> 00:08:42.600 obedient. 111 00:08:43.900 --> 00:08:48.600 That's the Easter message. Easter is the cleaning out of sins leaven 112 00:08:49.400 --> 00:08:51.500 and it should not be something we do 113 00:08:53.000 --> 00:08:59.300 only it's spring as Easter come, but something we do everyday. 114 00:09:00.200 --> 00:09:05.600 Think it think of it this way. When the Jews sacrifice the Passover 115 00:09:05.600 --> 00:09:09.600 Lamb, they had to remove the leaven from their houses for a week. 116 00:09:10.500 --> 00:09:11.100 Jesus 117 00:09:11.100 --> 00:09:16.800 the true Passover lamb has now been sacrificed for us once for all 118 00:09:16.800 --> 00:09:18.100 time sacrifice. 119 00:09:19.000 --> 00:09:24.100 Therefore, let us keep the feast the Eternal Passover. 120 00:09:24.700 --> 00:09:29.800 Not by living full of malice and wickedness, but by living in the 121 00:09:30.000 --> 00:09:35.400 the grace of God every day so that we can feed and nourish ourselves 122 00:09:35.600 --> 00:09:38.000 on sincerity and truth. 123 00:09:39.000 --> 00:09:44.400 That's why Paul urges the churches of Colossian to live as people who 124 00:09:44.400 --> 00:09:48.800 has been raised with Christ, Colossians 3:1-2. 125 00:09:49.100 --> 00:09:54.100 He said, if you have been raised with Christ seek, the things that are 126 00:09:54.100 --> 00:09:59.400 above where Christ is seated, at the right hand of God. Set your mind 127 00:09:59.400 --> 00:10:04.400 on things that are above not on things that are on Earth. 128 00:10:05.400 --> 00:10:08.100 The Easter message is the good news of the gospel. 129 00:10:08.700 --> 00:10:13.600 And so Easter, is the is the dividing line between the old man of the 130 00:10:13.600 --> 00:10:17.100 flesh and the new man of the Spirit. 131 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:19.100 That's why also 132 00:10:19.100 --> 00:10:28.500 Paul warns us examine your self, examine your life. And let me close 133 00:10:28.500 --> 00:10:32.300 with this illustration that help us examine our lives. 134 00:10:34.800 --> 00:10:39.500 For example, when we make our renovation or improvement of our Earthly 135 00:10:39.500 --> 00:10:39.900 home. 136 00:10:41.000 --> 00:10:44.000 We first need to pull things down before we build. 137 00:10:45.000 --> 00:10:49.700 The same thing happened when we make renovation of our life, Paul 138 00:10:49.900 --> 00:10:53.100 reminds us that we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. 139 00:10:53.800 --> 00:10:58.500 So in order to improve our renovate, our life, we start by pulling 140 00:10:58.500 --> 00:11:04.100 things down so that we can build them back on the grace of Easter. 141 00:11:05.100 --> 00:11:08.900 This process of pulling down and building need two important 142 00:11:08.900 --> 00:11:09.400 things. 143 00:11:09.900 --> 00:11:10.600 Number one. 144 00:11:10.900 --> 00:11:14.100 We need to lay a strong foundation. 145 00:11:15.400 --> 00:11:21.000 Number two, we need to take advantage of the means of Grace that God 146 00:11:21.300 --> 00:11:25.500 gives us so that we can perseveres. 147 00:11:26.500 --> 00:11:31.700 I pray that the Holy Spirit gives us knowledge to see what we need to 148 00:11:31.700 --> 00:11:36.000 pull down throw it away to make room for the Spirit of the 149 00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:42.400 resurrected Christ to renovate and improve our spiritual life. 150 00:11:43.300 --> 00:11:43.800 Amen.