A Past Forgiven, A Life Worth Living, A Future In Heaven!

(1 Pet 1:3 NKJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

(1 Pet 1:4 NKJV) to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,

From this brief but powerful text we are going to discover three things the Resurrection of Jesus Christ provides:

* A past forgiven

* A life worth living

* A future in heaven

1.) A Past Forgiven!

Most of us have done things that we now regret doing. As much as you have tried to put that thing behind you every now and then it rears its ugly head. Perhaps some of us have daily reminders of those things that have regretted doing.

I am reminded of that Volkswagen commercial where the man gets a phone call from himself in the future. His future self tells him not to take that job in Boston. Then his future self tells him to buy the Volkswagen Passat. And before he gets off the phone, his future self says to him, “When you meet Becky run!” He was trying to keep himself from doing things that he would regret in the future!

I have come to let you know today that because Jesus Christ died and was raised from the dead that we can have a past forgiven.

The sinful woman of Luke 7:36:

(Luke 7:36 NKJV) Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat.

(Luke 7:37 NKJV) And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil,

The implication in verse two was that this woman was a sinner--she was a prostitute. She was literally "sleeping around." She had known and served many a man.

(Luke 7:38 NKJV) and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.

(Luke 7:39 NKJV) Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."

(Luke 7:44 NKJV) Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.

(Luke 7:45 NKJV) "You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.

(Luke 7:46 NKJV) "You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.

(Luke 7:47 NKJV) "Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."

(Luke 7:48 NKJV) Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

(Luke 7:49 NKJV) And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"

(Luke 7:50 NKJV) Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."

This woman, whose sins were many, was forgiven! Her past had been forgiven!

Zacchaeus, the Greedy IRS Tax Man

(Luke 19:1 NKJV) Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

(Luke 19:2 NKJV) Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.

Zacchaeus was rich because he had lined his pockets with kickbacks from people who paid his to keep their little secrets. He was also lining his pockets with monies he was allowed to keep as Rome allowed him to take a percentage of all the taxes he collected from the Jews.

(Luke 19:3 NKJV) And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.

(Luke 19:4 NKJV) So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.

(Luke 19:5 NKJV) And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house."

(Luke 19:6 NKJV) So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.

(Luke 19:7 NKJV) But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."