Ever-Flowing Life Of Easter

Turn your Bibles to 2 Corinthians 5: 14-15

Title: Ever-Flowing Life of Easter

Theme: Restoring Spiritual Life This Easter

Introduction: When Jesus was crucified on the Cross, and was raised again on the third day, He got victory over sin and death and that purchased the abundant life in Christ which is available to all who will but surrender to His Lordship.

The Apostle Paul, moved by the Holy Spirit wrote a powerful truth that should govern the lives of all Christians who desire to enjoy the “Ever-flowing Life of Easter,”

Listen as I read 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15) Pray!

Proposition: I would propose that Easter has a whole lot more for you than just a special Sunday for family meals. Easter is about coming alive.

The heart that understands what Jesus accomplished on the first Easter births forth a “Life Filled with Meaning,” and “Life Freed by Grace.”

Transitional Sentence: We live in an area that if we are willing to work hard we can enjoy pleasure, money, acceptance, recognition, position, possessions, and recreation. And compared to many parts of the world, we really do have the good life.

“The Good Life” has a way of hiding the truth for a while, which is that life that is not supposed to work unless it is Christ-centered. A Christ-centered life is lived by allowing the Holy Spirit of God to move you to live in a way that shows God’s grace upon your life. A Christ-centered life reflects a heart that is concerned about the testimony of Jesus among those who claim His name.

Interrogative Sentence: What is the “New Life” that Jesus offers? The life that reflects all that Christ purchased for the children of God.

Transitional Sentence: The Word of God has some good news. There is an antidote. It is called the “New Creation.” Living as a new man in Christ will enable you to live a “Life with Real Meaning.” The greatest tragedy in life is not death, it is to go through your entire life without knowing and living out your purpose.

The Easter Story is God taking a life which was being spent on self, the pleasures of this world and was blinded by the devil, and turning it around to achieve all of His good purposes.

You will find the real meaning of your life as you let the same Holy Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwell within your heart. Allowing Christ to be both Savior and Lord of your life literally brings your soul, which was once dead in sin, back to life. The apostle Paul gives us this exhortation, “And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you.”…. (Rom. 8:11)

Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians is also for us today, “I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. (Eph. 3:16-17)

One of the secrets to finding meaning in this life that satisfies the soul is to understand what God’ means in regards to having Christ dwell in your hearts. To “dwell” (katoikeo) means to give Christ full permission to take up full residence by His Spirit in your heart. (Zodhiates) It means to literally “house down.”

The idea is of letting Christ come into your heart and life that He may be a ruling master, so that He may take every part of your body and life and use it for His Father’s purposes. Your first and most important meaning of being created is that you become an inhabitation of the Lord, reflecting the likeness of Christ through all you do. You are created for His glory not your own.

What God is saying, “Let Me tell you what your purpose for living is and then you can start to enjoy your life.” This is why the Holy Spirit moved the apostle to write, “And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.” (2 Corinthians 5:15)

Pastor Rick Warren told a story of a couple who knew that their purpose was to serve the Lord in all they did, found real meaning for their lives, and enjoyed the benefits of it. This true story finds its place in Bodaga Bay, just north of San Francisco. In this town was a Christian couple who owned and ran a little deli in a store. There also lived a homeless man, in fact he was considered to be the town tramp, his name was Garland. Garland dressed poorly, acted a little strange and slept in the city park.