Introduction
· Read John 20:1-18
· The resurrection of Jesus Christ is one of the central points of Christianity and the basis of our faith.
· This Easter morning, I want to share with you how the resurrection affects our lives and what does it mean for us today.
· The Word has (3) key purposes
o It reveals who God is
o It reveals who man is
o It reveals what God wants to do in and through man
· The resurrection power is still working in our lives from some 2000 years ago. Jesus’ obedience brought about the event.
· Paul said something unique, I want to experience His resurrection power, I want to have that power working in me. (NKJV) Philippians 3 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
· The purpose of the message this morning that we may all, like Paul, begin to experience the resurrection power in our lives
· We will look at four key points this morning on the Resurrection Power of Jesus.
1. It is a Converting Power
a. Man has a problem with sin (disobedience to God).
b. The bible says that mans disobedience or sin separated us from God and there was nothing we could do to change the problem. Our works, our desire, nothing of ourselves could bring us back into relationship with God.
(NKJV) Romans 3 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
(NKJV) 1 John 1 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
c. So, what was the solution? JESUS. He came to earth, lived a sinless life, gave His life and was resurrected all to bring me and you back into fellowship with God.
d. Through His resurrection, we are given the opportunity to be changed and come back to God.
(NKJV) Ephesians 2 1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
e. The word convert means to change the state of (Like water – liquid, gas, solid – it is all water but it has a different states). When we come to Jesus, we are still a person just like everyone else but we have a different state. We have been saved, our life is different, and we do not live as everyone else lives.
f. To be converted, all we have to do is believe, confess, repent and receive - John 3:16
2. It is a Conquering Power
a. To conquer means to subdue, to win; to overcome by force.
b. There was a lot that Jesus conquered and overcome on our behalf by the power of His Resurrection.
c. The bible declares that on third day Jesus was resurrected from the grave. Death, hell and the grave could not hold Him, no matter how hard the enemy tried, Jesus could not be stopped.
d. As Christians, we must walk in the resurrection power that cannot be stopped, a conquering power.
(NKJV) Romans 8 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
e. There is no storm, no valley, no attack, and no need, which God cannot handle.
(NKJV) Ephesians 1 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
3. It is a Conforming Power
(NKJV) Romans 12 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
a. The process of conforming begins when you first receive Jesus. The Word challenges us to be conformed to Christ and not to the world.
b. The bible uses the idea of clay to reveal this aspect of God’s plan. We are to be workable in His hand, just as the clay is molded in the hands of the potter so we are molded in God’s hand.
(NKJV) Philippians 1 6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
c. How does the resurrection power conform us? It convicts, it confronts and it consumes.
4. It is a Confirming Power
a. To confirm means to establish or support the truth of something.
b. The resurrection power of God confirms that just as Jesus was resurrected, so we to will be resurrected. Just as death could not hold Jesus, so death will not be able to hold our mortal bodies.
(NKJV) 1 Corinthians 15: 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “ O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
c. There is coming a day when we will be with God in a glorified state and we will be with Him forever. When we die we immediately go to be with the Lord but on resurrection day (rapture day), our bodies will come up out of the grave if we have died or if we are alive our bodies will be instantly changed. Either way our bodies will take on immortality and be perfect in every way.
Conclusion
· God wants us to experience Jesus’ resurrection power in our lives.
· It is an available power and a necessary power in these evil days we live in.
· The key to walking in the power is found in knowing (revelation, not head knowledge) and believing the Word of God.
· There are people here this morning that need to experience Christ’s resurrection power – salvation, sickness, family problems, spiritual problems, financial problems etc.
· Today, receive the resurrection power in the situations you face. What was accomplished at Calvary through the cross, the death and resurrection of Jesus will work for you this day.
· Let us be like Paul today, forsaking everything else that we might experience His resurrection power.
· Let’s pray.
Salvation Call
