THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION
LUKE 24:1-12
EASTER SUNDAY 3/23/2008
INTRO
LUKE 24:1-12
I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU BUT I SURE HAVE BEEN BUSY DOING EASTER STUFF.
AT CHRISTMAS, WE CELEBRATE THE BIRTH OF THE CHRIST CHILD WHO CAME TO THIS EARTH TO SAVE MANKIND. THIS MORNING WE CELEBRATE THAT THE BABY GREW TO MANHOOD, ALLOWED HIMSELF TO BE KILLED ON THE CROSS, THEY BURIED HIM IN A TOMB, SEALED THAT TOMB WITH WHAT THEY ESTIMATE AS A 2 TON ROCK, AND GOD RESURRECTED HIM ON THE THIRD DAY AND HE LIVES FOR EVERMORE, GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE WITH HIM.
THAT IS THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. THAT IS WHAT WE STAND FOR AND WHAT WE STAND ON.
CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS
HE WAS BURIED
HE WAS RAISED ON THE THIRD DAY BY GOD THE FATHER.
HE WAS RESURRECTED AND APPEARED BEFORE OVER 500 PEOPLE
TAKE ANY OF THAT AWAY AND WE COULD NOT HAVE AND SPEND ETERNITY WITH OUR LORD.
THE RESURRECTION IS WHY WE ARE HERE TODAY. IT GIVES US HOPE, ENCOURAGEMENT, STRENGTH.
HOLY WEEK IS ALL THE THINGS THAT TOOK PLACE DURING THE LAST WEEK OF JESUS LIFE TO GET US TO RESURRECTION SUNDAY.
WE HAVE HAD 3 SERVICES AVAILABLE FOR YOU TO BE A PART OF AND A LOT OF YOU TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THEM.
MAUNDY THURSDAY :
IS THE NIGHT OF THE LAST SUPPER , THE NIGHT JUDAS BETRAYS THE LORD AND SELLS HIM OUT FOR 30 PIECES OF SILVER.
FRIDAY IS THE DAY THAT JESUS IS CRUCIFIED AND LAID TO REST IN JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA’S TOMB.
SATURDAY IS THE DAY THAT JESUS CHRIST WENT INTO THE DEPTHS OF HELL AND STOLE THE KEYS FROM SATAN AND WE GOT VICTORY FROM DEATH OF THE GRAVE
SUNDAY WAS THE DAY THEY FOUND THE TOMB EMPTY AND THE DAY JESUS WAS RESURRECTED TO LIFE AND BECAUSE OF HIM BEING RESURRECTED WE CAN ALSO BY PUTTING OUR FAITH IN HIM HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.
SOME PEOPLE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE RESURRECTION , THEY CLAIMED TO BELIEVE IN GOD, BU NOT IN MIRACLES, NOT IN A GOD THAT CAN DO IMPOSSIBLE THINGS. THEY MUST BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND ALL ASPECTS OF THE GOD THEY SERVE.
ILLUSTRATION- ON A TALK SHOW, A CALLER(BEWILDERED) CALLS IN AND SAYS:
OUR PREACHER SAID ON EASTER, THAT JESUS JUST SWOONED ON THE CROSS AND THAT THE DISCIPLES NURSED HIM BACK TO HEALTH. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
SWOONED IS A NOT CONSCIENCE STATE BUT YOU ARE NOT DEAD.
ANSWER TO BEWILDERED:
BEAT YOUR PASTOR WITH A CAT-OF-NINE TAILS 39 HEAVY STROKES, NAIL HIM TO A CROSS; HANG HIM IN THE SUN FOR 6 HOURS; RUN A SPHERE THROUGH HIS SIDE; EMBALM HIM; PUT HIM IN A AIRLESS TOMB FOR 36 HOURS AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
WE SING THE SONG UP FROM THE GRAVE HE AROSE:
UP FROM THE GRAVE HE AROSE
WITH A MIGHTY TRIUMPH O’ER HIS FOES
HE AROSE A VICTOR FROM THE DARK DOMAIN
AND HE LIVES FOR EVER WITH HIS SAINTS TO REIGN
HE AROSE, HE AROSE, HALLELUJAH CHRIST AROSE
I WANT TO TAKE A MINUTE AND JUST LOOK AT THE EMPTY TOMB AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR US
CHRIST PAID THE DEBT , BUT HIS SACRIFICE ON THE CROSS MEANS NOTHING IF HE POSSESSES NO POWER OVER THE GRAVE.
IF CHRIST WAS NOT RESURRECTED , HE WOULD BE LIKE MANY OTHER PEOPLE WHO CLAIM TO BE A GOD.
JESUS HAS BEEN RESURRECTED TO LIFE- GIVING US THE ABILITY BY ACCEPTING HIS SALVATION TO BE RESURRECTED TO ETERNAL LIFE ALSO.
IT WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT THAT THEY CAME BACK TO THE TOMB. ALL THE GOSPELS GIVE THEIR ACCOUNT OF HOW AND WHO RETURNED TO THE TOMB TO FIND IT EMPTY.
YOU SEE IT IS NOT ABOUT THE STONE BEING ROLLED AWAY.
GOD CAN AND DID ROLL THE STONE OUT OF THE WAY.
THE STONE WAS NOT MOVED SO JESUS COULD GET OUT,
THE STONE WAS MOVED SO WE COULD SEE WHAT GOD THE FATHER HAD DONE.
EASTER IS ABOUT JESUS GETTING VICTORY OVER DEATH, IT IS ABOUT JESUS THE MESSIAH PAYING FOR THE SINS OF MANKIND, AND HIM BEING RESURRECTED BACK TO LIVE.
HE HAD TO GO TO THE CROSS, HE HAD TO DIE, HE HAD TO BE RESURRECTED.
EACH ONE OF US HAS TO COME TO THE EMPTY TOMB AND REALIZE THAT HE IS RISEN.
WHEN THEY CAME TO THE EMPTY TOMB,
Verse 8 THEN THEY REALIZED HIS WORDS.
V7- THE SON OF MAN MUST BE DELIVERED INTO THE HANDS OF THE SINFUL MEN, BE CRUCIFIED AND ON THE THIRD DAY BE RAISED AGAIN.
MERELY RECOGNIZING THAT HE DIED FOR US IS NOT ENOUGH, WE MUST EXCEPT THE RESURRECTION TO RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE.
1 THES.. 4;16-18-
FOR THE LORD HIMSELF WILL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN WITH A SHOUT, WITH THE VOICE OF THE ARCHANGEL, AND WITH THE TRUMPET OF GOD, AND THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RAISE FIRST, THEN WE WHO ARE ALIVE AND REMAIN SHALL BE CAUGHT UP TOGETHER WITH THEM IN THE CLOUDS TO MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR, AND THEN WE SHALL ALWAYS BE WITH THE LORD.
REV. 1:17-18-
I AM THE FIRST AND THE LAST, I AM THE LIVING ONE WHO BECAME DEAD AND, BEHOLD, I AM ALIVE FOR EVERMORE.
1 CORINTHIANS 15:1-6 READ FROM BIBLE
V 50-52- READ FROM THE BIBLE
THE STONE DID NOT STOP HIS RESURRECTION
THE SEALED TOMB DID NOT STOP HIS RESURRECTION
THE SOLDIERS DID NOT STOP HIS RESURRECTION
THE RESURRECTION HAPPENED
ILLUSTRATION:
OPRAH HAS OFFERED A YEAR LONG COURSE ON THE NEW AGE TEACHINGS- 365 LESSONS FOR EACH DAY OF YOUR DEVOTIONS.
SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:
DON’T CLING TO THE OLD RUGGED CROSS.
ONENESS WITH THE CREATOR AND CREATION IS WHOLENESS, AND IS YOUR POWER.
GOD IS IN EVERYTHING.
THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST IS BUT A SYMBOL, IT IS A SYMBOL THAT IS USED AS A REPLACEMENT FOR THE MANY GODS TO WHICH YOU PRAY.
THE JOURNEY TO THE CROSS IS USELESS.
CHRIST DEATH HAS NO MEANING.
SHE WANTS YOU TO RETHINK EVERYTHING YOU BELIEVE IN GOD AND LIFE.
I THINK THE RETHINK STINKS-
I THINK IT IS MIND TRAINING, AND IS DEDICATED TO TAKE YOU AWAY FROM GOD.
EASTER IS ABOUT NEW LIFE. JESUS DEFEATED THE FORCES OF DEATH AND HIS GREAT LOVE HE CALLS EACH OF US BY NAME AND INVITES US TO NEW LIFE.
THE EMPTY TOMB PROVES THAT CHRIST WAS RAISED BODILY FROM THE GRAVE.
COME SEE THE PLACE WHERE THE LORD LAID
IT IS FINISHED, IT IS FINISHED, IT IS FINISHED
HE IS RISEN, HE HAS RISEN INDEED
LUKE 24:38-39 READ FROM THE BIBLE
I AM REAL, TASTE AND KNOW THAT I AM GOOD
SEEK AND YOU SHALL FIND
KNOCK AND THE DOOR WILL BE OPENED
CLOSING:
DO YOU KNOW JESUS?
DON’T LEAVE HERE THIS MORNING WITHOUT ASKING HIM TO FORGIVE YOUR SINS AND BECOME A CHILD OF GOD.
WILL YOU GIVE HIM YOUR LIFE THIS MORNING?
HE IS WANTING TO HEAR FROM YOU THIS MORNING?
I WANT TO LEAVE HERE THIS MORNING WITH A RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD?
ANYONE HERE THIS MORNING, THAT WOULD RAISE THEIR HANDS AND SAY PASTOR, WILL YOU PRAY FOR ME?
ALTAR CALL
