The Resurrection Power

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.