The Invitation: Easter 2023

Introduction:

Have you ever recieved an invitation to something that you couldn’t wait for! Maybe it was an invitation to a birthday party as a child and the night before you couldn't sleep with anticipation of the party you were going to get to go to the next day. Invitations have a way of impacting us.

Maybe you are here today because someone invited you. You got a card, a text message or a verbal invite. Again, an invite has a way of impacting us.

Today we are going to talk about a story that invites us to do something. To believe something. Some would say this is the greatest story every told.

Its the story of God, coming down in human form. Living the perfect life. The life we couldn't live. Dyeing a brutal death for our sins. The death we should have died. Then defeating sin and death by raising on the 3rd day Ascending in to heaven and one day we will return.

A beautiful, life changing and transforming story.

The Story

Look at how one of Jesus apostles, one of his close followers named Paul put it in 1 Corinthians 15:1-7

1 Corinthians 15:1–7 NLT

1 Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. 2 It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place. 3 I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. 5 He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. 6 After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7 Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles.

The invitation of the Gospel

In the Gospel we are invited to remember. Paul says let me now remind you dear brothers and sisters of this Good news. That word Gospel simply means good news.

But we are also invited to receive and welcome that message. Another way of putting that is that we believe and have faith in that message. This is a crucial part of our interaction with the gospel. It’s not enough to just hear the story but that we would receive and welcome this story as true.

Paul then says that we stand firm in: We are invited to not only believe, but in the moments of difficulty in life to stand firm. To be deeply rooted and grounded on the gospel. Because this is the only good news, the only story that can save us.

The invitation to salvation here is crucial. When Paul says if you continue to believe the message and then finishes by saying unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.” What he is communicating is that sometimes we can deceive ourselves into believing a part of the good news, or even a false good news that actually can’t save us.

When we here the story of Jesus. It’s easy to believe that he lived a good or even perfect life. Most people who aren’t Christians would say that Jesus was a good moral teacher. They may even say that he died an unjust death. I think most of us in this room would be comfortable in saying that Jesus died for our sins. However where it gets a bit more controversial and where a non-believers would stop and say,” I can believe a lot of things about Jesus but I just can’t believe that he resurrected from the dead. “Dead people don’t come back to life. But what Paul is reminding the people in this church whom he’s written the letter to is that if we are going to believe in Jesus we need to believe in the whole story.

The first Part of that story is

Jesus’ Death. - Part 1

As Paul says I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins just as scripture says.

The scripture tells us that we live in a broken and fallen world. But not only is the world broken and fallen. We are broken and fallen as well. Our nature, as much as we try to run from it is fallen. We would rather make ourselves little gods then worship the one TRUE God and submit to him. Nothing we could do could live up to God’s righteous standards. Sin separated us from God. There has to be some sort of punishment and payment for our sins. Some type of ultimate sacrifice.

And so while we were still sinners God sent his son to die for us. Galatians 1:4 says that Jesus gave up his life to deliver us..

Jesus death is what wipes those sins clean. His death is the only sacrifice that could make payment for our sins and give us a right standing before God.

This is part of the story, part of redemption. Our redemption cost something. It cost a life. Jesus’ life.

Jesus’ Resurrection - Part 2

But the second part of the story is also just as important. Because anyone can die. Anyone can make a sacrifice for someone else. But that he was “buried and he was raised from the dead on the third day.” This is the triumphant miracle!

You see the devil must have been really excited the day Jesus died. He thought he won. He thought he had defeated the Holy One. In his depraved and evil mind he must have thought this is it!

Yet the scriptures of Old. The ones that Paul who writes this letter was well aquatinted with with told a different story. They told of a suffering savior that would rise again. Jesus himself says in Luke 24 “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46 And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day.”

Where the death of Jesus gives forgiveness. The resurrection of Jesus gives hope and power. That for us death is not final. We too after death will be resurrected with Christ.

This is the beauty of the resurrection story.

A story that invites us to believe, to hold on to hope and to experience God’s love.

Band transitions to: Sunday is Coming.

What a powerful retelling of Good News.

If you will go back with us to 1 Corinthians 15. You will notice the scripture we read doesn’t end with the resurrection. There is another part to this story.

Paul continues and says this:

New Living Translation Chapter 15

5 He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. 6 After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7 Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him.

Jesus’ Witnesses- Part 3

Not only did he resurrect but Paul is inviting those who hear this story to understand that this was not a made up story.

He’s trying to ease their doubt. Sometimes we struggle with doubt don’t we? Sometimes it’s hard to believe the unbelievable. To trust in the extraordinary. Yet Paul is saying that Jesus’ closest friends, Peter and those 12 apostles they saw him resurrected. They witnessed this. But not only did they witness this He was seen by more than 500 of his followers.

You know.....12 people can keep a conspiracy. But have you ever tried to get 500 people to lie about something....

It’s impossible. What Paul is trying to get us to understand is that the resurrection of Christ was not some sort of conspiracy, It wasn’t something that a few people made up. There were eye witnesses. And at the time of writing this letter some of those people were still alive. And finally Paul say even I saw him. He see Jesus after he was resurrected and had ascended to heaven. The scripture tells us that Paul (who wasn’t a believer) was on the road to a place called Damascus to kill Christians when all of a sudden he saw a bright light and heard a voice say Paul why do you persecuting me and he said who are you Lord? And the voice said I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

He has a radical encounter with Jesus and be came a witness of the resurrection.

But did you know that you and I are invited to be witnesses as well?

1 John 4:13–14 NLT

13 And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. 14 Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

If you place your faith in the message of Jesus. The scripture not only promises you forgiveness from your sins and salvation. But also that God give you his Spirit. The Holy spirit to live inside you. And that changes and transforms us and leads us to testify that this message this Good News is true. God sent his Son to be the Savior of the world!

But look at what vs 15 and 16 goes on to say:

1 John 4:15–16 ESV

15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

So our confession that Jesus is the Son of God and that he did everything he said he did leads to God abiding or having a relation ship with us and we abiding, having that relationship with him. But also it gives us the confident assurance and belief that God loves us. God is love.

So today the invitation is to experience the Love of God. Place your faith in HIM today. The one who beat sin and death. And once you have experience that then be a witness of what God has done in your life to the world around you.

Today we have 3 individuals who have experience God’s love. And today they are being obedience to God in an outward demonstration of an inward change. They will be getting baptized. They are making a public confession that Jesus Christ is the Lord of their life. They are witnesses of the Power of Jesus the one who died was buried and rose on the third day.

Transition to Baptisms - Music (Instrumental begins)

You know baptism goes hand in hand with the resurrection of Jesus. Romans 6:4-5

Romans 6:4–5 NLT

4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. 5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was.

These individuals have made a profession that they have a new life in Christ.

One final Invitation

Today you heard the story of the resurrection! You heard the good new, the Gospel. A straight forward story that invites you to believe. Today as you heard this story, God has been doing something in your heart. Maybe you realize that you’ve never placed your faith in him. And today God has never been more real to you and for the very first time you need to place your faith in him. For others of you you’ve strayed far from the Lord. It’s been a while since you’ve picked up your bible, since you’ve talked to God, since you’ve stepped foot in a church. And today you need to rededicate your life to the Lord. Or maybe there is some other spiritual decision God is inviting you to make today. It could be baptism or to the serve in a ministry here at church.

There is a card that is there in the seat in front of you. Written across the top of this card are the word Commitment Card. If God is calling you to make a commitment to him today would you fill that card out and place it in one of the baskets as you leave this morning. We’re a family here at Life Church and we want to help you as you walk through that commitment and thats why we ask for you to fill that out. This decision and commitment is first and foremost between you and God, but we also would love to be a part of helping you walk that commitment out.

So as this final song play would you go to God with whatever he is inviting you to commit to today?

Final Song