2023 Wk 19: Easter
Made New: Easter Changed Everything • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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ONE THING WE LEARNED EACH WEEK DURING THIS EASTER SERIES: Started with this thought...
Easter—Changed EVERYTHING.
Week 1. If Jesus is ALIVE—then God can be trusted, because God keeps His Word.
Only through the Resurrected Jesus do sinful people with their broken lives find the Way for a relationship with Father God, an eternal relationship.
10 And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God.
EASTER CHANGED EVERYTHING
Week 2. We are Born of God by His Passionate Love and Grace
Even though we are unique and diverse individuals we find common ground through the working of Jesus Christ, we become part of the Family of God.
12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
Looking is different than seeing.
A newborn baby maybe looking at it’s parent the first week, but at one week after birth they can only see blurry contrasting colors of black and white only about 8 to 10 inches.
Their recognition of their parent is more about feels and sounds.
At 6 weeks of age, a baby can see about 12 inches away and developing new color scheme of red. d
Truly SEEING their parent comes later.
Likewise, We may FEEL the love and the sounds surrounding us as we come and greet one another—but when we finally SEE Jesus we realize who he is and what he did for us.
EASTER CHANGED EVERYTHING
This birth comes by receiving God’s Grace.
It causes us to:
Follow His Lead
Rest in His Mercy and
Trust in His Protection
Week 3. It’s a Marathon—Not a Sprint
Forgiveness offered to us through Jesus Christ removes all our past mistakes, sins, and missteps. You are forgiven—do you believe that?
13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
He forgets what’s behind him and keeps pressing onto the prize. The finish line!
Driving through this Life is best looking through the windshield and not driving by looking into the rear view mirror.
Paul trusted God to keep running faithfully forward— for God will provide all we need to finish well as we TRUST him.
Our Maturity comes by following the gold standard… God’s Word.
So, we never quit, just because the road gets wet, slick, or there is a Muddy Road Ahead Detour!!
We keep trusting in God’s AAA!
Acceptance
Love and
Forgiveness
EASTER CHANGED EVERYTHING
LAST WEEK: LIVING WITH PURPOSE
OUR FOCUS IS LETTING GOD HAVE COMPLETE CONTROL!
I LIVE WITH PURPOSE thus I...
1-Testify to God’s Work In Me
33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all
Our role is to to advance the kingdom.
we don’t work to get
we don’t work for better acceptance
we don’t spotlight our talent to find greater recognition
WE WORK TO PROMOTE THE KINGDOM OF GOD!!
we keep testifying and sharing about how Easter Changed Everything!
WHAT DO WE SAY?
“This is who I was before I met Jesus, my risen saviour…
this is who I am now that I have met Jesus…
Now my hope lies in the fact that Jesus Christ is alive today…and
I will live with him for all eternity—eternal life.”
“NOW A NEW CHAPTER IS BEING WRITTEN IN MY LIFE! WHAT ABOUT YOU?” WHY?
THAT’S RIGHT, EASTER CHANGED EVERYTHING
I LIVE WITH PURPOSE thus I...
2-Live By Faith
20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Live by Faith is putting into practice that song sung by Carrie Underwood, “Jesus Take the Wheel”.
Let Go and let God! Everyday—All the Time.
Surly if Jesus died for you and me, took our place…surly we can follow Him?
“...So I live in this earthly body by trusting the Son of God...”
28 For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’
YES— EASTER CHANGED EVERYTHING
WE are His Children!
Since, I LIVE WITH PURPOSE thus I...
3-Lean into God’s Strength
13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Jesus endured the cross and all the suffering that went with it. Father brought Him through and He will bring you through too.
We can do ALL things, just as Jesus was raised up by the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit has been given to us.
The Holy Spirit will walk us through our grief, He will comfort us in times of loss, heal us from sickness and pain, and rescue us from bondage and addiction.
God will give you the strength to make it through.
EASTER CHANGED EVERYTHING
Since, I LIVE WITH PURPOSE thus I...
4-Renew My Mind
2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Learning a language, usually doesn’t start by learning complete phrases. It starts one letter, one sound, a syllable, a word and so on.
Renewing our mind is one thought at a time.
God Thoughts.
diving into the Word
meditating on it daily
talking to God and developing a relationship.
NOT a grocery list or a Honey Do list.
We are meant to have an active role in what God is doing today, just like Jesus.
‘I Have Decided to Follow Jesus’ is a Christian hymn originating from India. The lyrics are based on the last words of a man in Garo, Assam in 1952.
About 150 years ago, there was a great revival in Wales. As a result of this, many missionaries came to north-east India to spread the Gospel. The region known as Assam was comprised of hundreds of tribes who were primitive and aggressive head-hunters
Into these hostile and aggressive communities, came a group of missionaries from the American Baptist Missions spreading the message of love, peace and hope in Jesus Christ. Naturally, they were not welcomed. One missionary succeeded in converting a man, his wife, and two children. This man’s faith proved contagious and many villagers began to accept Christianity.
Angry, the village chief summoned all the villagers. He then called the family who had first converted to renounce their faith in public or face execution. Moved by the Holy Spirit, the man said:
“I have decided to follow Jesus.”
and they arrowed down on his two sons and they were killed.
The chief said, “You will lose your wife too.”
But the man replied:
“Though no one joins me, still I will follow.”
In the face of death the man said the final memorable lines:
“The cross before me, the world behind me. No turning back.”
He was shot dead like the rest of his family.
But with their deaths, a miracle took place.
The song is based on the last words of Nokseng, a man from Garo tribe of Assam, India. It is today the song of the Garo people.
Why?
Cause, EASTER CHANGED EVERYTHING
Since, I LIVE WITH PURPOSE thus I...
5-It’s Time for Good Works
10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
God created you and me.
He is the Creator of the Universe.
When he created you and me he simply said in Gen. 1:28 “be fruitful, multiply”
We are his “Handiwork” — that which is created by God.
that sounds pretty special!!
He created you with purpose and if we seek HIM you will find it!
This journey of faith is has corporate responsibility
we are the Body of Christ.
we are to pray for one another
challenge one another to do good things
push each other
refine one another as “iron sharpens iron”
and ultimately love one another!
When we get on this, our culture will change and those near us will want some of that too.
why? because they are God’s creation too!
yes, EASTER CHANGED EVERYTHING
Since, I LIVE WITH PURPOSE thus I...
6-Love IS the Key
30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ 31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
Jesus was asked this question about the greatest commandment, speaking of the 10 that Moses received in the wilderness… but Jesus only gives two.
Love God, Love Others.
34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.
Learning to love like Jesus is a huge part of being Made New!
it’s not easy, but it is the highest calling.
to trade our lives so that others might have life…LOVE IS THE KEY TO ALL OF IT!
EASTER CHANGED EVERYTHING
Since, I LIVE WITH PURPOSE thus I...
7-His Plans are Best
GET ARIEL— give her the card and gift.
Ariel Brown 2023 Graduate
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
Finishing 12 years of school is quite accomplishment today.
but it is just the starting place where God can use us more and more.
Above the student being proud, their parents stand the proudest in the bleachers!
God has a plan for our lives and Ariel.
we have been on the plan all this time.
this community of Faith is among our building blocks.
God is Faithful
God knows Best
God knows you!! and me!!
He has placed and will place people in our lives to help us along the way with wisdom, direction, comfort, and much more.
Never get tired of searching the heart of the One who made You.
Why?
EASTER CHANGED EVERYTHING
