Beyond Easter

Intro

Good morning church fam! Today we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus.

Before we get into the message, I want to ask Ace to come up and share something that happened this past week.

**Andie/Ace/Maudy to share**

**Pic/Video**

I can relate to this lamb. I to was drowning in the sea called life. I started smoking cigarettes at thirteen. I moved to smoking pot. By sixteen I was drinking and taking pills. Around Eighteen I started doing harder drugs and my life was sinking fast.

I moved back home at nineteen. My mom told me that if I wanted to live in her house I had to go to church.

Started going to church. Met Jesus. Met my wife. Became a youth pastor. By the time I was twenty nine Carly and I started pastoring our first church.

God had rescued me from the sinking ship of what I called life and breathed new life into me.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NASB95

17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

This is what Easter is all about. Jesus went to the cross and died for all mankind. He chose death in order to bring life to everyone and anyone willing to follow Him.

Simple Gospel

The message of Easter, or the Gospel of Jesus is a message of hope and restoration.

This message of Easter in its simplicity is simply this.

God’s Design

God’s original plan was for a perfect world. This world was to be full of love, peace, and harmony. Humanity, you and I, were created to have a meaningful relationship with God.

But then something happened.

Brokenness

Brokenness entered the world through to sin. Sin is simply missing the mark of what God originally designed.

Because of this brokenness, we now face struggles, pain, and separation from God. The world we live in is full of imperfections. All of us sitting here today and online are full of imperfections.

But God did not desire to leave it that way.

The Gospel of Jesus

There is a solution to brokenness—Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection.Jesus came to bring redemption and restoration that is offered through faith in Him. This is the path anyone can take to obtain reconciliation with God and eternal life.

That my friends is the Gospel.

Usually on Easter we share just that and we leave it at the empty tomb of Jesus.

Today I want to take it a step further. We are beginning a brand new series called Beyond Easter.

The Gospel message isn’t just a message that is taught on Easter Sunday. No the Gospel message is to be lived out among those who choose to follow Jesus.

Death to Life

You see, when we follow Jesus, He takes us from death to life.

Ephesians 2:4–5 NLT

4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)

Question: Your current life at this very moment, whether you follow Jesus or not, does it look more like death or life?

Death is having no hope

Death is seeing no joy in life

Death is always being angry

Death is hating who you are

Death is believing that things will never change

Death is believing that this is all there is in this life and the next

Death is living a life in fear - fear of the next political leader, fear of the next virus, fear of the economy collapsing, fear of never loving or being loved

Death is ultimately living outside of God’s original design for humanity

The good news it doesn’t have to be this way.

Humanity does not have to live in death. Just as that lamb did not have to die, you and I do not have to live in death. There is a way to life and that is through a relationship with Jesus.

John 5:24 NLT

24 “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.

John 5:24 MSG

24 “It’s urgent that you listen carefully to this: Anyone here who believes what I am saying right now and aligns himself with the Father, who has in fact put me in charge, has at this very moment the real, lasting life and is no longer condemned to be an outsider. This person has taken a giant step from the world of the dead to the world of the living.

I love how this translation puts it…anyone who not only believes, but also aligns himself with the Father.

The way we live life and not in a world of death, is by aligning our life with God. We align our life with God through our relationship with Jesus.

It is through Jesus that we can over come the sin in our lives. Sin is something we all have to deal with. Those who follow Christ and those who do not.

The difference is those that have a relationship with Christ can overcome the sin whereas those who do not cannot in their own power and ability overcome sin.

We Were Dead

Outside of Christ, we are completely POWERLESS against the passions of our flesh.

Before Christ, I couldn’t give up the drugs, I couldn’t stop getting angry at people, I couldn’t love and forgive those who have hurt me.

But through Christ:

I got off the drugs.

I am a peace maker

I see people the way God does

I can forgive those who have wronged me

Through Christ I can admit when I am wrong and ask for forgiveness

Even though I may have every good intention of trying to do these things, without Christ, I cannot.

Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, right before he was arrested to be crucified said:

Matthew 26:41 NASB95

41 “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Our flesh, is weak and powerless.

The disciples displayed this when they all left Jesus. Peter and the other disciples are a great example of the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

Matthew 26:35 NASB95

35 Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” All the disciples said the same thing too.

What happened to Peter and the rest of them? They ran and Peter denied Jesus three times.

When he said this bold statement, his spirit was willing, but his flesh was weak when it came down to it.

How many of us have done the same?

You know how it is, I have every good intention of going on a diet. But then you end up down the aisle of fried chicken. Then you think, I got some Chick Fil A sauce in my office.

I have to admit, my spirit said I need to eat healthier, but my flesh wanted a fried chicken sandwich doused in Chick Fil A sauce and extra pickles.

I think where Peter and even ourselves mess up is when we try to pit our will against our flesh. We fight with our flesh.

Instead of fighting with our flesh what we need to do is submit our will to the Holy Spirit.

James 4:7 NASB95

7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

You cannot resist temptation, especially when it is from the enemy, without surrendering to God.

It’s like a person who’s heart has stopped and reaches over to grab the defibrillator and says CLEAR! It is impossible.

I think too often we don’t over come temptation is because we get to close to it and try to negotiate.

It is like the man who was out hunting for a bear so he could have a fur blanket to keep himself warm.

At the same time there is a bear that was looking for a good meal.

The hunter seen the bear, took aim, and right before he pulled the trigger the bear said, “Hey wait! Let’s talk this out. Man to bear. I am sure we can come to a solution.”

So the man put his rifle down and met the bear in the road.

After a few moments of discussion the man found himself with a warm bear blanket and the bear got himself a meal.

Jesus didn’t die for us to play with temptation or negotiate with it. He died so we can have the POWER to overcome it!

Paul said,

Ephesians 2:2–5 NLT

2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. 4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)

We were dead in our sin, but Jesus came along and revived our hearts through His own death and resurrection so that we may live here and now and for eternity.

We were dead, but now we are alive.

Exchange

We are made alive because of what Christ did on the cross.

There is a passage of Scripture that I have read before and this time something jumped out at me to help us understand what Christ did on the cross in deeper way.

Romans 5:6–11 NASB95

6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

When we think of reconcile we tend to think of two parties coming to an agreement on something.

We reconcile our differences when there is a disagreement.

We tend to take on this meaning when looking at this Scripture.

The issue is, this type of reconciliation requires two people.

It's a two-way street that requires mutual trust between two people to resolve differences and restore friendly relations.

For example, after a breakup, you and your partner might reconcile if you both practice forgiveness and love.

However, you can't reconcile alone if the other person isn't willing.

Let’s re-read verse ten again.

Romans 5:10 NASB95

10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

While we were enemies of God.

Enemy as in there is no trust in God.

Enemy as in I don’t love you God

Enemy as in I don’t need forgiveness because I didn’t do anything

So this can’t be the type of reconciling that Paul is speaking of.

So then what is he speaking about?

This word reconcile is a banking term. It means to exchange coins of equivalent values.

You see Paul said in the very next chapter:

Romans 6:23 NASB95

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

When you go to work, your employer pays you a wage that is equivalent to the job. They pay you what they think the job is worth. It is an equal exchange.

Usually it is the employee that says, “It’s not a fair exchange.” But that is not your call. You are not the owner of the company. You did not create the company. Someone else did.

When it comes to humans, we did not create ourselves. We did not come from some big bang. We were created by God Himself.

Therefore as the Creator He set the wages for stepping out of His original design…death.

So when Christ died for us, while we were dead set against God, He paid the wages for our sin…past, present, and future.

But, the only way to receive credit for that reconciliation is to have a relationship with Jesus.

Acts 4:12 NASB95

12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

Closing

I want to close out with a couple of thoughts and then we will partake in Communion.

There may be some of you here this morning or even online who are like the little lamb and you feel like you are drowning in this life.

Can I tell you there is a way out of that drowning. A Savior named Jesus who will breathe new life into you.

It is only through Him that we can be reconciled. It is only through Him our debt can be paid.

We are celebrating Easter today, and not just today - we are going beyond Easter - we just learned how God made a way for to know salvation through Christ’s death and resurrection.

If you are here today and you haven’t recieved the gift of salvation through Jesus…may I ask what is holding you back?

You don’t have to leave out of here today living in sin and death. You can receive the life that Jesus offers to you in salvation. It’s not a regular life either. It is an abundant life.

God loves you so much, so much that He gave His own Son Jesus on your behalf.

Salvation Call

**ask to bow heads and close eyes**

Won’t you answer His call to you today. If you are here this morning and you want to receive this new life, lift up your hand.

Prayer

God,

I come before you today, recognizing that I am a sinner in need of your forgiveness.

I acknowledge that Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins and rose again, conquering death.

I believe in Jesus as my Savior and Lord. I repent of my sins and ask for your forgiveness. Please come into life, cleanse me, and make me new.

Thank you for your love, grace, and mercy. I surrender my life to you and commit to following you from this day forward.

In Jesus' name, Amen.