Life Like No Other

Death has been defeated… the King… OUR KING… IS ALIVE! Today is Easter Sunday… RESURRECTION SUNDAY… the day on which Jesus was raised from the grave… conquering death once and for all!

It truly is a day to celebrate!

We know the historical events and all that took place. But these events are more than just stories, they are significant, spiritual victories that ushered in a new era of new life, and amazing grace.

The incredible truth today is through His resurrection, Jesus offers new life to all who would place their faith in Him! And I am thankful for that new life today - for it is life like no other!

Jesus describes this life He offers as life to the full or life more abundantly in John 10:10. He shares this description of what He offers in contrast to what the enemy has come to this world to do. Satan comes to steal, to kill and to destroy. He wants nothing but death for us.

Jesus, on the other hand, offers something much, much more! What the enemy offers is the wages of our sins, what the Son offers is the GIFT OF HIS FATHER through the life of the Son… NEW LIFE LIKE NO OTHER!

Romans 6:23 NIV

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

This life… can only be found in Jesus. The ability to break free from the consequence of our sins… can ONLY be found through the power of the blood of the Lamb. The life that people are looking for… life to the full… is something that can ONLY be found in Jesus.

Unfortunately, much of the world is trying to find this life in other things. And instead of finding the satisfaction and fulfillment they crave, the find more death, more destruction, more chaos, more confusion, more bondage, more immorality, more unfaithfulness… less purpose, less direction, less freedom, less peace… more heartache, more addiction, more isolation… more brokenness.

That list, could go on for days… that list of more destruction and less life is a result of a world that is lost in sin. God did not create us for sin. He did not create us to perish. He created us for fellowship… for life.

Sin was the problem… was OUR problem… and Jesus is the answer. And in Christ… you can find and experience new life today like no other.

This new life that I am talking about today, became available to all people the moment the stone was rolled away from the tomb. We find new life through the resurrection of Jesus.

And I want to zoom in on something specific regarding the resurrection of Jesus. This might sound odd at first, but I want us to look at the authority that God exercised on the day that Jesus was raised from the grave.

Now wait a minute, pastor… what does the authority of God have to do with receiving life like no other through Christ? That’s what I want to show you.

Typically in any given leadership situation, who ever has the authority has what I would call the final say.

That person gets the last word. That person sets the tone. That person establishes the precedent to be followed.

And when it comes to the death and resurrection of Jesus, there was plenty of authority being exercised… but only One authority had the final say… Only One voice had the last word and that word was… LIFE.

You see, in Christ… DEATH NO LONGER HAS AUTHORITY OVER YOU. Death and sin no longer have mastery over you. In Christ… DEATH HAS BEEN DEFEATED ONCE AND FOR ALL. It’s done. There is no scheduled rematch, there is no renegotiation to be had. JESUS CONQUERED DEATH and in doing so… He now offers life more abundantly to those who choose to follow Him!

And some might be thinking today, “Pastor, you don’t know how I feel. You don’t know what kind of week I’ve had. You don’t know the thoughts in my head. I don’t feel like I’m full of life… I feel like I am barely hanging on. I’m doing all I can just to make it from day to day. I’m still stuck in the struggle. Where is this new life promised?”

That new life is here… and it is not determined by what you feel… it is determined by faith - in what you believe.

The life that Jesus offers today is not dependent on the circumstances of the world… it is delivered through the truth and promise of resurrection. Jesus DID walk out of that grave… and He is calling you to do the same today… and I want to show you how this is possible.

First off, we’re going to go back to the death and resurrection of Jesus to see how...

God Has the FINAL Say.

A moment ago, I mentioned that there was a lot of people trying to exercise authority throughout Jesus’ final moments.

Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane.

When Jesus was arrested, Peter tried to have the final say when he cut off the ear of one of the soldiers. He tried to control the situation through violence. But Christ intervened, healed the man’s ear, and was taken into custody.

At the trial, the high priest exercised his authority regarding the interpretation of Scripture. He accused Jesus of blasphemy per his understanding and proceeded to have Jesus punished for who He was and what He said He came to do.

Before Herod in Luke 23, Jesus’ identity was questioned and mocked. Herod had hoped to see some miraculous sign from Jesus and when no sign was given, Herod sent Him off in disbelief and disrespect.

Before Pilate, authority was given to the crowd to choose who would walk free… Jesus or Barabbas. The crowd choose to free the criminal and condemned Jesus to die. Pilate washed his hands of the matter and turned Jesus over so the sentence could be carried out.

On the cross, Jesus was crucified and left to die on the hilltop. The cross NEVER failed to do what it was designed to do. it had the final say regarding death. No one walked away alive from crucifixion. The cross made sure of that.

In the grave, death was prominent. Death would have the final say. Jesus was no more. His body was lifeless, and the hope He spoke of seemed to have gone to the grave with Him. There was no more teaching, no more healing, no more freedom. Jesus was gone.

Behind the stone… sealed by the governor… there was no sign of life. Pilate’s seal was placed on the stone making it a crime to open the tomb. Jesus was to remain in the grave no matter what. There was no higher authority that could change that.

We see a lot of authority exercised in this story - the authority of a disciple, the high priest, Herod, Pilate, the people, the cross, the grave, and eventually death… death appeared to have the last say. No one walks away from death.

And who was to argue with the authority being expressed? Who could say otherwise regarding the events that had just taken place? Who on earth had any higher authority than death?

No one on earth had any higher authority… true enough. But the One who made the earth had yet to speak. GOD had the final authority. God had the final say. And that authority was exercised and displayed on the third day.

Matthew 28:1–7 NIV

1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

I LOVE THIS STORY! Look at those last few words: NOW I HAVE TOLD YOU! When God made the announcement that His Son had been raised from the dead, He showed the world who had the final say!

The earth literally quaked at the power and presence of God.

The governor’s seal upon the stone was broken and completely disregarded.

The stone itself covering the grave was rolled away without effort.

The angel of the Lord sat on the stone as if to say… “now what?”

The guards shook in fear and became like dead men.

And then comes the declaration… He is not here… HE HAS RISEN.

And lastly comes the invitation… “Come and see the place where He lay.”

My point in all of this is simple… the world tried to have final say regarding the identity and life of Jesus.

The world tried to trap Him, accuse Him, belittle Him, defeat Him, and destroy Him. The world tried to silence Him through death… for in the mind of the world… nothing is more final than death.

But the world would not end up with the final say that day… God would make the declaration that death couldn’t even hold Jesus Christ down!

And let’s be clear regarding something important: The world’s authority did not take Jesus’ life from Him… In humble submission to God, Jesus laid down His life for the will of the Father.

With all that had taken place there was ONE AUTHORITY that came out on top - the authority of God the Father. Death would not be the end of Jesus… it would only be the beginning of a new chapter… a new chapter of life to the full. A new chapter that would be offered to all who would believe!

And this new chapter isn’t experienced from within a tomb… this new chapter finds no hope in a grave… but finds new hope in what comes afterwards.

Remember, there is no resurrection without death coming first. But Death would only signify the end of a chapter, not the end of the story.

Today we celebrate new life… life like no other! And...

Life Like No Other is Found OUTSIDE the Grave.

First off… let’s talk about how we might find ourselves in the grave.

The grave I am speaking of today is a spiritual death that begins the moment sin enters the picture.

Remember, the Bible is very clear in this: The wages of sin is death. The earned outcome of our sin is death.

Sin is lawlessness. Sin is direct disobedience to God. The Bible states that every person has sinned and that the consequence of sin is death. That makes sin a very real and troubling problem.

Sin is something we cannot escape on our own. And life like no other cannot be found within the grave sin has created.

And with sin… comes accusation.

Satan is identified in Scripture as the accuser (Revelation 12:10). What does he accuse us of? Of our sin.

Satan tempts us to sin, then beats us over the head with our sin. He deceives people into believing that life can be found in sin, then heaps on the death once the sin is committed.

The weight of the accusation is heavy. The guilt sometimes unbearable. But then the enemy tempts us with something else as a means to lessen the load… only to create more despair and destruction.

Satan leads us to believe that if one particular sin didn’t do it for us, then this other sin certainly will. He will use our feelings against us. Such action is not breaking chains… it is only creating new ones. It is only placing us deeper in the grave.

Here’s the problem… nothing and no one of this world has the power and authority to call you out of the grave. Nothing and no one of this world can deliver you from the consequence of your sin.

The life we are looking for… the life God created us… was surrendered the moment sin became our reality. It cannot be found in the grave.

But thanks be to God… He unleashed a redemptive plan through His Son Jesus Christ that the curse of sin would be broken and the power of the death would be destroyed! Remember, the resurrection proves that God has the final word!

You see, the world might try to tell you that resurrection to new life isn’t possible. Science doesn’t support it. Death is final and the tomb is inescapable. But aren’t you glad that the world doesn’t get the final Word?

The enemy would try to tell you your sins are too great and too numerous. He will try to convince you that your addictions are forever, the chains are unbreakable, the pain is not healable, the weight is unbearable. He will try to convince you that new life isn’t possible… all you can do is cope with your death sentence. But aren’t you glad that the enemy doesn’t get the final word?

Your feelings might try to tell you that there is nothing you can do. Your anxiety and worry might try to trap you in fear. Your lack of hope and lack of peace might overwhelm you. You don’t know which way to turn, who to call on, or how to move from just surviving to truly living. Are’t you glad that your feelings don’t get the final word?

God’s word to you is life! God’s word to you is forgiveness! God’s word to you is victory! God’s word to you is freedom! God’s word to you is true and proven.

What you are looking for… what you are hoping for… what you have been longing for and dreaming of cannot be found in the grave of sin! It can only be found in the One who overcame sin, death, and the grave… His name is Jesus! We do not look for Him among the dead… HE IS RISEN! And He’s calling you to resurrection! His Word IS the final word… and He is offering you life to the full… life that cannot be found in this world. It’s life that can only be found in Jesus!

Are You Ready to Come Alive?

Are you ready to step out of the grave? Are you ready to leave death behind you? Are you ready to trust in the authority of God… and to place your faith in Christ Jesus?

Listen to me… your feelings my be playing tricks on you right now. You might be asking “How can I feel alive when surrounded by so much that is robbing me of life?” That’s the grave talking. That’s your old self talking. That’s the accusations of the enemy trying to shine through.

Hear me, when you give your life to Jesus, when you step out of that grave… and you leave behind that which placed you there.

Your sin has no authority over you. Your addictions have no authority over you. Your feelings have no authority over you. Your sickness has no authority over you. This world has no authority over you. Your worry or anxiety has no authority over you. Those old chains of bondage have no authority over you.

All these things that were once controlling are defeated by the power and authority of Jesus Christ! Through Jesus, your sins were nailed to the cross. He fought the battle… He paid the price… and He offers Life like no other… life more abundantly in place of the grave!

Still on the fence? Look at how Romans 6:8-10 says it in the Message Bible

Romans 6:8–10 MSG

8 If we get included in Christ’s sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. 9 We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. 10 When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us.

Jesus took sin down! Never again will death have the last word!!!

CALL TO PRAYER - So… it’s time to move… from a place of death to a place of life to the full… it’s time to move out of the grave through the grace and forgiveness offered through Jesus.

I want us to stand… and if you desire new life in Christ, I want you to meet me in these altars. We are going to pray for chains to break… for the grave to be defeated. Why do I want you to move today? Because you’ve got to step out from where you are into the new promised reality Jesus is offering. You cannot experience life to the full with one foot still stuck in the grave!

And for those in your seats… I want us to move in worship. I want us to lift up those who are responding and to lift up our praise to the One that made life more abundantly a possibility!