What does the empty tomb mean to you?

Good morning. I am so delighted that you are all here with us this beautiful Easter morning. I also want to welcome those in watching online via our live stream this morning.

We are going to take a week off from our James: A Christian’s Guide to Living From Jesus and look at Easter and what it means for you and I as Christians and if you are here this morning and have never accepted the gift that Jesus freely offers in His blood shed for the forgiveness of your sin......the gift of eternal life through salvation I pray that the Holy Spirit moves you this morning to do just that.

Everything in and about Christianity hinges upon a bloody cross and an empty tomb. I want to look at the significance of Easter

Lets Pray

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Easter morning, or at least what we call Easter morning is here

I am afraid however Easter has just become another holiday.

It has become more about a bunny and eggs and baskets and cookouts and family gatherings than about Jesus and what the empty tomb really means to you and me

I have said this before and will say it again the western church has fallen asleep. There are mega churches through the land and world that made a decision to not include resurrection or blood of Jesus in any kind of social media or other advertising for Easter because they didn’t want to offend non-Christians

That is not the Gospel that Jesus and the apostles preached.....it is also not the gospel that I will preach this morning.

Listen the true Gospel message offends people. It offended the Jews and Jewish leaders so much they killed Jesus and most of the apostles.

We do all we can to not allow our words or our tones or our actions offend people but if the Word of God offends someone that is great. That is how most people move is by being offended.

God is God and He will handle those offended by His Word.....our job is to preach the gospel from the pulpit and in our lives, in our reactions, in our behaviors, in our thoughts, in our language, in our life.....shinning the light of Jesus and the truth of God’s Word into the darkness.....God will handle the rest!

Western Christians have made the cross a fashion accessory and the empty tomb a cool backdrop and picture but have lost sight of their true meaning.

I pray this morning if you are lost that you are offended to salvation on this Easter morning.

If you are complacent and comfortable as a Christian I pray God breaks you and convicts you to be a doer not a comfortable hearer of the Word only

When sin and death entered the world through Adam, everything changed

No more perfection

No more pureness and holiness surrounding man

Sin entered the world

Death entered the world

A wall between each other and our environment and most importantly God and us went up

Since that time any and everyone born was born a sinner.

This morning I want to take a few moments and lay out what is called the Roman Road. It is several scriptures that point the problem with sin, our relationship with sin and the consequences or judgement we will face because of that sin. Then it points out the solution to our sin and what impact and change that must have on us the receivers. I am including these in the notes so that you will have this for future reference. If you did not grab a note sheet and you would like one please do so now

Roman Road

Sin Problem

Romans 3:10

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“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:”

No one is righteous. No one. There is nothing you can do to become righteous on your own.

You cant give enough money

You cant do enough good deeds

You can feed enough hungry

Clothe enough naked

Love enough

Wash enough feet

No One Is Righteous....No One

Romans 3:23

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“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

All have sinned.

If you are alive you have sinned

We all have fallen short of the glory of God

Everyone

Romans 6:23 a

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“For the wages of sin is death;

This is the first part of the verse.

All have sinned and the wages or payment for that sin is death

There is no sacrifice you can make that will pay your sin debt

So far pretty bleak however there is

Hope in Christ

Romans 5:8

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“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

While we were sinners....enemies…Christ died for us.

Christ paid that sin debt on your behalf…redeemed you

Romans 6:23 b

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“but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Through Jesus you can enter into eternal life with God

God’s gift to you because of His grace and mercy and love and His justice and wrath

Jesus took your penalty......paid your price for you therefore God’s justice was served when He poured out His Wrath upon His One and Only Son Jesus

Response

Romans 10:9–10

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“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

Romans 10:13

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“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Confess here is much more than words. I will not lead you in a “sinner’s prayer”

There is nothing wrong itself with the prayer but so many feel that prayer saves you......no Christ saves you

This confess is publicly confessing Jesus but also making Him your Lord and Savior forever

Dying to you and living from Jesus

Dying to your past

Dying to your sin

Dying to your upbringing

Dying to your beliefs

Dying to your thoughts

Dying to you all of you and making Jesus Lord and Savior

Jesus will save any and all who truly call upon Him for salvation. Praise God

Result of Salvation

Romans 5:1–2

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“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

Jesus returns you to a state of justification with God when you place your faith in Him....just as if you never sinned

In that being justified with God through Jesus you have peace with God....you are no longer an enemy of God....you will no longer face His justice and wrath because Jesus already faced that in your place

Romans 8:1

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“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

If you are in Christ you no longer face condemnation because condemnation is from the enemy and reserved for those who do not know Jesus

Because Jesus paid your price there is nothing left to condemn

Praise God for Jesus and the work He did on the cross and walking out of that tomb

This is the Roman Road that you can use to help someone see their need for Jesus based upon Scripture

I quickly went through this this morning so you can have these scriptures down on paper....again if you didn’t grab a notes sheet please feel free to do so now or get one after the service....if we need to print more let me know

If as I was leading you through Scripture and you felt the Holy Spirit leading you to understand your sin problem the price that must be paid due to that sin problem....that Jesus paid your price and lives today and you want to make Jesus your Lord and Savior I invite you to come during the invitation time as I want to pray with you and welcome you to the family of Christ this Easter Morning.

I felt the need to go through the Roman Road this morning because we must start there to truly understand the empty tomb

Please turn with me in your Bible or a pew Bible or your phone or tablet or device if that is how you access God’s Word to

Colossians 2:13–15

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“And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”

This begins by pointing at the sin problem we talked about and walked through in Romans

Dead in yours sins and uncircumcision of your heart

That is what you are by the way when you are lost.....have yet to confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior

Dead in your sins

Dead in your flesh

You are a dead man or dead woman walking

Your sin results in your death and eternal separation from God in hell

That is God’s Truth......

God is a just God

God is a vengeful God

God will pour out His wrath at His appointed time

If you do not have the blood of Jesus covering your sins you will face that justice, and vengeance and wrath and it will destroy you

This is not a question of if.....it is when....the Bible says in a twinkle of an eye

However through Jesus God moved

He quickened together with Him

Quickened comes from a Greek word that means to reanimate.

Websters 1828 defines reanimate as to revive or resuscitate, restore to life

You through Jesus death on the cross and God raising Him from the dead can have forgiveness of sins

Praise the Lord!

God made a way where there was absolutely no way!

Notice here God blotted out the handwriting of the ordinances.

What in the world does that mean?

It refers to the legal aspect of sin and the requirements of the Old Testament…the law demanded payment for sin!

However God blotted that out…removed it for those of us in Jesus because Jesus paid the payment for your sin and my sin

Psalm 103:12

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“As far as the east is from the west, So far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”

God removes your sin completely.

God has already removed your sin as Jesus became your sin....He bore your sin and He died for your sin all that you must do is accept the payment by making Jesus your Lord and Savior

Once you are saved then the empty tomb means Jesus won

Sin an death no longer have any power over you

You are no longer a slave to sin

When you confess and repent it you apply Jesus blood to your sin and it is as far from you as the east is from the west

That means it is gone forever my friends

You know the yoke of slavery to sin

Guilt

Shame

Worry Anxiety

Anger

Restlessness just to name a few

Many have or continue to struggle with addictions and strongholds

You know you are a slave whether you want to admit it or not

it dominates your life

Your thoughts

Your actions

It dominates

It controls

It attempts to destroy you

Doesnt matter the addiction or stronghold

Drugs

alcohol

cigarettes

pron

sex

money

work

pride

pleasure

Its only goal is to kill steal and destroy you because that is the devils only goal as we find in John 10:10.

SO many say

That is just who I am

If you are a Christian nothing could be further from the truth

You are new

You are free

You are in God’s hands Jesus defeated sin and death so stop giving them power in your life

yes you will sin but it will not be your master unless you allow it to be your master

you have a choice

you always have a choice

The truth of the empty tomb is that you are free but you are in a war

2 Corinthians 10:3–5

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“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”

This is where so many Christians go wrong

You are saved

You are God’s

Jesus bought you with His Blood but you still live in a physical body which means you are at war

Through the Holy Spirit you realize you must die to yourself daily as Luke 9:23 tells us

You are only alive through Christ Jesus....Praise the Lord AMEN!!!!!

However, you and I still walk in the flesh

What is this war

You will still struggle against your flesh

against your lusts

against your evil desires

that is what temptation is by the way, being drawn away by your lusts, your evil desires......temptation to sin begins in you and your flesh

you don’t fight this fight with fleshly weapons however.....if you do you will lose

The weapons of our warfare are not carnal…not physical…not fleshly but spiritual

They are so mighty they bring down what exalts itself even your strongholds and addictions

When someone betrays you......you have a choice

React with fleshly weapons…attack them, be angry with them, seek your revenge and sin

or

Mighty spiritual weapons.....pray for them....forgive them

I pray you understand in Jesus you are free

you have peace

you have forgiveness

you have salvation

you have eternal life

and because of that you are free to live out the Word of God in your life through the Holy Spirit!

When the world says fire back you are free to turn the other cheek

When the world says you deserve revenge you are free to forgive and leave that up to God

When the world says hate you are free to love and forgive.....doesn’t mean you let them back in the boat to go fishing but you are free to love them and forgive them because Christ loves and forgives you.

Galatians 5:1

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“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”

Realizing through the empty tomb Jesus was fully victorious and you no longer are in a yoke of bondage to sin and death and the world

That is what standing fast looks like

You dont have to hate as the world hates

You dont have to reject who the world rejects

You dont have to oppress who the world oppresses

You are free to live out the Word of God in your life because you realize no matter what the world does to you physically you are free

you are saved

your eternity is sealed with the Holy Spirit

You are God’s and will live with Him forever in heaven!

1 Peter 2:21–25

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“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.”

First understand you will suffer on this earth

you will feel real hurts

real pain

real betrayal

real attacks

real trials

real temptations

real tribulations

real consequences of your sin and those who sin against you

real illness

real situations

real circumstances

real persecution

You will suffer just as Jesus suffered

There is no question about that

John 16:33

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“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

Jesus just told you that you will have tribulation but through His death and resurrection you can overcome the world in Jesus so be of good cheer

This world is evil

This world is fallen

This world looks to do the work of its father, satan and looks only to kill, steal and destroy

The world may kill you physically but it cannot touch your salvation and eternal life

The world may steal from you but it cannot steal you joy in Jesus and salvation

The world may destroy you but you know you are held up by God’s right hand and even though it feels terrible in the flesh it can’t touch you as you have overcome and will be fully restored in Jesus in Heaven

Back to I Peter

Jesus set the example!

God also says you should follow Jesus example

What did God through Peter say was Jesus’ example

1. Jesus did not sin

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You have a choice when it comes to sin

When you are tempted you can stand on the Word of God and realize that comes from your lusts your desires you flesh

James 1:14–16

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“But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren.”

That is truth

That is God’s Word

The choice you face is do you stand upon God’s Word and cast that temptation upon Jesus and move on

or

Do you reject God’s Word and give in to you and your desires and lusts and sin

We are going to sin but we are to stand upon God’s Word and fight with all that we have to not allow that lust to conceive and bring forth sin in our lives

2. No guile was found in His mouth

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Your words matter

Your language matters

don’t allow anyone to find guile in your mouth

Gile is from a greek word meaning to decoy, trick, bait

In other words

lie

cheat

steal

Lead people astray......Jesus did what He said He was going to do so must you

Jesus never tried to manipulate people

Jesus never tried to debate people

Jesus answered in Scripture and allowed scripture to convict people

You and I are never to mislead anyone....will we....absolutely we are human but we are never intentionally try to mislead people

That is why watering down the Gospel is so dangerous and sinful

Guile

Deocy

Trick

Bait and switch

Listen without repentance

without conviction

without the Holy Spirit leading you to a place where you realize what a wretched sinner you are and that your eternity is in hell separated from God forever and the only way to forgiveness and salvation is Jesus and to accept His blood shed for you on the cross to cover your sins and making Him Lord and Savior of your life entering into salvation and eternal life

Without that you cannot be saved

You will never confess Jesus as Lord and Savior as long as you are your own lord and savior

If we as a church or individuals hide that, mislead those who are lost then no one will come to Jesus and shame on us

3. When He was Reviled, He Didn’t Revile In Return

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reviled comes from a Greek word meaning reproach, rail at, heap abuse upon

Jesus was reviled

Jesus stood before the Jewish leaders and people as a prisoner of Pilate and was reviled

They railed at Him…crucify Him....crucify Him

They falsely accused Him of crimes

They even shouted to let a known insurrectionist and killer go free instead of Jesus

They heaped abuse upon Him

Then they beat him

They repeatedly hit him with whips with metal and glass tied to the ends

They spat upon Him

They punched Him and kicked Him

They nailed Him to a cross

He never reviled in return

4. When He suffered, He didn’t threaten

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When we suffer we want to threaten and attack

When someone lies to or about us

When someone offends us

When someone hurts us

These are real things and do really hurt but when they happen what do we want to do

Threaten them to make them stop

Attack them on social media running their name down and bringing up all the bad in their life

Jesus didn’t threaten He choose to suffer and die

when we were His enemy

When we lied to and about Him

When we were offensive to Him

When we hurt Him

He suffered quietly and lovingly and

5. He Committed Himself to Him That Judgeth Righteously

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When Jesus faced the heat of the fire

The pain of rejection

The pain of being lied to and about

The pain of betrayal by His closest disciples

The physical pain of being beaten and having a crown of thorns driven into his skull

The pain of being perfect and sinless yet having to become the sin of the whole world

The rejection of God in that moment

When He faced all of this where did He turn......He committed Himself to God…Him that judgeth righteously

What about you?

Are you following Jesus’ example and using the spiritual weapons in your warfare?

Are you standing upon the Word of God and living from Jesus?

Are you living a life of freedom in Christ?

Where do you stand this morning?

Do you need to claim the promises and victory and freedom of the empty tomb by accepting Jesus....Making Him your true Lord and Savior

Do you need to quit taking the empty tomb and Jesus sacrifice on the cross for granted and get out of you pew....off of your couch and start living as Jesus lived and following the example that Jesus set for you to follow

You know

God knows

I pray that you are offended enough....convicted enough....broken enough to move and put Jesus where Jesus belongs in your life

Come

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Invitation Just as I am/I come broken LIVE