Easter Day (2025)

*Opening Prayer

*Call to Worship

(based on Psalm 118:1–2, 14–24)

Leader: O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;

People: His steadfast love endures forever!

Leader: Let the redeemed of the Lord declare it—

People: God’s love has triumphed over sin and death!

Leader: The Lord is our strength and our song;

People: He has become our salvation!

Leader: We shall not die, but live,

People: And declare the mighty works of the Lord!

Leader: This is the day that the Lord has made;

People: We will rejoice and be glad in it!

Leader: Come, let us worship the Risen King,

People: With hearts warmed by grace and lives set apart in love! Amen.

Hymn #217 Christ The Lord Is Risen Today

Scripture Reading

Luke 24:1-12 - Karen

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words.

9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. 12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

The New International Version. 2011. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Children's Message Kolaya

Scripture Reading

1 Corinthians 15:19–26 NIV

If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Sermon

It’s kind of hard to believe Paul was having this conversation with the church in Corinth. The account we heard from Luke regarding the resurrection took place somewhere between 30 and 33 ad. And here Paul is putting his pen to paper to write to the church in Corinth a mere 22 or 23 years later. Now, our reading places us somewhat in the middle of the full thought of what Paul is trying to express. There were some who suggested that Christ was not truly resurrected from the dead. Paul has been dealing with the implications of what this might mean. What if Christ wasn’t resurrected from the dead. One immediate implication is that for those who had accepted Christ, there was no chance of resurrection for them either. This means that believing in Christ and following Him might impact this life but death was still death.

So as we move into the text we hear Paul saying, “are you kidding me? if the only hope in Christ we have is for this life, and this life is all we have, it’s a pretty miserable existence.” In fact, we might wonder if this can even be defined as hope. It would be like having hope with a “deadline”. It’s only good for so long. Limited time only. It’s a pretty grey picture. But Paul won’t let the church in Corinth stay there.

His response is powerful and immediate. “Christ has indeed been raised from the dead.” He is alive. The resurrection is real. And not only that but the resurrection of Christ is just the beginning. Just as we returned to Genesis in our Easter Sunrise service, Paul rewinds the story to creation—where life began, and where death first entered. In Genesis, God created everything and called it good. He created man and woman and called them good. But they disobeyed God and brought to the world the judgment of God and a part of that judgment was death. Death came from Adam.

But the resurrection of Christ brings life to all who place their trust in Him. Paul continues, “just as death came through one man, Adam, so in Christ all will be made alive.” This is the heart of the gospel so if the resurrection isn’t true, then the rest of the message falls apart. If Christ did not raise from the dead, then you and I are without hope. But, Paul affirms and we believe that Jesus Christ did raise from the dead.

Which means what we see here is not the complete picture. In other words, the resurrection shifts our entire perspective. What looks like the end—pain, loss, even death—isn’t the end anymore. It’s the middle of the story. As we live in this world we are keenly aware of the hurt and suffering of individuals. We see sickness and death. We hear about wars and destruction. We are kept informed of natural disasters, tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes, fires. But the resurrection reminds us these are not the end. Sickness will not last forever. Death is not the end. Even David declared in Psalm 30:5 “weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” Luke told us these ladies went to the tomb expecting to find the body of Jesus Christ and found instead the empty tomb. They went with weeping but returned with joy.

And the resurrection is not simply something we believe it is the truth in which we live. This morning, we who are followers of Christ are not simply “Christian”, but we are people of the resurrection. We are not simply saved and bound for heaven, we are reminded that every day we can put a smile on our face and live with joy because we know who is in charge. We can face our problems with strength because we know God has the answers. We can live in hope because we know nothing we face is too difficult for God to overcome.

But if I were honest this morning I think there may be three kinds of people here. First, I believe there are some resurrection people here. I am certain there are those who know what I am talking about. Those who hold the hand of Christ when they go through the valleys. When they face days of darkness. Who continue to smile and say, “I know God has this. God has never failed me.” Second, I believe there are some Christ-followers who are here who maybe would not classify themselves yet as resurrection people. These are those who worry and stress and fear and then when God meets their need they think to themselves, “Why was I so worried?” And the next time trouble comes they say to themselves, “I hope God has this. I hope He doesn’t fail this time.”

But then there may be a third type of person here. Someone who has yet to accept Christ. Someone who worries and stresses and is afraid when trouble comes. They don’t know who will help them or where the resources will come from. And what’s worse, they think they are the only ones who can help them. They think they are the only ones who can do what needs to be done. And they don’t even have the peace that comes with being a Christ follower. I mean, Christ followers may worry and fear but they believe God will do something. Someone who does not know God does not know peace.

This morning, I especially want to challenge those in the last two groups. If you are not a Christ-follower yet, I want to invite you to start today. I want to challenge you to not leave here today without the assurance that Christ’s death and resurrection was for you. That He invites you to give Him your heart and to follow Him with your life. If you are a Christ-follower today but not a resurrection person, I want to challenge you to allow God to continue to transform your heart and mind so you can trust Him more. So you can say, I’m not just living for heaven but I’m living for Christ today! Let’s place our faith, “In Christ Alone”

Praise Song: In Christ Alone

Sharing of Joys and Concerns

Hymn # 213 Because He Lives vs . 1

Silent Prayer

Pastoral Prayer

Lord's Prayer

Giving of Tithes and Offering

Doxology

Prayer of Dedication

Hymn #220 He Lives

*Benediction

Go now as people of the resurrection— full of hope, grounded in truth, and alive in Christ. May the risen Lord fill you with joy, strengthen you with peace, and lead you in love, today and always. Amen.

Hymn #286 Blest Be The Tie That Binds