Living in the Resurrection
Easter 2025 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 7 views1 Corinthians 15 is the most robust theological explanation of the resurrection in the New Testament. Paul begins with the gospel—the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ—and moves toward the future hope of the resurrection of believers. In this Easter sermon, we will walk through this chapter as a five-step process to “Living in the Resurrection.” From believing the gospel to looking forward to our future glory, we’ll discover that the resurrection is not just an event to celebrate—it’s a power to live in. Whether you came in today with doubts, pain, or longing, you’ll leave knowing that you were made for resurrection.
Notes
Transcript
Title: Living in the Resurrection
Subtitle: How the Gospel Changes Everything—Now and Forever
Opening Paragraph:
There’s something powerful about gathering together on Easter Sunday. Churches are full, families are dressed in their best, and hearts are lifted as we celebrate the greatest event in history—the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And rightly so. But today, I want to challenge us to go beyond celebration. Because Easter isn’t just a holiday to remember—it’s a call to respond.
The resurrection of Jesus isn’t just something we rejoice in once a year; it’s the power we are meant to live in every day.
The question isn’t just, “Are you celebrating the resurrection?”—the question is, “Are you living in it?”
Because let’s be honest—many of us walked in today carrying uncertainty about the future, fear that won’t let us sleep, financial burdens that feel impossible to carry, or spiritual struggles we’ve buried deep down. But 1 Corinthians 15 shows us that the resurrection changes everything. Not just our eternity—but our today. And here’s the phrase I want you to hold onto throughout this message: I were raised for this. You were raised to rise above fear, above sin, above empty living—you were raised for purpose, hope, and power.
This morning, we’re not just remembering what happened 2,000 years ago. We’re stepping into what Jesus made possible—today and forever. Let’s open our Bibles to 1 Corinthians 15, and discover how to start living in the resurrection.
In our discipleship 2 class we are learning the principles of bible study and one of those principles is the principle of Full mention. That’s where God just clears off a spot in the Bible to give you his full mind on a subject. 1 Corinthians 15 is that definitive passage for the resurrection.
Sermon Outline: 5 Steps to Living in the Resurrection
1. Believe the Gospel
1. Believe the Gospel
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
The Core of our Faith
The Core of our Faith
Christ died for our sins
Christ died for our sins
13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
He spent 3 days in the heart of the earth (pictured in Jonah)
He spent 3 days in the heart of the earth (pictured in Jonah)
40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Christ rose victorious over death and the grave.
Christ rose victorious over death and the grave.
11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.
The Gospel is not a belief but a transformation
The Gospel is not a belief but a transformation
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
What do you think Paul means when he says, “ if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.”
This is not about being religious. It’s about being resurrected. You can’t halfway believe the gospel. Jesus didn’t halfway die—and He didn’t halfway rise. If He is truly risen, and you have been raised with him, then the only right response is to find your purpose and meaning in Christ. The resurrection demands everything, because Jesus gave everything for you.
✅ Application: If you’ve never believed this gospel—today is your day. Living in the resurrection starts when you stop trusting yourself and start trusting in Jesus.
2. Stand on the Truth
2. Stand on the Truth
5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
The evidence is overwhelming
The evidence is overwhelming
Why all the evidence? Because resurrection isn’t just a spiritual idea—it’s a verified event. Faith in Jesus isn’t blind; it’s built on the testimony of real people who saw a risen Christ and were willing to die for it.
The evidence of the resurrection is in you
The evidence of the resurrection is in you
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
The reason people believe 2000 years from the actual event is because they are still experiencing the resurrection in their own lives. Something happens when Jesus calls your name out of the tomb you were in.
John 11 Jesus calls Lazarus out of the grave.
Lazarus didn’t ask for forgiveness, he answered a call.
He didn’t pray a prayer, he came out of the tomb!
When you experience resurrection you don’t need other to prove the resurrection to you.
The Resurrection is our firm foundation.
The Resurrection is our firm foundation.
12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.
✅ Application: In a world drowning in opinions, stand on what’s proven. When doubts come, remember: the resurrection has witnesses. Build your life on the unshakable truth that Jesus is alive.
3. Embrace the Victory
3. Embrace the Victory
The Power of the Gospel
The Power of the Gospel
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
The Victory Over Death
The Victory Over Death
54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
✅ Application: You don’t have to live in fear of death, guilt, or defeat. Because Jesus rose, you were raised for this. Walk in that victory.
4. Wake Up to Your Purpose
4. Wake Up to Your Purpose
32 What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 34 Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.
In other words: if the resurrection is true (and it is), stop sleepwalking through life. Stop acting like what you do doesn’t matter. If you’ve been raised with Christ, live like it.
Those Risen with Christ seek Christ
Those Risen with Christ seek Christ
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Don’t be distracted by worldly things
Don’t be distracted by worldly things
6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
We live in a world drunk on distraction. Drunk on comfort. Drunk on self-promotion. It’s easy to slip into a spiritual stupor—functioning, but not flourishing. That’s why Paul says, “Wake up from your drunken stupor.” Don’t coast through life clinging to Christian labels while living like a practical atheist.
If you’ve been raised with Christ—live like you’re awake. You can’t live for Christ and love the world at the same time. One will rise and one will rot. Don’t stay bound in your grave cloths. Experience the freedom of the resurrection. You were raised for this.
✅ Application: You were resurrected to rise. Don’t waste your one life. Make it count. Live every day like eternity is real—because it is.
5. Look for your Future Resurrection
5. Look for your Future Resurrection
Our final Transformation
Our final Transformation
51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
Our final Victory over Sin and Death
Our final Victory over Sin and Death
54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
This is the future we long for: bodies made new, death undone, eternity with Jesus. What started with Jesus rising from the grave will end with us rising too. Your full resurrection is coming.
Everything you’re chasing here will rust, fade, or disappoint. But the resurrection tells us: this isn’t it. The greatest pleasure, the greatest beauty, the greatest adventure still lies ahead.
You weren’t made for temporary thrills—you were made for eternal glory. Don’t let the world steal your eyes from heaven. You were raised for this.
✅ Application: Don’t get too comfortable here. You’re a citizen of another kingdom. Keep your eyes on the sky—your Savior is coming.
Conclusion:
So let me ask you: Are you living in the resurrection—or just remembering it once a year?
You can’t follow the risen Christ and remain stuck in what’s dying.
You were made for more than the grind, more than fleeting pleasure, more than the endless chase for “just a little more.”
You were raised for this.
Don’t trade the eternal for the temporary. Don’t waste your one short life on a world that’s passing away.
Step out of the tomb. Come alive. Live in the resurrection.
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
Action Steps:
Trust Jesus Today – Whether it’s your first time or the first time in a long time, surrender your life to the risen Savior.
Live on Purpose – Ask God where you’ve been spiritually asleep—and choose to live boldly and intentionally.
Hope Forward – Keep your eyes fixed on eternity. Let the hope of your future resurrection shape your present reality.
Altar Call & Pastoral Prayer
Some of you are standing at the doorway of your own grave—and Jesus is calling you out.
Others of you have believed the gospel, but you’ve gone back in the tomb. You’ve chased what the world says matters, and your soul is running on empty.
So I ask again:
What’s keeping you from living for God? What’s keeping you in the grave?
What’s so precious in this world that you’re willing to miss the resurrection power God has for you?
Answer the Call of Jesus. Can you hear him?
Lay it down today. Come to the altar and leave behind your fear, your pride, your distractions.
The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the grave is here. And He wants to raise you.
Whatever has stolen your focus and purpose come and lay it down on the alter before your risen King? Come and reclaim the power of your resurrection. You were raised for this.
(Pause) If you have been risen with Christ would you give testimony by meeting me down here in the front. I want us to feel the power of the resurrection and pray together.
Prayer:
Father, we thank You that the tomb is still empty, and Jesus is still alive. We thank You that because He lives, we can face tomorrow, and even more—we can live with purpose today. I pray over every heart that has stepped forward, and those still wrestling in their seats: awaken them to Your truth, fill them with Your Spirit, and raise them up to live in the resurrection. In Jesus’ powerful name—Amen.
Small Group Discussion Questions
Why do you think Paul starts with the gospel before talking about the resurrection? How does that shape your understanding of Easter?
Which of the five steps (believe, stand, embrace, wake, look) do you most need to grow in right now?
How does the promise of your future resurrection change the way you live today?
What’s one area of your life where you’re living more for the world than for Christ? What would it look like to surrender that to God this week?
YouTube Description
“You were made for more than survival—you were made for resurrection.”
In this powerful Easter sermon, Pastor Bill Sizemore walks through 1 Corinthians 15 to explore five life-changing truths that flow from Christ’s resurrection. Discover how the gospel isn’t just something to believe—it’s a power to live in. Watch now and step into the resurrection life you were made for.
#EasterAtReliant #LivingInTheResurrection #ResurrectionPower #HeIsRisen #BillSizemore #GospelHope #1Corinthians15
