He is risen, now what?
ACTS , The Church on Fire • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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The Moment That Changed Everything
Church—this is not just another Sunday.
This is Resurrection Sunday.
This is the day that separates Christianity from every other belief system in the world.
Because every other religion can point to a founder who lived…
But only Christianity can point to a Savior who died, and walked out of the grave.
And today, as we continue our walk together through the Book of Acts
We don’t leave Easter behind.
Rather, We step into it.
Because The Book of Acts is what happened because of the resurrection.
You see, The Resurrection Is the Foundation of Everything
24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.
“It was not possible…”
—Death thought it had Him.
—The grave thought it could hold Him.
—Hell thought it had won.
But it was not possible.
Because you cannot hold:
The Author of life
The Creator of breath
The One who spoke the universe into existence
Illustration
It’s like trying to hold back the ocean with your hands.
But you cannot stop what is unstoppable.
Church—Let’s make sure we understand something here,
Jesus didn’t barely survive death
He defeated it!
Let’s be real for a moment.
If Jesus had died and stayed in the grave
Then everything He said would be in question.
But the resurrection is God’s stamp of approval.
It is God saying: “Everything He said is true.”
When Jesus said:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life”
“No one comes to the Father except through Me”
“It is finished”
The resurrection says: “Yes… and Amen.”
This means your faith is not built on:
—Feelings, or Opinions, nor even on Traditions
Your faith is built on a historical, powerful, undeniable event:
An empty tomb.
Now here’s where Acts comes alive.
Because before the resurrection…
The disciples were:
Hiding
Afraid, and unsure
They were Scattered
Peter—the one who now preaches in Acts 2—
Was the same man who denied Jesus just weeks earlier.
But now look at him:
32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.
He’s not hiding anymore.
He’s not afraid or unsure anymore.
He’s standing up in front of crowds saying:
“I saw Him, and He’s alive.”
What changed?
The resurrection.
Illustration
Illustration
It’s like someone who has seen the sun rise after a long night.
You can’t convince them it’s still dark.
Church, when you encounter the risen Christ…
You cannot stay the same.
Now let me press this deeper.
Because a lot of people believe in Easter
But they’ve never experienced resurrection power.
You can:
—Celebrate Easter
—Dress up for Easter
—Attend church on Easter
All the, you can also still be spiritually dead.
The resurrection is not just about Jesus coming out of the grave…
It’s about a new life coming into you.
4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Although this sermon centers on the Book of ACTS and Resurrection day,
I don’t want the thrust, or the magnitude of this special event getting lost on you.
The real power of Jesus walking out of that grave has meaning,
It meant something great, grand and life altering.
Nay, it means something, eternity altering.
The resurrection of Jesus means this to you:
Dead things in your life can live again
Broken things can be restored
Sin no longer has dominion
Praise God, you can have victory over your life again, through the death, burial and resurrection of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, whom is worthy to be praised,
Amen
Church, Jesus didn’t rise just to be admired
He rose from the dead, to be experienced by each and every one of you
33 Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
Don’t miss the connection:
Resurrection → Ascension → Outpouring
Jesus didn’t just rise, He rose to send power to His people.
And that power is the Holy Spirit.
Church, Easter is not the end of the story either.
It is the beginning of empowerment,
Of Victory
Too many Christians stop at the empty tomb
And never step into the fullness of the Spirit.
Illustration
Illustration
It’s like being given a fully stocked house
But choosing to live in one room.
God has more for you.
Church, hear this clearly:
The resurrection was not the finish line…
It was the starting line.
Jesus didn’t rise just so we could celebrate once a year
He rose to release something glorious and powerful into the earth, and into you.
—Because after the resurrection
—After the appearances
—After the ascension
There was still a promise hanging in the air:
“You shall receive power…”
And now in second chapter of Acts
That promise arrives.
1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
Notice this:
They were still together.
—Still unified.
—Still waiting.
—Still praying.
Church—God moves where there is:
Unity
Expectation
and Most importantly, where there is complete and total Surrender
They didn’t know how it would happen
They only knew that He promised it would.
Illustration
Illustration
You ever stand outside before a storm.
You can feel The air changes doesn’t it?
because the pressure shifts
You can’t see it yet— but you know something is coming.
Church—Pentecost was that moment.
When it came, everything changed
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
The word Suddenly in the original Greek, is aphnō
Suddenly, or un-expectantly
You see, God had been preparing the arrival of the Holy Spirit all along,
But when He moved— It happened suddenly.
Application
Some of you have been waiting on God
And it feels like nothing is happening.
Or you maybe have been waiting on that acceptance letter, or promotion, or approval you so desperately want.
But hear me:
God often works slowly… then moves suddenly.
Healing can come suddenly
Breakthrough can come suddenly
Restoration can come suddenly
Don’t confuse God’s silence with God’s absence.
3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Now don’t miss the imagery:
Wind = unseen power
Fire = visible presence
Church—this was not emotional hype, This was divine empowerment.
The same disciples who were once afraid were now filled with a
boldness that they kept with them until the grave.
What changed?
Not their personality.
Not their education.
Their power source changed.
Before Acts 2:
Their Doors were locked
Their Voices were quiet
Fear controlled them
After Acts 2:
Their Doors opened
Their voices were loud and changed the world.
Boldness took over
Peter stood up and preaches with authority.
Thousands were saved.
Church—this is the difference:
The resurrection gave you a new life, free from all the sin in your life before
The Holy Spirit gives you the power, now to live it out.
6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language.
This is powerful.
God didn’t just fill them, He sent them.
The message of Jesus was no longer hidden in a room
It exploded into the streets.
Church, the gospel was never meant to stay inside the church.
It was meant to go:
Into homes
Into workplaces
Into communities
And Into the world
Illustration
It’s like a fire.
A fire doesn’t stay contained…
It spreads.
And Acts is the story of that fire spreading.
Peter stood and declared:
“This Jesus… God has raised up…”
Notice this: The Holy Spirit doesn’t replace the message
He empowers the message.
The focus is
—still Jesus.
—Still the cross.
—Still the resurrection.
Church—Let this be a lesson going forward in your life, and within all that you consume in the wicked world
We live in,
If the message, or whatever it is you are receiving, isn’t about Jesus, It’s not the Spirit of God.
This Was Always God’s Plan
Peter quotes the prophet Joel:
“I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh”
That wasn’t random or accidental.
That was promised.
Church—God had been planning that moment for generations.
And now:
Sons and daughters prophesy
Young men see visions
Old men dream dreams
The Holy Spirit is not limited to:
Age, Status, or Background
He is poured out on all who believe.
Now let’s tie it all together.
Palm Sunday: —The King arrives.
Good Friday: —The King is crucified.
Easter:—The King rises.
Acts 2— The King empowers His people.
And from that moment forward
Everything changed
—The church is born
—The gospel spread
—Miracles happen
—Lives are transformed
Acts is not just history but the result of resurrection power unleashed through Spirit-filled people.
Now let me bring this home.
Because this is not just about what happened
Rather it’s about what’s still happening.
The same Spirit in Acts 2
Is still moving today.
—The same power…
—The same boldness…
—The same transformation…
So the question today is:
Are you saved, — But powerless?
Do you believe in the resurrection — But live like nothing has changed?
Because remember this Church—God didn’t just call you to believe,
Ha, the demons believe,
You don’t get any points for just believing.
Jesus called you to be filled.
The Resurrection Demands a Response
Now Peter gets bold.
He tells the crowd
36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
And the people are cut to the heart.
They asked: “What shall we do?”
Church—this is the right question.
Because Easter is not just information
but rather the resurrection demands a response.
You cannot stay neutral about the resurrection.
Either:
—You receive Him
—Or you reject Him
There is no middle ground.
Application
Application
So what do we do?
Peter answered that question when he said:
Repent
Be baptized
and Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit
That means:
when you Turn from sin
when Turn to Christ
You will Receive a new life
Let me bring it in a little closer
Do you know, —
The resurrection is not just about Jesus’ story— It’s about yours.
Some of you might have walked in here today, or you are right now, watching this recording, and you are carrying:
Regret
Shame
Brokenness
Fear
I want you to know, the Bible tells us the empty tomb declares
— It’s not over for you
Listen—The resurrection of Christ is the ultimate turning point.
It turned Death turned into life
Defeat turned into victory
Darkness turned into light
And God can do the same in you if you let Him.
Only God can turn hopeless graves of sin, regret, and failure
Into lush fertile gardens of hope, beauty and restoration
—In Closing,
Let’s connect this back to our series.
—Why does Acts exist?
—Why is there a church?
—Why are lives transformed?
Why— Because Jesus lives.
If Jesus is still in the grave, then there is no ACTS
There is no outpouring of the Holy Spirit , and there is no gospel spreading.
But because He lives—The church is alive.
And not just alive—But On fire.
So here’s the question for today:
Do you just merely believe in the resurrection?
Or have you been changed by it?
Because there’s a difference.
One is intellectual
The other is transformational
Imagine it was you for a moment, standing outside the tomb that morning.
The stone was rolled away.
And The grave was empty.
And the angel said to you,
“Why do you seek the living among the dead?”
Church—The lesson there is simple, — don’t look for life in dead places.
Life is found in Jesus.
If you’ve never received Christ—Today is your day.
Check this out,
If you’ve been living powerless— Then today is your day.
If you’ve been stuck in sin— today is your day.
Because the same power that raised Jesus from the dead
Is available to you.
Because the tomb is empty.
Death is defeated.
And Jesus is alive.
And because He lives—We live.
And because He lives—The church moves forward.
And because He lives—Your story is not finished.
He is risen. Cristos Anesti
He is risen indeed. Alithos Anesti
Amen.
