We are so glad you are this morning to celebrate Easter with us. This is the day that the Christian church commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection holds a central place in our faith, for it by it, God proved that Jesus was his Son, and validated all that all he said and did.

"Jesus Christ . . . declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead." Rom 1:4

People of faith, throughout the world, are pausing from their busy lives this morning, to reflect on the meaning of this great historical event.

While the resurrection of Jesus was an actual historical event, 2,000 years ago, its results can have a profound and direct affect upon us today. So much rides on the resurrection of Jesus, so many doors were opened, so much power can potentially flow into our lives today if we will respond with faith and commitment to it's message.

READ 1 Co 15:1-8

1 WE CAN HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST

"He appeared to Peter, and then to the twelve. After that he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at the same time." v.6

Jesus did not come to establish a religion, but to enter into a relationship with man.

Genesis, the first book in the Bible, tell us that God made man in his own image for the purpose of relationship.

God gave man the ability for relationship: communication skills, the ability to think and feel, the power for empathy and caring.

But when Adam disobeyed God by eating of the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil, a wall of separation came up between God and man that spoiled the hope of relationship.

This separation was symbolized by the curtain in the tremble that kept the people out of the Holy of Holies and was a constant reminded that you could no longer approach God as before.

When Jesus was crucified, the curtain in the temple was miraculously torn into indicating that we can now enter into the presence of God by Jesus Christ.

"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." Jn 14:18

"surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”" Mt 28:20

"Now this is eternal life: that they may know you (relationship), the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." Jn 17:3

"Easter stands for the presence of Christ with us to meet the pressures of life as they come to us day by day. The promise of his companionship, the absence of fear, the greater ability to function. The good news about Easter is that I'm not alone to face the problems of life without help."

WE CAN KNOW THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION

"that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures," 1 Co 15:4

"How tremendous is the power available to us who believe in God. That power is the same divine energy which was demonstrated in Christ when he raised him from the dead." Eph 1:19-20 (Phillips)

"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection." Php 3:10

J Mark Twain said, "I don't need anyone to tell me what to do. I'm not doing half of what I know to do, now." What we need is someone who can change us, give us a new motivation, make us want to do what we ought to do, and give us a new heart, a new outlook, a new ability, a new capacity, a new life. That is what Jesus Christ does again and again.

"The great Easter truth is not that we are to live newly after death -- that is not the great thing -- but that we are to live here and now by the power of the resurrection; not so much that we are to live forever as that we are to, and may, live nobly now because we are to live forever." Phillip Brooks

Power comes to us through answered prayer: As we asked God to do the things he has promised

Power comes to us through a changed life: He implants principles deep within us that come forth and alter our life.

Power is felt within us as internal support: He lives within us and we are assisted; given strength, courage, and determination to live for him. He is called the comforter, our helper, our peace.

WE CAN GO TO HEAVEN WHEN WE DIE

"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures" 1 Co 15:3

The only thing that keeps people out of heaven is their sin. We sin when we violate God's law, when we do something immoral and wrong. "All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God."

People are not kept out of heaven because they fail to live a good enough life.

Decent people in our society today believe that God grades on the curve. Remember in school when those who scored 90% or better on a test got the A's, etc.

Intuitively people feel that God will send the bottom 10%, the really bad people, to hell and the top 90% will get to go to heaven.

Two weeks ago I was talking to a man who has terminal cancer. He said, "When it comes times for me to die, I hope God will not be too strict in his evaluation and consider be good enough to go to heaven."

I explained that no one is good enough to go to heaven. "We all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and the ages of sin is death." Neither Billy Graham nor Mother Teresa are good enough, nor sincere enough, to get into heaven.

God had to design another way for people to get to heaven. God sent his Son to die on the cross for our sins so we can be forgiven of those sins and gain access to heaven.

When we accept God's gift of eternal life, when we receive Christ as our personal Savior, trust in his work on the cross, then we are forgiven and will go to heaven when we die.

He said in response, "That seems too easy." I said, "It is easy for us, but hard for Christ, who did all the work." Last night we watched the movie, "The Passion of the Christ." One thing that movie clearly shows is how much work Christ had to go through to save us from our sins.

While it is easy to get saved, it is also easy to miss the point or neglect to respond.

In an article by Dan Shafer titled, "Getting Serious About the Resuurection" he tells of a survey taken of 8,500 people. 40% claimed they were Christians, while only 15% believed in the Resurrection. He explains why this is."Many people entering churches feel Christianity is something to add to their life, like herbal tea or antilock brakes, or more fiber and less fat. They say that it doesn't matter whether Jesus rose again, as long as your Christianity helps you live a healthier life, hang onto your values, and become a productive member of society. Come to church; it'll make you feel good. Read your Bible; you get inspiration. Pray; it will help you reduce your stress."

Now, just believing these truths, in the mind, is not enough to be saved. A person needs to respond to them in a personal individual way.

"Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life." Re 22:17