Resurrection Sunday is one of the harder sermons to prepare for.

Most people attending have heard a sermon on the resurrection at least 50 times.

The resurrection is in everything. The entire NT is based on the resurrection of Jesus.

Honestly, it is difficult to not preach on the resurrection if you are in the NT.

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And then the pandemic hit. And I am recording this message with no audience, no physical contact.

So, how should I preach on the resurrection of Jesus?

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I realized, I should preach this message like it is the last message I will ever preach.

What is the message I would want to be my last, what is the last message I would want to give my church

What is the last message, I would want my children to hear come from me?

So today, I am preaching to you my hope, my confidence, my only source of reality.

THERE IS HOPE: JESUS IS ALIVE!

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John 11:17–44 ESV

Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

DEATH DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THE END: JESUS IS ALIVE

1 Corinthians 15:21–26 ESV

For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every 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.

1 Corinthians 15:20–26 ESV

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every 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.

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 ESV

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

It is quite natural to fear death.

1 Cor 15:21-

From the moment we are born we fight for life.

There is an uncertainty to death that brings fear.

But the promise of the Gospel is Jesus has defeated death.

And He will destroy death for all who are His!

Like Martha, Jesus is telling us today, “I am the resurrection and the life”.

I like being alive - I enjoy life - But I do not have to fear death - it is not the end.

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1 Corinthians 15:55–57 ESV

“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

There is Hope: Jesus is ALIVE!

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YOUR BONDAGE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THE END: JESUS IS ALIVE

Like Lazarus some of you are bound in death.

Bound in your addictions, anger, fear, unforgiveness.

You may be breathing but life itself is gone.

Today Jesus is calling you out of that bondage.

God calling me out of drug addiction and death “Come”. Set free!

He is calling your name - “come out, arise, be free, come alive.”

Romans 10:9–10 ESV

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Romans 8:11 ESV

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Today the one who raised Lazarus from the grave, the one who defeated death, the one who promises to raise all his people up in a physical resurrection -

Desires to loose you from your bondage - set you free - give you a new life - a life of Joy and beauty.

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YOUR SEPERATION FROM GOD DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THE END

FEAR DOES NOT HAVE TO BE YOUR REALITY

THERE IS HOPE: JESUS IS ALIVE!!!

Some of you are struggling with fear to a point of panic.

Our world has been turned upside down and fear has grasped your heart.

Some of you are afraid for your own life

Others of you are terrified for your children.

Death is not the end: He is alive.

Solitude is not the end: He is alive.

Joblessness is not the end: He is alive.

Disease is not the end: He is alive.

Fear is not the end: He is alive.

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Do not allow fear to paralyize you or to cause you to panic.

There is hope: Jesus is alive.

COVID will not win

Pandemics will not win

Death will not win: Jesus is ALIVE.

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Paschal Sermon of John Chrysostorm

“Enjoy ye all the feast of faith: Receive ye all the riches of loving-kindness. let no one bewail his poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed. Let no one weep for his iniquities, for pardon has shown forth from the grave. Let no one fear death, for the Savior’s death has set us free. He that was held prisoner of it has annihilated it. By descending into death, He made death captive. He embittered it when it tasted of His flesh. And Isaiah, foretelling this, did cry: Death, said he, was embittered, when it encountered Thee in the lower regions. It was embittered, for it was abolished. It was embittered, for it was mocked. It was embittered, for it was slain. It was embittered, for it was overthrown. It was embittered, for it was fettered in chains. It took a body, and met God face to face. It took earth and encountered Heaven. It took that which was seen and fell upon the unseen.

Others of you

O Death, where is your sting? O Hell, where is your victory? Christ is risen, and you are overthrown. Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen. Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice. Christ is risen, and life reigns. Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in the grave. For Christ, being risen from the dead, is become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. To Him be glory and dominion unto ages of ages. Amen.”

THERE IS HOPE: HE IS ALIVE