Joy of Easter

Opening:

Story

There was a woman at work when she received a phone call that her daughter was very sick with a fever. She left work and stopped by the pharmacy to get some medication for her daughter.

She returned to her car to find that she had locked the keys inside the car when she went into the pharmacy and was now unable to get into her car to drive home.

She didn’t know what to do and started to panic, so she called home and told the baby sitter what had happened and that she did not know what to do. The baby sitter told her to find a coat hanger and see if that would open the door.

The woman looked around and found an old rusty coat hanger that had been thrown down on the ground, possibly by someone else who also had locked their keys in their car. Then she looked at the hanger and said, "I don’t know how to use this." So she bowed her head and asked God to send her some help.

In so doing, she obeyed the command to never stop praying. Do you think God would reward her for that?

Within five minutes a motorcycle roared up and pulled into the parking space next to her car. A rough, dirty-looking biker got off and saw her situation. He asked if he could help her. The woman thought, "This is what you sent to help me, God?"

She finally told him yes, as she needed to hurry and get home to her sick daughter. He walked over to the car, and in less than one minute the car was opened. She hugged the man and through her tears she said, "Thank you so much! You are such a nice man."

The man replied; "No, I’m not, Lady. I just got out of prison for car theft." The woman hugged the man again and with sobbing tears cried out to God, "You even sent me a professional."

Intro

Sadness to Joy

This weekend goes from sadness to Joy

Main Verse: John 11:25-26

THE POWER

“I am the resurrection and the life.”

What type of life does God have the Power to give?

Enjoyable life

John 10:10.

Christ came to give us enjoyable life.

If you do not enjoy life, then you do not know Christ in a personal way!

Its a joy to serve and live for Christ.

Exciting life

John 15:11.

Christ wants our joy to be full, or to be complete.

There is a challenge every day in serving Christ.

We are challenged to overcome sin and live a successful Christian life.

Eternal life

John 3:16.

Though our body may die, our soul lives on.

This means heaven, spoken of by Christ in John 14:1–6.

THE PLAN

“everyone who lives and believes in me”

Importance of faith

Heb 11:1-5, 6

Romans 10:9-10.

Note here believing that God has raised Him (Jesus) from the dead.

Influence of faith

Mark 16:20.

They went out and practiced what the Lord told them and had the results he told them of in verses 16–18.

Inspiration of faith

John 14:19.

Because He lives, we too may live forever!

Indifferent faith

John 20:25.

Thomas had to see before he believed.

This is not faith! Real faith believes before it sees!

THE PARDON

“Though he die, yet shall he live.”

Dead in sin

Ephesians 2:1-2

Born in sin.

We remained in sin by our own choice.

But Christ (convicted us), showing us the need of having Him to cleanse this sin.

Dead to Satan

2 Corinthians 4:4.

John 10:10

1PT. 5:8

Satan has blinded man to the evils of Satan.

Christ came to open our eyes to the evils of Satan.

Dead to self

Galatians 2:20.

Most all problems are caused by man’s selfish desires and ambitions.

Christ came to set us free from self as Paul spoke of in the above verse.

Allow the life of Christ to drive out sin, Satan, and self!

THE PEACE

—John 11:26.

Command

“And whosoever lives and believes in me, though he dies, he shall live.”

Faith demanded for salvation—Acts 16:32.

Faith describes salvation—Ephesians 2:8–9.

Concern

Do you believe? Jesus said, “Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”