SONGS

• Resurrecting
• Build My Life
• Glorious Day (Out of Darkness)

Hope Rising

Three Ways the Resurrection of Jesus brings us HOPE in the midst of a Deadly Pandemic

• Easter brings us HOPE today by demonstrating that God can cause even the most awful situations to have a glorious outcome.
• Easter also brings us HOPE by showing us that God has supplied the absolute best antidote for humanity's worst fear

Hebrews 2:14 (NLT)  Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. 15Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.

I Corinthians 15:17 … If Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. 18 In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! 19 And if our hope in Christ is only for this life [if there is no resurrection life beyond the grave], we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. 20 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.  

 HE IS ALIVE!

Luke 24:1 (ESV) But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise." 8 And they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.

Luke 24:1 (ESV) But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise." 8 And they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.

The Moment That Made a Difference 

• It made a difference IN JESUS
  • Jesus transformed from a NATURAL BODY to a GLORIFIED BODY John 4:5-6, John 20:19-20, Luke 24:30-31
  • His resurrection gave him the supreme authority to TAKE POSSESSION OF HIS ETERNAL KINGDOM Revelation 1:12-18
• It made a difference IN THE DISCIPLES John 20:19, Acts 4:8-10, 18-20, Acts 17:6
• It made a difference IN THE LEADERSHIP Matthew 28:11-14, Acts 4:15-17
• It made a difference for PEOPLE EVERYWHERE, in EVERY GENERATION, even in US TODAY
  • Gives us the OPPORTUNITY TO BE SAVED 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, Hebrews 7:24-25
  • Gives us the OPPORTUNITY TO BE HIS CHILDREN I John 3:2
  • We are no longer SUBJECT TO DEATHRomans 8:10-11, 1 Corinthians 15:20 - 23

Songs:

1. This Is Amazing Grace
2. 10,000 Reasons
3. How Can It Be

Luke 23:33  And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.  34And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  And they cast lots to divide his garments.  35 And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!

WHAT WAS GOING ON?  

• A completely Innocent Man who had just been Unfairly Condemned in a Rigged Trial was suffering Inhumane Torture at the hands of Mocking People.

HOW DID JESUS NOT RESPOND?  

• He did not respond in the way that we might expect a person in that situation to respond.
• He did not say what many of us would have said.

WHAT DID HE SAY? 

• “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
• He said what none of us would have said. 

WAS HIS PRAYER ANSWERED?  YES!

WHY DOES IT MATTER … FOR ME & YOU?

• Jesus is our Supreme Example of how to treat our own enemies.
• No sin is too evil to be forgiven by God!
• If there was forgiveness for these Jesus-hating Christ-killers, then God can forgive anybody for anything they have done!

Making the Most of Tough Times: A Pure Faith

Mark 5:25 – 34 (ESV)

Mark 5:25 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, "If I touch even his garments, I will be made well." 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, "Who touched my garments?" 31 And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, 'Who touched me?'" 32And he looked around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34 And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.

Three Points From this Beautiful Story

Need often DRIVES US to JESUS

Mark 5:25 – 27 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus…

God uses trouble to do at least TWO THINGS

Trouble displays our TRUE NEED of HIM

Mark 5:26 …had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse.

God uses trouble to give us a STORY to share WITH OTHERS

Mark 5:33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth.

Jesus desires us to TRUST HIM with a PURE FAITH

Mark 5:34 And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well…

Spiritual Lessons Only Learned During Difficult Seasons

LESSON #1

NO PAIN, NO GAIN

James 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

• True joy that is not based on pleasant circumstances v.2
• Faith strengthened through testing v.3
• Delayed gratification v.3
• Longer-view perspective v.3
• A persevering, enduring spirit v.4
• Full maturity v.4
• Well-rounded character v.4
• Deep dependence upon God v.5
• Appreciation for God’s generous goodness v.5
• Experience of God’s sweet compassion v.5

LESSON #2

JESUS WANTS TO LOVE OTHERS THROUGH US

I John 3:16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence.

I John 4:19 We love, because He first loved us.

LESSON #3

GOD IS OUR SOURCE

James 4:13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

LESSON # 4

JESUS IS OUR FOCUS

Hebrews 12:1 …Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.