Posts Tagged ‘ Resurrection ’

VerseD: Ephesians 6:12

For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.

Ephesians 6:12, HCSB‬

Because Christ lives, we can face the powers of darkness and evil with boldness, knowing our Savior reigns and fights for us.

VerseD: Ephesians 6:11

Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil.

Ephesians 6:11, HCSB‬

Because Christ lives, when we believe in Him we have access to the Holy Spirit and His anointing to worship and serve Him while resisting the lies and temptations of Satan.

VerseD: Romans 6:5

For if we have been joined with Him in the likeness of His death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of His resurrection.

Romans 6:5, HCSB‬

Christ is risen from the grave, and He calls us to join in His resurrection. Believe it. Worship Him. Join Him in glory for eternity.

The Church Next Door Sunrise Service – March 31, 2024

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

New cross covered in snow. Isaiah 1:18

Our Pastor Scott Mitchell delivered our Sunrise message this year.

Remember that these are rough notes and not necessarily everything said!

Sunrise Sermon

One thing we have in common with Jesus: early riser…
mountain…up – fight against it or work with it…
the mountain is real…and will not be ignored… our only choice is how we respond to it…
the tomb was empty
our only choice is how we respond to it…
did the enemies in the Bible ever deny that the tomb was empty?
28:11 – behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. 12 And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers 13 and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.
they never denied it…because they could not.
no they only attempted to offer another explanation because they opposed him
back to the beginning… Guard

27:62 The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard[j] of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.
they opposed Christ – they created a situation where the only way he was getting out of that tomb was a miracle – thus solidifying the evidence that there was a miracle that day – the miracle of our Lord’s resurrection…
God will receive glory through our lives – Pharoah – in abject defeat
Moses – working with Him
today we’re going to look at 2 different responses…
that of the enemy – and that of the women who loved Jesus… at the cross.watching when he was buried…there sunday morn…
the enemy
28 Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like

lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.
fear – abject paralyzing – cause an accident fear -fear that made them faint…
why – because they had set themselves in opposition to this mighty one and his angelic messengers…
the followers
5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he[k] lay.
7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” 8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
why fear –

you hear the Lord you love and came to anoint his body but now he’s gone…its overwhelming…
fear – yes – you see a majestic angel and you freak out – thats the Biblical thing to do…
why great joy –
why do not be afraid …
because the victorious one who has risen is the one you love and He is on your side…
the choice is still real today – the tomb is empty –
our only choice is how we respond…
we see this in acts 17:30
Acts 17: 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”
3 responses:
32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked.
But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 33 So Paul went out from their midst.

34 But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.
which group are you in this morning –
mocking – choosing the things of this world over the risen Lord?
fear – terrible gut wrenching fear is in order….
this world is going down – and if you’re clinging to it instead of trusting Christ – you’ll go down with it…
1 john 2:15-17 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires…
wanting to hear more about this? maybe you have questions…that’s ok…
Lee strobel – the case for Christ
Who Moved the Stone? Frank Morison, whose real name was Albert Henry Ross, was a skeptical British journalist when he began his research, but it convinced him of the historicity of the resurrection…
but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
what is the will of God? what does he want us to do?

John 6:28-29 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
for those who believe…
fear – yes – because this is an awesome God! but also joy –
and victory – 1 John 5:5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
this world is going down – but if you believe in the risen Lord – you will rise with Him…its as though you have on a spiritual jetpack….when the ground gives way – you will remain afloat…
what’s your response to the empty tomb?
I pray you believe and find hope in the death and resurrection of our Lord…
1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

Christ is risen!

Regular Sunday Service

https://www.youtube.com/live/jhgy0LrUzyk?si=BHUD7gg4-6gtyTjB

VerseD: Matthew 28:6

‭”He is not here! For He has been resurrected, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay.”

Matthew 28:6, HCSB‬

Christ is risen from the grave! We have a risen Savior who has overcome death and the grave!

VerseD: Joshua 1:9

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9, ESV

Our God has promised to always be with us, and He proved it through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

VerseD: John 10:11

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

John 10:11, ESV

The most verifiable truth of history is that our faithful God sacrificed His only Son for us.

We can trust in His goodness and verity (truth).

VerseD: Mark 16:6

And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.”

Mark 16:6, ESV

We have a faith that can be tested: there is no body in the tomb. Don’t let reason be a reason you don’t believe, for it is a reasonable faith.

April 9, 2023 CND Sunrise Service

I preached again!

Specifically, I was honored to preach our special Easter Sunrise Service.

(I also happened to have a fresh cold! Sorry about the coughing.)

As usual, these are my rough notes below.

CND Sunrise Service – April 9, 2023

Let’s test this:
“He is risen!” [“He is risen, indeed!”] [Prayer]

But what about that first Easter? How did the first followers of Jesus react?

First, let’s look back at a few days earlier.
Where was Peter?
Here is the man who said he would never abandon Jesus, even if he had to die.
Yet, we know that he ran away with the others when Jesus was arrested.
Sure, in John 19 for example, he came back during the “trial” of Jesus, but he tried to stay at a distance, and then he called down curses on himself as he claimed to not know who Jesus is.
This was one of the most faithful followers of Jesus, right?

Where was John?
We know he ran away at the arrest, but John 19 also tells us that John may have stayed for the trial with the high priest. It is not clear if this was John, but the way he usually talks about himself as “another disciple” and “the disciple whom Jesus loved” implies it could have been him.
We also see he came to the crucifixion.

John 19:25-27, ESV
but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

John saw Jesus on the cross, but where was he Sunday morning? Hiding with the other disciples. All of the disciples hid in a locked room (John 20:19)
But who is not staying put, during the crucifixion and on that first Easter morning?

John 20:1, 11-18
[v. 1] Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.

We know Mary Magdalene was accompanied by Mary (James and Jesus’ mom) and Salome (James and John’s mom). Arguably, these three women were truly faithful, but why would these Mary’s be there?
Jesus’ mom makes sense. She’s His mom and definitely had her life changed by His birth and life. Back to reading, in verse 11:

[vv. 11-15] But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”

Here is a woman weeping at the tomb of Jesus, and even doesn’t notice the hint of angels being present. She didn’t even notice Jesus as Jesus, thinking He was just the gardener near the tomb.

Here is a woman that Luke 8:2 and a few other places remind us had seven demons cast out of her. She may or may not have been a prostitute (Scripture is not clear on this), but at the very least she had seven demons cast out of her.

Here is a woman who had her life drastically changed by Jesus, making it possible for her to live a normal life after only-God-knows how long under demonic oppression and societal rejection.

Why was Mary Magdalene at the crucifixion and the first to the resurrection while the men all hid?

Because Jesus had touched her with His healing power, making her whole and clean again. The men did not. She was shunned, while they could move about freely (though some like Matthew/Levi did have minor obstacles).

Mary was changed from the inside out.

And in all of their grief, they all still missed Jesus.

Our grief can blind us to God.
Our own self-righteousness can blind us to God.
Our successes and failures can blind us to God.

It is only when God is with us and touches us with His healing and grace and we hear Him calling us by name can we see Him working.

[vv. 16-18] Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

Have you let Jesus change your life?
It is His death and resurrection that has brought us change. It is nearly impossible to see it until we are open to hearing His voice.
And when we do, it is tempting to sit and cling to that initial feeling, but He has given us the charge to tell others that He is has saved us.

And He is risen.

Let go of your pain, your grief, your self-righteousness, your works by hearing the voice of our risen Lord.

He is risen!

And He has changed us with His power and healed us of our emotional and spiritual wounds by taking them on Himself.

And He has removed our fear and given us hope through His resurrection.

And He calls us by name in the midst of it all.

And He sends us to tell the world …

… that He is risen!

VerseD: John 20:15-16

Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).

John 20:15‭-‬16, ESV

Circumstances in life can make us miss the truth right in front of our own faces.

Don’t let grief, self-righteousness, pain, or good things blind you to the crucified and risen Christ who calls us by name.