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THE
DEATH OF DEATH Introduction: The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the hallmark of the Christian faith and distinguishes Christianity for all other religions of the world. The day that Jesus walked out of that tomb is the day death died. Notice the impact of this truth on: I. THE INTUITIONAL CHURCH (VV.1-5) A. The Day Of Worship (v.1) (Acts 20:7) "And
upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break
bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and
continued his speech until midnight." (1 Cor 16:2) "Upon
the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God
hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come." B. The Determination Of Service (v.2) (Mark 16:3) "And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?" Overcoming obstacles. God overcomes obstacles. He’ll roll the stone away. C. The Dynamic Of Life (vv.3-6) These women were perplexed and afraid. This is a good question, “why seek ye the living among the dead?” We should come to the House of God recognizing and celebrating that the tomb is empty. We’re not here to remember a dead Christ, we’re here to celebrate that He is a living Christ! 2 things that mark a Church that is alive with the power of God: · Love (Listing; Overlooking; Valuing; Expressing) · Laughter – You show me a Church where Jesus is Lord and I’ll show you a place where there is joy and laughter – where folks go around with smiles on their faces. II. THE INDIVIDUAL CHRISTIAN (VV.6-8) “Remember” Life’s problems can cause us to forget the promises of God. When we forget God’s promises we get defeated. Do you know why you endure the Christian life but do not enjoy the Christian life? You have forgotten that is His strength, not yours; it’s not about how hard you try, it’s about Him in you manifesting His strength – He is your victory. Stop trying and start trusting! You need to remember that you have: A. New Life In Jesus (Rom 6:11) "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rom
8:10-11) "And if Christ be in
you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of
righteousness. {11} But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the
dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also
quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." B. New Power In Jesus (Phil 3:10) "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;" I’m not looking for power, I’ve got the PERSON! C. New Companion in Jesus Because He lives, He’ll always be with you. Matt. 28:20; Heb.13:5. The beautiful thing about the resurrection is that it is not just an historical event. But, it means that He is ALIVE in 2007 to walk with you and talk with you and show you the way! III. THE INTELLECTUAL SKEPTIC (VV.9-12) A. The Fulfillment Of Prophecy Even before His death on the cross, Jesus Himself had predicted His death and His resurrection. Even the disciples were skeptical. Had they believed everything He said, they would have known that He would rise again. It should have surprised no one that He was gone, after all, the Old Testament prophets predicted that it would happen. The resurrection was a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. B. The Finalizing of A Plan A dead Savior saves no one! If Jesus had remained in the grave, His death would have been pointless and futile. Had He not risen from the dead, God’s plan to save humanity from their sins would have failed! But, because He did rise from the dead, He still lives today to save all who will come to Him by faith. Jesus came back for death itself to say that the last enemy of man has been defeated! I’m alive and death is dead – I won the battle! That is what Jesus Christ teaches through the resurrection. Conclusion:
(Illus: what makes the Christian faith that you at Because King Jesus waged war on sin and death and won a mighty victory and then arose from the dead in triumph over all His foes, I get to enjoy His conquest! The conquest of the King! It was more than just for Him. It was more than just for me. It was a conquest for all those who will receive Him by faith!
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