We join together
this morning to recall and to celebrate the greatest event to ever happen here
on this earth; the resurrection of Jesus from the grave.
HE IS RISEN!!!!!
However, before we
can celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, we must first remember why His
resurrection was possible.
2 Corinthians 5:21
God made him who had
no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of
God.
We begin by
remembering the high cost of our sin.
Sin is defined as missing the mark.
It’s either doing what we ought not do or by not doing what we ought to
do. Essentially, it is using our lives
for purposes which they were never intended to be used for.
As guys, we do this
all of the time. Need to pry something
open? That flat screwdriver sitting
nearby should do the trick. Need to open
that box? Hey, you just happen to have a
set of keys in your hand. Does your
friend need a tow? Awesome, your car
just happens to have a set of ratchet straps in the trunk.
What happens when we
use things for something that they were never intended to be used for? Well, we’ll just say that it usually doesn’t
end well. It’s no different with our lives. We end up hurt, scarred, and damaged.
Sin separates us
from God. No, it does not cause God to
separate from us, but it does cause us to separate from God.
Simply put, we were
created to live in fellowship with God.
We were created to be best friends with Him and to live in His presence
even here on the earth.
Were there was no
way for us to ever overcome sin on our own, God made a way. We were born into sin. Jesus, God in the flesh, was born without
sin. He lived a life as you and I, full
of temptation and heartache and struggles.
However, unlike you and I, Jesus lived His life never choosing to sin. Then, He chose to take on the punishment for
sin that He did not deserve. In doing
this, He paid the debt that you and I owe.
2 Corinthians 5:21
God made him who had
no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of
God.
We begin our journey
at the old rugged cross.
* The Old Rugged Cross *
Jesus hung on that
old rugged cross for you and I, then willingly gave up His life. In fact, the Bible says that Jesus endured
the cross for the joy set before Him.
Today, we remember not only the cost of our sin, but also the blessing
of obedience. Jesus may have lay in the
grave for three days, but then, in an instant, the pain, sorrow, and darkness
all faded away.
HE IS RISEN!!!
Hebrews 12:1-3
1 Therefore, since
we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off
everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And 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.
With this same
mindset, we also can consider it a joy to lay down our lives because we also
know that as we lay them down, Jesus can raise them up to a new life full of
His resurrection power! Whatever we may
have accomplished and no matter how successful we may be in the eyes of the
world, when we come to know Jesus, we realize just how little the things of
this world truly matter. Paul wrote:
Philippians 3:7-14
7 But whatever were
gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I
consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ
Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage,
that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my
own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the
righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know
Christ—yes, to know the p
