The Open Word (Audio)

As a Christian you can have a hope that lasts through any trial you face on this earth. Those who do not believe in God have nothing to look forward to beyond this temporary life. However, Pastor David encourages you to focus on the incredible hope you have because of Jesus resurrection. Just as Jesus was raised to new life, so you also have a perfect life awaiting you one day in heaven. When we are with God, this corruptible life will be gone and we will be just as God has planned.

The resurrection will continue to play a vital role our Christian faith. Jesus Christ died and rose again, and when he appeared to Mary in the garden she did not recognize him. Why wouldn’t she recognize Jesus? Pastor David’s conclusion is that Jesus had been changed by his resurrection. When we are resurrected one day we will be completely different than we are now. God is transforming us now in this life, and one day when this earthly body dies, we will be resurrected completely new with Jesus.

The gospel is incomplete without belief in Jesus’ resurrection. You can’t have one without the other, and today, Pastor David teaches about the benefits of believing in the resurrection. The resurrection demonstrates the power of God to overcome the evils and destruction of this life. This supernatural power of God seen in Jesus can also change our natural circumstances, for His death covers our sin and we are transformed by His resurrection power.

Not only is the resurrection an element of our faith that we can’t do without, it grants hope and demonstrates God’s power. As a Christian there is much more to be gained by belief than doubt in the resurrection. Pastor David explains that we will be resurrected one day like Jesus, and at that time we will be in God’s perfect presence. With the pain and difficulty of this life, it brings reassurance to know that we serve a God who is bigger than anything we face and knows our every need.

Christians believe that Jesus was resurrected from the dead and will return again. Until the time when Jesus returns, death and sin will continue to reign on this earth. Therefore, life can be a battle as we face struggles that could be detrimental to our faith. Today Pastor David teaches about the certainty we can have due to the fact that Jesus rose from the dead, and He promised to that we also would be resurrected. Sin did not have power over Jesus and through Jesus it loses its power over us!

Today Pastor David explains how the resurrection is a necessary building block to the Christian faith. Our culture suppresses the reliance on a supernatural trust, and this may erode belief in important aspects of Christian teaching such as the resurrection. Yet, without belief in the resurrection, our faith is empty and Christianity is powerless. Jesus Christ was human and divine. He died a real, human death, and then, God supernaturally overcame death raising Jesus to life again!

The apostle Paul is an example for our faith, and his transformation is remarkable. Most incredibly, God made a person who was prosecuting Christians into a Christian who was persecuted. Do you doubt God can change your life? Pastor David reminds us that the power of God demonstrated in the resurrection reveals that it is not by any of our own power that we have salvation. It is the embrace of the Spirit of God by which we’re empowered and emboldened to live for God’s glory!

Pastor David insists that you must not forget the gospel event that confirmed our faith and gave us the power over sin and death. As a believer, we owe our faith to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because Jesus was resurrected, the disciples and first believers were lifted out of their despair having seen the son of God die on the cross. The story of God’s reconciliation continued through them as the resurrection empowered the first believers and can empower us today!

Today Pastor David wants you to see the power of the Christian gospel. This is seen in God’s plan and purpose being on display and demonstrated in the lives of those who believed. God has continually transformed lives within history through salvation and the promise of our resurrection. The resurrection is vital to our faith because Jesus spoke of it and it is a fulfillment of a life lived for God. So, we can enjoy our lives as we focus on Christ now, which is the beginning of our eternal life with God!

God desires that there be order in the church, and that is why Paul addressed spiritual gifts. Today Pastor David explains that this is not about authority or power or strict guidelines; rather, the purpose of instruction on the use spiritual gifts is to get everybody on the same track toward Jesus Christ. Remember the blessings of God are meant to bring Him glory. If spiritual gifts bring attention to an individual rather than point people to God, they are out of order and need a spiritual adjustment.