Sermon on April 21 by Pastor Roland Eskinazi

Scripture: 1 Cor 15:12-20; 2 Cor 5:17

 

“If Christ is risen, nothing else matters. And if Christ is not risen – nothing else matters”.
(Jaroslav Pelikan)

1. IF JESUS IS NOT RISEN…

• Your faith would be useless (1 Cor. 15: 14,17)
  If Jesus has not been raised from the dead, the whole foundation of the Christian faith collapses. Why believe?
• Your hope would be hopeless (v 18-19)
  If Jesus is not risen, our hope would be no hope and would not stand the test of time.

  ‘The message of Easter is that God’s new world has been unveiled to you in JC and you’re now invited to it’ (N.T. Wright)

• Your life would be purposeless
  If Jesus remained in the grave even finding a good purpose for life will fall short because ‘enough-ness’ never comes.
  ‘ If the dead are not raised…. “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”’ (v32b)

2. IF JESUS IS RISEN…

• It’s who you are – not what you have that matters (2 Cor. 5:17)
  When grace invades our lives, it never allows us to wear old clothes e.g. to invest in what will perish.
  Do you follow Jesus? A new creation has a new affection which drives out any idols that threaten joy and peace.
• It’s where you are going – not what you keep that matters
  ‘Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ’
  (1 Cor. 15:57)
  The only thing that should stop us living wholeheartedly for Jesus is if He is still in the grave.
  Since Jesus is risen, and death is defeated, whether we live or die is not the issue.

‘For me to live is CHRIST and to die is GAIN’ (Phil 1: 21)

Remember! Jesus is alive, well and at work. We have seen this today! What a day to repent and believe in Him. What a day to renew our confidence in His power and salvation