Month: March 2024

INTRODUCTION

GOOD FRIDAY and EASTER SUNDAY are the days of all days in human history. However, we must remember that we cannot have one without the other. Without resurrection, redemption is not needed and, without redemption, there’s no resurrection.

On Good Friday, we appreciated, celebrated, and gave thanks to Jesus Christ for His redemptive work on the cross of Calvary.

▪It emphasizes the work of divine exchange and substitution which Christ did, choosing to suffer and die in our place, in order to save us from sin and the penalty for sin (death).

Redemption refers to saving someone by paying a price or gaining possession of something in exchange for payment.

▪This is what Christ did, laying down His life as the price for the redemption of the whole world, not just the believers.

But what we are celebrating today is not just the work of our redemption but something beyond redemption.

▪If all what we needed was salvation from sin, there wouldn’t have been any need for Jesus to rise from the dead.

▪His death on the cross would have been enough because it paid for all our sins and serves as a complete propitiation (sacrificial object) to appease a God who was angry with man.

The big thing however, is what happened after redemption.

The plan of satan was to kill Jesus Christ and put a stop to having a new life. He never thought nor expected that Jesus would resurrect. But Jesus Christ resurrected to begin a new life, a glorious and eternal one for that matter.

WHAT IF THERE’S NO RESURRECTION? – 1Cor. 15:12-19

1.            It means Christ did not rise (Vs 12-13).

2.            Preaching the gospel would be useless (Vs 14).

▪It is no longer good news but bad news. No longer Good Friday but Black Friday.

3.            Faith in Christ and His finished work would be worthless and meaningless (Vs 14)

▪Faith in a corpse buried in a tomb will redeem, sanctify or justify no one.

4.            Every witness to the resurrection and all preachers of resurrection would be liars (Vs 15).

▪The Apostles and every gospel preacher would be peddling a myth (a false belief or idea).

▪Even Jesus Christ Himself would become a liar too because He said He is the resurrection and the life (Jn. 11:25).

5.            Christianity would become a fairly tale, a fabricated imaginary story for children (Vs 16).

▪There would be no life after death since Christ did not rise. Christianity is based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

6.            All humanity would remain captive to sin (Vs 17).

▪The whole world would still remain enslaved to death (Rom. 6:23).

7.            Everyone who died would be in hell (Vs 18).

▪Every human being would face the full, wrath of God, dead and unable to rise to life.

8.            Christians would be the most foolish people on earth (Vs 19).

But praise be to God, Christ is risen from the dead and since He has come out of the grave, death is swallowed up in victory (1Cor. 15:54).

▪We can therefore boldly sing…

The strife is o’er the battle done…

IMPLICATIONS OF JESUS’ RESURRECTION FOR BELIEVERS

1.            It shows the immense power of the Almighty God over life and death (1Cor. 15:54-55).

▪Only He who created life can restore it after death. Even if there’s no life before, He can still create it.

▪Only He can remove the sting of death (sin) and the grave( power of death).

2.            It is the assurance of the resurrection of Christ’s faithfuls, which is the basic tenet of Christianity (Jn. 11:25-26).

▪Take note of the contrast in verse 20 of 1Cor. 15:20.

3.            It demonstrates that God accepted Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf (Heb. 7:27).

4.            It is victory over death, which comforts us that we would see our loved ones who have died again (1Thes. 4:13-14).

5.            It is an assurance of our regeneration in Christ when we become born again (2Cor. 5:17).

▪It gives us a new life that overcomes the activities of the flesh and activates in us the fruit of the spirit (Gal. 5:22-23).

6.            It makes every believer and disciple of Christ a miracle carrier and a doer/worker of miracles (Mk. 16:17-18; Matt. 10:1).

▪It’s not a supernatural thing for a believer to cast out demons or perform miracles (Lk. 10:19-20).

7.            It is a testimony and hope that every good thing dead in the life of a believer in Christ would come back to life at the mention of the name of Jesus Christ (Phil. 2:9-10).

CONCLUSION

Resurrection is the climax of Christ’s work of salvation.

A Christian is one who identifies with not only the death of Christ but with His resurrection as well, and subsequent confession of His Lordship (Rom. 10:9).

Let us therefore rejoice and continue to rejoice that Christ the Lord is risen and we have a new life, Hallelujah!

PRAYERS

1.            As the stone was rolled away from the tomb of Jesus Christ, every weight preventing me from rising, I command you to be rolled away now in Jesus’ name.

2.            Let the resurrection power of Christ come into operation in me and bring back to life everything that has been put to death by the enemy in my life in Jesus’ name.

3.            As Jesus came out of the grave, anything that belongs to me or any area of my life that has been buried in the grave, I command you to come out today in Jesus’ name.

4.            Every part of my body that has been put to death and is not functioning as God purposed it, receive life today and begin to function well in Jesus’ name.

5.            By the reason of a new life that emanated from the resurrection of Christ Jesus, I speak newness into every area of my life in Jesus’ name.

6.            The resurrection of Jesus marked a new beginning. Today, I receive a new beginning and a fresh start. It’s a new dawn for me in Jesus’ name.

Introduction

• Death is usually a painful experience and remains one of the dreadful realities humanities must face from time to time. (Eccl.3:1-2). It wasn’t a different case for disciples and the beloved of Christ. They experienced despair, hopelessness, confusion, and bewilderment (

• Death is generally considered the end of human race in this world. Although for the children of God who remains in Christ, it is the beginning of transition to eternal glory ( 1 Cor. 15:54-57)

• Scripture said every man is appointed to die once, nothing more (Hebrew 9:27).

• Jesus also died once but resurrected and live not to die anymore- Halleluyah. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him-Romans 9:6

• Acts 2:24– But God raised Him from the dead, releasing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for Him to be held in its clutches

The Characteristic of His Death and its implication for Believers

His death is unique and symbolic in many ways. It is the centre to redemption and salvation work that Christ gives every child of God.

There are stories of substitutionary death today being practice by wealthy people in some places around the world for monetary gains, cheat and cheat. But what Jesus when He died for humanities is for the gain for the whole world, His reason outweighed the worldly explanations

• While we are yet sinners, He died for us (Romans 5:8). Ordinarily, man, especially who like to die for a worthy course and cause: patriotism, heroism, defend of rights etc. but Jesus died for us when nothing in us is attractive.

• What happen in the world today may sound scandalous and outrageous, but more than two thousand years ago, Jesus substituted Himself as propitiation for sin. He is the sacrifice for remission of sin. 1 John 2:2- In this beautiful passage, John says this about Jesus Christ, our Advocate: “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” John is pointing us to the person and work of Christ as the source of our strength and hope and ultimate victory over sin.

• Jesus’ death for the whole world is an expression of deep and incomparable love God has for humanity- (John 3:16; John 15:13; 1 John 3:16; 1 John 4:10)

• Jesus became our substitute and “suffered once for [our] sins, the righteous for the unrighteous” (1 Peter 3:18). Jesus didn’t just die for you, He died as you. He died in your place. He became like you so you could become like Him. He became your sin so you could be righteous. He was diseased so you would be well. He was punished so you could be free. He was rejected so you could be accepted.     Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. but He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.— Isaiah 53:4-5

• As God’s sinless sacrifice, Christ suffered and died once and for all (Hebrews 10:10), for all who believe in Him.

• He took the penalty for all our sins in His own body on the cross.

• Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross provided “hope” for us as He freely, willingly gave His life for us (1 Peter 3:15, 18; John 10:15).

• He did so to bridge the long gap between us and God. Only by the substitutionary death of Jesus can we (sinners in need) have a relationship with and complete spiritual access to our loving God.

• Without death of Christ and His resurrection, no one can directly reach out to God. His death broke the long-range barrier that allow us to relate with God through the Spirit ( John 4:24).

Conclusion

Understanding the death of Jesus Christ on the cross has opened our eyes to how bless are we. Therefore, lets rejoice for we have a saviour who won all for us and we are free.

INTRODUCTION

Life is hard now but it has never bean easy. Perhaps, life in earlier days was different but definitely not without difficulty.

Comfort is a state of being relaxed. A feeling of freedom from worry, anxiety or disappointment.

David also faced fearful and turbulent times in different phases of his life:

▪As a Shepherd boy, he faced wild animals in the bush.

▪He became populer after killing the giant who was terrifying the people, king and the army of Israel (1Sam.17).

▪Saul became jealous of him and he had to run for his dear life (1Sam.18)

▪As king, he fought many battles, mostly against the Philistines.

▪His daughter, Tamar, was raped by his son, Amnnon (2Sam. 13).

▪He had a son with another man’s wife and killed her husband (2Sam. 11).

▪His son, Absalom, tried to take away his throne (2Sam. 15).

In Psalm 27:1-6, David presents 3 principles that enabled him to handle difficult times in his life and secure comfort for himself:

1. Our relationship with God (which is the foundatian)

2. Our confidence in God

3. Our worship of God.

God is eternal and the principles of His Word are also eternal.

David mentioned “Tabernacle” and “Temple”

Both are equivalent to our church today. They were the Sanctuary where God resided among His people.

Today,  God now lives in us as the Holy Spirit.

DAVID’S DESIRE (Ps. 27:4a)

To dwell in the house of the Lord.

▪Being in God’s presence.

▪Not only his desire but his priority (Matt. 6:33).

▪To be where God is.

▪To be in constant and continuous fellowship with God (intimacy).

To secure divine comfort in this difficult time, you must have desire, hunger and thirst for being with God and at a place where God is worshipped (Heb. 10:25; Ps.122:1).

REASONS BEHIND DAVID’S DESIRE (Ps. 27:4b)

1.To Behold The Beauty of The Lord.

▪God does not have physical form or physical beauty because He’s a Spirit (Jn.4:24).

▪It means to seek God’s face.

▪To admire God’s beauty is to be attracted to God.

▪God’s beauty doesn’t fade. With Him there are no imperfections.

▪God’s beauty speaks of the perfection of His love, power, mercy, favor, kindness, grace, goodness and glory.

▪The harmony of all His attributes is the beauty of His nature.

▪His beauty attracts us to love Him and through faith, we are led to worship Him (Jn. 4:24).

2.            To Enquire in His Temple (Ps. 27:4b).

▪To meditate in His word, be in constant communion with Him (Speaking to Him and hearing from Him), to recieve revelations and instructions from Him (Lk. 10:39,42).

▪To secure divine comfort in these difficult times, you must be ready to be attracted to seeking God’s face and engaging in constant communion with Him.

ANTICIPATED BENEFITS OF DAVID’S DESIRE (Ps. 27:5)

Safe and secure from all troubles (Ps. 91:1,2).

In the day of trouble:

▪I don’t have to start looking for Him.

▪I only have to trust Him as I call on Him, knowing He’s near (James 4:8).

▪The safety of believers is not in the walls of the Temple but rather in the God of the Temple, and their comfort in the communion with Him.

▪He would be lifted up (Ps.27:6a; 40:2).

The closer we are to God, the less we fear what life can bring against us (Rom. 8:31).

DAVID’S RESPONSE TO THE BENEFITS (Ps. 27.6b).

1.            He would offer sacrifices of joy.

▪Our being joyful in God’s presence is a sacrifice to Him.

▪Cheerful offerings (2Cor. 9:6-8). Giving is an act of worship (Deut. 16:16-17). It is the foundation of our redemption (Jn. 3:16).

2.            He would sing

▪Living in fellowship with God should result in joyful singing throughout the day.

3.            He would sing praises to God.

▪Whatever be the matter of our joy ought to be the matter of our praise.

▪When we worship God in His Temple, we ought to do it with joy and praise, for then we receive comfort, even in these difficult times. (Ps. 16:11).

CONCLUSION

In this difficult season that we find ourselves, what is your utmost desire? To seek God, dwell in His presence, praise and worship Him, and be in communion with Him? This is how to enjoy divine comfort in this season.

Let your song be…

As the deer panteth for the water

So my soul longeth after Thee

You alone are my heart’s desire

And I long to worship Thee

You alone are my strength and shield

To You alone may my spirit yield

You alone are my heart’s desire

And I long to worship Thee.

What a fellowship,

What a joy divine,

Leaning on the everlasting arms;

What a blessedness,

What a peace is mine,

Leaning on the everlasting arms

Leaning, Leaning,

Safe and secure from all alarms;

Leaning, Leaning,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

What have I to dread,

What have I to fear,

Leaning on the everlasting arms;

I have blessed peace,

With my Lord so near,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Leaning, Leaning,

Safe and secure from all alarms;

Leaning, Leaning,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.