Hope Lives
Jim Perdue
1 Peter 1:3-5
Intro/Attention
*Some time ago I read a story of a grandfather who wanted to see how much his four-year-old granddaughter knew about the Easter story. He put her on his lap and asked, ''Honey, why do we celebrate Easter?'' Without hesitating she said, ''Jesus was crucified, and after he died, His body was put into a grave. Then they rolled a big stone in front of the opening and a bunch of soldiers guarded the tomb. Then on the third day, there was a big earthquake and the stone rolled away.'' Well you can imagine! Grandpa was very pleased with how much his granddaughter knew about the Easter story. But to his dismay she continued! ''And, and, and, when the earthquake happened, the entire town came out by the grave and if Jesus came out and saw His shadow, they knew there would be six more weeks of winter!''*
At least she had part of the story right. I wonder how many of us have the story of Christ's resurrection right! Let's make certain we have it right because the story of Christ's resurrection is an important part of the Gospel message.
If there was ever a day that gives us hope, it is resurrection Sunday! In fact, that's why the church gathers week by week on Sunday, the Lord's Day for worship, rather than on Saturday, the Sabbath: to celebrate and commemorate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ! In fact, every Sunday is a celebration of the empty tomb! A celebration that Jesus is alive!
It's the empty tomb of Jesus that gives us hope! Hope in the here-and-now and hope in the hereafter! And don't get the idea that the hope I'm talking about is a wish or a dream that's far out of reach. Not at all! This hope is a know-so kind of hope that rests in the truth of the Bible and the power of Jesus!
The hope of forgiveness. The hope of peace. The hope of assurance. The hope of Heaven. And that hope is centered in the person of Jesus Christ. It certainly was for King David. He says in Psalm 39:7, ''My ho ...
Jim Perdue
1 Peter 1:3-5
Intro/Attention
*Some time ago I read a story of a grandfather who wanted to see how much his four-year-old granddaughter knew about the Easter story. He put her on his lap and asked, ''Honey, why do we celebrate Easter?'' Without hesitating she said, ''Jesus was crucified, and after he died, His body was put into a grave. Then they rolled a big stone in front of the opening and a bunch of soldiers guarded the tomb. Then on the third day, there was a big earthquake and the stone rolled away.'' Well you can imagine! Grandpa was very pleased with how much his granddaughter knew about the Easter story. But to his dismay she continued! ''And, and, and, when the earthquake happened, the entire town came out by the grave and if Jesus came out and saw His shadow, they knew there would be six more weeks of winter!''*
At least she had part of the story right. I wonder how many of us have the story of Christ's resurrection right! Let's make certain we have it right because the story of Christ's resurrection is an important part of the Gospel message.
If there was ever a day that gives us hope, it is resurrection Sunday! In fact, that's why the church gathers week by week on Sunday, the Lord's Day for worship, rather than on Saturday, the Sabbath: to celebrate and commemorate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ! In fact, every Sunday is a celebration of the empty tomb! A celebration that Jesus is alive!
It's the empty tomb of Jesus that gives us hope! Hope in the here-and-now and hope in the hereafter! And don't get the idea that the hope I'm talking about is a wish or a dream that's far out of reach. Not at all! This hope is a know-so kind of hope that rests in the truth of the Bible and the power of Jesus!
The hope of forgiveness. The hope of peace. The hope of assurance. The hope of Heaven. And that hope is centered in the person of Jesus Christ. It certainly was for King David. He says in Psalm 39:7, ''My ho ...
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