Easter: The Value of You
Frank Pollard
Romans 4, 6, 8, 10
In Romans 4:25: ''He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.''
Romans 6:4: ''We were therefore buried with Him through the baptism unto death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.''
Romans 8:11: ''And if the spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His spirit, who lives.''
Romans 10:9: ''That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, 'Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.'''
I'm frightened by Easter. I'm almost terrified by the thought that you have come to this service on this electrifying day to hear a word from the risen Lord and I might not give it to you. Or it might be said in a way you won't hear it. All this week I have prayed: ''Father, how do I say it. How do I tell them? What do I tell them?''
Easter is more than declaring that our God is better than their God. Sermonic rhetoric on this day is often a verbal tour of the graves of religious leaders. We can visit the place where Mohammed is buried. We can see the spot where lies the remains of Confucius, but when we go to the tomb where Jesus was buried, they tell us this is not His tomb. It was only borrowed for He didn't need to keep it. ''He is not here. He is risen.''
That's a great truth. Admittedly, it often sounds like little children saying, ''Yeah, yeah, yeah. My God's better than your god.'' But it is true. It is a great thought but it is not enough.
The Easter story is more. Easter is more than pointing you to an empty tomb. The empty tomb did ...
Frank Pollard
Romans 4, 6, 8, 10
In Romans 4:25: ''He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.''
Romans 6:4: ''We were therefore buried with Him through the baptism unto death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.''
Romans 8:11: ''And if the spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His spirit, who lives.''
Romans 10:9: ''That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, 'Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.'''
I'm frightened by Easter. I'm almost terrified by the thought that you have come to this service on this electrifying day to hear a word from the risen Lord and I might not give it to you. Or it might be said in a way you won't hear it. All this week I have prayed: ''Father, how do I say it. How do I tell them? What do I tell them?''
Easter is more than declaring that our God is better than their God. Sermonic rhetoric on this day is often a verbal tour of the graves of religious leaders. We can visit the place where Mohammed is buried. We can see the spot where lies the remains of Confucius, but when we go to the tomb where Jesus was buried, they tell us this is not His tomb. It was only borrowed for He didn't need to keep it. ''He is not here. He is risen.''
That's a great truth. Admittedly, it often sounds like little children saying, ''Yeah, yeah, yeah. My God's better than your god.'' But it is true. It is a great thought but it is not enough.
The Easter story is more. Easter is more than pointing you to an empty tomb. The empty tomb did ...
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