Let Easter impact your life

I. Place your trust in Jesus

* The Gospel is the most important message to believe!

  1. Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred (1 Corinthians 15:1-6a).
  1. Faith replaces fear! As Romans 5:1 states: Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

II. Find real hope in Jesus

* The Bread is a reminder that Jesus represented us as humans!

  1. Hope replaces despair! As Romans 15:12-13 states: Again Isaiah says, "There shall come the root of Jesse, And He who arises to rule over the Gentiles, In Him shall the Gentiles hope." Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
  2. Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives (Hebrews 2:14, 15).
  3. Partake of the bread: For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me" (1 Corinthians 11:23, 24).

III. Embrace forgiveness in Jesus

* The Cup is a reminder of Jesus paying the death penalty for our sins!

  1. Forgiveness replaces bondage! As Ephesians 1:7-8a states: In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.
  2. Partake of the cup: In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes (1 Corinthians 11:25, 26).

Easter sermon by Pastor Rod Akins, April 4th, 2021