Resurrection Sunday

As I stood at the edge of an ancient burial site, the weight of history's failed quests for eternal life pressed heavy on my spirit. Yet, in the heart of that quiet reflection arose the breathtaking truth of Resurrection Day—the crux of our gathering at Cornerstone, which I, Jay, am thrilled to share with you. Journey with us through the scriptural landscape of Luke 24, where we revisit the awe-inspiring moment of the empty tomb and the life-altering proclamation that Jesus is indeed alive. Feel the surge of empowerment as we pray for divine favor to cascade into your life, and let's explore what it means to walk in the footsteps of Christ's love and character, transforming every facet of our daily existence.

Have you ever wondered how Jesus's resurrection uniquely contrasts with the mortality that plagued ancient civilizations? This episode paints a poignant picture, weaving my personal travels to historical sites with the enduring message of hope that Jesus's triumph over death brings. We'll transport you from the stunned guards at the tomb to the heartwarming encounter on the road to Emmaus, culminating in the revelation of the risen Christ. And as our time together draws to a close, receive an outpouring of blessings and gratitude from the Cornerstone family. In a world where empires crumble and deities fade, let's celebrate together the unchanging victory of Jesus's resurrection and the hope it instills in every believer's heart. Amen.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Amen. This is Jesus. Happy Resurrection Day. Happy Easter? Nothing on that. Let's try it again. Happy Resurrection Day. I like that. Praise the Lord.

Speaker 1: 0:16

If we haven't met, my name is Jay and it's a privilege and opportunity to be with you here today. Welcome to Cornerstone. We're glad that you're with us. We're celebrating the Lord together, getting an opportunity to worship with each other, both here in person and online. Together, we very much see ourselves as people who are on a journey following after Jesus. We know that he is our Lord, he is our Savior, he is the one that we look to, and so we're following where he's leading us to go.

Speaker 1: 0:42

How many people know what I'm saying? None of us is perfect. All of us are in need of a savior, and since that's true, then we need to be those that are following him where he's leading us to be. We want to be those who are active in that pursuit, because we want to be more like Jesus. That is what makes us who we are a community of faith, a collective together is that we're trying to be more into the image of God, more into his character, more with his countenance filled by the Spirit of God, that we would be active in that way that we want to be those who live as an example of what it means to be Christ. Would you say amen to that? Know this I've been praying for you. I've been praying for your family that you would know the Spirit of God in your life. That God would use you and he'd pour his spirit out upon you. That you know the favor of God where you work and where you study and where you set your feet to be in your community. That the grace of God would go in front of you and he would open up conversations. That God would use you as a light in the dark places. That God would use you as a blessing to others and manifest his presence through you. That he would provide for you and, through you, to others in generosity. I've been praying for the blessing of God upon your life, because that's what we want to see is a church that's empowered by the Spirit, that we would know the next level of what he has for us. Would you say amen to that? Amen. I'm going to ask you to open your Bible, your tablet, your phone.

Speaker 1: 2:09

This morning we're picking up here in this story in Luke 24. And it says this, starting in verse 1, and on the first day of the week, at early dawn they went to the tomb taking the spices they had prepared, and they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. And they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And while they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel and they were frightened and bowed their faces down to the ground. The men said to them why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Friends, he is alive. He is not dead, he is alive. Say it with me, he is alive. Lord, we thank you for your word. We pray over it today. Lord, that you would breathe upon it, holy Spirit, make it a rhema to us and transformative, Lord, that you would use it for your glory. We pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Speaker 1: 3:12

Many come on an Easter Sunday looking to engage the divine and the question for you this morning is who is Jesus? On Friday we had an opportunity to come and to reflect on the cross and to personalize that connection to God. They were very much, as we would see, historically, stations of the cross and we had an opportunity to reflect and to express our hearts to God. We understood that very much that God is our creator, that he loves us and has intention for us from the very beginning of time. He made us in his own image and breathed life into us, different than any other creation, and he set upon us an authority to live and to rule and reign in his time. And we abandoned those things and sinning against God, but he had a plan to restore those things back to us and that's how Jesus comes into the picture. We also understand this in having a reflection that we are people who fall short of the glory of God. Scripture would tell us not one is holy, no, not one. We know this as we see our frailty, we see where we mess up, we see where we make mistakes, we see where we fall short.

Speaker 1: 4:23

Much like Peter, after walking on water with Jesus, after being there for the miracles, after being there and saying I will never turn my back on you, jesus, jesus told him yes, you will. Three times, before the rooster crows. And as the rooster crowed, he felt that pain, knowing that he had done the very thing he did not want to do. He turned his back on Christ and friends, it's the same thing that we reflect upon as those shortcomings, understanding that where we fall short, all of us have. But what's amazing is that Jesus loves us and he makes a way back to the Father. He brings us back and he forgives us. And he makes a way back to the Father. He brings us back and he forgives us and he washes away that sin and he brings us back into a relationship with him because he is alive.

Speaker 1: 5:15

See, friends, that's not where it stops, but also we get to be those who are washed away of all that sin because of that relationship with God, that we get to have pure hands and a pure heart before a holy God. That we get to have a pure hands and a pure heart before a holy God something we can't buy our way into, something that we couldn't do enough good things to earn. It's not possible. We are people who are marred and who are not holy. How can we offer a holy God anything? We can only offer him our hearts, because that's what he asks of us, and in doing so we accept the scriptures that they've said for us, that we accept his work for us by faith, and in doing so we get to take our burden and cast our burdens upon him. We get to take on his yoke, which is light, and he's the one that carries all of those frailties, all of that sin, all that destruction. We cast our cares on him because he cares for us and we have that moment, like we did today, where we come to him and remember the sacrifice, remember his broken body, remember the stripes he took, remember the blood was shed. And we do that and we're thankful and at the same time we understand we're not just saved to sit in a pew or in a chair, but we're called to be those of action.

Speaker 1: 6:31

The church is the people, not a building. So we're about his work and doing the work of God. We get after it, so to speak. We want to be those that love God and make disciples and reach the world. We're not parked. We are running after Christ. We want to go for the things that he has us to do, and so that's what we're engaged in doing. We are praying for you. If a friend brought you today, it's because they're praying for you that you would know God in your life, that you would have a transformative moment of giving your life to God, and it would be something starting radically different for you because it's not of you, it's of him, of the divine Friends. That's what we're praying for for you, that we would accept the challenge to be the light of Christ, a reflection of his glory, of the Holy Spirit alive in us, taking our light of the gospel wherever we go. So this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine In the same way as we look to Christ on the cross.

Speaker 1: 7:27

We understand that he walked through such pain to get there. We know that they had taken and they'd set up this mock trial to shame him and they wanted to kill him, and so they even went. And there was this collaboration between Judas, one of the 12 who had collaborated against Jesus and some would say it was because he wanted to spur Jesus to taking on the Romans and throwing them away, and others say it's maybe just for his own personal benefit and the 30 pieces of silver. But either way, jesus is betrayed by Judas with a kiss on his face in the Garden of Gethsemane. There, as they were praying, they came with guards and they hauled Jesus away. They put him in this mock trial, as I said, and they have this fake testimony against them and they want to condemn them, but they don't have the power to do so. So they have to take him to the Romans. And as they take him to the Romans, the Romans are like what is this about? This guy hasn't done anything. So they shuffle him around trying to get away from the judgment and eventually Pontius Pilate and it comes to them and they wash their hands of it.

Speaker 1: 8:30

He's like this is on you, but still the punishment comes and he's flogged there with a cat of nine tails and he's struck again and again with this whip, pieces of metal and bone inside of it, stripping and ripping his flesh. Scripture tells us by his stripes we are healed. See, he didn't take that beating for him. He took that beating for you, for me, for us. He didn't have any sin in his life, but we have. He took the punishment for us. He stepped in our place to take on the punishment, not just punishment for what we've done wrong, but punishment from separating ourselves from a holy God for eternity. He becomes the sacrifice for all people and as he goes to the cross, he does so for you, he does so for me.

Speaker 1: 9:39

Friends, we can't earn it. You can't do enough good things, can't live a simple, good life and think you're going to make it into eternity with God. It doesn't work like that. That's why we have to have a savior and that's why Jesus came is to be that sacrifice for us. Without him, we are at a loss forever. That's why it's so imperative that we live a life with Jesus, that we invite him into our life as our savior and our Lord and we live that life as unto him, not to save us out of some kind of fiery damnation, but to have a life with God forever, one of fulfillment, one of joy, one for the answers you've been looking for, and a life full of hollow things. He is the only eternal answer.

Speaker 1: 10:44

We pick up here in Scripture, in Luke 23, it says and when they came to the place that is called the skull or Golgotha, where they crucified him, there, they crucified him and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left, and Jesus said, father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. You can imagine Jesus looking at those who were nailing him to the cross, the countenance of him, looking at those who were hung beside him on the other crosses and forgiving them for the very things they were doing to persecute him, the very things they were doing to kill him. He forgave them for Friends. He does that for you as well. Even whenever you've broken God's heart, he's still forgiven you. That's how much he loves you.

Speaker 1: 11:35

It continues and it said it was now about the sixth hour and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun's light failed and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. And then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. And having said this, he breathed his last. Having said this, he breathed his last. He was taking away the barrier from the Father to us. And there, as he hung upon the cross, he is the holy lamb of God, the holy sacrifice for us, and on him all the sin of the world was cast, and in him it was paid for.

Speaker 1: 12:28

But the amazing thing about Jesus is that he didn't stay dead Because he is alive. He has risen, friends. He is not dead. He is risen, friends, he is not dead, he is alive. It picks up here in Luke 24, and it says but on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb taking the spices they had prepared, and they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, and when they went in, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus, as we've read before. They said While we were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood them in dazzling apparel and they were frightened and bound down their faces to the ground. And the men said to them why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, he has risen. Friends, that is the good news of the gospel for us is that he is not dead, he is alive. He's alive.

Speaker 1: 13:21

And you think about this story. You think about them coming to pay their respects and to do them all the burial rites that they would. He was put in the grave and they couldn't go on the holy day. So they're going the day after, and as they get there, he's supposed to have guards there, but see, the angel came and the guards were scared and fell out like dead men. That's what the scripture says. So they were too shook. They just fell over dead, and so that's what happens. And so they roll back the door, they roll back the tomb and Jesus comes out and he is alive, and there are the angels.

Speaker 1: 13:53

And in another part of the Synoptic Gospels it says this it says that they said the classic angel line, part of the Synoptic Gospels. It says this it says that they said the classic angel line do not be afraid, right, because they are in shimmering color. They're in shimmering white, they're reflecting the glory of God. They had the perfect Easter fit. They were there on top of the rock ready to go, and they're like why are you looking for him? He told you he wasn't going to be here. He is not dead, he is alive. Say it with me, he is alive.

Speaker 1: 14:26

We think about all this. We think about how Jesus took all of our rejection. He took every bit of our rejection. He took it upon himself. He was one that was rejected by everyone. The previous week he'd been ushered into the city. They had said Hosanna, and they had brought him in and laid down palm branches and they had laid down their coats worshiping him. And in one week's time, the evil of this world plotted against him to come and to take his life. They thought they were killing the hope of the future. What they didn't know is they were fulfilling the very hope of the future. And so they come and there's this doubt that's there and it creeps into the hearts and the minds of all the followers of Christ, because they were like well, he did all these things and we thought he was the Messiah. We saw him feed the 5,000 and the 4,000. We saw him heal miracles and do all these things of thousands of people. We saw him walk on the water. How could they kill him? They had this doubt, but, friends, here's what I know is that he is not dead, he is alive.

Speaker 1: 15:34

Whenever I think about these different parts of the world that I've been to, I've been at the pyramids and put my feet on them and walked inside of them and seen all that was there People trying to take what's with them into the afterlife, trying to do all they could do to appease their gods of that day. Guess what? Those people are still dead. They didn't get to take anything with them Because the gods they were worshiping are not real, but our God is. He is alive. I've been in Mexico and I've been on the pyramids there and I've walked up the steps and seen the places where they would go and sacrifice children and sacrifice others, trying to appease some God, to do what they wanted and give them rain or give them food. And they were doing it all for naught, because those people are gone and those gods they were worshiping were never alive to start with, because they were never worth worshiping. There was only one worth worshiping and he is not dead, he is alive.

Speaker 1: 16:31

Friends, I've been to Rome and I've been there at the Colosseum and I've seen its grandeur and the power of its day. And though the Romans tried to kill Jesus, he didn't stay dead. And though they would go and they would throw Christians to the lions and they would persecute them in that very facility, all those Romans are dead and that facility sits open. But guess what? Our God is not dead, he is alive. That is the power of the gospel, that is the power of Jesus overcoming death, hell and the grave. We are already victorious, for we came in the room because he already has won the victory for us. In the end, we already won. We just got to run the race with Jesus. He is not dead, he is alive. This is the gospel, friends. This is the gospel. He is not dead, he is alive. Friends, I don't care what the White House thinks about today. I know what today is it's Resurrection Sunday. It is that God is alive and that is what we can proclaim to him, because he is our God and we a relationship with him, and we are walking this thing out. It doesn't matter what other culture will say, it doesn't matter what a government will say, we are going to hold on to Jesus. We're going to keep running with Jesus because he is our hope. Our hope is not in these things, it is in him alone, because he is alive. Friends, we see this.

Speaker 1: 17:55

We pick up in Luke 24, 22, and it's talking about walking with the hymn on the road to Emmaus. He starts appearing to these disciples and, as he does so, they don't even recognize him. He's walking alongside him and he starts to ask him well, what's going on in the city? And the disciples are like you don't know what's going on in the city. And they start giving him all the goss about what's been happening in the city. And he was just like, uh-huh, really, is that what's going on Really? Okay, okay.

Speaker 1: 18:21

And they start to unveil all these things and they say moreover, some of the women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning and they did not find his body. They came back saying that they had seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive, and some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it, just as the woman had said. But they did not see him. And so they're looking for him and they're having this conversation, and all the while you could only imagine the smile that's creeping up in the corner of Jesus's mouth. And he turns to them and he says oh, foolish ones, slow of heart, to believe all that the prophets had spoken.

Speaker 1: 18:58

Was it not necessary that the Christ would suffer these things and enter? He's saying didn't he tell you that he was going to have to go suffer? Didn't he tell you that he was going to have to die? And what did he tell you he would do? He told you he would come back, he would overcome death and hell and the grave, that he would be done with it because he is not dead. He would overcome death and hell and the grave, that he would be done with it because he is not dead. He is alive.

Speaker 1: 19:23

Friends, that is the story for you and for I that he is alive, that we are forgiven, that we have been forgiven much, all of our sins and all of our mistake. He has washed it clean. That we have been restored in relationship, fallen from that place of walking with him in the garden. Now we get to walk with him every day, by the Holy Spirit of God inside of us, that we get to be restored in relationship to the Father. When we look at the imagery of a risen Jesus, it's in his glory, because he's already victorious, he is already overcome. He is no longer dead. He is alive, friends. This is the hope, this is the salvation, this is the gospel, this is the message we share, the message we live, the message of love for all people. Is that a God who loved you while you were still a sinner. He came and he died for you. Friends, he is not dead, he's alive. When we ask that question, who is Jesus? We begin to answer with the answer that he's alive and we have a relationship with him, or you can as well. Today, we ask that question often have you embraced Jesus?

Speaker 1: 20:37

We look to the imagery of the cross. It's one symbolic for us as Christians, but very much real in the sacrifice that Jesus took to the cross. He took all the sin of the world, all of the shame, and he paid for it once and for all, and he did so to make a bridge back in relationship for the Father, but it's not a flippant one. It's one where we engage it through faith, saying Jesus, I believe you are who you say you are and ask you to come into my heart and life. I want to start a new relationship with you. It says it like this in Scripture, the Apostle Paul writing to the church at Rome. He says because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified. With the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Speaker 1: 21:33

Friends, today is your day of salvation. It's your opportunity to ask Jesus Christ into your heart and life. I would encourage you that you would make the decision that you came for to start a new relationship with Jesus. I'm gonna ask everyone that's here in the room if you just stand right where you're at and just bow your head. If you're online joining us, you just prepare your heart for what God wants to do inside of you.

Speaker 1: 22:06

Friends, we've been praying for you that you would encounter the living God today. Maybe you have made the decision in the past and you're a long ways off from Jesus and you need to make a decision to recommit your life back to Christ. Or maybe you've never made that decision ever and you need to make it for the very first time to invite Christ into your heart and life. His heads are bowed here in the room. If that's you, you say preacher. If you just remember me in that prayer today, if that was you, if you just be so bold, you say preacher. If you just remember me in that prayer today, if that was you, if you just be so bold, just raise your hand right where you're at, saying I just want to make a decision to follow Jesus today. See the hands and the hands that are here, hands that are here, people making a decision to follow Jesus, hands that are lifted, hearts that are lifted to God. We see those hands and put them down where you're at.

Speaker 1: 22:53

Friends, you make a decision online as well. We rejoice with you today. It's one made by faith. Friends, I'm gonna ask if everyone here would do is just pray this prayer after me as we invite Christ into our hearts and lives. Lord, thank you for loving me. Thank you for sending Jesus. I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins. I believe he rose again. Forgive me of my sins. I surrender my life to you. In Christ's name, I pray amen, amen. Friends, we rejoice with you making a decision to follow Jesus today. What a powerful decision. That's amazing.

Speaker 1: 23:43

Let me encourage you in this there are many in the room that made that decision today. If that's you that you would take the opportunity to go back to our prayer banner back here, we have some resources we want to put into your hand just to help you to follow after Jesus and start that new life with him. I'll encourage you in this, just to help you to follow after Jesus and start that new life with him. I'll encourage you in this Last week we had several people get baptized. Take that step to follow Jesus, and I'm going to encourage you to do the very same thing that in the weeks to come, we'll have an opportunity for you to respond to get baptized as well. It's letting the spirit realm know hey, I'm dead to sin, I'm alive in Christ, I'm a new creation, and so I encourage you to take that step.

Speaker 1: 24:17

For all of us here that are already Christ followers, we want to take this step that today that we would live victoriously because he has already done the work that we would realize and live like he is alive because he is and since that's the case, then, during this song and during this opportunity, that you would come forward and just be filled with the Holy Spirit of God to live his light of love to others.

Speaker 1: 24:41

Lord, we thank you so much for your word today. Lord, we thank you that you are not dead. You are alive and so, lord, we rejoice in that today. We thank you for your sacrifice for us. We thank you for your grace and your love, lord, for all that we've experienced in forgiveness. Lord, we give you praise for all these things. Lord, we rejoice with those that made a decision today to follow you, lord, that you would empower them by your spirit, lord, to reinforce that decision, to live for you every single day. Lord, we thank you for your empowerment. Now we ask, lord, as we come forward into your altar, god, that you would empower us by your spirit, lord, for a new level of your experience. We pray this in the powerful name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Speaker 2: 25:22

We are so grateful that you are here. The celebration is not over. If you have children, there is an Easter egg hunt. I'll ask you, just after service, to head over to the multipurpose room and you'll get to see them there. They'll give you further instruction while you're there, and next week we are having a family spring day. You're not going to want to miss it. I'm telling you, we have a lot of things planned, and how many of you love free? Yes, okay. So we have a team coming in with inflatables, we have a petting zoo coming in, we have free food for you. So anybody you know, just grab them and bring them. Let them know. They just need to show up. It'll be after our second service at 11 am, so you'll want to be here for that. I know for myself. I'm going to be there just for the petting zoo, but you just come. We're going to have a lot of stuff going on. It's going to be a great Sunday.

Speaker 1: 26:09

Praise the Lord. That's right Before we go. A praise blessing over us today. Blessing over us today. The Lord bless you and keep you. Lord, make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. We lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. Lord, I pray a blessing upon your church, your people. God, you empower us by your Spirit to live your love out to those around us. We pray all this in the powerful name that is Jesus Christ. Amen, amen. Know this. We love you very much here at Cornerstone. God bless you and happy Easter.