Life and Death
Pastor Kent Landhuis
THEME – God > death.
TEXT – 1 Corinthians 15
1. Jesus lived and died.
- 1 Corinthians 15:1-8.
- Without the death of Jesus, there is no resurrection.
2. Jesus rose again to life.
- 1 Corinthians 15:12-14, 20
- Without resurrection, Jesus was not raised.
3. Jesus conquered sin, suffering, and death.
- 1 Corinthians 15: 22-28
- Without the resurrection of Jesus, there is no hope.
NEXT STEPS
- Celebrate resurrection and find hope. “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” ~1 Corinthians 15:58
- Use this prompt to journal: How does the resurrection of Jesus give me hope where I need it most?
JOURNAL – How does the resurrection of Jesus give me hope where I need it most?
MEDITATE
Reflect on this from Tim Keller’s book Hope in Times of Fear:
The New Testament uses the word hope in two ways. When it comes to hoping in human beings and ourselves, our hope is always relative, uncertain. If you lend to someone, you do so in the hope that person will pay you back (Luke 6:34)… We choose the best methods and wisest practices to secure the outcome we want. We insist to ourselves and others that we have it sorted and under control. But we do not – we never do. This is relative, “hope so” hope.
But when the object of hope is not any human agent but God, then hope means confidence, certainty, and full assurance (Heb. 11:1). To have hope in God is not to have an uncertain, anxious wish that he will affirm your plan but to recognize that he and he alone is trustworthy… If I believe in the resurrection of Jesus, that confirms that there is a God who is both good and powerful, who brings light out of darkness, and who is patiently working out a plan for his glory, our good, and the good of the world (Eph. 1:9–12; Rom. 8:28).
PRAY – Father, fill me with your hope where there seems to be no hope.
