More Than Conquerors - Living Waters

“More Than Conquerors”

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
(I Corinthians 15:57)

The events of that first Easter–the resurrection of Jesus–form the centre of our faith. We’re all familiar with the Easter story. The question is: Will Easter–will the resurrection of Jesus–make a difference in our lives this year, or will it be business as usual? To put it another way, how do we allow this story that we know so well to be more than just a story in our lives? What is the significance of the resurrection for our lives today?

The resurrection of Jesus celebrates more than just a one-time event that occurred 2000 years ago. Easter is God’s invitation to us to share in Jesus’ victory. As the Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:54-57:

“‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ ‘Where, O death, is your victory?’ ‘Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

When we come to God through Jesus’ finished work on the cross, when we repent, and accept what He accomplished for us; we’re adopted into God’s family as His children; we become joint heirs with Christ, as Paul tells us in Ephesians 1; and we share in Christ’s victory. Paul puts it this way in Romans 8:37:

“…in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Although the context of 1 Corinthians 15 is about our sharing in Christ’s victory over death, our victory in Christ isn’t limited to what happens after we die. We’re invited to share in Jesus’ victory now, in this life, today. In the ups and downs of everyday living–in the midst of our current situation–God wants us to be victors, not victims; to grow, not grovel; to soar, not sink; to overcome, not be overwhelmed. And so, the question we have to ask ourselves is: As a follower of Jesus, I am living this life of victory or am I living like a victim? Am I living my life in such away that I acknowledge not only that Jesus is alive, but that I have new life in Him?

This 7-week Easter-tide series will explore what it means for us to be Easter people–to be more than conquerors–and to live our lives everyday in light of Jesus’ victory.

SERMONS

Sermon: Victory Over Fear

Preacher: The Rev. Christopher Doering

Date: The 2nd Sunday of Easter ~ Sunday, April 19, 2020

Scripture: John 20:19-23

Sermon Notes: Part1.HO