Embracing Hope: The Promise of Resurrection

Devotional

Day 1: Hope Anchored in Resurrection

In a world filled with division and instability, the promise of resurrection offers a profound hope that transcends worldly solutions. This hope is not based on temporary fixes or human efforts but is rooted in the eternal promise of new life through Jesus Christ. The declaration "I am the resurrection and the life" assures us that despite the chaos around us, there is a foundation of joy and peace that cannot be shaken. This hope invites us to look beyond our current circumstances and trust in the transformative power of resurrection. [01:32]

1 Peter 1:3-4 (ESV): "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you."

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to shift your hope from worldly solutions to the promise of resurrection? How can you begin to trust in this eternal hope today?

Day 2: Embracing Joy Through Transformation

The story of a father choosing a joyful song for his memorial service highlights the transformative power of faith. Even in the face of death, there is an invitation to embrace life and joy through the promise of resurrection. This choice serves as a protest against death, reminding us that faith can transform our perspective on life and death. It encourages us to live in a way that reflects the joy and hope found in the resurrection, allowing us to face life's challenges with a renewed sense of purpose and joy. [03:35]

Isaiah 61:3 (ESV): "To grant to those who mourn in Zion—to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified."

Reflection: How can you incorporate joy and celebration into your life as a reflection of your faith? What specific actions can you take to embrace this joy today?

Day 3: Resurrection as a New Quality of Life

Resurrection is not merely about living forever; it is about experiencing a new quality of life. This promise offers a vision of a world where wrongs are righted, and broken hearts are mended. It is a call to live in anticipation of a renewed world, free from pain and injustice. This understanding of resurrection challenges us to seek a deeper, more meaningful life that aligns with the values of love, justice, and wholeness. It invites us to participate in the renewal of the world, starting with our own lives. [07:20]

2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV): "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."

Reflection: What aspects of your life need to be transformed to reflect the new quality of life promised by resurrection? How can you actively participate in this transformation today?

Day 4: Vision of a Renewed World

The promise of resurrection includes a vision of a world free from pain, injustice, and brokenness. This hope inspires us to long for a world where love, justice, and wholeness prevail. It challenges us to live in a way that reflects this vision, working towards a world that mirrors the values of the kingdom of God. This vision calls us to be agents of change, bringing healing and restoration to the brokenness around us, and living in anticipation of the fulfillment of God's promises. [09:17]

Isaiah 65:17-18 (ESV): "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness."

Reflection: How can you contribute to the vision of a renewed world in your community? What specific steps can you take to promote love, justice, and wholeness today?

Day 5: Foundation of Hope in Jesus

Our hope is not based on our efforts or circumstances but on Jesus, who declared, "I am the resurrection and the life." This promise offers us assurance and peace, even in the face of life's challenges. It invites us to place our trust in Jesus, who has overcome death and offers us new life. This foundation of hope encourages us to live with confidence and courage, knowing that our future is secure in Him. It calls us to rely on His strength and guidance as we navigate the complexities of life. [10:31]

Hebrews 6:19-20 (ESV): "We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek."

Reflection: In what ways can you deepen your trust in Jesus as the foundation of your hope? How can you rely on His strength and guidance in your current circumstances?

Sermon Summary

Happy Easter! Today, we gather to celebrate a profound truth spoken by Jesus Christ over 2,000 years ago: "I am the resurrection and the life." This declaration offers us hope in a world filled with division, financial instability, and personal struggles. Our hope is not rooted in worldly solutions but in the promise of resurrection and new life through Jesus.

I shared a personal story about my father, who, despite his reserved nature, wanted his memorial service to reflect joy and fun. He chose a song called "This Old House" by Stuart Hamblin, a man whose life was transformed by faith. This song, with its upbeat tempo, served as a protest against death, embodying the joy of resurrection. My father wanted people to remember him as someone who embraced life and joy, a testament to the transformative power of faith.

The concept of resurrection is distinct from mere immortality. While immortality suggests an endless continuation of life, resurrection promises a new quality of life. It's not just about living forever but living in a world where all wrongs are righted, and broken hearts are mended. This vision of a renewed world, free from pain and injustice, is the essence of resurrection.

The resurrection is not dependent on our efforts, circumstances, or worldly systems. It is solely based on Jesus, who lived, died, and rose again. This promise of new life is the foundation of our joy and hope, transcending the challenges we face today. As we celebrate Easter, let us hold onto this hope, trusting in the one who declared, "I am the resurrection and the life."

Key Takeaways

1. Hope in Resurrection: In a world filled with division and instability, our hope is anchored in Jesus' promise of resurrection and new life. This hope transcends worldly solutions and offers us a foundation of joy and peace. [01:32]
2. Joy in Transformation: My father's choice of a joyful song for his memorial reflects the transformative power of faith. It reminds us that even in the face of death, we can embrace life and joy through the promise of resurrection. [03:35]
3. **Resurrection vs. Immortality:** Resurrection is not just about living forever; it's about a new quality of life. It promises a world where wrongs are righted, and broken hearts are mended, offering us a vision of true renewal. [07:20]
4. A Renewed World: The promise of resurrection includes a vision of a world free from pain, injustice, and brokenness. This hope inspires us to long for a world where love, justice, and wholeness prevail. [09:17]
5. Foundation of Hope: Our hope is not based on our efforts or circumstances but on Jesus, who declared, "I am the resurrection and the life." This promise offers us assurance and peace, even in the face of life's challenges. [10:31]
** [10:31]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:26] - The Promise of Resurrection
[00:57] - Hope Amidst Worldly Challenges
[01:47] - A Personal Easter Story
[02:40] - My Father's Memorial Song
[03:19] - The Joyful Protest Against Death
[04:16] - Stuart Hamblin's Transformation
[05:02] - The Story Behind "This Old House"
[06:09] - Immortality vs. Resurrection
[07:07] - The Quality of New Life
[08:12] - A Vision of a Renewed World
[09:34] - The Promise of Resurrection
[10:02] - The Foundation of Our Hope
[10:31] - The Good News of Easter
[10:43] - Closing and Easter Blessings

Sermon Clips

I speak to you today words of Hope, knowing the kind of world that we live in, knowing what's going on in Ukraine and in our own country, where so often divisions and uh disputes and hostility seemed to cut so deep and where financially things just seem to be continually volatile. [00:49:20]

And yet once a man said I am the resurrection of life, and so our hope is solely in him it is not anything else, and it's because of this day that's why I'm bringing you this message. [00:57:00]

My dad said people don't put me in that category but I want them when they're at that service and then remembering me after I'm gone I want them to know that this was somebody who loved fun and so we didn't it's a song that was written by a guy named um Stuart Hamlin. [03:55:38]

He was actually the son of a Methodist Minister he became a big star in Hollywood one of the first of what were called the singing Cowboys he was a actor and a singer didn't handle Fame well a huge problem with alcohol in and out of jail. [04:13:56]

And uh in middle age he went to a Billy Graham crusade in Los Angeles it was the same one where a guy named Louise ambarini met Jesus and they're Stuart Hamlin met Jesus and uh changed his life. [04:31:50]

And not long after he said he'd been on a hunting trip and he saw this old house that was being guarded by a dog and he knew what that meant that the man that had owned the house had died, but the dog because the body was still there refused to leave it. [04:48:18]

And Justice were to flow like Waters and nobody would be oppressed anymore and everybody would have a fair chance and nobody would be molested and there would be no more broken or shattered relationships. Hearts would come together as one. [08:34:48]

People would be able to speak with courage and speak truth, and the way that we would relate to each other across races and gender in our sexuality in our work and in our playing would be marked by health and what is wholesome and what is good and what is loving towards other people. [08:57:14]

And this planet that is so filled with beauty even now would be liberated from death and from rot no more concerns about client climate change or uh people mishandling who would like to have this world he said sometimes it would be like a house an old house that you love. [09:19:21]

It is not based on anything else, it's not about politics it's not about finances it's not about education as important as those things are, it is not about you and your own effort it's not about your circumstances today it is not about your circumstances tomorrow. [09:57:57]

It is about the man who walked and lived among us and then died like nobody else had ever died but said I am the resurrection and the life, the one who trusts in me even though they die yet they will live. [10:18:00]

That's the good news, that's the hope, for those of us who cannot, that he can, and he has, and he will. Happy Easter. [10:36:39]

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