Hey family! What a special morning it was this past Sunday! We continued our “Your Passover” series, this time focusing on Resurrection Power. The atmosphere was charged with the joy and significance of Easter.
It was made even more special as we came together not only as Rhema South Coast FC, but also as part of a powerful multi-denominational Easter Sunday Sunrise Service held at St Mike’s Beach. Thousands attended this incredible gathering, a true testament to the hope and unity we have on the South Coast, celebrating the Resurrection Power of our risen Savior! Ps Larry Elliott had the privilege of representing our church at this momentous occasion.
Think about it: this single event, celebrated across the globe, is what gives our faith its power and hope.
And let me tell you, the service was made even more unforgettable by the incredible contributions of our Big Church and Faith Kids! Our children truly blessed us with their heartfelt songs, moving poems, and powerful recitals. What an honest moment to witness their talent and passion as they celebrated the Resurrection Power of Jesus!
Ps Larry unpacked the scriptures to reveal the depth of what Christ’s resurrection means for us today. Just as Jesus himself expounded the scriptures to His disciples, Ps Larry aimed to open our eyes and hearts to the truth of His identity and mission. Demonstrating that all of Scripture points to Him and, crucially, to us who are in Him!
Understanding Unlocks Grace
Ps Larry emphasised that when we truly understand the implications of Jesus’s resurrection, God’s grace flows in our lives, and our faith deepens. This echoes the Apostle Paul’s heart cry in Philippians 3:10, where he expresses his “determined purpose” to know Christ intimately and to experience the “power outflowing from His resurrection.” Paul longed to grasp the transformative power that Christ’s resurrection exerts over believers.
Clues in the Old Testament
It’s amazing to consider how Jesus used the Old Testament to reveal the clues to His Godliness and purpose! Ps Larry even pondered if Jesus might have used the book of Deuteronomy, noting that Moses is seen as a “type of Jesus Christ” in Christian theology. He foreshadows Jesus’s role as the Messiah. After all, Moses was the mediator of the Old Covenant.
Deuteronomy 1:1-2 sets the scene as Moses speaks to all Israel, and Deuteronomy 1:6 records God’s instruction to the people at Horeb (Mount Sinai): “You have dwelt long enough at this mountain.”
Don’t Get Stuck!
Ps Larry drew a powerful analogy from this, reminding us that when you settle, you stop growing, and you start going backwards! God’s instruction was to move forward, to “go in and possess the land” He had promised to their forefathers. This resonates with us today: are there areas in our lives where we’ve stopped moving forward? Is God calling us to “arise and go on?”
He then painted a vivid picture of the Israelites’ journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. What’s the farthest you’ve ever walked? A few blocks? Comrades? After being freed from slavery, the children of Israel went on a long walk, and their journey ended up taking forty years!
Faith Connects, Doubt Robs
Ps Larry highlighted the significance of both Mount Sinai, where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, and Kadesh Barnea, a crucial location on the edge of the Promised Land. Both places presented “powerful opportunities for Faith and Obedience,” but instead, they exposed the Israelites’ rebellion and doubt. This serves as a powerful reminder for us of “the consequences of unbelief and the importance of trusting in God’s timing and guidance.”
Here’s a sobering thought: the journey from Egypt to Mount Sinai took only three months, and they camped there for a year while Moses received the Ten Commandments. Then, it was another three-month journey to Kadesh Barnea, but the next 38 years were spent wandering in the wilderness!
What a powerful truth! Faith will connect you to Christ’s Resurrection and His promises, but doubt will rob you of them!
Jesus Fulfilled the Law
We were reminded that on Mount Sinai, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, which “can never be adhered to by human nature.” But in His life, ministry, and death on the cross, Jesus fulfilled them all!
Raised by the Spirit
And that’s why, Ps Larry declared, “the Spirit of God could raise Him from the dead!”
Finding Yourself in Christ
So, how do we “walk in His Resurrection Power?” Ps Larry’s answer is clear: “You must find yourself in CHRIST!” (And how do you do that? You have to die to self).
Jesus Christ, he proclaimed, “has made you Righteous, thereby placing in you His resurrection power through the Spirit of Grace by Faith.”
The Tabernacle | A Picture of Jesus
Ps Larry then drew our attention to another significant element from Mount Sinai: the instructions for building the tabernacle. This shows us, he explained, that “you need His Presence to live in HIS PURPOSE!” The tabernacle, designed to be portable, gives us many clues and pictures of Jesus.
Within the Holy Place, before entering the Holy of Holies, were three key pieces of furniture: the oil lamp stand, the table with twelve loaves of bread, and the altar for burning incense. Each of these reveals Jesus as the coming Messiah:
- Jesus is the light of the world. (John 8:12)
- Jesus is the bread of life. (John 6:35)
- Jesus is our intercessor, continually praying to God on our behalf. (1 Timothy 2:5)
Everything We Need is in Christ
Ps Larry powerfully stated that “Everything we will ever need is found in Christ,” which is why both Jesus (John 17) and Paul (Galatians 4:19) interceded for the church to be “Rooted and Grounded in God’s Love” found only in Him!
This brings us back to the Apostle Paul’s deep desire to know Christ and experience the power of His resurrection, as expressed in Philippians 3:10-11. Ps Larry unpacked the key elements of this passage:
- Knowing Christ: To truly know someone involves intimacy and connection, understanding their thoughts, and, most importantly, grasping their heart and motives.
- Application: As you deepen your relationship with Christ, your faith grows, and your confidence in His perfect knowledge of you establishes trust.
- The Power of His Resurrection: The essence of resurrection power lies in its ability to transform what is dead! This power enables us to live a new life of victory in the Spirit.
- Application: We are freed from the need to submit to sin or “dead works” for our enjoyment or security. Our lives begin to reflect Jesus in both simple and significant ways.
Fellowship to Resurrection
- Fellowship of His Sufferings: While we are redeemed from the curse, we are not exempt from all suffering. However, nothing can shake our faith because Jesus turns every broken place into a place of healing and ministry. This produces perseverance and character.
- Application: Embrace challenges and trials as opportunities to demonstrate your faith to God, draw closer to Christ, and develop spiritual maturity.
- Being Conformed to His Death: This entails a willingness to die to self and live for Christ, embodying His sacrificial love.
- Application: Practice self-denial and seek to serve others, following Jesus’ example of humility and obedience.
- Attaining the Resurrection: Paul’s hope was not in worldly success but in eternal life with Christ. He was building for a legacy.
- Application: Living with an eternal perspective fosters good relationships and motivates us to uplift others. Keep the promises of God before your eyes!
Transformation Through Resurrection Power
Ps Larry concluded by reminding us that Paul, in Philippians 3:10-11, emphasizes that the source of spiritual power comes through Christ’s Resurrection. This power always results in transformation, ultimately leading to sanctification!
The Significance of Communion
Adding to the special nature of the service, we also shared in communion together. This sacred act allows us to remember and celebrate Jesus’s sacrifice and His victory over death. It’s a powerful reminder of the new covenant we have through His blood and the Resurrection Power that flows in our lives.
Revisit the powerful message from last week, and if you’d like to experience the full Easter Sunday service again, you can watch it here.
Want to encounter the life-changing power of Jesus’s Resurrection Power? Join the Rhema South Coast family! We’re a community passionate about faith, prayer, and seeing lives transformed. Get in touch through our Contact Us page – we’d love to welcome you.
My Prayer
Father, we thank you for the gift of resurrection life through Jesus Christ. We pray for the power to die to ourselves, that we may truly live in Him. Fill us with your Spirit, and empower us to walk in your purpose. Like Paul, may our deepest desire be to know Christ and the power of His resurrection.
It’s in Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen.
