Easter Sunday Sermon by Rev Dr Ng Swee Ming, 5 Apr 2015 @ SSMC

1. SUNGAI WAY-SUBANG METHODIST CHURCH
EASTER SERVICE

2. Who is ...
"Faster than a speeding bullet!
More powerful than a locomotive!
Able to leap tall buildings at a
single bound!"
"Look! Up in the
sky!“
"It's a bird!“
"It's a plane!“
"It's Superman!"

3. Who is ...
"Faster than a speeding bullet!
More powerful than a locomotive!
Able to leap tall buildings at a
single bound!"
"Look! Up in the
sky!“
"It's a bird!“
"It's a plane!“
"It's Superman!"

4. Oct
1992

5. Oct
1992
September 3, 1993

6. Oct
1992
September 3, 1993

7. Easter Sunday ....
 key event in the Christian calendar...
 “apex” ; “summit”
 “pinnacle event” ; “pivotal event”
 Q: But what about ‘Good Friday’ ?
 Jesus dying for our sins - is that not
important ?
 if Jesus did not die – we are still in our sins ...
 Good Friday is just the start ....

10. SUNGAI WAY-SUBANG METHODIST CHURCH
EASTER SERVICE

12. 1 Cor 15:1-2
1 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I
preached to you, which you received and on which
you have taken your stand.
2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to
the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have
believed in vain.
What is this GOSPEL ...
or ‘Good News’ ...
that Paul preached ...
that the Corinthians received ...
that can save ...
Paul goes on to explain ...

13. 1 Cor 15:3-4
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first
importance: that Christ died for our sins according
to the Scriptures,
4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third
day according to the Scriptures,
the GOSPEL ... in summary
1.Christ Died For Our Sins ...
2.He Was Buried ...
3.He was Raised on the 3rd Day ...
 ALL according to the Scriptures
Q: How do we know He was
Raised ?

14. 1 Cor 15:5-8
5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.
6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of
the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still
living, though some have fallen asleep.
7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,
8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one
abnormally born.
we know He was Raised because ...
 we have witnesses ...
not 1 or 2 but many, many eye-
witnesses ...
many were still alive when Paul was
writing...

15. 1 Cor 15:1-8
the GOSPEL – the ‘GOOD NEWS’
that Paul preached :
 Christ Died For Our Sins ...
 He Was Buried ...
 He was Raised on the 3rd Day ...
Q: Why is the Resurrection important ?
Q: Is it not enough just to know that
Christ died and paid the price for my
sins ?
Q: Would it make any difference if
Christ’s body remained in his tomb ?

16. 1 Cor 15:1-8
Quote :
Dr Billy Graham
“If I were an enemy of Christianity,
I would aim right at the resurrection
because that is the heart of Christianity”

17. 1 Cor 15:1-8
Q: Why is the Resurrection so important ?
Paul explains in v16 to v19...
16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not
been raised either.
17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is
futile; you are still in your sins.
18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ
are lost.
19 If only for this life we have hope in
Christ, we are to be pitied more than
all men.

18. 1 Cor 15:1-8
If there is NO RESURRECTION ...
1. V17 Our Faith is FUTILE ....
• Useless, empty, of no value ...
• “FAITH = RESURRECTION”

19. 1 Cor 15:1-8
If there is NO RESURRECTION ...
1. V17 Our Faith is FUTILE ....
• Useless, empty, of no value ...
• “FAITH = RESURRECTION”

20. 1 Cor 15:1-8
If there is NO RESURRECTION ...
2. V17 We are still in our sins ...
Even if a perfect sinless Jesus died for our
sins ...
But never came back to life ...
Then SIN WON - “the wages of sin is death”
There is then no forgiveness ...
We are still eternally lost ...
Then we cannot declare “death is
swallowed up in victory”

21. 1 Cor 15:1-8
If there is NO RESURRECTION ...
3. V18 ‘Then those also who have fallen asleep
in Christ are lost – etrnally ’....
There is no reunion with our loved ones...
Death / Funeral is the end, final ....
Paul’s even recommends in v32
"Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."

22. 1 Cor 15:1-8
If there is NO RESURRECTION ...
4. V19 “If only for this life we have hope in Christ,
we are to be pitied more than all men.”
There is NO HOPE...
Christians are to be PITIED...
We are ‘peddling’ a lie ...

23. 1 Cor 15:1-8
IF Christ did not
resurrect ...
1. Our faith is FUTILE
2. We are still in our
SINS
3. We will NEVER SEE
our loved ones again
4. We should be PITIED
BUT Christ did
resurrect... (V20 onwards)
1. Our FAITH has meaning
2. We have FORGIVENESS
3. We will surely SEE OUR
LOVED ONES again
4. We have a LIVING
HOPE and a FUTURE

24. 1 Cor 15:1-8
Who did the Risen Jesus appear to ?
Significant ...
Helpful & Important ...
Q: Who was the leader of the 12 Apostles ?
A: PETER
Q: When you think of PETER, which animal do
you think of ?
A: COCKERAL
Q: How many times did Peter deny
knowing Jesus ?
A: THREE TIMES

26. V5 – PETER...
the leader of the 12
the one who declared Matt 16:16 "You are the
Christ, the Son of the living God.”
he who denied Jesus 3 times...
a betrayer, coward, broken man ...
Yet in John 21 – Jesus restored Peter’s
trust and faith ...
Bold & courageous ...
Life Transformed
1 Cor 15:1-8

27. 1 Cor 15:1-8
V5 THE TWELVE Apostles ...
all personally chosen & commissioned by Jesus...
all discipled/mentored by Jesus for 3+ years ...
all experienced & witnessed numerous wonders &
miracles ...
yet all abandoned him at the most crucial hour...
confused, depressed, frightened ....
Transformation ...
Bold & Strengthened ...
Acts 17:6 ‘turned the world upside down’...
Lives Transformed

28. 1 Cor 15:1-8
V6 MORE THAN 500 ...
early followers & disciples ...
eye-witnesses ...
touched, convicted, emboldened ....
even with persecution –
the gospel spread ...
far & wide ...
word of mouth ...
Lives Transformed...

29. 1 Cor 15:1-8
V7 JAMES...
Lord’s brother or ‘half-brother’
a critic, mocker, tormentor, persecutor, ...
post-resurrection appearance –
convicted...
converted...
became a Leader...
Life Transformed...

30. 1 Cor 15:1-8
V7 PAUL ... Previously called Saul
Q: Saul was a ____________ ?
A: PHARISEE
Q: Which city was Saul traveling to, wanting to
arrest the Christians there ?
A: DAMASCUS
Q: What happened to Saul along the way?
A: Met Jesus and became blind
Q: What was the name of the man
God used to pray for Saul ?
A: Ananias

32. V7 PAUL ...
The Pharisee Saul ...
Well educated, good speaker, passionate ...
Enemy, tormentor, persecutor ...
Damascus road encounter Acts 9...
Convicted...
Converted...
Missionary, Apologist, Teacher,
Church Planter, Encourager,
Writer ...
Life Transformed...
1 Cor 15:1-8

33. Other Encounters ....
Mary Magdalene & the other ladies...
Thomas - ?the doubter
Cleopas & companion ...
Disciples, Followers, Helpers,
Providers ...
Sad, Dejected, Confused,
Doubted...
Encounter with the risen Christ
Lives Transformed...
1 Cor 15:1-8

34. 1 Cor 15:1-8
BOTTOM-LINE :
All who had an encounter with the
Resurrected Christ ...
Their Lives were never the same again ...
They were TRANSFORMED...

35. 1 Cor 15:1-8
Jesus is still in the business of ....
TRANSFORMING LIVES...
Disappointments ...
Doubts ...
Grief ...
Fears ....
Confused ...
Mockers ...
Betrayal ...
Persecutor ...

36. 1 Cor 15:1-8
Speaking to ‘christians’
Born / Brought up in Church ...
Knows the Bible stories very well ...
Consider 1 Cor 15:2
By this gospel you are saved,
IF you hold firmly to the word I preached to you.
OTHERWISE, you have believed in vain.
• Danger of believing in vain ...
• Need to hold firmly to the Word ...
• Jesus is ‘THE WORD’ Jn 1:1

37. State ‘the gospel’ in
just 7 words !!

38. Jesus Christ is still in the business TODAY of
 touching lives
 & transforming lives ...

39. 1 Cor 15:1-8