NEW LIFE

This Sunday is Easter. The day we set aside to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He refers to Jesus as the first fruit of those who will be raised in the future.

This term "firstfruits" would be easily recognized by his Jewish readers. It was the first portion of a harvest that was given to God in appreciation of and recognition of the harvest that was to follow. So we could say in one sense that Jesus was the first of many to follow. The firstfruits were indicative of the crop that would follow. The harvest could not proceed until the firstfruits was offered. The resurrected Christ gives us some insight into what we will be like for all eternity.

Contrary to most takes on eternity we will not be floating around on a cloud playing our harps. The resurrected Christ ate with His disciples, He walked through closed doors and he had the ability to appear and disappear at will. He was not a ghost or vision He plainly told His followers that He had flesh and bones.

So what does all of this indicate about our existence in eternity? Paul tells us we will have a spiritual body, but this doesn't meant we will be a spirit but rather it will be a body that is suited perfectly for life in the Spirit, no more battle between the flesh and the spirit! It will be a real body just like the body of the risen Christ.

Will we all look exactly like Christ? Not in physical appearance but in spiritual qualities. We will be in a recognizable body, they knew Jesus. Remember Moses and Elijah on the mount of transfiguration? It will be an incorruptible body, a glorious body and a powerful body that will not be subject to the weakness of our present bodies. I have pastored for over 30 years and I have known some dear saints of God who were confined to weak and decaying bodies. There hope was a new body like the one Christ came out of the tomb on Easter morning. It is not only their hope but the hope of every follower of Christ. Paul told us the entire creation groans for that day, in Romans 8, when the fallen world and those who have put their faith in Christ will be restored to the original purpose of God.

"What God made us to desire is exactly what He promises: a resurrected life in resurrected bodies, in a resurrected community, with the resurrected Christ on a resurrected Earth. This is the eternal heaven that awaits us and should daily capture our imaginations." -Randy Alcorn

EASTER 2008

I will be bringing my last sermon in the series: Three Days That Changed The World . This week we will looking at the Third Day the day Jesus arose from the dead. You can still use the above link to invite people to visit this Sunday. Check out the 82 video that tells us the 82% of all people invited to an Easter service wanted to be invited. The adult choir has prepared a special song for us, the praise team is singing and the JAM kids have some great music lined up for us. Hope you can join us this Easter as we celebrate the risen Christ.

• No Sunday night service Easter Sunday
• Consider attending 9 AM service to make room at the 10:30 service
• Thanks to the men's class and teens for putting lines on the gravel lot
• Mission team's dessert night $1,106, sweet!
• Every Man group started with 10
• Addison Faith came into Chesley family, all is well PTL
• March continues at a record pace, please pray for Sunday
• Pray about your part in the Mission Team offering 4.6.08
• New Sermon series Giving My Best from the book of Malachi beginning in April
• Man's Cave plans to expand church garage for classroom space