Announcements:

• Women’s meeting Saturday April 20 at 9:30am
• Thursday Night Bible Study at 7pm at HCC.
• Camp Sign-Up Sheet is available.  Sign up to lock in a spot.  Private rooms still available.
• Prayer Meeting every 1^st Sunday of the Monday at 6pm (next one Sunday April 7, 2024 at 6pm)
• Spanish Translation for the sermon is now available at HCC.  Feel free to invite Spanish speaking people to church.
• Wednesday Night Spanish Bible Study at the Community Center at 6:30pm
• Youth meet every Saturday at 6:30pm.
• Pray for HCC and Open Hands Community Charitable Services as we prepare to expand our service to the community.

Sermon Notes:

Main Point:  We celebrate Easter because the tomb is Empty.  Jesus is King of Kings so we choose to live according to God’s will not man’s will.

John 11:25-26.  Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life”

• Jesus was talking about eternal life.  Anyone who accepts Jesus Christ as their Salvation are redeemed from sin and will enter eternal life.  
  • That is the Gospel.  God’s love provided a way through Jesus that we may have eternal life.
• Though Jesus was talking about eternal life, He used the Lazarus situation to prove in the physical that He had power over sin and death.

John 11:39-45.  Jesus did not just speak that He was The Son of God, Jesus proved it with Love and Power.

• This demonstration of Love and Power shocked the religious leaders and they immediately put a plan in place to kill Jesus.

John 11:47-54.  The miracle of Lazarus being raised from the dead forced the hand of the religious leaders to either accept the Messiah, or protect their own power and will by denying Jesus as the Messiah.

Pastors’ Thoughts:

• When we encounter the Love of God.  When we encounter God pursuing us because He Loves us
  • We, like the religious leaders have a decision to make:
    • Accept Jesus as our Messiah, Lord and Savior and surrender our will to God’s will.
    • Or deny Jesus and protect our own will and plans for our life.
• Jesus said it very clearly this way in Matthew 16:24-25.  “Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me.”

The Easter Story:  The tomb is empty

John 20:11-23.

• Easter means the ‘tomb is empty’
• Easter means Jesus conquered sin and death
• Easter means Jesus is King of Kings
• Easter means Jesus is Lord of Lords
• Easter means Jesus is God incarnate
• Easter means Jesus is our redeemer of sins

Summary:

• The tomb is empty so that we would not be empty
• The Religious leader’s choice to protect their power and position, we choice to protect the will of God in our lives.
• Man was created to fellowship with God
  • Because of Adam and Eve, man-kind was separated from God and left empty
  • You will either fill this emptiness with the carnal things that end in destruction or fill this emptiness with Jesus that leads to fulfillment, joy, peace and everlasting life.
• Because of Easter, the resurrection of Jesus the Messiah, we don’t have to be empty.  Lord fill us with your spirit and righteousness.
• Advance in your walk with God, Totally dependent on Jesus.  The Tomb is Empty.