Sermon Proposition: Since Christ has risen and shown himself to his disciples, we ought to rejoice in resurrection faith, hope, and love.

Fallen Condition Focus: We are a people who have had our hopes dashed in life. We have misplaced our hopes in people, plans, possessions, and places

Purpose: To call us to rejoice in faith, hope and love in Christ our risen Lord!

Outline

Introduction
• Arouse Interest - Arlene's newsletter about her mother's death.
• Fallen Condition Focus: We are a people who have had our hopes dashed in life. We have misplaced our hopes in people, plans, possessions, and places
• Sermon Proposition: Since Christ has risen and shown himself to his disciples, we ought to rejoice in resurrection faith, hope, and love.

I. Rejoice in resurrection faith in Jesus (John 20:1-10; 1 John 5:4-5; 1 Peter 1:7-9; 1 Cor. 15:54-57)
• John the beloved disciple saw the empty tomb and the linen cloths folded where Jesus' body had been and believed.
• Faith is a gift given by God when we open our hands and come to him. He fills us with faith.
• We can receive new faith, fresh faith today to face the trials and tribulations and the disappointments in life.
• Faith in Jesus is the victory that overcomes the world and overcomes death. Our faith will turn to sight when we cross over the river of death and enter into God's presence.
• Lord, I believe; help my unbelief

II. Rejoice in resurrection hope in Jesus (John 20:19-23; Eph. 1:13-14; Rom. 8:2, 14-17, 22-25; 1 Pet. 1:3-4; 1 Cor. 15:20-23, 50-57); 2 Cor. 4:16-5:10)
• Jesus breathed upon his disciples the Holy Spirit.
• The gift of the Holy Spirit is a deposit of our future redemption and a foretaste of the glory of the kingdom of God
• Our resurrection hope is not that our body will be put back together, but that we will be like Christ with a resurrection body and live and reign with him forever. (cf. 1 Cor. 15:20-23, 50-57)
• we can receive the Holy Spirit today and know the fulness of the resurrection hope that Jesus gives

III. Rejoice in resurrection love in Jesus (John 20:11-18; 1 Peter 3:8-9; 1 Cor. 13:8-13; Rev. 7:13-17)
• Mary's love for her teacher was rewarded with the blessing of hearing him call her name, seeing him, touching him and worshiping him.
• We shall see Jesus and our love for him shall be satisfied as we see him face to face in all of his glory and his power and majesty.
• When we pass from this life to God's presence we will be comforted in God's divine love and forget all that we have suffered in this life.
• We can receive his resurrection love that he calls us by name and we worship him all the days of our life.