Third Sunday of Easter
April 6, 2008

*Acts 2:14, 36-41; Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19; 1 Peter 1:17-23; Luke 24:13-35

As we approach this Sunday, most of my thinking has been influenced by the events of the past few weeks and months and especially the last 24 hours.  Today I want to share from just the 1 Peter passage.

17 And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as “foreigners in the land.” 18 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. 19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. 20 God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days.

21 Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.

22 You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.

23 For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.

I’ve highlighted two key verses and these will probably be what I am preaching on tomorrow.  We can trust in God because he raised Jesus from the dead.  It is through Christ’s death and resurrection that we have new life and this new life is eternal.  I guess all the events have made me want to make sure everyone knows their status with Christ Jesus.  We can know without a doubt that we are saved or “in Christ.”  My prayer is that everyone who reads this writing will seek out this Jesus, so that you can know that you know him.

I was thinking about the wonderful home going celebration that we will be having next week.  I never want to have to preach another funeral where I don’t know the person’s status in the Kingdom.  Do you know Jesus?  If not I encourage you to seek him.  Check out the verses at the top of this post.  Seize the day!