4/20/25 - Empty: An Easter Message - Pastor Josh Stelly

Sermon Notes

Two Universal Problems:

First universal problem, we're all going to DIE.

"God’s grace does not come to people who morally outperform others, but to those who admit their failure to perform and who acknowledge their need for a Savior."- Timothy Keller, The Reason for God

Second universal problem, we are all SINNERS.

The Audacious Claim

Jesus came back to LIFE

Matthew 28:1–10 NLT- Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb.

Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.

Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.”

The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”

The First Skeptics

Luke 24:11 NLT- But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it.

They were skeptics who changed their minds only when confronted with what they believed was irrefutable evidence.

What If It's True?

1 Corinthians 15:22–23 NLT- Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.

The RESURRECTION Changes Everything

First, it means that the MATERIAL world matters.

“God's plan is not to abandon this world, the world which he said was "very good." Rather, he intends to remake it. And when he does he will raise all his people to new bodily life to live in it. That is the promise of the Christian gospel.”- N.T. Wright, Simply Christian

Second, it means that JUSTICE is coming.

Third, it means that what we do in this life matters ETERNALLY.

"While believing in the resurrection requires faith, it's not blind faith. It's faith seeking understanding, faith built on historical evidence, and faith that makes sense of our deepest human longings."- Lee Strobel, The Invitation

1 Corinthians 15:54–57 MSG- Then the saying will come true:

Death swallowed by triumphant Life!

Who got the last word, oh, Death?

Oh, Death, who’s afraid of you now?

It was sin that made death so frightening and law-code guilt that gave sin its leverage, its destructive power. But now in a single victorious stroke of Life, all three—sin, guilt, death—are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God!

Trust this Jesus who conquered death, and allow his resurrection life to begin TRANSFORMING you now.