{"id":1501,"date":"2010-04-05T07:41:53","date_gmt":"2010-04-05T12:41:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/shieldsgroup.com\/?p=1501"},"modified":"2010-04-05T07:41:53","modified_gmt":"2010-04-05T12:41:53","slug":"easter-sermon-what-the-resurrection-means","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shieldsgroup.com\/blog\/2010\/04\/05\/easter-sermon-what-the-resurrection-means\/","title":{"rendered":"Easter Sermon — What the Resurrection Means"},"content":{"rendered":"

Easter speaks to us concerning what it means to be a Christian, <\/strong>and how that connects with the Resurrection of Christ.<\/p>\n

Jesus isn\u2019t special just because of his teachings. There have been many good teachers in history. Jesus isn\u2019t special because he died. Lots of people died. The thing that makes Jesus special \u2013 the thing that makes his teaching, his death, and his life special \u2013 is his resurrection. The reality of his resurrection makes it possible for you and me to live exceptional lives. Christians are to live exceptional lives.<\/p>\n

Now, I am sure you\u2019ve met people who claim to be Christians, but <\/strong>their life doesn\u2019t look that different from those who make no such claim. And, if you\u2019re like me, that\u2019s a huge turn-off. Pretending to be something you aren\u2019t \u2013 that\u2019s hypocrisy. I hate it. You hate it. Jesus hated it. He referred to people who pretended to be good as \u201cwhite-washed tombs.\u201d They looked good on the outside, but on the inside, they were filled with dead man\u2019s bones. There was no resurrection to their lives. They were still dead in their sins.<\/p>\n

A person who fails to demonstrate that Christ has made a difference in his or her life is likely not a Christian at all. Being a Christian is about being changed from the inside out. When Peter references the Resurrection of Christ he speaks of that change.<\/p>\n

This sermon addresses the difference the new birth makes in our lives.<\/strong><\/p>\n