Jesus’ Victory is Contagious was the theme
Watch the service
I was privileged to be asked along with my wife to speak at and lead the Easter celebration at Copper Hill church this past Sunday. Pulpit supply there has been week-to-week lately and it was great joy when supervising pastor Rev. Gene Ott called and asked if I would return for the first time since I retired to lead on Easter. So I am including a link to the service above.
By special permission, JoAnne gathered a choir and arranged an Easter hymn titled, “That Easter Day” for us. It was a compilation of familiar hymn melodies with less familiar but beautiful Easter hymn words. JoAnne brought her harp and played “Rejoice, the Lord is King” and also brought the idle church keyboard back to life. Her piano students, Morgan and Malia Gabbidon, treated us to an inspiring piano duet of “Come Thou Almighty King.”
My message for the day titled “Contagious Victory” reminded us that God has blessed us to be able as Christians to appropriate Jesus’ victory to our own lives. Because he was victorious, we can in his strength overcome the challenges that we face as well. My text was,
In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Romans 8:37 NIV
The cross of Jesus appeared to be the victory of hate and envy. But in the light of Easter, it became evident that on the cross, God’s Love had spoken an unconquerable word of loving forgiveness which would echo around the world and down through the ages. The word “love” itself has been forever redefined by Jesus’ giving of himself. The very concept of servant-leadership was created and exemplified in Jesus. The love of Jesus continues to be contagious and to speak a better word as it is spread around the world through disciples like you and me!
Jesus’ great Easter Victory is the victory of wholeness over brokenness and of righteousness over sin in our daily lives. I observed that victory in Jesus is really a very practical thing. As early as the writings of Moses, the Bible encourages us to follow God’s ways, “that it may go well” with us. That connection is found seven times in Deuteronomy (Deut. 4:40; 5:16; 6:3; 6:18; 12:25; 19:13; 22:7; Jer. 7:23; Eph. 6:3). Walking in Jesus’ ways, listening to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit as we choose our daily lifestyle, leads to a different way of living. We still have troubles, we still make mistakes, but even in them, we make better choices because those choices are influenced by Holy Scripture and its values. The fact is that God’s ways are more wholesome ways that generally lead to life and health. The long-term salutary effects of our Christian walk are then one very important way that we become more than conquerors through him who loved us. And… the victory that Jesus won becomes contagious in our lives.
Jesus’ victory over death is contagious for us as well. When we stand by the casket of our loved ones, it seems like death has won again. But the eyes of faith see differently. The Bible says that Christians do not grieve as others do (1 Thess. 4:13). Why? Because they can see a glimpse of the possibilities introduced by Jesus’ Day of Resurrection!
It is written: “I believed; therefore, I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself.
2 Corinthians 4:13-14 NIV
The joyful conclusion is that because the resurrection power of Easter morning is also at work in us (Ephesians 1:19,20), Jesus can turn the brokenness of our lives into a fountain of grace! His victory is indeed contagious!
