Title: What Happened on Easter?

Icebreaker: How often do you go to the doctor? Are you someone who books an appointment the moment you cough, or someone who avoids doctors at all cost?

This Sunday we celebrated the resurrection of our Lord from the grave, and what an amazing celebration it was! Our Bishop delivered a dynamic message explaining exactly what the resurrection means for us, and how it was always part of God's original plan. The sacrifice of the Lamb and humanity's need for a savior were not last minute changes that God made, but were written from the beginning of time. God is intentional about every little detail of our lives, and while it may seem like terrible things happen to us for no good reason, God is always in the business of turning the enemy's evil plots around for our good and his ultimate glory.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4

I. What Happened in the Garden?

a. We're familiar with what happened in the beginning, how God created a world that was good, lacking nothing, and in no need of redemption. God created mankind in his own image and deemed this aspect of creation, "very good." When God placed man in the Garden of Eden he gave humanity the keys to rule and reign over the earth (Genesis 1:28). We also know things changed pretty quickly.

b. When Satan entered the garden and deceived the humans, leading them to sin, the keys of dominion were handed over to him and in that moment everything changed. For the first time we see mankind having to deal with evils like envy and hatred, sickness and death (Genesis 4:6). This is also the point in history where God begins to reveal the Gospel of Christ, the good news of salvation and redemption (Genesis 3:15).

c. The devil hates that God created mankind to replace and exceed him, giving them dominion over an entire planet while he was cast out of heaven and left with nothing. While Satan continues to attack humanity, God's plan remains to put dominion of the earth back in man's hands. When Jesus returns once and for all the keys will be returned, but until then the enemy continues to perpetuate sin as the rule of law in the earth.

d. The problem we have is we try to overcompensate for our sinful nature. Mankind can't see that we've been infected by evil, we assume that laws can bandage up the symptoms of a much deeper issue. The law tells us what is wrong, it identifies a problem in humanity, but has no power to solve the problem or make us do right. We cannot overcome sin and evil on our own, which is why we need a Savior to bring healing and restoration to a broken people living under a broken system.

Discussion:

Many people struggle with the question, "Why do bad things have to happen?"

Knowing that God is good and planned good things for his creation, how do we reason with the evils we face? How do we remember that God is good even in the face of evil?

II. Prophecy Fulfilled (Hebrews 2:14)

a. When Jesus came on the scene and offered himself as a sacrifice he fulfilled every single Old Testament prophecy about the coming Messiah. He died a brutal and humiliating death under Roman law. He allowed himself to be beaten and ridiculed, then nailed to a cross to suffer and die in the public eye. Roman custom would never have allowed for a person killed by crucifixion to be buried with any sort of dignity, but because it was prophesied that Jesus would be laid in a rich man's tomb an exception had to be made.

b. We're aware of the suffering of Christ on Friday and the resurrection on Sunday, but what happened in between? Jesus didn't just lay in a tomb for a day, nor did he only die so we could selfishly say that we have someone who paid the price for our individual sins. Yes, Jesus died and took the penalty of our sins from us, but he did so much more. He went down into Hades, the place of the dead, he shared the gospel with those who had already passed away, and he took back the keys to death, hell and the grave. He stripped Satan of his power.

c. As humans born into sin we are all destined for hell, but because Jesus holds the keys we can choose to follow him in our time on the earth and be welcomed into heaven, freed from the sentence of death. The choice seems simple, but it is a daily decision to follow Jesus or not, there is no neutral ground when it comes to eternity (Revelation 1:18). The good news is Jesus died so that we may be saved, invited into a right relationship with the Father, and we have the chance every single day that we live to choose to follow him.

UPCOMING EVENTS + REMINDERS:

Spanish Services at City Church: Spanish services are now in full swing at City Church! Every Sunday you can worship with us in the chapel at 10 AM, alongside our English service. We look forward to seeing you there!

GriefShare: Grief is one of life’s most difficult journeys, but you don’t have to go through it alone. If you, or someone you know, has lost a loved one you can begin your journey from mourning to joy through GriefShare at City Church. Meetings are held on Saturdays at 9:00 AM in the District Pastors’ Office. For more information please visit citychurchnola.life/GriefShare.

Wednesday Morning Prayer: You can participate in corporate prayer every Wednesday morning at 7 AM on Facebook. Join us each week as we continue to pray for our church, our city, and our nation.

City Life TV: You can watch our Bishop deliver thoughtful messages throughout the week. Tune in to WHNO, channel 20, Saturdays at 10:00 PM.

REPORT:

Please continue to report your in-person and virtual group meetings!

By using the same email you would normally receive, you may update your group information and report your weekly meetings.

If you need help with reporting, please contact your district pastor.

Have an amazing and spirit-filled group!