Sermon of the Week: Either you believe, or you don't

The whole of Christianity is based on that — whether you believe in the risen Christ or not.

If you don’t believe it, the message doesn’t do you much good.

If you do believe it, it charts your course for a long time, even into eternity.

How foolish it is not to believe. After His Resurrection (Mark 16:14), Jesus appeared to his disciples and rebuked their doubt, unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after he had risen from the tomb.

Even the disciples were “slow to believe.”

My wife and I have been married 71 years. People ask us our “secret?” I quickly and inevitably answer, “Faith. You have to have faith.” Without faith, it is impossible to please God, Hebrews 11:6.

Believing the resurrection may seem impossible. But with faith, the risen Lord can become the cornerstone of your life.

As Christians, we celebrate the birth, death and resurrection of Christ.

Our churches are full on these holy days as we follow Jesus to the cross. But this isn’t the end of the story. Jesus is coming again.

Won’t that be a blessing?

But we must be ready. We won’t have time to prepare. We are told in Matthew 24:36, He may come at any hour, any day. “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself.”

Believing the resurrection proves that Jesus is the Christ and Son of God. Everything he said and did was true.

And by believing, we have the promise that Jesus is still with us and is guiding us every day.

He is risen, Alleluia!

Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia. Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia! Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia! Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!