Pastor Letter: April 17, 2019

Dear Church Family:

He is risen! He is risen indeed!

This week marks the most celebrated day on the Christian calendar, the day we commemorate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Though we call it Easter, most of the world knows it as Pascha, which is related to the Hebrew Pesach, or Passover. I like simply calling it “Resurrection Day,” because that is what it celebrates.

The resurrection of Jesus is the central miracle of miracles, the foundational truth of the Christian scriptures and faith. Without the resurrection of Jesus, the rest of Christianity not only falls apart, it has no real meaning beyond a moralistic view of life. The resurrection of Jesus bears witness to our sinfulness and to God’s love for us. It testifies that God accepted the sacrifice of his own son and that we can have a relationship with our Creator because Jesus has taken away the sin that separated us and reconciled us to God.

When Easter dawns this Sunday, your heart should be filled with joy. In fact, it should be filled with so much joy that you cannot keep it to yourself. You should bring others with you to worship this Sunday so they can hear the good news of Christ’s resurrection and God’s offer of salvation to anyone who will believe in Him. You should be inviting coworkers, neighbors, family members, friends, and even the cashier at the grocery store to come to one of our two services at 8:45 am or 10:45 am. This news is too good to keep to ourselves! This news is lifechanging! This news is the best news the world has ever heard!

It’s just not right to celebrate Easter by ourselves. It’s not even consistent. If we really believe that God came to earth to live among us, to bear the effects of our sin, and to set us free through his death and resurrection, then we really believe that this news is for everyone and that it would be wrong to keep it to ourselves. If we had the cure for cancer, or the unlimited resources to end poverty, or the means to end addictions, wouldn’t it be wrong to be silent about it and to keep it to ourselves? We have something far better—the means to change a person’s eternity, to give them unending joy and delight with God forever!

So this Sunday I am praying that you will bring lots of people to our church who need to hear the good news of Jesus’ resurrection. I am praying that when they come, that I will be faithful to deliver the Gospel clearly and faithfully. Most of all, I am praying that when you bring them, and I present the Gospel to them, that the Lord will do what only he can do, and save them. Will you join me in that simple prayer? Will you join me in strategizing how you can get others to come and sit with you?

I am praying for a great day on Sunday, not just numerically, but spiritually. May the Lord do a great work of salvation, encouragement, and blessing. Remember, you can come to either service (or both, if you have guests coming to both) at 8:45 and 10:45.

He is risen! He is risen indeed!

In the truth and power of the resurrection,

Bro. Hershael