APRIL

He Is RISEN

“Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable” 1 Cor 15:12-19

The authority, credibility, relevance and certainty of Christianity and indeed the fundamental difference in comparison to other religions is the fact of the resurrection. Jesus came, lived among man for a season, suffered, was crucified to death, was resurrected and is alive today, walking and working among us. The apostle, Paul declared unapologetically that without the resurrection, Christianity is useless (v 13-14, 17), Christians are liars and false witnesses (v5), heaven is a myth (v18) and we are pathetic, weak and pitiful. (v19)

J.I. Packer quotes, “Optimism is a wish without warrant; Christian hope is a certainty, guaranteed by God himself. Optimism reflects ignorance as to whether good things will ever actually come. Christian hope expresses knowledge that every day of his life, and every moment beyond it, the believer can say with truth, on the basis of God's own commitment, that the best is yet to come.”

• The resurrection of Christ provides God’s solution to our guilt. “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” 1 Cor 15:20-22. No honest person can deny sinfulness. (Rom 3:10,23). Christ’s resurrection is the divine declaration of justification, confirming that his sacrifice on the cross successfully paid for sins and satisfied God’s justice while his death paid the penalty, his resurrection secures the verdict of "not guilty" for believers, guaranteeing they are declared righteous in God’s sight. Without the resurrection, Calvary was just another execution of a well-meaning, but misguided religious leader. Without Resurrection Sunday, Good Friday isn’t good. • The resurrection of Christ give us personal and private victory today. “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” Rom 8:12-13 Many are public successes but personal and private failures. We can have victory publicly and privately and that source of victory is not found in determination or religious zeal but relying on the same Spirit that resurrected Christ and who lives within believers today. You have the same Spirit in you and are no longer under any obligation to the flesh. Leon Morris quotes,“The cross is the victory, the resurrection is the triumph... The resurrection is the public display of the victory, the triumph of the crucified one.” • The resurrection of Christ ensures us life in eternity “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the first fruitss afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.” 1 Cor 15:20-23 When a loved one passes away, for us, it’s not a good bye but see you again. “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” 2 Cor 4:16-18 A person who is not afraid to die is not afraid to live and is determined to enjoy life to the fullness no matter what happen today. We do not “lose heart” easily. • The resurrection of Christ gives us the dedication and boldness to preach the Gospel. “Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep” 1 Cor 15:1-5 We do not preach a religious system but a personal relationship with a living Savior Jesus Christ. Because He is alive, we can stand on His Word as truth and power. Charles Colson quotes, "I know the resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me". “As a Watergate conspirator, he argued that 12 men could not keep a lie for 40 years under torture, whereas his powerful team couldn't keep one for three weeks.” Christianity is believable, liveable and relevant for all time and for everyone when we choose to live by the power of His Spirit through our Lord Jesus Christ. To celebrate Easter is to celebrate the life that God has in store for us, given through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Bible says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” 1 Cor 5:17 Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26 Your Pastors, Ong Sek Leang & Nancy Ong

Pre Service Prayer

Join us 15 minutes before the service begins for a time of prayer and ministry. If you need prayer support or would simply like someone to pray alongside you, do come forward during this time. Our pastoral team is ready to pray with you!

The church is excited for you as you seek and partner with God for what He has in store for you. We pray that your hearts will be open to His leading and shall see many breakthroughs and victories.

Therefore, the church would like to stand together with you in prayers and run the exciting journey with you. Submit to us your prayer(s) that you really want to see a breakthrough this year.

Fill out the form at the given link below to tell us WHAT YOU'RE BELIEVING for this year.

Submission of testimony

Share with us the testimony as we pray together with you. Your testimony will always be a blessing and encouragement for those seeking the breakthrough.

If you need us to stand with you in prayer after the service or anytime, give us a call, message or WhatsApp us at +6012 2155543. You can also head on over to our website to submit a prayer request at http://www.metrotab.org/pray