In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of sharing the message of Jesus with others, drawing inspiration from the example of Dale Moody. The preacher also highlights the significance of the resurrection of Jesus and its power to overcome sin and death. The sermon references Hosea's prophecy and describes Jesus as a hero who conquered death and hell. The preacher calls on the listeners to repent and turn away from sin, and concludes with a prayer for God's grace and the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

Today is a great day, even the engagements have the privilege of happening on this day. Our Lord, whom we have seen suffering and dying these days, has risen. Yesterday and Friday we remembered him dying and going into the grave. Today is his resurrection. He was locked and sealed in the tomb with the seal of the king. But today he has risen. He has risen from the grave, wrapped in death clothes. Joseph of Arimathea came to embalm Jesus with the embalming of a king. It is said that this moh, and this, and the embalming which was used on him, they say it could have been 25 to 30 kg in weight. For they took it as not just being any ordinary man, they saw him as the king. It wasn't a grave like ours going down, instead it was a tomb cut out of the hillside into which you could walk. So it was that important people and kings and nobility would be buried there and you would go in and lay the corpse out. They didn't nail it with planks, no, they used a tombstone which was hew, they estimate between 3 to 5 tons, which had to be rolled and it was sealed. And Nicodemus they came with myrrh and with embalming ointment. And so, it wasn't just that they put the embalming ointments on the body, but also the bandages, each one was wrapped and then that wrapped around the corpse. And so they wrapped him And so they would put bandage around the head and then ointment, and more bandage then more ointment. And so till the whole body was like that, you could say it was like plaster of Paris. The head cast and then the body cast, wrapping around the chest right down to the feet. After three days, when they came to complete the embalming, they found the tombstone rolled away. It had been cast away before off. Not to let Jesus out, but rather to let Peter and the women in. He could go through walls, he didn't need to be released out of the grave. He could go through walls, he didn't need to be released out of the grave. Christ's enemies remembered that Jesus had said on the third day he would rise. The disciples forgot about it, but Christ's enemies went then to the authorities and said it needs to be properly sealed. And they demanded soldiers be put there, and so Roman soldiers who were immovable and proper centuries were put there. They were put there, and so Roman soldiers who were immovable and proper centuries were put there. And so these were proper guards. Even if a hornet would sting them on the nose, they would not be allowed to move. Even if a wall collapsed on them, they wouldn't move. And they were strong, capable men who were guarding. Rome had conquered the whole known world and every tribe around there. The whole world was conquered by them. They say, some say it could have been even Germanic tribes that were guarding. And these tough soldiers fainted for fear when there was the earthquake, the shattering of rocks, and they fled. Because Because Because Because Because Because Because Because Because Because Because Because Because Because Because Because Because Because Because Because Because Because Because Because Because Because Because Because Because Because Because Because Because Because Because Because Because they came down with joy to witness this event that Jesus had conquered death and hell. He had come out. When the women came, the angels came down with joy to witness this event that Jesus had conquered death and hell. They came down with joy to witness this event that Jesus had conquered death and hell. The angels said to the women, don't stay here for he has risen, go and tell your brothers and oh how praiseworthy they were, how dreadful women can be, but how praiseworthy in this instance they were the first to be at the tomb. And when they heard the news, Peter and John raced to the tomb, John being a bit younger, he got there first, but Peter as John was standing at the entrance, Peter rushed inside. And Peter and angels were there at the head where Jesus had lain and at the feet and an angel outside on the tombstone with brightness and glory how they rejoiced that the king had risen. And Peter, when he saw the head part of the garments were lying there neatly lying there and so too with the rest lying there, he was convinced Jesus has risen. It's not just that they've stolen him, he's risen. And so it wasn't just like a cloth like this handkerchief, no it was instead like a cocoon because remember it had been wrapped with embalming fluids and liquids and ointment. You see a butterfly? You find the transformation of that insect as it is going through that transformation, it builds a cocoon around itself. And then when it comes out, it comes to new life and beauty and can fly. Peter was utterly convinced he has risen. They haven't come to steal his body for then they would have had to cut into this like cutting into a cocoon. It would have been broken, but now it was neatly lying there, he was sure that he had risen. With great excitement they told the disciples he has risen, but Thomas said no, no, no, it cannot be until I see and put my hands in his wounds, I do not believe it. And then the Lord Jesus appeared and said Thomas put your hands here and suddenly he said my God, my Lord and my God, he has risen, was dead, has risen. The Muslim debater went around and he would speak to huge meetings to convince people Jesus never died and so he never rose he was just in a swoop. And he said Jesus was just in a swoon or in a faint and like he's used the example Jesus himself said as Jonah for three days and three nights, but he wasn't he was it was said he was he rose on the third day, it wasn't three days. Jesus said go and preach to all the nations, even to the Muslims. And he went and preached to all the nations, even to the Jews, even to the Gentiles, even to the Gentiles, even to the Gentiles, even to the Gentiles, even to the Gentiles, even to the Gentiles, even to the Gentiles, even to the Gentiles, even to the Gentiles, even to the Gentiles, even to the Gentiles, even to the Gentiles, even to the Gentiles, even to the Gentiles, even to the Gentiles, even to the Gentiles, even to the Gentiles, even to the Gentiles, even to the Gentiles, even to the Gentiles, but the synagogue is a multitude of one. Ahmad Tida didn't realize that, in fact, among the Jews, with the Israelis their custom was that any Any part of a day, was considered to be a day and a night. Neither work of the eyes, was of him, nor work in the fist, nor at the skills of the head. And so the beginning of the three days and nights was Thursday night, and Friday was considered the first day and night. Then Friday night, then Saturday night, it was the custom. It was no night. It was the beginning of the three days and nights. It was the first day and night. And so if you... So it was known like that if you go back to Genesis with the creation. It says God created the first day. And that first day and night is taken from the night before is when it becomes dusk and dark. It begins the new day. From evening till morning, what's the first day? Now, he didn't know that didat, and you'll excuse him, as a Muslim, he didn't know what it was understood to be. And so he went around proclaiming, boasting that Jesus never claimed that he would die and rise again, or that he was ever dead, and only the disciples and Paul and them, they were the ones who proclaimed that. And so he didn't know, and though he boasted to have read the Bible, in fact he had read it like a newspaper. And so at one meeting when he claimed Jesus never said that he actually died, the one man stood up and said, well, read Revelations, and you'll read there where Jesus says, I am he who was dead and am alive forevermore. Jesus said, I was dead. I am the one who was, who is, and who is to come. I was dead. And so there was the time when some Indians from Phoenix, some pastors and from Durban went to Mr. Didat and said, look, you can gladly proclaim your faith, but do not attack the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior. If you do not stop doing that, we're going to pray and hand you over to the Lord. And it didn't take long, and he got a stroke. And so he was struck down with a stroke that disabled him, and in particular his speech. He could never speak again till he died. I'd invited him beforehand. I'd wanted him to come. I'd asked the Muller family, invite him. And I'd planned just to have him in my home, let him experience and taste of the life that there is in the faith. I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm And so he, those Indians pray that was answered, and he was completely disabled, could never speak again. I planned to go and see him even in that disabled state and to say, look, I had sent an invitation. I'm sorry that you didn't come. But unfortunately, when I got back from overseas, he had passed away. God closed his mouth. That was Mr. Didat. You can blaspheme other things, but do not try and poke your finger into the eye of God. You might mock ancestral spirits and the dead or the occult, but do not dare to try and blaspheme the one who rose again, who broke the seal of death and who broke out of hell and death. And hold the keys of death and Hades. And so it was the Christians from that resurrection morning, as they would gather together, though they had kept the Saturday as the Sabbath, they began to keep the Sunday as the Sabbath because it was the resurrection day. It is the day of the sun for the sun has risen and his glory is eternal. Your glory shines forever. Now those who complain and say, but all the Easter celebrations are pagan with Easter eggs and so forth. Yes, it's true that it has a pagan history. We also say the Christmas tree has got a pagan origin and the Christmas day does have a pagan origin. Same as music. The offspring of pain started with music, but today there are harps in heaven. Even kings has got a pagan origin. If you remember when Israel demanded a king, the Lord said, but I'm your king. Why do you follow the pagans or Gentiles around you? But today we know Jesus as the king of kings. For me, the Easter egg has got special significance. The egg has been broken. Out of it has come forth life. They used to say that there's life in the egg, but more significantly, Jesus is the one out of him came life. And even if Christmas has got pagan origins, I say, well, we use the opportunity to preach the gospel. Tell them about Jesus. There are complaints about the Easter bunny made of chocolate. They've spoken of the fertility of the bunnies, and they've got many babies. Well, much more so, Christians should be fertile in being. And win others to the Lord, like coming for the next Easter celebration here. They say, well, it's made of chocolate. It is something sweet. What does that mean? Well, the gospel is sweeter than anything you can compare it to. Jesus is risen. The resurrection of Jesus shook all of heaven and the angels. Has it shaken you? What is astonishing is that Jesus did not die and be raised up for the angels, for the pure angels, but rather for we wicked sinners. The angels have a holy envy of humans that Jesus has shown grace and love to, but we, when we are envious or jealous, we say, but why is that person considered to be so good? Why do they find all the attention and I am not? That person gets all the attention. Learn from the angels to whom this grace was not shown and see what their holy envy is like, oh how we are jealous in such a carnal, sinful way, we people of the earth. And we do not rejoice, we are not thrilled at this love and grace, instead we snore away and we are unconscious. And though his resurrection was for us, the angels were not envious and did not boycott it, instead they rejoiced at the resurrection of Jesus for us sinful human beings. Jesus told his disciples and commissioned them going to all the world, to all the nations, preaching the gospel about 2,000 years ago and till today, after 2,000 years, we have not reached all the nations, all the people, but when a man cut to the moon, within two days the whole world knew it. Jesus told his disciples and commissioned them going to all the world, preaching the gospel about 2,000 years ago and till today, after 2,000 years, we have not reached all the nations, all the people, but when a man cut to the moon, within two days the whole world knew it. It is to our condemnation, if we do not bring out the gospel and send it out and win others for Jesus, it sends people to hell if you do not obey the Lord Jesus. They pour shame upon us. Even though the Great Commission was not for them, but for us human beings, they rejoice at that. Are you enthusiastic to tell others about the Lord Jesus? Be like T.L. Moody, he said, Lord, I don't even one day to go by without telling someone about you. I haven't even read the text, but you'll excuse me, for my hero has risen. He has risen. And I could continue till the sunset, speaking about the resurrection of our hero. Fulfilling what Hosea prophesied, I will be poisoned to their death and will disturb hell. Poisoned to death and a pest to hell. Our hero did that. Those getting engaged have maybe thought, well, I've forgotten about the engagement. No. This is the wonderful day, the resurrection day, on which these two are getting engaged. You can come forward. This ring is a promise to you of holiness, being kept till the day of marriage, not phoning each other, no SMSing each other, flirting around the secret corners, then pretending and coming out of the veil. But you need to enter into marriage in holiness. I'm thankful for these two, the way they've lived. The Lord saved him and he parted from sin and the same with her. Now live. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for them and we pray that you'll keep them till the day of their wedding. Amen. Now the next couple. These two can come forward. Here you receive the ring from him to be kept holy and promised purity. You haven't got married yet. This is just the engagement. Don't mix things up. Like those who cannot stay apart when they're engaged but they part when they're married. No, you do it the right way round. Where's the mother? I'm thankful that you brought this child up. You're getting a son. This is still the engagement, not yet the marriage. We thank you, Lord, for the lives that they've lived. Thank you for the lives of purity. Thank you. That even if things are spoiled, you are able to make all things new and the old to pass away. Amen. Corinthians chapter 5. You might say, what has Corinthians got to do with resurrection? Resurrection because you might know what is written there. From verse 6. Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. You've been seated for a long time. Let's stand to our feet for a while, just to change our position. Let us stand to our feet for a while, just to change our position. Lord, penetrate our hearts, deal with all the filth and any demonic powers casted out. That we might hear what your word has to say. Amen. You're seated. Isn't it the Passover today? Sunday, the day of the sun, our sun, has come out. The sun has risen. In our text. It says, let us therefore celebrate the festival which is Christ. We are celebrating the resurrection of our Lord Jesus. Haven't you heard? We should be full of praise. But here we read in the text something sad, something very serious. Don't celebrate the festival with the old leaven. We rejoice that Jesus has risen, and we say hallelujah, but sin is still inside. We don't offer food to the enemy so that we'll be paid for our deeds. Let us celebrate the festival with the old leaven. We rejoice that Jesus has risen, and we say hallelujah, but sin is still inside. We rejoice that Jesus has risen, and we say hallelujah, but sin is still inside. deal with them, for we should not celebrate the celebration with the old leaven. For it asks the question, do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? One rotten potato makes the whole sack rotten. When Corinthians, a painful matter happened, a young man fell into the sin of immorality. It was said that such sin is not found even among the heathen, for he went to his stepmother. A painful it would be if we celebrate the celebration, and yet we have sins that not even the heathen are guilty of, for he said here, there is sexual immorality in your midst, the old leaven. The Corinthian brethren had decided, they said to themselves, let's not rock the boat, let's rather keep the peace, after all he's a brother, she's a sister in the Lord, and let's just keep quiet about it. Paul then wrote them this letter, saying I've heard that there's sexual immorality in your midst, do you not know that a little bit of leaven will spoil the whole lot? And he said your self flattery is terrible, and you should not be celebrating the Passover with this in your midst. If you keep quiet about sin, there's stubbornness, there's backbiting, there's gossip, you cannot. Paul writes and says I've heard, I've heard that there's this in your midst, and I want your spirit to agree with mine. Come with me and let us be one. Like yesterday we celebrated the Lord's supper, we took the bread to be one. He said unite with my spirit and let us expel this person so that he would be handed over to the devil so that his soul would be destroyed. So that his body would be destroyed. But a spirit be saved. Instead, imagine if there were those who had said, but who gave this information, who passed on this information about him to Paul, and that would be a terrible shame. Friends, I've often said, I've often said of the first church that if Ananias and Sapphira were either your brother or your sister, what would you have said? I can't watch. Even though his wife knew about it, that he was burying something there in the tent, she didn't own up to it and say this is what Achan's doing. And the children also kept quiet, so they were all stoned, even their donkey together. Yes, it is good to celebrate Easter, but not celebrating it with this old leaven. If it's something that you know about in the church or in your family, deal with it. If you can't, at least go and speak to your minister. Then he'll say you're a child of the light. Is this the life that you are living? Is that what you're living for, what you died for? If not, you're in the wrong place here. Go somewhere else. There are many churches that will invite you with open arms, but not here. Let us celebrate. Yes, it's good. We celebrate Easter, but do not celebrate it with the old leaven. I wonder you who are from here, from whatever church you are from, whether you are still celebrating it with the old leaven of grudges, anger, and back-chatting. Instead, you should have come to the Lord Jesus and begged him for forgiveness, saying, Lord, I've sinned. I wish for all of you a good resurrection day. Though I wish for you a happy Easter, it helps you nothing that I wish that for you. If you still have the old leaven, sweep it all out. There's my brother from Tuzin. Who was the converted? Which? She was a heathen, had been a witch, but she repented. The Lord worked through her, in her. She said, we sweep our houses out all the time. She said, we should be sweeping out our hearts continually. Though she was a person involved in the occult and demonic things, but this is the revelation. Take our field. Remove field. Go and ask the old orthodox Jews, and they will say that at Passover, make sure that there's not the slightest trace of any leaven, of the old leaven. And so too, it should be the same. None of the sin, none of our flirting around. Otherwise, Easter is only going to lock you in hell. My brother was telling me this morning in my office, as I was preparing about a seven-year-old boy who died of AIDS. His parents had died from AIDS. He was an orphan. Oh, but he He repented thoroughly. He wanted to depart from all the stealing and lying. Others spoke of him as a new creature that he had been truly saved from his old ways. Now we too, we are to celebrate with the new leaven. Have you heard or not? Have you heard or have you not? I pray that the Lord would penetrate your ears and that you would understand. Are you going to leave here and truly repent and turn from your sin? Shall we bow our heads and pray? I ask you, Lord Jesus, that the matter of your resurrection would touch each one. If even the boulders were broken, shouldn't your resurrection break our hearts? As the earth was shaken at your resurrection, may it be so with us. And your words May your words, Lord, be written in our hearts and minds, not just written with ink, but engraved as with a chisel in stone. When we were there in the Garden of Gethsemane, there and at Golgotha, they showed us the grave, a big gravestone, huge, massive. Our guide, tour guide said, from the door right up to the top, it was split, a rock split, for rock split. In Jerusalem. When he had entered into Jerusalem and the Hosannas were shouted, the children shouted praises in Hosannas, and there was the demand, shut them up. Jesus said, keep quiet, then the very rocks will cry out. And that's what happened. How can you not be touched and broken? How can you remain in your sin? We'll say we rejoiced. We danced for joy. You never rejoiced at the rising of our hero. He who broke the locks of death and hell. The lock in your heart. There's a lock. It's hard. It's hard. You can't stop sinning. Jesus' resurrection casts that all aside and makes you a child of life and of light. Let's bow and pray. We ask you that your grace, Lord Jesus, and the love of God the Father, the working of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen.