“To experience the resurrection power in our lives as Christians, we must make conscious effort to continuously preach the Gospel because it is through the Gospel that we experience the resurrection power.
“We must not be ignorant of the fact that the resurrection power is embedded and connected to the Gospel by God and it is revealed only when the Gospel is proclaimed.”
This was contained in a sermon titled, “The Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ,” delivered by the Resident Minister for Pentecost International Worship Centre, New Tafo (PIWC – New Tafo), Pastor Anthony Kwesi Mensah, on Resurrection Sunday (April 12, 2020) during an online service via Facebook as part of the 2020 Easter celebrations.
Churches across the country could not amass to celebrate the occasion due to the ban on all public gatherings and the partial lockdown announced by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as part of precautionary measures to curtail the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.
Using 2 Timothy 2:8 as the anchor text for his sermon, Pastor Mensah said that God did not entrust the proclamation of the resurrection of Jesus Christ to angels, but rather to the Church.
“The proclamation of the resurrection power was not given to angels. After the angels had spoken to the women about Jesus’ resurrection at the tomb, we realised that their testimony about the resurrection ceased. From there, the proclamation of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ was commanded to men and women (the Church) chosen by God,” he explained.
He noted that the salvation of a believer is predicated on the incarnation of Jesus Christ, thus, his life, death and resurrection. “So, whoever believes in this truth has life; whoever believes in this truth believes the Gospel, and whoever believes the Gospel shall be saved,” he pointed out.
Pastor Mensah established that Jesus Christ was truly man (Luke 3:23) and that he died and resurrected on the third day (Psalm 16:10).
“The crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was not a delusion, neither was it imaginary; it was something that actually happened without question because the redemption of mankind is anchored on this truth,” he stressed.
Gleaning some lessons from the resurrection of Jesus, the Resident Minister said it teaches that there is life after death and future existence, saying, “This life we are living shall pass but there is another life that is going to be lived.”
He, however, stressed that only those who accept Jesus as their Lord and personal Saviour would benefit from that life. “Will you be a partaker of that life?” he quizzed. He, therefore, called on all unbelievers to quickly accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour to enjoy eternal life.
Again, he said, the resurrection is a seal to the claims Jesus made about himself and living proof of his deity. According to him, all the claims concerning Jesus played out when he resurrected (John 2:19, Matthew 12:40).
He added that the resurrection of Jesus Christ guarantees the resurrection of the believer (Ephesians 2:6). “The necessity of the Gospel is that if Christ was raised from the dead, then we believers shall be raised when we die,” he affirmed.
Pastor Anthony Kwesi Mensah concluded his exhortation by encouraging Christians not to live in fear and panic because Jesus, whom they have believed, is still alive and as such their safety is assured (Revelation 1:18; Romans 1:16-17; 6:9-10).
“The resurrection of Jesus stresses the fact that the Gospel is a story about a living Saviour. The Gospel brings salvation, healing, transformation, revelation and newness in life; and for as long as our Saviour Jesus Christ lives, we won’t be afraid of COVID-19 because we are fully secured in Him,” he assured, adding, “If we bank all our hopes on the Gospel we shall be saved,” he said.
Report by Emmanuel Nana Nsiah