Being faithful witnesses

·33 min·3 clips

The disciples see the crucified Jesus standing alive among them, startled and frightened.

The episode is a sermon by Pastor Sam from King's Church Hastings, part of the Newfrontiers family. He opens with prayer, thanking God for His living and active word. Sam continues a series on Luke's gospel, specifically Luke chapter 24, which details events on the evening of Jesus' resurrection day. He recounts how the women found the empty tomb and two disciples encountered Jesus on the road to Emmaus, with their hearts burning as he explained the scriptures. The sermon picks up in Luke 24:36, where Jesus appears to the disciples, startling them. Sam imagines being there, likely jumping out a window in fear. Jesus greets them with 'peace,' declaring peace between God and humanity. Sam emphasizes that Jesus is alive, not just resuscitated, and this changes everything for the Christian faith. He notes Jesus showed his hands and feet, ate broiled fish to prove his physical resurrection, and reconnected with the disciples who had abandoned him. Sam explains that Jesus' resurrection is a picture of future life beyond death for believers, where they will see Jesus as he is. He uses an analogy of a sports car passing a small engine car to describe how nothing else will compare to beholding Jesus. Sam then focuses on how Jesus pointed the disciples back to his words and the scriptures when they doubted. He advises having an arsenal of promises from God's word to fall back on during trials. Sam stresses that salvation is fully dependent on God, not human effort, and believers' job is simply to declare the gospel truth. He explains that Jesus' death was necessary to pay the penalty for sin, as the wages of sin is death, and Jesus took that punishment. Sam gets emotionally carried away, expressing excitement that anyone can come to Jesus as they are. He commissions the disciples as witnesses of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, comparing evangelism to news reporting where one just declares facts. Finally, Sam discusses Jesus' promise of the Holy Spirit, his ascension to glory, and the hope of his second coming. He closes with a prayer and song, inviting those who don't know Jesus to draw near.

As heard by us

A resurrection sermon that treats doubt as a return to Scripture and promise.

Sam, one of the pastors at King's Church, presents faithfulness as a lived response to the risen Jesus and to Scripture understood as true, living, and God-breathed.

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Why you'd press play

Need resurrection hope that sends doubt back to Scripture, with a motorway car story along the way?

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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