witnesses

April 6, 2026

Our Resurrected King

Matthew 28:1–20

Just as the women are instructed to go and tell the disciples, and the disciples are told to go out and tell all the world, so we also are to go and tell. To give our testimony, to tell our story, of what Jesus has done for us, what the resurrection means to us.

The resurrection proves that everything Jesus said and did is absolutely true. He is the Hero that God’s people hoped for, the Messianic King He claimed to be.

Both the women and the guards are witnesses to some amazing things that first Easter morning. But they arrive at two wildly different conclusions: 1) The women believe that Jesus is alive, which brings both fear and joy, a resurgence of their faith, a rekindling of their hope, eternal life, forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God; whereas 2) the guards, at the prompting of the religious leaders, say that Jesus is dead, which brings only fear and trembling, deception and despair, death…

If you have not yet trusted in Jesus, today would be a great day to do that. It’s as simple as recognizing that you are a sinner in need of a Savior and believing that Jesus is the Savior whom God promised. He lived a perfect life and died a sacrificial death for you. He was raised to life on the third day, proving that He had conquered both sin and death, so that by believing in Him, you can be saved—not because of anything that you have done, but because of what Jesus did. The Innocent who died for the guilty so that the guilty could be declared innocent.

Matthew’s Gospel closes with Jesus’ words… “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to k all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28.18-20). Come and see, go and tell.

pro rege

This post is based on our Resurrection Sunday sermon. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X or Threads: @ccclancaster. You can also download our Central Christian app in the iTunes App Store.

February 5, 2018

Choosing a New Witness

Acts 1.12-26

Because of Judas’ treachery, the Apostles are in need of a new witness, another Apostle, to take his place and carry forward the mission. Not just anyone will do because it’s not just any mission…he must be an eyewitness of Jesus’ words and works which he and the team will take to the nation and from their to all the nations.

From the beginning we see the importance of prayer and the Word. Praying expectantly in unity, waiting patiently on the Lord. Recognizing the implications of the Word in their current situation. How are you doing on your spiritual disciplines? Are you spending time with the Lord, in the Word and in prayer? If you haven’t started, start today. If you’ve started and have already blown it, restart today. Don’t give up. It’s not about how much and how long…it’s about time spent with the Father.

Throughout Acts, we will see the importance of the Spirit’s work in establishing the church and empowering folks for ministry, the centrality of the resurrection in the gospel, and the need to carry the message of the gospel to the ends of the earth. We are all called to be witnesses…witnesses of what Jesus has done in our lives. We are to be proclaimers of the gospel to those who are lost around us. We’ve been given the Spirit to empower us. Who are you praying for? Who’s on your list? We have to be intentional…

Each of us is here because of someone else’s witness. For me it was my second grade Sunday school teacher. I don’t remember her name, but she told me about Jesus.

“D.L. Moody, one of the greatest preachers in the history of the church, was brought to Christ by a man named Edward Kimball. Kimball was just an ordinary guy who loved the Lord. He was a Sunday school teacher in his church. He worked at a shoe store along with a young man named Dwight. God had put a burden on his heart to share the gospel with Dwight, but he put it off and fought it for a while. Finally Kimball mustered up the courage, went to Dwight, and told him about Jesus. Dwight became a Christian, and not long after that, he committed himself to preaching.

There is no church or institute named after Edward Kimball. But he reached D.L. Moody. You might not be a D.L. Moody, but you might be an Edward Kimball. We need people who are willing to labor in obscurity like Edward Kimball…bringing others to Jesus. God can use you to do that.” — Greg Laurie, Unlikely Champions of the Bible,  January 17, 2018

Until next time…stay salty.

This post is based on a sermon from our Acts series. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @ccclancaster