What are you Seeking? (Part 2)

Pastor Burns has served as the Senior Pastor of Kitchener Baptist Church since assuming that role after several years of faithful ministry. He graduated from Bible College in 2005 and joined the staff at Kitchener Baptist Church in 2006. Prior to becoming Senior Pastor, he served in both Youth Pastor and Assistant Pastor roles. Pastor Burns holds a Bachelor’s degree in Theology and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Ministry with a concentration in Biblical Counseling.

The sermon begins by highlighting Mary Magdalene’s fervent search for Jesus’ body, after His crucifixion, as depicted in John chapter 20. Like Solomon who sought fulfillment in worldly pursuits only to find vanity (Ecclesiastes 1:2), Mary’s desperate search in the tomb represented a universal human quest for peace, identity, and hope. The sermon emphasizes that many people today, like Mary and Solomon, sincerely search for answers but often look in the wrong places – be it through social media validation, dead religions, dead works, dead pleasures, or unstable identities.

A pivotal moment comes when angels ask Mary, ‘Why seek ye the living among the dead?’ (Luke 24:5). This question encapsulates the sermon’s central theme: true life, truth, and satisfaction cannot be found in dead things or worldly philosophies. Citing Deuteronomy 30:19, the sermon urges listeners to ‘choose life,’ asserting that Jesus is the embodiment of life, resurrection, and truth (John 14:6, John 10:10). It clarifies that salvation is a gift of God’s grace, not earned by works or sincere religious rituals (Ephesians 2:8-9, Matthew 11:28). True rest, purpose, and lasting satisfaction are found only in a relationship with the risen Christ.

Ultimately, the sermon concludes with the profound truth from John 14:19: ‘Because I live, ye shall live also.’ The resurrection of Jesus validates everything He taught and offers humanity hope, fulfillment, and eternal life. It is through His resurrection that believers overcome death and find true identity and purpose. The message challenges listeners to choose Jesus, the living Savior, over the fleeting and ultimately disappointing promises of the world.