Turn your Bibles this morning to 1 Corinthians chapter 15.
! I think that means there's children's church.
! John was whispering in my ear,
and I had someone actually ask me,
is there children's church today?
and they were asking the wrong individual.
Linda, you're guilty of putting me on the spot and saying,
is there children's church?
and having been my secretary for what, 10, 12 years, 15?
it's like, don't ask me.
I'm thinking about preaching, and there's like zero bandwidth beyond that.
Yes, children are dismissed now, please.
And I love saying to you, turn in your Bibles.
Go to 1 Corinthians chapter 15.
It's one thing to be preaching through a book such as John,
and know that, Lord willing, next week when I come back from vacation,
I will be in John 16,
and it is a passage and a portion of Scripture that I've never preached before.
And there's a part of study and prayer in dialing into that that is just a wonderful blessing.
It is also a blessing, however, to come to a passage that you have used over and over again,
mindful of this fact,
that while the information has been viewed and studied and prayed about before,
the ministry of the Spirit of God in that text and in my life and in your life
is different each time.
It's renewed, refreshed.
It is valuable, and it is significant.
And so one of the things that I would challenge you,
this is probably not your first Easter, right?
There are some of you that were probably carried to your first Easter service
without your dad or mom ever asking you if you wanted to go.
And you probably have been part of that routine,
and there's a certain thing that you do on Easter.
You dress a certain way, flowers.
By the way, how many of you like these flowers?
I had absolutely nothing to do with it,
and I'd like to thank all the ladies who did a wonderful, beautiful job.
I think Mary Ellen kind of encouraged it.
Where are you, Mary Ellen?
Somewhere out here?
Whoa!
It's like...
We like things like that.
It's just a...
Yeah.
It's like whipped cream on things, you know?
It's like, good.
We celebrate Easter,
and we get into the blessing of what this day is,
and I think sometimes we caught up in the flow of it
and don't think carefully about why the day really is significant.
And so I want you to think very carefully this morning
about the significance of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And we are using this passage in 1 Corinthians 15,
which is a text that kind of dives into the Apostle Paul's preaching
in relationship to the question of the resurrection.
And I want you to walk away from this morning's lesson
with several things in mind.
Number one, listen carefully,
what the Holy Spirit does in response to your prayers in your life
is dependent in part on you praying at all.
What I mean by that is it is fairly easy
when you are looking at a passage,
and you've looked at it before,
and you've looked at it a number of times,
that you can kind of,
well, I got this one,
and kind of settle back and not say,
I need the Holy Spirit's help,
that we get into this,
and we understand it,
and we're affected by it
in a fashion that honors the Lord Jesus Christ.
So I trust one of the things that happens
is you walk away from here saying,
wow, the Spirit of God used the Word of God
to affect the believer's life,
and you are changed and growing as a result of that.
Secondly, I would pray that if you are here today
and do not know the Lord Jesus Christ,
that today would be the day
that He in His kindness and His grace
brings you to the point of recognizing
the bankruptcy and the darkness
and the misery of your heart,
and you are drawn to call out on Jesus
as your only hope and Savior.
Because really what this day celebrates
is the reason that I can say without any hesitation
that there is salvation in no other name
but the Lord Jesus Christ.
And as I lift them up this morning,
and as you lift them up,
that was good singing this morning, wasn't it?
I'm sitting here on the front pew.
It's one of the best seats in the house,
and I am just listening to you guys blowing it out,
and I'm thinking, man, what a day.
What a day.
We worship Him because of the resurrection.
Now, as we look at the passage there,
I want you to mark what it says in verse 3.
Actually, again, go into the details in verse 1.
It says,
I remind you, my brothers,
of the gospel I preached to you
which you received and in which you stand.
Paul is recognizing here at the very beginning
of the importance of what he is going to be talking about,
and he says, listen,
I'm reminding you of something
that has been a central thread
throughout all of my preaching.
It is not only a central thread of all of my preaching,
but he says,
it's what you rest on.
It's what you are established in.
And then later on, he also says,
it is that which you are being saved by.
The reality of the fact is that our salvation
is dependent upon the resurrection.
And this morning, as we get into this passage
and what Paul has to say,
I want you to walk out of here being very, very thankful.
I am so thankful that Lord Jesus Christ died
for my sins according to the Scripture
and that He rose again according to the Scriptures.
Now, what we find here in this passage,
and we're going to look at verse 4 in particular,
it says,
He was buried,
then He was raised on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
We find kind of pressed together
a perfect picture of apostolic preaching.
Apostolic preaching is important to us
because the apostles were appointed by Christ
to be His formal representatives
and His mouthpiece, His speaker.
They were given legal, in a sense,
legal authority to represent Christ
and the apostolic preaching is very significant.
So this morning, we want to think very carefully,
what is the centrality of the resurrection
in the preaching of the apostles?
And as we look at this,
I want you to begin by recognizing
that context is important.
One of the things that is so profoundly important
in our own Bible study,
and I remind you of this,
part of the purpose of preaching
is to inform and encourage
your own Bible study at home.
This is not the only place
that you ought to find
spiritual encouragement and refreshment.
It ought to be taking place
every morning, every night,
in your own heart,
that you are refreshed and encouraged
by the truth of who God is
and what He has done,
by the significance of the Word.
So woven into preaching that is biblical
is the intention of helping you learn to think
how you go about finding things in the Scripture.
And I tell you that context is important.
An illustration of that would be
if you were standing in front of a firing squad
and you heard someone say,
fire,
or if you heard someone yell fire in here,
or if you having been very, very cold
and a camping situation,
I know, Doug,
you're going to be camping in June,
am I right?
The campfires that you guys are going to have
is just for marshmallows and hot dogs
and entertainment.
But I can tell you,
if you were in a situation
where you were nearly freezing to death
and you were trying to get the tinder going
and nothing was happening
and you're wondering
whether you're going to make it or not,
and finally there's a little flicker
and a little bit of smoke
and fire.
Every context makes a difference.
And here is the apostle
bringing this issue
of the centrality of the resurrection
into focus for believers
and he says,
listen,
I'm telling you something
that is supremely important
and you need to pay attention to.
It is the resurrection
of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead.
I want you to understand
that the issue
that we are dealing with this morning
is that there's no salvation
apart from the resurrection.
I remember talking with an individual
not too long ago
and the comment was made
that really, you know,
Jesus was a pretty good person
and he really gave us a great model
but it's not that important
that he existed.
There are others that say,
well, maybe Jesus did exist
as a historical figure
but the fact of the matter is
is that he just died
and that was it.
I'll tell you something,
apart from the resurrection,
we have no hope of salvation
and we have no confidence at all
not only in eternity
but in victory in this life
and we're going to get into that
a little bit more
and understand it this morning.
As we look at the passage
and we think about apostolic preaching,
what I want you to understand
is that apostolic preaching,
the preaching of the apostles
was something that held together
and was consistent throughout.
When you ask three different people
what happened in a particular incident,
one of the things
that we usually find out
is that everybody had
a different perspective.
Isn't that right?
You saw the accident,
I saw the accident,
somebody else saw the accident,
two people were involved
in the accident
and most of the time
they have two different stories,
particularly if they're trying
to determine who was right
and who was wrong
for the sake of insurance, right?
Oh no, I waited for the light,
it was green
and you were the one
who drove through
and broadsided me or whatever,
you know, there's always an issue
and we come at this issue
of determining what is right
by paying attention
to how it fits together
and marvelously,
the preaching of the apostles
have this unity that comes about
because God is the one
who gave the scriptures to us
and over 2,000 plus years,
thousands of years,
he gave the scriptures
through about 40 different authors,
he gave it in three different languages,
he gave it in all different
kinds of settings
and yet it all fits together
and we can track the reality
of what Christ Jesus came to do
and what he did.
And so this morning
as we think about
the importance of apostolic preaching
on the resurrection,
let me kind of remind you
of the importance
of apostolic preaching
by having you turn
to a passage just for a second
in Acts chapter 2 verse 42.
The early church,
when they gathered together,
one of the things
that was at the heart
of their gathering
was the preaching
and teaching of the apostles.
And so when we are here
this morning,
in essence,
what I am doing
and what Pastor Shearer
has been doing
and what Pastor Andrew
continues to do
is draw attention
to the preaching
or the truth
of the apostles.
Acts chapter 2 verse 42.
They devoted themselves
to the apostles' teaching.
When people got together,
the thing was at the heart
of their gathering
was apostolic teaching.
There's no doubt
of the importance
of apostolic teaching
and one of the illustrations
of it is that
most of you this morning
have a copy of the Bible
either in your hand
or on your phone.
I was kind of intrigued
this morning
when Megan read the scriptures.
Where are you, Megan?
You're somewhere out here.
Megan, Megan, Megan.
Ah, there you are.
Did you notice that
instead of pulling out
the sacred text,
she used the sacred phone?
I grew up in a time
where Bible quizzing
and sword drills
were really important.
How many of you
did sword drills?
I mean, it's an age-specific issue.
You know, all of you
who are, yeah,
sword drills?
What are sword drills?
Probably all depends
on whether I have 3G
or 4G
or whatever else it is.
You know, it's like, bang.
We used to have to know
where John was
without just hitting
a little icon
that pulled up John.
You know, it's like,
John is about,
here's the thing
I want you to focus on.
The apostolic preaching
put a great deal
of emphasis on the fact
that this book
is God's Word
and we are gathered
around it
because it is God's Word.
We're dependent,
and thankfully so,
on the clear revelation
of God
of what truth actually is.
And so when the apostles
taught that the resurrection
happened
and it is essential,
we recognize that
to be entirely true
and we hang on to it
and we hold on
and believe that it is valuable
and our hearts are thus blessed
by what we find
in the Scriptures.
So let me mark with you
just kind of a broad swing
of the apostolic preaching
on the cross
and the resurrection.
Peter,
in every sermon
recorded in the book of Acts,
we don't know how many
he preached,
but in every sermon
recorded in the book of Acts,
and Peter was one of the
predominant preachers
in the book of Acts,
every sermon
has a central theme
that includes
the resurrection
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The very first sermon
on the day of Pentecost,
how did Jesus start out?
Does anybody remember?
He let people know
that they had crucified Jesus
and that this same Jesus
who they had crucified
was risen again
and he was waiting
to be the judge
of the whole earth
and they realizing
what had happened,
what they'd done,
they cried out,
what must we do?
In every place
that Peter preached,
the resurrection was central.
It's interesting,
if you were to go
to 1 Peter,
one of two of his last letters
to the church
before his execution,
we find there
that the resurrection
was part of the thematic flow
of what he dealt with
in his last letter.
Paul,
in addition to our text today,
in which he gives
an extended lesson
on the importance
of the resurrection,
he dealt with the fact
of the resurrection
of the Lord Jesus Christ
over and over again.
It was part of,
and we're going to see
some of the illustrations
of that later,
but you couldn't dive
into the apostles' teaching
and not bump right
into the fact
that the resurrection
for Paul
was very, very important.
If you were to ask me
what are the very essentials
of our faith,
I would tell you
that it's the resurrection.
It's the fact
that the Lord Jesus Christ
died for my sins,
that's important,
but if the resurrection
hadn't happened,
I really wouldn't have
any reason for faith.
I remember a number
of years ago,
Pastor Saul and I
were at the Basics Conference,
and we heard Phil Johnson.
Phil Johnson was a,
he has two PhDs,
one from Oxford
and whatever else
in mathematics,
way beyond me,
and he was actually,
he was actually given
the opportunity
of debating Richard Dawkins.
Richard Dawkins.
How many of you
heard the name
Richard Dawkins?
A phenomenally intelligent guy,
and they were having
this back and forth
and really going at it,
and Phil Johnson
was actually doing
quite well in that debate,
and so Richard Dawkins
kind of descended
to sarcasm.
How many of you know
that when you're
not winning an argument,
sarcasm is a great tool?
You're acting
just like your mother.
That really works well
if you want to go home.
So, at the end
of the argument,
Richard decided
it was time
to pull his trump out,
and here's what he said.
You just believe
in the resurrection
of Jesus,
and that's all
that your faith rests on.
Yes?
Yeah, it's okay.
I'm not bothered by that.
And we have Paul saying,
man, the resurrection
is critical.
We find not only
Peter and Paul,
but we also find John
speaking about Christ's
victory over death,
and a number of times
it appears at various places
in both the Gospel of John
and 1 John,
but also in the book
of Revelation,
and I want you to turn
just for a moment
to the way in which
we find Jesus introduced
in the book of Revelation.
Revelation 1, verse 18.
As you're turning there
this morning,
I wonder whether you were
kind of cross-referencing
the words of our last song
with a passage in the book
of Revelation
where the songwriter
kind of attaches
some of the wording
that we were singing
with the fact
that Jesus is the one
who died and rose again.
Look at verse 18.
Revelation 1, verse 18.
Fear not,
actually in verse 17,
fear not,
I am the first and the last,
the living,
I died,
and behold,
I'm alive,
and forevermore
I have the keys
of death and Hades.
Here is Jesus explaining
He is indeed
the one who died
for our sins
and rose again.
I want you to think
with me now,
not only the fact
that the resurrection
was woven into the fabric
of apostolic preaching.
You talk to the apostle,
he's going to come
to the resurrection.
Go talk about it often.
I want you to think
why it would be that way.
Why is the resurrection
so important,
particularly in our faith
and our understanding
of what Christ
has done for us?
For one thing,
the resurrection affirms
the deity
and the judgment of Christ.
It affirms the deity
and the judgment of Christ.
How do we know
that Christ is indeed God
and that He is going
to be the judge
of the whole earth?
Turn in your Bibles
to Acts chapter 17,
verse 31.
We find in Acts chapter 17
that Paul is having a debate
with Athenians.
In the ancient world
without electronic devices
and without TV and a radio,
the thing that you wanted to do
in terms of entertaining yourself
was go down and listen
to the wandering philosopher
who would show up
at the market
and He would try
to foist off on you
His current idea
and you had
very active debates
and it was
what they did.
And here is Paul
shows up in the Agora
and he takes advantage
of all these statues
and various idols.
He says,
hey listen,
let me talk to you
about the unknown God
that you've got a statue to.
And at the end
of his sermon,
look there at verse 31,
here's what he says.
He says,
because He has fixed the day
on which He will judge
the world in righteousness
by a man
whom He has appointed.
The day is coming
that sin
is going
to be judged.
Do you believe that?
Let me say it again slowly.
The day is coming
when sin
is going
to be judged.
Tim Bauer and I
were
under the bridge,
was that 70?
I think that's 70,
yeah.
And we were
bringing oatmeal
and different things
to a man
who's under the bridge.
He's been there
for as long
as I've been going.
And I can remember
the first time
Tim and I went
and said,
hey,
can we pray for you?
That's one of the things
we normally do.
Nah, I'm good.
He said,
I'm good for about
two, three months.
I'm good, I'm good.
Every time we'd go,
we brought him food
and started bringing him
AAA batteries
for his light.
Today,
or last yesterday
when we said,
hey,
how can we pray for you?
He says,
yeah,
I'd like God
to smite those thieves
that stole my stuff.
He said,
is God in the smiting
business still?
Where are you,
Tim?
You're out here somewhere.
Thank you.
Remember that?
Is God in the smiting
business still?
And Tim and I
usually take turns.
You know,
we go back and forth.
Tim has a shot at him.
I have a shot at him.
We kind of,
you know,
good cop,
bad cop,
that kind of thing.
So,
it was my turn this time.
I said,
well,
I got to tell you,
you know,
I hope God is as patient
with them as he's been
with me.
And we got to talking
about the fact
God does judge sin.
I'm really glad
that he's very patient
about that,
aren't you?
And,
and here is Paul
preaching
and he says,
let me tell you something.
The day is coming
when God is going
to judge sin
and he will judge
the world in righteousness,
verse 31,
by a man whom
he has appointed
and of this
he has given assurance
to all
by raising him
from the dead.
How do you know
it's going to happen?
Because Jesus
came back from the dead.
Oh,
that's frightening
to stop and think about that.
The one
who died
to pay the penalty
for sin
is going to be
the one
who judges
all who reject
the offer of salvation
that is freely given
through the blood
of Christ
who has made
sacrifice
and satisfied
the judgment of God.
Some of you
sitting here this morning
thinking to yourself,
I don't have any time
for Jesus.
I'm quite good
myself.
Thank you.
You're wrong.
Every now and then
your conscience
bears witness
with you
that there is
a darkness
and a blackness
in your heart
that you
can't solve.
And beloved,
the day is coming
that that heart
will be judged
and the one
who judges it
will be the one
who died
to make payment
for sin.
And he will judge
your hard
and bitter
rebellion
and rejection.
And the fact
that he rose
from the dead
is going to be
a significant part
of that judgment.
Well,
I want you to
recognize
that not only
does the resurrection
affirm the deity
of Christ
in his judgment,
but our faith
rests.
It is solidly
based on the
resurrection
of the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Look at 1 Corinthians.
You're there
in Acts
for a moment,
but go to 1 Corinthians
chapter 14
or 15,
beginning there
in verse 14.
Here's Paul
arguing extensively
for the effect
of the resurrection
on gospel living.
Everybody look up
so you know
I'm kind of
talking at you
here a little bit.
Hey.
There is a disconnect
today
between gospel
profession
and gospel living.
Do you know
what I mean by that?
I mean,
people,
I think we're
seeing kind of
a decline
of people
who have
anything to do
with Christianity,
but we still bump
into a lot of people
who say,
well,
I'm a Christian,
but when it comes
to it,
their behavior,
their lifestyle,
the things that
they engage in,
the things they care
about have nothing
to do with eternity
and the glory
of Christ.
They're profoundly
self-focused
and as carnal
as the unbelieving
world.
Paul,
in this passage,
he says,
if Christ is not
raised,
then our preaching
is in vain
and your faith
is in vain.
We are even found
to be misrepresenting
God because we
testified about God
that He raised
Christ.
whom He,
if He did not
raise,
if it is not,
if it is,
sorry,
that He raised
Christ,
whom He did not
raise,
if it is true
that the dead
are not raised.
For if the dead
are not raised,
not even Christ
has been raised.
And if Christ
has not been raised,
your faith is futile
and you are still
in your sins.
Now I want you
to stop and think
about that just
for a moment.
What Paul says
is that Christ
has not risen
from the dead,
I am still
in my sins.
You know
what that means?
I still stand
condemned before
a holy God
and the wrath
of God
still is over me
and ready to fall
upon me
at the appointed
time of His judgment.
That's a pretty
sobering thought.
Look there,
if you will,
as Paul works
his way through
the passage.
He says this,
then he's talking
about the resurrection.
He says,
verse 20,
but in fact,
Christ has been
raised from the dead,
the first fruits
of those who have
fallen asleep.
So when we think
about Christian living,
I want you to recognize
that when you think
about the resurrection,
this is the day,
this is the Sunday,
we kind of put
an extra emphasis
and say,
the resurrection
is profoundly important
to me.
Well,
if it is,
practically speaking,
are you living
like a saint
that shows the power
of the resurrection
in your holy living?
Listen to the argument
that Paul makes.
Okay?
He says this,
verse 19,
if in Christ
we have hope
in this life only,
we are of all people
most to be pitied.
In essence,
what he is saying
is this,
is if our hope
in Christ
is only now,
then the restraint
that godliness brings
is worthless
and irrelevant.
Why do you not do
some of the things
you do?
I'll give you
an illustration.
Many of you
may not know this,
but Wilson Road
is a contributor
to revenue
of state police
and the,
you know how it works?
There are actually
parts of,
of Wilson Road
that are marked
off as 35.
I do not understand
the city fathers
because once you
cross broad,
there's a sign
right there
that says 55.
And there has been
a state police band
that's been sitting
there by the oil tanks
for the last week.
I saw him pull somebody
over and I thought
to myself,
no to self.
34.
Okay.
We do things
because we know
what the outcome,
remember right?
We do things
because we anticipate
an outcome.
If Jesus did not
rise from the dead,
godly living
has less motive
and less blessing.
Now,
is there benefit
to living a godly life?
Yes.
But the supreme
blessing is this,
is the fact
of Christ's resurrection
and the fact
I'm going to see him again
and I want to hear him
say what?
Well done,
thou good and faithful servant.
See,
our faith rests
in the reality
of Christ.
I'll tell you
another thing.
The resurrection
encourages us
to believe
that we can change.
Turn in your Bible
to Ephesians chapter 1.
One of the things
I love
about gospel preaching
and when I say that,
just gospel ministry,
is being able
to say to people,
you don't have to
stay the way you are.
How many of you
heard me say that before?
You don't have to
stay the way you are.
You don't have to
stay the way you are.
The truth of the matter
is that
probably if we got past
the makeup
and the hairstyle
or whatever else,
most of us here
are not overly impressed
with who we are.
There are things about us
we know we don't like.
Am I right?
Even now.
I remember when my dad
and mom moved in
next door
and I'd been pastoring here
for probably 25 years or so
and I don't want to say
that I was going around
thinking I was pretty spiritual
but I really didn't realize
how much stubbornness
was still in my heart
at about 63 or 64
and having my dad
live next to me
and serve him 24-7
I began learning things
about humility
and servanthood
that I needed to learn
and I am very thankful
that Christ's resurrection
assures me
I can change.
Ephesians chapter 1
verse 19
here is Paul praying
for the believers
there in Ephesus
and he says
in what he wants them
to know the immeasurable
greatness of his power
towards us who believe
according to the working
of his great might
that he worked in Christ
when he raised him
from the dead
and seated him
at his right hand
in the heavenly places.
You see,
Paul is praying here
that these believers
in Ephesus
would understand
the sweetness
of the gospel
and that it would have
an effect on their life.
I've got to tell you something.
If you're sitting here
this morning
and you profess
to know Christ
but you cannot
look in the rearview mirror
and see the evidence
of the power of God
changing you
from glory to glory
which it says
in 2 Corinthians chapter 3
you have a good reason
to kind of ask yourself
well am I really saved?
And I think that's
an appropriate question.
Here's the fact.
Christ Jesus
who raised from the dead
serves as an illustration
of the power of God
in the life of the believer
which is available
to help us stop
being who we used to be.
Do we have to stay
bitter and unforgiving?
And the answer is
no.
Do we have to stay
a person who is
consumed by covetousness
and greed?
No.
Do we have to stay
a person who is
absolutely under
the affliction of immorality
and the burden of sin?
No.
Why?
Because we have been
saved by the power
of Christ
and His power
is at work
changing us.
I want you to understand
one more thing.
His resurrection
guarantees
our resurrection.
last week I was out
to the graveside
of my mom and dad
and
there are a lot
of friends
that are
momentarily resting
out in Alton Cemetery.
Judah and I
got a plot out there
but it's only
a temporary parking
place.
I got to tell you
something.
Why is that?
Listen to what it
says in 1 Corinthians
chapter 15
verse 20.
1 Corinthians
chapter 15
verse 20.
But in fact
Christ has been
raised from the dead
the first fruits
of those
who have fallen
asleep.
I like that.
You know what it's saying?
Christ is just
kind of a
token
reminder
of the fact
that there are
others who are
going to be
raised again.
And in the book
of Daniel
it says this.
There will be a
resurrection to
judgment and
eternal condemnation
and there will be
a resurrection to
life and joy and
peace forever in
the presence of
Christ.
So bring it down
in practical terms.
You are going to
die unless Jesus
comes back.
And if you die
you will either
be resurrected to
eternal
judgment and
consequences for
your sin and
rejection of the
offer of the
gospel or you
are going to be
resurrected to a
joyful life in
the presence of
the Lord Jesus
Christ.
I'm wondering
this morning
whether or not
that matter is
settled in your
heart.
Does that make
sense?
I mean at the
end of the day
one of the things
that should mark
apostolic preaching
which pastors are
generally should be
involved in doing.
Wouldn't you agree
with that?
One of the things
that marked
apostolic preaching
is helping people
come to grips with
where they were
going to spend
eternity and
whether or not
they had come to
trust in the Lord
Jesus Christ.
So listen to me.
One of the good
things about Easter
is a lot of people
show up at a
service.
I like that.
It's good.
But there are some
that I don't know.
And there are some
who come that I
don't know to the
point of if you are
here and you don't
know the Lord Jesus
Christ.
I would plead with
you this morning
be reconciled to
God.
Do not sit here
thinking I am
almost to the
point of pastor's
going to wrap this
up and I've got
another Easter under
my belt.
You got that?
I want you to
think to yourself
I need to know
where I will spend
eternity.
And I need to
settle it in my
heart.
I believe in
Jesus Christ who
died for my sins
and rose again and
I am trusting in
him alone for
salvation.
Or I'm sitting
there with my arms
crossed saying well
yeah six minutes
and we're done.
If you refuse the
offer of salvation
you will face
Christ as judge
not as savior.
And I would plead
with you and Christ
said.
in Christ's
dead.
Be reconciled to
God.
Let's pray.
Precious Father
we are thankful
for the blessing
of the resurrection
of the Lord Jesus
Christ from the
dead.
And for all that
that means to us
as believers.
I pray that this
morning we who are
believers would have
our hearts lifted up
to glory in the
cross.
To delight in the
fact that we serve
a risen savior.
I pray Lord that the
lives that we live
the conversations
that we have
the attitudes of
our hearts would
reflect his victory.
And I do pray for
those that are here
today that do not
know Christ.
That they would walk
out of here either
yielding to him or
profoundly uncomfortable
at the reality of the
stubborn darkness of
their heart.
Bring them to
conviction by whatever
means you see fit.
spirit.
And we pray this in
Jesus name.
Amen.
John Lee
Disson singing.
Thank you.
Let me tell you
something.
There's no better
time to come to
Jesus than now.
Do you understand
that?
You can ask him to
save you where you
sit.
You can pray while
you are singing.
If you are here
today and you need
Christ as your
savior I got to tell
you there's no better
day than this.
One of the ladies in
our church came up to
me and said do you
know that this is
ten years from now
that I ten years in
the past I was saved
on Easter Sunday.
Not a bad idea.
Okay.
Don't let it pass.