WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:05.100 Well, good morning and happy Easter. My name is Sam Bunnell. I have the honor of being the 00:00:05.100 --> 00:00:10.500 pastor here at First Baptist Henrietta. Can I ask you to do this? If you've got some room kind of 00:00:10.500 --> 00:00:15.540 in the middle of your pew, would you mind scooching in? So as those are still trickling in, they've 00:00:15.540 --> 00:00:20.120 got a place kind of on the ends to sit. That would be a big blessing. I appreciate y'all. 00:00:20.580 --> 00:00:25.679 Listen, I want to welcome every one of you who is able to attend this morning here with us in 00:00:25.679 --> 00:00:31.399 person, as well as those joining us online. I want to thank you for choosing to worship here at First 00:00:31.399 --> 00:00:35.859 Baptist Henrietta with us. I want to wish you all a happy Easter, happy Resurrection Sunday, 00:00:35.859 --> 00:00:43.039 as we celebrate that he is alive. Death could not keep him. And what a wonderful thing. What a 00:00:43.039 --> 00:00:48.600 wonderful truth that is really the bedrock, the foundation for our Christian faith. So we're 00:00:48.600 --> 00:00:52.579 grateful that you joined us in worship. I want to welcome each of you. If you are visiting with us, 00:00:52.579 --> 00:00:59.379 we have a gift for you. If you would take a welcome card, and that's on the seat back in front of you, 00:00:59.479 --> 00:01:03.960 fill that out. We should have a pen from our church there. And just fill that out and take that back to 00:01:03.960 --> 00:01:09.420 the welcome desk in the back of our lobby. You'll see that straight out those double doors. Then drop 00:01:09.420 --> 00:01:13.780 that off there after the service. We'll have someone there who would like to give you a free gift from 00:01:13.780 --> 00:01:18.560 our church, so make sure you don't miss out on that. We have a little bit of an unusual service 00:01:18.560 --> 00:01:24.299 plan for you today. Being that it is Easter, our choir has worked very hard to prepare three different 00:01:24.299 --> 00:01:29.939 songs for us. And I broke my sermon up into three different parts to kind of go along with the themes. 00:01:30.040 --> 00:01:36.599 And they're each an hour long. Okay, so we've got to... Y'all thought I was kidding? I was. I was kidding. 00:01:36.700 --> 00:01:40.879 All right, it's okay. So I would like you to take the Word of God with me, if you would. 00:01:40.879 --> 00:01:49.560 And we are going to jump straight into our first theme for today. As you're turning in the Bible, 00:01:50.319 --> 00:01:56.899 I'm going to send you to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. 1 Corinthians chapter 15. So that's 00:01:56.899 --> 00:02:00.500 in the New Testament, kind of the latter part of the book. 00:02:02.399 --> 00:02:08.500 You'll go through the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Acts, Romans, and then you'll land on 00:02:08.500 --> 00:02:13.620 1 Corinthians. We're going to go to chapter 14, 15. If you didn't bring your Bible here today, 00:02:13.699 --> 00:02:20.340 there should be one in the pew back in front of you. And as you're turning there, I would like to 00:02:20.340 --> 00:02:26.699 share this quote with you. Easter is the only time when it's perfectly safe to put all your eggs in 00:02:26.699 --> 00:02:34.639 one basket. Anybody done an Easter egg hunt yet this season? I know my wife and my kids and I were out 00:02:34.639 --> 00:02:39.619 at the community Easter egg hunt out at Hapgood Park last weekend, and that was a lot of fun. Saw some of you 00:02:39.619 --> 00:02:45.699 out there. But you know what's interesting about this quote is it kind of agrees with our faith as well. 00:02:45.799 --> 00:02:52.339 For instance, I put all of my eggs, all the eggs of my faith in the basket that Jesus did not stay dead, 00:02:52.419 --> 00:02:58.239 he came back to life. And when he did that, he proved he was God. He proved that everything he had said 00:02:58.240 --> 00:03:04.280 was true because he's the only one of us that can pull that off. And so I have put all my eggs in 00:03:04.280 --> 00:03:11.080 that basket. I'm happy to do so. So here's the theme of our talk today. What does the resurrection of 00:03:11.080 --> 00:03:19.060 Jesus mean for me? What does the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead actually mean for me, 00:03:19.180 --> 00:03:24.600 for my life, for my family? Let's look at 1 Corinthians 15. Now I want to make clear for you, 00:03:24.599 --> 00:03:30.239 brothers and sisters, the gospel I preach to you, which you received, on which you have taken your 00:03:30.239 --> 00:03:36.560 stand, and by which you are being saved. If you hold to the message, I preach to you, unless you 00:03:36.560 --> 00:03:43.599 believed in vain. Verse 3, for I passed on to you as most important what I also received. Here it is, 00:03:43.639 --> 00:03:49.259 ready? This is the most important thing that the writer of this letter, the apostle Paul, wrote 00:03:49.259 --> 00:03:56.919 and ever talked about. He said, this is it. That Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. 00:03:57.739 --> 00:04:04.799 That he was buried. That he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures. And that he 00:04:04.799 --> 00:04:10.799 appeared to Cephas and then to the 12. Then he appeared to over 500 brothers and sisters at one 00:04:10.799 --> 00:04:16.159 time. Most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James and all the 00:04:16.160 --> 00:04:21.540 apostles. Last of all, as to one born at the wrong time, he also appeared to me. And that's a reference 00:04:21.540 --> 00:04:29.820 to when Paul saw Jesus actually on the road to Damascus. Had an encounter with God himself. 00:04:31.100 --> 00:04:38.100 So let's jump down to verse 12. Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of 00:04:38.100 --> 00:04:43.540 you say there is no resurrection of the dead? See, this was a controversy back then. A lot of people, 00:04:43.540 --> 00:04:49.480 even early Christians, were based on previous presuppositions they had in their own faith, 00:04:49.700 --> 00:04:54.379 they were trying to say, no, there cannot be any resurrection of the dead. Once you're dead, that's it. 00:04:54.420 --> 00:05:01.320 That's the final resting place. And that completely undermines and runs counter against the Christian 00:05:01.320 --> 00:05:08.320 faith. So Paul's saying, if Christ raised from the dead, then how can you say there's no resurrection 00:05:08.319 --> 00:05:14.120 from the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has 00:05:14.120 --> 00:05:21.060 not been raised, then our proclamation is in vain. And so is your faith. We are found to be false witnesses 00:05:21.060 --> 00:05:26.379 about God because we have testified wrongly about God that he was raised up, that he raised up Christ. 00:05:27.300 --> 00:05:33.120 For if the dead are not raised, verse 16, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been 00:05:33.120 --> 00:05:43.240 raised, catch this, your faith is worthless. You are still in your sins. Verse 20, but as it is, 00:05:44.120 --> 00:05:50.019 Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of all those who have fallen asleep. For since death 00:05:50.019 --> 00:05:56.840 came through a man, talking about that original sin with Adam and Eve back in the garden, the resurrection 00:05:56.839 --> 00:06:05.279 of the dead also comes through a man. Who's that man? Jesus Christ. That's the one through whom the 00:06:05.279 --> 00:06:13.179 resurrection from our spiritual death can come. For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ will all 00:06:13.179 --> 00:06:20.379 be made alive. I want to share this quote with you. It's on the screen. The resurrection was God the 00:06:20.379 --> 00:06:28.659 father's way of authenticating all the truths that were declared by Jesus. If you look back through, 00:06:28.920 --> 00:06:33.839 if you've got one of those Bibles that has the words of Jesus in red, and you read all the red letters 00:06:33.839 --> 00:06:41.219 of the Bible that Jesus shared with us and that is recorded in scripture, he made bold claims that he was 00:06:41.219 --> 00:06:49.659 God, that he was God's son, that he was born of a virgin. He performed mighty miracles and all the 00:06:49.660 --> 00:06:57.340 things that Jesus claimed about himself during his 33 years walking on this earth. God made them certain. 00:06:57.980 --> 00:07:06.820 God authenticated them. He made them concrete that we can put our faith in those by raising Jesus from 00:07:06.820 --> 00:07:18.740 the dead. So number one, Jesus defeated sin. By his resurrection, Jesus defeated sin. You ask, 00:07:18.740 --> 00:07:25.160 what does the resurrection mean for me, for my life? It means you can have victory over sin because 00:07:25.160 --> 00:07:30.699 that's what Jesus did. That's the first thing that we can draw from his resurrection. Colossians chapter 00:07:30.699 --> 00:07:39.960 two and verse 14, he erased the certificate of debt with its obligations that was against us and opposed 00:07:39.960 --> 00:07:46.960 to us and has taken it away by nailing it to his cross. What is this debt of sin that he's talking 00:07:46.959 --> 00:07:54.699 about? Romans chapter six and verse 23 says, the wages of sin is death. What we have earned, what you and 00:07:54.699 --> 00:08:02.299 I have earned is the same wage, the same payment for our sin. And that is death in an eternal hell that 00:08:02.299 --> 00:08:11.319 was created for Satan and for his demons. But we have that sin debt and that penalty, that punishment for 00:08:11.319 --> 00:08:20.079 our sin looming in front of us until Jesus came in and erased the debt by dying on the cross and rising from the dead. 00:08:20.980 --> 00:08:29.719 So through his death and his resurrection, Jesus defeated sin. Now the problem is sin still has a hold on 00:08:29.719 --> 00:08:37.600 anyone who has yet to put their faith in the payment that Jesus made. Sin will still control us. Sin will still 00:08:37.600 --> 00:08:44.159 dictate to you. Your own flesh and desires will still drive you to make mistake after mistake as I'm sure 00:08:44.159 --> 00:08:52.620 so many in this room can testify to having made. I hope it's not just me. So many of us fall prey into 00:08:52.620 --> 00:09:02.620 sin's trap time and time again. And we owe that debt that we can't pay. We can't afford to pay that debt. 00:09:02.620 --> 00:09:10.639 But Jesus did. He paid it for us. What an incredible thing that Jesus paid our sin debt. 00:09:11.100 --> 00:09:15.419 I want to share this quote with you and we'll be done with this part of the service. Easter is the only 00:09:15.419 --> 00:09:22.679 time when it's perfectly safe to put all your eggs in one basket. You can put your eggs in the basket 00:09:22.679 --> 00:09:29.379 of Jesus' death and resurrection. That won't bring shame on you. That won't bring regret. 00:09:29.379 --> 00:09:34.139 Would you pray with me? God, I pray that you would continue to speak through our hearts from your 00:09:34.139 --> 00:09:38.939 word as we go through the different music that's been prepared and the reading from your word and 00:09:38.939 --> 00:09:43.419 the preaching from your word. Let no one leave this place without having encountered you this morning. 00:09:44.379 --> 00:09:48.899 Let your resurrection power become real in our life. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 00:09:49.779 --> 00:09:55.480 All right. Are we having fun in church yet? Amen. I love seeing somebody get baptized. The choir is 00:09:55.480 --> 00:10:02.580 providing outstanding music, keeping our theme on the fact that Jesus lives. And I want to continue 00:10:02.580 --> 00:10:12.580 on with that. Number two, Jesus defeated death. Number one, we realize that Jesus defeated sin. 00:10:13.659 --> 00:10:18.519 And I thank God for that because on our own, you and I cannot defeat sin. We can try to kick a habit 00:10:18.519 --> 00:10:24.320 for a while, but without the power of God, ultimately sin will always have the victory over us. And you can 00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:31.280 say the same thing of death. Death, according to man's thinking, is the final adversary. No one can 00:10:31.280 --> 00:10:41.460 cheat death except Jesus because he holds the keys to death. So by his resurrection, Jesus defeated death. 00:10:41.460 --> 00:10:48.860 Would you look with me again in 1 Corinthians chapter 15? 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verse 20. 00:10:48.860 --> 00:10:55.659 We read it just a moment ago. As it is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those 00:10:55.659 --> 00:11:01.779 who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes 00:11:01.779 --> 00:11:09.659 through a man. Verse 22, watch this. Just as in Adam all die. Remember that first sin in the garden 00:11:09.659 --> 00:11:20.939 when Adam and Eve broke God's command, sin then passed upon all men and women because we have all sinned. 00:11:21.659 --> 00:11:31.939 So death then passed upon all of us. Just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 00:11:31.940 --> 00:11:41.020 All who choose to follow Jesus. All who choose to walk the Jesus way. All those who put their faith 00:11:41.020 --> 00:11:47.780 not in themselves, not in their own ability to do right or to resist evil, not in any of that, 00:11:48.200 --> 00:11:57.160 putting their faith solely in the power of God, the goodness of God, the grace, the mercy, the love 00:11:57.159 --> 00:12:07.980 of God. That is our answer. That is our rescue. That is our hope. Sin gives us the bad news. Death is 00:12:07.980 --> 00:12:16.059 something we cannot escape except by the power of God. So just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ 00:12:16.059 --> 00:12:24.919 all can be made alive. Watch this. Verse 26, the last enemy to be abolished is death. 00:12:24.919 --> 00:12:32.279 For God has put everything under his feet. God is in control and has power and dominion over 00:12:32.279 --> 00:12:39.019 everything, even death. Now when it says, verse 27, everything is put under him, it is obvious 00:12:39.019 --> 00:12:44.079 that he who puts everything under him is the exception. The only thing he doesn't have power 00:12:44.079 --> 00:12:49.659 over is himself. But that would be an obvious understanding, right? He has power over everything 00:12:49.659 --> 00:12:57.659 else. So verse 28, when everything is subject to Christ, then the son himself will also be subject 00:12:57.659 --> 00:13:05.199 to the one who subjected everything to him so that God may be all in all. God is in control of this 00:13:05.199 --> 00:13:11.779 whole process. God was in control that day when they hung Jesus on the cross and they killed him. 00:13:12.360 --> 00:13:17.759 That didn't come as a surprise. That wasn't a threat to God's plan. That was part of God's plan 00:13:17.759 --> 00:13:24.700 all along. When we envision the crucified Savior, the sinless, perfect son of God, hanging on the cross, 00:13:24.980 --> 00:13:31.639 being brutally tortured and killed. I'm sure Satan was dancing. I'm sure the demons and the devils 00:13:31.639 --> 00:13:38.960 were dancing and singing and celebrating the death of their arch enemy, Jesus Christ, the son of God. 00:13:38.960 --> 00:13:52.920 Day one happened, right? Jesus died. He was buried. He was in the tomb. Day two happened. The devils rejoiced. 00:13:54.259 --> 00:13:56.200 But on the third day, 00:13:57.200 --> 00:14:08.800 he arose. He came back to life. He proved his power. He proved his authority over death, over anything, 00:14:08.960 --> 00:14:15.680 that could come up against him. We think when the heart stops, it's over. But that's what's different 00:14:15.680 --> 00:14:26.759 between you and me and God. They stopped his heart, his human heart. But he was 100% man, 00:14:26.900 --> 00:14:38.940 but also 100% God. And you can't kill God. Many have tried, but they can't. Jesus always will have power 00:14:38.940 --> 00:14:44.680 over death. That's why sometimes when our loved ones pass away and we know and have full faith that 00:14:44.680 --> 00:14:49.740 they had placed their faith in Jesus. That death, even though it's a time of grieving for us here on 00:14:49.740 --> 00:14:56.740 earth, it's ultimately a time of rejoicing because we know that God has saved their soul. And we know 00:14:56.740 --> 00:15:01.800 that he will keep them alive and keep them until the day when we can all gather home in heaven someday. 00:15:01.799 --> 00:15:07.699 And we will see them again. There is no final death for the child of God. 00:15:08.799 --> 00:15:14.799 Would you go with me? Would you go ahead and take me on to the next slide? Revelation 1 and verse 18. 00:15:15.139 --> 00:15:25.659 Revelation 1.18. I am the living one. I died, but look, I am alive forever and ever. And I hold the 00:15:25.659 --> 00:15:32.319 keys of death and the keys of death. You understand what Jesus is saying here? I was 00:15:32.319 --> 00:15:44.639 dead, but I am the living one. I did die, but look at me now. I am alive forever and ever. And I hold 00:15:44.639 --> 00:15:51.199 the keys of death and the grave. Are you scared of death? You don't have to raise your hand, but I'm sure 00:15:51.200 --> 00:15:57.840 just about everyone in this room can fear death sometimes. But we don't have to fear when we know 00:15:57.840 --> 00:16:03.800 the one who holds the keys to it. We know the one who has power over it. Would you take me to the quote 00:16:03.800 --> 00:16:13.420 that follows this? Easter is a time where we are reminded that conclusions in man's mind are the 00:16:13.420 --> 00:16:19.940 beginnings of God's plan. Sometimes man will tell you that something is hopeless. 00:16:21.200 --> 00:16:27.400 Sometimes you think something is dead, but can I tell you that whatever you feel like may be dead 00:16:27.400 --> 00:16:36.580 in your life, Jesus has the keys to it. Jesus can bring life back to that situation. Jesus defeated 00:16:36.580 --> 00:16:43.140 the ultimate enemy, which was Satan's attempt to kill him, to stop his heart, to stop the God story, 00:16:43.500 --> 00:16:49.759 to throw a wrench in God's plan to save you and me. Satan hates us. He didn't want us to be saved. 00:16:49.759 --> 00:17:02.299 He wanted us to die and suffer. But Jesus has more power. Jesus has the victory. And Easter is a time 00:17:02.299 --> 00:17:07.119 where we can look around in our life and say, what is dead in my life? Maybe there's a relationship that 00:17:07.119 --> 00:17:13.359 you think is dead. Maybe there's a fear that you think has killed any hope that used to be in your heart. 00:17:13.359 --> 00:17:19.699 Maybe there's something that's killed the joy in you. Whatever is dead in your life, God can bring 00:17:19.699 --> 00:17:27.919 life back to that. God can bring the hope back. He can put the smile back on your face. He can make 00:17:27.919 --> 00:17:36.439 the sun shine again. The night seems dark, but joy comes in the morning. And what greater joy than the 00:17:36.440 --> 00:17:42.900 morning when they realized Jesus was alive? God, I pray that you would continue to speak to us from 00:17:42.900 --> 00:17:48.200 your word. As the choir sings again, as we lift our voices in praise of you again, let us remember that 00:17:48.200 --> 00:17:54.120 we are singing to one who is alive, who hears us, who defeated death. Thank you for the hope that gives 00:17:54.120 --> 00:18:02.980 us. In Jesus' name, amen. If you've ever experienced that love that flows down from Calvary, that forgiveness, 00:18:02.980 --> 00:18:06.440 that grace, that grace, then you'll know what we're talking about. You know what we're singing about. 00:18:08.440 --> 00:18:15.039 You see, by his resurrection, Jesus not only defeated sin, he not only defeated death, but Jesus 00:18:15.039 --> 00:18:21.860 made a way for us. 1 Corinthians 15, once again, for the final time. 00:18:23.440 --> 00:18:32.240 This corruptible, verse 53, this corruptible body, my body and yours, must be clothed with 00:18:32.240 --> 00:18:41.019 incorruptibility. This mortal body must be clothed with immortality. When this corruptible body is clothed 00:18:41.019 --> 00:18:47.700 with incorruptibility, and this mortal body is clothed with immortality, this is the day when Jesus 00:18:47.700 --> 00:18:53.460 comes back, and we are brought home to heaven. We hope for this day and believe it will come by faith. 00:18:53.960 --> 00:19:01.200 Then the saying that is written will take place, verse 55, death has been swallowed up in victory. 00:19:02.240 --> 00:19:12.859 Where death is your victory? Where death is your sting? The sting of death is sin. That's how he gets us, 00:19:13.019 --> 00:19:21.819 by our sin. The power of sin is the law. That's the one, the law that says you can't do this, you can't do 00:19:21.819 --> 00:19:28.380 that. God says, this is God's universe. He makes the laws, and he says, you can't do this. If you do this, 00:19:28.380 --> 00:19:33.760 you're wrong. If you kill someone else, you're wrong. If you steal someone's things, then you're wrong. 00:19:33.960 --> 00:19:40.640 If you sin in all these different ways, you are wrong. The law is the power of sin in our life. 00:19:40.640 --> 00:19:43.620 It shows us when we are wrong. 00:19:45.700 --> 00:19:55.080 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:19:55.079 --> 00:20:02.079 God didn't take away the law. He didn't change it to make it nicer, to make it more permissive, 00:20:02.299 --> 00:20:07.059 to say, well, what you're doing really isn't all that bad. Sure it is. It's terrible. It's destructive. 00:20:08.199 --> 00:20:17.359 God didn't change the law. He showed grace. He introduced us to something that says, you are wrong. 00:20:17.359 --> 00:20:24.399 You are deserving of hell for all the wrong that you've done in your life, but I love you anyway. 00:20:25.519 --> 00:20:31.559 Instead of giving you what you deserve, what you've earned, I'm going to give you life. I'm going to 00:20:31.559 --> 00:20:39.139 give you heaven. I'm going to call you my child. I'm going to make a way for you to be saved. 00:20:39.140 --> 00:20:51.220 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Jesus way, 00:20:51.580 --> 00:21:00.400 the Lord's work, because you know that your labor, your walk in the Jesus way will not be in vain. 00:21:00.560 --> 00:21:02.820 And that's the end of 1 Corinthians 15. 00:21:02.819 --> 00:21:13.359 By his resurrection, Jesus made a way for us. Isaiah chapter 43 and verse 19, the Old Testament 00:21:13.359 --> 00:21:20.439 kind of looks forward to this. It says, look, I am about to do something new. Even now it is coming. 00:21:20.759 --> 00:21:27.159 Do you know what that something new is? That something new was Jesus Christ coming. Even now, 00:21:27.159 --> 00:21:32.539 even back then, the plan was in place. Jesus would come. Do you not see it? Indeed, 00:21:32.539 --> 00:21:39.759 I will make a way. How many in this room need God to make a way in their life? My hand is raised. 00:21:40.339 --> 00:21:46.519 So many of us, we need God to step in and make a way in our life. He did it. He did it through the 00:21:46.519 --> 00:21:52.519 cross. He did it through the empty tomb. Jesus made a way for you and for me, and he can do it again. 00:21:52.519 --> 00:21:59.839 In the wilderness, he can bring rivers. In the desert, in the driest of places, God can bring 00:21:59.839 --> 00:22:06.959 water. In the darkest of nights, God can bring light. He can make a way for you, and he can make 00:22:06.959 --> 00:22:13.299 a way for me. He made a way to defeat sin. He made a way to defeat death, and now he can make a way 00:22:13.299 --> 00:22:19.679 to overcome anything in your life. He can make a way to overcome the penalty of sin in your life if you 00:22:19.679 --> 00:22:25.919 will choose this morning to put your faith in him. We can't all look around at everyone in the world 00:22:25.920 --> 00:22:30.980 and say we're all children of God. No, we're not all children of God. That's why Jesus had to die 00:22:30.980 --> 00:22:39.340 to make a way for those who would choose to place their faith in him. God is drawing you. He's calling 00:22:39.340 --> 00:22:46.900 you. He's saying, I am here. I love you. I died for you. I rose for you. I'm listening to you now. 00:22:46.900 --> 00:22:56.580 Will you call out to me? The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity 00:22:56.580 --> 00:23:03.480 to start over no matter what the circumstances. No matter what the circumstances might be in your 00:23:03.480 --> 00:23:08.060 life, you say, man, you don't know me. You don't know how bad I've been. You don't know the wrong 00:23:08.060 --> 00:23:11.980 that's been done to me. You don't know what's going on in my life. You don't know my history. 00:23:11.980 --> 00:23:21.819 No, but God does. And whatever trouble, whatever problems, whatever sin, whatever wrong 00:23:21.819 --> 00:23:28.180 has happened in your life, the resurrection still gives you hope. It still gives you life. 00:23:28.460 --> 00:23:32.460 It still gives you meaning. It still gives you direction. It still gives you a purpose when you 00:23:32.460 --> 00:23:37.319 wake up in the morning. Say, man, I've been bad, but God is alive and God still loves me. 00:23:37.319 --> 00:23:44.939 What more do I need for today? Sure would love if my wife liked me. Sure would love if my kids 00:23:44.939 --> 00:23:51.599 liked me, but I still know that God loves me. And God can intervene. God can heal a broken 00:23:51.599 --> 00:23:58.799 relationship. God can make streams in the desert. God can do something way beyond anything I can do. 00:23:59.460 --> 00:24:05.119 That's what we have hope in. That's why we make Easter such a big deal. It is the big deal. 00:24:05.119 --> 00:24:13.119 It's that Jesus is alive and we have hope. So the takeaway is, will you choose the Jesus way? 00:24:13.899 --> 00:24:20.759 Will you choose the Jesus way? What does that mean? It means not choosing your way. 00:24:22.759 --> 00:24:29.919 It means not choosing another way that you've heard about. It means not listening to your own desires, 00:24:29.920 --> 00:24:37.259 listening to your own heart, listening to your own way of thinking. It means choosing the Jesus way. 00:24:38.660 --> 00:24:44.240 He wrote a love letter to us. He wrote an instruction manual for life. It's all we need 00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:50.820 to get through this life with his help. And he says, I'm not leaving you just with the book and each 00:24:50.820 --> 00:24:57.980 other. He said, I am leaving myself with you. I am leaving my spirit. So even though physically, 00:24:57.980 --> 00:25:04.440 Jesus arose, he went back home to be with his father, he left his Holy Spirit in this world. 00:25:04.660 --> 00:25:10.559 And all of those who truly are his children, all those who by faith in Jesus have said, I know that 00:25:10.559 --> 00:25:15.880 I'm a sinner and I know Jesus died for me. And he rose again. And just like the testimony we heard 00:25:15.880 --> 00:25:22.460 from Trip Hensley this morning before he got baptized, you say, I choose to put my faith in Jesus 00:25:22.460 --> 00:25:33.420 for the forgiveness of my sins to become his child. Then you get the Holy Spirit who walks with you, 00:25:33.559 --> 00:25:39.400 who never leaves you. And he's with you to help you on the Jesus way. 00:25:39.400 --> 00:25:52.600 What does the Jesus way mean? The Jesus way means hope. It means forgiveness. It means compassion. 00:25:53.060 --> 00:25:59.220 All those things that the choir just sang about a moment ago, it means choosing the way that Jesus 00:25:59.220 --> 00:26:08.180 would walk. What does the Jesus way mean for your relationship? What does the Jesus way look like 00:26:08.180 --> 00:26:13.799 in the middle of divorce? What does the Jesus way look like when your kids hate you? What does the 00:26:13.799 --> 00:26:19.920 Jesus way look like in the midst of employment conflict? On the job troubles, trouble with 00:26:19.920 --> 00:26:26.039 neighbors, fear about what's going on in the country, going on in culture. What does the Jesus way look 00:26:26.039 --> 00:26:31.480 like? It says, even though this world may seem dark, even though it's hard to find light, 00:26:31.480 --> 00:26:40.799 I know that Jesus has me in this place to be a light in the darkness. So I choose the Jesus way. I say no to 00:26:40.799 --> 00:26:51.039 fear. I say no to Satan. I say no to anger, to resentment, to bitterness. I say no to those things and say, 00:26:51.160 --> 00:26:56.799 I'm going to choose the Jesus way. I say no to self-indulgence. I say no to my own passions. 00:26:56.799 --> 00:27:04.180 I say no to my own desires. And I say, I'm going to set me aside. I'm going to set my way aside. 00:27:04.359 --> 00:27:09.919 And I'm going to choose the Jesus way. And I'm going to trust that he will see me through. I'm 00:27:09.919 --> 00:27:16.440 going to trust that he will bring the hope, the love, the joy that he promises if I choose the 00:27:16.440 --> 00:27:20.879 Jesus way. What does that look like for you? Maybe this morning you need to choose the Jesus way for 00:27:20.880 --> 00:27:27.360 the first time. Maybe you need to place your faith in him for the forgiveness of your sin and your hope 00:27:27.360 --> 00:27:34.260 of heaven. Maybe you've done that a long time ago. And maybe you've been walking with him for a long 00:27:34.260 --> 00:27:39.880 time, but there's something in your life that you need to choose the Jesus way. Something's going on 00:27:39.880 --> 00:27:45.680 in your relationships or your circumstances that you say, man, I've been trying to figure this out on my 00:27:45.680 --> 00:27:50.580 own. But instead, I'm going to choose the Jesus way. I'm going to bring it to God. I'm going to lead 00:27:50.580 --> 00:27:58.840 my family to bring it to God. Whatever it is, I pray, I pray, I beseech you that you would choose 00:27:58.840 --> 00:28:05.740 the Jesus way. That is a daily struggle for us, y'all. It's a daily struggle for me. I know you're not any 00:28:05.740 --> 00:28:14.660 different. We have a choice. Will we choose our way or will we choose the Jesus way? Would you bow your 00:28:14.660 --> 00:28:23.060 heads with me? God, I pray that you would work in hearts right now. Right now, as the music begins 00:28:23.060 --> 00:28:27.759 to play, we're going to sing a little bit again of that chorus at the cross, at the cross, I surrender 00:28:27.759 --> 00:28:32.720 my life. I pray that there would be somebody in here this morning who would make the decision to 00:28:32.720 --> 00:28:38.680 surrender their life to you. There's no better day than Easter Sunday, sitting in church, hearing about 00:28:38.680 --> 00:28:44.080 how Jesus is alive, than to say, I'm going to choose the Jesus way. I'm going to put my faith in him. 00:28:44.079 --> 00:28:49.019 God, we put our faith in a lot of things, and a lot of things let us down. 00:28:51.079 --> 00:28:56.839 But we know by faith, and we know by experience, you never do let us down. 00:28:59.019 --> 00:29:05.039 We'll let ourselves down, our family, those we love, our friends, even enemies will let us down. 00:29:05.919 --> 00:29:08.759 Time and time again, we'll be failed, and we'll fail others. 00:29:08.759 --> 00:29:13.579 But your way will never fail us. You'll never lead us astray. 00:29:15.379 --> 00:29:20.019 Work in our hearts right now. Church, would you bow your heads? Would you close your eyes? 00:29:20.680 --> 00:29:24.579 Just for this moment, I'm going to ask this question. If there's somebody in this room 00:29:24.579 --> 00:29:27.480 who says, I want to choose the Jesus way, 00:29:27.480 --> 00:29:33.799 and what that means for me right now is I want to ask for forgiveness of my sins, 00:29:34.019 --> 00:29:41.500 become God's child. I want to be saved from the penalty of my sin, and I accept that Jesus died for 00:29:41.500 --> 00:29:47.500 me, he rose for me, and he hears me if I pray to him. If that's you, 00:29:47.500 --> 00:29:56.339 I'd love if you slip your hand up right now. Room this big, I know we have many people that need 00:29:56.339 --> 00:30:03.380 to put their faith in Jesus. Thank you. Anybody else? Thank you. You can put your hand down. 00:30:04.259 --> 00:30:07.480 I'm going to invite you, if you raise your hand in just a moment while the song plays, 00:30:09.039 --> 00:30:13.779 I'm going to be right down front here. I don't want to embarrass you at all, but I'd love if you 00:30:13.779 --> 00:30:16.859 came down. We'll sit down here on this front view, and we'll pray together. 00:30:17.500 --> 00:30:23.059 I'd love to help you from the Bible know for sure that you are God's child, 00:30:23.839 --> 00:30:25.500 and you're forgiven in his eyes.