A beautiful song, and I hope the Easter service has already been a blessing to you. I know it has to me.
But I would like you to open the Word of God with me. If you didn't bring your own copy, that is fine. We should have one in the pew in front of you.
Someone else may grab that before you get your hands on it.
So if you would like to look on with the person next to you or use the Bible app on your phone, that is absolutely fine.
We will be looking this morning in John chapter 11. So if you would turn to John chapter 11.
While you're turning there, I wanted to just share a couple of heartfelt thoughts about Easter with you.
Easter egg hunts are proof that your child can find things when they really want to.
Son, go bring me my keys, and they're right next to him. Where are they?
But if they're looking for eggs, they can find them anywhere.
The best Easter is one spent with your peeps.
How many of y'all actually like peeps?
Now I know why they keep making them. Okay.
How many of you had the Dr. Pepper ones?
Yeah, those are the only ones acceptable in Texas, I think.
There you go.
And then I'll just share this last one with you.
It's not meant to be an accurate portrayal of Scripture, but just take it for what it is.
What do you mean?
That wasn't you who just said good morning?
I'm not sure if that's exactly how it happened, all right?
But one can imagine.
All right, John chapter 11.
Would you turn with me there?
John chapter 11.
A man was sick.
Lazarus from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
Martha was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume, wiped his feet with her hair.
It was her brother Lazarus who was sick.
So the sisters sent Jesus a message.
Lord, the one who you love is sick.
So from this we realize Jesus was really close with these sisters and this brother.
They'd grown up together and they were dear friends.
So when Jesus heard it, verse 4, he said,
This sickness will not end in death, but it's for the glory of God,
so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.
Now Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus.
So when he heard that he was sick, he ran straight to them.
I was just seeing if your Bible said that.
Mine doesn't.
Y'all were paying attention.
Good for you.
No, he loved them.
So when he heard that he was sick, he stayed two more days in the place where he was.
Then after that, he said to the disciples,
Let's go to Judea again.
By the way, the last trip to Judea had not gone well.
Rabbi, the disciples told him,
Just now the Jews tried to stone you, and you're going there again?
Jesus said, Aren't there 12 hours in a day?
If anyone walks during the day, he doesn't stumble,
because he sees the light of this world.
But if anyone walks during the night, he does stumble,
because the light is not in him.
You'll notice a pattern.
Jesus talked like that sometimes.
When he was answering their clear questions,
he gave slightly less than clear answers sometimes.
But it was all leading to something that they weren't quite ready to hear yet.
So, verse 11.
He said this,
And then he told them,
Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep,
but I'm on my way to wake him up.
The disciples said to him,
Lord, if he's fallen asleep, he'll get well.
Don't you think he needs to sleep if he's sick?
They didn't realize he had died.
And Jesus knew it.
And that's what he called falling asleep.
Jesus, however, was speaking about his death,
though they thought he was speaking about natural sleep.
So, Jesus then told them plainly,
Lazarus has died.
I'm glad for you that I wasn't there,
so that you may believe.
But let's go to him.
Then Thomas, called twins, said to his fellow disciples,
Let's go too, so that we may die with him.
They don't know what's awaiting them
when they go to Judea and get to Bethany.
They don't know if the Jews are once again going to try to stone him.
They don't know if they're going to have to stand up for Jesus in his defense
and give their very lives for him.
This is a tense moment.
So what happens?
We get down to verse 17.
Then Jesus arrived,
and he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days.
They had to walk, you know.
The journey took a long time.
Bethany was near Jerusalem, less than two miles away.
Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary
to comfort them about their brother.
So a lot of these Jews are there
who tried to stone Jesus last time.
And as soon as Martha heard that Jesus was coming,
she went to meet him,
but Mary remained seated in the house.
Then Mary said to Jesus,
I'm sorry, Martha said to Jesus,
Lord, if you had been here,
my brother wouldn't have died.
We've seen you heal people with sicknesses.
We know you could have intervened.
You ever ask that question?
God, if you had just intervened,
this wouldn't have happened.
Why did you choose to let this happen?
Martha is experiencing that
in the loss of her dear loved one at this moment.
So,
verse 22,
her faith comes through strong.
Yet even now,
I know that whatever you ask from God,
God will give you.
Jesus tells her,
your brother will rise again.
Now we get to look ahead
and see what happened in the story
so we know what Jesus is talking about.
But Martha doesn't know.
So she believes,
like she was taught from an early age,
that there would be a resurrection of the dead
someday far off in the future
when God would raise up those
who were his children
who had gone before.
And so she says,
I know.
I know he'll rise again
in the resurrection
in the last days.
And Jesus said to her,
you don't understand.
I am the resurrection.
He said,
I am the resurrection.
I am the life.
The one who believes in me,
even if he dies,
will live.
Everyone who lives
and believes in me
will never die.
Do you believe this?
This is a critical moment
in Martha's life.
And she says,
yes, Lord.
With as much faith
as she can muster
despite her grief
in that moment,
she says,
yes, Lord.
I believe you are the Messiah,
the promised one
that we've always been told about
who would come
and deliver us
and bring us salvation.
You are the Messiah,
the Son of God
who comes into the world.
Having said this,
she went back
and she called Mary
and she said in private,
the teacher,
Jesus,
he's here
and he's calling for you.
And as soon as Mary heard this,
she got up quickly
and went to him
and Jesus hadn't yet come
into the village,
but he was still in the place
where Martha had met him.
And the Jews who were there
with her in the house
consoling her,
saw Mary gets up quickly.
She runs out
and they follow her
supposing that she's going
to the tomb
to cry over her brother.
Well, we got to go with her.
We got to comfort her.
Verse 32,
as soon as Mary came
to where Jesus was
and saw him,
she fell at his feet
and she's so brokenhearted
and she says,
Lord,
if you'd been here,
my brother wouldn't have died.
You see their faith.
It's really strong.
Their faith is really strong.
When Jesus saw her crying
and the Jews who had come
with her crying,
he was deeply moved
in his spirit
and troubled.
Where have you put him?
He asked.
Lord,
they told him,
come and see.
Verse 35,
what does Jesus do?
He wept.
He cried.
So the Jews said,
see how he loved him.
Couldn't he,
who opened the blind man's eyes,
also have kept this man
from dying?
Remember what these people did
the last time he was around there.
So not only do they see
his display of emotion,
think if he cared so deeply
about this guy,
why didn't he keep him
from dying?
Is he really who he says he is?
I don't think so.
Verse 38,
then Jesus deeply moved again.
You know what that word
deeply moved means?
It means he was angry.
We see it twice here.
In verse 33,
Jesus sees Mary crying.
He sees the family crying
and weeping over their brother's loss.
And it says he was deeply moved.
Your Bible might say troubled.
It might even say angered
in his spirit.
That is what it's trying to tell us.
It says that Jesus was angry.
Why was he angry in this moment?
Well, you've got to go
all the way back
to the beginning of creation.
You've got to go back
to when God made the heavens
and God made the earth
and he made mankind.
And what was one of the first things
man did after God made him?
What did he do?
He sinned.
He disobeyed.
Right?
Since then,
and that's what we do too.
As soon as we get the chance,
we mess it up, don't we?
We're experts at that.
It all started way back
with Adam and Eve
and it's passed on
in every single one of us,
you and me.
We look nice.
We dressed up for Easter.
I don't usually look like this
on a Sunday morning,
but that's all right.
Neither do you, by the way.
It's Easter.
We all doll up for some reason.
By the way,
there's a family photo backdrop
back there
if you want to take advantage
of everybody looks nice for once.
But look,
we make ourselves look
as pretty as we can,
but the truth is,
you and I are on equal level.
We're all sinners.
We're all bad.
At our core,
we're not good.
We're selfish.
We're self-centered.
We're unreliable.
We're dishonest.
At our core,
that's who we are.
We try to be better.
We try to overcome that.
We try to be there
for the people we love.
And you know what we do?
We let them down.
We let ourselves down.
Jesus knows that.
That is why he was angry.
Because of the damage
that sin had done
on this world.
I can only surmise that,
but based on what he has taught us
through his word,
we can pretty,
be pretty accurate
and pretty sure
that Jesus was moved
and troubled
and angry
because this is only happening
because of sin.
These people
would not experience
this loss,
this sadness,
this sorrow,
this heartbreak
that was never meant for them
when my father and I created
this world,
created them,
and we're seeing
the awful effects
of sin.
You want to know why
the horrible things
happen in this world?
Sin.
That's why.
And it's awful.
And God hates it.
He's moved by it.
He's angry at it.
Moved enough
to make a way
to solve it.
Move enough
to give an answer.
To give a way of escape.
So,
Jesus is moved again
in verse 38
and he comes to the tomb
and it was a cave
and the stone was lying
against it.
You know,
a little rock
was up against it.
No,
it was huge.
It was huge.
It would have taken
multiple men
to move this thing.
It was huge
covering the stone entrance.
And Jesus says,
remove the stone.
How many days
had Lazarus been dead?
Four.
That body was smelling fresh,
wasn't it?
Jesus says,
remove the stone.
The dead man's sister,
Martha,
told him,
Lord,
there's already a stench
because he's been dead
four days.
Verse 40,
Jesus said to her,
didn't I tell you
that if you believed
you would see
the glory of God?
See, Martha,
you didn't even know
how big your faith was.
You said the right thing.
You had enough faith,
but you didn't realize
what you were saying.
That what God
would give me
if I asked it
could come to pass.
So they removed the stone.
Then Jesus raised his eyes
and said,
Father,
I thank you
that you heard me.
He already knew.
He already knew
what was going to happen.
I know that you always hear me,
but because of the crowd
standing here,
I'm saying this
so that they can believe
that you sent me.
And after this,
he shouted with a loud voice,
Lazarus,
come out.
And the dead man
came out.
Y'all,
this had never happened before.
Okay?
And it's never happened since.
Except for one moment.
We're going to get there
in just a minute.
Okay.
After this,
he said,
Lazarus came out,
come out.
The dead man came out,
bound hand and foot
with linen strips
and his face
wrapped in a cloth.
Somebody was talking to me
before the service
and they said,
this is a good thing
that this didn't happen in Texas
where you got a bunch of
cowboys strapped up
and they just were watching
The Walking Dead
the night before.
Don't get me started on that.
And they see
the dead guy
walking out,
bound up.
He knew the time
and the place
and the culture
to do this.
All right?
It might not have gone
that well in Texas.
I'm not going to say
who told me that
right before church.
But it was funny.
All right.
And he came out
all bound up,
head to foot,
his grave clothes
looking like a mummy,
his face wrapped in a cloth
and Jesus said,
unwrap him,
let him go,
loose him,
free this guy,
he's alive.
So,
this was a great story.
We're so happy
for this family
that lost their brother
and then Jesus stepped in
and he came back to life.
but what about
all the families
whose loved ones
didn't come back to life?
Jesus didn't raise them
from the dead.
Because Jesus
did not come here
to extend our life
on this earth.
He didn't come here
just to
pull off
the greatest miracle
that we'd ever seen,
raise a dead man back up
after four days.
I understand
there have been
medical marvels
where the heart stops
and some of you
in this room
I know have even
experienced
being pronounced dead
and then
God brings you back.
I don't think
any of you
have been out
for four days.
That was a
once in a
history moment.
So,
why did he do it?
He did it
number one
so the people
would see
that he came
from God.
But there was
a second reason.
Because he was
signifying
the main
moment
in all of history
that was coming.
And it was coming
pretty soon
after this.
It's when
once again
he would turn
death into life.
Once again
someone would die.
Once again
he would be buried
in a tomb.
The stone
would block
the door.
And once again
it would be
rolled away
at God's command.
And Jesus
would walk out.
Would you
go with me
quickly
to Matthew
28?
While you're
turning to
Matthew 28
I want to
talk to you
this morning
about
resurrection
power.
Folks,
this is a
different kind
of power
than you
have.
It's a
different kind
of power
than I
have.
I've been
going to the
gym a little
bit more
lately.
I've been
trying to
get more
powerful.
Highly mixed
results on
that.
Okay?
It's a long
slow process.
You might be
a very
powerful person
in your world.
You might
have a lot
of power
at your job.
You might
have a lot
of power
in the
community.
Or you
might be
at the
complete
opposite
end of
the
spectrum
and feel
very
powerless.
Everybody
wants to
feel powerful.
Everybody
wants to
feel like
they're in
control.
But I'm
talking about
a different
kind of
power than
you or I
could ever
access.
This is
resurrection
power.
This is
power over
life and
death.
Matthew
28.
Would you
read it
with me?
Matthew
Verse
1.
I
got to
get there
myself first.
Hang on a
minute.
There we
go.
Matthew
28.
And
verse
1.
After
the
Sabbath,
as the
first day
of the
week was
dawning,
Mary Magdalene
and the
other Mary
went to
view the
tomb.
For
context,
Jesus had
just died
on the
cross.
He had
given us
the ultimate
sacrifice to
pay for
our sin.
You heard
the testimony
from those
two young
ladies this
morning.
I believe
that Jesus
died for
my sin.
And this
is what we
had just
seen happen
in Matthew
27.
So,
first day
of the
week is
coming.
The two
Marys go
to the
tomb.
And there
was a
violent
earthquake
because the
angel of
the Lord
descended
from heaven
and approached
the tomb.
He rolled
back the
stone and
was sitting
on it when
they arrived.
His
appearance
was like
lightning.
His
clothing was
as white
as snow.
The guards
were so shaken
by fear of
him that they
became like
dead men.
Yeah,
if I saw
this happen,
I might
become like
a dead
man too.
I probably
wouldn't say,
did you say
good morning?
No,
I didn't say
it.
Who's that?
And what
happened to
that stone?
Boom,
I'm fainted,
I'm on the
ground.
The angel
told the
women,
don't be
afraid because
I know you're
looking for
Jesus who
was crucified.
He is
not here.
Let's say it
again.
Ready?
He is not
here.
He has
risen.
That's right.
Just as
he said.
Did you
forget?
Remember when
he said,
I can build
this temple
up and I
can tear it
down in three
days.
I can
build it
again.
Wasn't
talking about
the building,
he was
talking about
his body.
Then go
quickly,
the angel
tells the
Mary's,
and tell
his disciples
he's risen
from the
dead,
and indeed
he is going
ahead of you
to Galilee.
You'll see
him there.
Matthew
gives us
this incredible
account of
something that
completely
changes the
game.
You can be
reading the
whole Bible
starting in
Genesis all
the way up
through Matthew
27, and
then you get
to Matthew
28, and
it's like,
whoa, wait
a minute.
It's all
true.
He actually
did it.
I caught
the little
hints maybe
along the
way, talking
about the
resurrection and
saying he's
got to do
this, and
then he's
going to rise
again, and
he actually
did it.
That's
something that
you can't
do.
That's
something that
your power
can't
control, but
there's a
different power
here.
I want to
share this
quote with
you.
The resurrection
with God
the Father's
way of
authenticating
all the
truths that
were declared
by Jesus.
You go
back and
you look
at the
Sermon on
the Mount.
You look
at all the
things that
Jesus did,
all the
things he
said, all
of a sudden
they become
this little
word called
gospel.
All of a
sudden they
become truth.
all of a
sudden they
become something
that we have
to build our
lives around.
Why?
Because he's
God.
Because he
holds power
over life and
death and no
one else does.
Because then
everything he
said, everything
he taught has
been authenticated
because he is
who he says he
is and he did
what he said
he would do.
A couple of
thoughts before
we leave here
this morning.
Number one,
resurrection power
requires our
faith.
Resurrection power
requires our
faith.
Back in John
chapter 11,
we saw it
happen.
We saw the
faith give way
to Jesus'
miracle.
And throughout
all of Jesus'
time, walking
around this
earth, healing
people, you
read through the
gospels, Matthew,
Mark, Luke,
John, you see
all these stories
of Jesus going
and healing the
sick.
And you know
what he says
almost every
time?
Your what?
Faith has
made you whole.
Your faith has
healed you.
And that's what
resurrection power
requires.
If you want to
tap in to God's
power, the power
that you don't
have, that requires
faith in him.
Resurrection power
requires faith.
Romans chapter 10
and verse 9,
Paul wrote the
book of Romans
as a letter to
the church in
Rome and he
says this,
if you declare
with your mouth
Jesus is Lord
and believe in
your heart that
God raised him
from the dead,
there's that
resurrection power,
you will be
saved.
Why?
Why does that
save you?
We talked about
this subject a
little bit on
Wednesday night
in our worship
training, our
evangelism training,
sorry, on
worship Wednesday.
And we talked
about this.
Why does
belief that God
raised Jesus
from the dead,
why is that
what saves you?
Anybody want to
take a stab at it?
Why isn't it being a
good person?
Why isn't it going
to church every
week?
Why isn't it giving
a certain amount of
money to the church?
Why isn't it being an
upstanding member of the
community?
Why isn't all these
other things we read in
the Bible, why is it
belief that God raised
Jesus from the dead,
why is that what
saves you?
That's right.
Because that's
something we can't
do.
Only God can do
that.
So if you believe
that Jesus raised
from the dead by
God's resurrection
power and you
declare with your
mouth, Jesus is
Lord.
You know what
Lord is?
He's in control.
He's in command.
You're giving it
over.
Folks, y'all look
nice this morning.
You really do.
But look, some of
you are genuinely
good, upstanding
people and you've
tried to be that as
long as you can.
But you've never
made Jesus Lord.
You've never done
this.
You might believe
that God raised him
from the dead but
you've never humbled
yourself to say, you
know what?
I'm letting go.
I'm giving it all
up and saying, Jesus,
you are now Lord.
And because of that,
I'm so sorry to tell
you that someday
there's going to be
people gathered in
heaven.
We read about it in
the scriptures and
they stand before God
and say, Lord, Lord,
you were my Lord.
Lord, I believed in you
and his response because
he knows you never made
him Lord.
His response is going to
be, depart from me.
I never knew you.
I don't want that for you.
I don't want that for me.
I don't want that for my
family.
So our heart at this
church and God's heart
for you and for me is
the same that we would
declare with our mouth,
Jesus is Lord.
And while we are doing
that, we believe in our
heart that God raised him
from the dead.
And what happens at that
moment?
We are saved.
Saved from what?
Saved from the punishment
of sin.
Saved from the power
of sin and given this
new resurrection power.
I don't want to live
under the power of sin.
I don't know about you,
but it's hard to break.
The power of sin is
really hard to break.
But resurrection power
can break it.
Resurrection power can
break your addiction
that not even your
husband knows about.
That not even your
wife knows about.
That not even your
parents know about.
Resurrection power can
break the chains of
fear of depression that
have been holding you
back and keeping you
from being the real you.
Resurrection power can
bring light into your
darkness that you try to
keep hidden so well.
There are historical
proofs of the
resurrection and we
don't have time to get
into them all, but I can
share just a couple of
them with you today.
It requires our faith,
but God knows how weak
our faith is and so
there are historical
proofs that Jesus came
back to life.
One of them is the
accounts of so many
that came after him.
Historians, writers,
some Christian, some
non-Christian, some were
not even followers of
Jesus.
I encourage you if you'd
ever like to, and I can
point you in the right
direction if you'd like,
but to do a Google search
or do a study, I can even
give you some resources
that would talk about
from a non-Christian's
perspective the historical
proofs that Jesus, this
man who was crucified,
actually was seen alive.
There are historical
proofs of his resurrection
and that can help our
faith, but that resurrection
power must require your
faith.
It must require you to say
whether the proofs are
there or not, whether the
world says he did it or
not, I know in my heart
because God has revealed
to me that Jesus rose
from the dead.
I make him Lord.
Number two, resurrection
power responds to God's
will.
What happened?
When Jesus said, Lazarus,
come out, what happened?
He obeyed.
He obeyed that power.
He had no choice.
God holds the power over
death and life.
You might feel like you're
in a season of death right
now.
You might feel like you're
trapped and you can't seem
to come out of it.
God holds the keys to it.
He has power over it.
You make him your Lord and
you taste his power.
Maybe you made him Lord at
some point in your life, but
you've kind of strayed away
from him.
You've kind of wandered
away and it's time to come
back and say, God, you are
my Lord.
You are my Lord.
Rescue me.
Let me taste your power yet
again.
It responds to God's will.
John chapter six and verse
40.
This is the will of my
father that everyone who
looks on the son Jesus and
believes in him should have
eternal life and I will raise
him up on the last day.
There's another resurrection
coming.
Isn't that crazy?
We've seen one back in John
11 with Jesus raising
Lazarus from the dead.
We've seen another one,
which is what Easter is all
about with Jesus himself
rising from the dead.
There's another resurrection
coming.
When our time on this earth
comes to an end, someday we
don't know when it's up to
God.
We don't have to worry about
it.
Might be tomorrow.
Might be a thousand years
from now.
I don't know, but Jesus is
coming back and there will be
another resurrection of the
dead.
You and I will be caught up
together to meet him in the
clouds and they will get to
be forever with the Lord.
Now we might already be dead by
then and they will be with the
ones that are coming down to
receive all those who are
alive and still here.
But there is a resurrection
coming and we will be raised up
on the last day.
That's God's will.
And we must always obey God's
will.
The dead have no choice but to
rise to life when God speaks
it.
Darkness has no choice but to
flee when God's will is spoken.
It has no power over resurrection
power.
Ephesians chapter 1.
Would you turn there?
It's our final passage for you to
turn.
Ephesians chapter 1.
If you'd like to just listen,
that's fine too.
We're just going to read a
couple verses.
Ephesians 1 verse 19.
For sake of time, I'm going to
go ahead and read Ephesians
1 verse 19.
I'm going to back up and read
18 for you.
I pray.
Paul's writing this one to
another church in Ephesus and
he says, I pray that the eyes
of your heart may be
enlightened.
By the way, Paul himself is
another historical proof of
Jesus' resurrection.
He wasn't there when it
happened.
But God himself stopped him on
the road to a place called
Damascus.
Stopped him in his tracks and
completely changed his life.
Completely rerouted his life
instead of being the axe man,
the hit man for the government
with a license to kill and going
out and hunting illegal
Christians.
Because that was illegal back
then.
We couldn't do then what we do
today, meeting in church like
this.
And Paul was the hatchet man for
the government to go hunt them
down and bring them to a bloody
justice.
God stopped him in his tracks and
converted him that day.
Revealed him and that he tasted
resurrection power like he had
never known or believed in before.
And all of a sudden, Paul became the
most dogmatic, the most public,
the most dedicated, and loud
proponent of faith in Jesus Christ.
Became his follower.
Even though he wasn't one of the
original twelve.
Yet another proof of the power of
Jesus' resurrection.
So this guy then is writing all
these letters to these churches
as God uses him over the years.
And he says,
I pray that the eyes of your
hearts may be enlightened so that
you may know what is the hope of
his calling.
What is the wealth of his glorious
inheritance in the saints?
That's us.
And what the immeasurable greatness
of his power toward us who believe
according to the mighty working of
his strength.
Yeah, I would say his strength is
pretty mighty, isn't it?
There is nothing our God can't do
even when facing death.
Verse 20,
He exercised this power in Christ
by raising him from the dead
and seating him at his right hand
of the heavens far above every
ruler, far above every authority,
every power and dominion,
every president, every congressman,
every boss, everyone who abuses
their power, abuses their authority.
He is far above them all.
Not only in this age,
but also in the one to come.
And he subjected everything under
his feet and appointed him,
Jesus, as head over everything for
the church, which is his body,
the fullness of the one who fills
all things in every way.
When we are called as the church,
the body of Christ,
you realize what that is?
Jesus raised his body back to life.
We are the living embodiment
of resurrection power.
That's what the church is.
That's what it must be.
So,
I want to take you here
and we'll be done.
Resurrection power renews our hope.
It renews our hope.
1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 3.
According to his great mercy,
he has called us to be born again
to a living hope
through the what?
According to his great mercy,
he's called us,
caused us to be born again
to a living hope
through the resurrection.
Of who?
Jesus.
Yeah.
That's where we get our hope.
Because he's not dead,
he's alive.
You didn't know you were going to have
to participate this morning.
He's not dead,
he's alive.
Amen.
You'll hear some people saying this morning
and if you've never heard it,
that's alright,
you're hearing it now.
He is risen.
He is risen indeed.
You said,
I knew this was a cult.
No, y'all,
we just really believe it, okay?
We just really believe it.
Because we have experienced
resurrection power,
many of us in this room.
We have tasted that living hope
and we know
that he has caused us
to be born again
through
the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead.
That renews our hope.
If you are without hope this morning,
if you have a relationship
that seemed hopeless,
if you have something in your life
that just bears no hope,
may I introduce you
to a living hope.
May I introduce you
to resurrection power
and I can understand
why your situation
seems hopeless.
I can understand
like Martha and Mary
thought Lazarus' situation
was hopeless.
I can understand
how Jesus' followers
thought his death
was hopeless,
but I promise you
there is nothing
that is hopeless
when faced
with resurrection power.
Isaiah 43, 19,
you don't need to turn there,
I'm just gonna
read it for you.
Look,
I'm about to do
something new,
a new thing.
Even now it's coming.
Don't you see it?
I will make a way
in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
life
in a tomb
and turn it empty.
I will bring death
to life.
I will bring
dry bones
back to life.
God can do
anything.
God can do
all this
and so much more.
You have every reason
to hope.
Robert Platt said this,
the resurrection
gives my life
meaning
and direction
and the opportunity
to start over
no matter what
my circumstances.
Maybe somebody
in this room
needs to start over.
Maybe you're looking
for meaning
and direction.
You've come
to the right place.
It's not me.
It's not this church even.
It's Jesus
and his resurrection.
Easter Sunday,
there's no better time
than to renew
your faith
or maybe place it
for the first time
in Jesus
and his resurrection
and what it means
for you.
The power
that you have access to.
You will receive
power
when the Holy Spirit
comes on you
and you will be
my witnesses.
You've got a room
full of witnesses
in this church.
But we must
not only
wear witness
of this
to each other
but to those
who don't know.
We must take
the power
of his resurrection
to the ones.
You know
what we're talking
about, right?
The ones.
Slip your hand
out if you know
what I mean
by the ones.
Yep.
All over.
We're doing this thing
called who's your one
and everybody
is praying
for someone
in their life
who they want
so desperately
to meet Jesus.
follow him.
We can be his witnesses
of resurrection power.
So our takeaway
this morning
are you missing out
on the resurrection power
that God
is offering you?
I hope not.
I pray not.
And if you are,
if you know deep
in your heart
that you are,
I pray that you'll use
these next couple minutes
to seek deeply
in your heart
number one,
am I a child
of God?
God,
not am I a good person,
not do I try
to go to church
when I can,
not do I try
to help my neighbor.
Those are all good things.
There's a lot of people
trying to do those things.
But have you confessed
with your mouth
that Jesus is Lord?
Have you declared
that publicly?
Do you believe
in your heart
that God raised him
from the dead?
is he your Lord?
Then if he is,
you have that
resurrection power.
We don't always use it.
Sometimes we miss out on it
when it's right there
for us to claim.
Would you bow your heads
with me now?
God,
every heart in here
needs you.
Starting with me,
we are desperate
for you, God.
We're all busy.
We're all overwhelmed.
We're all distracted.
We're all hurting
in some way.
We're all broken.
We're all imperfect.
But Jesus Christ,
you hold the keys
to something
far more powerful,
the ultimate enemy,
and you've conquered him
time and time again.
Conquer him again
in our lives.
Conquer him again
in our hearts.
Let the wife
and the mom
who can't seem
to figure out
what it's all there for,
got hurt in her heart
that nobody knows about.
You be the great
comforter for her, God.
You show her
your power.
The busy man
who's trying to hold
it all together,
not sure how finances look,
not sure how relationships look,
got his own struggles
and demons.
I pray that you would
have power over that
right now.
That you would draw them,
that you would say,
I am here for you.
You didn't just walk
in this morning
to check a box
that you went to church
on Easter.
You came to encounter Jesus.
You came to taste
his resurrection power.
And God,
I pray that you would not
let my words be
what are echoing
in their ears,
but let your words,
I am the resurrection,
I am the life,
let that be
what takes root.
Church,
with that in mind,
our heads are bowed,
our eyes are closed.
I'm going to extend
one invitation to you.
Would you keep
your heads bowed
and your eyes closed
for privacy?
If God's drawing you now
and you say,
I want to respond to him
and maybe for the first time
in my life,
I want to genuinely
make Jesus my Lord.
I want to become
a follower of Jesus
and taste his resurrection
power today.
If that's you,
would you just slip
your hand up now
and I'll pray for you.
So I want to choose
Jesus today.
Thank you.
You can put your hands down.
Thank you.
God, you see those
who raised their hands.
Work on their heart.
Draw them right now, God.
don't let them
walk out of here
without finding out
how they can become
your child.
If you slipped your hand
up a moment ago,
please find me
right after the service.
I'll be in the back.
Would you come to me
and we can go off,
we can find a quiet spot,
we can sit,
open the word of God
and just very briefly
show you the simple way
of placing your faith
in Jesus.
For the rest of us
in this room,
if you say there's
an area of my life
that I'm struggling with
and I need God
to show his resurrection power,
I'm praying for that now.
Would you slip your hand up
and I'll pray for you too.
Thank you.
God, I need his resurrection power
in my life.
There's an area
Satan's got a stronghold.
It's hard.
It's tough.
Thank you.
You can put your hands down.
Thank you.
God, I might have missed some hands,
but you saw everyone
and you know
what's going on in their hearts
right now, God.
Move.
Show them.
Let them hear your voice.
Let them feel your peace
and then teach them
how to run to you every day.
Choose you
over their own strength.
Jared's going to lead us
very briefly
in a verse of this song.
This is a time
you can sing along.
You can keep your seats.
You can stand.
You can come down here
at these steps.
You can kneel and pray.
If you'd like to talk to me,
I'll be right down here.
This is a time
for God to just do some business
in this church.
Give us a couple minutes
before we dismiss this morning.