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Today we celebrate that He was resurrected for
us. We're going to talk about how important the
resurrection of Christ is. The account in John
goes like this. John 20, starting in verse 1.
Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark,
Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that
the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.
Historians say that stone probably weighed two
tons. The stone had been rolled away from the
entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the
other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. John's
talking about himself. If you don't know that,
he's talking about himself. And what an amazing
way to talk about yourself when you're talking
about Jesus. Say, I'm the one that he loves.
Would anybody say that in this room? I'm the
one that he loves. I'm the one that he loves.
John had a revelation of the love of Christ.
Unlike any of the other guys, greater than all
the... rest of the people, but we should have
a similar revelation. Everybody say, I'm the
one that Jesus loves. She ran and found Simon
Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus
loved, Simon Peter and me, right? She said, they
have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and
we don't know where they have put him. Peter
and the other disciple started out For the tomb.
Still talking about himself. They were both running,
but I can run faster than Peter is what he's
saying. I outran him. But the other disciple
outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He stooped
and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying
there. But he didn't go in. Then Simon Peter
arrived and went inside. He also noticed the
linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth
that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and
lying apart from the other wrappings. Then the
disciple who had reached the tomb first also
went in, and he saw and believed. Everybody say,
he saw and he believed. For until then, they
still hadn't understood the Scriptures that had
said Jesus must rise from the dead. Now, in the
Old Testament, there are as many as 574 Messianic
prophecies that talked about Jesus, that were
written before He actually took on flesh and
was born in this earth. 574 prophecies. And here's
the deal. He fulfilled every one. He fulfilled
them all. But they didn't recognize it. They
didn't see it. But John said, when he saw that
the tomb was empty, he saw it. Now Mary was standing
outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, She
stooped in the tomb and looked in the tomb. She
saw two white -robed angels, one sitting at the
head, the other at the foot of the place where
the body of Jesus had been lying. Dear woman,
why are you crying? The angels asked her. Because
they have taken away the Lord, she replied. And
I don't know where they have put him. She turned
to leave and saw someone standing there. It was
Jesus, but she didn't recognize him. Dear woman,
why are you crying? Jesus asked her, who are
you looking for? Now, Mary thought he was the
gardener. Sir, she said, if you have taken him
away, tell me where you have put him, and I will
go. And get him. Mary. Jesus said. That always
makes me smile. Mary. Jesus said. See. She had
heard that voice. Say her name. So many times
before. That's why she instantly knew who it
was. Mary. Jesus said. She turned to him and
cried out, Rabbani, which is Hebrew for teacher.
Jesus said, don't cling to me, for I haven't
yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers
and tell them that I am ascending to my Father
and your Father and to my God and your God. She
ran and told him. That's what happened on that
first morning when they found that the tomb was
empty and they found that Jesus was alive and
He had risen from the grave. From that day forward,
every time believers got together, I guess it
was after Pentecost, every time they got together,
they would greet each other by saying, He's risen.
He's risen. And then the response to that would
be, He's risen indeed. He's risen. Can I have
a response? He's risen. He's risen indeed. That's
the way they greeted each other for hundreds
of years after the resurrection. When believers
would talk to each other, they would talk about
the risen Christ. Mary Magdalene found the disciples
and told them, I have seen the Lord. Then she
gave them his message. Look at the person beside
you and tell them his resurrection was for you.
It was for you. It was for you. We need to understand
something. The resurrection is what sets apart
Christianity from any other religion. Christianity
stands or falls on the truth of the resurrection
of Jesus. And the Bible confirms this. This isn't
just something that the preacher is saying. I
mean, this is what the Bible says. 1 Corinthians
15 verses 14 through 19. Listen, it says this.
If Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching
is useless. Everybody say useless. And your faith
is useless. Everybody say useless. See, we're
just wasting our time. If Jesus didn't rise from
the grave, I mean, some people, I don't even
understand how some people who teach the Bible
and teach preachers who preach the Word of God,
they talk about, well, He didn't rise bodily.
It wasn't some bodily resurrection. What a joke.
Because the Bible says if he hasn't been raised,
then all the preaching is useless and all the
faith is useless if he hasn't been raised. And
then Paul goes on to say, and we apostles would
all be lying about God. So everything written
in the Bible about Jesus being raised from death,
that'd just be a bunch of lies. For we have said
that God raised Christ from the grave, but that
can't be true if there's no resurrection of the
dead. And if there's no resurrection of the dead,
then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ
has not been raised, then your faith is useless,
and you are still guilty of your sins. Without
the resurrection, We're all hopelessly and helplessly
lost. We're guilty. We're guilty. In that case,
all who have died believing in Christ are lost
too. And if our hope in Christ is only for this
life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in
the world. Because we just... believed a bunch
of lies and wasted her time on a bunch of lies.
Like I said, without the resurrection, Christianity
would be no different than any of the other man
-made religions in the world. But the resurrection
sets us apart. Here's the good news. 1 Corinthians
15, 20. In fact, after Paul wrote all that, led
by the Holy Spirit, breathed the word of God.
After all that, after he said it'd be useless,
we'd be lost, he says, wait a minute, in fact,
Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the
first, everybody say first, he's the first of
a great harvest of all who have died. He has
been raised from the dead. The resurrection validates
who Jesus is. It validates everything he said.
It validates every promise that he made. It validates
the gospel. It puts a stamp on everything that
Jesus said. Because without the resurrection,
we couldn't trust him. He would have just been
a good moral teacher. With the resurrection,
now we know He is God. He's the risen Christ.
Because of the resurrection, we can have some
things. You can have confidence. You can have
confidence in the promises of the Word of God.
You can have confidence in your faith because
of the resurrection. Because of the resurrection,
You can also have some more things. You can have
everlasting life. And you can have abundant life.
Life to the fullest. An overflowing life with
peace and joy. It's for us. 1 Corinthians 15,
22. Just as everyone dies because we all belong
to Adam. Everyone who belongs to Christ will
be given new life. John 11, verses 25 and 26.
Jesus said, this is before he went to the cross.
He was going ahead and let us know some things,
some very important things. He says, I am the
resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes
in me will live even after dying. Everyone who
lives in me and believes in me will never, ever
die. Because of the resurrection, everything
he said, every promise he made is true. It's
been verified by his resurrection. John 10, 10.
Jesus tells us, Why he came. I came that they
may have life. And that they may have it more
abundantly. Because of the resurrection. His
promise is fulfilled. And it's fulfilled for
you and for me. We can have eternal life. We
can have abundant life. And I've got to tell
you, when I say abundant life, I'm not talking
about everybody living in a 5 ,000 square foot
house and driving a Bentley. That's not what
I'm talking about. Because there are people who
have way more than we have who wind up committing
suicide. So abundant life is not found in possessions.
Doesn't mean God is against you having anything
either. Some people would go on the far opposite
and say that, but all I can tell them is like,
well, go check out Abraham and check out David.
I mean, if somebody can give billions of dollars
in an offering, they're not broke, busted, and
disgusted. So God's not against you having things.
He says that the love of money is the root of
all evil. It's when that's what our passion is.
If your passion is money, see, our passion has
to be God. I'll get off of that. Because I'm
talking about the resurrection. Because of the
resurrection, you can have it. You can have everlasting
life. You can have abundant life because of the
resurrection. Because of the resurrection, here's
something else. The Holy Spirit can now live
inside of you and empower you. And without the
resurrection, that wouldn't happen. Listen to
Romans 8, 11. The Spirit of God who raised...
Jesus from the dead. Everybody say resurrection.
The Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead
lives in you. And just as God raised Christ from
the dead, He will give life to your mortal bodies
by the same Spirit living within you. I'm not
even preaching. I'm just reading the Bible to
you. Ephesians 1, 19 and 20. I also pray that
you will understand the incredible greatness
of God's power for us who believe Him. Listen,
this is the same mighty power that raised Christ
from the dead and seated Him in the place of
honor at God's right hand. In the heavenly realms.
And then it goes on to say that in Christ we
are seated with Him. In heavenly places. Same
power that raised Christ from the dead. If you're
in Christ today, that same power is in you. That
same potential is in you. Same Holy Spirit. that
raised him from the grave, is in you. Because
of the erection, the Holy Spirit can live inside
you and empower you. Living with that kind of
power, we should never be pitiful. I'll keep
going. Because I'm preaching about the resurrection.
Because of the resurrection, get this, sin has
no power over you. Unless you let it have power
over you. It has no power over you anymore. Romans
6, 14. Listen, sin is no longer your master.
For you no longer live under the requirements
of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom
of God's grace. So sin is no longer your master.
Look at the person beside you and tell them,
quit letting sin be your master. Quit. Because
of the resurrection, sin has no power over you.
Because of the resurrection, listen, the enemy
has no power over you either. Have you ever heard
somebody say, well, the old devil's just beating
me up? He's just beating me up. I'm having a
tough week, man. That old devil's just beating
me up. Only if you let him. Because of the resurrection,
the enemy has no power over you. Listen, Colossians
2, 13 through 15, you were, everybody say, used
to be, you were dead because of your sins. and
because of your sinful nature, and because your
sinful nature was not yet cut away, then God
made you alive with Christ, for He forgave all
your sins. See, you used to be dead, but now
God has made you alive. If you're in Christ,
you've been made alive. Listen, He canceled.
the record of the charges against us, and took
it away by nailing it to the cross. I spent most
of my life thinking that there was this book
in heaven that was writing down everything that
I ever did wrong. And then when I got to heaven,
when I got to heaven, I thought there was going
to be this projector. that was going to show
everybody everything that I'd ever did wrong.
Anybody ever thought that before? Am I the only
one that ever thought that? And I was going to
be so ashamed. Obviously, I didn't. I think I
read this verse, but I didn't hear it. See, you
can hear the Word of God with your ears. and
still not hear it. Listen. God canceled the record
of the charges against you when you came into
a relationship with Christ. When you were born
again, God canceled that record of all the charges
against you, and He took it away, and He nailed
it to the cross. So it doesn't exist anymore.
In this way, this is... This is how he did it.
In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers
and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his
victory over them on the cross. Because the enemy
likes to whisper to all of us, don't you remember
what you said? Don't you remember how you acted?
Don't you remember what you did? You're a sorry,
good -for -nothing Christian. Don't you remember
that? Don't you remember? Nope. God don't remember
it, so I don't remember it. He has sprinkled
his blood on my conscience is what we found out
in our study. So because of the resurrection,
the enemy has no power over you. Here's something
else. Because of the resurrection, you can stand
in the authority of Christ. Just like a policeman
stands in the authority of the government, right?
Can a Polk County Sheriff's deputy stand out
on 27 and physically, by his own power, stop
any cars? No, but if he's wearing his uniform,
he can walk out there, he can have his car parked,
and he can walk out there and do this, and everybody
will stop. Even the largest transfer trucks.
Why? Because he's operating in an authority that's
higher than his own. As followers of Christ,
As the people of God, that's the way we're supposed
to live our lives. Walking and standing in the
authority of Christ. We are His representatives
in the earth. We are His ambassadors. We represent
His kingdom. So we stand in His authority. Jesus
came and told His disciples, I have been given
all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore,
you go. You go in my authority, he said. I am
authorizing you to go in my authority. So because
of the resurrection, you can stand in the authority
of Christ. And because of the resurrection, those
who are in Christ will be resurrected too. We
can be resurrected too. 1 Corinthians 15, 21.
So you see, just as death came into the world
through a man, everybody say Adam. Now the resurrection
from the dead has begun through another man.
Everybody say Jesus. So because of the resurrection,
those in Christ will be resurrected too. This
has been a lot of verses and it's been very fast,
but listen. If you're in Christ today, you can
agree with these statements, you can say these
statements. Because of the resurrection, I have
confidence in my faith. Because of the resurrection,
I have confidence in the promises of God's Word.
Because of the resurrection, I have eternal life.
I'm not waiting to get it, I have it. I have
eternal life. And I have abundant life, life
to the fullest. A life filled with the peace
of God and the joy of God, the life of God. Because
of the resurrection, I live empowered by the
Holy Spirit, and He lives inside me. Because
of the resurrection, sin no longer has any power
over me. Because of the resurrection, the enemy
has no power over me. I'm not going to listen
to your lies anymore. Because of the resurrection,
I stand in the authority of Christ in this world.
And because of the resurrection, I will be resurrected
too. Everyone who's in Christ, everybody say
in Christ. Everyone in Christ. This is not a...
This is not an exhaustive list of what the resurrection
has provided for you, but it's a good start for
us to live in that when we're in Christ. But
I have a question. Are you in Christ? That's
the vital question today. It's the most vital
question you can ever ask anybody. Are you in
Christ? What does that mean? Well, it means that
you've come to the point in your life where you
first of all recognize that you need Christ.
And then you've received Christ. You've acknowledged
Christ. And you're living for Christ. So, are
you in Christ? How do you recognize your need
for Him? Well, the Bible tells us in Romans 3
.23 that all of us have sinned. All of us have
sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
We've all messed up. We've all messed up. The
Bible says, Romans 6, 23, that the wages of sin
are the paycheck that you deserve and I deserve
for sin, even though I'm a preacher. I mean,
I've been preaching almost 35 years. I still,
if I get what I deserve, I get spiritual death.
The wages or the paycheck of sin is death. Spiritual
death, being separated from God for all of eternity.
That's what I deserve. That verse doesn't stop
there. It says the wages of sin is death, but
then it says, but the gift of God is eternal
life. I'm here today to tell you that God has
a gift for you. That gift is eternal life. Now,
how do you receive that gift? Because I found
out just because a gift is offered doesn't mean
a gift is received. One time I bought gifts for
extended family and there was some family drama
going on. Anybody ever had any family drama before?
There's some family drama going on. So we take
the gifts. We invite the extended family to the
party. They decided they didn't want to come
to the party. So we left the gifts for the children
only to come back a month later. All the Christmas
decorations were down, but the gifts that we
left for our extended family, you know what?
They were still there and they were unopened.
Our gifts were refused. Even though they were
provided, they were refused. Jesus died on the
cross to offer you His gift of eternal life.
But you have to receive it. How do you receive
it? The Bible says that we're saved by grace.
Everybody say grace. That's because God has done
something for us that we didn't deserve. His
acts of kindness and favor towards us. That's
grace. But we're saved by grace through faith.
And that's how we receive His gift. It's through
faith. So, we hear of God's love for us, and
then we say yes to His love. Here's the way it
worked in my life. This is just my testimony.
One day I realized that my sins separated me
from a holy God. And here's what I did. I asked
Him to forgive me. I said, Jesus, thank You for
dying for me on the cross. Thank You for shedding
Your blood for me. Thank you for offering me
your gift of eternal life. And Jesus, I ask you
to forgive me, cleanse me, wash me. Jesus, I
believe you died for me. And then the Bible says
this, and I'm done. It says to call on the name
of the Lord and you'll be saved. That's more
than just saying Lord, because in the Bible it
says there's a lot of people going to call Jesus
Lord. They're going to say, Lord, didn't we do
this spiritual thing in your name? Didn't we
do this spiritual thing for you? Didn't we do
this? And Jesus is going to say, I don't know
you. So it's not just... saying the word Lord.
Because Lord, listen, Lord is not just a name.
It's a title. It's a title. To call Jesus your
Lord means that you've surrendered your life
to him. Lord means master, boss, the one in charge.
So when you call on the name of the Lord, you're
saying Jesus. I receive you as my Lord, my master,
my boss. I give all that I am to you. Surrender
my life to you. I want to live for you. I want
to know you. I want to follow you. Is everything
going to be perfect after that point? No. No.
But that's the desire of our heart, is to live
for him and know him. So I want to ask you, are
you in Christ? Listen, I'm not asking you if
you're a member of a church. I'm not asking you
if you've been dip, dunked, or sprinkled. I've
got a friend in Myrtle Beach that got dip, dunked,
and sprinkled before she got saved. So none of
that's going to get you there. God's not going
to look at a church roll. He's going to look
at the Lamb's book of life in heaven. Is your
name written there? That's a question we have
to ask ourselves individually. Are we in Christ?
If you are, you're going to know it. It's not
going to be, I hope so. You're going to know
it if you're in Christ. Because you have a relationship
with God. If you would, I want everybody to bow
your head and close your eyes just for a minute.
And if you're here today and you would say, Dean,
I look at my life and I don't know that I have
a relationship with God. I can't look back and...
see a time when I've realized that I was a sinner
and my sin separated me from a holy God. I've
never asked Him to forgive me. I've never called
on Him as my Lord. I've never surrendered my
life to Him. If that's you, I want to lead you
in a prayer, but please, please, please, please
listen to what I'm going to say. Becoming a Christian
is not repeating words after somebody. We can
teach birds to repeat words after somebody. So
it's more than that. I'm just going to help you
put into words what I just said. But they have
to be your words. It has to be your heart crying
out to God to receive His gift of eternal life.
So if that's what you want, I want to ask you
to pray with me. One Friday morning, I prayed
a prayer like this, and I want to tell you something.
I've never been the same since. Let's pray. Jesus,
I believe you are the Son of God. Tell him that.
I believe you are the Son of God. I believe you
died on the cross for me in my place, for my
sin. You did it for me. And I believe that you
rose again from the grave. Jesus, today, I ask
you to forgive me of my sin. Thank you for dying
for me, shedding your blood for me. I ask you
to wash me clean. Forgive me. And Jesus, today,
I realize that up until now, my life's just pretty
much been all about me. But from now on, I want
to live for you. I want to know you. I want to
be in relationship with you, Jesus. I surrender
all that I am to you. I ask you to be my Lord.
Thank you. For forgiving me. Thank you for adopting
me into your family. Thank you for giving me
your gift of eternal life. Nobody's looking around.
If you say, Dean, I just prayed with you. I just
asked Jesus to forgive me. I just asked him to
be my Lord. If that's you, would you raise your
hand while nobody's looking around? I'm the only
one looking around. Anybody? Anybody else? Okay.
Everybody look this way. The Bible says there's
rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God
when one person turns from their sin and turns
to God. I saw people moving around, but I saw
one person raise their hand like, you know, some
people are like, I don't know. I saw one person
raise their hand. That means that there's a celebration
going on in heaven. And I want to ask you to
do one more thing. See, believing in Jesus is
a personal thing. I can't do that for you. You
can't do that for me. Listen, it can never be
a private thing. Because Jesus said, I'll just
always go with His words, right? Jesus said,
if you're ashamed of me in front of other people,
I'll be ashamed of you in front of my Father
in heaven. It just comes down to that. So there's
no such thing as secret Christians. It doesn't
exist. That's why I'm going to ask you to do
something right now. Now, while everybody's watching,
I'm going to count to three. It's going to be
really quick. We're not going to sing 47 verses
just as I am. I'm going to count to three, and
if that's what you did, whether you raised your
hand or not, if today you asked Jesus to forgive
you, and today you asked Jesus to be your Lord,
I'm going to ask you to stand up on three. One,
two, three. Stand up if that's what you did today.
That's awesome. That's awesome. That's awesome.
That's awesome. That's awesome.