Jesus is Risen - Now What?

Brother Jim: Today's scripture is there on

Brother Jim: the board for you if you'd like

Brother Jim: to jot it down so you can keep

Brother Jim: up.

Brother Jim: But I also have it up here on the PowerPoint for you as well.

Brother Jim: As we prepare here for our message today, a simple question

Brother Jim: do you believe in Jesus Christ?

Brother Jim: Well, if you do, then you must believe in the resurrection, the

Brother Jim: resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Brother Jim: Because if not, then what are we doing here?

Brother Jim: What are we doing here, my friends?

Brother Jim: Today's title, Jesus is risen.

Brother Jim: But now what?

Brother Jim: What do we do?

Brother Jim: If you have your Bibles, Please turn with me to Matthew twenty

Brother Jim: eight, verses one to ten, Matthew twenty eight one to ten.

Brother Jim: I'll be reading now the NIV today.

Brother Jim: After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary

Brother Jim: Magdalene and other.

Brother Jim: The other Mary went to look at the tomb.

Brother Jim: There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came

Brother Jim: down from heaven, and going to the tomb rolled back the stone

Brother Jim: and sat on it.

Brother Jim: His appearance was like lightning and his clothes were

Brother Jim: white as snow.

Brother Jim: The guards were so afraid of him

Brother Jim: that they shook and became like

Brother Jim: dead men.

Brother Jim: The angel said to the woman, do

Brother Jim: not be afraid, for I know that

Brother Jim: you are looking for Jesus who

Brother Jim: was crucified.

Brother Jim: He is not here.

Brother Jim: He has risen just as he said.

Brother Jim: come and see the place where he lay.

Brother Jim: Then go quickly and tell his

Brother Jim: disciples he has risen from the

Brother Jim: dead, and is going ahead of you

Brother Jim: into Galilee.

Brother Jim: There you will see him.

Brother Jim: Now I have told you.

Brother Jim: So the women hurried away from

Brother Jim: the tomb, afraid yet filled with

Brother Jim: joy, and ran to tell his

Brother Jim: disciples.

Brother Jim: Suddenly Jesus met them.

Brother Jim: Greetings, he said.

Brother Jim: They came to him, clasped his feet, and worshiped him.

Brother Jim: Then Jesus said to them, do not be afraid.

Brother Jim: Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee.

Brother Jim: There they will see me.

Brother Jim: There's a story about a small little boy who went with his

Brother Jim: parents to visit the grave of his older brother.

Brother Jim: For the first time, this small

Brother Jim: boy did not fully understand

Brother Jim: death.

Brother Jim: Only that his brother was gone and this place somehow mattered.

Brother Jim: As they stood there, the boy

Brother Jim: noticed something simple but

Brother Jim: strange.

Brother Jim: Nearby, there was a freshly dug grave covered with dirt, and

Brother Jim: right in the middle of that pile was a small green sprout pushing

Brother Jim: its way up through the soil.

Brother Jim: He pointed out and asked, what's that?

Brother Jim: His father said, that's a flower beginning to grow.

Brother Jim: This little boy stared at it for a moment and then said something

Brother Jim: his parents would never forget.

Brother Jim: So even here, life is trying to come back.

Brother Jim: And I think we can all understand.

Brother Jim: We have experienced in this life

Brother Jim: of ours what it's like to stand

Brother Jim: in places that feel like

Brother Jim: endings.

Brother Jim: There's grief, there's loss,

Brother Jim: there's disappointment and

Brother Jim: silence.

Brother Jim: Places where something has been buried in our own lives.

Brother Jim: And yet, deep down in some situations, do we have this

Brother Jim: quiet, stubborn hope.

Brother Jim: What if life could come back?

Brother Jim: Resurrection Sunday, my friends, is the answer to that question.

Brother Jim: Not as a metaphor, not as

Brother Jim: wishful thinking, but as a

Brother Jim: declaration.

Brother Jim: Life does not just try to come back in.

Brother Jim: Jesus.

Brother Jim: Life actually wins.

Brother Jim: Now, how many of us this morning can say in this life of mine, my

Brother Jim: very own, I'm a winner.

Brother Jim: I am a winner.

Brother Jim: Now for me, my definition of a

Brother Jim: winner in life has changed

Brother Jim: dramatically.

Brother Jim: Now, winning in this life for me, you have humbled yourself.

Brother Jim: You have repented of your sins, and you have asked Jesus Christ

Brother Jim: to come in right here, to come in right here and allow

Brother Jim: transformation to happen and believe without a shadow of a

Brother Jim: doubt that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior, then yes, you

Brother Jim: are a winner.

Brother Jim: And that's where it gets complicated because so many

Brother Jim: people oh, I believe in Jesus.

Brother Jim: I believe in God.

Brother Jim: And that's where it ends, my friends.

Brother Jim: Notice I said repent, repent, and allow transformation through

Brother Jim: Jesus Christ in your life.

Brother Jim: There is so much more to that than just, oh, I believe in God.

Brother Jim: So in saying that, church, let me ask you this morning, how do

Brother Jim: you define a winner?

Brother Jim: And I'm not referring to your

Brother Jim: bank account with lots of the

Brother Jim: green stuff earning you

Brother Jim: interest.

Brother Jim: Your accolades hanging on a wall

Brother Jim: along with your achievements

Brother Jim: throughout your professional and

Brother Jim: personal career.

Brother Jim: The titles you go by?

Brother Jim: No, no, no. I'm talking about Jesus and Jesus Christ alone.

Brother Jim: And that is why today, Resurrection Sunday, is so

Brother Jim: important to mankind.

Brother Jim: You and I, especially as

Brother Jim: believers and followers of Jesus

Brother Jim: Christ, you and I have

Brother Jim: Resurrection Sunday.

Brother Jim: The world has Easter and what they have made it to symbolize.

Brother Jim: And there's a fine.

Brother Jim: Actually, there's a big difference there between

Brother Jim: Resurrection Sunday and what the world now declares Easter as.

Brother Jim: The resurrection proves.

Brother Jim: who Jesus Christ is.

Brother Jim: The resurrection confirms that Jesus was not just a good man, a

Brother Jim: historical reference, a teacher or a prophet.

Brother Jim: It validates his claim to be the Son of God.

Brother Jim: Right?

Brother Jim: Here we go.

Brother Jim: Rising from the dead shows authority over sin and death

Brother Jim: itself, and we should be saying amen to that.

Brother Jim: And let's be honest, Easter has become commercialized in this

Brother Jim: day and age with all the colored eggs, chocolate here and there,

Brother Jim: Easter baskets and Easter Bunny and I know.

Brother Jim: We know what Easter was Resurrection Sunday truly means.

Brother Jim: But unfortunately, Satan in the world has turned it into a dog

Brother Jim: and pony show.

Brother Jim: Once again.

Brother Jim: And all that means nothing for believers.

Brother Jim: Jesus Christ, it's about resurrection.

Brother Jim: It's about new life.

Brother Jim: Not what I find in my Easter basket.

Brother Jim: Resurrection gives mankind you, and I hope, over death.

Brother Jim: And if we're honest today, death is one of humanity's greatest

Brother Jim: fears, is it not?

Brother Jim: We can say this right here represents death.

Brother Jim: Each one of us here have so much time.

Brother Jim: And then that's it.

Brother Jim: That's it.

Brother Jim: The resurrection shows that death is not the end.

Brother Jim: Death has been defeated.

Brother Jim: It gives believers in Jesus Christ Hope of eternal life.

Brother Jim: Again, how many of us can say, I

Brother Jim: was just talking with a good

Brother Jim: friend here?

Brother Jim: Life goes by pretty quick, doesn't it?

Brother Jim: The older you get, the faster she goes.

Brother Jim: Before you know it, your body's breaking down.

Brother Jim: You're bald, you got a pot belly

Brother Jim: and you can't play ball like you

Brother Jim: used to.

Brother Jim: Life goes by quick.

Brother Jim: Isaiah fifty three five we are told.

Brother Jim: But he was pierced for our transgressions.

Brother Jim: He was crushed for our iniquities.

Brother Jim: The punishment that brought us peace was on him.

Brother Jim: By his wounds we are healed.

Brother Jim: But if you are not a true

Brother Jim: believer in Jesus Christ, claim

Brother Jim: him.

Brother Jim: Confirm that he is your Lord and Savior.

Brother Jim: What do you really have on this earth?

Brother Jim: What do you really have on this earth?

Brother Jim: What's that?

Brother Jim: Nothing.

Brother Jim: Oh, you've got some memories for family members once you're gone.

Brother Jim: You've had some good times.

Brother Jim: But guess what?

Brother Jim: A body will go in the ground that will return to dust.

Brother Jim: Or you got some ashes on the mantle.

Brother Jim: True.

Brother Jim: That's all you got?

Brother Jim: Is there fear of the afterlife for you this very moment?

Brother Jim: Today?

Brother Jim: Do you really?

Brother Jim: And here's where it gets real.

Brother Jim: Do you really care what happens to you after you die?

Brother Jim: When you take your final breath on this earth.

Brother Jim: Have you even really thought about it?

Brother Jim: Now there's all kinds of scholars.

Brother Jim: There's all kinds of social media out there.

Brother Jim: Oh my goodness, it can flood your mind.

Brother Jim: What really happens?

Brother Jim: The resurrection confirms forgiveness of sins.

Brother Jim: Jesus death paid for sin, your sin and my sin.

Brother Jim: But the resurrection shows that

Brother Jim: the payment was accepted and

Brother Jim: guess what?

Brother Jim: It was paid in full.

Brother Jim: Now, let me ask you something, sir.

Brother Jim: Church, think about it.

Brother Jim: When you send in that final payment on your credit card or

Brother Jim: your wife's credit card, and you get the next month's statement

Brother Jim: and it says zero balance.

Brother Jim: Is there not joy in that?

Brother Jim: Or when you pay your mortgage off or when you finally own your

Brother Jim: car, there's joy.

Brother Jim: And what happens?

Brother Jim: Usually we have to go out and buy another car, right?

Brother Jim: Or we start putting more back on the credit card.

Brother Jim: I got zero balance, baby.

Brother Jim: Let's go spend it.

Brother Jim: The balance is paid in full.

Brother Jim: The resurrection means sin and

Brother Jim: its consequences do not have the

Brother Jim: final word.

Brother Jim: And yes, my friends, there is consequences for all of us.

Brother Jim: Should that not give believers

Brother Jim: in Christ hope as well as joy as

Brother Jim: joy?

Brother Jim: We do not have to fear death.

Brother Jim: We do not have to fear death because I know where I'm going.

Brother Jim: And I know many of you know where you're going.

Brother Jim: In John three sixteen seventeen.

Brother Jim: How many times you've heard this

Brother Jim: verse throughout the course of

Brother Jim: your life?

Brother Jim: But it's to hold so much truth.

Brother Jim: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son,

Brother Jim: that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have what

Brother Jim: have eternal life.

Brother Jim: And here's one of my favorite verses.

Brother Jim: For God did not send his son

Brother Jim: into the world to condemn the

Brother Jim: world.

Brother Jim: No, no, no, not to condemn, but to save the world.

Brother Jim: Save the world through Him and Him alone.

Brother Jim: Put yourself there in that moment of time.

Brother Jim: Let's go back.

Brother Jim: To Good Friday, when Christ was crucified on that cross.

Brother Jim: Try to imagine yourself there.

Brother Jim: The events from Maundy Thursday when he gathered with his

Brother Jim: brothers one last time.

Brother Jim: When he gave the sacraments.

Brother Jim: Now think about it.

Brother Jim: When you get together with your friends.

Brother Jim: Those are good times, are they not?

Brother Jim: Especially as we get older in life.

Brother Jim: You don't know when who's going to be the next one to be missing

Brother Jim: from the group.

Brother Jim: True, you cherish those moments, and I am sure Jesus and his

Brother Jim: disciples cherish that moment, especially Jesus, because he

Brother Jim: knew what was coming.

Brother Jim: But put yourself there for a moment.

Brother Jim: Early on that first morning, everything felt lost.

Brother Jim: Would you not feel lost?

Brother Jim: No hope.

Brother Jim: As you watch the horrific events unfold with Jesus, this man who

Brother Jim: did nothing wrong.

Brother Jim: And I want you to think about that for a minute, my friends.

Brother Jim: He did nothing wrong.

Brother Jim: What did he do?

Brother Jim: He healed.

Brother Jim: He proclaimed the gospel.

Brother Jim: He stepped on those self-righteous hypocrite.

Brother Jim: We talked about that before he stepped on some toes because he

Brother Jim: called them out.

Brother Jim: He did nothing wrong in the eyes and minds of the faithful.

Brother Jim: The cross had shattered.

Brother Jim: That cross had shattered hope.

Brother Jim: The disciples, they were hiding.

Brother Jim: Fear and grief filled the air.

Brother Jim: And then something so unexpected as well as wonderful happened on

Brother Jim: the third day.

Brother Jim: That big old heavy stone at the

Brother Jim: front of the tomb had been

Brother Jim: rolled away.

Brother Jim: And guess what?

Brother Jim: No heavy equipment was brought in to move it to the side.

Brother Jim: No mighty strong Roman soldiers to roll it out of the way.

Brother Jim: Not so when.

Brother Jim: Listen to this.

Brother Jim: Not so Jesus could get out.

Brother Jim: But so we, you and I, as well as all of mankind, we could see in.

Brother Jim: And what did we see?

Brother Jim: An empty, empty tomb.

Brother Jim: Praise God.

Brother Jim: The empty tomb is not just a moment in history.

Brother Jim: It is the turning point.

Brother Jim: The turning point for humanity.

Brother Jim: A new beginning for humanity.

Brother Jim: Again, a declaration has been made that day, my friends.

Brother Jim: A declaration death is not the end.

Brother Jim: Sin is not the final word.

Brother Jim: And darkness.

Brother Jim: Oh no no no. Darkness does not win.

Brother Jim: How many of us are dealing with darkness in our own lives today?

Brother Jim: We all have it.

Brother Jim: Just because I'm a pastor, you think I don't have darkness that

Brother Jim: wants to creep in?

Brother Jim: You don't think Satan's working on me or God is testing me?

Brother Jim: As Miss Nicole said in her

Brother Jim: testimony from the service this

Brother Jim: morning.

Brother Jim: We have those moments, but what do we do with it?

Brother Jim: Where do we turn to?

Brother Jim: God is faithful, my friends.

Brother Jim: It's on his time.

Brother Jim: But he is faithful.

Brother Jim: Again.

Brother Jim: How many of us are dealing with that darkness?

Brother Jim: No hope.

Brother Jim: And let's flip the script here for a moment.

Brother Jim: Going back to winners and losers

Brother Jim: who does not want to be a

Brother Jim: winning?

Brother Jim: Who does not want to be a winner, who does not want to be

Brother Jim: on the winning side?

Brother Jim: Who here likes to lose?

Brother Jim: I sure do not like to lose.

Brother Jim: Losing leaves a foul and bitter, bitter taste in your mouth.

Brother Jim: True.

Brother Jim: And I'm very competitive.

Brother Jim: Ask my girls.

Brother Jim: I want to win.

Brother Jim: Hate to lose.

Brother Jim: But if we go to Scripture in John after Lazarus, one of

Brother Jim: Jesus's best friends, he loved this man dearly.

Brother Jim: They had that bro ship.

Brother Jim: You know what I mean?

Brother Jim: Lazarus passes and we find Jesus

Brother Jim: giving comfort to the sisters of

Brother Jim: Lazarus.

Brother Jim: Let us find hope and truth in his words in John eleven

Brother Jim: seventeen to twenty seven.

Brother Jim: On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in a

Brother Jim: tomb for how many days?

Brother Jim: Four days.

Brother Jim: And as we heard from the Lenten services, I believe Friday

Brother Jim: night, Good Friday service that is death, my friends.

Brother Jim: Four days, that is death.

Brother Jim: Now Bethany was less than two

Brother Jim: miles from Jerusalem, and many

Brother Jim: Jews had come to Martha and Mary

Brother Jim: to comfort them in their loss of

Brother Jim: their brother.

Brother Jim: When Martha heard that Jesus was

Brother Jim: coming, she went out to meet

Brother Jim: him.

Brother Jim: But Mary stayed at home.

Brother Jim: Lord, Martha said to Jesus, if you.

Brother Jim: If you had been here, my brother would not have died.

Brother Jim: But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.

Brother Jim: Jesus said to her, your brother will rise again.

Brother Jim: Martha answered, I know he will rise again in the resurrection

Brother Jim: at the last day.

Brother Jim: Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life.

Brother Jim: The one who believes in me will live even though they die.

Brother Jim: And whoever lives by believing in me will never die.

Brother Jim: Do you believe this?

Brother Jim: Yes, Lord, she replied, I believe that you are the

Brother Jim: Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.

Brother Jim: Today, right now, at this very moment, do you believe and

Brother Jim: understand these words that Jesus and Martha spoke?

Brother Jim: If you go back to twenty five,

Brother Jim: Jesus said to her, I am what I

Brother Jim: am, the resurrection and the

Brother Jim: life.

Brother Jim: The one.

Brother Jim: The one who believes in me will live even though they die.

Brother Jim: And whoever lives by believing in me will never die.

Brother Jim: Do you believe this?

Brother Jim: Do you believe this today?

Brother Jim: Church?

Brother Jim: Yes, Lord.

Brother Jim: Yes, Lord.

Brother Jim: Yes, Lord, she replied, I believe that you are the

Brother Jim: Messiah, the Son of God, the one who came into the world, who has

Brother Jim: come to the world.

Brother Jim: The resurrection changes.

Brother Jim: At least it should change our

Brother Jim: fear into faith if you allow it

Brother Jim: to.

Brother Jim: But you gotta allow it, my

Brother Jim: friends, if you believe, go back

Brother Jim: to that moment again on that

Brother Jim: Sunday morning.

Brother Jim: Again, put yourself there with

Brother Jim: the women walking up to the

Brother Jim: tomb.

Brother Jim: The women came to the tomb.

Brother Jim: They came afraid, uncertain, grieving.

Brother Jim: We've all been there, have we not?

Brother Jim: Over a loved one.

Brother Jim: Over a friend.

Brother Jim: We go to pay our respects.

Brother Jim: We're grieving.

Brother Jim: We're hurting and maybe even angry.

Brother Jim: Why, God?

Brother Jim: Why did you take this good person?

Brother Jim: But the angel said, do not be afraid.

Brother Jim: And then Jesus himself met them.

Brother Jim: Now can you imagine being there, my friends?

Brother Jim: That would be an eye opener, would it not?

Brother Jim: Think about it.

Brother Jim: Here comes a man that you watch crucified on a cross.

Brother Jim: Who breathed his last breath.

Brother Jim: Was laid in a tomb.

Brother Jim: And then he comes walking down to greet you.

Brother Jim: That would be an eye opener, praise God.

Brother Jim: Resurrection does not mean life is suddenly easy.

Brother Jim: Resurrection means fear no

Brother Jim: longer has authority over you

Brother Jim: and I. Because the worst thing,

Brother Jim: death itself has already been

Brother Jim: defeated.

Brother Jim: It's already been defeated.

Brother Jim: How many of us fear death?

Brother Jim: Let me ask you that again.

Brother Jim: How many of us fear death?

Brother Jim: Church.

Brother Jim: What do you fear today?

Brother Jim: Death, failure, loss, the future?

Brother Jim: The resurrection speaks directly into that fear.

Brother Jim: God is still what?

Brother Jim: God is still in control.

Brother Jim: Even when everything looks all finished up and buttoned up in

Brother Jim: your life, the resurrection turns defeat into victory.

Brother Jim: That's why we sang that song this morning.

Brother Jim: There's victory in who?

Brother Jim: Victory in Jesus.

Brother Jim: Finally, on that cross or excuse me, Friday on that cross, it

Brother Jim: looked like defeat.

Brother Jim: And I can only imagine Satan with that big old smile.

Brother Jim: Oh yeah.

Brother Jim: Ha!

Brother Jim: Jesus was crucified.

Brother Jim: Jesus was buried and Jesus was gone.

Brother Jim: But Resurrection Sunday revealed the truth.

Brother Jim: What looked like defeat was actually God's greatest victory.

Brother Jim: God's greatest victory.

Brother Jim: Sometimes in life, you and I stand in our.

Brother Jim: We have our own Friday moments.

Brother Jim: Do we not?

Brother Jim: In life, we have our own Friday moments.

Brother Jim: Times in our lives when feeling.

Brother Jim: When we feel broken, we feel lost.

Brother Jim: We feel that we cannot be repaired.

Brother Jim: True.

Brother Jim: We're done.

Brother Jim: I'm over it.

Brother Jim: I am so lost and I give up.

Brother Jim: But Resurrection Sunday, I pray, I pray, reminds us that God is

Brother Jim: always looking beyond what you and I can see.

Brother Jim: What you and I can see.

Brother Jim: Your setbacks, my setbacks.

Brother Jim: It's not our ending.

Brother Jim: Our pain is not wasted.

Brother Jim: God can and will bring.

Brother Jim: Oh, he'll bring life out of what feels dead.

Brother Jim: When the woman saw.

Brother Jim: When the women saw Jesus, he

Brother Jim: gave them a simple command go

Brother Jim: and tell.

Brother Jim: Go and tell.

Brother Jim: Pretty simple, isn't it?

Brother Jim: The resurrection is not just something we believe.

Brother Jim: It is something we should be

Brother Jim: sharing with everyone, with

Brother Jim: everyone we come into contact

Brother Jim: to.

Brother Jim: With.

Brother Jim: Why?

Brother Jim: Because heaven.

Brother Jim: Here we go.

Brother Jim: Why is this so important?

Brother Jim: Because guess what?

Brother Jim: Heaven is real and hell is real.

Brother Jim: When your life ends.

Brother Jim: When my life ends on this earth.

Brother Jim: And it will one day.

Brother Jim: And many times I've stood over a loved one's body to say words

Brother Jim: about them, their life.

Brother Jim: That's very humbling experience for me.

Brother Jim: But you know what?

Brother Jim: I cannot pray them into heaven.

Brother Jim: And guess what?

Brother Jim: Neither can you.

Brother Jim: No matter how much you love them, no matter how much I love

Brother Jim: care about them.

Brother Jim: We cannot pray someone into heaven once they're gone.

Brother Jim: Each one of us makes that choice.

Brother Jim: Jesus Christ or the world?

Brother Jim: Eternity, heaven or hell.

Brother Jim: And guess what?

Brother Jim: There's no going back.

Brother Jim: There's no second chances there.

Brother Jim: No, there's no mulligans like in golf.

Brother Jim: It's done.

Brother Jim: It's over.

Brother Jim: Hope is powerful.

Brother Jim: Hope is not meant to be kept

Brother Jim: quiet in a world filled our

Brother Jim: world today filled with anxiety,

Brother Jim: depression, division and

Brother Jim: uncertainty.

Brother Jim: The message of the risen Christ

Brother Jim: is still the greatest news we

Brother Jim: have.

Brother Jim: You want to tune into something good.

Brother Jim: To put a smile on your face.

Brother Jim: Tune into the word.

Brother Jim: Tune in to God.

Brother Jim: Forget your social media.

Brother Jim: Forget your funny little kittens

Brother Jim: there that you laugh at all the

Brother Jim: little jokes.

Brother Jim: Tune in to this.

Brother Jim: The risen Christ is the greatest news we've got going for us.

Brother Jim: Forgiveness is available, new

Brother Jim: life is possible and l o v e has

Brother Jim: already won.

Brother Jim: The resurrection means new life.

Brother Jim: That it can start right now for you.

Brother Jim: It can happen this very moment if you are willing.

Brother Jim: Jesus just.

Brother Jim: He didn't rise just to prove a point.

Brother Jim: Jesus rose to offer

Brother Jim: transformation for each one of

Brother Jim: our lives.

Brother Jim: Hope my friends, how many of you

Brother Jim: sitting here today need some

Brother Jim: hope?

Brother Jim: Need some hope.

Brother Jim: Resurrection is not about not only about eternity.

Brother Jim: Resurrection is about today.

Brother Jim: Dead dreams and hope can live again.

Brother Jim: Broken hearts and lives can be restored.

Brother Jim: Can be changed.

Brother Jim: Pain, anger, resentment and yes, even hate.

Brother Jim: They can be removed from our lives.

Brother Jim: Not by you and I know, but by Jesus and Jesus alone.

Brother Jim: Guilty conscience can be forgiven and empty.

Brother Jim: Hopeless life can be filled with purpose.

Brother Jim: The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in you

Brother Jim: and I this very day.

Brother Jim: Did you know that this very day

Brother Jim: it's the same Power Rockford

Brother Jim: church as believers in Jesus

Brother Jim: Christ.

Brother Jim: The resurrection leaves us with a question not did it happen?

Brother Jim: But what will I do with it?

Brother Jim: Well, you and I keep living as if the stone is still in place.

Brother Jim: Or will you and I step into a new life?

Brother Jim: Jesus has already made possible.

Brother Jim: Hear me on this church.

Brother Jim: The tomb is empty.

Brother Jim: Hope is alive.

Brother Jim: The offer, the invitation for

Brother Jim: salvation and freedom is still

Brother Jim: alive.

Brother Jim: So alive today.

Brother Jim: And oh baby, it is open for each one of us.

Brother Jim: Christ Jesus is risen.

Brother Jim: Jesus Christ is risen indeed.

Brother Jim: So today you and I stand.

Brother Jim: We stand at an empty tomb, do we not?

Brother Jim: We stand in an empty tomb.

Brother Jim: Not with questions, but with answers.

Brother Jim: Not with fear, but with hope.

Brother Jim: Not with defeat, but with victory.

Brother Jim: Because the stone has been rolled away, death has been

Brother Jim: defeated and Jesus is alive.

Brother Jim: This means your past is forgiven.

Brother Jim: Your shame is broken.

Brother Jim: Your future is secure if you allow it to.

Brother Jim: And you want it.

Brother Jim: It means the things you thought were dead in your life.

Brother Jim: God can bring back to life.

Brother Jim: So do not leave here the same way you came in.

Brother Jim: If you walked in with fear, leave with faith.

Brother Jim: If you walked out with doubt.

Brother Jim: Leave with hope.

Brother Jim: If you walked in feeling stuck.

Brother Jim: Leave knowing.

Brother Jim: The grave could not hold him.

Brother Jim: And it cannot hold you either.

Brother Jim: This is not just a day we celebrate.

Brother Jim: This is a life that we step into.

Brother Jim: So go out and live like the tomb is empty.

Brother Jim: Love like death has lost.

Brother Jim: Speak, speak like Hope is alive.

Brother Jim: Jesus is not in that tomb.

Brother Jim: Jesus is alive and risen, and

Brother Jim: because he lives, Jesus Christ

Brother Jim: lives today, at the very moment

Brother Jim: everything in your life, it can

Brother Jim: change and change for the

Brother Jim: better.

Brother Jim: Let me go back as we finish up here at the beginning of that

Brother Jim: story, the ending of it.

Brother Jim: As they stood there.

Brother Jim: The boy noticed simple things.

Brother Jim: Notice something simple but strange.

Brother Jim: Nearby there was a freshly dug grave covered with dirt, and

Brother Jim: right in the middle of that pile was a small green sprout pushing

Brother Jim: its way up through the soil.

Brother Jim: He pointed and asked, what's that?

Brother Jim: The father said.

Brother Jim: The father said this.

Brother Jim: That's a flower beginning to grow.

Brother Jim: The boy stared at it for a

Brother Jim: moment, then said something

Brother Jim: again that his parents would

Brother Jim: never forget.

Brother Jim: And hopefully you don't forget either.

Brother Jim: So even here, life is trying to come back.

Brother Jim: So my friends, on this Resurrection Sunday.

Brother Jim: Even this little boy noticed in death there is hope for a new

Brother Jim: life, a new chance to grow.

Brother Jim: The resurrection is not just something to celebrate, it is

Brother Jim: something to respond to.

Brother Jim: Jesus Christ rising from the dead.

Brother Jim: It changes everything for you and I. Resurrection means

Brother Jim: forgiveness is real.

Brother Jim: Resurrection means grace is available.

Brother Jim: Resurrection means new life is waiting for you and I. So today

Brother Jim: the invitation is simple.

Brother Jim: Step out of the grave you've been living in and step into the

Brother Jim: life Jesus Christ has already won for you.

Brother Jim: Jesus Christ, he is not in a

Brother Jim: tomb and you do not have to be

Brother Jim: either.

Brother Jim: Let it be so.