Come to Life (Easter - Week 3)

And today I'm excited for us to be able to talk about a resurrection power that comes by way of the cross.

We've been in this series for the last few weeks called Come to Life.

And we've talked about over the last few weeks the fact that we're a living proof of the gospel and asking ourselves the question are we the living proof that God wants for us to be for Him as we follow Him and walk in His way?

And then last week we talked about what it looked like to move from death to life.

The fact that we think that God wants good people, but He wants new people.

That we would move from death to life.

And when we move from death to life, we have the resurrection power of King Jesus because He is not dead anymore.

He's not in the grave, He is alive and is walked out of the tomb, and we celebrate it today.

And so that leads us to this Easter morning, talking about the resurrection power that we have in the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Many years ago in 1940, 1954, leading up to that time in the world of sports and athletics, runners, no one had ever run a mile under the four-minute barrier.

We're talking for centuries, many years, that there was never recorded somebody running faster than a four-minute mile.

It was thought to be impossible.

It was thought that this is just not a human ability or a feat that would be able to do, but on May 6th of 1954, Roger Bannister burst through the four-minute barrier with a time of three minutes, 59 and four-tenths of a second.

First time ever that this four-minute mile had been broken.

Nobody thought it was possible.

The impossible had been done.

People couldn't believe it.

And so, was there something special about this runner, Roger Bannister?

Maybe that he was a little bit more physically gifted than anybody else in history?

What was the difference of why he was able to finally break this barrier?

And how long would it be until somebody else broke the barrier again?

It was 46 days.

46 days later, John Landy, an Australian runner, he not only broke the barrier, but he came in with a time of three minutes and 58 seconds.

Beating Roger Bannister's 46-day old record over the last 50 years.

Oh.

Then just a year later, three runners broke the four-minute barrier in a single race at one time.

Over the last 50 years, thousands of runners have now conquered the barrier.

That at one point was considered hopelessly out of reach.

What was the difference?

What was the difference in breaking the barrier?

Well, I will say this to you today.

Belief.

Belief.

Belief can break barriers.

The song that we sang earlier, the first song today, Resurrection Power.

I've listened to this song probably 200 times over the last few weeks.

It's the inspiration of this sermon series to come to life.

And in the words that we sang almost every psalm this morning, you heard it said, Stronghold, it's time to break.

And when we have the resurrection power of Jesus, we no longer are living under our own power, but we have an ultimate power that we now have access to and that fills us up.

So many of us are attempting to go through life all by our own self, our own bootstraps, doing it.

I can figure it out.

But when you're in Christ, you're full of his power, and you are powerful in a way that you can never imagine.

You have the explosive power of the resurrection coursing through your mind, heart, body, and blood by way of the blood of Jesus.

You are more powerful than you can ever imagine if you're in Christ.

You're more powerful than you could ever even think or dream up.

And how I know this, I know this because we're gonna look today at the scripture that there may be some of us in today and you've walked in and you feel like that life is just beating you up at every single corner.

You can't figure it out, you're trying to do this life, and and and you don't know why things aren't working out for you, and and it's it feels like at every turn there's a hardship and there's a difficulty, and life is draining you and stressing you out to the absolute max.

But there's a power that's available to you, and you may or may not yet have access to it.

Do you want it?

Do you want that power that's beyond yourself, that you could not do under your own strength?

We're gonna look at the story of the resurrection today.

And Jesus' statements to us about the work of the resurrection and how it impacts our lives.

And Luke chapter 24, starting in verse 1.

Luke 24 · chapter mention

This is the account from Luke of the resurrection morning.

But very early on Sunday morning, amen, the women went to the tomb, taking spices they had prepared.

They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.

So they went in, but they didn't find the body of the Lord Jesus.

As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.

The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground.

Then the men asked, Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive?

He isn't here, he is risen from the dead.

Remember what he told you back in Galilee that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.

Then they remembered he had said this, and so they rushed back from the tomb to tell the eleven disciples and everyone else what had happened.

It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary, the mother of James, and several other women who told the apostles what had happened, but the story sounded like nonsense to the men.

They didn't believe it.

However, Peter jumped up and he ran to the tomb to look.

Stooping, he peered in and he saw the empty linen wrappings, and then he went home again, wondering what had happened.

These women come to the tomb, expecting to see the body of Jesus and to prepare and put spices on his body, and when they get there, everything has changed.

They come walking up to the grave, and the stone that had been put in place is now rolled away.

And then two men in dazzling robes, angels, appear to them and say, Why are you looking for someone who is risen among the dead?

Jesus is alive.

Jesus is alive, and then he tells them this remember what he told you.

Remember what he told you.

The angels reminded these women that Jesus pulled his own shot.

Now I know whenever we've uh got uh a Major League Baseball or something that's it's that's going on, you know, it's very impressive when somebody hits a home run.

But like Babe Ruth taking a bat and pointing it to the upper deck and then hits the home run, it takes a whole nother meaning when somebody's called the shot because they're a champion.

And our champion, Jesus, he called the shot.

He told his disciples before the resurrection day would even come that he would die at the hand of those that would betray him, that he would be buried, but that he would rise again.

He told them.

And the angels looked at these women and said, Remember what he told you.

Jesus, I'm gonna prove it to you.

Just is uh chapters and chapters earlier in Luke 10.

Jesus said, This, the Son of Man must suffer many things, he said.

He will be rejected by the elders and the leading priests and the teachers of religious law.

He will be killed, and on the third day he will be raised from the dead.

Then he said to the crowd, If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way.

Take up your cross daily and follow me.

If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it.

But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.

What?

And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world, but you yourself are lost or destroyed?

This was the plan the whole time.

Jesus called a shot and said, I'm gonna be betrayed, I'm gonna be killed on the third day, and then it came to be.

Imagine for Mary, his mother, who was there at the scene, who many years ago that was had Jesus, who was born of a virgin, that an angel came and told her that this was the Messiah, Jesus, who would save the world, and for her to make that claim, and then for Jesus to tell them what was gonna happen, and then for it to happen, can anybody say to them that our God is powerful and mighty?

That he caught a shot?

Imagine how unpredictable, imagine just the odds of somebody predicting all of those things, and for them to come true, we have a king Jesus.

It cannot be denied, it cannot be put away.

This was the plan the whole time.

And don't you think that Jesus, as he was on the cross, was in some helpless state, no, he was king even on the cross.

You know how I know that because earlier in John, he John uh in John chapter 10, Jesus he said, uh he said, I lay down my life only to take it up again.

John 10 · chapter mention

No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own accord.

The betrayers, the soldiers, the government, all of the plan, it could look like that these things happened to Jesus and that he was murdered.

No, he gave his life for us.

It was a part of the plan that while we were still sinners, that Christ died for us.

Are you grateful for that?

I'm so grateful that when I was a child, that people were faithful to share the gospel with me and that I accepted Christ as my savior and that I was rescued.

I'm grateful for the fact that as years went on, as in high school and a time trying to run away from the Lord, that the Lord would not let me go, but I was in his hand, and that I had God's resurrection power in my life, and that Jesus rescued me from the pit of hell.

And he'll do the exact same for you.

He tells us that we have access to the power in Christ for those who have been made alive.

Just like I've been made alive.

You maybe have been made alive.

Made alive.

In Galatians 2.20, the scripture says, I have been crucified with Christ.

I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.

The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

And look at Ephesians 1 19.

I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him.

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 now it's far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else, not only in this world, but also in the world to come.

You have the same power.

Turn to your neighbor and say, same power.

Turn to your other neighbor and say, same power.

The same power that raised Christ from the dead now lives and works inside of you.

You know how I know that?

Because in Romans 8 11, it says it 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.

Jesus came and he's the one who empties graves, and he does it by the same power because today Jesus wants to empty graves today.

Jesus wants to work inside of you so that you will run out of the grave into life, so that you will run into the arms of Jesus.

Look, listen, listen, listen to this.

You people didn't know that they could break the four-minute mile.

People don't realize that they're in a grave that they need to walk out of.

There are many of us today and outside of these walls that are in a prison cell that is closed, but the door is unlocked.

The key has already been put into the lock, and the door can be opened to them for them to walk out of the grave, but the stone needs to be rolled away.

What's the stone that needs to be rolled away in your life?

What's the barrier?

What's the barrier that needs the breakthrough for you?

What's the stone that's in your life right now that needs to be moved out of the way so that you would truly believe?

And once you believe, then you have the breakthrough.

What's the stone?

Is that somebody's told you that religion is for stupid people?

Even though they don't have the answers to life's biggest questions?

What's the true meaning of life?

Science can't answer it.

But Jesus can because of the resurrection power.

Is it is the stone that somebody hurt you?

That somebody who claimed to be a Christian did something to you and sinned against you?

And because of that, you now see that person and their actions more than you see the perfect Lamb of Jesus.

And the forgiveness that he wants to extend to you.

And even to the one who hurts you.

You know, I I've heard it said, don't judge Jesus by his worst follower.

But by him himself.

Him being the savior of the world, him calling him shot, him telling the truth and speaking the truth that one day he would die in our place on the cross so that we could walk out of that grave, that we could pick up and run, and that we could one day take hold of a life that is full of the power of the Holy Spirit, the same one that raised Jesus from the dead, that now lives inside of you, and you can move from death to life.

That at one point you could not save yourself, but because of the power of the cross and because of the power of the resurrected Jesus that overcame the grave, now you don't have to die.

You don't have to die.

My body, it might be dying, but I'll always be alive.

Because this life is going to move right into the next in eternity with Jesus.

What is it that you need to change in your belief so that you can see the breakthrough that God wants to do in you?

The stone needs to be removed, it needs to be rolled away, and God is faithful to do it.

If you will, let him in.

So that you can come to life.

For God so loved the world, he gave his one and only son.

And whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

You know, I've in the course of ministry now over a decade.

There's been times that I wasn't particularly prepared for going into ministry.

I wasn't, nobody really talked about it.

And some of those times is when it comes to death and dying.

Now, in the course of my ministry, there's been multiple times where I've actually been in the room at the same time or right after someone has passed over from one life and has died.

And I've been there with the family, sometimes with the body still in the room with us.

And it's in those moments, and thankfully for me, the times that I have been in rooms like that, the person who's passed away has been a follower of Jesus.

And in the dark time like that, there's a hope because a people of God will see that person again resurrected in heaven.

There's a hope that can't be described, the fact that Jesus died on the cross, came back to life, so that when we one day breathe our final breath, it won't be our last.

But we'll just have a change in destination.

Be in heaven with God.

Lee Strobel was an investigative reporter who years ago set out to disprove the resurrection of Jesus.

An atheist worked for the Chicago Tribune.

He set out on uh on his quest for him to disprove the resurrection of Jesus and really get to the bottom of the whole religion thing.

He ultimately ended up writing a book called The Case for Christ, where after testimony and testimony and after expert after expert that he spoke with, he eventually came to faith in Jesus because he saw all the evidences.

One of the scholars that he sat with, a professor that has uh his specialty in the resurrection of Christ, has now written seven books on the resurrection.

They were going through and talking about the different evidences of his disciples and those who followed him.

That the disciples that they were willing to die for Jesus.

Because there have been plenty of religious zealots along the way in life that have died for a cause, but the disciples were in a unique position that they actually knew whether or not it was a lie.

They were there, they were eyewitnesses, and people don't die for a lie.

And so Lee Strobel and this professor are talking about all these different evidences, and it comes to the end of the interview, and he asked this professor at the end, what the importance.

Of the resurrection was.

And he was expecting an academic answer and more evidences, and he gave some of those, but then he took a risk and said something very personal.

This professor looked at Lee Strobel and he said, Years ago, my wife Debbie was dying of stomach cancer.

For most of her cancer, other than a few weeks, she was at home.

It was a terrible and difficult time of my life.

To see my wife go through this.

He said I would sit on the porch.

And I'd have student after student that would call me and would say, Professor, at a time like this, aren't you grateful for the resurrection?

Bringing up what he had already taught them.

And he said, Yes, I am.

And he asked the Lord, why?

Why has this happened to my wife?

And God responded to him in prayer.

Has Jesus been raised from the dead?

Yes.

He would say.

He would ask God, why are we going through this?

Why is this happening to me?

And God would respond, has Jesus not been raised from the dead?

And this professor looked at Lee Strowe in the eye.

And he said, The fact that Jesus was raised from the dead, I know and have the confidence that Debbie will also be raised from the dead.

And that one day I too will be raised from the dead.

And that one day I'll meet Debbie and I'll meet Jesus when I get to heaven.

Imagine with me for a second.

Just imagine with me for a moment.

Jesus in the tomb.

His lifeless body.

And out of the darkness.

A breath.

And Jesus is raised to life.

Come to life.

Come to life.

That moment of Jesus moving from the grave to resurrected Jesus is the reason why we celebrate baptism.

The act of baptism is a symbol of the fact that for you and for me, that when we go underneath the water, it's a representation of us going into the grave.

And when we come up out of the water in baptism, it's a re it is a representation of the fact that you are no longer dead, but you are alive in Christ because he is alive and risen.

That's what we do it.

We do it because we saw the first week of this series.

We talked about Jesus and the fact that he was baptized.

And he gave us that example that he let his his cousin John the Baptist baptize him and come up out of the water and for us to follow in the same footsteps of Jesus when we know that we are to repent and believe and be baptized in the name of Jesus.

And so today we have the baptism waters in the foyer, and they're open to you.

I'm going to do something that's unique, a unique invitation.

And inviting you today to show everyone that you are no longer dead, but that you are alive in Christ.

By way of being baptized, and I invite you to receive the resurrection power that you so desperately need.

It's a matter of obedience.

You may be a Christian who's here today and you have never been baptized.

Today is the day that you show the world and you stop walking in disobedience, but instead that you do what Jesus did and follow his example by being baptized.

Maybe today you are someone who has not given your life to Jesus.

What you saw from his own words today that he calls for us to lay down our lives for his sake.

And if we do that, that we will find life in him.

Maybe today is your day that you need to receive the salvation that Jesus purchased for you on the cross so that you can be made alive today.

So this is what I gotta do here.

In just a moment, I'm going to pray over all of us, and I'm going to invite you to follow Jesus.

I'm also going to invite anybody who's here today who wants to take a step of baptism for you to do it today, to not wait, but for you to be baptized.

We figured out everything.

We've got a change of clothes for you, we got shorts, we got everything covered.

There's not an excuse or a hesitation.

We've thought it through.

And when I say amen and ask for you to stand, if today is a day for you to get into the waters and be baptized, I'm going to ask you to get up when we said I say amen and to go to the back of the room, and there's some amazing, kind people who are there ready to receive you.

If that's your decision today, we're going to celebrate with you.

We're going to come alongside you.

If nobody gets baptized today, then we're going to celebrate the fact that we're alive in Christ.

But the waters are open, and I invite you to them so that you can have the resurrection power of Jesus.

Will you bow your heads and pray with me?

God, I pray over this room today.

God, I pray over each person who's here.

God, I pray, Lord, that every person that's under the sound of my voice, and God, if there's anybody in this room who has not received you as their Savior, who's not asked for your forgiveness and receive salvation, that you bought for them on the cross, that today they would do so.

God, I pray across this room if there's anybody in this place that needs to take the step of baptism today.

God, right now, Lord, that you would speak so clear to them.

God, that right now you'd make them sweat.

Because they need to make this decision and to follow you to be baptized.

All of multiply with your head bows and eyes closed.

If you're in this room and you've never received Jesus as your Savior, today is your day.

Today is your day to receive Christ.

And I invite you to pray to Jesus right now for salvation.

Don't wait.

Pray something in your mind, in your heart.

Jesus, save me.

Something like this: Jesus, save me.

I believe that you're the Son of God.

And then you walked out of the grave.

Forgive me of my sins.

Wash me as white as snow so that I can be in heaven with you one day.

I give you my life as you gave your life for mine.

Thank you for saving me.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Church, will you celebrate as you stand to your feet today the power of the resurrection of the gospel of Christ?

Let's worship together.