Living in the Substance - DJ Dickerson

Well, friends, from the

for the past several weeks, we have

walked together through scripture under

the theme shadows to substance.

And we trace God's unfolding plan from

the earliest pages of Genesis to its

fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

We saw how sacrifices pointed forward,

how priesthood pointed forward, how

covenant, land, water, flood, blood, and

even marriage pointed forward. And we

concluded with this great truth. The

shadows have passed. The substance has

arrived. Christ is the fulfillment of

everything God promised.

And I told you I was ending that series

last Sunday.

Would you guess that this morning we're

talking about living in the substance?

One more. Right. One more.

Because this morning we we are moving

from revelation to response.

Some of what I alluded to last Sunday.

Because knowing Christ is the substance

is not the end of the journey. It's the

beginning.

So today we ask a simple but I I believe

probing uh searching question that if

Christ is certainly the substance as we

have certainly identified and know

from the scriptures then how should we

live? And I want us to go to Colossians

Colossians 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2 this morning. Now, Colossians

Colossians 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2, you might remember and

throughout that series uh of lesson that

we concluded

of shadows to substance. When you go to

Colossians chapter 2, you might remember

Colossians 2 · chapter mention

that there are a couple of passages

there that we uh we looked at and we

considered uh a couple of times. And one

of those verses uh that we were looking

at was in the latter part talking about

how uh Jesus is the substance. And as we

were doing that, I I want us to kind of

go back a little bit here in what is

going on in Colossians chapter 2 before

Colossians 2 · chapter mention

we we get to that because he was

mentioning this uh throughout the uh

time here with the or speaking to the

Colasse brethren. And what I I want us

to note is mainly verses 6 down through

verse 14 because uh uh we'll look at a

few other verses as well. But the verses

that we were considering uh during this

series uh was that no one judge you in

food or in drink or regarding a festival

or a new moon or Sabbath. And there

verse 16 l verse 17 says which are a

shadow of things to come but the

substance is of Christ. And so prior to

that very statement he's making if you

look back what he's talking about uh

look at verse six down through verse 14.

As you therefore have received Christ

Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted

and built up in him, and established in

the faith as you have been taught,

abounding in it with thanksgiving.

Beware lest anyone cheat you through

philosophy and empty deceit, according

to the tradition of men, according to

the basic principles of the world, and

not according to Christ. For in him

dwells

all the fullness of the godhead bodily,

and you are complete in him who is the

head of all principality and power. In

him you are also circumcised with a

circumcision made without hands by

putting off the body of the sins of the

flesh by the circumcision of Christ.

Buried with him in baptism in which you

also are raised with him through faith

and the working of God who raised him

from the dead.

And you being dead in your trespasses

and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he

has made alive together with him, having

forgiven you all trespasses, having

wiped out the handwriting of

requirements that was against us, which

was contrary to us, and he has taken it

out of the way, having nailed it to the

cross.

Now,

brethren, have you how did you receive

Christ? is I guess the question I want

to start out with and and you know we we

look at this throughout the the uh the

lessons and and also at the end of the

lesson uh we you always share God's plan

of salvation. You hear me say that every

time don't you? And and for good reason

obviously because that's what Paul is

talking about here even and we know that

by faith right? How does that come? It

comes by hearing and hearing by the word

of God. Romans 10:1 17. And we know of

Romans 10:1

Hebrews 11:6 that without faith it is

Hebrews 11:6

impossible

to please him. Right? And we go on and

we think about what what it means to

obey the gospel truth. Right? That has

to do with repentance. It has to do with

confessing Jesus to be the son of living

God as we see in Romans chap 10:es 9 and

10. And then of course as even mentioned

in Colossians chapter 2 about being

Colossians 2 · chapter mention

baptized buried with him buried with

Christ in baptism to do what? Arise and

walk in newness of life as we know from

Romans 6 and:es 3 and four. Now

Paul is saying that the way you began is

the way that you continue.

Christianity is not merely something

that was a well I I believe yes that's

certain true we believe but it's

something that we live right that's why

when you think about that word there's a

lot of action words we talk about in the

scriptures about rising to walk in what

newness of life

walking

living in Christ again 2 Corinthians 5

and verse 7 is another passage and again

I always like to remind is make sure to

prove all things according to God's word

not DJs. All right 2 Corinthians 5:7 for

2 Corinthians 5:7

we walk by faith not by sight.

And from our scripture reading this

morning you probably noticed this as

well in 1 John chapter 2 that brother

1 John 2 · chapter mention

Aiden Mosley read for us verses 5 and

six specifically here. 1 John 2:es 5 and

6 says, "But whoever keeps his word

truly the love of God is perfected in

him. By this we know that we are in

him." He says, "He who says he abides in

him ought himself also to walk just as

he walked." See, there's that walking

again, isn't it?

Now,

as I was thinking about this

and and how we were going through the

shadows to substance series of lessons

and how all of those layers that we

looked at and and how God has divinely

revealed

his truth

and pointing all to Jesus

and how we we come to know who Jesus is,

the purpose

of the Lord and Savior is that we don't

just meet him and keep walking toward

the world. You don't just discover the

substance and keep living like you're

still in the shadows. See, that's what

Paul is is is emphasizing Colossians

Colossians 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2. Because with Christ as Lord,

he governs our decisions, our

priorities, our speech, our

relationships, all of those areas. And

and and friends, what the scriptures

make clear is that faith is not a

moment. It is a manner of life.

And such we must be reminded of. And so

there's a few words that that when I

read Colossians chapter 2 and I this

Colossians 2 · chapter mention

passage that we're going to be looking

at briefly this morning in this lesson

as I was going through there and reading

my eyes tend to gravitate towards

certain words. Uh and a lot of them have

to do with action words as I mentioned

and I want us to look at those briefly

as as as it makes this point that Paul

is emphasizing in Colossians chapter 2.

Colossians 2 · chapter mention

And one of those words that I was

thinking about and gravitated towards is

verse seven. And that is the word

rooted. Rooted.

Have you ever thought how interesting it

is that in this passage

before Paul talks about growth,

he talks about roots. You ever think

about that? If you didn't, we're

thinking about it now, right? or being

reminded of it even Paul talks about

being rooted in Christ. That's part of

living in the substance. Okay.

Now, this type of descriptive language

and and imagery has long been used in

the scriptures. Okay. This is not the

first time that you find this kind of

imagery. All right. Colossians uh is one

of those places obviously, but if you

even go back to the Old Testament, you

know what? You're going to find the idea

and the imagery here of roots. Look at

Jeremiah 17 and verses 7 and 8. Jeremiah

17:es 7 and 8. Look, look what that

says. Blessed is the man who trusts in

the Lord and whose hope is the Lord. For

he shall be like a tree planted by the

waters, which spreads out its roots by

the river, and will not fear when heat

comes. But its leaf will be green and

will not be anxious in the year of

drought, nor will cease from yielding

what? Fruit. Okay, look at how this is

working. You're going to see this as we

go through Colossians 2 even. Okay,

because here in Jeremiah 17, it says,

"The man who trusts in the Lord is like

a tree planted by waters who roots

spread out by the river does not fear

when he comes, but again won't be

anxious in the year of drought. The the

leaves are going to be green." It says,

"Nor will cease from yielding fruit." Go

to Psalm chapter 1.

Psalms 1 · chapter mention

Another place you find this Psalm 1.

Familiar passage. I believe most if not

all of us. Blessed is the man who walks

not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor

stands in the path of sinners, nor sits

in the seat of the scful, but his

delight is in the law of the Lord, and

in his law he meditates day and night.

He shall be like a tree planted by the

rivers of water that brings forth its

fruit in its season, whose leaf also

shall not wither,

and whatever he does shall prosper.

Talking about a righteous man is is like

a tree planted by rivers or streams of

water, bringing forth fruit in its

season. You see, that's the imagery. Now

here here's what I believe uh is being

emphasized

when we think about roots. Roots are are

hidden.

Now there might be some that might come

to the surface a little bit you might

see but what are roots? Roots are

hidden.

The interesting thing about that is

although roots are hidden they determine

everything

don't they?

A tree does not stand tall because of

its branches.

It stands tall because of its roots.

Didn't Jesus explain this? I believe he

did. In Matthew chapter 13, Jesus gives

Matthew 13 · chapter mention

this imagery yet again in what we well

known to us, right? The parable of the

swer, right? In the parable of the

sewer, Jesus goes on to describe about

the parable of the sewer in Matthew

Matthew 13 · chapter mention

chapter 13 20 and 21 about the one who

receives seed on stony places. This is

he who hears the word and immediately

receives it with joy. Yet, here's the

other part. What's it say? He don't

have. He has no root in himself, but

endures only for a while. For when

tribulation or persecution arises

because of the word, immediately he

stumbles.

seed fell on the rocky soil, sprang up

quickly, but because it had no root,

it withered when trouble came. See, the

root system is critical.

Shallow faith cannot survive deep

trials.

Many people want a faith that feels good

but doesn't go deep. That's not what the

scriptures talk about. Okay?

Many people want that. But but think but

think with me on this. Where do roots

grow? And you know you're like, "Well,

DJ, you already answered this one. The

ground, right?"

And that's true. That's true.

But what significance is there to such?

Well, let's add this one. When you think

about in the ground, what's it look like

in the ground? Not that we have probably

put ourselves in a pack of dirt at any

point or time. I don't maybe your

siblings have done that to you. I don't

know.

But it's darkness under the dirt, under

the soil, isn't it? Roots grow in

darkness. Now bear with me for a moment.

Roots grow where no one sees.

Roots grow slowly. Relate this

spiritually. Our spiritual life is

formed most in private. Would you agree

with me on that?

Let's let's let's try to illustrate

this.

after a violent storm. Last night seemed

pretty pretty violent last night a

little bit. But after a violent storm,

uh you think about a massive oak tree.

There's been stories about this as well

as massive oak tree, you know, how big

it was. But yet what happened is the

massive tree fell.

Now, it was noted that that its trunk

was thick,

its canopy was wide, it looked strong,

but when examined, you know what it

showed? Its roots were shallow.

And that's it. See, storms don't create

weakness. Storms don't create weakness.

They actually reveal it. That's what

storms do. And spiritually, think about

trials. James chapter 1 talks about

James 1 · chapter mention

trials in verses 2 through 4, right?

Cannot all joy when you fall into

various trials. And and although that

sounds weird to us, we've had lessons on

that in in the past. Here's here's the

thing we think about when we use the the

word storms synonymously with the word

trials. Now, in James 1, there's joy

when one falls into various trials

because of what it produces. That that's

it. So really, trials or storms, they

they don't destroy faith. rather they

expose where it's rooted doesn't

and what I believe is quite clear just

from these few passages that living in

the substance means actually sinking our

roots deep

into Christ through scripture.

What were the Bereans doing in Acts 17

and verse 11? They were searching the

scriptures daily to prove whether those

things were so.

You see, it wasn't just a Sunday. the

Lord's day, right? It wasn't a Wednesday

night that we said, "Well, we just we

just going to seclude those days, right?

That's where we're going to build and

that's where now those are important

obviously.

But what about the rest of the week,

right?

The preparatory things about staying in

his word, studying to show ourselves

approved unto God, a workman that

needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing

the word of truth." through 2 Timothy 2

and:15.

All this instruction and guidance that

that we have from the word of God in 2

Timothy chapter 3:16-1 17 that builds us

up that edifies us

our prayer our relationship with God.

Pray without ceasing. As 1 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:17

5:17 says, "Our obedience that carries

on way more than just one day."

It tells a lot about our root system

and

are we rooted

in him?

And there's something else that that we

see here. I I believe in

And I could continue on talking about

the root system, but I'm I want to

digress and move on for time will get

away from me,

but I hope you get the imagery there and

what the scriptures are emphasizing.

We'll go on in Colossians chapter 2 in

Colossians 2 · chapter mention

verse 7 again that that I want to share

with you what what I find in the next

set of words in our text is not just

being rooted but also and built up in

him.

I I like this because all these all

these descriptions that we get in the

imagery, you know, so basically um what

Paul is doing is he went from farming to

construction. Y'all see that? That's

what he did. He went from farming to

construction.

He he talks about this in 1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3. Y'all remember that? 1

1 Corinthians 3 · chapter mention

Corinthians chapter 3, he talks about

being built up in Christ. That's part of

living in the substance that is Christ.

We got to be buil built up in him. Look

at 1 Corinthians 3 and verse 11. Talking

about construction now for a moment.

This this always hits home with me a lot

because I'm not a farmer. I know that's

hard to believe, right? I'm not a

farmer. And it might be hard to believe

that I grew up in a house full of

construction, right? Construction uh

Dickerson homebuilders.

So I this one hits home. 1 Corinthians 3

and vers 11. For no other foundation can

anyone lay than that which is laid,

which is Jesus Christ.

Oh, there it is. The very reminder that

no foundation can be laid other than the

substance

that is Jesus Christ. Now, here's the

part here. What Paul goes on to talk

about is that once the foundation is

laid,

what has to continue?

building.

Now,

you see this throughout scripture.

Second Peter 3:17-18.

2 Peter 3:17–18

Look at these words. You therefore,

beloved, since you know this beforehand,

beware, lest you also fall from your own

steadfastness, being led away with the

air of the wicked, but grow in the grace

and knowledge of our Lord and Savior

Jesus Christ. To him be the glory, both

now and forever. Amen. See, again, we're

tying that back into growth.

Growth

and grace and knowledge. Look at Hebrews

Hebrews 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5. There's a rebuking that's

going on here, right? Hebrews chapter 5

Hebrews 5 · chapter mention

12-14.

Look at it.

For though by this time you ought to be

teachers, you need someone to teach you

again the first principles of the

oracles of God, and you have come to

need milk and not solid food. For

everyone who partakes only of milk is

unskilled in the word of righteousness,

for he is obeyed. But solid food belongs

to those who are full age. That is those

who by reason of use have their senses

exercise discern both good and evil.

You see, there are those believers who

should have been teachers by now. They

they should have been growing. They

should have building right building on

that one foundation. But instead,

they still needed milk.

What? Well, the point is is Christian

Christianity was never meant to be

stagnant.

Do buildings assemble themselves?

No. We know that's that's the obvious

answer, right? No.

Does character

mature accidentally?

No is the answer to that one, too.

So what that means is growth requires

discipline. If we kind of get that

imagery of brick by brick,

prayer by prayer, trial by trial,

what are we building? Think about this.

Imagine pouring a foundation for a house

and then stopping.

And we just celebrate the slab,

right? We celebrate the slab and we sit

there and we admire the concrete.

Now, if you're building this along with

your your your spouse,

your wife may say, "Let's stop admiring

the concrete and let's get busy." Right?

But think about that. We're celebrating

the slab. We're admiring the concrete,

but we never raise walls or install a

roof. Well, that's just silly, isn't it?

Jesus even talked about this building

process and about how we need to count

the cost. Remember that? That's another

one.

But this is the idea of of of how

Christians many times do this

spiritually.

We rejoice in conversion but never

pursue transformation.

See that's

the scripture says we have to move on

because again Romans 6:3 and4 says we're

Romans 6:3

buried with Christ in baptism to rise

and do what? Walk in newness of life.

He's saying get busy, right? Get busy

growing, being built up in Christ. Paul

Paul didn't say build up trends. Build

up whatever word you want to insert

there. He says be built up in Christ

because living in the substance means

refusing spiritual laziness and choosing

daily growth. And we build on that one

foundation that is Jesus Christ. Because

friends, here here's another one. I

could preach this could be a whole

series in itself, but you think about

Matthew

Matthew 7 · chapter mention

chapter 7. You know, at the latter part

of Matthew chapter 7, it's so familiar

Matthew 7 · chapter mention

to us. We we learned it from Bible class

when we were kids. And what is it

about the foolish man that built his

house on the sand

versus the wise man who built his house

on the rock?

And what came along?

Jesus talked about the winds and the

storms, right? Those came along. What

happened to the foolish man's house that

was built on the sand? The kids can

answer this one real quick.

It fell

and very hard was its fall. But the wise

man who built his house on the rock,

who's the rock? Who is the one

foundation? Jesus Christ the righteous.

Jesus the substance.

Y'all see it's about where are we

building? What are we building? Now

Colossians chapter 2 continues on in

Colossians 2 · chapter mention

verse 7. I want you to notice this in in

verse 7 again how this progresses from

from being rooted and built up in him.

And then what else does it say? And

established in the faith.

Now when you look at that what it means

to live in the substance. Yes, being

rooted also being built up in him but

also being established in the faith.

That's living in the substance.

What does that mean? That means settled.

That means firm. It means not tossed

around by every new thing because Paul

talks about that in Ephesians chapter 4

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

and verses 14- 16. We have to understand

and be very careful, right?

What's he say in Ephesians 4 beginning

verse 14 down through verse 16? Read it

with me. That we should no longer be

children tossed to and fro and carried

about with every wind of doctrine by the

trickery of men in the cunning

craftiness of deceitful plotting, but

speaking the truth in love, may grow up

in all things into him who is the head

Christ. from whom the whole body joined

and knit together by what every joint

supplies according the effective working

by which every part does its share

causes growth of the body for the

edifying of itself in love to the very

point we can no longer be children

tossed to and fro by every wind of

doctrine. Again, it goes back to

stabilization.

That's the idea of being established,

being settled, firm foundation.

James chapter 1 speaks of this also in

James 1 · chapter mention

James 1 and verses 6-8.

James 1 beginning in verse 6 down

through verse 8. But let him ask in

faith with no doubting. For he who

doubts is like a wave of the sea driven

and tossed by the wind. For let not that

man suppose that he will receive

anything from the Lord. He is a

double-minded man. Look that next word,

unstable in all his ways. That means

guess what? Not established. Not

established.

Hebrews actually goes on to talk about

uh warnings not to be carried away by

strange teachings. Now, all of this I I

believe it's clear that these scriptures

emphasize the fact that living in the

substance that is Christ means doctrinal

stability.

It means knowing what you believe and

why according to God's word, his will.

It means being anchored. Anchored in

truth so that cultural pressures,

they don't move our convictions.

Friends, that's what maturity does.

Maturity brings steadiness.

And the longer that we walk with Christ,

the less easily shaken we become.

And that goes to the very importance and

significance of being established in

Christ.

Now, see those very active words there.

I love how Paul brings that out in this

passage. Again, that's my eyes

gravitated towards those and does all

the time. You go back to our text,

Colossians chapter 2, following the

Colossians 2 · chapter mention

Apostle Paul's exhortation, be rooted,

built up, uh, established in Christ, he

also gives a warning. And that warning

that you find in verse eight is beware

lest anyone cheat you through philosophy

and empty deceit according to the

tradition of men according to the basic

principles of the world and not

according to Christ. Now if you go and

you kind of look at these words and I

was doing that in this study and and and

uh putting this lesson together and I

was looking at that word cheat. That

word cheat's an interesting word. Uh a

lot of times we use those words

someone's cheating in a board game. That

might happen in your house from time to

time, right? Well, cheat here derives

from the Greek word means to plunder or

to carry off a spoil. That's what cheat

means here. And that's what he's saying

about about this uh word cheat here

regarding false teaching because false

teaching does not always arrive loudly.

Uh sometimes it sounds intellectual uh

sometimes compassionate sometimes

spiritual even it may sound like that

but there's warnings as we've already

noted a few of them from Ephesians

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4 or James chapter 1 even but

James 1 · chapter mention

even as we think about Galatians 1 and

verse 8 speaks of this right but even if

we are an angel from heaven preach any

other gospel to you than what we have

preached to you let him be accursed

now in that passage What what Paul is

even saying there it's not another

gospel but what does he say some have

perverted the gospel of Christ they

they've perverted the word of God they

adulterated it is the other word that we

use with that and Paul is giving the

warning he said even if an angel

preaches another gospel it's false

and that's why we're told to always test

the spirits do not believe every spirit

test the spirits where they of God

because many false prophets have gone

out in the world. 1 John 4 and verse

one.

Friends, not everything religious is

biblical.

Not everything emotional is spiritual.

And that's why we have these warnings

when we're talking about the substance

that is Christ. That living in the

substance means that we are in effect

guarding our hearts.

Because the greatest danger after seeing

the substance is drifting back towards

the shadows.

Now before I conclude the lesson this

morning, there's another part of our

text I want to mention. Um

and and it's back in Colossians chapter

Colossians 2 · chapter mention

2 and verses 9 and 10. For in him dwells

all the fullness of the godhead bodily,

and you are complete in him who is the

head of all principality and power. If

you'll notice this that the Apostle Paul

really reaches the climax by saying this

and and all this text of what he's

emphasizing really and the Hebrew writer

would would again

show us this very same thought in

Hebrews chapter 1 and verse three

Hebrews 1 · chapter mention

speaking of Jesus just as Paul was who

being the brightness of his glory and

the express image of his person

upholding all things by the word of his

power when he had by himself purged our

sins sat down at the right hand of the

majesty on high.

What's being emphasized in those

passages there? Christ is everything

that we need. He says we are complete in

Christ because he is the express image

of God.

Peter as well says this. Second Peter

1:es 3 and 4. Look at it. Second Peter

3, I was second Peter 1:es 3 and 4.

Well, Peter tells us, "As his divine

power has given to us all things that

pertain to life and godliness, through

the knowledge of him who called us by

glory and virtue, by which have been

given to us exceedingly great and

precious promises, that through these

you may be partakers of the divine

nature, having escaped the corruption

that is in the world through lust.

You see everything and all these

passages are pointing right back to

Jesus the substance.

It all points back to him.

Even as Ephesians 1 and verse three

says, "Blessed be the God and father of

our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us

with every spiritual blessing in the

heavenly places where

in Christ.

Friends, what that's telling us in these

passages, that's freedom. That's

freedom. We're not missing something

essential. We are complete. Yet, many

Christians live as though Christ is

insufficient. We talked about that even

last Sunday about a lot of times people

who are seeking certain things. They

seek identity and success, peace in

possessions, worth and approval. All of

those things. Those are all the world's

distractions. That's what those are.

Way I was thinking about this was

imagine inheriting a fully furnished

home

paid in full

and you choose to sleep on the porch.

See, that just sounds silly when you say

it out loud like that, doesn't it?

But that's really truly how many choose

to live spiritually.

What we do with Christ, the substance is

consequential.

We are to dwell in him. And that means

living in the substance. Y'all see key

word in.

In the substance means stepping fully

into what God has already provided.

So let's bring this home.

If Christ is a substance and again we

have proven that over and over again

part 18 19 I don't know which number it

was of that series that we just finished

as Christ being the substance.

What is Paul saying we do with him?

Walk in him daily.

summarizing it all up. As Christ being

the substance, we're told to grow. As

Christ being the substance, we stand

firm. As Christ being the substance, we

guard our hearts. As Christ being the

substance, we stop searching for what

God has already supplied.

It's not going to be found outside of

Christ.

Christianity is not about chasing

something new. It's about living

faithfully in what has already been

revealed. Remember, we talked about that

last Sunday morning even. So, I'm going

to ask you this morning, are you rooted

or shallow?

Are you growing or stagnant? Are you

stable or easily shaken?

That all came right there from

Colossians chapter 2 of what it means to

Colossians 2 · chapter mention

be rooted, built up in him, and

established in the faith in Christ. Are

you complete in Christ or are we still

searching elsewhere?

Let me show you something else. That

latter part of the scriptures

when he talks about this, I want I want

to show you something in in these

verses.

You notice and I mentioned this earlier.

Verse 12 says, "Buried with him in

baptism."

What happens next?

You are raised with him through faith in

the working of God.

What happened?

He is made alive together with him.

The reason I wanted to share that here

at the close is again understanding the

shadows have passed. The substance has

arrived

and now it's for us to do what?

Actually live in him.

Because that's the key word.

Dead to trespasses. dead to sins to do

what? Live in the substance that is

Christ.

So friends, I ask you this morning as we

prepare our hearts for the song of

encouragement

that if you are not yet in Christ, you

cannot live in the substance because you

have not entered it. And again, I'm not

just saying words. Those are exactly

what the scriptures point out.

The gospel has called us to believe in

Jesus. It's called us to repent of our

sins and confess his name and be

baptized into Christ for the remission

of our sins. That's exactly what you see

in Romans 6 3 and 4. It's exactly what

you see in Colossians chapter 2. And

Colossians 2 · chapter mention

you're also going to find it in

Galatians chapter 3:es 26 down through

verse 28

and many other passages that I could

share with you.

So, I'm asking this morning as you look

at your heart, examine yourselves. Are

you in the faith? What have you done

with Jesus? Are we still seeking

something else? What are we doing with

him?

Friends, we are to be buried with him in

baptism. We are to be raised with him

through faith, the working of God. And

you know what else we're supposed to do?

We're to be made alive together with

him. And we are to walk in newness of

life. And if we can help you get in that

relationship with God through Jesus this

morning, this song, this invitation song

is for you this morning. All things

stand ready. Or if you'd like to study

more about God's plan of salvation and

what we've talked about, you don't leave

here without saying, "Hey, I need to

talk with you about that." If you'd like

to do that, give give me a give me a a

note with your phone number on it,

whatever.

If you have questions, I'm telling you,

this is the most consequential decision

in your life. Starting your walk with

the Lord,

living in the substance. Friends, if

you're already in Christ, but you've

maybe drifted, maybe you stalled, maybe

settled for, I might call it porch

living Christianity. I don't know if

that's appropriate the words for that,

but today is the day to come back, to

get back where we need to be in Christ

and the abiding in him. That is the key.

That's what first John 2 talks about,

right? Abiding in him. There's a whole

another lesson about that. But friends,

for this morning, the cross is spoken.

The tomb is empty. Heaven has revealed

its answer. We have seen it over and

over again through this series. Nothing

more is coming. Christ is the answer.

Christ is fulfillment. He is enough. And

the only question that remains is not

what God has shown us, but how we will

live because of it.

Christ is enough. He always has been and

he always will be. The song of

encouragement is is yours. If you're sub

invitation, call whatever your spiritual

need.