Sermon

Easter Sunday - The Empty Tomb Changes Everything

CityLight NYC Church Podcast

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  1. Looks like you need help. Looks like you need a savior. Yeah, that's what I was looking for. Thank you

  2. You need a savior because you can't save yourself

  3. You've got to be perfect to get into a perfect heaven. You need a savior who will present the perfect sacrifice

  4. Take away all your sin and then allow you to be born again to have a brand new spirit

  5. Which now you can go and meet the Lord in heaven hallelujah

  6. Welcome to the City Light Church podcast. Thanks for joining us today as we look into God's Word and discover the hope and

  7. Truth that he has for us. If you want to connect with City Light Church, feel free to visit us at CityLightNYC.com

  8. That's CityLightNYC.com

  9. Pastor Boyan Jansik and his team believe that the power of the Holy Spirit is already working in our hearts and minds

  10. As you listen to today's teaching

  11. Remember that you are deeply loved by God that you are surrounded by his grace and that he has a real hope and a future for you

  12. I want to open up this morning and just read to you the account of the resurrection. It's in all four of the gospels

  13. My favorite one happens to be in John and so we'll begin

  14. John chapter 20 and verse 1

    John 20 chapter mention

  15. Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early

  16. While it was still dark and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb

  17. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter

  18. And to the other disciple whom Jesus loved and said to them they have taken away the Lord out of the tomb

  19. And we do not know where they have laid him

  20. Peter therefore went out and the other disciple

  21. And we're going to the tomb

  22. So they both ran together and the other disciple who knows who the other disciple is

  23. John the one writing this

  24. It's just interesting because the Bible wasn't written by man

  25. These were holy men that were inspired by the Holy Spirit and God spoke through them

  26. But you still see their personality there. They're still the echo of what makes them them in their personality

  27. Turns out John was a little bit of a

  28. competitive guy

  29. Because even though he leaves his name out of it

  30. He makes sure to point out that when two bros went for a run

  31. He beat Peter

  32. And the other disciple I read Peter and came to the tomb first and there it is forever immortalized in the holy scriptures

  33. I have friends like that

  34. Maybe I'm your friend that's like that

  35. And he's stooping down and looking in so the linen cloths lying there yet he did not go in

  36. Then Simon Peter came

  37. following him and

  38. And went into the tomb and he saw the linen cloths lying there, you know

  39. Driving in this morning

  40. I was I was going over the message in my spirit and just recounting the story of the resurrection in my spirit

  41. And I began to weep as I was driving

  42. I was overwhelmed

  43. I was overwhelmed because I thought of my relationship with the Lord

  44. I became a Christian gave my life to Christ when I was 16

  45. So it's been 34 years of walking with him

  46. And then as I'm thinking of my relationship with the Lord 34 years

  47. You

  48. I was overwhelmed at how messy it was

  49. Yes

  50. Ups

  51. Downs me crying out to the Lord for mercy him always being faithful and just to extend it

  52. Him making a way where there didn't seem to be any way me falling him picking me back up

  53. I have to say that because when you just hear me preach on Sunday you you get the highlight real

  54. And you get me at my best

  55. When I look back at 34 years my mother's sitting in the front row

  56. She knows

  57. And you know what God's not afraid of the mess

  58. It's messy

  59. He's been a lot lot better to me than I've been to him

  60. I haven't always been faithful. He's always been faithful. I haven't always been consistent

  61. He's always been consistent. I haven't always been strong in my love

  62. He never wavered once in his love toward me. He'll never ever waver once in his love toward you

  63. I felt like I had to say that again because there's people here this morning

  64. And and you think of how messy your life has been and maybe you've made a commitment to the Lord

  65. sometime in the past

  66. And it's been ugly and it's been shit god loves the ugly he gets in the ugly

  67. He loves the ugly so much that god came in the person of Jesus in the person of a man

  68. To ugly earth

  69. Left the perfection of heaven

  70. He's not put off by the messiness and ugliness of your life 34 years

  71. I didn't wasn't driving a wild lord. It's been a wild ride

  72. You know and I let you use me to plant the church and you know lord

  73. I always pray lord you know. I always pray. I'm so devoted lord

  74. I think lord that you must call me past your bow in heaven. I think you use the appropriate I'm I'm quivering

  75. I'm white knuckling that steering will go oh god

  76. You're so good and thank you for the resurrection because you live

  77. I will live also. I made a live right now when I will live forever

  78. And you will live forever if you place your faith in Christ

  79. hallelujah

  80. Sam and Peter came following him and went into the tomb and he saw the linen cloths lying there and the handkerchief

  81. Look at the details there and the handkerchief that had been around his head

  82. Not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself

  83. Why is that in the Bible to show that Jesus was so tidy that even at his resurrection

  84. His cloths of linen worn one paw, but the napkin was distinct and put somewhere else

  85. No, it's because in Hebrew tradition there was a sign

  86. If you were a guest in another place if you were never ever coming back

  87. If you were going to say I'm never gonna eat here again

  88. I'm never coming back. There was a particular way you fold to the napkin and left it on the table

  89. And I believe that's exactly what Jesus did with the faith cloth that was our I'm never coming back

  90. I'll never be in this tomb again

  91. hallelujah

  92. Then the other disciple who came to the tomb first went in also and he saw and believed

  93. For as yet they did not know the scripture that he must rise from the dead

  94. Then the disciples went away again to their own homes

  95. But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb

  96. And she saw two angels in white sitting one at the head and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had laying

  97. Then they said to her woman why are you weeping and she said to them because they have taken away my lord

  98. And I do not know where they have laid him

  99. Now when she had said this she turned around and saw Jesus standing there and did not know that it was Jesus

  100. He was disguised and Jesus said to her woman

  101. And why are you weeping remember Jesus is the resurrected Christ now and he's in a glorified body

  102. And there's other accounts where he walked through walls and obviously he was able to hide his appearance

  103. There's not too many details about the glorified body in the scriptures, but it seems pretty cool to me

  104. She's supposing him to be the gardener

  105. He was disguised as the gardener why

  106. I believe it's because this whole problem that he came to south started in a garden

  107. And now he's coming as the gardener

  108. To fix the problem that originated in the garden

  109. She said to him sir if you have carried him away tell me where you have laid him and I will take him away

  110. And Jesus said to her Mary

  111. You know he calls her name and her eyes are open

  112. Today some of you are going to hear him call your name

  113. There's nothing like when he calls your name

  114. Some of you even right now. I haven't even started really preaching

  115. But your heart is beating inside your chest because the weight of eternity is in this room

  116. And he's calling you out by name

  117. He knows you he knew you before you were in your mother's womb

  118. He's counted every hair on your head

  119. And he's calling you

  120. He's calling you to himself

  121. Jesus said to her Mary should turn and set to him rebony

  122. Which is to say teacher

  123. And Jesus said to her do not cling to me

  124. For I have not yet ascended to my father

  125. But go to my brethren and say to them I am ascending to my father and your father

  126. And to my God

  127. And your God

  128. Now when Mary goes to touch him in the Old King James he says touch me not

  129. And the new King James he says don't cling to me

  130. In every version of the Bible what he's saying is don't touch me

  131. There was a spiritual reason I believe something a reason why she could not physically touch him in that moment

  132. But something interesting happens just a few verses later 10 verses later

  133. The disciples come and Thomas is one of the disciples. We've now nicknames him doubting Thomas

  134. But he wanted to see with his own eyes

  135. And Jesus at the time is to reach your finger here to where the spike

  136. Had pierced him reach your finger here and look at my hands and reach your hand here

  137. And where where he was cut with the spear in his side and put it into my side

  138. Do not be believing

  139. unbelieving but be

  140. Believing

  141. So I want to ask you a question what happened in between those 10 verses

  142. Because he tells Mary don't touch me but then a short while after he's telling

  143. Thomas go ahead and touch me

  144. Put put your hand into my side put your finger through the hole in my hand

  145. The answer is found in Hebrews chapter 9

    Hebrews 9 chapter mention

  146. Starting in verse 11

  147. When God created this planet when he created mankind he created this world perfect

  148. He created man perfect and he put him in a perfect place the Garden of Eden

  149. And he said you may eat of every fruit of the garden

  150. But just the the tree of the knowledge of good and evil don't eat of that fruit

  151. Of course man

  152. ate of that fruit and that's when sin entered in

  153. And sin like a viral disease was passed down

  154. From generation to generation to generation if Adam or Eve could see the fruit of sin

  155. If they could see the poverty the wars

  156. The disasters

  157. The envy the strife that would come for generations in generation

  158. And I would afflict the whole world out of course they wouldn't have done it

  159. But that sin spread

  160. And there is a universal law echoed throughout the entire Bible from Genesis to revelation

  161. And that's simply this that the penalty the punishment the wages the payment for sin

  162. Is death

  163. There must be a blood sacrifice to take away sins

  164. There has to be because sin must be punished

  165. So when you actually understand that the whole Bible comes alive and begins to make sense

  166. And you see the thread from Genesis right on into the New Testament

  167. Of the sacrificial system that was God gave the Hebrews that they would come

  168. And this would happen every day and then especially on the day of Atonement the high priest would do it himself

  169. They would take a bull or a goat or a heifer or a lamb

  170. Unspotted without blemish it had to be perfect not a handicap to animal

  171. And and sacrifice it to the Lord

  172. But the Bible was clear that that would not take away sins that that merely temporarily covered them

  173. But that that animal sacrifice was pointing to the ultimate sacrifice

  174. God coming in the flesh and going to the cross as our substitute

  175. And the punishment for sin that we deserve he would take it on himself

  176. This is why blood is so important

  177. This is why Satan always wants to minimize and belittle the blood

  178. We just celebrated Passover for past over he said

  179. When I see the blood I will pass over you the curse was that every first board of the Egyptians

  180. Every first born would be smitten

  181. But he told the Hebrews take the blood apply it to the doorpost

  182. So when destruction comes it's not looking at have you been a good person have you been kind have you been nice

  183. It's when I see the blood I will pass over you some of you are hearing this for the first time. Yes, Christianity is a bloody faith

  184. Because that is what's necessary. That's how awful my sin is your sin is that it must require a perfect blood sacrifice to take all that sin away

  185. So what happened in between Jesus saying touch me not and then

  186. Telling time is go ahead and touch me

  187. Hebrews nine happened there was an ascension and the great high priest Jesus appeared in heaven and presented his blood

  188. You see the resurrection is proof

  189. Now let me let me just stop right there

  190. The the resurrection is proof that the blood sacrifice has been received the resurrection is proof that it's been paid and full

  191. But I had actually a choice when I was going to preach this message

  192. I the the the one other angle I could have gone down is that the resurrection

  193. Is one of the most attested events in human history

  194. And I was going to just kind of go and prove that I've tried that once before like going into how the resurrection is actually one of the most attested to

  195. Events in history it was written about it wasn't just written in the gospels other historians wrote about it

  196. They wrote about Jesus and other historians wrote about that who wrote about that and there's countless manuscripts

  197. And I was going to preach that I preach it a long time ago even a little bit like that and it was crickets

  198. People were snoring, but I understand some people are very very intellectual

  199. They're very logical and so you need something like that you're not going to get that for me today

  200. But the good news hey, there's good news now you can do research

  201. Now whenever somebody tells you I did research that means they spoke into chat or grok for 10 seconds into their phone

  202. So go up and grok it quad it chat it whatever and say show me how the resurrection is the most attested to

  203. Event in history and

  204. You'll get a list upon list upon a list

  205. That this is no fairy tale

  206. This is real

  207. How many of you here you've had your lives absolutely transformed by Jesus Christ

  208. You were one way and now you're another way wave your hand at me

  209. Fables don't transform lives fairy tales don't transform lives

  210. Every single one of the disciples gave their lives as a martyr

  211. People don't die for a lie

  212. Amen

  213. But Christ came as high priest of the good things to come with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands

  214. That is not of this creation

  215. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood

  216. He entered the most holy place you seen the Old Testament the Hebrews had a holy place within the temple

  217. God was clear when he gave instructions on building that holy place that this was a shadow of what's in heaven

  218. This was an earthly representation of what actually is in heaven

  219. So there is a holy place in heaven under the old covenant the Hebrew high priest who come in with that animal

  220. That was sacrificed and he would sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat

  221. And he would even sprinkle the blood on the people

  222. Jesus did the same thing

  223. But for the whole world he entered in not with the blood of bulls and goats and calves

  224. But with his own blood he entered the most holy place once for all having obtained

  225. eternal redemption

  226. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh

  227. How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God

  228. Cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God

  229. Hallelujah

  230. So what happened in between touch me not and you may touch me is Jesus went up into heaven briefly

  231. And brought his blood to the father and it was approved brought his blood over to the mercy seat and

  232. Sprinkle the blood on the planet

  233. Because in potential format the blood is on the planet. That's why we we have statues there named

  234. Christ the savior of the world

  235. That's why when John saw Jesus he said behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world

  236. Jesus has cleansed the world, but is the whole world cleansed

  237. Those who say yes are those who receive it those who reject Christ are not

  238. So potentially speaking because he's done all the work

  239. It depends on you it depends on man saying yes

  240. I believe I believe that when you were on that cross you actually saw me and he did

  241. Even though you were born two thousand years later. He saw you he knew your name and every single sin

  242. You have committed or you would ever commit fell upon him

  243. And he said it is finished paid in full

  244. For you that's how much he loves you

  245. Hallelujah

  246. So I just want to read you several things that you have as a result of

  247. The resurrection number one what I just read was confirmation of the sacrifice

  248. The resurrection is confirmation that the sacrifice was well received and isn't that good news

  249. Today's ago was good Friday

  250. Good Fridays in the Bible somebody called it good Friday. They should have called it great Friday

  251. Like really great Friday

  252. Because on great Friday

  253. He paid the price and said paid in full it is finished

  254. Let's go to John chapter three and we'll start a verse one

  255. As a result of the resurrection you have something called the new birth

  256. The new birth is available to you

  257. And this discussion concerning the new birth is found in John chapter three

  258. This is one of the first passages of scripture I ever read when I was 16 years old

  259. I didn't read it alone, but the people who were witnessing to me and trying to lead me to the Lord

  260. Of course, this is one of the first chapters in the Bible. They opened up to

  261. There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews

  262. I used to have this joke when I first started city light

  263. Nicodemus I like to call him Nick. He came to Jesus by night. I called that Nick at night

  264. Ha ha in the whole place with laugh now no one laughs as you see

  265. And I realized I'm not gonna say the joke anymore because it's told nearly 25 years later

  266. You got youngins in the front row never even watch Nick at night

  267. So this is probably the last year. I'll leave in a reference it

  268. That was a good one while it lasted. We had that for a good decade

  269. The man came to Jesus and said to him rabbi

  270. We know that your teacher come from God for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him

  271. And Jesus answered and said to him most assuredly I say to you

  272. unless one is born again

  273. He cannot see the kingdom of God and in a few verses you'll read the only must Jesus ever gave

  274. Man in religion puts a lot of must you must you must you must there's only one must that Jesus gave you must

  275. Be born again

  276. And this is so powerful and so necessary

  277. That culture and the media has actually poisoned that phrase born again when I became a Christian when actually was born

  278. Again

  279. People that I spoke to they asked me you remember this mom

  280. I let my mom and father to the Lord after I became a Christian to say you one of those born again Christians

  281. We're going oh and I was offended they would think because in my mind the born again Christian was a

  282. Crazy wacko nut job

  283. Because that's what the media and had trained me to think that's what popular culture had trained me to think

  284. Then I then I realized oh wait, I am born again

  285. But I am born again. I'm not a born again because this isn't a sect. This isn't a denomination. This isn't a

  286. A particular church if you're a Christian a true Christian you're born again Jesus just said you have to be born again

  287. How can you be a Christian and I be born again

  288. Oh your confused your cultural Christian

  289. You were born in a family that said oh, we're Christian and they only said that because they weren't Buddhist

  290. They weren't Muslim. They weren't Jewish. They weren't Taoist. So yeah, we're Christian

  291. You can't be a cultural Christian. It's actually be something you got to go through

  292. Come on now. I can go set up a sleeping bag in my garage spend the whole week there doesn't make me a car

  293. So I've been to church all my life. Yes, but are you born again?

  294. Most assuredly I say to you unless one is born again

  295. He cannot see the kingdom of God

  296. Nicodemus said to him he's hearing Jesus completely in the natural

  297. How can a man be born when he is old?

  298. Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born

  299. And Jesus answers most assuredly I say to you unless one is born of water and the spirit

  300. He cannot enter the kingdom of God

  301. That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit

  302. So don't marvel that I said to you and here's the one and only must from Jesus. Don't marvel that I said to you

  303. You must be born again

  304. A great question to ask after hearing a must from Jesus like this is

  305. How can I be born again?

  306. And

  307. It's so much easier than most people realize

  308. We complicate things Jesus simplifies things

  309. So I'm going to say it as simple as I possibly can when you believe on Jesus

  310. Believe on his crucifixion on his burial and his resurrection

  311. And you trust him with your life and you surrender your life over to him and you tell him that out loud

  312. You will be born again many people when they actually do this they sense something happening

  313. I I felt like I was turned inside out and he said a brand new spirit will I put in you that's what being born again is

  314. Your old spirit stained with sin. It's not just refurbished. It's not just patched up

  315. He doesn't just take the sin out

  316. He cleanses you of all your sin, but he takes your spirit and the Bible calls it a new creation

  317. He puts a brand spanking new spirit on the inside of you. That's the new birth

  318. That's being born again, and that's available to whoever will call upon the name of the Lord

  319. I highly recommend it

  320. If you highly recommend a clap right now

  321. First Peter one three

  322. So because of the resurrection we have the new birth

  323. The new birth is necessary

  324. Because in order to go into heaven you know you have to be perfect to get into heaven

  325. I didn't make that up that's in the Bible

  326. I

  327. Made a lot of new friends lately living in Long Island

  328. People a lot more chatty over there

  329. You know people in NYC they're guarded they're rigid

  330. Near Long Island people like to chat

  331. And I've really I mean I always knew this because I shared my faith everywhere I went

  332. But it really is so true that your average person really thinks that they're really really good

  333. Because we'll talk about eternity they've asked everyone of the first questions people ask you's what do you do

  334. So I tell them

  335. Which is a real treat

  336. Because everybody has their own idea of what a pastor is and what he should be like

  337. Then they start telling me about how good they are

  338. People who trust in their own goodness. It's because they're comparing themselves to Hitler

  339. Have you ever noticed if you've ever gotten into these conversations

  340. You know someone why do you deserve to go to heaven? Well, I'm a pretty good person

  341. I mean the whole generally. I mean I'm not Hitler right

  342. Like like Hitler is the standard for goodness

  343. I mean you compare yourself to Hitler and you go wow. I really you know, I won up Hitler

  344. I'm more moral than Hitler God's gotta let me in

  345. Listen God isn't gonna compare you to Hitler

  346. God is gonna compare you to himself

  347. He's gonna compare you to Jesus Christ and you're gonna come short

  348. And when I share that with people in it

  349. Well who then who then can get in well, that's the whole point. I'm so glad you asked

  350. Looks like you need help

  351. Looks like you need a

  352. Savior yeah, that's what I was looking for. Thank you third row. You need a savior

  353. Because you can't save yourself. You got to be perfect to get into a perfect heaven

  354. You need a savior who will present the perfect sacrifice

  355. Yeah, take away all your sin and then allow you to be born again to have a brand new spirit

  356. Will which now you can go and meet the Lord in heaven? Hallelujah

  357. Hallelujah first Peter one three blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ

  358. According to his great mercy he has caused us to be born again

  359. To a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ

  360. From the dead because of today because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ

  361. If you're to give your life to the Lord and he's knocking on the door of your heart right now

  362. You will experience the new birth you will experience being born again

  363. And then your brand new life and relationship with God begin

  364. Been serving him 34 years now

  365. There was never a minute where I regretted it. There's never a time worth. Oh, I shouldn't have said yes

  366. It's the greatest decision I've ever ever made

  367. Hallelujah

  368. Let's look at John

    John 11:25–26

  369. 11 verses 25 through 26

  370. The resurrection is confirmation that you will live forever

  371. Is this important to anyone?

  372. Because it's really important to me

  373. But talking to people it doesn't seem like it's that important like you just need to have above a room temperature IQ

  374. To realize that you're an eternal being

  375. Just put your phone down for 10 minutes and go into your infinite mind spend some time with you

  376. And you'll realize you're conscious and that you're an infinite being

  377. And what do you think is going to happen when you go

  378. What do you really think are you gonna you know and I hear you well?

  379. I think so and so why I think so like aren't you terrified to just ever you got an opinion

  380. Everybody's got an opinion

  381. Well, I think God at the end of the day well

  382. Well, I just I and I believe all religions and all the boats, you know

  383. They all get to the same side of the lake

  384. So you're kind of like just guessing you worked 50 hours a week to keep your lights on but when it comes to your eternal soul

  385. You spent five minutes thinking about it

  386. There's a heaven to gain and a hell to shun and eternity is real

  387. Now again, if you don't know my history, I was raised in New York City since I was five years old

  388. In four still queens that moved to Manhattan for a few years and until recently spent 15 years in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

  389. I didn't realize when I was in my 20s or 30s that NYC is so young

  390. Like age-wise only as you get a little older do you realize you know like as I entered into my 40s in Williamsburg

  391. I'm like, you know, I'm not like one of the cool guys around here anymore

  392. You know somebody rushed to help me cross the street. I was like oh, I must be becoming a man of a certain age all of a sudden

  393. And then we had a flood and we have two children my wife and I we moved to Long Island and Long Island is really old

  394. Right, I know there's some Long Islanders here Long Island just like I think the average age is 58 there

  395. Like that's a problem Long Island has so a lot of the people I'm meeting are older and I they know what I do

  396. We talk about the things of God but

  397. So few talk about eternity and I'm going how you got one foot in the grave another foot on a banana peel

  398. Does it never cross your mind? Where will you spend eternity?

  399. I want to live forever. Amen

  400. Jesus said to her I am the resurrection and the life he who believes in me though he may die

  401. Yet shall he live the resurrection is confirmation of eternal life

  402. The resurrection is confirmation that you and you know when you just even honest with yourself

  403. You know that you're an eternal being you know there's something more going on inside of you than a bunch of what you came from primordial

  404. Lose in your collection of random molecules and chemicals and when you feel what what a Christian calls faith and love

  405. That's just your neural receptors picking up on different happy chemical what I'm sorry. I don't have faith for that

  406. I tried to be an atheist. I did. I really tried. I didn't have enough faith for it

  407. As an atheist that have to believe that the big bang theory happened and that's to me that's like

  408. Taking a grenade throwing it into a junkyard and now comes a complicated thing like a Rolex watch

  409. I'm sorry. That's such a fantastic thing. I can't believe it

  410. As much as I try to have faith. It's too much faith. I can't I can't do it

  411. I just believe that there's amnipotent. I'm nepresident. I'm nishant

  412. loving God and he made you

  413. Hallelujah

  414. First Corinthian 64 worship team you can come on up

  415. First Corinth 614

  416. And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by his power

  417. Hallelujah

  418. Hallelujah

  419. Amen. I want to give you an opportunity

  420. To receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior

  421. He said behold I stand on the at the door and knock if any man open the door

  422. I will come into him and will sup with him and he with me

  423. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish

  424. But have everlasting life

  425. Everlasting life is what he came to give you ever lasting life is why he was resurrected

  426. What is the enemy? What is the problem here? Well Satan is trying to blind you

  427. Satan is trying to keep you complacent

  428. Satan and he's succeeding so many people going about I jokingly said one foot on the grave one foot on a banana peel

  429. Ignoring what how do you ignore tic-tac tic-tac tic-tac you have a finite amount of time on the surface

  430. How do you ignore that like what kind of denial do you have to live in?

  431. To just ignore that and to go you know

  432. I mean

  433. No one's really that good the people have the silliest things that they say and I get it because I used to be one of those people

  434. No one's really we're not even comparing you to anyone else forget about other people

  435. This is about you and God and he knows you have a problem

  436. He knows your stuff and the good news is he came from heaven to earth to solve your problem to fix your problem

  437. And he's calling you right now

  438. Every head bowed every eye closed

  439. I want to ask you the most important decision anyone can ask you and that's if you were to die today

  440. Do you know for certain that you would go and have eternity with God?

  441. I'll ask it again if you were to die today

  442. Do you know for certain that you would go to heaven?

  443. If not I want to say a prayer with you and for you

  444. I'm not going to ask you to get up out of your seat

  445. But I'm going to ask you to lift up your hand in acknowledgement of your need for a savior

  446. If that's you right now you want to have your sins forgiven you want to experience the new birth

  447. You want to know Jesus

  448. You want to be heaven bound and the count of three. I want you to raise your hand one two three

  449. Lift your hand up in the sanctuary right now. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I see those hands

  450. Thank you who else keep your hand up. Thank you

  451. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you

  452. Who else?

  453. Do not resist the Holy Spirit

  454. I sense the way to eternity in this place

  455. God is after you. He wants you. He wants you forever with him

  456. Who else

  457. Who else

  458. All right every hand down

  459. I want you those of you who raised your hands to say this prayer out loud and we're all going to say it out loud

  460. We're all going to pray this together, but those of you who raised your hands say it extra loud

  461. That's important

  462. Don't mouth this

  463. Why am I stickler for it because the Bible says if you confess

  464. If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus

  465. So you got to confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead

  466. You will be saved. So it's not actually enough just to believe in your heart. There's something about saying it out loud

  467. So say this with me right now say dear Lord Jesus

  468. I believe in you

  469. I believe you died on the cross

  470. in my place

  471. For me

  472. I receive you

  473. As my Lord and Savior

  474. I repent I ask your forgiveness

  475. Fill me with the Holy Spirit

  476. I put my trust in you

  477. You are my Lord and Savior

  478. I am now forgiving

  479. I'm a friend of God

  480. And I am cleansed and heaven bound

  481. In Jesus name

  482. Shot a big hallelujah

  483. hallelujah

  484. hallelujah

  485. I've asked the worship team up

  486. Because I want them to lead you in a song you can stay seated

  487. But I want you to just have a moment with the Lord

  488. I

  489. Focus on salvation today because there's people who come on Easter Sunday. That's the only time they'll come

  490. That's the only time we'll see them

  491. When you actually get saved you'll come more

  492. I mean if someone told me I had to go to church

  493. Did you come from that background? I had to go to church. Is that what you guys were?

  494. Yeah

  495. No fun, right now I see both you smiling ear to your every Sunday now. It's not religion. You have to come right?

  496. I want to come I get to come

  497. And if you don't come you don't get a call from you're going to where have you been

  498. Yeah, there's freedom in the camp

  499. Hallelujah

  500. So just just open your heart up

  501. The Holy Spirit wants to come and minister to you now

  502. You can do so much more than any man than the best of old men. They'll come and talk to you

  503. He'll give you what you need

  504. The resurrection is yes about eternal life

  505. But the resurrection also

  506. Opens the doorway for the Lord to solve our problems right here on earth

  507. You were not created to suffer to crawl through life trying to just survive

  508. He did actually create you to be blessed to have a victorious life and to thrive. Yes

  509. Because

  510. The resurrection is a story of victory and that victory has been transferred over to you from Jesus

  511. Lord I bless your people lord may heavens rain come upon them this week

  512. Show yourself strong on their behalf

  513. Lord, I thank you that if any are going through a trial or something difficult you will come in and you will help them for your words

  514. Says you're a very present help in a time of trouble

  515. Nothing is too difficult for you you conquered death hell and the grave

  516. You live and we live also and I thank you for the victory of the resurrection made manifest in every person's life this week

  517. And if you believe it shot a man

  518. Hey man

  519. This is the city light church podcast if you've missed any part of today's message

  520. Or if you would like to find out more about pastor boy on jansik and city light church

  521. Visit us at city light NYC dot com that's city light

  522. NYC dot com feel free to visit us online or in person anytime

  523. We would love to connect with you

  524. We pray that you have been encouraged today

  525. That you have been reminded how much god loves you and that you are surrounded by grace

  526. Thank you for listening make sure that you subscribe to city light church podcast wherever you find your favorite podcasts worldwide

  527. You