Hope for When We Fail

Good morning everyone and happy Easter to you all.

Fantastic, glad you're here.

Some prayer requests and announcements before we get started.

Hopefully you all received or picked up a little bulletin, a little information sheet on the way in and inside kind of the center fold.

There there's a list of different life groups and where they're meeting.

These are home Bible studies and if you have any more questions about that you can grab someone before you leave today.

But we do encourage you to plug into a life group.

Very exciting for your spiritual growth and our prayer requests.

I want to keep in our prayers a young man named Colt.

Colt is a friend of Paul Freese.

Colt is needing some health prayers prayers for health as well as spiritual walk.

Also, sandy Weimer.

Sandy is a friend of Janet Letia.

She is Sandy is in Genesis Hospital with some health complications.

Landon Kuhn is a local youth.

He's a local athlete.

He was injured in a baseball game yesterday and I understand, took a baseball to a sensitive area and he's waiting surgery up in Children's.

So keep Landon Kuhn in your prayers.

And also, jim Urien Sr is scheduled for upcoming heart procedure.

So keep Jim Urien Sr in your prayers At this time.

Bryce, we're going to turn it over to you.

Thank you so much for being here and again, happy Easter.

Would you stand with me as we begin our worship this morning, please?

Let's start with a word of prayer Lord, thank you, thank you for this morning, thank you for today, for what it means, what it means to us.

Scholars have debated about when and where and why and how Scoffers have tried to debunk it.

All I can say is thank you, thank you, thank you for what this day means to us, for what your son did for us, for dying for us.

Holy Spirit, we invite you in this place this morning to cover us and just encourage us and equip us to be disciple makers and to spread some light in our dark world.

And it's in your name we pray Amen, amen in our dark world.

And I say in your name we pray Amen, amen In Christ alone my hope is found he is my light, my strength my song.

This cornerstone, this solid ground Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

What heights of love, what depths of peace when fears are still and strivings cease, seized my comforter, my all in all here in the love of Christ.

I stand In Christ alone, who took on flesh.

Fullness of God in helpless babe this gift of love and righteousness.

Scorned by the ones he came to save, jesus died.

The wrath of God Was satisfied, for every sin On Him was laid here in the death of Christ.

I live there in the ground His body lay light of the world by darkness slain, then bursting forth in glorious day.

Up from the grave he rose again.

And as he stands in victory.

Sin's curse has lost its grip on me, for I am His and he is mine, bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death.

This is the power of Christ in me.

From life's first cry to final breath.

Jesus commands my destiny.

No power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from his hand.

From His hand till he returns or calls me home here in the power of Christ.

I'll stand Till he returns or calls me home here in the power of Christ.

I'll stand Amen.

Who has held the oceans in his hand, who has numbered every grain of sand?

Kings and nations tremble at his voice.

All creation rises to rejoice.

Who has given counsel to the Lord?

Who can question any of his words?

Who can teach?

The one who knows all things?

Who can fathom all his wondrous deeds?

Behold our God Seated on His throne.

Come, let us adore Him.

Behold our King.

Nothing can compare.

Come let us adore him.

Who has felt the nails upon his hand, Bearing all the guilt of sinful man.

God eternal, humble to the grave.

Jesus Savior risen now to reign on His throne.

Come, let us adore Him.

Behold our King.

Nothing can compare.

Come, let us adore.

Him.

You will reign forever.

You will reign forever.

You will reign forever.

You will reign forever.

You will reign forever.

Let your glory fill.

Behold our God seated on His throne.

Come, let us adore Him.

Behold our King.

Nothing can compare.

Come, let us adore Him.

Behold our God seated on His throne.

Come, let us adore Him.

Adorn him.

Behold our King.

Nothing can compare.

Come, let us adore him, though in the grave he lay.

Jesus, my Savior waiting the coming day.

Jesus, my Lord, up from the grave he arose With a mighty triumph for his foes, he arose a victor from the dark domain and he lives forever with his saints to reign.

He arose, he arose, he arose, he arose.

Hallelujah Christ arose.

Vainly, they watch his bed.

Jesus, my Savior.

Vainly they seal the dead Jesus, my Lord.

Up from the grave he arose with a mighty triumph for his foes.

He arose a victor from the dark domain and he lives forever with his saints to reign.

He arose, he arose, he arose.

Hallelujah, christ arose.

Death cannot keep its prey, jesus my Savior.

He tore the bars away.

Jesus, my Lord, up from the grave he arose with a mighty triumph for his foes.

He arose he arose a victor from the dark domain and he lives forever with his saints to reign.

He arose, he arose, he arose.

Hallelujah Christ arose, he arose, he arose.

Hallelujah.

Christ arose, Amen.

All right scripture reading this morning comes from Mark 16, verses 1 through 8.

Mark 16:1–8

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus's body.

Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other who will roll away the stone from the entrance of the tomb.

But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.

As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

Don't be alarmed.

He said you are looking for Jesus, the Nazarene who was crucified.

He is risen.

He is not here.

See the place where they laid him, but go tell his disciples and Peter.

He is going ahead of you into Galilee.

There you will see him, just as he told you.

Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb.

They said nothing to anyone because they were afraid.

Bow with me, please.

Father, we thank you so much for this day.

We thank you for the time of year where we celebrate the resurrection of your son and our Savior King Jesus, of your Son and our Savior, king Jesus.

We ask you, father, to open our hearts to your Word and help us to find the peace, comfort, help us to see your love.

This morning, in Jesus' name, and all God's people said amen.

Happy Easter, glad you're here.

This morning, a little birdie told me that today is Hazel Pitcher's birthday.

Birdie told me that today is Hazel Pitcher's birthday, 92 years old.

Let's give Hazel a hand.

Happy birthday, hazel, glad that she's here.

And Rusty, there will be the Easter egg hunt afterwards.

Rusty will come in and give you all your.

You're not old, you're too old, jay, sorry, we'll give all of the details on that.

We thank you for being here and I love I've said it before all the kids in here.

I love loud churches.

A loud church with a bunch of kids is a healthy church and I love that.

I love that we are going to.

You know, failing is just a part of life, right?

We've all failed at things and we've all experienced it, and this week I ran across an article that sort of talked of some of the world's biggest failures.

How many of you remember Blockbuster Video?

Yeah, what's that?

You still have a Blockbuster card in your wallet, why he uses it to break into houses.

He says a Blockbuster card in his wallet.

Blockbuster, of course.

Of course you remember Tanner.

Do you even know what blockbuster is?

Are you too young?

All right, I mean blockbusters, you know.

Back they had this little thing called VHS, vhs tapes you had to go rent.

And there is one blockbuster left in the whole world.

Josh told me while ago, bend Oregon, right, you looked it up.

He said Seattle at the 830 service.

I've been to Bend Oregon, believe it or not, but there's one Blockbuster video left in the world.

And the thing about Blockbuster is that back in the day, in 2000, the founder of Netflix you've heard of Netflix offered Netflix to Blockbuster for only $50 million.

For $50 million, blockbuster could have bought Netflix, but Blockbuster turned them down three times because they said that's never going to work, livestream's never going to work, and today Netflix is worth 30 billion dollars.

A massive fail by Blockbuster Video.

Right, and then Apple and me.

If you have an Apple, you know iPhone thing.

I'm a jigger or whatever it is.

You know Apple.

Apple was founded by Steve Jobs, steve Wozniak, wozniak and another guy that was a part of Apple.

His name was Ronald Wayne.

Now, you probably never heard of Ronald Wayne, but Ronald Wayne, he owned like a 10% part of Apple, but he got cold feet.

He didn't think Apple was going to work and so he sold Apple, his Apple portion, back to Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak for $800.

A massive fail.

A massive failure there.

He ended up living in a mobile home park selling stamps in retirement because he just gave it up.

It was just a massive fail.

And then how many you know what?

That is the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, and it was built in the 1700s.

It was going to be a part of a.

It was a bell tower to be a part of this big complex to celebrate the military victories of Pisa, which I never knew they had any military victories.

But you can see what happened it leaned, it wasn't built correctly and this is a failure.

That sort of turned out pretty good because it's a big tourist attraction now.

Now every year they've got to sort of fix it because it keeps leaning.

But the whole point is there's been some massive failures throughout history and I'll give you some more.

He was fired.

Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper company because the editor said he doesn't have enough imagination.

That's a massive failure on that guy's part.

Albert Einstein on his school record I'm choked up, sorry.

On his school record a teacher put that he is mentally slow and not very smart.

Seinfeld his very first stand-up comedy routine got booed off the stage.

Stand-up comedy routine got booed off the stage.

Elvis uh-huh was saying at the Grand Ole Opry and he was told that he would never amount to anything.

He needed to go back to driving a truck.

They wouldn't let him perform.

That's a massive fail, right?

I mean, elvis was pretty good.

You know I was an Elvis impersonator at one time.

You don't want to see the picture?

Burke was at the 830.

I think there's one picture left.

Jim Kohler has it and he blackmails me with it cause he had me dress up.

Because he had me dress up.

Burke somehow had me dress up in this one-piece white jumper thing like Elvis would wear for Golden Sixties.

I looked like the Michelin man.

I mean, it was bad.

I'm trying to destroy all of those pictures.

There's only one left, jim Kohler.

Jim Kohler.

The price keeps going up.

What the price keeps going up when I die, you can just print, you can plaster it right up there, I don't care, but you know.

But it was a massive fail.

And the fact of the matter is we have all failed at one time or another.

We can relate to these people because we have failed.

Some of us have failed in relationships.

Some of us have had financial failures.

Some of us have failed in trying to overcome addiction.

Some of us have failed on the team.

We've failed on a job, we've failed in a Christian walk.

Failing is just part of living in this broken world.

Part of the Easter story is not only that Jesus defeated death when he raised from the grave and we talked about that last week but part of the Easter story is also this that Jesus, when he rose from the grave, he gives us hope in our failures.

The passage we read in Mark 16 talks about the three ladies that came early Sunday morning to go put spices on Jesus' body to keep him from stinking.

Basically, they couldn't do it after he died because the Sabbath had started.

The Sabbath went from Friday night at 6 o'clock to Saturday night at 6.

But those ladies weren't going to the garden in the dark.

So they got up early Sunday morning and went there.

And when they went there they noticed that the stone had been moved.

In fact, if you notice what Jeff read, as they went there, they were talking how are we going to move that stone?

I don't know how we're going to do it.

They didn't believe Jesus resurrected from the grave or they didn't understand because they thought we were going to have to move that stone.

But when they got there, the stone was rolled away.

And I want you to notice something the stone wasn't rolled away so Jesus could get out of the tomb.

He could have got out of the tomb without the stone being rolled away.

The stone was rolled away for you and my benefit, so that we could see that the tomb was empty, and so the stone was rolled away.

There's the angel sitting there.

The guards saw they're scared to death.

They're just frozen.

What are we going to do?

And I want you to notice what the angel says, as they were wondering what was going to happen, and it says that he said don't be alarmed, you are looking for Jesus of Nazarene who was crucified.

He says.

I want you to know he was dead, because there are some people that say Jesus didn't die.

There are some smart professors that go around and say Jesus really didn't die, he just sort of passed out on the cross.

And he passed out on the cross.

I had a professor tell me this.

He passed out on the cross and he was put in.

It's called the swoon theory.

He was put in the tomb and the coolness of the tomb woke Him up and he was able to roll away the stone.

He beat up the guards and he went into Jerusalem and said I rose from the grave and I'm thinking, really, you're a professor.

And I'm thinking, really you're a professor, a doctor of idiocy, I don't know what it was.

And so he said he is crucified.

And then he said he is also risen, he is alive.

If you read the rest of his passage, you will see the guards go into town and they tell the Pharisees he's alive.

And they said well, we can't go around telling people he's alive.

Why don't we make up a story?

Let's to me that that that's the weakest argument, because those disciples who stole the body just 50 days later are standing in front of a crowd in jerusalem saying I want you to know this jesus whom you crucified is risen from the dead and that jesus whom you crucified is lord and christ.

And those disciples that that are accused of stealing the body died saying we saw him dead.

We saw him alive.

Peter was hung on a cross upside down, one of them was skinned alive, one of them was burned at the stake, one of them had their head chopped off.

And every one of them died saying you know what.

You can kill me if you want to.

I know he was dead and I saw him alive.

Now I understand people die for for something they believe is true every day.

I understand that there's people in Middle East that blow themselves up every day for what they believe is true, but nobody dies for something that they know is a lie.

There's no way that every one of those apostles would die for a lie by stealing the body and then going around saying Does that make sense?

And so here we go, they're there, and I want you to understand these two words here.

That gives us hope is just as much as hope I think is.

He's alive.

He says see the place where they've laid him.

And then the angel tells these three ladies go, tell his disciples and Peter to meet me, where I said I was going to meet him.

And you read that and you think why did he pick on Peter?

Why didn't he say, go tell his disciples and John, go tell his disciples.

And Bartholomew, go tell his disciples, and James the Less?

Why did he say, go tell his disciples and Peter, what did Peter do just before this, three days earlier?

You remember he denied Christ.

Did you ever get called to the principal's office?

I spent most of my school career in the principal's office.

The first time I got called to the principal's office was first grade.

I don't remember to this day what I did.

I remember the wax Wax W-H-A-C-K-S, not W-A-X.

That's back when they had the paddle with the holes in it and could get away with it.

Imagine how Peter felt when, hey, the girls come back and say, hey, we saw Jesus.

He's alive and he wants to see all of you in Galilee.

And Peter, he specifically said he wanted to see you.

I bet Peter's thinking, uh-oh, I just got called to the principal's office, I just got called in by the elders, I just got called in by the boss.

This is it Because Peter had denied Christ right before then.

But yet you think, why in the world did he pick on Peter?

See, peter was a great disciple.

Peter reminds me of Fred Flintstone he's always loud, he's not always right, but he's never in doubt.

And Peter did some great things.

He at least got out of the boat and walked on the water for a little while, and Peter did preach at Pentecost.

But Peter was messed up a lot as well.

For example, in Matthew 16, when Jesus says right before this, jesus says hey, who do people, what are people saying about me?

And the apostles say well, some people say you're Elijah, and some people say you're this guy, and some people say you're one of the prophets.

He says well, who do you say I am?

And Peter said I tell you who you are.

You are the Christ, you're the king, you're the Christ, you're the anointed one.

And Jesus said you are right, peter, good job.

And Peter said I get a gold star.

You're right, peter, and I'm telling you, upon this confession, that I'm the Christ and I am the chosen one of God.

I'm going to build my church.

And then Jesus goes and says but I'm going to tell you here's what's going to happen.

I'm going to go to Jerusalem, I'm going to die and raise three days later and Peter said what they said Jesus, I need to talk to you a minute.

So Peter said all right, what do you need?

Jesus says what do you need, peter?

Peter said you ain't going to die, there's no way.

And Jesus, right after Peter, said you're the Christ.

And Jesus said attaboy.

Jesus looked at him and said you get behind me, satan, because you don't have in things the man of God.

You have in your mind the things of man.

You don't know what you're talking about.

I am going to die.

And part of Peter's problem is he suffered from the sin of presumption.

He's thinking God, I know better than you, you ain't going to die.

God, I know better than you what makes me happy.

You can't tell me what to do, god, I know better than you.

God, god, I got this.

That was part of Peter's problem.

Peter's problem was pride.

In Mark, chapter 14, when Jesus is at the Last Supper and he says you know, one of you is going to betray me.

Mark 14 · chapter mention

And Peter said not me, lord, even if everybody else leaves you, I got your back.

I got you.

I'm your homie.

I got your back, lord, I'm not leaving you.

In fact, when they come to arrest Jesus.

Peter pulls out a sword and chops off a dude's ear, trying to keep him from arresting Jesus.

And in one of the funnier things that I think happened in the Bible, jesus picks up the ear ee, ee, ee, ee, ee and puts it back on the guy's head and heals him.

And those people hate Jesus so much they don't even stop and think about it.

And so he says Peter says I'm not going to leave you.

There's no way I'm going to leave you.

I got your back.

And Jesus says Peter, I'm going to tell you right now, before the rooster crows three times, or before the rooster crows twice, you're going to deny me three times.

And it happened.

Peter's problem was he was full of pride.

I'll never do that.

I can't believe those people.

Peter failed a lot.

I'll give you another example.

When Peter if you read in Acts, chapter 10, peter was called to go preach the gospel to Cornelius, the first Gentile, the first non-Jewish person, and Peter first wasn't going to go because he said those people are unclean.

Acts 10 · chapter mention

And God said Peter, don't you call something unclean that I say is clean.

I want the Gentiles to go to heaven too.

So Peter went, cornelius became a Christian.

His household became a Christian.

He celebrated that all of these people, how Jesus was accepting God, wanted, non-christians or non-Jews, a relationship with him as well, and everything's happy.

But 14 years later, in Galatians is spelled wrong T-I-A-N-S.

My bad.

Fourteen years later hey, sorry, I can't spell right.

Fourteen years later, paul's in Galatia at Antioch and Paul's talking about Paul and the apostle Paul.

He has to defend his apostleship because these people in Galatia say he's not one of the original 12.

He's not a real apostle, he's just a fraud.

And Paul says I am a real one.

He says, in fact, let me tell you how real I am.

One time Peter came and he was hanging out with the Gentiles, and still some of his Jewish buddies came from Jerusalem and he didn't want to be seen hanging out with the Gentiles and so he ignored his Gentile friends when the Jewish buddies came there and I called him out because he was being prejudiced.

He was a bigot.

That's 14 years after the ascension.

The point I'm trying to make is Peter failed a lot, but yet at the resurrection Jesus says Listen, I want you to go tell the disciples and especially I want you to tell Peter I need to see him.

Why did he want to see him.

He struggled with sin.

He still struggled.

Why did he want to see him?

What do we learn about this?

Here's a couple of things I want us to understand about the resurrection we need to remember.

The resurrection shows us that God loves us even when we fail.

He says Peter, I want to see you because I want to remember Remember Peter ended up preaching on Pentecost.

I want to see Peter.

Peter come here, because not only have I defeated death, but I want you to come here, peter, because I want you to know that the resurrection shows that I'm alive and I still love you.

Maybe you felt guilty because you've disobeyed God I have.

Or maybe you even guilty because you've disobeyed God I have, or maybe you even denied Him, but I want you to understand that God still loves us and Jesus still loves us even when we fail.

Now he may discipline us because he loves us.

I discipline my kids because I love them, but the resurrection shows us that even when we fail, jesus is alive and he still loves us.

Does that make sense?

The Apostle Paul said this what was the Apostle Paul before?

He was a Christian.

He was a terrorist.

He persecuted Christians.

He killed Christians.

In fact, he became a Christian on his way to Damascus to put Christians in jail.

And so here's this apostle who killed Christians, and I want you to notice what he said after he became a Christian.

He says I am convinced, even though I messed up, even though I killed Christians, even though I put Christians in jail, even though I denied Christ, even though I held the coats while they were stoning Stephen to death, and I'm sitting there saying hit him for me, hit him for me.

I am now convinced.

He says that nothing can keep me from God's love.

And here's the point I want us to understand I don't care what you've done, I don't care how many times you've done it, I don't care who you've done it with.

God still loves you and he wants you back.

He doesn't want you to stay in that mess, but he loves you and he wants to forgive us.

And when we fail, he says hey, go tell the disciples.

And Woody, I need to see Woody too.

Go tell the disciples and Woody, I need to see Woody too.

Go tell the disciples and Justin, go tell the disciples.

And Maddie, go tell the disciples.

And Jeff, I need to see them because I want them to know that, even though they've blown it big time, I still love them.

Does that make sense?

We need to rejoice at the resurrection because God heals broken hearts.

When Peter denied Christ three times, he saw Jesus after he did it the third time and he wept bitterly.

His heart was broken.

When we hurt somebody we love, it breaks our hearts.

I remember in eighth grade eighth grade was the three best years of my life and I remember in eighth grade and I was active in church.

At eighth grade I was a little old church, about 60 people, and I went in and told them we needed to buy a bus and start bringing people to church.

And we ended up buying three buses and bringing in a hundred and here I was working at church and leading, singing and teaching.

But I would go to school and live a totally different lifestyle.

And I remember in eighth grade, sitting in the gym before school, sitting next to a guy, and we're starting talking and he starts cussing all of a sudden.

I just start cussing.

I'm just yeah, blankety-blank, blankety-blank, blank, blank, blank, blank, blank, blank, blank, blank, blank.

And then I look and there's the preacher son, who was my best friend, sitting right next to me, blankety-blankety-blank.

Oh, praise the Lord, yeah, yeah, and it was like man.

And at first I was sort of upset because I got caught more than I was being a hypocrite.

But then it broke my heart because I saw the look on Rob's face and what it did to me.

And I picture Peter the same way after he starts cussing Blinkity, blink, I don't know the man, and then he turns and sees Jesus.

See, I believe Peter wanted to please Jesus.

But just like us, sometimes the flesh gets in the way, sometimes we just mess up.

And so Jesus specifically asked for Peter because he wants him to know that not only do I forgive you, but I want to heal that broken heart that you feel because I know you let me down.

You see that with David sins, remember when David at the least committed adultery with Bathsheba probably more, it was a sexual assault of Bathsheba you remember that when he possibly even raped her and then when they found out that she was pregnant, he ended up planning and arranged to have her husband killed.

Does that sound like a man after God's own heart to you?

And when the prophet Nathan went to David and confronted him and Nathan's heart's broken, god healed him of that broken heart and restored him.

But there were some things that David did.

First, david took responsibility for his sin After Nathan said you're the man.

He said I have sinned against the Lord.

He didn't make excuses when my heart's broken because I let God down.

If I just say, god, I'm sorry, I take responsibility, I blew it, I lost my temper, I did that.

And then he received God's grace Because Nathan said David, the Lord's taken away your sins Once you confess that sin.

You just need to understand God's going to wash it away.

And then David realized there may be consequences, because God said you know what?

Your son that was born to you through that illicit relationship is going to die.

But David accepted that.

So God will forgive me when I mess up, just like he forgave Peter.

But understand there may be consequences.

The whole point I'm trying to say is this when Jesus rose from the dead, he not only defeated death but he gives us hope for our failures because he's alive and Hebrews says he's alive and Hebrews says he's now sitting in heaven interceding for us.

You know what God and Jesus are talking about while they're sitting in heaven.

They're talking about you and me.

They're up there saying look, you see Randy, you see my son Randy, over there.

Look, look God.

And Jesus says, yeah, yeah, I know Randy, yeah, I got him, I got him.

I got him.

He says, look, look, you see Jimmy.

Yeah, isn't he a knucklehead sometimes?

Yeah, he is, but don't worry.

Jesus says, let me intercede for Jimmy, let me tell you about Jimmy.

And he's up there pleading our case.

God is in heaven talking to Jesus, about you and me, because he loves us that much.

And so when he says, peter, I want you to come here.

He wanted to call to help him heal his broken heart.

All the fourth thing you need to keep going.

Then David went and worshiped.

So what do you do when you mess up?

You take responsibility, you receive God's grace, you realize there may be consequences and you keep going.

Yeah, but I fell off the wagon.

I know you did keep going.

Yeah, but what do you don't seem to understand.

I've been struggling with this.

Yeah, me too.

Yeah, but I blew my temper.

I understand, take responsibility, receive God's grace, realize there may be consequences, keep going.

God will hear your broken heart.

Does that make sense?

He'll hear your broken heart and then realize God uses broken people.

Isn't it amazing that after Peter denied Christ, just about 50 days later, peter's up in front of the crowd and he raises his voice and he says I want you to know that this Jesus, whom you crucified, is Lord and Christ.

He went from coward to courageous in just over a month because God took him out of his failure and used him to do great things.

Took him out of his failure and used him to do great things.

That's what he does.

That's what he does.

He always does that.

Peter's just like us A mixture of strength and weakness.

But God's always used broken people.

He always has.

He used an adulterous murdering David and made him a son after his own heart.

He used a reluctant, hot-tempered Moses and he picked him to deliver his people from slavery.

He used a terrorist named Paul and he picked him to write most of the New Testament.

Do you know what David, moses and Paul all had in common?

They all committed murder.

God used three murderers to write most of the Bible.

I think God can use you to make a difference.

God used a non-Jewish woman who had been married five times and was shacked up with a man to be his first missionary.

Would you have picked her to be your first missionary?

He told that woman at the well.

You go back into the city and tell them the Messiah is here.

God has always used broken people and I'm thankful because I'm broken, I've messed up, I still mess up.

But God could Jesus the angel, could just have easily said go tell the disciples and Woody, come, I want to give them a mission.

Go tell the disciples.

And Gary go tell the disciples.

And Gary go tell the disciples.

And Gina, go tell the disciples.

He's calling you.

He's calling you even though you've messed up.

He's alive, and not only did he defeat death, he's alive and he's in heaven interceding for you.

He wants to forgive you.

He loves you.

He wants to take your broken life and turn it into something beautiful.

He wants to take the things you're most ashamed of and turn them into your greatest ministry.

He still has a purpose for you.

He wants a relationship with you.

That's the good news of Easter.

Not only that he's alive in the feet of death, but he's alive and he wants to do life with you.

Don't let Satan keep you from experiencing that life.

He loves you.

He loves you, you, and this morning, just like Jesus rose from the grave, you can be baptized into Christ and it's not the water.

Through your faith in the blood of Jesus, you can come out of that water with a new life, just like Jesus did.

He loves you, and we can do that right now, or you can mark on your card, or we can pray for you.

But the good news of Easter is this Not only did he defeat death, he gives us hope, he's alive and he's pleading for you.

Let's stand and sing together sing together.

God sent his son.

They called him Jesus.

He came to love, heal and forgive.

Forgive, he lived and died to buy my pardon.

An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lived.

Because he lived, I can face tomorrow Because he lives.

All fear is gone, because I know he holds the future and life is worth the living Just because he lives.

How sweet to hold A newborn baby and feel the pride and joy he gives, but greater still the calm assurance.

This child can face uncertain days because he lives.

Because he lives, I can face tomorrow Because he lives.

All fear is gone, Because I know he holds the future and life is worth the living.

Just because he lives, and then one day I'll cross that river, I'll fight my final war with pain, and then, as death gives way to victory, I can face tomorrow.

Because he lives, all fear is gone, because I know he holds the future and life is worth the living.

Just because he lives.

Awesome.

Rusty Winland is going to give us a little instruction here about the Easter egg event.

Here comes Rusty Winland, who's going to give us a little instruction here about the Easter egg event.

Here comes Rusty, right now, and after this we'll have a closing prayer.

Okay, well, today is Easter Sunday.

We have plenty of eggs and everything for the kids.

So, immediately following the prayer and the song, if you pick up your children and go out your doors and we're right behind Buddy L, which is right to my right, and there's a yard beside him for the older ones At Buddy L's, it'll be four and under.

Four years old and under will be at Buddy L's and anybody older than that will be over on the other yard.

So we have bags, we have everything we need to do it.

So invite everybody over and appreciate it.

As you're leaving, as everybody's leaving, be careful with the cars, with the kids walking, because they will be going that way.

So, okay, thank you very much.

Thanks, rusty.

Nothing like sugar and caffeine for the kids.

That's what I always say.

You'll get plenty of naps this afternoon.

If you feel comfortable, if you can reach, grab the hand to the person next to you, let's join hands and hearts and close with a prayer Our Heavenly Father, thank you for today and this opportunity to praise you and to learn great lessons.

Thank you for that message you sent through Woody.

This gives us hope and reassurance.

Father, help us to realize you can use us as we dismiss.

We ask your blessing over this church family 630 folks here today and we praise you for that and we're excited about people want to grow in their faith.

Thank you for the leaders of our country, our communities.

May you watch over our troopers, deputies, police officers, those who give safety and structure to our communities.

Watch over them and their families.

We love you.

We feel your grace.

We feel your love.

Help us to reciprocate that to others.

Thank you for your grace.

We pray through Christ, amen.

How great the chasm that lay between us, amen, and spoke your name into the night.

Then through the darkness.

Your loving kindness tore through the shadows of my soul.

The work is finished the end is written.

Jesus.

Christ, my living hope.

What heart could fathom such boundless grace?

The God of ages stepped down from glory to wear my sin and bear my shame.

The cross has spoken.

I am forgiven.

The King of kings calls me his own Beautiful Savior.

I'm yours forever.

Jesus Christ, my living hope.

Hallelujah praise the one who set me free Hallelujah death has lost its grip on me, you have broken every chain.

There's salvation in your name Jesus Christ, my living hope.

Hallelujah, praise the one who set me free.

Hallelujah, hallelujah Praise the one who set me free.

Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me.

You have broken every chain.

There's salvation in your name, jesus Christ, my living hope.

Then came the morning that sealed the promise.

Your buried body Began to breathe Out of the silence.

The roaring lion declared the grave has no claim on me.

Then came the morning that sealed the promise your buried body began to breathe.

Out of the silence.

The roaring lion Declared the grave has no claim on me, Jesus yours is the victory Hallelujah, praise the one who set me free.

Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me.

You have broken every chain there's salvation in your name Jesus Christ, my living hope.

Hallelujah.

Praise the one who set me free, hallelujah.

Hallelujah, praise the one who set me free, hallelujah death has lost its grip on me.

You have broken every chain.

There's salvation in your name, jesus.

Christ, my living hope.

God you are my living hope.

Amen.

God bless you all.

Have a great week.

Be a disciple maker this week.

Tell somebody about Jesus.