Because He Lives

Come on, you know, the Bible says, the same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in us. So I got a question for you. Is there power? Come on, is there power? Come on, let's all stand up together. We're going to worship. Come on. Here we go. There's nothing that can strengthen me Like the fire that falls from the heavenly I'm filled with power for eternity I've been washed by the blood of the Lamb I've been washed by the blood of the Lamb Is there power? Yes, there's power in the blood Only in the blood is there power Yes, there's power in the precious blood Let's sing it again, is there? Is there power? Yes, there's power in the blood Only in the blood is there power Yes, there's power in the precious blood of the Lamb In the precious blood of the Lamb Is there power? Power One working power In the blood of the Lamb There is power Power

One working power In the precious blood Come on, just your voice and the drums There is power Power One working power In the blood of the Lamb There is power Power One working power In the precious blood of the Lamb There is power Power One working power In the blood of the Lamb There is power Power One working power In the precious blood of the Lamb There is power Power One working power In the blood of the Lamb There is power Power One working power In the precious blood of the Lamb In the precious blood of the Lamb There's nothing that can separate His kingdom's come

And His shall remain Raised with Him And in peace we reign Rewashed by the blood of the Lamb Yeah, we were washed By the blood of the Lamb There's a power Yes, there's power In the blood Only in the blood There's a power Yes, there's power In the precious blood of the Lamb There's a power Yes, there's power In the blood Only in the blood There's a power Yes, there's power In the precious blood of the Lamb In the precious blood of the Lamb Yes, there's power ["Power in the Blood"] ["Power in the Blood"] ["Power in the Blood"] ["Power in the Blood"] ["Power in the Blood"] ["Power in the Blood"] ["Power in the Blood"] ["Power in the Blood"]

["Power in the Blood"] ["Power in the Blood"] ["Power in the Blood"] ["Power in the Blood"] ["Power in the Blood"] ["Power in the Blood"] ["Power in the Blood"] ["Power in the Blood"] ["Power in the Blood"] ["Power in the Blood"] ["Power in the Blood"] ["Power in the Blood"] ["Power in the Blood"] ["Power in the Blood"] ["Power in the Blood"] ["Power in the Blood"] ["Power in the Blood"] ["Power in the Blood"] ["Power in the Blood"] ["Power in the Blood"] ["Power in the Blood"] Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, Death defeated at his face. ["Power in the Blood"] There is no way to his glory, and his silence he has spoken. This is not the end of my story. Death defeated at his face. There is no way to his glory, and his silence he has spoken. This is not the end of my story. Come on, let's have a sound for us.

Come on. All right, we're not done yet. Let's go. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, o, o, o, o, o, o. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, o, o, o. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, o, o. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, o, o, o. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, o, o, o. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, o, o, o. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, o, o, o. To lay your burdens down. The war is over now. The age of peace has come. Yeah. In every battle won, love has conquered all. The age of peace has come. To lay your burdens down. The war is over now. The age of peace has come. In every battle won, love has conquered all. Death defeated. Venice banished. There is no end to his glory. Hell is silence. He has spoken. This is not the end of my story. This is not the end of my story. This is not the end of my story.

This is not the end of my story. This is not the end of my story. This is not the end of my story. This is not the end of my story. This is not the end of my story. How great the chasm that lay between us, how high the mountain I could not climb. In desperation I turned to heaven and spoke your name into the land. 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. Who could imagine so great a mercy 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 Beauty for the 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 Then came the morning that sealed the promise Your buried body began to breathe Out of the silence the roaring lion Declared the grave had 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 had 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, death has lost its grip on me You have broken every chain There's salvation in Your name Jesus Christ, my living hope Jesus Christ, my living hope

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 Jesus Christ, my living hope Jesus Christ, my living hope ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Your love, Your love, Your love ♪ ♪ Oh, the marvelous love ♪ Oh, yes, You are the one. ♪ The blood, the blood, the blood ♪ ♪ Oh, the wonderful blood ♪ ♪ Your love, Your love, Your love ♪ ♪ Oh, the marvelous love ♪ Let the rich change. Sing a song. Praises belong to the Son of God. ♪ The blood, the blood, the blood ♪ ♪ Oh, the wonderful blood ♪ The work You did is finished. ♪ The work You did is finished ♪ ♪ All of our sins forgiven ♪ ♪ And now we confess, we contend ♪ ♪ Your love, Your love, Your love, Your love ♪ ♪ The cross was Your decision ♪ ♪ But death was not the end ♪ ♪ You're our justice, now have mercy ♪ ♪ No wonder of the work in the land ♪ ♪ No wonder of the work in the land ♪ ♪ No wonder of the work in the land ♪ Come on church!

Use your strength. ♪ No wonder of the work in the land ♪ ♪ No wonder of the work in the land ♪ ♪ No wonder of the work in the land ♪ ♪ The precious is the Lord ♪ ♪ That makes me white as snow ♪ ♪ No wonder, no wonder of the work in the land ♪ ♪ No wonder of the work in the land ♪ Yes, come on sing oh precious. ♪ The precious is the Lord ♪ ♪ That makes me white as snow ♪ ♪ No wonder of the work in the land ♪ ♪ No wonder of the work in the land ♪ ♪ No wonder of the work in the land ♪ Yes, nothing but the blood. ♪ Nothing but the blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ Nothing but the blood of Jesus ♪ Ready? ♪ The blood, the blood, the blood ♪ ♪ Oh the wonderful blood ♪ ♪ Your love, your love, your love ♪ ♪ Oh the marvelous blood, the blood ♪ ♪ The blood, the blood, the blood ♪ ♪ Oh the wonderful blood ♪ ♪ Your love, your love, your love ♪ ♪ Oh the marvelous blood, let the redeemed sing a song ♪ ♪ Praises belong to the song ♪ ♪ The blood, the blood, the blood ♪ ♪ Oh the wonderful blood ♪ ♪ Oh thank you Lord ♪

♪ Oh thank you for the blood ♪ ♪ Oh thank you for the blood ♪ ♪ Love kept you on the cross ♪ ♪ Your love in me kept you on the cross ♪ ♪ Your love in me kept you on the cross ♪ Come on, can we just lift our hands all across this place? Jesus, we thank you for your blood. Come on, just thank him for the blood this morning. Thank you that your blood speaks a better word. Though our sins are like scarlet, your blood has washed us white as snow. Thank you Jesus that you are alive. You walked out of the grave, but we are raised with Christ and are seated with him in heavenly places. So if he's alive and we're in him, we're alive this morning. Come on somebody. I don't know what your story is, I don't know the road you're on, You've walked to get here, but I'm here to tell you this. but I just want to say thank you. If you're still breathing, the story isn't over. Thank you for your blood. Thank you for your blood. Amen. God still has a plan for you, Thank you for your blood. and it is glorious and beautiful. Thank you for your blood.

We have the beautiful privilege Thank you for your blood. to be called sons and daughters, seated at a table in the kingdom of God. Thank you for your blood. And it's such an honor to be here today with this amazing choir. Come on. Come on. Come on. We've got some of our, all of our friends that are near and far back today, and we're just so glad to come together as family to celebrate the risen king. And, you know, I love that in the kingdom, resurrection isn't just a weekend, but it's a daily invitation to his death and his resurrection. So we thank you, Jesus, that you've invited us to be partakers and witnesses of the resurrection. We've been united in your death, and we've been, therefore, we have a promise of resurrection. You know, I've been thinking this the last couple of days about the disappointment that must have hit Jesus's closest friends on Friday night when they watched him die. They're like, is this how it's supposed to end? And then maybe on Saturday morning, just this sense of insecurity and uncertainty of like, I bet that Saturday was the longest day of their life.

But then they were given a promise, and that promise was on Sunday morning, the stone was rolled away and Jesus came forth. And I think about my own life, that there's been some disappointment and some insecurity and some uncertainty of like, this wasn't how this story was supposed to go. But that gives me hope and a promise that where there is death, there is life in Christ forevermore, and that it's available through the cross and the finished work of Jesus for you this morning. Amen? We're gonna sing one more song together, and it's a beautiful, glorious day celebrating the resurrection. Amen. ♪ God sent his Son, they called him Jesus ♪ ♪ He came to love, He led for us ♪ ♪ He lived and died to buy my heart earth ♪ ♪ An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives ♪ ♪ Because He lives, He lives, He lives, He lives, He lives ♪ ♪ I can face tomorrow because He lives ♪ ♪ All fear is gone because I know He holds the future ♪ ♪ Because I know He holds the future ♪ ♪ My life is worth the living just because He lives ♪ ♪ Now peace has come, His name is Jesus ♪ ♪ Jesus, the victor's crown placed on His head ♪ ♪ The empty grave is now defeated ♪ Come on, the risen King. ♪ The risen King is there to prove my Savior lives ♪

♪ Savior lives because He lives ♪ ♪ I can face tomorrow because He lives ♪ ♪ All fear is gone because I know He holds the future ♪ ♪ Because I know He holds the future ♪ ♪ My life is worth the living just because He lives ♪ ♪ Oh yes, because He lives, oh He's alive, yeah ♪ together. In life or death, my hope's secure, I'm standing firm on your promise, that all my days are in your hands, and you alone are exalted. You took my shame and you broke my chains, and now I live in your kingdom. Through every age, your love remains, and I am saved because he lives. I can face tomorrow because he lives. All fear is gone because I know he holds the future. My life is worth the living just because he lives. Because I know he holds the future. My life is worth the living just because he lives. Oh, yes. Oh. So as we were worshiping, I was really captivated by the fact that maybe this is a Sunday you come once a year, or maybe there was just something in you, that small whisper voice that said, I'm looking for something, I just don't know how to attain it. And I was thinking about Matthew chapter 18 and verse 12, where it says that the shepherd left the 99 to go find the one. And he left and he went to the mountains. This is the mountain, and maybe you are the one. But I'm here to tell you, this is for you. It says that he rejoiced over that one, more so than the 99 that didn't go astray. So maybe you find yourself saying, I've strayed too far. I've strayed and got myself in a difficult spot, and how do I find my way out? I want to tell you, the way out is to take that step forward and face the Savior who

gave his life for you, shed his blood for you, rose from the dead to bring you hope. So if you are that one today, it is not for just a simple, I went to church on Sunday at Easter time. It's because he has a plan for you and for your life. So I just want to encourage you today that if that is you, don't leave here today without reaching out to one of the elders or someone beside you and say, I need that hope. I need that life-changing resurrection in my life that's going to make a difference today. Amen. Amen. ♪♪ ♪ Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. ♪ ♪ Because He lives, all fear is gone. ♪ ♪ Because I know He holds the future. ♪ ♪ My life is worth the living just because He lives. ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah. Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. ♪ ♪ Because He lives, all fear is gone. ♪ ♪ Because I know He holds the future. ♪ ♪ My life is worth the living just because He lives. ♪ ♪ Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. ♪ ♪ Because He lives, all fear is gone. ♪ ♪ Because I know He holds the future. ♪ ♪ My life is worth the living just because He lives. ♪ Amen. And what a beautiful morning. And I hope that that truth is not just words on a screen, lyrics to a song for us. I hope that that declaration, because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone.

Because I know He holds the future. My life is worth the living just because He lives. I hope that truth can be a truth that we build our lives on from this day forward. Welcome to the Alter Fellowship. We're so glad that you're here. What a special day. Sometimes I marvel at the, that in the expanse of the intricacies of the universe that God in His infinite wisdom would make a way for people to find each other in the midst of time and space. And it is miraculous that you found your way into this room for this moment. Think back over your life. There's been a million different ways that your life could have taken a different path that would have led you someplace else to something else today. And yet you are right here right now. And for that reason alone, I think it's maybe important that we stop and consider what God has in store for us today. That if He in infinite wisdom and total sovereignty orchestrated time and space to make sure that you could be here for this moment, I think it's important that we find out why, amen? Amen. And so I know that God has something for you today. I'm fully convinced, fully convicted

that God has something for me today and I don't wanna miss it. You know, we're going to receive the offering here in just a minute. If this is your home church, if you consider this your church family, then your tithe belongs here. If you are visiting, you know, from someplace else, your tithe belongs to your home church. But of course, if you feel like an urge in your spirit to give to what God is doing at the altar, to be a part of what the Lord is building here, this community, this family, this ministry, of course, we'd be happy to receive whatever you feel led or prompted to give. But I want us to just stay in this atmosphere of worship if we can for just a couple more minutes as we receive this offering today. You know, we've, I've said often in the past. that you know we're not just giving to what God is doing today each gift that we give is a seed sown into what God is going to do in the future it is to say God I want you to to keep the doors of this church open for one more month next Easter I want to be able to bring my next-door neighbor I want to be able to bring my cousin I want to be able to to bring my co-worker people that need to experience the love and the power and the presence of God I want to make sure that this place remains here that this place remains open that this place remains accessible to those who need to experience the way God moves here and so as you give today my hope is that you would give not just in gratitude for what God has done but in faith for what God will do in this place not just in

your life but in the lives of those who are yet to find this place amen and so uh we're gonna have the the buckets come forward and I'd ask you to just prayerfully consider what it might look like for you to give this morning to what God is doing here at the altar as you for those of you that are here often you know there are a few ways that you can give there should be an envelope in the seat in front of you that you can use to give by cash or check or card you can there should be a QR code that they they'll put up on the screen here momentarily and also you can use the app the altar fellowship app but let me let me just give one quick word of instruction and then we'll pray over this offering if I can ask anybody that is in our kids ministry or youth ministry specifically our youth students our sixth and twelfth graders if I could get you guys if you're in a seat if I could get you to come forward we have completely run out of seats for people to sit in and there's people standing in the doorway so if you're one of our youth students congratulations you've been voluntold in the name of of the Lord to come on forward you guys are just gonna you'll gather around here as we as we make the transition of the offering but as you're doing that let's just let's come before the Lord in prayer and and and if you have space next to you just make sure that you scoot over make that space obvious to people that are still looking for seats but um let's just come before the Lord in prayer this morning and thank him for what he's doing in this place Lord Father we we worship you today we stand in awe of you today Lord thank you for the for Easter Sunday for all that it represents thank you that death has has been broken that it's it's a it has been made to to bow it's to bend its knee to bow its head and to confess that Christ alone is King Lord we thank you that Jesus is victorious over death and that as we put our hope and our faith and our trust in him that we too can have victory over death and hell in the grave Lord we thank you for the privilege that it is to gather together in your house this morning and in your name this morning thank you God that you've invited us to to give in partnership with what you're doing and we ask as we give today Lord that you would make our

hearts right before you let us be joyful cheerful givers and as we give this morning God we pray that this offering would be pleasing and honoring to you and that it would be fruitful and effective for the advancement of your kingdom we pray this all in the mighty victorious name of Jesus your son amen amen amen all right for those of you that are giving by cash check or card using your envelope we'll be receiving it here at the front the rest of you the information is on the screen one more time would you guys just bless our musicians for their leadership today and this amazing choir y'all so fantastic thank y'all so so so much thank you happy Easter you can be seated thank you so much thank you for being here and all right I love you guys y'all are the best I need you guys to go with me everywhere I go I feel like I'd be pretty well encouraged with our youth group hanging out with me all the time happy Easter Jesus is alive and I have so much to say to you today and a limited amount of time in which to say it and so I'm gonna do my best today to just jump right in but I want us to maybe just come before the Lord in prayer first father we we cannot come to revelation without you we cannot grow without you Lord we cannot heal without you we cannot be saved or delivered without you we need you to save us today so we cry out Hosanna save us now Lord come and save the parts of us that are held captive today come and rescue us from our own selfishness and self indulgence Lord come and bring us from Captivity into freedom, for your name's sake, meet us in this place and lead us into everything Jesus died for us to have. And we ask this in his name, amen. The hardest part about preparing for moments like this, Easter Sunday at the altar, is deciding that there are some things I won't get to talk about. I wish I had eight hours to sit up here

and talk with you today, but I don't. But I've decided what I am going to do today is what has worked for ministers for the last 2,000 years, and that is this. I'm gonna preach today Christ and him crucified. Because the truth is, I think for many of you, God has a divine appointment today. And maybe you've been living life sort of coasting week to week, month to month, year to year, through days that feel like business as usual. And believe me, I get that. But I just have this sense that maybe today is a day that will be more than business as usual, that this might be the kind of day that could change the course that you've been on for a long time. That this might be the kind of day that everything changes. And so I wanna do something as we begin. It's maybe a little bit unusual here. Would you guys stand with me? We're just gonna read the Word of God. We're gonna stand for the reading of the Word like we used to do in church when I was little. And I wanna just read to you Isaiah chapter 53. I want you to keep in mind that this passage was written in the Hebrew scriptures about 800 years before Jesus was born. And Isaiah the prophet, he writes this. He says, who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

He grew up before him like a tender shoot and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him. Nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces, he was despised and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and he bore our suffering. Yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was upon him. And by his wounds, we are healed. We all like sheep have gone astray. Each of us has turned to our own way. And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment, he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living. For the transgression of my people, he was punished. He was assigned a grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence,

nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer. And though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days. And the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied. By his knowledge, my righteous servant will justify many and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will give him a portion among the great and he will divide the spoils with the strong because he poured out his life unto death and he was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many and made intercession for sinners like me. You can be seated. Last week, on Palm Sunday, we talked about the triumphal entry in Matthew chapter 21, the story of this moment that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey when the multitudes of people gathered around the road and they laid their robes and they were in the streets of Jerusalem. And they were in the streets of Jerusalem and cut palm branches to lay before him at his feet. and they were in the streets of Jerusalem and they were in the streets of Jerusalem In Matthew chapter 21 on Sunday, Jesus, he rides into Jerusalem on a donkey

to the praise and adoration of the crowd. They hail him in that moment as God in the flesh. They honor him as the son of David, the prophesied king for whom they'd been waiting for generations. But just four days later on Thursday, the same people who had cried out, Hosanna to the son of David in Matthew chapter 21, just a few chapters later, just a few short days later, cried out, give us Barabbas, crucify Jesus. That's the fickle nature of the human disposition. It is that we can be overwhelmed with emotion in the moment. You know, we could come to days like this, places like this, times like this, and we can, you know, we can feel it. And we can say, Jesus, save me. Jesus, deliver me. I see that you're God in the flesh. I see you're the king I've been waiting for, the deliverer, the rescuer, the savior that I need. And mere days later, we can be condemning him to death and declaring that we've found a better way. But friends, I came to tell you this morning, there is no better way. In fact, there is no other way. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the father but by me. We live in an age in which we're told constantly to blaze your own trail, to make your own way,

to build your own life, to give yourself identity, direction, and definition. But here's the truth. For 2,000 years, there has only ever been one way to the father, and it is through faith in Christ, not just as your savior, but as your Lord. So the same people that worshiped him on Monday condemned him on Thursday, and through the night, he's beaten, falsely accused, and tried. And then on Friday, the king of glory was condemned to death. Like Isaiah said 800 years earlier, he was led like a lamb to the slaughter and like a sheep before its shearers of silence, so he opened not his mouth. He was stripped and maimed and nailed to a cross and left to die as his killers laughed and boasted. He breathed his last, he gave up his spirit, and he declared, it is finished. Jesus said to his disciples something really interesting just a short time before this. They were arguing with each other about who would be the greatest in the kingdom. They knew that Jesus came to establish a kingdom that would take over every other kingdom, and they were arguing with each other about, Jesus, who's gonna be the closest to you? Who's gonna be your right-hand man, your second in command when you come into your kingdom?

Jesus asked them a question. He said, can you drink the cup that I'm about to drink? Now, several times in the Old Testament, the Bible talks about the cup of the wine of God's wrath, and I understand it's 2026. We don't talk about the wrath of God anymore. You know, we've moved on to more progressive ideas. Here's the problem, though. The Bible has not moved on to more progressive ideas. God has wrath for sin, and I am a sinner. God has wrath for sin, and you are a sinner, and there is a day coming very soon when the wrath of God will be poured out, finally, on the sin of man, and if I'm still clinging to my sin on that day, I'll find myself in the path of the fierceness and the fire of God's wrath in a way that I was never designed to be. Think about that moment as Jesus hung on the cross and declared, it is finished. What he's communicating to anybody with ears to hear is that the wrath of God in him has been satisfied. There is now mercy for those who would come. to God through him. There is now innocence for those who would come to God through him. There is now acceptance and forgiveness for those who would come to God through him.

My shame was finished that day. My guilt was finished that day. My condemnation was finished that day. That day, my sin was laid on him and taken to the grave. And in that moment, there were no live television broadcasts, no helicopters circling overhead to get the best angle. There was no Goodyear blimp floating overhead to commemorate the significance of the moment. He just died in front of a large crowd of people that hated him with a few that loved him but were too afraid to get too close. His body then was taken down from the cross by a few brokenhearted friends and laid into a rich man's tomb. His followers were scattered in fear and confusion. You know, it's interesting, just this morning, somebody asked me, you know, the Sabbath was the next day. What do you think Jesus' followers did on that Sabbath? And I can only imagine, you know, there's no work to be done. It's illegal for them to go out and labor and do work. And so I imagine that they just went back to their houses and they just sat and they thought about these last three years. They thought about the miracles they'd seen him do when he turned water into wine, when he raised Lazarus from the dead. Thought about when they saw him walking on water and they saw him radiate divine light on the Mount of Transfiguration.

And I can imagine that that Sabbath was a really quiet one. But then Sunday came. Here's the thing, I talked about this last week. There are many records of ancient teachers, rabbis, traveling, healing ministers, people that claim to speak on behalf of God. Wandering spiritualists were a dime a dozen in the ancient Near East. And yet we don't have thousands of manuscripts about any of them. Can I tell you what's different? It's not that Jesus was a teacher or a healer or a prophet or a minister. It's that while the rest of them could bring theory and information, Jesus brought demonstration, a manifestation of the authority with which he spoke. He didn't just talk like one having authority. He was one who had authority. And he demonstrated it by telling his disciples, I'm gonna go into Jerusalem and they're going to kill me while I'm there. And then three days later, I'm gonna rise again. And I'm sure you can imagine, yeah, that sounds great. Okay, Jesus, sure, whatever you say. But when you watch him die, when you watch him ripped to shreds, you can count his ribs, his organs are pouring out the sides of his body. When you can see him struggling for every breath and then ultimately breathing his last,

it's hard to imagine anyone, even the son of David could come back from that. And so I'm sure his disciples just went back home for the Sabbath and sat in silence for the next day. And then Sunday came, and I wanna go to Matthew chapter 28. And this is what happened on Sunday morning, as soon as the Sabbath was over. It says, now, after the Sabbath, at the first day of the week, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him and they became like dead men. But the angel answered and said to the women, do not be afraid for I know that you seek Jesus. us who was crucified. He is not here, for he is risen. As he said, he is not here because he keeps his promises. He is not here because not even death can hold him. He is not here because he truly is the king of kings and the Lord of Lords. The angel says, Come see the place where the Lord where the Lord lay and go quickly and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead. And indeed he is going before you into Galilee there you will see him. Behold, I have told you. So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy. And they ran to

bring his disciples word. And as they went to tell the disciples behold, Jesus met them saying rejoice. So they came and they held him by the feet and worshiped him. And then Jesus said to them, Do not be afraid, go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee and there they will see me. Friends, I need you to hear what I'm about to say to you. Jesus was a carpenter's son from Nazareth in Galilee. He was in every way insignificant and unimpressive. Just as I said last week, to imagine that a carpenter's son would somehow be the most widely regarded, historically documented figure in all of human history is a miracle that actually seems to me less likely than that he actually rose from the dead. To put it in context, it would be like if 2000 years from now, the most famous person in the world in 2026 was a plumber from El Paso. Right? It's like, it's hard to believe that with emperors and kings, with unbelievably wealthy, influential, powerful people all over the world that this regular man from a regular city who had a regular job would somehow change human history. I think the most likely explanation is that something happened that no one had ever seen before. And can I tell you what it is? It's that after the Romans killed him, he didn't stay dead. And this week on Easter Sunday, this is what we remember. This is what we consider. It's that our King didn't just come to teach us what God wants. Our King came to demonstrate who God is. The God that has authority over death and hell in the grave. He's not just a teacher. He is the King of glory. If Jesus did not come back from the dead, no one would have written a book about him or given their life for him or spent themselves traveling the ancient world telling others about him. If Jesus of Nazareth did not come back from the dead, you and I

would not know his name. But he did. The carpenter's son from Nazareth, the son of David, the crucified King, Yahweh incarnate, the second person of the Godhead is alive. And he reigns today, not only over lands or people, he holds authority over death and hell and the grave. That is the good news that has been setting sinners free for 2000 years. But what should we do with this news? Imagine those disciples who sat sick to their stomach, afraid for their lives on that Saturday. We then woke up on Sunday and found that their King had conquered the grave. In verse 16 of Matthew chapter 28, there's this conversation, this first conversation Jesus has with his disciples. This is the last few verses in the book of Matthew. It says, then the 11 disciples went away into Galilee to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. In verse 17 it says, when they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. When they saw him, they worshiped him. I've got that phrase, but some doubted underlined in my Bible. Look at the next verse. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. He says, go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. Hello, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. They worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus doesn't say, how could you doubt? You saw me die on the cross and now I'm standing in front of you. How could you still doubt me? You've seen me raise the dead and heal the sick

and cast out demons and walk on water and turn water into wine and calm storms. You've seen me do the impossible over and over and over again. How dare you doubt me? They worshiped him, but they doubted. Those things seem like they're incompatible. And I don't know who I'm speaking to this morning, but I need to tell you, those things don't have to be mutually exclusive. Sometimes we need to worship through our doubt. Sometimes we need to say, Jesus, I'm afraid. I know that you have never let anybody down, but I'm still a little bit scared you might let me down. I'm still a little bit scared that if I try, that maybe it won't work out. That if I give church another try, that maybe I'll get hurt like I did before. That if I give faith another try, that maybe I'll be disappointed like I was before. Lord, I feel like if I follow you, I'm just not sure where you're gonna lead. And I saw what happened to you on Friday, and I'm not sure that's a place I wanna go. So they worshiped him because he is deserving of worship. They still doubted. Friends, I need you to hear this. As the pastor of this church, every day I still struggle with doubt. Often, as I'm studying the word,

I know that I'm preaching what's true. And sometimes I'm preaching it because the word says it, and I don't know if it's grabbed a hold of my heart yet. I'm still in this journey of learning to submit myself to what God says and to actually believe and trust that he will keep his promises. I worship him day after day after day after day, not because my doubt is gone, but because even in spite of my doubt, he's worthy of my praise. And even in spite of my doubt, he's worthy of my obedience. So I follow him day after day after day after day, not because I don't doubt, but because he's good even when I do. And so I came to tell somebody this morning, maybe you came here with a friend as a favor, or maybe your neighbor paid you 100 bucks to come with them to church this morning. I don't know how you ended up here this morning, but I know, I know for a fact that it wasn't an accident. I don't know who I'm speaking to, but I know that you felt like until you get rid of your doubt, that there's no way Jesus would accept you. But I want you to pay attention to what happens at the end of Matthew chapter 28. Jesus looks at a group of people, some of whom were actively doubting him, and he says, I want you to go into all the earth. I want you to preach the gospel to every creature.

I want you to make disciples of all nations and to baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Oh Lord, but what about my doubt? Go and make disciples of all nations. Oh, what about the fact that I just don't know that many Bible verses? Yeah, but go and make disciples of all the nations. But I haven't been in church in a long time, but go and make disciples of all the nations. Like this is the beauty of the Great Commission is that it's not reserved for those who have settled all doubt. It's not reserved for those who have reached some pinnacle of spiritual development. The Great Commission is for anyone willing to obey when Jesus says, go. But I still doubt, go anyway. But I still struggle, go anyway. But I stumble sometimes, go anyway. I've got a purpose for you, even when you're still in process. This is what we are to do with this message, friends, through Christ. We have freedom from sin, a purpose for living and a place to belong. But I need to give you this morning a serious and somber warning. As the great English Bishop J.C. Ryle, one of my favorite Christian authors once wrote,

he said, quote, the saddest road to hell is the one that runs under the pulpit past the Bible and through the middle of warnings and invitations. He said, quote, the saddest road to hell is the one that runs under the pulpit past the Bible and through the middle of warnings and invitations. He said, quote, the saddest road to hell Here's the great tragedy, is that there will be many people is the one that runs under the pulpit who come to churches like this, for services like this, past the Bible and through the middle of warnings and invitations. who hear messages like this and say, yeah, it's for somebody else. I don't need that. I'm good, you know? Or they say, well, I'm not ready for that. I still have doubts, and so I'm not able to respond yet because there's still doubt in me, so I can't obey. So I can't trust, so I can't go. And I can't think of any greater tragedy than for someone to be sitting in this room on this day and to turn their heart away from the invitation that the resurrected Christ has come to give you today. And that is to come not just out of your sin, not just away from the wrath of God, but to come into God's family as God's beloved child and to step with Him into the great inheritance

Jesus died for you to have. You are sitting in church today hearing the gospel preached to you right now. There is no other name but the name of Jesus that can save you. There is no other message that can pull you out of the grip of hell, and I cannot think of a greater tragedy than for you to sit in a room like this and hear a message like this and then to harden your heart against God and to declare that you know better than He does what your life ought to be. I wanna read you a couple stories. I wanna share a couple stories with you. First of Thomas Paine, who lived in the 1700s and was one of the world's most influential philosophical writers of his day. And one of his most famous works was a book called The Age of Reason in which he argued fiercely against religion. He rejected the idea of divine revelation, the authority of Scripture, and even the need for church. And in the book, he stated boldly, he said, my own mind is my church. I don't need a church to go to. And so in June of 1809, when Thomas Paine laid dying in his home in New York City, successful by every worldly measure, his nurse would later report that he began to cry out in the night when he realized that his time was short

and plead with her, his nurse saying to her, and this is his quote, stay with me for God's sake. I cannot bear to be left alone. What will become of me hereafter? I would give worlds if I had them, that the age of reason had never been published. He said, if ever the devil had an agent, I have been that agent. Another man, an English Lord, Sir Thomas Scott, who was an Oxford scholar and a politician who was well known for his atheism and his disdain for the message of Christ, he died in 1594. And his very last words on earth were this, quote, until this moment, I thought there was neither a God nor a hell. Now I know and feel that there are both and I am doomed. Sir Francis Newport, who was the head of the English Atheists Club and a prominent English soldier and politician, he died in 1708. And with his last breaths, he cried to a small group of friends who had come to his bedside to comfort him. And he said to them this, the head of an English Atheists Club, he said to them this, quote, you need not tell me that there is no God. I know that there is one and I am in his presence. And then with his last breaths, he cried out, I feel myself already slipping.

I know that I am lost forever. Oh, that fire, the insufferable pangs of hell. Friends, I read you these stories, I share with you these stories because so often we convince ourselves that we have a level of self agency that we just don't have. We pretend like we're gonna have next week or next month or next year to reconsider our rebellion against God. The truth is the Bible tells us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, that every one of us is lost and without hope if we have not clung to Jesus to save us from our sin and to make us right in the eyes of God. And so, so many of us, we stick our chest out and we stand up tall and we pray. Pretend like we're the commander of our own fate. And we, in arrogance, we thumb our noses at God and we tell him that, you know, my mind is my church, I don't need anything else. There is no divine revelation. If there is a creator, then he's unjust. He's undignified, he's not worthy of my love and it sounds good, friends, on Reddit. But there is a day coming much sooner than you could imagine that there will be no like button for other rebels to click to affirm you in your delusion. You will be standing at the judgment seat of Christ. And on that day, he will say one of two things,

well done, good and faithful servant, or he will say to you, depart from me. Amen. I never knew you. I need you to hear this. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord. We all have inherited from our father, Adam, a nature that is fundamentally and essentially at odds with God's righteous standard. And each of us have chosen over and over and over again to spit in the face of God and to tell him, I know better than you do what my life ought to be. You have no claim on me. And this is treason against the king of creation. And so the reality is, friends, I would be entirely justified if I stood this afternoon before judgment and I stood in front of God himself and he said to me, into the everlasting lake of fire with you, Matty. I would have to say to him, your judgment is just. I have no claim. I have earned condemnation and nothing short. But the blood of Jesus, scripture tells us, speaks a better word, mercy. Mercy, mercy, grace, grace, grace. There is a God who is rich in mercy, whose grace is sufficient even for a sinner like me or like you.

Amen. And instead of leaving us to be condemned in our sin, he stepped out of glory and into humanity. He lived a sinless life on a cross just outside of Jerusalem. He died a sinner's death, paying the debt that I owed. So that when I stand before the judgment seat of God one day I can say, I could never hope to repay what I owe. I could never hope to satisfy what justice demands for my sake, but Jesus has paid my debt. The blood of Jesus is the only hope I have for mercy. Amen. And so, I wanna give you an opportunity here to respond to this message. I don't know how you ended up here today. Would you guys just close your eyes? Just right where you're at. I don't know how you ended up here today, but I know that it wasn't an accident. And I need you to hear this. It is not by trying harder or promising you'll go to church more often or serve more frequently or give more in the offering that any one of us can hope to be saved. It is by grabbing a hold of Jesus and saying, Lord Jesus, if your blood isn't enough to save me, then I can't be saved. I have no plan B. My hope is in you. My faith is in you.

My trust is in you. And so if this morning you realize that you, like these three men whose stories I shared, that if you today were gonna be standing before God to be judged, and you would be standing there with your own worldly accomplishments, condemned and guilty and deserving of hell, and you realize this morning that you need to be saved, that you need to be washed in the blood of Jesus to have your sin removed. moved as far as the east is from the west, washed, cleaned, and forgiven, if you are to have a chance at mercy. If you're realizing this morning, with every eye closed, if you're realizing this morning that that's you, that you're on your way to hell, if Jesus cannot save you and that you need a Savior today, if that's you, would you just slip your hand up right where you're sitting? Come on, thank you, Lord. Come on, thank you, Lord. Oh, don't worry about the person next to you. Just slip your hand up right where you're sitting. Yes, thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Amen, thank you, Lord. Come on, this is the moment. Everything changes.

This is the divine appointment. That day that God had marked on his calendar when he formed you in your mother's womb, when he said this is the day that he stops hearing about me and he starts hearing from me. This is the day when she stops knowing about me and she starts knowing me. Come on. Thank you, Lord, for mercy that triumphs over judgment. Thank you, Lord, for love that casts out fear. Thank you, Lord, for the blood of Jesus that speaks a better word. I just wanna pray now over all the hands I saw go up in the room, Lord. Thank you for the blood of Jesus that is enough to wash away their sin and right now to make them whole. I declare that they are forgiven fully, that they are innocent, they're declared innocent, not by their own efforts or works, but by the blood of the lamb shed for their sake. Lord, we thank you that in the name of Jesus, there is hope and healing and rescue and redemption. Lord, I pray that today would be the day that everything changes for them. Fill them with your spirit. Use their lives for your glory and teach them to walk in your ways in Jesus' name. Now, today as it's the first Sunday of the month, we're gonna be receiving the Lord's Supper.

So if the elders, you guys are able to come forward. We're gonna be receiving the Lord's Supper this morning and I wanna caution you. The Bible tells us that as we receive the Eucharist, the elements, the bread and the wine, which are the body and blood of Jesus, that we should make sure that we are discerning the body and blood of our Lord, that this isn't for us just a sort of recreational snack time, right? That this is for us a means of fellowship with Christ. This is a means of contemplative union with him in his suffering. Understand it's not just the body and the blood of our Lord, it's his body which was broken and his blood which was shed for our sake. It's his blood which was shed to satisfy the demand of justice, to demonstrate the merciful passion of God and to share in the fellowship of human suffering so that we, by the crucifixion of Christ, by the cross of Christ, can find hope and so I'll read to you out of 1 Corinthians chapter 11 here. The apostle Paul writes to the church in Corinth. He says to them, for I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which he was betrayed took bread and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you.

Do this in remembrance of me. In the same manner, he also took the cup after supper saying this cup is the new covenant in my blood. This do as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. So this morning, I'd ask you youth, students, if your parents are here, I'd ask you, go find them. I'd love for you guys, if you're gonna take communion, I'd love for you to do that with your family, as a family. This is a sacred thing that we do. And as we do this, we join with the church, the invisible church across the ages. Those who have come to God through faith in Christ. And we engage in this practice of corporate meditation on the broken body and the shed blood of Jesus our Lord. I don't know that I can think of anything more appropriate to do on Easter Sunday. Those of you that made the decision today, I saw hands in many places around the room. Those of you that made that decision to come to Christ today, I would invite you to come and partake in this. Those of you that are maybe still waiting, maybe you're not quite there yet. Those of you that are, if you have secret hidden sin, if there's unforgiveness that you're harboring, I would ask you deal with God. Let God rather deal with you. And maybe today, once you've done some business with God in your heart, you can come forward and take this. But if you're not in a right place before God,

I would encourage you to not take advantage of this opportunity to receive the Eucharist. But we'll have you come forward down these two outside aisles in just a moment here. And as you come forward down these two outside aisles, I'd ask you to do so respectfully and reverently. And we are gonna set an example for our children of how to carry ourselves in the house of God this morning. And you're gonna break a piece of the bread off. We do that intentionally because I, we used to have the little cups, you know, with the pre-prepared cracker in it. And I feel like maybe we lost the opportunity to remind ourselves that Jesus wasn't just broken. He was broken by us, for us. And so I want you with your own hand to tear a piece of the bread off, to remember that it wasn't the Romans or the Jews that killed him. It was me and you. It was for our sake that he was made to die. And so once you tear a piece of the bread off, you can dip it then in the blood, take them both together, and then return back to your seat. Let me pray and then we will begin. Lord, we love you. We thank you. You gave yourself for us. Thank you, Lord, that you demonstrated your love for us

and that while we were still sinners, you died for us. When we hated ourselves, when we hated you, when we were inactive in ongoing rebellion against your will that you still cared enough to die for our sake and to hang on our cross. So Lord, this morning as we receive the bread and the wine, we do so in remembrance of you, your sacrifice, your passion, your love, and your power. And we thank you, Lord, for this opportunity to fellowship with you. We say this all in your name, amen. All right, whenever you're ready, we'll be coming forward through these two outside aisles. Thanks.