Resurrection Saves | Pastor Brian Aulick | Engedi Church | April 26, 2026

Well, go ahead and grab a seat. So good to see everybody today. And my name is Brian. If we haven't met, you picked a great day to be at church. Honestly, every Sunday is a great day to be at church, right? Amen. I want to welcome some special groups of people. I want to say good morning to our Grand Rapids campus. I want to say good morning to Engedia Español and to all those who are joining us from other locations around the country, around the world. Those who are joining us from jails or prisons around the country want you to know, we're so glad to be studying the scriptures with you, worshiping Jesus with you today, and you are part of our church family. Now, we got a few things coming up, but before I say any of those things, I really do just need to celebrate. I know every Baptism Sunday, last week was a Baptism Sunday. We know how many people sign up, but how many sign up is never how many end up getting baptized. And church, I want to just share and report and celebrate with you that 75 people were baptized last Sunday across all of our campuses, declaring new life in Jesus. And I'm so excited for each that were baptized. I pray you'll take a next step now in discipleship, getting connected into a group here at Engedia, starting to serve and becoming part of the life of our family, if you're not already. We got a couple things I want to make you aware of, though. Jordan already shared about Engedia 15, and if you have not been to Engedia 15 yet, if you're new to Engedia, that is the single best way that you can find out a little bit more about our church. So make sure — it's actually less than 15 minutes, that's just a little secret between you and me. But you can go there after service and just learn a little bit about our church, and we'd love to have you.

And then the other thing that's coming up, man, Thursday night, I wonder if you're excited about worship night coming up on Thursday night. Let's go, church, let's go. Every time, every time our church sets aside intentional space to be in the presence of God, God meets us in that very place. And so I don't care what you have going on Thursday, cancel it, all right? We got kids ministry full on Thursday night. It's going to be an incredible night, just drinking and dwelling in the presence of God. And I want you to be here for that sacred time, because how many of you know you lift up the name of Jesus and God moves in your life, church? And He's going to move on this Thursday, and I'm excited for that, I'm hungry for that. Now today is the last day in our series that we've been in over these last few weeks called Resurrection Saves. I wonder if one last time you might shout out, resurrection — — saves. And the reason why we spent with Easter now a full month looking at resurrection is because resurrection is not supposed to be something you simply celebrate one day of the year. It is supposed to be something that shapes every day of our lives every year. And that's why we've been talking about resurrection for so many weeks in a row now. Today we've got a very important text to look at. If you have a Bible, I want to ask you to turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verse 50. The text we're going to be looking at deals with a number of very important realities. It looks at a number of different challenges that we face inside the church even today. Number one, it deals with the problem of timid Christians. It deals with the problem of people who call themselves Christ followers but then are afraid to really step out to name the name of Jesus at their jobs or in their schools, afraid to step out in faith and trust God for what He might be calling them to. This text deals with immature Christians. It deals with Christians who, who know maybe the basics of faith but then are blown around all over the place with every new TikTok video they see, everything they see on online, they're

like maybe I should believe that, maybe I should believe this, maybe the Bible says that and they're not firmly rooted, immature Christians. And then the third problem this text is going to deal with is worldly Christians. Christians who name the name of Jesus but then it seems like most of their life is oriented around just getting more for them. Now how many of you know, friends, timid Christians, immature Christians, worldly Christians, we're still dealing with that today, right? Everybody? That's still a problem in the church today. And that's what the text is going to address. Beginning at verse 15, the Apostle Paul says to the Christians at Corinth, I declare to you brothers and sisters that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable. and mortal, excuse me, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true, death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin and the power of sin is the law, but thanks be to God. He gives us the victory. Somebody shout out victory. He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord because you know your labor in the Lord is not in vain. Let's pray together. Father, I just want to say that we're eager today to meet with you. We're eager to hear from you. I pray, Father, as we look at the promises in this text, the promise that each person who is in Christ will receive a resurrection body,

will be perfected in eternity. God, would you meet us and encourage us with the words from this Scripture. I pray for the person who is here who has not yet given their life to Jesus, the person who is watching online and you have not yet given your life to Jesus. Would this be the day they hear from you, Father? Would this be the day they're convicted of sin and they're caught up in your love from heaven and they give their lives over to you in trust and obedience? For those of us who have been following Jesus, I pray again that the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the central event of all of human history, would shape our lives. Even today, I pray it in Jesus' name and all God's people declared, amen and amen. Well, today we're looking at the subject of resurrection bodies and the day that God gives everyone who is in Christ just really a new physical being. And I was thinking about this and it drew my mind to an experience that honestly our family's had for many years now, which is when Christina gets a new iPad in our family for many years, she's always gotten a hand-me-down from me. Whenever I've got an iPad I've been using for work and it starts to have issues and like it's no longer functional, at least at a level that I need it to do my job, then I get, congratulations Christina, you get my iPad now. And this is all a budget thing, right? So whatever it takes, you know, I've given her iPads that have like the headphone jack doesn't work, yeah iPads used to have headphone jacks everybody, okay that's how it was. And then I've given her iPads that have like, they used to have a little button on the front that you'd use to pull the menu up and I've given her ones that the button's broken and so we had to put a digital button on, you'd turn the thing on and the digital button because that didn't, I've given her ones with broken screens where pixels don't work quite right. I've given her ones that the operating system, that the new operating system doesn't work well on the iPad because it's so old it constantly causes the thing to glitch. And so I've, she's been, that's like the hand-me-down, you know, process we've had. Doesn't work for me for my job, here you go Christina, new iPad day, all right? And it's interesting because not long ago, Christina got her

very first brand new iPad. I'm telling you what, she opens that sweet crisp Apple box, she gets that iPad out, she sets it all up, she's like, Brian, this is amazing. I'm like, tell me about it babe, what's so amazing? She's like, number one, the headphone jack works. Number two, the power button, it turns it on every time. Number three, the screen isn't busted, they're not little funky colors coming up in random places. And best of all, number four, it doesn't glitch anymore. Man, she had an iPad, the thing, the operating system didn't work on it because it was so, it was so old and the device was so old, it would just turn off at random times. You're like working on something, off, gone, all right? She's like, this iPad is amazing, it does everything. The moral of the story is, husbands and dads, give your family members old devices because when you give them a new device, they're going to think you are the absolute best, all right? It's not the moral. The moral of the story is that, friends, when you get the latest, greatest update, how many of you know it blows your mind, right? Like, look what this thing can do. Can I tell you, in a very similar way, that is what is happening in the text. That's what God says is going to happen for every person who is in Christ. We are going to get a resurrection body. The body that you have right now will not be the one you spend eternity in. talk about in 1 Corinthians 15 that just as Jesus Christ received a resurrection body, so too will you and I if you are in Christ. Can I tell you about your resurrection body, church? Are you ready to hear about it? I'm going to just tell you four traits. They come from a few verses earlier in 1 Corinthians 15. Verse 42 says, the body that is sown, that's the one we're currently living in, the body that is sown is perishable, but he said it's going to be raised up imperishable. So first trait of the new body, our current bodies, you don't need me to tell you this, our current bodies are always in this process of breaking down and ultimately dying. You realize that, right, church? Like man, happy news on church day, all right, this is awesome, yeah.

Hey, that's just the way it is. Right now, every one of us, like the mortality rate's still 100%. Right now, you are confidently marching toward your death. That body is going to give up someday. In fact, I remember I was at my very first church job and one of the pastors there, whenever somebody would die, he would say this, like, oh, so and so expired. Isn't that the weirdest thing you've ever heard? So and so expired. I mean, while I was setting up the chapel, oh, didn't you hear it, Clara Sue, she expired last week. I mean, I'm like, this bro is weird. And then I thought to myself, that actually works pretty good because the truth of the matter is, can I tell you, your body is going to expire. There's a time stamp on this thing. It is not going to last forever. But God says that if you are in Christ, you are going to get a new resurrection body and that body will not expire, friends. That body is not prone to sickness. That body is not prone to disease. That body will not die, friends. It will be a body that lets you live eternally in the presence of God. That's trait number one. What's sown is perishable. What's going to be raised up is imperishable. Trait number two, verse 43. The body we have right now is sown in dishonor, but watch this. Your resurrection body, Christian, is going to be raised in glory. Somebody shout out glory. Now what this means is that right now, our current bodies, life in our current bodies is so often characterized by the dishonor of sin.

Isn't that true? Like parents, you have every aspiration, I'm going to be patient with that difficult child. I'm going to use my nice voice all the time with them. I'm going to just meet them where they are and then you actually blow your top on them, right? Some of you are like, yeah, on the way to church today, right? Clothed in dishonor. Or for some of us, we got hearts, we want to be generous and we want to come alongside others and share our resources, but we just find ourselves clutching to what is ours. We're wanting to say more for me, or we say in our bodies, yes, we want to live lives of purity, sexual purity that honor God, but then we end up drifting into sexual compromise. Current bodies are clothed in dishonor. Now watch this. When you put your trust in Jesus Christ, that starts to change. Second Corinthians three. We all who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory are being transformed into His image with ever increasing glory. The promise here is you give your life to Jesus and you start reflecting the character of Christ more and more in an increasing way, but watch this, friends. What Jesus started when you gave your life to Him, your resurrection body is going to complete, friends, and the moment you receive that resurrection body, watch this, your character is going to fully and finally reflect the character of Jesus Christ. I can't wait for that day. I can't wait for the day where I will never have to end my day confessing any kind of sin. Think, think about, won't that be amazing? Lord, you got anything to show me? Anything not right in my heart? Nope? All right, great.

Again and again, nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to confess, nothing to try to hide, none of that stuff, because you have been perfected in glory. Your body is imperishable, number one. Number two, it is raised. Your resurrection body will be raised in glory. Number three, in verse 43, it says our current bodies are sown in weakness, but watch this, they are going to be raised in power. Can we shout out power? Man, this is powerful to me, because so much of our life on this side of the grave, so much of our life in this body is characterized by limitations, if we're going to be honest. We're characterized by, we got to feed these bodies, they got to eat, we've constantly got to face the limitation of needing to sleep, some of y'all need to get more sleep by the way, you would have a much better relationship with God, and you'd be much happier if you'd get seven, eight hours a night. I'm just saying, okay, that's another sermon for another day. We need to sleep, we need to rest. Even listen, when we're awake, we've got to have some downtime. And I don't know about you, sometimes I get annoyed at the limitations that come with this body. Anybody else just annoyed by the idea of sleep? Anybody else feel that besides me? I know you would, Jerrion. I knew you would. And here's, the people that are annoyed by sleep, you've got all this stuff you want to do, and then we've got to lay down and do nothing for eight hours. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. I've got all kinds of goals and dreams, why do I have to lay in a bed for eight hours? What a waste of time. And then we've got to feed these things. Like, we're always facing the limitations of having to fuel ourselves up.

Let me ask, anybody ever gotten hangry? You know what hangry is? You're hungry and you're angry. Hangry, yeah? Anybody married to that person? Come on, right? I'm not going to put my, my son-in-law just put both of his hands up, I think, oh my gosh. She comes by it honestly, Anderson. She comes by. Honestly, we leave the house just yesterday and I say, Christina, did you pack your snack? True story. She doesn't want to admit she needs one, but then we get there and she eats one, she's like, thank you for asking me if I packed my snack, right? That's what we're subject to in this life. Our bodies are raised right now in weakness. Our bodies live, exist right now in weakness, but they're going to be raised in power and I can't wait till that moment because when my new body is raised in power, it means I'm going to have every capacity and every ability to do everything I am called to do in Christ Jesus without facing a moment's fatigue. Man, am I ready for that. I'm ready to be done with all the limitations that come with these bodies. I'm ready to serve my Jesus with all of the energy that he would put inside me. And that takes us to the fourth trait of our resurrection bodies. Verse 44, the text says that our current body is sown a natural body, but it is going to be raised a spiritual body. Now when you read that description, spiritual body, that does not mean a non-physical body. What it's saying is that our new bodies, instead of being sustained by the things of this world, our new bodies will be entirely sustained by the power of the Holy Spirit. The reason why in the previous point I can say they are raised in power, we don't face the limitations that we once did, is because when you receive a resurrection body, again,

if you are in Christ, the Holy Spirit will now sustain your life and give you the ability to do what you could not do on your own. What you could not do in this natural world. That is going to be the new reality of a resurrected life, fully energized, fully sustained, fully empowered by the presence of the Spirit of God. These are four traits of resurrection life. Your body will be imperishable. It will reflect the glorious character of Christ. No more confession of sin. Your resurrection body will have unlimited power to pursue God's purposes in your life because you are fully energized by the Holy Spirit. I wonder if anybody in the room today is looking forward to an upgrade to your physical body. Anybody looking forward to some resurrection life? I'm ready for that upgrade, man. As much as Christina is loving her new iPad that actually works, I'm ready for my upgrade. When Jesus gives me a new body that lets me function the way I was made to function is in His image. And so this is what resurrection bodies will be like. The next question I want to get at, practical question, when does a Christian receive this kind of body? And sometimes people will say, well, the moment you die, you receive a resurrection body. That's not actually the case. Look at verse 51. It says, listen, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep. In other words, we're not all going to physically die. Some will be alive. Of course, when Jesus comes back, watch this, we will all be changed. When? Listen to the next word.

In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. The scriptures teach that when Jesus returns to earth, and Jesus said He was going to return to earth, right church? The scriptures say when Jesus returns, a trumpet will announce His arrival. First John chapter, 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, for the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet. trumpet call of God. And watch this, Jesus returns, a trumpet sound goes forth, and all who are living for Christ and all who have died previously in Christ will be raised up in their resurrection bodies in that very moment. This will not be a long, drawn-out process. This will not be like going to the Secretary of State to get your license renewed, all right? Serving number five. Serving number five. Six. Is six here? Serving, you're looking at 27, you're like, I'm literally gonna die. I'm gonna meet Jesus before this thing gets called, all right? That's not how it's gonna be. It says, the text says, Jesus will return to earth, and in a moment, all those who are in Christ, who have died in Christ, are gonna receive resurrection bodies in Jesus' name. In a moment, in a moment, in a moment. Just like that. What's that tell me? It tells me if you don't know yet Jesus yet, guess what? You need to put your trust in Him as soon as possible, because when He returns, there's no process, there are no second chances, there's no, hey, let me give you a few minutes to figure things out. In a moment, He returns, and those who are in Christ receive resurrection bodies. Can I tell you, if you are not in Christ, today is the day to give your life to Him. Today is the day to give your trust to Him, because you want to be raised up as a resurrected person with Him. Here's what else that, that idea that resurrection happens in a moment, in an instant. Here's what else it tells me. It tells me if you are in Christ, and you know somebody who isn't yet a follower of Him, who hasn't been saved by His blood on the cross in His resurrection, it is urgently important you share your faith with that person. We don't know how much time we have, and we don't know how much time they have. We don't know what, when Jesus is coming back. All we know

was when He comes back. Just like that, those who are in Christ will receive resurrection bodies. Friends, it's so urgent if you know somebody, if you got a friend and a family member, you're lovingly, gently telling them about Jesus. You're inviting them to church. I, I broke my heart. I heard a story this week, both encouraging and broke my heart. It was a guy who gave his life to Christ here in Getty in this last year. And his testimony is God has absolutely revolutionized him from the inside out. I mean, he has new life through and through. But here's what he said to a friend of mine. He said, I work at a company where I know there are lots of Christians around. And I know the company he works for, and there are people from Getty who work at that same company. And he said, all I can keep, all I keep thinking about is how could no one have told me about Jesus this whole time? How could I be going into work day after day, and I know people who have had their lives transformed and changed by Christ, but they didn't tell me. They didn't tell me about church. They didn't tell me that something like Getty even existed. And now this guy is bound and determined to tell every single soul he can that Jesus died on a cross for their sins, and he was raised again that they might experience new life. Would that be the reality that sinks to our heart? As we face this reality that resurrection bodies is not going to be a process. It's going to be Jesus comes back, and in a moment, in a moment, in a moment, those who are in Christ and those who died in Christ will be raised up. And so first, we find out from the text what our resurrection bodies are going to be like, just as Jesus had a resurrection body. Secondly, we find out when we're going to receive them when Jesus returns. And the third thing I want to look at is why, why it is so crucial that you and I are actually made new. Why is it so important we receive resurrected bodies? I don't know if anybody followed the journey that that team of astronauts just had going around the moon. Did you follow this a little bit in the news? Yeah, you watched them? I love watching these videos. Like, they'd send them from the space shuttle. You know, this just blows my mind. Like, they're on their phones. Literally, you see iPhones floating in the air. I saw one video. The iPhone just flew. And they're like taking videos of themselves and shooting them

back to us, describing their journey around the moon. First thought that comes to my mind, how can those astronauts get better wireless than what I get on the lake shore? That's the first thought, all right? Literally, and my phone is breaking down when I get close to the lake. These guys are sending stuff from space, everybody. Verizon, help me out, please, all right? But beyond that, I noticed that in every video I saw of the astronauts, they're wearing these blue flight suits. Did you see that? That must be like the, you know, astronaut uniform, right? And I thought to myself the other day, what if one day, one of those astronauts with their blue flight suits, they're like, you know what? It's getting a little cramped in the shuttle. I'm just gonna take a little break. I'm gonna step outside and stretch it out just a little bit. And I don't want to go to the trouble of putting on a big space suit or anything like that. I'm just gonna open the door here and just take a little walk outside for a minute. How do you think that would go for them? Not well, right? Not well. In fact, I looked it up today. I was like, how fast would you die if you just stepped? And they said 15 seconds before you'd fall asleep from the lack of oxygen and about dead in two minutes. All right? Why would it not go well for an astronaut if they stepped into space just wearing a space suit, just a jumpsuit, because their bodies are not made for that atmosphere. Right, church?

Our bodies are not made for the atmosphere of space. Can I tell you, the same thing is true with our own physical bodies right now. To be honest, the body you are in right now is not made for when the kingdom of God comes in completion. It's not made for heaven. Let me tell you why. Verse 51, flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Why can't flesh and blood inherit the kingdom of God? Because let me tell you two things about heaven. Number one, from Revelation 21, there's gonna be no more death, no more mourning, no more crying, no more pain for the old order of things that have passed away. And then secondly, verse 27, same chapter, nothing impure is gonna come into heaven, nor anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. Here's what that tells me. There are two things that absolutely will not be in heaven. Number one is sin, and number two is death. And yet when I look at my physical bodies, and when you look at your body, what are these bodies prone to? Sin and death. You see why it doesn't work to try to walk into heaven in the body you're in, right? It's why Jesus says we need a resurrection body.

We need the kind of body, here it is, that's gonna be suited for the new environment that we're gonna find ourselves in the kingdom of God. This is why once you get that resurrection body, it can say in verse 54, then, when, when you get your new body, then the saying that is written will come true. Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where oh death is your victory, where oh death is your sin, the sin of death is sin, the power of sin is the law, but thanks be to God, he gave us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. That is what happens when you get a new body in Jesus. Man, I'm ready for a body that's done with sin and done with death once and for all. And that's the promise you have if you are in Christ. Amen, church? Now, the question that we gotta wrestle with is what is all of this promise about a future resurrection body do for us right now? So listen, if you are in Christ, you have all of the hope of looking forward to an eternity with a new body that is no longer subject to disease or death or sin, but is made new fully and finally in Jesus Christ. What does that future hope have to do with your present life? And Paul says there are three things.

He gives three exhortations coming out of this long teaching on our future and our resurrected bodies in verse 58. It starts out this way. Therefore, somebody say therefore. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, first instruction, stand firm. He said, listen, all of you who know you've got a resurrection body kind of hope, he said, first instruction, be bold. Be confident in the Lord Jesus Christ. Why should you be bold? Because listen to me now, nothing this world can do to you is greater than the future that God has for you. Be bold. Can I say it again? Nothing this world can do to you is greater than the future that God has for you. This is what transformed the Jesus disciples in the first century. Man, they were not courageous. They were not men of valor. The disciples deserted Jesus when he was dying on the cross. One of his disciples denied he even knew Jesus. All of them got together after the death of Jesus and hid away in a room because they were worried about what the authorities were gonna do to them. But can I tell you, Jesus came alongside

these frightened, terrified, weak disciples. And when they encountered the resurrection of Jesus, it changed something inside of them and they became bold and they became confident and they become courageous and they became men who would stand firm in the name of Jesus. That's what the resurrection does when it sinks into your life, when it sinks into your heart. Man, I think we've got too many timid Christians in the church. We've got Christians who are afraid to name the name of Jesus because, what if they cancel me? What if my job reprimands me? What if my friends look down on me or make fun of me? And so we keep it inside instead of being transparent with our faith, instead of talking about what Jesus has done for us, instead of inviting somebody to church. Too many timid Christians. Timid Christians that are afraid to take risks. Timid Christians that are afraid to start businesses and go after new jobs and take professional—oh, I've got a stable job. I could never put that in jeopardy now. Well, what if God is calling you to put that in jeopardy? You think God can give you the strength to get over that? You think the resurrection is bigger than your job or not? Too many timid Christians who are afraid to build new relationships, who are afraid to reach across cultural boundaries. Too many guys who are afraid to ask her out. What if she says, no, I don't know what I'm going to do. My gosh, man, Jesus Christ died for you and was raised again.

Get some guts, all right. There is nothing this world can do to you that is greater than the good future God has for you. Take a risk, church. Take a risk and trust Him. Step out in faith. I love these words from Psalm 27. I have to preach these words to myself. David is trying to preach to himself when he's dealing with fear and anxiety. Says the Lord is my light and the Lord is my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear. Though war break against me, even then I will be confident. Somebody say confident. Confident. Friends, if Jesus, if David rather, could write these words before the resurrection of Jesus Christ, how much more reason do we have to claim these words after having witnessed the resurrection of Jesus Christ? Man, my Jesus didn't stay on a cross. He was raised to life three days later. And so now I say, based on the resurrection of Christ, though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear. Jesus is risen. Though war break out against me, even then I'll be confident. Jesus is risen. Oh, I pray we'd get a resurrection kind of church. I pray we'd get a church that steps out on faith. I pray we'd get a church that says, I'm willing to let Jesus take me out on the water.

I'm willing to take some risks and trust Him. I'm willing to put some things. I'm willing to give my money, my time. I'm willing to risk getting uncomfortable. Man, though war break, I'm going to be confident based on the resurrection of Jesus. First thing Paul tells them is stand firm. Everybody say stand firm. Next thing he says to them is let nothing move you. Let nothing move you from your confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now you might remember the context here is that Paul is writing to the Christians at a city called Corinth, and they are absolutely inundated by Greek philosophy. And Greek philosophy teaches that the body is a bad thing. You're trying to get rid of your body. The Greeks actually said your body is a prison you need to get out of. And there was so much Greek philosophy pounding these Christians that they started questioning if resurrection was even possible. I said this the first week, friends. The culture is constantly going to challenge your convictions in Christ. The culture is always warring against the Word of God. And Paul's word to us here is let nothing move you. After Jesus was raised from the dead, he says in Matthew chapter 28, all authority — somebody say all authority — all authority has been given to me. He's saying you can trust my words. You can build your life on my words. All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Man, I just got — we've got so many Christians listening to the culture for how you ought to live. The only thing stupider than what the culture says is Christians who are listening to it. Sorry to be offensive, all right? Have you noticed our culture is a disaster?

Why are you listening to our culture? Listen to the Word of God. Listen to Jesus. He proved his authority in the resurrection. Listen to Jesus. Read his word. Be in the Bible every day. Memorize his promises. Build your life on his word. Oh man, Pastor, but I'm gonna look so stupid at school if I actually honor the word of God. Oh, Pastor, I'm gonna look so dumb if I'm at my job and I actually talk about Jesus. Can I just tell you something, church? It is true, you know what? You might look foolish if you stand on the promises of God in your life, but I would rather look foolish in the eyes of the world and be found trustworthy when Jesus comes back. Watch this. And when Jesus comes back, I look stupid, but I was looking good in the eyes of the world. He says, stand firm. Everybody say, stand firm. He says, let nothing move you from your confidence. And then verse 58, Paul writes this, always give yourselves fully, fully, not partially, not kind of, fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your labor in the Lord Jesus is not in vain.

Amen. The Bible teaches that every single one of us will someday face Jesus Christ in judgment. You realize this? If you are not in Christ, if you have resisted his love and grace, if you have resisted his forgiveness, if you had resisted putting your trust in him, you've given him the stiff arm, then your judgment in that day will be a judgment of punishment where you will spend eternity apart from God. I wish that for no one in the sound of my voice. But those who do follow Christ and have given their lives to him will also face judgment, not a judgment of punishment, but a judgment for rewards. Jesus will assess your life. Did you live for him? And he will reward you accordingly. Second Corinthians five, we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ so that each of us may receive what is due us. For the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Said this before, I don't necessarily think every Christian is gonna hear well done, good and faithful servant from Jesus. I think every single Christian who has given their lives to Christ will be saved.

They will have the hope of heaven. But I think the people who are gonna hear well done, good and faithful servant are the people who chose on this side of the grave to say, Jesus, I am giving myself fully to the work of the Lord. I'm giving myself fully to your kingdom and your purposes. I just need to ask you a straight question. Are you living for Jesus Christ? Are you living for Jesus Christ? Are you living for his purposes and his goals? Is your life oriented around the word of God or is this whole church Jesus thing, you just sprinkle a little bit on the American dream that you're living for, but you're really living for yourself. The promise of God is that as you orient your life around following Jesus and living for him, it will not be in vain. You will be rewarded for your faithfulness. You say, how do I know? How do I know pastor, if I'm giving myself fully to the work of the Lord? I'll give you one test. It's gonna be a challenging test. Right after verse 58, where he says, always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord. Very next verse, chapter 16 and verse one, now about the collection for the Lord's people. Do what I told the Galatian church to do.

Do what I told the Galatian churches to do on the first day of every week, the Sabbath, each of you, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up so that when I come, he says, no collections have to be made. Listen to me church, the surest sign of a life lived for Christ is what you do with your money. Did you hear that church? Look it up. He says the same thing in Matthew chapter six, verse two. The surest sign that you are not just living for yourself, but you are living for the kingdom of God is what you do with your money. A great starting place is the tithe. The tithe is the first 10% of our income. We don't, by the way, say we give God a tithe. We don't say that we give God a tithe. We say that God receives the tithe. Because God says the first 10% of our income belongs to Him in the first place. If you're not working towards that tithing point, yeah, man, set a goal, make a plan, and say, I'm gonna get to that place, friends. Can I tell you, God is gonna reward you in heaven for financial faithfulness before Him. He's gonna reward you. Nothing we do for the Lord is in vain. That said, I need to let you know

that tithing is less a finish line than it is a starting place. If you're paying attention to the text, he says each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income. The idea Paul's implying is as God prospers you, you're like, God, I'm not just gonna be stuck at tithing like there's some law I just follow. I do that, box check. No, no, your heart is gonna be open to increasing generosity. You wanna know if you're advancing the kingdom of God, if you're giving yourself fully to the work of the Lord? Look at your wallet. Now, listen, I know that some of us in the room today, you're like, some of us watching online, you're like, man, I wanna be generous towards the kingdom. I really do. I just don't know how to make the numbers work. I don't know how to pay the bills and care for the kids and do it all. Pastor, and man, I was in that place. I was in that place and we had some people come alongside us, Christina and me, helping us get our finances in order. We wanna do the same for you. And so we're offering, listen, a one-session class that's coming up called Money Made Simple. That sounds pretty good, doesn't it? Money Made Simple.

Wednesday, May 6th, 6.30 p.m. here at our Holland campus. This class is for any person of any background, any income level, you name it. We're gonna come together. We're gonna look at what the scripture says about money. We're gonna look at some tools to manage our money. Why? Because we wanna be a church who gives ourselves fully to the work of the Lord. We wanna be a church who stands before Jesus and even when it comes to our money, we hear, well done, good and faithful servant. Amen, church? Your labor in the Lord, your service in the Lord, your generosity in the Lord is not in vain. Let's pray together. Father, I thank you today for this incredible hope we have if we are in Christ of resurrection bodies. Oh God, we dream of the day when Jesus returns and we receive these bodies that will be imperishable. We receive these bodies that will reflect the glorious character of Christ. We receive these bodies that will be fully energized by the power of the Holy Spirit and therefore give us every capacity to live into the calling that you've put on our lives. Oh, we look forward to that day, Jesus. I pray, God, as a community with the hope of resurrection bodies that we would be bold for our faith,

that we would be willing to risk and we would be willing to trust you, Father, for we know there is nothing this world can do to us that is greater than the future you have for us. Make us a people of faith. Help us be a people of risk. In Jesus' name, I pray. I pray we wouldn't be moved by our culture. I pray, Father, as all these different ideas come in that try to sway us this way and that, Father, we would stand strong, not being moved, standing on the authority of Jesus' own word, building our life on Jesus' own word. I pray, Father, we would look forward to this day where our lives are judged for the work we did on this side of the grave. Would we give ourselves fully to your work, Jesus, so that someday when we see you face-to-face, we can indeed hear these words, well done, well done, my daughter, well done, my son. Staying in this place of prayer, if you're here today and you wanna give your life to Jesus, man, this is your time, okay? In just a moment, I'm gonna count to three. And when I say three, I'm gonna ask you to put your hand in the air. As a sign before God that you wanna give your life to Christ. This is not a decision you should put off any longer. Jesus will come back in a moment, and then you will not have that chance again.

This is a decision God brought you to church today or God brought you online today to make right now. And so if you want to give your life to Christ, I'm gonna count to three. And when I say three, I'm gonna ask you to put your hand in the air as a way of declaring it before God. Not gonna call you out, not embarrass you. It's a way to say before God, yes, Jesus, today's the day I wanna put my trust in you. One, I want you to know God is so crazy for you. He so loves you that he gave his son, Jesus, on a cross for you, for your forgiveness. Two, the same Jesus who died on a cross was raised to life three days later, so that as you would. put your trust in Him, you too could be raised to new life. And three, if you wanna give your life to Jesus Christ today, could you shoot your hand in the air right now as a way of saying, yes, that is me, I see you too, awesome. Awesome, good job, man. Who else is here saying, today's the day I need to give my life to Christ? Who else is here saying, today's the day I wanna put my trust in, I see y'all guys right in the front row, awesome. Anybody else, anybody else? All right, you can put your hands down. If that's you, pray with me, God, in this moment,

I just say thank you for loving me, thank you for speaking to me, forgive my sins in this moment in Jesus' name, from this point forward, God, I am following you, I will look forward to a resurrection life, I will look forward to a resurrection body, I will anticipate heaven, and I will live every day between now and then for you, Jesus, I pray it in His strong name. And all God's people said, amen. Can we celebrate new life in the house, church? Can we celebrate some spiritual birthdays? I'm so proud of you. Now listen, if you just had your hand up, we got some folks in the aisles, they got a Bible for you, and they got a little book called You Said Yes, and I want you to just wave to them as they're walking back, get their attention, they're gonna hand it down your row, okay? Make sure you fill out that little card that comes with that and turn it in at the drop spots, and here's why I want you to fill it out. I wanna just text you this week, and I wanna just say congratulations, all right? And I wanna send you some new resources that I made just for you, okay? So get their attention, we're gonna end this day on a good note, we're gonna end this day we're gonna end this day on our feet, so stand up, stand up, stand up. And can we end this day and can we end this series

by lifting up the name of Jesus, by declaring we have good hope, not because we're so good, but because He's so great, and can we look forward to resurrection?