Had a great Sunday service. We saw people get set free from bondage, we saw a person recieve Christ and people walk into the amazing life God has for them.
Here are some of the highlights from the Easter Message.
Because of man’s sin, the God of the Universe came down in flesh as fully man and fully God and was beaten, crucified, spit on, mocked, rejected and at the 9th hour he gave up His spirit. And on Him, was laid all of our sin, our hatred towards others, our selfishness, the violence and cruelty, the way we talk about others, addiction, the way we hoard money when there’s people in need, lust,. And He went to the grave, separated from the father, in Hell where the wrath of God fell on Him. But Sunday’s coming, amen. And on the third day, He was raised from the dead, because you can’t hold down perfection, and He triumphed over our sin and death.
He offers life to anyone who puts their trust in Him and receives Him as Savior. He offers forgiveness for sin, and not only that, but the ability to change and turn from the ways that destroy you. He offers a life of power, joy, meaning, depth, purpose. He offers reconciliation with God, the ability to have a friendship with the creator of the Universe, to be adopted as a child.
Some of us wanna love God the way we want not the way He wants. You don’t love Him. His love language is commitment, passion, tithe, serving, worship, time.
When you meet Jesus and receive Him as your Savior, there’s this change and no longer can you stay in sin, no longer can you spend all your money on yourself, no longer can you not be a part of this movement where Christ is reclaiming the earth. You just get crazy about Him, you fall in love.
Do you know Jesus as the one who is worthy of full devotion. Do you know Him as the Lord, whom your entire life revolves around, who you’re crazy about?
Does the way you give, serve, come to church, love others, fellowship with God, flee from sin, show you’re a believer?
God is determining right now if you love Him and He’s gonna share that with you on judgement day. Some of you have only had an emotional experience with God but haven’t met Him yet.
God is a God of second and third chances, He lavishes forgiveness and He’s not through with you no matter what you’ve done. But today its time to receive Christ.
The purpose of your life is to advance the gospel and when we line ourselves up with His purpose we become unstoppable.
I dream of the day when we have warred against poverty at such a level, that the government doesn’t need to step in anymore. I dream of the day, when the church is the first line for people struggling with unplanned parent hood, suicide, addiction, when their are no orphanages or foster care system because the church has taken care of it. I dream of the day, when the gospel goes forth to every nation and people come before God and receive Him as king and find the joy they were missing.
We can see the greatest movement of God that’s ever been seen, because if God is for us then what can stand against us. Our mission is unstoppable, not even death can stop it. With 12 people, Jesus changed, the world. They risked death, were beaten, stoned, persecuted, crucified upside down but nothing could stop it from reaching 3 billion people.
We will reach every people group in the world. This mission will succeed. This church will grow, we will reach this city and the world and we gotta claim that today.
If our friends, coworkers, family, the people in India don’t come to Christ they will go to Hell.
But we know Jesus has come and died for us, we have the gift of life, freedom from guilt and shame, hope, meaning, joy. Therefore we have been charged to take this gospel to the ends of the earth, that’s why we’re still here.
Your life, resources, family is supposed to reach those far from God. The reason you live where you live, work where you work, in the family your in, kids play on the team is to reach people. God wants His house full because there is life no where else.
And what He’s saying in this is you’ve gotta make up your minds which team your on. Because if your on my team, your whole life purpose is going after those far from God.
You see Christianity doesn’t work if you’re not all in. Because the reason you still have the problems you do, wondering if you’re gonna make it, about finances, depression is because you haven’t came to the place where you’ve embraced the purpose of life. Because when the purpose of your life becomes advancing the gospel, suddenly you begin to become like Paul, I’ve been rich I’ve been poor, I’ve just gotta share with more people. Then He’s beaten, jail, this is light and momentary suffering to what I will have in Heaven. I’ve learned to be content no matter what, just have to be sharing the gospel.
If the purpose of your life is advancing the gospel, then nothing can stop you. If your lose your health it’s an opportunity for God to heal, or show that no matter if cancer strikes I will praise His name and tell others He’s enough. If you’re struggling financially, you have the opportunity to pray for miracles and show people that God is enough no matter what you have. When you’re mistreated you can show people I will act like Christ no matter how you treat me. When someone important to you dies, you know their in heaven, and can use the tragedy to show people, God is enough.
Our prayer should not be our kids comfort, security, our vacation budget, how are we gonna pay for this new car, but advancing the gospel and if something happens that upsets our comfort to advance the gospel, so be it.
The enemy will seek to distract us, to spend our money on ourselves instead of the church, our time on ourselves, to date someone who’s crappy. But we have an opportunity to be a part of the greatest mission, greatest revival the world has ever seen. For the sake of your relationship with Christ, for the sake of keeping the gospel from advancing, for the sake of the calling on your life, let us not trample on the blood of Christ. Let us confess our sin and put everything we have into advancing the gospel.
The resistance is the force that tries to keep you from doing what you know God wants. And the reason Satan is trying to keep you in your sin is cause He’s seen a preview of the great things God has for you.
You are more than a conqueror, you can do all things, don’t waste your life. We don’t have to cower in fear, we can overcome sin, our situation. We can be free from worry, because we serve a Sovereign God. What mountain, failure, sin, sickness are you facing, Jesus is more. What child problems, financial struggles, work stress- Jesus is more.
We could travel off of this planet in any direction at the speed of light, 186,000 miles a second, for billions of years and never begin to exhaust what we already know to exist. All of that rests in the palm of his hand. The power of one word from His mouth can create a galaxy. He tells the clouds where to move and the sun when to shine. When this God fills us we can see incredible things.
When you line yourself up with His purposes, He’ll give you whatever you want. And you’ll find that His purposes are the delights of your heart. Psalm 37:4.
