Walking in the Power of the Resurrection: Living a Transformed Life | Easter Sunday

So exciting to be in church on Easter Sunday and I want to encourage each of you that every day of your life can be like Easter Sunday. Amen. Every day of your life. This morning I want to share with you a message that I’ve entitled Walking in the Power of the Resurrection. There’s great power in the resurrection of Jesus but sadly too many of us are not walking in that power. We’re not we’re not living in the power of the resurrection and so I want to I want to focus on that this morning. Will you stand with me as we honor the Word of the Lord. I want to read from Matthew chapter 28 verses 1 through 10 and I’m also going to turn and read in Romans 8 11. So we’re going to start in Matthew 28 verses 1 through 10. After the Sabbath at dawn on the first of the week Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake for an angel the Lord came down from heaven and going to the tomb rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women don’t be afraid for I know that you are looking for Jesus who is who was crucified. He is not here. He is risen just as he said. Come and see the place where we lay. Then go quickly and tell the disciples he has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him now I’ve told you. So the women hurried away from the tomb afraid yet filled with joy and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. Greetings he said. They came to him clasped his feet and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them do not be afraid go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee. There they will see me. And then if you’re turning your Bibles to Romans Romans chapter 8 verse 11. Here’s what Paul says about the power of the resurrection. This is Romans 8 verse 11. And if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his spirit who lives in you. Let’s pray. Lord Jesus I’m praying today that you will come alive in hearts and minds. Lord we can’t live this Christian life on our own. We can’t be good enough to live out the Christian life. We can’t work hard enough. And so today we are choosing to rest in the gracious activity of God in our lives. We are choosing to rest in the goodness of God and the gift of Jesus to us. And thank you for the power of the resurrection that can transform us and help us to live the life you’ve called us to live. Lord open our ears so we can hear. Give us ears of faith in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. The Lord bless you as you’re seated this morning. I want to just begin by talking about the reality of the resurrection. Lee Strobel who was an atheist journalist in Chicago later became a Christian. His name is Lee Strobel. You can look him up on the internet. And Lee Strobel provides four or five proofs of the resurrection. And so you may be here this Sunday and you’re brand new to the whole Christian thing. Maybe you don’t even come to church a lot and you’re wondering well what is this about the resurrection? Is that possible? Well actually resurrection is impossible right? I mean we know what happens to people who die. What happens to people who die? They stay dead. That’s what happens to people who die. And so we know that this claim, this biblical claim that Jesus not only died and I love that passage where we read the angel even says come in and look and see where he lay. What does that mean? It means he’s not there anymore. If you read in the gospel of John in John chapter 19 it talks about the beloved disciple running and Peter’s running and I think it’s John the beloved disciple that outruns Peter to the tomb and what but then Peter gets there and when he gets there what does he do? He goes all the way into the tomb. Why? Because he’s looking for Jesus and if Jesus isn’t in the tomb he wants to make sure that that tomb is empty and what does Peter find in John chapter 19? He not only doesn’t find Jesus but he finds the body cloths and the head linen folded up and laying in the empty tomb. You know this last October I got to go to Israel and I got to step inside. It’s called the garden tomb. It’s one of two places that they think Jesus was likely buried and it’s not a big opening so you have to this tomb I went in you have to kind of bend over or bend down and you go in and on the left side is where they would have laid a fresh body that was prepared and the way the Jewish people did it is it usually was a family tomb so once the bones all dried out and stuff they’d move your grandpa over here right so then you could be buried but that what was unique the Gospels tell us is this was a a borrowed tomb it wasn’t the family of Jesus it was the family of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus helped to bury and prepare the body and so it was a brand new tomb no one else would have been in there Jesus body was laid in there but when the disciples ran in and looked when Peter they didn’t see the body but they they saw isn’t that a wonderful detail from the gospel they saw the headcloth folded up and laying there I just can’t imagine if someone would have stolen the body of Jesus that they would have gone to all that effort I think they would have been in a hurry but we know nobody stole the body of Jesus Jesus was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit amen and church that’s why we’re still talking about Jesus today that’s why Jesus transformed all of the Western civilization and now the whole world people are coming to faith in Jesus Christ why because he taught some good things well maybe why because he lived a good life he was a moral man and a good teacher maybe no the world is being turned upside down by faith in Jesus Christ today because his resurrection is real it happened it happened it’s real history Lee Strobel I want to give you the five proofs that he gives us for the resurrection and remember this was coming from an atheist journal journalist in Chicago he was really I think like a criminologist he would do journal work for when there were crimes and he would go do the research to see if the crime really happened the first evidence he gives is the execution he says there was never a case in which someone survived a Roman crucifixion and it’s not just the Gospels that tell us that Jesus was crucified but other Jewish historians Roman historians tell us that Jesus was crucified and so we know that Jesus was dead another proof of the resurrection is what Lee Strobel calls the early accounts in other words the disciples didn’t wait for a hundred or two hundred or three hundred years to go by so that they could start spreading this myth that hey the one we were following he actually rose from the dead and and and they didn’t go to some far off place to tell that tale no the early accounts what we know from history is that Jesus died and rose from the dead around 30 to 33 AD and immediately in Jerusalem in Judea right there where it happened right there when you where you could have said no wait a minute that’s not right here’s Jesus body let me take you to the tomb where Jesus is they started spreading the tale that this Jesus who died it was crucified at the hands of the Romans he rose from the dead so they didn’t wait 50 years they didn’t wait a hundred years they didn’t go to a far-off land and start inventing some myth and so Lee Strobel found that to be very convincing I hope you’ll consider that and let me just ask you this morning if you’re not a Christian have you ever really considered Jesus have you ever gone on a search for Jesus yourself have you ever studied the Gospels have you ever researched could this be true because I’ll be the first to tell you this morning if it’s not true I’m a I’m a fool but if it’s true if it’s if it’s possibly true that Jesus is God in the flesh come to show us the way to save us from our sin and to help us have a relationship with God if it’s true Wow then it not only changes my life but it changes your life it changes everything and Lee Strobel as he was on his journey of trying to find the truth he said Jesus was definitely dead and it’s convincing that the disciples didn’t wait later to tell this tale but they told the story of Jesus rising from the dead something that’s impossible it’s not possible people would have mocked them and laughed them out of wherever they were saying that how can Jesus a human being rise from the dead but they told that story immediately a third proof that Lee Strobel talks about is just the empty tomb he says no one has ever found the body of Jesus and Matthew’s Gospel records that the women look to see if it was Jesus tomb in other words they didn’t they didn’t go to the wrong tomb in other words okay I want you to know that they it’s not like they ran to try to see the tomb of Jesus and went to the wrong tomb on Sunday morning they went to the right tomb they some of them even went in they saw that Jesus was not there so at the very least he’s either risen or somebody took his body we know that from the gospel records and from extra biblical sources the empty tomb it was empty he’s not there and then the eyewitnesses the Gospels as well as Paul’s writings in 1st Corinthians tell us that Jesus appeared to his disciples when Thomas wasn’t with his disciples later Jesus appeared to Thomas who actually was doubting you know if I was going to create a myth and try to convince you that Jesus rose from the dead but it wasn’t true I certainly wouldn’t have included one of his closest disciples as a doubter I would have said oh no no all twelve were thoroughly convinced it’s one of the things I love about the Bible it’s so real it’s so authentic it tells us that after Jesus was crucified the disciples were really really dismayed they were really discouraged they were really disappointed in fact Peter basically says I’m gonna go back to fishing and he didn’t mean he was just gonna go to the lake of the Ozarks and enjoy his bass boat right he was going back to his profession which he had left to follow Jesus why because he was discouraged because he believed that Jesus was going to bring political freedom and that he was going to help his people and now the path for Jesus was to the cross and crucifixion and he was dead but then Sunday morning came Sunday morning came and they began to understand Wow this Jesus who was crucified he’s alive he’s alive and they began to spread the word and Jesus himself appeared to the disciples in Corinthians 1st Corinthians 1556 says that he appeared to more than 500 people there in the first century in Judea Wow this wasn’t a secret another evidence that Lee Strobel mentions is just the evidence of faith the disciples who believed that Jesus rose from the dead they lived and died for what they knew to be true see it is true you don’t have to be a Christian to die for something you believe in that is true non Christians around the world of other faiths will martyr themselves for something they believe in but it is very difficult for me to believe that the disciples would have died for something they knew to be false come on church they were there and if it was false and they stole the body or some other Jewish people stole the body it all happened in a very small place I just went to Jerusalem it is not that big of a place old Jerusalem and that whole area you walk everywhere you go it’s not it’s not Wyoming I mean it’s a very small place you would have known and so these disciples they didn’t give their life in the first century for something they believed was false they gave their life because they were convinced that Jesus was the savior of the world that he died he was crucified and he was he was risen from the dead there’s great hope in the resurrection if you’re here this morning and you don’t have hope you’re in the right place there’s great hope in the resurrection because Jesus was raised from the dead one day I have the promise of heaven one day I have the promise the Bible even talks about a glorified body come on I tell you what that’s getting better every day as I get older you know I’ll tell you what I love baptizing everyone of the eight this morning thank you for the privilege of doing that but my my hip was working me out I’ll tell you and so I’m already looking forward to that glorified body if Jesus rose from the dead and then had a glorified body as he ascended to the right hand of the Father the Bible tells me that one day I’m gonna be in heaven I’m gonna be in paradise with Jesus and I’m gonna receive a glorified body that’s gonna live forever not gonna no pain there’s not gonna be any sickness Wow that’s the hope of the resurrection you see what the resurrection really says to us is that God is a good creator and he’s in the business of recreating the world that’s one of the big themes in the Bible you see some philosophies in world religions have this more circular idea that time just goes in a circle not in the Bible though in the Bible there’s a beginning and there’s an end and God is at work in the beginning and he’s at work in the end he’s bringing all things to redemption and he’s rebuilding the world one day there’s gonna be a new heaven and a new earth I love that scripture that dr. tear dad shared 2nd Corinthians 517 if you are in Christ you’re a new creation that’s what God is up to in your life my life and the whole world and the power of the resurrection tells us God can do it are you struggling with an addiction are you struggling with anxiety or depression God can recreate you God can give you a new day new life new focus new thinking I’m starting to get into the message now so let’s just go for it number one number one I want to work through Romans 8 this morning and just talk about what we have in Jesus Christ so if you will turn with me to Romans chapter 8 I’m gonna start in verse 1 through 4 as I consider the resurrection this morning and the power of the resurrection my heart is overjoyed but also filled with sadness because I know so many of us who are living beneath where God wants us to live we’re not really walking in the power of the resurrection it shows up in the way we feel it shows up in the way we talk it shows up in the way we relate with others we’re living below where the Lord Jesus would have us live and remember Romans 8 and verse 11 if the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwell in you it will also quicken or give life to your physical or your mortal body Paul is saying to us in Romans 8 if the Spirit of God can raise Jesus from the dead he can transform your life too he can he can change your emotions he can change your thinking he can he can change even your physical body the Spirit of God that raised Jesus from the dead can transform you also let me read these verses Romans 8 1 through 4 Paul writes therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life have set you free from the law of sin and death for what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering and so he condemned sin in the flesh in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit I want to unpack those verses for you but the main thought in these four verses is that I am free I’m not under condemnation condemnation is a legal term just like justification so here Paul is thinking of righteousness and sin in like a courtroom okay like a legal sense so that when we allow the flesh and sin to reign in our life we and we’re in the courtroom of God and we are not justified we are we are under condemnation but what Paul says is is if you are in Christ and he loves that phrase by the way in the New Testament in Christ that prepositional phrase yes in is a preposition that’s a prepositional phrase in Christ occurs a hundred and eighty times now let me just unpack that thought for a second why since Jesus died for the whole world why are not everyone saved and even why are some Christians who have been around Christianity they don’t seem to be able to live a Christian life it’s because you can be around Christianity you can know a lot about Christianity but if you’re not in Christ you’re gonna go live way up way below where God wants you to live and Paul loves that expression so whenever he’s talking about the Holy Spirit in your life or the fruit of the Spirit or what God can do to transform your mind in your heart it’s all for those who are in Christ and so I want to ask you this morning is Christ in you and are you in Christ because if Jesus is in you and you are in Jesus he’s gonna begin to grow fruit things are gonna begin to change in fact one of the greatest evidences for the proof of Christianity is how Christianity can change an individual life I’ve seen people who were addicted who were down on life nothing going well for them and yet at some point they met Jesus and their life totally changed totally changed that’s one of the greatest evidences I see it my own life I’ve said this before I’ll say it again I don’t think you’d like me and some of you may not like me but I don’t I don’t think you’d like me as well as you do if I wasn’t walking with Jesus come on anybody else feel that that testimony you know I got some rough edges that every day Jesus is working on every day he’s helping me to be to be producing something I can’t produce on my own it’s the fruit of the Spirit Galatians 522 but because I’m in Christ and he’s in me the Spirit of God is at work recreating 2 Corinthians 517 recreating my life and we need to declare these truths you know as I think about the message this morning I think about the power of confession and I don’t mean like confession going to a priest I mean confession like the things you say really really matter your words matter the things you say to yourself the things you say to others in fact Paul said in Romans 10 9 if you believe in your heart and you confess with your mouth you’re saved and so we know that what we confess if we’re walking around all the time saying I’m no good and I’m never gonna amount to anything and I won’t get that job and and you know what that’s like a self-fulfilling prophecy we need to be confessing who God says we are not who the world says we are not who the devil says we are not who other people say we are we need to be confessing who Jesus says we are and Romans chapter 8 I’m not under condemnation there’s no guilt there’s no shame there’s no dishonor why because all of those things in my life that bring me shame all of those times in my life when I’ve done things I shouldn’t have done or said things I shouldn’t have said and if they were all out in the open and grandma my grandma was sitting there going Pastor Tom I can’t believe you did that I can’t believe you’ve said that but I gave all those things to Jesus and so Paul says if you’re in Christ there’s no shame there’s no condemnation because everything that I’ve ever experienced in life that either revealed my brokenness and my wounds and my hurts anytime I’ve missed the mark that’s really one of the words in the New Testament for sin harmatia it’s the idea of shooting a bow and arrow and you miss the target and there’s been some times in my life when I’ve missed the entire target but I’ve given that to Jesus so when I stand before the Lord and I stand before you today there’s no condemnation there’s freedom secondly so not only as Christians in Christ are we free but secondly we’re free to live to the to the flesh or we’re free to live to the spirit now we’re gonna get to live into the spirit because that’s where we want to be but look with me at 8 verses 5 through 8 those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires I want to point out two things there one flesh is just your physical part now there’s certain parts of the Christian faith Christian theology that teach that because you are a human being you have your your sit your your flesh your your physical part has been corrupted completely like Jeremiah 17 9 the the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked who can know it and and I certainly believe that scripture but however you define sin whether it’s a legal term or it is a moral problem or a relational problem in other words when we sin the Bible teaches us we lost our relationship with God and so when Paul talks about the flesh he’s talking about that part of you that tends in the wrong direction you you just kind of bend in that direction that’s away from what is good and beautiful and honorable and true and pleasing to God and I want to ask you just to be honest with yourself this morning and I think if you’re honest with yourself you will you will be able to privately admit yeah I feel that I feel that I have a part of me that wants to do things that I don’t really want to do like it’s not who I want to be it’s it’s dishonorable it’s not beautiful or I lash out in anger I say things to my loved ones that I don’t mean to say but they just come out and and that’s what that’s what Paul is talking about when he says to those who live according to the flesh he’s saying when you just live your human life with no help from God he goes on and says your mind is set on all of those fleshly desires now I’ve already heard someone say I’m hungry and I’m feeling a little hungry too and that’s okay right because when we’re hungry that just remind us we got these fleshly human appetites we got these fleshly human desires and those are God given but what Paul is saying here look with me at verse 5 and I think this is so important he says they have their mind set on what the flesh desires so Paul in these verses he’s going to compare flesh to spirit flesh to spirit but the real key is what is your mind set on so Paul is convinced and you can go if you’ll turn in your Bibles with me Romans chapter 12 verses 1 & 2 here’s what Paul says in verse 2 Romans 12 do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind so how are you transformed where does the spirit work well of course the Spirit of God the Word of God works in your heart no doubt about it your heart is your inner person it’s your emotions it’s your affections your desires your passions but Paul also teaches us in his word that the the Spirit of God works in your mind so get I want to think about this so if if I go around thinking things that aren’t true that’s gonna affect my whole life if I go around thinking deceptions or things that aren’t true according to God’s Word that’s gonna affect my Christian life and I really believe that’s why many of us are not walking in the power of the resurrection because we’ve allowed the culture of the world and we’ve allowed other philosophies to influence how we think so I want to challenge you this morning if you’re looking for the power of God in your life if you’re looking for spiritual growth if you’re looking for hope and peace and life and love have you really pressed in and pursued the things of God have you really gotten to know the Word of God somebody’s here this morning and God is calling you to go on a pursuit of Jesus you’ve never done it and God’s calling you this morning to go on your own pursuit your mom and dad can’t do it for you grandma can’t do it for you you have to go on your own pursuit of Jesus because when you begin to understand who Jesus is and what his Word says and you get his Word into your heart and into your mind it’s gonna transform your life it’s gonna change your life we can either live to the flesh which Paul says produces death or we can live to the Spirit which produces life look with me at Romans 8 chapter 9 through verse 11 you however are not in the realm of the flesh I love the way the NIV says that in other words when you are in Christ you’ve changed teams you’ve changed kingdoms you’re no longer on the Kansas City Chiefs and they’re moving to Kansas anyways so somebody told me that’s not for a few years so I’ll still cheer for them but look what Paul says in verse 9 you however are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit in other words a Christian who has put their faith in Jesus you’ve switched teams you’re now on it you’re on the kingdom of God team you’re not in the darkness anymore you’re walking in the light you’re on the team that says we’ve got spirit yes we do we’ve got spirit how about you right remember that they used to do that when I was a kid and Paul says if you’re living by the Spirit it’s gonna produce life I love verse 10 especially look at this with me verse 10 but if Christ is in you then even though your body is subject to death because of sin the Spirit gives life because of righteousness Wow Paul is saying to us that as we walk with Jesus we should expect life and peace and peace is more in the New Testament it comes from a Greek word Irene a it peace in the New Testament is more than just the absence of conflict and I know that’d be enough for some of us like if I could just stop having conflict in the home right right you don’t have to raise your hand you know if I could just stop having conflict at work if I could just have some peace and quiet but that’s not really what this term means what when when Jesus says I want to give you peace he’s not just saying the absence of conflict he’s saying I’m gonna fill you up with wholeness it’s connected to the Hebrew word for peace Shalom and in Israel today they even greet each other with that word Shalom and Shalom is this idea that when God is in your life he puts the puzzle pieces together and you become whole is there anybody here this morning that you need somebody to put the puzzle pieces of your life together Jesus can do that he’ll give you life and he’ll give you peace and so we can live according to the flesh with all of the desires of the flesh but if we really want to experience resurrection power then we have to live in our heart and our mind and in our heart according to the spirit and here’s what I try to practice every time my flesh wants to run away with me whether it is anxiety fear really discouraged that week or I’m struggling with some personal temptation whatever it may be whenever the flesh is in this week it was a hamburger this week I went with some friends and I had to eat a hamburger and french fries because I’ve been on a diet trying to beat Pastor Ellis on a weight loss contest and I was like not today I’m ordering the hamburger and it was good so I gave into that temptation I did but whatever it is you’re facing and when I face temptation or trial sometimes my greatest temptation is to stop believing come on church you know when you’re younger you have certain temptations you get a little older the temptations change you don’t feel the same desires that desires shift and so one of the greatest trials or temptations for me as I go through life and maybe I see my kids go through struggle or I’m going to struggle as a pastor or I see friends that I’m praying for and I’m praying for them I’m praying and maybe I don’t see the answer in the time or in the way I want big temptation for me as a pastor is to stop believing and stop praying and God’s teaching me how to keep trusting keep believing so I don’t know what your temptation or trial is but I want to encourage you and this is what I try to do in my life is when I see the flesh trying to run away with me I redirect my mind on the Word of God I redirect my mind to the Lord and spend some time in prayer and that’s what Paul is teaching he’s saying that it’s the battleground is in your mind and in your heart it’s not really out there somewhere the battleground is right here and so it’s okay that you have a struggle I try to take I try to say this to married couples all the time you know if you’re married or you’re in a relationship it’s okay that you have conflict that means you’re both alive but it’s not okay that you’re tearing each other down and destroying each other in the way you argue that’s not okay because that leads to death that’s giving way to the flesh rather than living by the Spirit and so Paul says if we want to really live with resurrection power in our life we’ve got to stop letting our mind run away with us into the flesh and we’ve got to direct our mind to the Lord and let the Spirit of God have his way his purpose his plan in our life and that’s when we’re going to be able to live with resurrection power in our daily lives and in our relationships a fourth truth we see here is Paul says that now that we’re in Christ we have a new obligation and the word is like debtor so it’s this idea of when you were living to the flesh really Paul believed you’re slave you’re like a servant of the flesh but when you become a Christian when you’re in Christ you’re now free but you’re free to live for the Spirit you have an obligation Jesus loved you first and he loved you so much to give his life for you and now you have an obligation to live to the Spirit look with me at Romans 8 12 therefore brothers and sisters we have an obligation but it is not to the flesh to live according to it a fifth truth and we’ll wrap up with this you’re a child of God if you’re in Christ you’re free if you’re in Christ there’s no condemnation if you’re in Christ you can choose whether you’re living to the flesh or living to the Spirit because you’re in Christ and Paul says if you’re in Christ the Spirit is at work in your life and I want to encourage you with that if you have put your faith in Jesus Christ and you’re walking with him you don’t have to wait for another experience the Holy Spirit’s already in you the Holy Spirit that’s what the Bible teaches us you don’t have to wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit you don’t have to wait for more sanctification you don’t have to wait I’m just gonna get real practical here you don’t have to wait till you stop smoking you don’t have to wait till you stop smoking weed I know that’s legal now that doesn’t mean it’s good for you okay that’s a whole nother message but but you know friend you don’t have to wait to get your life together to understand that if you’ve put your faith in Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit the very Spirit of God the same Spirit that created the world and raised Jesus from the dead he’s at work in your life so lean into that lean into that direct your mind to the things of the Spirit direct your mind to the Word of God I want to invite someone to come back and to the piano if you would or just the worship team to come Ken’s coming thank you Ken and so I ask us this morning are you in Christ Easter Sunday is such a wonderful wonderful day to celebrate the reality and the power of the resurrection Paul tells us in Romans 8 that if we try to live the Christian life according to the flesh will be disappointed will be discouraged will end up producing death but if we allow God to change our thoughts and our thinking and our mind and we begin leaning into the Holy Spirit the Spirit will produce life and peace the Spirit of God which is in you as a Christian will begin to produce fruit love joy peace patience long-suffering goodness kindness gentleness Paul says against those good things there is no law there’s no need for law when God is producing there’s no need for rules is what Paul was really saying when God is producing all these good things in your life are you in Christ is Jesus at work in your life have you committed your life to Jesus I want to lead us in prayer this morning what a joy today to begin our Easter service with eight individuals saying Jesus is my Lord Jesus is my Savior praise God and I know this morning we have a lot of new faces here but we’re all friends and we’d love you to be a part of the family but wouldn’t it be great this morning as we close in prayer and I know that many of the kids are getting excited about the Easter Egg Hunt we’ve got over 80 kids signed up for the Easter Egg Hunt that’s gonna be great it’s gonna be great but even greater would be someone else today saying you know what I realize that Jesus is Savior and he’s Lord and I want him to be my Savior and my Lord and if you’re here this morning and you felt the tug of the Holy Spirit you see that’s what the Holy Spirit does the Holy Spirit works in our heart works in our mind and if you feel that work of God’s Spirit in your life today and you would like to make Jesus your Lord and your Savior I want to give you that opportunity so first I’d like to ask all of us to stand I’m gonna close in prayer in just a few moments but as we stand would you just church would you just begin to pray pray for those sitting next to you pray for family members and I want to ask each person here today do you want Jesus to be your Lord and Savior you’re you’re you’re willing to admit I I don’t have it all together I won’t make a good Christian but you feel the tug of the Holy Spirit that God’s Word is true that Jesus really did die on the cross for the sins of the world and he rose from the dead and this morning you want to say yes pastor I want to be a follower of Jesus I want to be in Christ amen I want to be in Christ and I want him to be in me would you just lift your hand up and I’m gonna pray for you thank you Lord I see many many many hands thank you Jesus thank you Lord Jesus thank you Lord Jesus amen yes I want to I want to close this way for those who are water baptized I would like all those who are water baptized this morning to come Jenny would you join them and and just come enjoy join Jenny up here if you were water baptized and we’re gonna pray with you we’re so thankful let’s give them a hand as they come praise the Lord and then I saw many hands going up this morning saying you know I would like Jesus to be my Lord my Savior I want to invite you to take one more step it’s a bold step but you won’t regret it if you raise your hand come on forward I’m gonna pray with you yes brother come on forward anybody else thank you Lord Jesus thank you Lord Jesus come right over here I’m gonna pray with you brother anybody else you’re coming forward because you want to give your heart to Jesus God bless you God bless you you want to give your heart to Jesus thank you Lord thank you Lord God amen amen amen can we have some of our deacon wives and deacons come and just lay hands God bless you God bless you I’m gonna lead us in a prayer church would you just pray with us I’m just gonna first I just want to pray for you and then I’m gonna lead you in a simple prayer to help you give your life to Jesus okay let’s all pray Lord thank you for these that are coming forward this morning to give their heart to you Lord we don’t want to live life alone we recognize that we need you Lord Jesus as our Savior you’re the Lord of Lords you’re the King of Kings I pray that you’d come in and forgive sin forgive those things that are broken Lord help us to forgive others who have hurt us Lord Jesus I pray that you would restore to each one a relationship with you give them new life give them new life Lord in the power of the Spirit we thank you Lord in Jesus name I’m pastor Tom Ragsdale I’m pastor Ellis Venice and we’re from Columbia First Assembly we are a church that’s on mission with Jesus our vision is simple we want to make Jesus famous in your heart and in our community absolutely thank you so much for connecting with us online we would also love to connect with you in person we are located at 1100 North 7th Street right in the heart of Columbia Missouri right across the street from Hickman High School so if you’re in the central Missouri area and you’re looking for a home church come hang out with us if you’re just connecting online and you’re nowhere near us then please connect with us in the comments if you have a prayer request if you have a question if you’re if you’re wondering anything about the Lord or Christianity please let us know and we’ll be happy to engage with you in the comments we believe God’s doing something special at our church and we want you to be a part of it we’re a multi-generational church we have people from all different backgrounds we’re a church of the word we’re a church of the spirit we believe Jesus can transform your life that’s why we’re on mission with him and we want to help you know God we want to help you grow in God and we want to share hope in our community so connect with us and we want to connect with you awesome have a wonderful and a blessed day