What the Resurrection of Jesus Means to You: The Pivot Point of Our Life

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Pastor Greg Loring Ward not only invites as possible, overcoming obstacles stand in our way. There is no there is no poison needs to hold you any longer. The resurrection of Jesus assures me. I have all the power I need to live long Christian faith (the insured if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised with Christ is not been raised.

Preaching is useless and so is your faith. Thankfully he then said, but Christ has indeed been raised from today on a new beginning for glory which shall have the resurrection provides the power we need.?

We talked about what the this means for you. Now it's talk about what the resurrection of Jesus Christ means to you. Mark chapter 16 and reading verses one eight Saturday evening when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus body very early on Sunday morning just at sunrise. They went to the tomb and on the way they were asking each other. Who's going to roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the two, but as they arrived they looked up and saw the stone which was very large had already been rolled aside when they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side and they were shocked and then the angel said don't be afraid you're looking for Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified, isn't here he is risen from the dead, look, this is for the latest body no go tell the disciples and Peter that Jesus is going ahead of you in the Galilee. You'll see them there.

Just as he told you before he died. The women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered and said nothing to anyone because they were too frightened. So what the resurrection of Jesus means to you.

Six practical truths on how the resurrection of Christ impacts you and me today.

Here's number one. The resurrection of Jesus assures me I am accepted by God, let me say that again, the resurrection of Jesus assures me that I am accepted by God. Romans 425 says he was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification somewhere.

I don't know how this happens but people even Christian sometimes think that you must earn the favor of God. You must do certain things and then God will love you. The opposite is the case, there's nothing you can do to earn the favor of God, and effective.

God loves you no matter what you do. Isn't that great to know your accepted by God. Your loved by God. Listen God's not mad at you. God is mad about you. Number two, the resurrection of Jesus assures me I have all the power I need to live the Christian life.

Romans 811 says the spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you and just as he raised Jesus from the dead to give life to your mortal body. By the same spirit living within you so dear Christian friends who have no obligation whatsoever to do with your sinful nature urges you to do. You know sometimes people say I tried to live the Christian life, and I fail okay let me say something you might find surprising, even provocative. It's not hard to be a Christian. It's impossible without the help of the Spirit of God. So there has to come a moment where I say I can't do this.

I can live by what this book teaches I can't resist those temptations in my own strength I need a power greater than the power. I personally have and that for the Holy Spirit comes in. Jesus said, without me you can do nothing. But then Paul writes I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Listen to this.

There is no sin.

There is no habit. There is no addiction.

There is no vice, and needs to hold you any longer. The resurrection of Jesus assures me I have all the power I need to live the Christian life. Number three.

The resurrection of Jesus assures me that I too will live forever and have it assures me that I too will live forever in heaven. Listen to this death died when Christ rose because Jesus rose, I too will rise, because Jesus died. I will never die. Now you might say Greg your delusional and you're getting old. By the way, so you realize that you could die someday maybe even soon am aware of that.

I'm not denying the reality of death. But I'm also looking at it in another way because for the Christian we never really die old sure body goes into the ground. But we live on because the real me is the soul that lives on. And God will resurrect my body also but the death is not the end of the road. It's just a bend in the road and would Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead.

He conquered death. First Corinthians 1550 forces. When these perishable earthly bodies have been transformed in the heavenly bodies that will never die, the Scriptures will come true.

Death is swallowed up in victory.

Oh death where is your victory.

Oh death where is your sting have never been stung by a bee. I was walking on the beach of my wife. Not long ago on their own bees out there. I don't know why I've never seen so many bees on the beach and Kathy said be careful of the beats I said I'm not going to step on a be right then guess what happened.

Of course I stepped on a bee.

It hurt and then my foot was sort of swollen so not something you want to do if you can avoid suggesting that death is compared to this thing of the be heard the story of a father was traveling in his car with the sun, who is highly allergic to bee stings.

In fact, if the little guy got stung, he could die as a result. So would be somehow caught in the car and it was buzzing around of the little boy was panicking and screaming and and suddenly the father reached out his hand and closed it. Then he opened it again and the B came out again of the boys a daddy daddy to be a Stella this father said son don't worry look the little boy realize that he had taken the stinger of the be is the end. That's what Jesus did. He took the sting of death, he bore it in your place. The tomb is not an entrance to death. It's an entrance to life.

The moment we take our last breath on earth. We take our first breath in heaven because of the death and resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

I don't have to be afraid of dying. First Corinthians 1520 says Christ has been raised from the dead.

He has become the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again and so this is the great hope that we have right now because that brings me to point number for the resurrection of Jesus assures me that I will receive a new body just like kids know there's some confusion about these new body.

I read us that not long ago that said two thirds of Americans believe will be a resurrection of the dead, but they also believe that they will not have bodies after the resurrection. What you think you're going to be a ghost Casper the friendly ghost arrogantly. A disembodied spirit just floating around, you're going to be you because God is going to resurrect your body. God will resurrect the body of every person who is die in faith and you will be a radically upgraded version of yourself. Job said in Job 1926 in my flesh I will see God. I myself will see him with my own eyes I and not another. In the example of the model of this dear I use the word prototype understand the context I'm using it in his Jesus. Jesus died in he rose again from the dead.

Now once he still Jesus of course was there any connection between the risen Lord in the crucified Lord again.

Yes, because he still bore in his body the marks of the crucifixion. But remember he would sit down with the disciples and eat food. You know it and I don't think he was like translucent you can see the food going down. He was in a body but he was in a resurrected body and you and I will have a new body one day as well. Colossians 34 assures us with these words when Christ, who is our life appears, you shall be like him. Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of this message just a moment, everybody Greg Laurie here encouraging you to join us as we give her what we call harvest that home is worse and it's a message of the word of God.

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Pastor Greg is offering ways towards resurrection affects our lives here today and to hear any part of today's message again you can go to harvest.org number five because of the resurrection of Jesus we will ever resurrected relationships I've ever been talking with someone on the phone and suddenly they drop up but you don't know they dropped out so you're still telling them something maybe something very important in their silence in your thinking. All they don't like what I'm saying or they're judging me or they hate the know actually you lost service right there and so you know what it's like to be cut off in a conversation. Seriously though, if you're in a conversation with someone you love. And then suddenly there taken the die and you can't finish that conversation.

A hard that is because of the resurrection of Jesus were going to pick up or you last left off with loved ones who have preceded us to heaven, you know, when Jesus rose again. There was a familiarity with him and the disciples in connection to the past and so one day we will be reconnected with loved ones and listen to this.

It won't just happen at death that will happen that, but there is a generation that will not see that a generation that will not go to the great, a generation that will be caught up in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, the presence of God.

Sometimes it's called the rapture will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Here's a description of it in first Thessalonians 414 and a number of other verses from that chapter. Since we believe Jesus died and was raised to life again. We also believe that when Jesus comes. Listen God will bring back with Jesus all the Christians who have died for the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout of the call of the archangel and the trumpet call of God first. All of the Christians who have died will rise from their graves and then will be caught together with them, who are still alive and caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with him forever. So comfort and encourage each other with these words.

So one day it's possible we could be this generation.

You're just walking around going about your business eaten a burger making a phone call getting up in the morning going to bed at night. Whatever it is you're going. And then just in a moment. You can even measured in time you're in the presence of God and you are in the presence of your loved ones will preceded you to heaven.

It's a twinkling of an eye.

By the way, that's not even the blinking of an eye. The word twinkling comes from the root word Adam most it's from the root word adenoma means something that cannot be divided. So think about all the Jesus is done for you because he died and rose there are so many blessings available to us were made acceptable to God. He gives us the power to live the Christian life. We know will go to heaven. We know will be reunited with loved ones.

We know will of new bodies given to us in this could happen at any moment and there's one last thing, and this is number six what the resurrection of Jesus means to you because Jesus died and rose again from the dead. We need to tell others we need to tell others go back to Mark 16 verse 15 and then verse 20. Then he told them going all the world and preach the gospel to everyone and the disciples went everywhere and preach and the Lord work through them confirming what they said by miraculous sign.

Now this is part of what we call the great commission here at the end of Mark's gospel. The other part of the great commission is found in the end of Matthew's gospel chapter 28 where Jesus is.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and the son of the Holy Spirit and teach these new disciples to obey the commandments.

I have given you. There's two very important things to know your number one there a command. Listen, if you're Christian you are commanded by Jesus going to wall the world and preach the gospel. If you are a Christian you are commanded by Jesus to go and make disciples. What is ME to preach the gospel means to verbally articulate the message of the gospel and what is that in a nutshell, here it is. God loves you.

You're separated from God by your sin.

Christ died for your sin and rose again from the dead, if you will turn from your sin. The believe in him you can know with certainty that you go to heaven when you die, I'm commanded by Christ to go to all the world and preach that message but there's another part to it and make disciples.

What is it mean to make a disciple means to help them to get up on their feet spiritually. Jesus explains it go and make disciples, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. Listen when I became a Christian at the age of 17.

This is 10 years ago. Kevin okay long time ago. I didn't really know what I got. I didn't understand what it meant to be a Christian. I didn't own a Bible I've never been to church for the most part except when I was a little kid going with my grandparents.

I didn't know what the next step was no one offered me a new believers Bible like we offer to folks that respond to the gospel. I didn't know but thank God, a guy named Mark just came up to me and I'm in high school and he said had I saw that you prayed that except Jesus the other day because I did it right there in the front lawn of my high school campus and I was a bit resentful unlike you have so he says all that's great and I like you to come to church with me and my responses on the think you know I want you to come to church with me. Mark said I said no I didn't want to go to church with you is is where you live. I would pick you up and take you to church. I don't want to go to church thing thing I know I'm in Mark's car, going to church with them and after that he took me home to his family and they were all Christians in would sit around the dinner table and have a meal and then they would talk to me about what the Bible said he disciples me he help me get up on my feet. Spiritually, you can do that for someone let me take it a step further, you must do that for someone because it's not only good for them.

It's good for you. You see, they need you to stabilize them and you need them to be energized. It's sort of like when you're around a bunch of kids they can almost energize you for a while. Maybe couple hours and this good for go home take a nap private though seriously a new believer can energize you. Why because as they discover from the first time the truth of God you in many ways can rediscover them because sometimes we don't appreciate all that God has done so I'm urging you to going to all the world and preach the gospel so number one there a command. That's why we call it the great commission that the great suggestion number two. These words were not directed to the original 12 but to everyone. In other words, this is not just for the so-called professionals all will Greg you're an evangelist you do that are maybe the pastor should do it or the missionary. No, everyone should do it.

Everyone should do it.

The student should do with the businessman should do it. The housewives should do at the no matter what you do or who you are. You are commanded to go to all of your world and make disciples. This is the great commission and what is the message were proclaiming it's the message of the gospel. Maybe you would like to believe the gospel right now.

In other words you would like Jesus Christ to come and live inside of you. One story I touched on in my message today and actually one of my favorite post-resurrection appearances of Christ is when Jesus walk with those two disciples on the Emmaus Road. The thing is they didn't know was Jesus. He thought he was a stranger, but at the end of their journey, they realize it been talking to the risen Christ. And here's the part of the story I wanted to focus on. The Bible says Jesus acted as though he would keep on walking and I said no, stay and have a meal with us in the Bible says as they broke bread suddenly realized it was Jesus is not interesting. Jesus acted as though he would keep walking. Listen to this.

Jesus will not force his way into any person's life. If you don't want Christ in your life will you don't have to have but if you want him in your life. He wants to come in. He wants to save you from your sins. That's why he died on the cross he wants to transform your life. He wants to give you the power over all addiction invoices and any other thing that has a hold of you. Right now he wants to give you the guaranteed assurance that you go to heaven but you must ask him to stay just like those two disciples that Jesus said, behold, I stand at the door knocking. If any man will hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in right now Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart of your life and if you wanted to come in. It can happen right here right now.

It's so simple little blow your mind.

It's as simple as praying the Bible says whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. So in a moment I'm with prayer, prayer, and ask any of you that are watching right now were not sure of Jesus is living in your life. You're not certain that your sin is forgiven. You don't have the confidence that you go to heaven when you die, I want you to pray this prayer with me.

You could pray it out loud if you like you can prayed silently but you pray this prayer and mean it and God will hear you. So if you want Christ to come of your life.

Pray this prayer right now is pray these words Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner but I know that you're the Savior who died on the cross for my sin and rose again from the dead.

I asked you to come into my life right now and forgive me of all of my sin.

I want to see you in heaven. One day, thank you for hearing this prayer in answering this prayer in Jesus name I pray, amen, Greg Lord important prayer for those making the decision to follow Jesus today and if you just pray that prayer we want to welcome you into the family of God and would like to help you as you begin to walk with the Lord to send you our new believers gross packet is free of charge if you prayed with Pastor Greg for the first time today. It'll help you get started off right. Just ask for the new believers gross packet when you write a new beginning.

Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. We can take your call anytime 24 seven. Again, that's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org and if you missed any part of what Pastor Greg Broadus today. You can catch up by going online to harvest.org just look for the title what the resurrection of Jesus means to you. What were talking about a number of things that just may surprise you about the life of Billy Graham. These comfort Pastor Greg's new book called Billy Graham the man I knew we talked about the important role his wife Ruth played we talked about him being a door-to-door salesman and how he wanted to be a major-league baseball player when he was really young. So what's next Pastor Greg which was another surprise okay here's number six billing and Ruth Graham lived on less than $50 a week prior to the launch of his Crusades. So before Billy Graham became a household name in 1949 a with his Los Angeles crusade. He served for 21 months as a pastor of a Baptist church in a Chicago suburb. A lot of people don't know Billy was a pastor for a time, so when he wasn't preaching or going home to home to visit people get a radio broadcast called songs in the night that he would preach twice on Sundays at the church hold a midweek prayer meeting and Ruth even taught child evangelism classes on Wednesday afternoons and he was paid $48 a week. You know the Bible says despise not the days of small things and God was preparing Billy and in some ways, one of the ways the Lord prepares us for what he has a head is through process of elimination, sometimes before you find it, which are called to do. You have to first discover what you're not called to do so.

Billy had his stint as a pastor. Imagine having Billy Graham as your pastor is elastic but but he really felt called to be an evangelist, you know, man I love Pastor Dave I am a pastor and I respect pastors but the pastors are many and the evangelists are few.

It's kind of rare that you find a person who is called primarily to be an evangelist. I feel called to be both a pastor and an evangelist. As a matter fact.

Billy once said to me Greg I think you should leave your church and going to full-time evangelism and I looked at him. I said no billing when you see something like that to me it's like Moses just talked to any kind of smiled. I said, you carry so much weight so I need to think about this and pray about it.

Billy and I did and it troubled me for weeks and I finally came back to him and said Billy thank you so much for your encouraging and inspiring words but I feel called to be a pastor and an evangelist and he nodded in understanding and I do feel called to be both an idea, both on our program as well, but Billy was really called primarily to be an evangelist, though I might add. He was referred to as America's pastor.

So even though he was an evangelist. He really was in a pastoral role with the presidents that he would speak to in the end, when we cannot forget that Billy crossed both sides of the political aisle was sure he was a friend to Eisenhower and Nixon and Reagan and George H. W.

Bush and George W. Bush. Don't forget he was a friend and confidant of Pres. Kennedy Pres. Johnson Pres. Clinton so he had the ear of all of them because he kept their confidence and he gave them godly counsel. He was not there to give them political advice and Ruth would remind him if he ever cross that line. By the way that he was there primarily to be a spiritual counselor and he did his job well. But yes, it's true for a short stint. He was a pastor. This is just one of the many things I bring up my book, Billy Graham, the men I knew that you may not have known about this incredible man that God used in such an amazing way. I want to send you a copy of this book for your gift of any size whatever you send.

I can promise you will use that to reach more people with the teaching of the Word of God and the message of the gospel and we so much appreciate your partnership in this important work. So let us thank you for your donation with this remarkable book on the life of a remarkable man, Billy Graham, the man I knew if asked Franklin Graham wrote this about the book. I've often said that the public, Billy Graham seen on crusade platforms and television was the same private Billy Graham at home. This certainly is revealed in Billy Graham, the man I knew, which is based on Greg's personal thoughts on the special time spent with my father and how his ministry impacted Greg's own life and evangelistic ministry.

I'm grateful for Greg's friendship for his love for my father and for his proclamation of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ will Pastor Greg is making the book available to thank you for your donation of any size. And please know there are no churches or large organizations covering all the expenses know it's only through the investments of listeners, but these insights can come your way. Each day, so thanks for being a partner with us with your donation today.

Be sure to ask for Billy Graham, the man I knew you can write a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300 call any time. That's a 24 hour phone number 1-800-821-3300 or just go online to harvest.or one next time. Pastor Greg begins a short series on the big topic.

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