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Well, happy Easter, Englewood, 
turn to somebody sitting next to

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you and say Christ is risen. 
If you have a Bible, take it and

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turn to Luke 23. 
If you don't have a Bible, don't

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worry, there'll be verses on the
screen for you this morning. 

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If you're a guest here today, 
thank you so much for being with

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us. 
We had a good crowd in that 

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first service. 
If you are a guest, please stop 

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by in the lobby after the 
service, introduce yourself to 

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Teresa and to me and we actually
have a gift for you. 

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If you'd stop by to see us, we'd
appreciate that very, very much.

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Well, Easter means a lot of 
things to a lot of people and 

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for some it's a it's just a long
weekend where they get a little 

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bit of a holiday from work or 
school. 

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For others, it's about time for 
visiting with relatives and 

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probably having a nice meal and 
maybe an Easter egg hunt. 

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For others, it's a tall tale 
about bunnies or or maybe 

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something else, maybe nothing 
else. 

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And for others, it's all about 
that basket full of candy. 

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A little boy showed up at Sunday
school one day and it was Sunday

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school. 
They're not connect groups and 

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didn't matter. 
And the teacher asked him, how 

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did you get that bruise on your 
arm? 

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Had a bad bruise on his arm. 
And she's kind of worried, like,

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how'd you get that bruise on 
your arm? 

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And he says, well, I was eating 
Easter candy and the teacher 

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says you can't get a bruise on 
your arm from eating Easter 

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candy. 
And he says you sure can if it's

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your big brother's candy. 
So at our house, we'd just be 

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fighting over Reese's miniatures
because the ratio of peanut 

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butter to chocolate is better in
the miniatures than it is in the

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big ones. 
So that's what I've been told. 

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That was for Teresa. 
So there you go. 

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And others. 
I know it means more, but many 

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still have a kind of mixed up. 
And so a man and his wife and go

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ahead and just forgive me in 
advance. 

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His cranky mother-in-law. 
The man and his wife and his 

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cranky mother-in-law went to the
Holy Land and while they were 

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there the the mother-in-law 
tragically passed away. 

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And the local Funeral Home told 
the man, he says listen for 

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$5000 will help ship your 
mother-in-law home or you can 

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bury her here in the Holy Land 
for $150.00. 

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And the man thought for a moment
and he says, well, I think we'll

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go ahead and take her home. 
And the the Funeral Home 

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director was shocked. 
He goes, so you you'd rather 

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spend $5000 or when it would be 
wonderful to just have her 

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buried here for $150.00. 
And the man says, well, a man 

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died here about 2000 years ago 
and he was buried and three days

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later he rose from the dead. 
And I just can't take that 

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chance. 
I told you to forgive me. 

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Now I have a one. 
For the record, I have a 

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wonderful mother-in-law. 
Listen, no more leaving anything

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to chance. 
Today. 

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I want to talk about the real 
Easter. 

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We've just been walking very 
carefully this week throughout 

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Holy Week. 
And I appreciate those who've 

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been able to be with us all 
week. 

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For those who haven't, don't 
worry, we'll catch you up. 

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But we've just been walking 
through the word of God. 

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And this morning, I promise, as 
we do the same thing, you'll 

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have the chance for your life to
be eternally changed. 

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So this past Wednesday night, 
Pastor Charles LED us in a 

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prayer time where we walked the 
Old Testament prophecies that 

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were fulfilled so clearly by 
Jesus. 

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There's no doubt about who he 
is. 

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And then Friday night we walked 
with our Lord as he willingly, 

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perfectly experienced death on 
the cross to pay for us And, and

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you, and you really do need to 
pause there because it was for 

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us, it was for you, it was for 
me, it was for all of us. 

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And our sin paid for on the 
cross, completely perfectly paid

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for. 
And if we believe in him. 

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And then this morning at 
sunrise, many of us gathered and

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we talked about how they took 
his dead body and they wrapped 

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it and they laid it in a tomb. 
Jesus is dead in a sealed cave. 

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And so that brings us to now. 
So, So what chance does that 

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give us? 
A dead body wrapped up in a 

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cave? 
So we pick up the grand plan of 

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God right there. 
Jesus died on the cross on 

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Friday. 
A few of his followers barely 

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had time to claim his body and 
and begin to prepare him for 

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burial, but they ran out of time
because of the Sabbath. 

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And that's where we pick up the 
story and Luke 23 beginning at 

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verse 55, the women who had come
with him from Galilee followed 

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and saw the tomb and how his 
body was laid. 

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Then they returned and prepared 
spices and ointments. 

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See, they had to wait until the 
Sabbath was over. 

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But now, but now we're going to 
pick up and follow them because 

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it's Sunday morning and Sunday 
morning they, they wanted to 

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return. 
They, they still weren't done 

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preparing his body completely. 
And so they wanted to come and 

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fulfill the duty that they had 
for the one that they had 

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followed and loves so much. 
So Luke 24, verse one. 

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But on the first day of the 
week, at early dawn, they went 

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to the tomb, taking the spices 
they had prepared. 

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In fact, the Bible will tell us 
that they would involve almost 

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75 lbs of of myrrh and aloe that
they would layer in these lay 

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these these strips, these burial
clothes that it would harden 

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into a mummy like shell to 
preserve the body that was as 

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close to embalming as they had 
so early. 

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Near dark I'm sure. 
Overwhelmed by fear and pain 

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because of what they had just 
been through, because of the 

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loss of their beloved Messiah, 
they come to the tomb. 

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Grieving, they come to the tomb.
I'm sure incredibly confused. 

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Would they be stopped by the 
Roman guard? 

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Would the Romans even let them 
approach the body? 

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Would they even let them come to
the tomb? 

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Would they be persecuted by the 
Jewish religious leaders who had

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set up the arrest in the fake 
trial leading to his brutal 

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whipping to his crucifixion? 
Would they stopping? 

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Could they bear the weight of 
the massive stone that formed 

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the door, or the even heavier 
weight of the movement of their 

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hearts to once again have to 
look upon the broken body of 

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Jesus? 
They'd seen him on that wretched

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cross. 
They'd seen him when they laid 

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him in The Cave. 
But remember, we get a chance, 

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and so did they. 
A chance to be changed today. 

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Look at verse 2. 
And they found the stone rolled 

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away from the tomb. 
But when they went in, they did 

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not find the body of the Lord 
Jesus. 

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What? 
What? 

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What? 
Wait a minute. 

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Where? 
Where's his body? 

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It was broke. 
Where's His? 

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The tombs empty. 
After all we've been through, 

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how could this be happening? 
What's going on? 

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What are we going to do now and 
then like God often does out of 

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nowhere? 
Verse 4 While they were 

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perplexed about this, behold, 2 
men stood by them, and dazzling 

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apparel. 
And as they were frightened and 

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bowed their faces to the ground,
the men said to them, Why do you

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seek the living among the dead? 
He is not here, but has risen. 

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Remember how he told you while 
he was still in Galilee, that 

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the Son of Man must be delivered
into the hands of sinful men, 

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and be crucified, and on the 
third day rise. 

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And they remembered his words. 
See, God often does this. 

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Then out of nowhere, stuff it. 
Just when there doesn't seem to 

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be any way out. 
Just when there doesn't seem to 

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be any answer, Just when there 
doesn't seem to be any hope. 

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Just when there doesn't seem to 
be any clue what to do next, 

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anything to look forward to. 
Facing life's biggest questions.

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No more chances. 
Just a dark empty void staring 

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in the face. 
Very often out of nowhere, God 2

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dazzling angels appeared. 
I'm not sure what it would take 

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to dazzle some people today. 
What would it take to dazzle 

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you? 
Probably not a word you use in 

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everyday conversation. 
I was just dazzled. 

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What's it going to take to 
dazzle you? 

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Give God a chance today and I 
promise He'll dazzle you too. 

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He will. 
They asked the question for the 

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ages. 
These angels did. 

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Why do you seek the living among
the dead? 

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The tombs are for the dead. 
They're not for the living. 

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Don't look here. 
This isn't the place to look. 

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So that empty void into which 
you might be staring in your 

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life right now, that any sense 
of hopelessness, any sense of 

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confusion, that's not going to 
give you the answers you need. 

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This world won't give you the 
answers you need. 

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Your own self defined truth, 
your own self defined rightness,

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your own self-sufficiency, and 
that independence you think you 

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have on your own, it will not 
answer your questions. 

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You need a dazzling answer from 
the one who conquered sin and 

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death, from the one who is 
alive. 

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He is not here, but is risen. 
I'm here this morning to 

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proclaim to you very simply, 
Jesus lives. 

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And I need you to hear that he 
lives and he can give you the 

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answers that you need for your 
life. 

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The empty tomb declared Jesus 
Lord of all and guarantees our 

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ability, our chance to live 
forever with him. 

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Listen to Romans one we'll be in
Romans starting in two weeks. 

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It's going to be incredible 
study. 

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You need to come back. 
We're going to study this great 

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book of doctrine and theology 
and truth and salvation starting

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in two weeks And Romans 14 says 
and was declared to be the Son 

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of God in power according to the
spirit of holiness by his 

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resurrection from the dead, 
Jesus Christ our Lord. 

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Wait a minute. 
So does this mean we still have 

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a chance? 
We still have a chance. 

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Look at verse 9 of Luke 24. 
And returning from the tomb. 

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They told all these things to 
the 11 and to all the rest. 

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Now it was Mary Magdalene and 
Joanna, and Mary the mother of 

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James, and the other women with 
them, who told these things to 

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the apostles. 
But these words seem to them an 

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idle tale and they did not 
believe them. 

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Now, remember, they weren't 
expecting any of this. 

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It's interesting because we know
and we look back and maybe we 

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need to cut them a little slack.
Jesus warned them multiple times

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that this was going to happen. 
But but they needed the Holy 

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Spirit to build a process. 
All of this really. 

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And, and they weren't, they 
weren't ready for it yet. 

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They they, they didn't know what
to do with what had just 

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happened to Jesus. 
I mean, they've been through a 

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lot in the last few days. 
They'd experience enough tragedy

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to put them into hiding. 
They some fled, some rejected, 

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many just coward every. 
They didn't. 

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They denied even knowing Jesus. 
So their own guilt for the way 

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they had mishandled all of this 
must have also weighed heavily 

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upon them as they were trying to
deal with this by their own 

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strength. 
It must have been overwhelming. 

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So they were still not sure any 
of this was really true. 

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Maybe that's you this morning. 
It's just an idle tale. 

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It's just a fairy tale that 
Christians make up. 

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Surely this is not true. 
Locked in fear and grief, This 

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news was too much to easily 
embrace. 

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Life had just been too hard. 
Faith did not come easy. 

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And again, maybe that's you this
morning. 

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You. 
You've had enough tragedy. 

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You've had enough hardness, 
you've had enough fear, you've 

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had enough grief to make all of 
this just seem like a fairy tale

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more than eternal truth. 
You're locked up to such a 

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degree that unbelief directs 
your path. 

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This morning. 
No way this could be true, 

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Preacher. 
I didn't need any of this. 

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I came for lunch. 
Is it lunch yet? 

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I came for Grandma's cooking. 
No way. 

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Jesus could have really done 
this. 

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Not for me. 
Not for me, no chance it was for

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me. 
You don't understand who me is. 

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God would not, could not, not 
for somebody like me. 

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I mean, even if I believed I'm 
not worth it, I'm not worth it 

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to Him. 
Not me. 

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This Wednesday I'm going to 
share my complete unedited 

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testimony. 
I've shared other versions and 

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bits and pieces, but several 
have asked me to do this and you

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need to come here. 
My story. 

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It's a story with drama, 
violence, heartache, a lot of 

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failure, a lot of hardness, 
multiple lost battles, but 

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ultimately final victory. 
Not because of me or anything 

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that I did, but because of him 
and the truth of this story. 

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The truth of his work on the 
cross and the truth of an empty 

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tomb. 
If you don't believe, if you 

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struggle with belief, you need 
to come Wednesday night and 

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00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:31,840
listen. 
If you know somebody who's rough

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around the edges, who struggles 
with life, you need to get them 

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here Wednesday night at 6:30 as 
I share with you, because if God

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could save me and still forgive 
me, you all have a chance. 

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Verse 12 says, but Peter now 
notice that it's Peter and it's 

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Peter the one who denied Christ 
three times the rock who said 

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I'll never leave you, I'll never
forsake you, I'll never give up 

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on you. 
Jesus, and yet couldn't even 

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stand up to proclaim he knew him
in front of strangers had a 

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little campfire. 
But Peter rose and ran to the 

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tomb, stooping and looking in. 
He saw the linen clothes by 

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themselves and he went home 
marvelling at what had happened.

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And so we see him going and 
running to the tomb. 

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Other gospels tell us that John 
ran with him. 

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They had to see for themselves. 
That's what I'm inviting you to 

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do today. 
Come see for yourself. 

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I encourage you to keep running 
with us here at Inglewood. 

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Whether you believe or not, 
whether you doubt this or not, 

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you keep running with us and we 
will lead you to an empty tomb 

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and the one who left it behind. 
I promise. 

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We're on a journey here 
together. 

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An imperfect people on an 
imperfect journey at times. 

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I promised you. 
But you would be most welcome to

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come along, to keep seeing, to 
keep verifying, to keep 

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learning. 
Now, later, Jesus also appeared 

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to two of his disciples walking 
along the road, but they 

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couldn't recognize him yet. 
They they weren't ready for it 

258
00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:01,880
yet. 
And again, sometimes he just 

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appears out of nowhere and, and,
and just in time, he'll show up 

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just when we need him most, 
he'll be there. 

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But but again, surely maybe you 
think not for me. 

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No way. 
This is for me, not me. 

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00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:19,720
I no way I could believe this. 
There's not a chance. 

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So you came here this morning 
for various reasons, but you 

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00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:26,040
weren't quite ready for the 
confrontation of the Holy 

266
00:15:26,040 --> 00:15:28,160
Spirit. 
But he's given you a chance. 

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00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:30,680
He's given you a chance this 
morning. 

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And so they spoke of his death 
and he shared about how the the 

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00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:36,520
whole Bible pointed to him. 
I was reading about a 

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00:15:36,520 --> 00:15:38,440
fascinating story about this 
book. 

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This is one story about Jesus 
Christ, whether you understand 

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00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:44,320
that or not. 
In fact, there's a computer 

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00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:49,440
scientist and a Lutheran pastor 
in Germany who've just conducted

274
00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:52,360
an incredible study using 
computer software where they 

275
00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:59,360
found 63,779 direct connections 
between various passages, 

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00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:03,080
truths, and points throughout 
this Bible, binding all of this 

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00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:08,840
together as one story. 
It it, it transcends 66 books of

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00:16:08,840 --> 00:16:13,440
scripture that that with 40 
authors written over 1500 years 

279
00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:15,440
in three languages on three 
continents. 

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00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:19,600
And yet this is one story. 
This this project transformed 

281
00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:24,080
centuries of textual study into 
a structured data set recording 

282
00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:27,160
these thousands of relationships
between these verses. 

283
00:16:28,160 --> 00:16:29,560
Who do you think wrote this 
book? 

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00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:33,400
Who do you think this is from? 
I mean, it might take more faith

285
00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:37,320
to believe it's not God's word 
than it the fact that it is. 

286
00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:43,240
I'm telling you a true story 
this morning, a true story that 

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00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:46,400
changed my life. 
So Jesus is appearing to these 

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00:16:46,400 --> 00:16:47,920
two disciples. 
Look at verse 30. 

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When he was at the table with 
them, he took the bread and 

290
00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:56,200
blessed and broke it, and gave 
it to them, and their eyes were 

291
00:16:56,200 --> 00:16:59,600
opened, and they recognized Him,
and he vanished from their 

292
00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:02,200
sight. 
They said to each other, Did not

293
00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:04,920
our hearts burn within us while 
he talked to us on the road, 

294
00:17:05,160 --> 00:17:07,720
while while he opened to us the 
Scriptures? 

295
00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:12,000
And they rose that same hour and
returned to Jerusalem, and they 

296
00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:13,839
found the 11. 
And those who are with them 

297
00:17:13,839 --> 00:17:17,560
gathered together, saying, The 
Lord has risen indeed, and has 

298
00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:20,720
appeared to Simon. 
Then they told what had happened

299
00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:24,119
on the road, and how he was 
known to them, and the breaking 

300
00:17:24,920 --> 00:17:30,200
of the bread. 
Honest, authentic testimonies of

301
00:17:30,200 --> 00:17:32,320
the impact of the the empty 
tomb. 

302
00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:35,680
These are powerful and they must
be shared and they still must be

303
00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:37,520
shared. 
I mean, what for those of you 

304
00:17:37,520 --> 00:17:41,080
who are believers, does He still
burn your heart with His word? 

305
00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:46,160
Does He still open the 
scriptures to you to help you to

306
00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:49,160
understand how to navigate this 
thing called life? 

307
00:17:50,360 --> 00:17:52,920
For those of you who don't know 
him, would you like Him to? 

308
00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:57,080
Would you ask Him to today? 
Will you tell someone else when 

309
00:17:57,080 --> 00:17:59,120
He does? 
Will you celebrate and share His

310
00:17:59,120 --> 00:18:01,760
resurrection? 
That's what Easter is about. 

311
00:18:02,920 --> 00:18:06,640
Look at verse 36. 
And they were talking about 

312
00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:10,760
these things. 
Jesus himself stood among them 

313
00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:14,720
and said of them, Peace to you. 
But they were startled and 

314
00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:16,760
frightened, and thought they saw
a spirit. 

315
00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:19,280
And he said to them, Why are you
troubled? 

316
00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:21,960
And why do doubts arise in your 
hearts? 

317
00:18:22,080 --> 00:18:26,440
See my hands and my feet, that 
it is I myself. 

318
00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:30,840
Touch me and see, for a spirit 
does not have flesh and bones, 

319
00:18:30,840 --> 00:18:33,600
as you see that I have. 
And when he had said this, he 

320
00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:35,520
showed them his hands and his 
feet. 

321
00:18:36,120 --> 00:18:39,960
And while they still disbelieve 
for joy and were marvelling, he 

322
00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:42,240
said to them, Have you anything 
here to eat? 

323
00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:47,200
And they gave him a piece of 
broiled fish, and he took it and

324
00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:52,520
ate before them. 
I told you, sometimes out of 

325
00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:58,280
nowhere, God, again, out of 
nowhere, suddenly stood among 

326
00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:00,320
them. 
He often works like that all of 

327
00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:02,280
a sudden. 
And, and you could ask him to do

328
00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:05,240
that right now in your heart. 
All of a sudden he'll show up. 

329
00:19:05,360 --> 00:19:08,560
All of a sudden you could be 
saved today. 

330
00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:14,560
Death couldn't stop him. 
Locked doors certainly couldn't 

331
00:19:14,560 --> 00:19:17,040
stop him. 
But it was more, if you notice, 

332
00:19:17,040 --> 00:19:18,440
more than the disciples could 
handle. 

333
00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:19,960
They're still struggling with 
it. 

334
00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:21,680
And Jesus knew. 
Why are you troubled? 

335
00:19:21,680 --> 00:19:23,640
Why do doubts arise in your 
hearts? 

336
00:19:23,960 --> 00:19:27,680
What do you mean, Jesus? 
I mean, what a crazy question. 

337
00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:32,520
This is unreasonable. 
This is not logical. 

338
00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:37,480
This is not backed by science. 
There's no way this really 

339
00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:40,360
happened. 
There's not a chance. 

340
00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:44,400
Especially not for me. 
Not me. 

341
00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:49,120
We must be hallucinating. 
It must be that bad gas station 

342
00:19:49,120 --> 00:19:54,560
falafel we ate last night, boys.
But here he was. 

343
00:19:55,320 --> 00:19:59,000
And he proves the the the detail
of this passage is here for a 

344
00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:01,760
reason. 
He proves it's him in a physical

345
00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:03,000
way. 
He's in the flesh. 

346
00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:07,360
See the ones from the cross. 
Touch me and see, folks, this is

347
00:20:07,360 --> 00:20:11,520
me. 
Want you to see that too today. 

348
00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:15,840
A physical. 
Bodily resurrection. 

349
00:20:16,280 --> 00:20:18,200
In fact, he says, let me have 
some of that healthy broiled 

350
00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:21,480
fish you guys have cooked. 
He might have said, I'm a little

351
00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:23,080
disappointed. 
You could have had the fish fry 

352
00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:26,360
going, could have had a little 
hush puppy, some coleslaw and 

353
00:20:26,360 --> 00:20:29,240
some of that tater salad going 
boys, but we'll take the broiled

354
00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:32,400
fish. 
I know lunch, I know it's 

355
00:20:32,400 --> 00:20:33,560
coming. 
Lunch is coming. 

356
00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:41,360
Look at verse 44. 
Then he said to them, These are 

357
00:20:41,360 --> 00:20:44,960
my words that I spoke to you 
while I was still with you, that

358
00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:48,800
everything written about me in 
the law of Moses and the 

359
00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:53,120
prophets and the Psalms must be 
fulfilled. 

360
00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:55,840
This entire book, it's about 
him. 

361
00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:00,360
Then he opened their minds to 
understand the Scriptures and 

362
00:21:00,360 --> 00:21:02,040
said to them. 
Thus it is written that the 

363
00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:05,680
Christ should suffer and on the 
third day rise from the dead, 

364
00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:08,880
and that repentance for the 
forgiveness of sins should be 

365
00:21:08,880 --> 00:21:12,160
proclaimed in His name to all 
nations, beginning from 

366
00:21:12,160 --> 00:21:16,160
Jerusalem. 
You are witnesses of these 

367
00:21:16,160 --> 00:21:18,360
things. 
See, listen to me. 

368
00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:22,720
The stone wasn't rolled away so 
that Jesus could get out. 

369
00:21:23,480 --> 00:21:26,280
The stone was rolled away so 
that we could look in and 

370
00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:30,720
believe. 
We need to recognize that here I

371
00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:33,240
am proclaiming to you the same 
message to you. 

372
00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:36,320
And within days, thousands of 
people would be saved. 

373
00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:42,880
Billions more have been saved. 
Many of you have been saved. 

374
00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:46,880
I was too. 
Amazingly, miraculously, there 

375
00:21:46,880 --> 00:21:49,600
wouldn't have been much of a 
chance for me to have been saved

376
00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:55,880
had he not made a way. 
But just like he's doing that 

377
00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:59,280
for them and helping them to 
understand, maybe he's doing 

378
00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:02,240
that for you right now. 
That's my prayer. 

379
00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:07,560
I've been begging God for that, 
that you'd be saved, that 

380
00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:10,720
believers would experience 
revival, that that we've 

381
00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:14,720
experienced rededication, but 
that non believers, guests and 

382
00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:17,600
friends who you've invited would
actually be saved today, much 

383
00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:19,200
like a young man was Friday 
night. 

384
00:22:20,440 --> 00:22:23,200
And you might still be saying to
yourself, yeah, good for you, 

385
00:22:23,200 --> 00:22:30,080
preacher, but no chance for me. 
It can't be for me. 

386
00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:35,120
Surely none of this is for me. 
I just came for lunch. 

387
00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:40,000
So let me be as clear with you 
as I possibly can. 

388
00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:43,680
We've been talking all week 
leading toward this. 

389
00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:47,320
First Corinthians 15 says, For I
delivered to you as of first 

390
00:22:47,320 --> 00:22:52,560
importance what I also received.
Here's the gospel that Christ 

391
00:22:52,560 --> 00:22:57,840
died for our sins in accordance 
with the scriptures. 

392
00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:02,600
That he was buried, that he was 
raised on the third day in 

393
00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:08,000
accordance with the Scriptures. 
This is the gospel. 

394
00:23:08,120 --> 00:23:10,520
This is the truth. 
This is the way. 

395
00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:14,240
It's the only way to be 
forgiven, to be restored, to be 

396
00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:17,640
healed, to be freed, to be 
saved, to have eternal life with

397
00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:20,440
God. 
And for many of you, this day 

398
00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:23,880
should be a great celebration. 
For some of you, this is your 

399
00:23:23,880 --> 00:23:28,920
chance right now, and God will 
remind you of it later, I 

400
00:23:28,920 --> 00:23:31,720
promise. 
Because it says that in here 

401
00:23:31,720 --> 00:23:35,800
too. 
Our three-year old granddaughter

402
00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:41,400
Millie was at our house with 
Teresa or Mimi as she's known, 

403
00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:45,360
and she was playing with one of 
these little Jesus figures. 

404
00:23:45,360 --> 00:23:47,360
You know, these little Jesus 
figures, you see them around 

405
00:23:47,360 --> 00:23:49,280
people, give them to you need a 
little bit of Jesus today. 

406
00:23:49,280 --> 00:23:50,320
And somebody hands you one of 
these. 

407
00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:57,960
And she was playing with one of 
these and, and she walks over to

408
00:23:57,960 --> 00:24:00,480
my giant recliner. 
I got this big man recliner. 

409
00:24:00,560 --> 00:24:03,000
One of the funniest things I 
hear almost every week in the 

410
00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:05,120
lobby is you're shorter on the 
platform. 

411
00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:11,640
But I have a big man recliner 
and she says that right down in 

412
00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:16,720
the seat of the recliner. 
And she looks up Teresa and she 

413
00:24:16,720 --> 00:24:22,520
just says Pawpaw loves Jesus and
just leaves him right there 

414
00:24:23,320 --> 00:24:27,640
until I got home. 
You're so right, Millie. 

415
00:24:30,040 --> 00:24:38,040
Pawpaw loves Jesus very much. 
He saved me with my many sins, 

416
00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:42,920
my incredible imperfections. 
I mean, you need to understand 

417
00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:49,160
that He genuinely saved me, and 
He wants to do the same thing 

418
00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:52,120
for you. 
Nothing else could have done it.

419
00:24:52,280 --> 00:24:56,040
Nothing else would have done it.
But He gave me a chance and He 

420
00:24:56,040 --> 00:24:59,040
redeemed me. 
And I've been begging Him to do 

421
00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:01,680
the same thing to you this 
morning. 

422
00:25:02,760 --> 00:25:10,720
For God so loved the world that 
He gave His only Son, that 

423
00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:15,720
whoever believes in him should 
not perish but have eternal 

424
00:25:15,720 --> 00:25:17,520
life. 
That's Easter. 

425
00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:21,400
That's why we're here. 
That's what we celebrate. 

426
00:25:21,760 --> 00:25:25,360
Whoever, yes, whoever. 
That means you too. 

427
00:25:25,600 --> 00:25:27,760
It meant me. 
If it means me, it could mean 

428
00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:34,400
anybody means you too. 
Right now, right here on Easter.

429
00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:39,160
Believe, trust, depend upon. 
Put your whole weight into Him. 

430
00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:42,200
Let Him control you. 
Let Him save you. 

431
00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:46,160
See, I told you, you have a 
chance. 

432
00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:50,760
Here it is. 
I hope you take it. 

433
00:25:51,280 --> 00:25:53,800
For those of us who know Him, I 
hope this is a moment for us to 

434
00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:58,920
remember and to cherish and to 
ask God to continue to burn His 

435
00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:04,360
word into our hearts and let us 
never forget what He's done for 

436
00:26:04,360 --> 00:26:08,120
us, His sacrifice and His 
resurrection. 

437
00:26:08,920 --> 00:26:14,120
Join us on this journey and 
experience the impact of the 

438
00:26:14,120 --> 00:26:17,080
empty tomb. 
Father, we're so thankful. 

439
00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:23,680
No way without you, no way it 
could happen. 

440
00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:30,200
But because of what you did, You
gave us a chance. 

441
00:26:32,320 --> 00:26:38,000
Father, you extend your gracious
gift to us, but by faith we have

442
00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:43,360
to accept it. 
That thing called free will. 

443
00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:49,360
So, Father, I pray right now for
those of us who know you that 

444
00:26:50,120 --> 00:26:54,200
this is a moment of revival, of 
recommitment, of rededication, 

445
00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:57,800
realignment. 
Maybe we haven't been walking in

446
00:26:57,800 --> 00:27:02,280
step with you like we should. 
And so, Father, I pray this 

447
00:27:02,280 --> 00:27:06,320
morning is a time, well, we 
recognize it's time for me to 

448
00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:10,000
make that adjustment and walk 
with the Lord like I'm supposed 

449
00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:12,240
to. 
For others. 

450
00:27:12,240 --> 00:27:17,960
This might be brand new. 
Father, I pray right now that 

451
00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:20,640
you would Pierce their heart and
help them to understand how much

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00:27:20,640 --> 00:27:26,000
you love them and how much you 
want them to know you if they're

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there here this morning. 
And I pray they might pray a 

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00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:31,920
simple prayer like this. 
Father, I know I'm a Sinner. 

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I'm sorry for my sin. 
I want to turn from my sin. 

456
00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:42,680
I believe that Jesus is the only
one who can save me. 

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00:27:44,960 --> 00:27:49,200
And so right now, I ask Jesus to
come into my heart to be my 

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00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:55,080
Savior, to be my Lord. 
And with the help of the Holy 

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Spirit, I want to live my life 
for His glory through the 

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fellowship of the church. 
Father, if someone could pray a 

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00:28:05,800 --> 00:28:08,880
prayer like that, or they want 
to know more about what it means

462
00:28:09,360 --> 00:28:12,520
to trust in Christ that Father, 
as soon as we begin to sing, I 

463
00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:14,960
pray that they'll come and take 
a passenger by the hand or go to

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00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:18,880
our next steps room and say, I 
want to know more about what it 

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00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:24,240
means to be saved, to be 
forgiven, to be restored, to be 

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00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:27,880
made whole. 
I need peace, I need hope, I 

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00:28:27,880 --> 00:28:34,400
need purpose, I need assurance. 
For some Christians, they may 

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00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:37,600
need to come and pray at these 
steps as an altar of dedication 

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to you. 
Others may be needing to be 

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00:28:40,360 --> 00:28:43,520
baptized or they they, they're 
seeking membership in a church 

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00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:47,640
that teaches about you. 
Clearly, I pray they'll join us.

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00:28:49,480 --> 00:28:52,080
So whatever we need to do, 
Father, I pray that we're not in

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such a hurry. 
Father, I've made sure we have 

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time. 
We're not in a hurry. 

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00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:04,680
Lunch will be there, but first, 
Father, what do we need to do 

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00:29:04,680 --> 00:29:09,680
with you? 
What do we need to do for you as

477
00:29:09,680 --> 00:29:12,120
we recognize what you're doing 
to us? 

478
00:29:13,840 --> 00:29:17,760
Father, help us to respond in 
Christ's name, Amen. 

479
00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:19,520
I'm going to ask you to stand 
with me. 

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00:29:20,880 --> 00:29:23,400
Pastors will be here. 
Our next steps room is open. 

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00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:24,760
You can go straight to that 
room. 

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00:29:25,520 --> 00:29:27,720
People love you in there. 
They just want to pray with you.

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00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:29,720
You can have private 
conversations in there. 

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00:29:29,920 --> 00:29:31,760
You can come talk to us. 
You can come pray at these 

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00:29:31,760 --> 00:29:35,160
steps. 
But don't hurry off. 

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00:29:35,480 --> 00:29:38,480
Let's respond as our ushers take
up the offering as well. 

487
00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:41,640
If you're our guest today, just 
put that next steps guard in 

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00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:43,920
there. 
We'd love to have you a record 

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00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:47,320
of you being with us, but you 
respond as Lord leads.