Greg Laurie - What Easter Means to You? (10/27/2017)
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Pastor Greg Laurie delivers the Easter message from Mark 16 on the resurrection of Jesus, showing what it means personally: hope for those grieving death, second chances for the spiritually failed, encouragement for the disappointed, and evidence for skeptics. He emphasizes Christ’s victory over death, restoration for backsliders, and invitation for all to receive Him today.
A Special Easter Greeting and Prayer
God bless you. It is great to have Phil out. You know this is my 41st Easter preaching this wonderful message that we all love. And 41 years ago Phil wasn't having voice problems because Phil wasn't born yet. But we appreciate him coming and his group. And they are getting the equipment ready and they are heading down to the Bren Center where we are having a 10 o'clock service. But we have had a wonderful time already. But let's pray now as we get ready to look in the Word.
Father again we come to this great story. The story of the death and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now we pray that You will speak to us as we open Your Word. Lord help us to see this story with fresh eyes. Help us to hear it like we have never heard it before. Speak to us from Your Word we pray. In Jesus name we ask it. Amen. You can be seated.
The Title and a Lighthearted Easter Story
Well grab your Bibles and turn to Mark chapter 16. If you are a visitor and you have never been in the Gospel of Mark before it is right after Mark 15. So it is pretty easy to find. The title of my message is, What Easter Means to You.
I heard a story about a Sunday school teacher that was talking to her third graders about Jesus rising again from the dead. She told them that Jesus was crucified and He was put in a tomb and He came back to life. And then she asked this question of her class, What do you think His first words were when He came out of the tomb? One little girl in the back of the room was waving her hand back and forth. So the teacher called on her. She says, I know what His first words were. The teacher said, OK. What were the first words of Jesus after He came out of the tomb? The little girl said, Ta-da. Not exactly but she had the right idea. You have to love kids.
The Timeless Story That Always Ends the Same
There was a little boy who was on his way to church Easter Sunday morning with his parents. He didn't really want to go. It was early. He was cranky. And they heard Him muttering to no one in particular, I don't know why we have to go to church on Easter anyway. They keep telling the same old story and it always comes out the same in the end. That is right. And aren't you glad it does? This is the greatest story ever told. And it is my privilege to share it with you.
Many of you have heard this story many, many, many times. Some of you may be hearing this story for the first time. But I love to tell Bible stories. I love to tell Bible stories to kids. You know when my son Christopher was a little boy he had a short attention span. So I would have to keep it interesting. So I would put in funny parts to keep him engaged. For instance, if I was talking about Jesus feeding the 5,000 I would say something along the lines of, so all the people sat down and they were hungry. And Jesus turned to one of His apostles and said, where is the closest McDonald's? He would say, no dad. That is not in the Bible. And I would say, oh really? Well how does this story go? The story is they had the little boy with the fish and the loaves. Exactly. You see. So we love it when we can be in the Bible story a little bit.
You Are Part of the Easter Story
I tell my granddaughters stories all the time. They want me to make up a story. And they either want to be mermaids or princesses. That is what I have learned about girls. Little girls. By the way do you guys ever outgrow that? I am talking to girls now. Do you still? And even better. A mermaid who is a Princess. Come on. Now we are talking. And so I will tell a story and they are featured in the story and they love it because they love to be in the story.
Did you know that you are in the Easter story? You say, no Greg. I haven't read my name in there lately. No. But you are in it in a way. Now you may relate to one of the people in the story. So effectively it is almost like you are there. But there is a special word from Jesus to us this Easter of 2014 that we are going to come to in a few moments. And I don't know where you are at spiritually today. You might be full of faith. And you are just strong spiritually. And you are here surrounded by family and friends. And you are praising the Lord. And you are going to have a great meal afterwards. And it is just a happy day for you. And it is an absolutely beautiful day today. Isn't it? Perfect weather. So if that is describing you, thank God. God bless you. So glad you are here.
Easter Speaks to Every Heart Condition
But there might be someone else. And this is a sad day for you. While others are dressed in their Sunday best and have big plans for the day, you are overwhelmed by deep sadness. Not because of Easter itself. But because Easter is a marker of time. And you are remembering a loved one that was with you last year. It is not with you this year. It came unexpectedly. They died. And so it is a sad day. Listen. God has something special to say to you today in this message.
Or maybe you come here in bad shape spiritually. Maybe outwardly you put on a good show. You talk a good talk. Everyone thinks you have your spiritual life together. But the reality is, is there has been a breakdown in your life. Your spiritual life is effectively in ruins. And you are in trouble. And you fear it is only a matter of time until everything that you have done in secret is going to be made known openly. You are effectively in what the Bible describes as a backslidden state. Well if you have come that way today I want you to know there is something in this message for you as well.
But then again you might come here downhearted and discouraged. In your mind God has let you down. He has not come through for you when you needed Him. There is a word for you too. And finally maybe you are a first time visitor and you come here today with a lot of skepticism. You are not even sure what this is all about. In fact the only reason you are here is because you were bribed with a really good early lunch or late breakfast. And you don't pray a lot but your prayer today is, God don't let that preacher go on too long. I am especially glad that you are here today. Because Easter is for skeptics.
Mark 16: The Resurrection Account
So let us see now what our text says. Here is Mark's version of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Mark 16 verse 1. Now when the Sabbath was passed, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices that they might come and anoint Him. Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they said among themselves, Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us? But when they looked up they saw the stone had been rolled away for it was very large. And entering the tomb they saw a young man, clothed in a long white robe, sitting on the right side. And they were alarmed. And He said to them, Don't be alarmed. You are seeking Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. He is risen. He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. Now you go tell His disciples and Peter, underline those two words, and Peter. We will come back to that. And He is going before you into Galilee and you will see Him as He said to you. So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb and trembled and were amazed and said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
Now when He Rose early on the first day of the week He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He cast seven demons. And she went and told those who had been with Him as they mourned and wept. And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. We will stop there.
Easter Is for Those Devastated by Death
So who is Easter for? Easter is for those who have been devastated by death. It has been six years since the Lord called our son Christopher home to heaven unexpectedly. I had been a pastor for 34 years at the point that that happened. And I had spoken to many parents who had lost children over those years and tried to say the right thing and do the right thing for them. And I presided over many services for little ones that had gone to heaven. And I thought I understood the pain that a parent had because I had a couple of friends that lost children. And I knew the children quite well. So I thought I am as close as one could be to this without it happening to me. Now I realize in retrospect I had no idea what it was like. Because when it happens to you it just tears you apart.
When you lose a loved one unexpectedly it is such a shock. Maybe that has happened to you. I spoke with a young lady just a few days ago whose husband was killed in a tragic accident. And I anticipated her questions. I said, Right now I bet you are wondering why God took Him instead of you. She said, I am. I bet you are thinking it is just not fair. She says, I am thinking of that. You were so young. You were nearly married. Why did God let this happen to you? That is right. And I said it is okay to ask those questions. But you have to understand this. Now you are never going to probably get an answer that will satisfy you this side of heaven. But then I began to talk to her about the hope of the resurrection. And I reminded her that death is not the end. It is just merely a bend in the road.
The Disciples' Devastation and Hope
These disciples had been devastated by the death of Jesus. They did not expect it. Despite the fact Christ spoke repeatedly of His own betrayal, arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection. They missed that memo altogether. And when it happened in real time before their eyes it was shocking. See the problem with Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and John. They never read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They did not know how the story ended. As far as they were concerned Jesus was going to establish His kingdom, drive the Romans out, and they would rule and reign with Him. But instead suddenly He is betrayed by one of their own, Judas. Then He is sent up these trumped up charges in this kangaroo court of injustice. And then He is flogged and scourged by Pilate. And then He is nailed to a cross. They never thought they would see Him again. The dream was over. Their hope was gone.
But if they would have remembered another incident at a tomb it would have given them perspective. They would have thought back to when He raised Lazarus from the dead. They would recall before that resurrection Jesus did something unexpected. We read Jesus wept. He wept before He raised Lazarus. Why? Maybe because He was thinking, Poor Lazarus. This is such a bad deal for Him. I am going to have to call Him back from heaven. I mean how would you like to be in heaven and have to be called back again. I mean you get there and there is the Lord and it is so glorious. And God says, Welcome to heaven. I have got some good news and bad news. The good news is you are coming back again. Coming back again. Where am I going? Bad news is you have to go back. And suddenly up in heaven He hears these words, Lazarus, come forth. Hey when Jesus says come forth baby you are coming forth. It is a good thing Jesus didn't just say come forth. Because if He did everybody and every grave everywhere would have come out. I am just calling Lazarus right now. And Lazarus came back again.
But this was not part of God's plan originally for people to age. Jesus wept because his heart broke to see the devastation that death brings to us. It is not the person who has died if they had faith in Christ. They are in heaven. They are better off than they have ever been. But we do feel sadness for ourselves. And you know what? There is nothing wrong with that. I told that young lady, I said, you need to cry and cry a lot. And don't feel bad for crying. Don't fight those tears. Let them out. Because Jesus wept and you can weep too. We need to do that. It has been said God weeps with us so one day we may laugh with Him. But then He brings Lazarus back. But He made this statement. I am the resurrection and the life. And He that believes in Me though He were dead yet shall He live.
The Transforming Power of the Resurrection
So here now are these disciples. And they are hearing this message from an angel. And He tells them that Christ has risen again. See this was going to impact their life. The resurrection of Jesus Christ changed a disheartened, frightened group of fishermen, tax collectors, and the like into bold preachers of the gospel. The world was not the same as a result. And that alone is in my opinion one of the most compelling arguments for the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus.
Some like to say well the disciples made it up because they wanted to start a new religion. Really? Do you really believe that? Isn't it interesting that they all died the death of a martyr with the exception of John? But he was banished to an island called Patmos. Not one of them recanted on their deathbed. Not one of them said we made it all up. And by the way when you are on your deathbed you want to get things like that off your chest if you have lived a lie. None of them said it wasn't true. Because they could not deny what had changed everything about their life. Jesus was alive. The resurrection impacted them. And the resurrection impacts us.
Because one day I hate to break this to you. Especially on Easter. Because you all look so wonderful today. But you are going to die. The statistics on death are pretty impressive. One out of every one persons will die. There is nothing we can do to change that. But the good news is because Jesus died and Rose again from the dead we will live forever. And even as He had a resurrection body we will have one too. The resurrection of Jesus was the death of death. And our new bodies will resemble His resurrection body. The Bible tells us in 1 John 3:2, Beloved we are the children of God. It has not yet been revealed what we will be. But we know when He is revealed we shall be like Him.
Our Future Resurrection Bodies
After Christ Rose again from the dead He said to His disciples, Look at My hands. Look at My feet. It is really Me. Guys it is Me. I am back. But His resurrection body was different than the body He was crucified in. It was still Jesus. But in a different way. And we will still be us. But in a perfect glorified state. And even as He was risen again Jesus could eat food. He could appear in a room without using the door. Effectively He could fly. What is the ascension but flying. It is taking off. I hope I can do all those things. Fly. Eat food. Never gain weight. Have hair growing out of my head instead of my ears. Kind of a gross illustration that one. Because you have got a visual I know. But here is what Easter is saying to them and saying to us. The message of Jesus to those who are mourning the loss of a loved one is, I have beaten death and death is not the end. And you will see that person again if they died in faith in Jesus Christ.
Easter Offers Second Chances to the Failed
Number two. Easter is for the person who has failed spiritually. It is for the person who has failed spiritually. Look at verse six. The angel says, You seek Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. He is risen. He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. Go tell His disciples and Peter. He is going before you into Galilee. And there you will see Him as He said to you. Go tell the disciples and Peter He is risen again.
You know some people are maybe a little ashamed to even show up at church on Easter because they are not here the rest of the year. I want to just say I am glad you are here. I mean maybe you are a CEO Christian. Christmas and Easter only. I hope you move beyond that. One person put it this way. Most Americans attend church three times in their life. When they are hatched, when they are matched, and when they are dispatched. The first time they throw water. The second time they throw rice. And the third time they throw dirt.
The Special Message to Peter
I heard a story about a man that showed up at church on Easter Sunday morning. And that was the only time he came. And so at the back door the pastor stopped him for a moment. And he grabbed him by the arm and said, Son, it is time that you join The army of the Lord. And the man said, Pastor, I am already in the army of the Lord. And the pastor said, Then why do I only see you at church on Christmas and Easter? And the man whispered in the preacher's ear, I am in the Secret Service. No. That is not going to work. Listen. You miss out on so much when you are not in fellowship with God's people. Hebrews 10 says, Think of ways to encourage one another, the outbursts of love and good deeds. And let's not neglect our meeting together as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of the Lord is getting close.
So Peter was discouraged. Tell the disciples and Peter. Why was it tell the disciples and Peter? Because he needed a word of encouragement. Do you need that today? Remember the last sight Peter had of Jesus was in the glow of the fire after he had denied the Lord three times. And by the way, at that last denial he swore. It doesn't mean he used profanity. And swore like a sailor. Though technically he was a sailor. Now the phrase that is used to describe Peter's denial of the Lord is that he took an oath. In effect Peter, when pressed, and he was asked, Are you one of his disciples? He said, I swear to God I am not a disciple of Jesus. That is what he said. And at that moment he made eye contact with Christ who was just passing through. Can you imagine how you would feel? I swear to God I don't know Jesus. And then you see Jesus Peter's heart melted. And he went out and wept bitterly. He thought, I am done. Done. God would have nothing to do with me.
So then the message goes out. Tell the disciples. And Peter. He is risen. Let Peter know in particular. Why not tell the disciples and James. Or tell the disciples and John. No. Tell the disciples and Peter. Because he needed a special word. And here is what it was. God gives second chances. Have you messed up? God gives second chances. Do you think Peter's spiritual failure came as a surprise to Jesus? Au contraire. Which is French for I have no idea. No. To the contrary. Jesus predicted the denial of Peter. Jesus said, You will deny me three times before the rooster has crowed twice. Do you think your failure has come as a surprise to Jesus? Do you think your failure is too much for Jesus to forgive? Listen. He paid for it on the cross. Easter is a time of second chances.
Easter for Those Feeling Let Down by God
Number three. Easter is for the person who feels as though God has let them down. I mentioned the death of a loved one. Maybe that has happened to you. Or some tragedy has come in your life that makes no sense. Or maybe it is just that life has not gone the way you hoped it would go. You hoped at this point you would be married but you are still single. Relax. You are only eighteen. Okay. It will happen. Or maybe you hoped your marriage would succeed and it failed. Or you hoped you would be a success in business and you were not. Or you hoped you would have some great ministry and you don't have that. So you are disappointed with God. In your mind God has let you down.
Listen to this. Disappointment is His appointment. And as you look down at verse 12 to 13 here in Mark 16 we read that after this He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country and they went and told it to the rest and they did not believe them either. Now this story is also mentioned over in Luke chapter 24. It is the two disciples on the Emmaus Road. These two guys had seen the crucifixion and they could not put enough distance between them and Jerusalem. They were devastated. They left town. And who shows up to join them on their journey but the resurrected Christ incognito. They did not know it was Jesus.
And Jesus approaches them. Allow me to loosely paraphrase. Hey guys what is up? Oh man a lot of things have been happening in Jerusalem. Yeah what? Jesus says. Well Jesus of Nazareth was crucified. Haven't you heard about these things? Jesus says no. What things? Tell me. I love that. So they tell Jesus about Jesus. But they didn't know it was Jesus. And He listened. And here is how they ended their little talk. And He was crucified. And besides it has been three days since this happened. And we were hoping He would have been the one to deliver Israel. Jesus is like, Oy vey. Are you guys listening to yourselves? He says, Oh, slow up heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken concerning the Christ. And He takes them on a personally guided tour of all of those Old Testament passages that dealt with the death and resurrection of Messiah.
A Burning Heart Restored
Well as He is talking these guys are drinking it in. And they are thinking, Man this guy is good. I mean the way He speaks you think He wrote the book? Getting close. Now they are at the end of the journey. And Jesus, they still don't know it is Jesus by the way, acts as though He would keep walking. And they are going, Wait, wait. Where are you going? I have to go guys. No, no. We are going to have a meal. Why don't you come with us? No. I have to go. No, no. You come and eat with us. All right. So He sits down at the table. And they break bread. And then boom. The blinders are lifted. They see it is Jesus. And He is gone. And then they say, Did not our hearts burn within us while He opened up the Scriptures walking with us on the way?
Listen to me downhearted, discouraged person. God wants to reactivate your heart through the Word of God. That is the message you need to hear. You can have a burning heart for Him. He can restore the hope that you have lost. See their problem was they were trying to get away from the cross. And listen to this. Every step away from the cross is a step in the wrong direction. When you are hurting, when you have sinned, when you have messed up you turn around and you head to the cross as fast as you can get there. See I do not even know what you are talking about. Head to the cross. I mean you go to God and say, God I am sorry for my sin. And I believe Jesus died on the cross for it. And I ask You to forgive me of it right now. God can transform you and give you that second chance you need in life and bring encouragement to your discouraged heart.
Easter for Skeptics and Doubters
Well there is one last category I want to deal with before we close. I want to talk about skeptics. Mark 16 verse 14. Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. Easter is for doubters. Have you ever struggled with doubt when it comes to your faith? Perhaps something has happened and it has caused you to question what has happened? I think some people think if they become a Christian they have to check their brains at the door. That is not true. In Isaiah 1:18 God says, Come and let us reason together, says the Lord. Or as another translation puts it, God speaking, Come. Let us argue this out, says the Lord.
Some Christians are reluctant to admit that they have any questions at all. They think to question God is an act of spiritual treason. Or doubt is an unpardonable sin. Listen. Everyone struggles with doubt every now and then. Oswald Chambers said, and I quote, Doubt is not always a sign that a man is wrong. It may be a sign that a man is thinking. End quote. You see sometimes skepticism is the first step toward truth. There is a difference between skepticism and outright unbelief. You see skepticism is can't believe. Unbelief is won't believe. Skepticism is honesty. Unbelief is stubbornness. Skepticism is looking for light. Unbelief is content with darkness. An unbeliever has no intention of changing or believing. Although offer up their well-worn excuses or so-called reasons. But the fact of the matter is even when confronted with the evidence to refute their nonbelief they reject it out of hand. They don't want to believe.
In contrast the skeptic when presented with the facts will change. Because they want to know the truth. You say, Facts? What facts? There is no facts. Oh no. There are lots of facts. And I could spend a whole message making a case for the resurrection of Jesus. But let me give you a simple one. With a show of hands, how many of you have had your life radically changed by Jesus Christ? Raise your hand up right now. Hey look around you. That is called evidence friend. Every one of these people has a story to tell. We weren't born this way. You think, where do these people come from? We come from everywhere. But Jesus has changed us. And He will do that for you if you have not believed in Him yet. He will come to you right where you are.
Jesus Meets Thomas—and Us—in Doubt
There was a man named Thomas who said, Well I will believe until I put my hand and the wound in His side and I see the wounds in His hands. And they gathered together again and Jesus appeared. And I love how He just went right to Thomas. Hey Thomas I heard you are talking about me. Here I am. Ta-da. Go ahead and put your hand in the wound right there. Remember where the Roman soldier put the spear and blood and water came out. Put your hand in there. Hey here is the wound in my hand. Thomas go for it. Thomas is like, I am good. He says, My Lord and my God. Hey we can put Thomas down for wanting to see for himself. He just wanted to know for himself what others knew. And there is nothing wrong with that. If you pray an honest prayer and say, God make yourself real to me. He will. Jesus lovingly came to Thomas at His point of weakness and He will do the same for you. And He does it with countless others. He will meet you where you are.
Blessed Are Those Who Believe Without Seeing
Now in the beginning of the message I said that you are in the Easter story. Almost said Christmas story. Let's keep our story straight here. You are in the Easter story. You say where? Well I will just give you the reference. You can look it up later. John 20:29. After presenting Thomas with the evidence and Thomas believes Jesus says this, Blessed are you Thomas because you have seen and believed. But blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. That is us. That is you and that is me. We have not seen the risen Lord in person. He has not come out on this stage for us to examine His wounds. But we have believed even without seeing. Some people say, Well seen is believing. Effectively Jesus says believing is seen. And you will see for yourself.
Personal Invitation on This Easter
So let me ask you this question. Where are you at spiritually right now? Maybe you are mourning the loss of a loved one. This Easter morning here is what Christ says to you. I am the resurrection and the life. He that believes in Me though he were dead yet shall he live. And this whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Listen. If your loved one died in the Lord you will see them again. And you may not even have to wait until death because the rapture could come in our lifetime. Say what do you mean the rapture? That event when Christ calls His people home. The Bible says that the dead in Christ shall rise first and we which are alive and remaining shall be caught up together with them in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. You could just be going about your business and with a blink of an eye even faster in fact you would be reunited with loved ones picking up where you last left off. There is hope. For the Christian death is not the end.
Maybe you are backslidden or you have failed and you have sinned against God. Here is the good news. God gives second chances. And He will give you a second chance today. Here is what the Lord says to you. Return you backsliding children and I will heal you. He doesn't say return and I will slap you around a little bit then heal you. Though you deserve that. And I do too. No. I will tell you what. Jesus already absorbed God's wrath in your place when He died on the cross at Calvary. So you just come and admit you are a sinner and He will forgive you and pardon you and give you that second chance you need.
For those of you that feel as though God has failed you, I want you to know He has not failed you. He is ready to be a part of your life. If you feel far from God guess who moved. It wasn't God. It was you. Why don't you come back to Him again. See these people had to invite Jesus, those two disciples on the Emmaus Road, to join Him. Come with us. Jesus wants to walk with you down life's road. Now you can say, Go away. I don't want you. He won't force His way in. Or you can say, No Lord. Come with us. And then come to us to the table. See He was with them on the road. Then He was with them at the table. He was there at the meal. Lord come in. He will. In fact Jesus even says, Behold I stand at the door and knock. If you will hear my voice and open the door I will come in and have a meal with you. Or have fellowship and friendship and relationship with you.
Final Invitation: Come to Christ Today
And finally maybe you have come here with skepticism. You are full of questions. You are saying, Show me and I will believe. Effectively God is saying, Believe and I will show you. The Lord says in Jeremiah, Call to me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know. Listen to this. Jesus Christ died on that cross two thousand years ago for you. The apostle Paul said, He loved me and He gave Himself for me. It is personal. And He Rose again from the dead. And He will come and live inside of you right now.
You say, Well how do I come into this relationship with God? First you have to admit you are a sinner. Stop blaming everybody else. You are responsible for your own decisions and actions. You are a sinner. You have broken God's laws. You have fallen short of God's standards. We all have. Number two. Recognize Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sin. He paid the price for the wrongs you have done. He came to pay a debt He did not owe because we owed a debt we could not pay. Number three. You need to turn from that sin. The Bible says repent and be converted and times of refreshment will come from God's presence. To repent means to change your direction. Instead of going away from God go to Him. And then you must receive Christ into your life as Savior and Lord.
And I am going to give you an opportunity to do that. And if you have fallen away from Him and need to return to Him I will give you an opportunity to come back to the Lord. So let us all bow our heads now. Everybody praying. Father thank You for Your Word to us. Thank You for the hope that we have in Christ because of His death and resurrection. Now I pray that Your Holy Spirit will convict and convince every person here who does not yet know You. Help them see Lord how much they need You. And help them to come to You now we pray.
Now when our heads are bowed and our eyes are closed and we are praying. How many of you would say today, Greg, I need Jesus Christ in my life. I want my sin forgiven. I want to know with certainty that I will go to heaven when I die. I need a second chance in life. Pray for me. I am ready to say yes to Jesus. If that is your desire wherever you are sitting would you lift your hand up if you want Christ to come into your life. You want Him to forgive you of your sin. You want to go to heaven when you die. Raise your hand up. I will pray for you. God bless all of you. Raise your hand if you are watching by video. Raise your hand up. I know I can't see you. That doesn't matter. It is between you and God. Just say, Lord, I want you in my life. Raise your hand up. God bless you that are raising your hand.
Recommitment and the Closing Prayer
While our heads are still bowed. Maybe you have come here as someone who has fallen away from the Lord. You have been in a backslidden state. You are what the Bible calls a prodigal. But you can come back to Him again today. Return to the Lord and He will heal you. If you have fallen away from Christ and you want to return to Him this Easter of 2014 would you raise your hand up right now. Let me pray for you. Just raise your hand up. God bless you. You are watching the video screen. Raise your hand up. God bless all of you.
Now I am going to ask you that if you would raise your hand if you would please stand to your feet and I am going to lead you in a prayer of commitment or recommitment to Christ. Again if you raise your hand stand up right where you are. That is right. Just stand up. Stand up and we are going to pray together. Stand right where you are. Wherever you are seeing In this stand up and we are going to have a prayer. You are going to say to God, I am committing my life to you today. Just stand to your feet wherever you are. God bless you that are standing. Anybody else? Stand up now. You want to make this commitment or recommitment to Christ. Maybe you did not raise your hand. You can still stand. Stand now. One final moment. God bless you. God bless you. There might be a few more. Stand up if you are going to stand. God bless all of you that are standing. Anybody else? Stand now.
All right. You that are standing I want you to pray this prayer out loud right after me. Again as I pray as you stand there you pray this prayer out loud after me. Pray this after me now.
Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner. But I know that You are a Savior who died on the cross for my sin. And paid the price for the wrongs I have done. I turn from that sin now. And I choose to follow You from this moment forward as Savior and Lord, as God and friend, as Master and King. Thank You for calling me and forgiving me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
God bless all of you. God bless you. God bless you. Praise the Lord. Fantastic. Hey listen we have a special Easter gift for you today. Sorry it is not in a basket with eggs. It is actually not an Easter gift. We I just wanted to kind of make it Easter like. This is called the Start Bible. It is a New Testament with some notes that I wrote that will encourage you in your relationship with Christ. And I want to give one of these to every one of you that just stood and prayed that prayer.
I am going to ask all of you here in the main sanctuary of Harvest Riverside right now if you would please to get up out of your seat and go to this room over here in the corner. Here is one of our counselors holding up the Start Bible. And if you will go over there where they are we are going to give you this Bible. So all of you that prayed that prayer just get up out of your seat. Head on over there. Go over there now. Up in the balcony. Come on down the stairs. If you are outside in the amphitheater come around to the back of the sanctuary. If you are in the court building go to the front of the room where the screen is we will give you this Bible. Go on over there now. God bless all of you. God bless all of you. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.
Closing Prayer for Offering
Well let us pray. Now Lord we are so thankful for this day and all that Jesus has done. How could we ever repay you? We cannot. So Lord when we come to a time of giving this is not about repayment. This is about investment. Recognizing that everything we have it comes from you. In fact we ourselves belong to you. You tell us in Scripture we are not our own. We have been bought with a price. So we should glorify you. So Lord as we invest now in your work we pray you will use these resources to touch more lives. That more people will come to Jesus like we just saw. That more lives will be transformed. So we commit this time of giving to you. Be glorified we pray in Jesus name. Amen.