The Way Church Podcast

I have two portion of Scripture this morning and somehow we're gonna connect them together. First Corinthians, chapter number 15, verses 17 through 22. And then we'll go over to John, chapter number 11. Excuse me, John, chapter 20, verse 11 through 17. So First Corinthians, chapter 15, 17 through 22.

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And it reads, and if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost. And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more pitied than anyone in the world. Verse 20 says, but in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.

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So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. Just as everyone dies because we are all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. John, chapter number 20, John, chapter number 20. And verse 11. Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, verse one says, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.

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Verse 11. Mary was standing outside the tomb crying. And as she wept, she stooped and looked in. She saw two white robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. Verse 13 says, Dear woman, why are you crying?

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The angels asked her, because they have taken away my Lord, she replied, I don't know where they have put them. Verse 14 says, she turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn't recognize him. Verse 15 says, Dear woman, why are you crying? Jesus asked her, who are you looking for?

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She thought he was the gardener. Sir, she said, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him and I will go and get him. Verse 16. Mary, Jesus said, she turned to him and cried out rabboni, which is Hebrew for teacher. Verse 17.

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Don't cling to me, Jesus said, for I haven't yet ascended to the Father, but go find my brothers and tell them I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. Family, I want to use for a subject very quickly this morning. Sunday changed everything. As you take your seats, just tell your neighbor, Sunday changed everything. Sunday changed everything.

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Let me ask you a question this morning, family. Have you ever had a moment in your life that changed everything? For some, it was the day that you said yes at the altar. For others, it was when you held that newborn in your arms for the first time, maybe it was when you got the diagnosis, or perhaps it was that call in the middle of the night. But family, no moment in history, no diagnosis, no disaster, no decision has changed the direction of the world more than the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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We live in a world that is obsessed with life hacks. 5 Ways to Improve your mindset. How to make the most of your morning. How to level up your life. But there is no greater shift than what happened over 2000 years ago on Resurrection Sunday morning.

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I came this morning to let you know that Jesus resurrection was not a renovation. His resurrection was a revolution. It did not just improve things, it transformed them. There are some moments that change the direction of your life. There are some changes that change your status, but only one moment in all of history.

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History has changed eternity. Beloved, the resurrection isn't just a part of the Gospel story. It is the Gospel story. And when Jesus got up on the third day, everything changed. We are celebrating an event that over a billion people around the world are gathering to celebrate today.
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Easter Sunday is extra special, so we dress a little bit nicer, we may take a family photo and we plan a family dinner. We want this morning's worship to go well because it's Easter and this is a part of our Christian culture and there's nothing wrong with that. But let me warn you on the onset of this message that today's sermon is not just about an event that happened, it is about a reality that is still happening in the lives of countless souls across this world today. When Jesus walked out of the grave, he didn't just conquer death, he redeemed life. Because of the resurrection, everything changes.

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And this is what the Apostle Paul was trying to get us to see in the text today. He's trying to get us to see point number one, that the resurrection is non negotiable. Paul starts off strong. He offers no fluff, no fillers. He says if Christ had not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still in your sins.

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This is Paul's version of Let me keep it a hundred with you. I. I'm not going to sugarcoat it. If Jesus didn't raise up, then Christianity is a scam. If there was no resurrection, there is no redemption.

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If there was no empty tomb, then there is no eternal life. If there is no risen Savior, then there is no saving grace. In other words, if the to tomb is still full, then the gospel is still fake. Paul was not trying to be dramatic, he was being doctrinal he says if Jesus didn't rise, Christianity is a lie and you are not forgiven, you are not free, and your faith is futile. Paul doesn't mince words here.

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He draws a bold line in the theological section. The gospel is not that Jesus was a good teacher. The Gospel is not that Jesus was a martyr for the cause. The gospel is this. Jesus died and was buried and got up just like he said that he would.

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Yeah. If he didn't rise, our sins are still unpaid. If he didn't rise, our worship is worthless. If he didn't rise, our sins are still stacked against us. If he did not rise, all of our hope is hollow and worthless.

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Jesus is not in the grave, but he has risen. Like he says, if Jesus is still in the grave, then we're not forgiven. We're just fooling ourselves. This verse underscores the entire foundation of Christian soteriology, which is the doctrine of salvation. Justification is not completed on the cross.

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It's authenticated by the resurrection. What do you mean? In other words, the cross paid the price, but the resurrection proved that the payment comes clear. What do you mean, Pastor? The cross was the payment, but the resurrection was the receipt that the payment went through.

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Without the resurrection, Jesus would have been like any other God and not the Messiah. But Paul is drilling the point that if Jesus did not rise, then our faith is nothing more than a feel good fantasy. And all we're doing every Sunday is having a Christmas Christian pep rally.

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This is not an optional understanding, brothers and sisters. This is foundational. You do not follow Jesus for good vibes. You follow him because he's alive and his spirit now lives in you. This is why the resurrection cannot just be celebrated one time a year.

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That it has to be centered every single day of your life. Because if you don't believe that Jesus got up, then you will never get up from what's holding you down. If you don't believe that he got up, then you won't think that you can get up. But the resurrection. Somebody say the resurrection!

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The resurrection is. Is it all right if I preach about the resurrection this morning? The resurrection is God's public declaration that the debt of sin has been paid in full. Without this resurrection, we would not have assurance. We would only have assumption.

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I think he got up. They said he got up, but guess what? He got up. Cuz I know he lives in me.

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Is building tension here. He's building because he's setting us up, Mike. He's setting us up and building tension to drop truth in the Next verse. In verse 20, he says, but in fact, Christ has been raised. In other words, Paul pivots hard.

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He says, but in fact, this is courtroom language. You would hear the argument of. The attorneys will say, but. But in fact, he is presenting evidence, not emotion. In other words, Christ didn't almost rise.

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Christ didn't just spiritually rise, but he physically, literally got up from the grave. And the reason why we know he got up, because he got up. We have access to everything Paul says, but in facts. Family, sometimes your entire life can change with a but. Joseph said it this way.

00:12:33
You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. David said it like this. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. And now here's Paul saying, but in fact, God created. Christ did rise from the dead as the first fruits of all, who will rise.

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That term, first fruits, is important because it refers to the first part of a harvest. In other words, it guarantees that the rest of the harvest is coming. You're going to catch me in a second. In other words, Jesus was his resurrection. Was, was a prototype, a preview, if you will, of what is in store for you and for me.

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First fruits means there is more to come. Look at somebody and say, he's not the exception, he's the example. In other words, his resurrection guarantees our resurrection. His breakthrough is the blueprint for our bounce back. In other words, the resurrection was just not just proof.

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It was a promise for you and for me. Because he got up, every last one of us can get up. Because he lives. We don't just survive. But now I can thrive because my Savior is alive.

00:14:01
You just don't make it, but you can multiply. Because Jesus said, I'm going show you exactly how it's done. I can rise above my guilt and I can rise above my shame, and I can rise above generational curses. For some of us, the resurrection isn't just historical. For some of us, the resurrection is personal.

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That's why some people, they can't keep silent on a. On a resurrection Sunday morning. Because you know, it's not about Easter bunnies. Ain't nothing wrong with them. It's not about eggs and jelly beans.

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Ain't nothing wrong with him. It's not about the outfit. Ain't nothing wrong with it. But when you know that the resurrection is because Jesus got up, and because he got up, he's letting me know. I'm showing you exactly how you can get up.

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See, when it becomes personal, somebody say personal, say it's personal. When it becomes personal. It shifts how you see your pain. It shifts how you view your p purpose, how you reach for your potential. See, too many, too many Christians still operate with a Mary mindset.

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A Mary mindset. What's a Mary mindset? John Chapter number 20 is Sunday morning. Mary's walking to the tomb. Mary is faithful.

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Showing up. She showed up, but watch it. She showed up with perfume and with pain. Her Savior is dead. She came to treat a dead body, but the body was gone.

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She came to the right place, but she had the wrong expectation. There's a whole lot of people who are coming to the right place but have the wrong expectation. You don't think that Jesus is going to do what he said he gonna do. You looking for the Savior, A living savior in a dead situation. But God, the type of God that we serve, moves forward.

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He advances. And he is not going to allow our families faith to stay stuck in the dead things of our lives. And too many Christians operate with a Friday mentality, stuck in the trauma of crucifixion. When Jesus is walking in the victory of Sunday morning, you can't keep grieving what God has already resurrected. Look at somebody and say, stop grieving.

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He's alive. You can stop grieving because he got up. Watch me. We cannot confuse what God did in his first move with what he's going to do in his next move. Mary Magdalene came to the tomb in sorrow.

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But watch me. When Jesus calls her name, he calls her name. Her sorrow turned into an assignment. Verse 16. Jesus said to her, Mary, that one word changed her life.

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What do you do when Jesus calls your name? In the midst of your turmoil, in the midst of your struggle, in the midst of your heartache, in the midst of your pain, Jesus is calling your name. Jesus is calling your name. When it's dark, Jesus is calling your name. When the pain seems like it's too much to bear.

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What do you do when Jesus calls Your name? Verse 16. He says, Woman, why are you crying? Mary did not recognize him at first. Don't miss this.

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She didn't recognize him at first. Why? Because sometimes our pain has a way of blinding us. Mary was crying so hard, she was bawling so bad. She was rehearsing how Jesus looked the last time she saw him.

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That she could not hear how the Savior call her name. But when Jesus calls her name, it changed everything. Her tears blinded her. Her disappointment blinded her. Her grief.

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Grief blinded her. But I came to tell you what I found out. Just because you don't see him doesn't mean he doesn't see you just because there's nobody with you at night when the tears are streaming down your face, just know that Jesus still sees your tears.

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The Savior knows your name. Even when you don't recognize his presence.

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Jesus calls her. And when he called her, everything changed. Prophesy to somebody and tell him, he knows your name. Ah. Prophesy to somebody else to say, he knows your name.

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Now speak over yourself. Put your hand on your chest and say, he knows my name. He knows my name. Your sorrow does not cancel the resurrection. Your breakdown does not disqualify from your breakthrough.

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He knows your name.

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And watch it. This is what Paul was saying, because he says, for as in Adam all died, so in Christ all will be made alive. He said, all die, so all will be made alive. Paul goes all the way back to Genesis, to the Garden of Eden, when the first man, Adam, disobeyed and lost everything. Adam's disobedience opened the door to death.

00:20:24
But Jesus, the second Adam reversed what the first one ruined. Essentially, what he is saying is Adam got us into this, but Jesus got us out of this. What he was saying is that Jesus got us out. Adam took from the tree, but Jesus hung on the tree. Adam decision led to death, but Jesus obedience led to life.

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This is not just a resurrection, but this is a restitution.

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Jesus got back everything that Adam forfeited.

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And what we have to do is stop identifying with the curse when Christ has already given us the cure. Too many people are still talking about how bad it is when Jesus said, I've come to give you life, and that more abundantly the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. But don't worry about that. Worry about the life that I've come to give you.

00:21:34
In other words, you don't have to inherit the dysfunction. You can walk in divine transformation because of the resurrection. The resurrection is not just what happened to Jesus. The resurrection signifies what is in store and is available for us.

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That's why Romans 6 and 4 tells us, just as Christ was raised from the dead, we too may have and live a new life. Resurrection is not just for Easter. It's for every day of your life. Every day of your life should be a resurrected life.

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But here's the problem. There are too many Christians that have resurrection theology but graveyard habits. You're still living like he's in the grave when he says, I changed everything Sunday morning. If Jesus walked out of the tomb, why are you still lying like he's in the grave, lying in your Addiction and lying in your shame and lying in your people. Pleasing and lying in your mediocrity.

00:22:55
Still bound by guilt and bound and stuck in cycles. It's time to walk like you know the stone was rolled away. And I just need about five people that will jump up, up and praise God. Because you know the stone was rolled away. And because of that I don't have to be stuck in the death of my sins.
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I know that my Savior is alive.

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Watch it. When you know this, when you know this, you start forgiving like you've been forgiven. When you know this, you start dreaming. Just like the grave didn't win in your life. Salvation is more than justification.

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It's your transformation. Come here. Don't miss this. Your grave clothes don't fit no more. It's time to have on some resurrection clothes.

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Jesus left his grave clothes in the grave. And because he left his clothes, we gotta leave our clothes because we are walking in the resurrection of a risen Savior.

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This is your wake up call. Nudge your neighbor and say this your wake up call. Live like he got up. This your wake up call. Walk like you are made new.
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This your wake up call. Love like you're free. This is your wake up call. Serve like you've been sent. Jesus got up.

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Somebody put your hands together and give God a shout in this house.

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Watch it. Thank you. You may be seated. In other words, Paul was saying, now, live like he got up, he said. But in fact, Christ did get up, not live like he got up.

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Resurrection isn't just something we shout about. The resurrection is something that we live out every single day of our lives. The resurrection isn't just for Jesus to live again. The resurrection is for us to live differently because of the resurrection. The stone was rolled away.

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Watch me. Not just so that he can get out. The stone was rolled away so that we can get in, get into grace and get into purpose and get into position. Somebody shout, this changes everything. Shout it again.

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This changes everything.

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This changes everything. Watch what Paul says now. Go tell somebody. We're not just saved from something, we're saved for something. In other words, the resurrection gives you a message to tell.

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Jesus did not get up out of the grave just for admiration, just for you to applause how wonderful his act was. But he rose to activate you and I to move into the position that he wants us to be in. He sends Mary with a message. Verse 17 of John 20. He says, Go tell my brothers.

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Go to my brothers and tell them. Watch it. She's weeping outside the tomb, confused she's broken. She's disappointed. But then she hears him call her name.

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She hears him call her name. He does not lecture her. He does not scold her, but he quietly and confidently, personally calls her name. And in that moment, she goes from a mourner to a messenger.

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Because the resurrection doesn't just lift Jesus, but the resurrection restores you and I. Mary was in a grieving state, but because of the voice of her savior calling her name. When Jesus calls your name, he's not just comforting you, but when he calls your name, he's commissioning you for an assignment that he has. In other words, what he was saying is, because if the tomb is empty, your mouth shouldn't be closed. The resurrection commissions us to be witnesses, not of religion, but witnesses of the resurrection power.

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We are the evidence. Say evidence. We are the evidence that the grave didn't win.

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I hope you didn't miss what I just said. We are the evidence. Tell somebody. He said, your testimony becomes the proof that the grave that tried to kill you did not win. Does there anybody in this house have proof that the grave didn't win in your life?

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Yeah. Let's have testimony service. Somebody over here said the grave of sickness. When you got that diagnosis, maybe it wasn't physical, but it was emotional. It tried to kill you, but the grave did not win.

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You still shall. Here you are still standing. You are still breathing. Somebody over here. The grave of depression tried to kill you.

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You battled with seasons of darkness and pain, but the grave did not win. You got a smile on your face because you know Jesus got up the grave of addiction, tried to kill you, tried to take your life. Habits and toxic patterns that convince you you would never be free. But has anybody been free from addiction? I dare you to jump up and say the grave did not win.

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I'm the evidence that chains can break. Yeah, yeah. There's some free people in here. There's some free people in here.

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Tell somebody I'm the evidence. Tell somebody I'm the evidence. From oppression, from depression, from pain, from struggle.

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Watch it.

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Somebody looking and say, well, Pastor, break it down. Somebody's looking and saying, well, Pastor, I didn't get free from addiction, free from depression, free from sickness, but the grave of financial ruin tried to take me out, lost a job, lost everything, the security of everything. Wondering how was I gonna bounce back. But then you learn that Jehovah Jireh shows up faces and Jehovah Jireh was able to provide whatever you needed. Somebody shouted, I'm the evidence.

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I'm the evidence. This.

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Watch it. What am I trying to tell you? What am I trying to tell you? We are the evidence that the graves don't win. Jesus says to Mary, go tells my.

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Tell my brothers.

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She becomes the first preacher of the Resurrection. Not Peter, not John. A woman with a past who now has a testimony that if the empty tomb was the sermon, Mary became the sound system that said, I saw him with my own eyes. You may argue with me about a lot of things, but one thing you cannot argue is my testimony of how I seen it for myself.

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Watch it. Watch it. She becomes the first apostolic witness of the Resurrection. A woman with a past who has an eyewitness testimony of the Savior being alive. The first message that was preached, was preached with somebody that had a testimony, not a title.

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For all that think, you gotta have a title. The first message that was preached, was preached from someone who had a past that had a testimony, not a title.

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Paul says, go tell Jesus said, go tell my brothers. Tell them I'm alive. Mary Magdalene went from weeping to witnessing. Her commissioning breaks the social and spiritual barriers, affirming the priesthood of all believers, that every single person in this room that is a believer, you have been commissioned by God to witness for him. Witness what, Pastor?

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Witness that he's alive. Witness that he's alive in me. Witness that the grave did not win. God doesn't need perfect people. He just needs present people.

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People that will answer when he calls their name. Are y'all getting it? You don't have to be perfect to witness. The Resurrection is not just for celebration. It's for commissioning.

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Tell your neighbor you're not just saved to sit. You're saved to share. Yeah, you're saved to share. You're supposed to be telling somebody about Jesus. Romans 6 tells us we're buried with Christ through baptism into death.

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Death. But raised to walk in the newness of life. The cross paid for it all. The grave confirmed it. But the Resurrection released everything.

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It released everything. And now everything has changed. Your sins are forgiven. Your shame, your identity. Stand with me all over this place because he live.

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The reason why we can shout is because I'm not bound by my past anymore. The reason why I celebrate is because I'm not stuck in the sorrow anymore. I'm not limited by the labels that people put on me.

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I don't have to be buried beneath the brokenness that I've experienced in my life. Lift your hands all over this place. Say it with a loud voice. I believe the stone was rolled away. I believe my name has been called.

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I believe my sins are forgiven. I believe my future is resurrection. I believe that Jesus lives. And because he lives, I can live. Because he lives, I'm not who I was.

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Because he lives, I'm not where I was. Because he lives, I'm not going back. Because he lives, I can face what is next. The tomb is empty, but my life is full. Full, full, Full of grace, full of faith, full of purpose.

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Your life is full because of the resurrection. Because he lives. I got a new destiny because Sunday changed everything.