WEBVTT 00:00:00.560 --> 00:00:05.919 Matthew chapter 28, and we'll be reading verses 1 through 10. 00:00:07.120 --> 00:00:15.279 After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb. 00:00:15.439 --> 00:00:21.600 There was a violent earthquake, because an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and approached the tomb. 00:00:21.760 --> 00:00:24.559 He rolled back the stone and was sitting on it. 00:00:24.719 --> 00:00:28.960 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 00:00:29.199 --> 00:00:34.240 The guards were so shaken by fear of him, and they became like dead men. 00:00:34.399 --> 00:00:40.640 The angel told the woman, Don't be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 00:00:40.960 --> 00:00:44.000 He is not here, for he is risen. 00:00:44.240 --> 00:00:48.320 Just as he said, Come and see the place where he lay. 00:00:48.479 --> 00:00:56.640 Then go quickly and tell his disciples, He has risen from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee. 00:00:56.799 --> 00:00:58.079 You will see him there. 00:00:58.320 --> 00:01:00.000 Listen, I have told you. 00:01:00.240 --> 00:01:07.439 So departing quickly from the tomb, with fear and great joy, they ran to tell his disciples the news. 00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:11.120 Just then Jesus met them and said, Greetings. 00:01:11.359 --> 00:01:14.480 They came up, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. 00:01:14.719 --> 00:01:17.519 Then Jesus told them, Do not be afraid. 00:01:17.760 --> 00:01:22.480 Go and tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there. 00:01:22.640 --> 00:01:23.920 Let's pray. 00:01:26.879 --> 00:01:30.799 Lord, we thank you so much for your great love. 00:01:31.599 --> 00:01:40.239 That you loved us so much that you sent your one and only Son to die for us so that we could spend eternity with you. 00:01:40.719 --> 00:01:52.400 Lord, I thank you so much for all that this day represents and symbolizes and all that we're here to celebrate with the death, the burial, and the resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ. 00:01:52.640 --> 00:01:59.359 Lord, we thank you so much that you loved us that much, Lord, that you sent your son to do that for us on the cross. 00:01:59.599 --> 00:02:08.719 Lord, I pray that you would open up our minds and our eyes, our ears, our hearts to all the things that you have for us here this morning through your word. 00:02:09.280 --> 00:02:21.680 And that we would be affected by this message of your son, regardless of who we are, if we're currently following you or if we're not, Lord, that we would be affected by this message here this morning. 00:02:21.759 --> 00:02:23.520 We pray in Jesus' name. 00:02:23.759 --> 00:02:24.240 Amen. 00:02:24.560 --> 00:02:25.840 You may be seated. 00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:38.080 The true meaning of Easter, or maybe more appropriately named Resurrection Sunday, I think can easily be missed if we're not careful. 00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:52.080 You know, it can easily become like any other holiday that we celebrate here in the U.S., you know, and we make it about food and we make it about barbecues and getting together with family, you know, and all those things are really good, especially the barbecues. 00:02:52.240 --> 00:02:53.360 Those are always really good. 00:02:53.599 --> 00:03:03.759 But we can easily miss, or maybe I should say, we can easily gloss over the why behind what we're doing here today. 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:10.400 It can become just a box that we check off before we're off to do the next thing that we have going on today. 00:03:10.719 --> 00:03:15.439 We're here because Jesus Christ rose from the grave. 00:03:15.599 --> 00:03:28.719 And I want to encourage each one of us to never become callous to that miracle, to never grow callous to all that Jesus sacrificed for each and every one of us. 00:03:28.879 --> 00:03:33.599 You know, we celebrate the birth of Christ at Christmas, which is wonderful. 00:03:33.919 --> 00:03:38.719 But the birth of Christ is not what changed the landscape of history forever. 00:03:38.960 --> 00:03:40.159 Part of it, yes. 00:03:40.400 --> 00:03:54.080 But what changed the landscape of history forever is the Son of God, who is God, died in our place on a cross, was buried, and raised to life three days later. 00:03:54.560 --> 00:04:06.960 You see, he paid the debt that we owed to bring us into an abiding relationship with him, where we get to claim his death, his burial, and his resurrection as our own. 00:04:07.120 --> 00:04:10.639 And that's a lot about what we're gonna be talking about here today. 00:04:10.879 --> 00:04:20.240 Now, if you are a follower of Christ, if you're a Christian, I want to encourage you to not gloss over this message here this morning of resurrection. 00:04:21.120 --> 00:04:26.480 And I want to make sure that we don't gloss over it just because we've heard it so many different times. 00:04:26.879 --> 00:04:34.720 You know, as Christians, we need to hear the gospel message, you know, which is the good news of Jesus Christ, and we need to be wowed by it. 00:04:34.879 --> 00:04:42.319 We need to be in awe of it over and over and over again that Jesus died and rose again for us. 00:04:43.199 --> 00:04:56.480 Now, before we jump in to our verses in Colossians that you'll also find in your handout, I want to get a little bit of a running start of some of the things that are being talked about in this passage right before the verses that we're jumping into. 00:04:56.720 --> 00:05:02.160 First, there's some symbolism that we're going to be looking at here today, and that's called baptism. 00:05:02.399 --> 00:05:07.600 And baptism is simply a symbol of us dying with Christ, going under the water. 00:05:07.680 --> 00:05:09.759 That's why we dunk at our church. 00:05:10.079 --> 00:05:18.319 But more importantly, coming to life, coming out of the grave, coming out of that water, resurrecting with Jesus Christ. 00:05:19.199 --> 00:05:28.800 It's a symbol of us sharing in that together with him, sharing in the things that we have come to celebrate here today. 00:05:29.279 --> 00:05:32.160 So keep that in mind as we get into our text this morning. 00:05:32.240 --> 00:05:40.800 But the second thing is I want to give us a little background on what Paul has been discussing to the Colossian church before we get to our verses this morning. 00:05:41.040 --> 00:05:43.759 You know, he's been telling them to not be deceived. 00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:51.439 He's been telling them that the entire fullness of God's nature dwells in the bodily in Jesus Christ. 00:05:51.680 --> 00:05:59.839 He talks about how Jesus is the head over every ruler and authority, which we're going to be talking a little bit more about today as well. 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:05.600 And he talks about how Jesus now dwells inside of us if we are found in Christ. 00:06:05.839 --> 00:06:11.439 And then he starts to explain how Jesus has circumcised our hearts. 00:06:11.600 --> 00:06:16.319 Yes, we're talking about circumcision on Easter morning, but it's all going to make sense here in a second. 00:06:16.560 --> 00:06:24.000 But what that really means, a circumcised heart, is the cutting away of our rebellious flesh, our rebellious nature. 00:06:24.240 --> 00:06:32.160 So look at Colossians chapter 2, starting in verse 12, which I said, like I said, you'll find that in your handout. 00:06:32.399 --> 00:06:42.240 And we're going to jump in right where he's telling this church that external circumcision is no longer the sign of your belief or your conversion into Judaism. 00:06:42.480 --> 00:06:47.120 The sign of your faith into Jesus Christ is now baptism. 00:06:47.199 --> 00:06:48.240 So look at verse 12. 00:06:48.319 --> 00:06:59.199 He says, When you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised from him through faith in the working of God who raised him from the dead. 00:06:59.439 --> 00:07:06.800 So we can come to this place of sharing in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ by what does it say? 00:07:07.600 --> 00:07:09.839 Faith in the working of God. 00:07:10.240 --> 00:07:17.120 So forgiveness of sin and salvation in Christ is by faith. 00:07:18.480 --> 00:07:29.199 If you confess with your mouth, Scripture tells us that Jesus is Lord, and you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved by faith. 00:07:29.439 --> 00:07:32.000 It's not by anything that we do that saves us. 00:07:32.160 --> 00:07:41.920 It's a heartfelt faith in God and in what Jesus has done through the cross and the miracle of his resurrection. 00:07:42.480 --> 00:07:45.040 And then accepting that as our own. 00:07:45.360 --> 00:07:49.600 And the symbol of us accepting that as our own is baptism. 00:07:49.759 --> 00:07:51.279 That's what he's saying here in verse 12. 00:07:51.439 --> 00:07:53.199 Look at verse 13 with me. 00:07:54.399 --> 00:08:08.000 And when you were dead in trespasses, and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, so that just means us doing whatever feels good and whatever we want without regard for God, he made you alive. 00:08:08.160 --> 00:08:15.439 When we're in the midst of that, he made you alive with him and forgave us all our trespasses. 00:08:17.120 --> 00:08:22.079 Sin, as Paul's talking about to this Colossian church, was a huge issue. 00:08:22.399 --> 00:08:26.399 Sin here today is still a huge issue. 00:08:26.639 --> 00:08:33.279 And sin is really, I think the best way to define it, it's anything that we've done in rebellion to God. 00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:38.639 And the word trespasses is used here for sin. 00:08:39.120 --> 00:08:42.720 Now think of trespassing in any other scenario. 00:08:42.879 --> 00:08:51.679 You know, if there's a line, if there's a boundary, and you're not supposed to cross that line or boundary, it's called trespassing, right? 00:08:52.240 --> 00:08:58.080 When we step over the boundaries that God has outlined for us, that is sin. 00:08:59.679 --> 00:09:02.799 So if we've ever lied, we're sinners. 00:09:03.039 --> 00:09:06.879 If we've ever looked lustfully upon somebody, we're sinners. 00:09:07.200 --> 00:09:15.200 If we've ever stolen something from school or for work, you know, oh, they won't miss a few pieces of paper or whatever it might be. 00:09:15.360 --> 00:09:16.720 That makes us sinners. 00:09:16.960 --> 00:09:22.080 And, you know, those are the things that we like to justify as like negligible sins. 00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:25.519 Oh, those aren't really big, you know, they don't really hurt anybody. 00:09:25.759 --> 00:09:30.480 But they're outside the boundaries that God has laid out for us. 00:09:30.639 --> 00:09:32.399 Those are trespasses. 00:09:32.639 --> 00:09:39.600 And any one of those things that we want to justify as negligible makes us sinners. 00:09:39.840 --> 00:09:44.080 That are in need of forgiveness, in need of a savior. 00:09:44.240 --> 00:09:46.639 And we've sinned so much worse than that. 00:09:46.799 --> 00:09:49.440 We've trespassed so much worse than those little things. 00:09:49.519 --> 00:09:57.360 But even those things that we consider little, they disqualify us from being perfect. 00:09:57.519 --> 00:10:01.919 They disqualify us from being acceptable in God's sight. 00:10:02.080 --> 00:10:07.279 They make us sinners that are in need of forgiveness, that are in need of a savior. 00:10:07.519 --> 00:10:15.279 And just one sin, as I said, disqualifies us from spending eternity with a perfect God in a perfect place. 00:10:15.440 --> 00:10:20.399 That's why verse 13 says, We were dead in our trespasses. 00:10:20.720 --> 00:10:23.759 We were spiritually dead in our sin. 00:10:24.080 --> 00:10:31.919 Because there are no cosmic scales in the universe in which God weighs out our good works versus our bad works. 00:10:32.799 --> 00:10:38.559 Where one good deed, you know, erases one white lie or whatever we might want to imagine. 00:10:38.799 --> 00:10:44.480 Scripture tells us that one sin equals eternal separation from God. 00:10:45.200 --> 00:10:49.679 That's what it means when it says we were dead in our trespasses. 00:10:49.840 --> 00:10:52.960 And you may be thinking, that doesn't sound fair. 00:10:53.039 --> 00:10:55.919 You know, I'm a good person, I don't deserve that. 00:10:56.080 --> 00:11:00.159 You know, or my neighbor's a good person, my neighbor doesn't deserve that. 00:11:00.399 --> 00:11:06.399 But Romans 3:10 says, There is no one righteous, not even one. 00:11:07.759 --> 00:11:10.399 And that's why Jesus came. 00:11:10.799 --> 00:11:13.039 Because he desires us. 00:11:13.600 --> 00:11:19.759 And we couldn't come to God on our own because we were dead and we needed resurrection. 00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:21.840 So look at the end of verse 13. 00:11:21.919 --> 00:11:27.360 It says, He, meaning Jesus, made you alive with him and forgave us. 00:11:27.440 --> 00:11:28.399 What does it say? 00:11:28.720 --> 00:11:30.879 All our trespasses. 00:11:31.519 --> 00:11:36.480 The resurrection, life of Jesus, can be ours. 00:11:36.720 --> 00:11:44.720 We can share in the resurrection and we can be raised to life with him through the forgiveness of our trespasses. 00:11:44.960 --> 00:11:46.080 And how did he do that? 00:11:46.240 --> 00:11:47.600 Look at verse 14. 00:11:48.320 --> 00:12:00.960 He erased the certificate of debt with its obligations that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. 00:12:01.519 --> 00:12:03.600 I want to break this down a little bit. 00:12:03.840 --> 00:12:14.879 This word erased that we're looking at here, referring to our debt, it's translated also as wiped out, as canceled, as blotted out. 00:12:15.279 --> 00:12:23.120 So we should have this image in our head of something being washed away and something being erased forever. 00:12:23.440 --> 00:12:33.600 So this verse is saying that Jesus' blood was spilled so that our certificate of debt could be washed away. 00:12:33.919 --> 00:12:36.720 Now, let's talk a little bit about a certificate of debt. 00:12:36.960 --> 00:12:44.080 You know, for us, I think something that we can relate to is something like an electric bill. 00:12:44.320 --> 00:12:50.559 You know, we get billed for the power that we already use every month, right? 00:12:52.080 --> 00:12:53.039 You owe it. 00:12:53.200 --> 00:13:00.799 You get the bill you have to pay because you accrued those charges through using that electricity. 00:13:01.120 --> 00:13:05.120 But sin is a bill that we cannot pay on our own. 00:13:05.440 --> 00:13:17.360 You know, there was a story that went around years ago uh in the Associated Press and all the major news networks picked it up, and it was about this man in Malaysia whose father passed away. 00:13:17.600 --> 00:13:26.240 When his father passed, the son had his father's phone disconnected, and then he paid what he thought were the final charges on that bill. 00:13:26.320 --> 00:13:29.519 It would have been equivalent to about 23 US dollars. 00:13:29.759 --> 00:13:50.720 But three months later, the son was utterly shocked when he received a bill from the phone company equivalent to$218 trillion, along with a threatening collections letter informing the son that he must pay the bill within 10 days or face prosecution. 00:13:51.039 --> 00:13:58.639 You know, the story was published before anything was resolved in the situation, and I looked into it and I couldn't find what the rev resolution was. 00:13:58.799 --> 00:13:59.840 But it doesn't matter. 00:14:00.080 --> 00:14:08.480 What was immediately clear was that the phone bill represented a debt that no human could ever be able to pay. 00:14:09.279 --> 00:14:21.279 So Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, the two richest people in the world right now, their net wealth hovers around$200 billion each. 00:14:21.759 --> 00:14:25.039 This phone bill was for$200 trillion. 00:14:27.919 --> 00:14:34.000 To give you reference, because we when we start talking about those big numbers, you know, it's like, oh, I don't even know how to wrap my head around those numbers. 00:14:34.159 --> 00:14:44.799 If Jeff Bezos paid everything he had, his whole net worth towards this phone bill, the phone bill would still be$199 trillion$800,000. 00:14:47.120 --> 00:14:52.960 His net worth barely makes a noticeable dent into this phone bill. 00:14:53.200 --> 00:14:58.639 You know, we each have a debt that we can't even make a debt, a dent in. 00:14:58.879 --> 00:15:03.200 And the due date for payment of that debt is coming. 00:15:03.519 --> 00:15:14.559 And this debt we owe being nailed to the cross should make us think of what was nailed above Jesus' head on the cross when he was crucified. 00:15:14.720 --> 00:15:19.440 It was the accusation against him that led to his crucifixion. 00:15:19.600 --> 00:15:22.000 It was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. 00:15:22.080 --> 00:15:27.759 And the accusation was, it said, Jesus of Nazareth, the accusation was King of the Jews. 00:15:28.720 --> 00:15:33.759 Jesus is offering to nail our certificate of debt. 00:15:34.080 --> 00:15:41.679 The accusations that are brought against us that deserve death, and he's offering to nail that to the cross. 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:54.480 He took that bill that we couldn't make a den in on our own and said, I'll pay through the spilling of my blood, because the wages of sin, Scripture tells us, is death. 00:15:54.960 --> 00:15:59.120 The debt that we owe is death. 00:15:59.279 --> 00:16:00.559 And not just physical. 00:16:00.639 --> 00:16:06.159 We're talking about a spiritual death, eternal separation from God and hell. 00:16:06.559 --> 00:16:10.000 You see, Jesus didn't have a bill of his own. 00:16:10.320 --> 00:16:19.120 He was perfect, he was sinless, but he also is the only one that ever had the means to pay that bill. 00:16:19.440 --> 00:16:21.039 All of our bills. 00:16:21.360 --> 00:16:30.879 And the only one with that that had that ability loved us so much that he paid our bill for us. 00:16:33.679 --> 00:16:36.720 He took our debt and he nailed it to the cross. 00:16:36.799 --> 00:16:42.960 And what he did is he was basically saying, and this is just food coloring and water, don't worry. 00:16:43.120 --> 00:16:49.679 Um, but what he was saying was that he wanted to take our debt. 00:16:52.639 --> 00:16:56.000 And he wanted to erase it with his blood. 00:16:57.120 --> 00:17:04.480 He wanted to give us new life, that nobody could point to this and say, Yeah, well, what about that? 00:17:04.640 --> 00:17:05.440 What about this? 00:17:05.759 --> 00:17:07.519 He wanted to erase it. 00:17:09.519 --> 00:17:11.599 And that's what Jesus did on the cross. 00:17:11.839 --> 00:17:20.000 He took the debt, the sin that we owed, and he nailed it to the cross and he washed it away with his blood. 00:17:20.480 --> 00:17:31.680 And if anybody or anything tries to point out your past sin and tries to accuse you, just point to that and say, I don't see anything. 00:17:31.839 --> 00:17:34.720 There's nothing on that certificate anymore. 00:17:34.880 --> 00:17:38.319 It's been washed away, it's been cleansed by the blood of Jesus. 00:17:38.559 --> 00:17:48.079 Whether that's a person or the enemy of our souls trying to condemn us, just point to that erased certificate that Jesus nailed to the cross for us. 00:17:48.240 --> 00:17:49.359 And look what else he did. 00:17:49.440 --> 00:17:50.799 Look at verse 15. 00:17:51.359 --> 00:17:56.400 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly. 00:17:56.640 --> 00:17:59.279 He triumphed over them in him. 00:17:59.680 --> 00:18:07.680 You know, the King James Bible translates this as having spoiled principalities and powers. 00:18:08.079 --> 00:18:10.400 So I want you to finish this sentence for me. 00:18:10.640 --> 00:18:14.400 To the victor go the spoils, right? 00:18:14.640 --> 00:18:24.400 The idea here is that Jesus won the battle, and not only that, he disarmed his enemy and took the spoils of war as well. 00:18:24.640 --> 00:18:28.240 So this is talking about a complete and utter victory. 00:18:28.400 --> 00:18:39.039 You know, in 1 Corinthians 2.8, Paul talks about how if the rulers and authorities knew that crucifying Jesus would lead to salvation, they never would have done it. 00:18:39.359 --> 00:18:43.359 They thought they were defeating Jesus and forcing him to his death. 00:18:43.519 --> 00:18:52.000 But Jesus went to the cross willingly to defeat the very ones that thought they were defeating him. 00:18:52.720 --> 00:18:55.759 And then it says, He disgraced them publicly. 00:18:55.920 --> 00:18:58.960 He triumphed over them in him. 00:18:59.279 --> 00:19:13.599 It says, You know, the Romans at this time used to parade their prisoners and their spoils of war before the Romans after winning a major battle to both disgrace their enemy and triumph over them. 00:19:13.759 --> 00:19:15.599 And that's what Jesus did. 00:19:15.839 --> 00:19:22.319 By raising from the grave, Jesus triumphed over his enemies. 00:19:22.640 --> 00:19:32.319 You know, but this verse here makes me wonder, you know, what were these rulers and authorities armed with in the first place that Jesus needed to disarm on the cross? 00:19:32.559 --> 00:19:42.720 Well, if we keep this all in context, they were armed with a certificate of debt that was being held over each and every one of our heads. 00:19:42.880 --> 00:19:46.400 And the debt was sin and the payment was death. 00:19:46.880 --> 00:19:54.799 The only currency that was acceptable for the certificate of debt was a certificate of death. 00:19:56.640 --> 00:19:59.680 What did Jesus say at the very end on the cross? 00:19:59.839 --> 00:20:01.759 He said, It is finished. 00:20:03.680 --> 00:20:09.440 The debt had been paid, there was nothing else left for Jesus to do. 00:20:09.759 --> 00:20:11.599 It was finished. 00:20:11.839 --> 00:20:12.480 Amen. 00:20:13.759 --> 00:20:18.160 But we're here today celebrating the resurrection, are we? 00:20:18.400 --> 00:20:23.359 And his resurrection was proof of disarming the debt collectors. 00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:29.680 The ones trying to run up the debt and lead us to death through our trespasses. 00:20:30.640 --> 00:20:38.640 If you are in Christ, these rulers and authorities are no longer able to use those weapons against us. 00:20:38.880 --> 00:20:49.359 They can still try to harass us and make us believe lies, but they can't hold sin against us because it's been erased. 00:20:49.839 --> 00:20:58.559 1 Corinthians 15, 55 through 57 says, Where death is your victory, where death is your sting. 00:20:58.799 --> 00:21:05.200 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law, you know, those boundaries that we're talking about. 00:21:05.440 --> 00:21:11.839 But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:21:12.559 --> 00:21:23.039 If you are in Christ, death no longer has a sting because it says right there, the sting of death is sin, and our sin has been erased. 00:21:23.759 --> 00:21:27.200 You know, not that long ago, a member of our church passed away. 00:21:27.279 --> 00:21:34.079 You know, many of you knew DJ well, and we know exactly where she is right now. 00:21:34.400 --> 00:21:38.160 And when she passed, there was no sting. 00:21:39.279 --> 00:21:43.519 We're gonna miss her greatly, we're gonna mourn her loss, but it's our loss. 00:21:43.680 --> 00:21:45.039 It was not her loss. 00:21:45.359 --> 00:21:51.279 We know she's in the presence of the Lord in paradise right now and is no longer suffering. 00:21:51.839 --> 00:21:54.160 She felt no stain. 00:21:54.960 --> 00:21:59.759 And for those that do not place their faith in Christ, there's an eternal sting that we're talking about. 00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:08.880 That death will bring this eternal separation from God because of their trespasses that never got erased. 00:22:09.200 --> 00:22:15.200 Jesus wants to remove the sting of death for each and every one of us. 00:22:15.759 --> 00:22:17.440 And we have an option. 00:22:18.079 --> 00:22:23.759 We have the option of rejoicing in the eternity that God has waiting for us in Christ Jesus. 00:22:24.079 --> 00:22:26.559 Or we have the option of the sting of death. 00:22:26.720 --> 00:22:37.039 That is the result of a life of incurred debt in sin, which leads to eternity in separation from God in hell. 00:22:37.519 --> 00:22:46.319 He died so we can say, so that each and every one of us can say, where death is your victory, where death is your sting. 00:22:46.720 --> 00:22:50.880 I want to leave you with one last thought regarding the resurrection. 00:22:51.200 --> 00:22:54.960 Romans chapter 4, verse 25 says regarding Jesus. 00:22:55.279 --> 00:22:59.759 He was delivered up, meaning to the cross, for our trespasses. 00:22:59.920 --> 00:23:04.240 But then it says, and raised for our justification. 00:23:04.559 --> 00:23:06.079 Why was he raised? 00:23:06.559 --> 00:23:08.240 For our justification. 00:23:08.480 --> 00:23:16.319 And justification here means the act of God declaring men free from guilt and acceptable to him. 00:23:16.880 --> 00:23:19.279 Declaring that freedom from guilt. 00:23:19.440 --> 00:23:26.000 The resurrection was to declare us free from that debt, free from the guilt of sin. 00:23:26.240 --> 00:23:32.400 That he actually did pay the debt that was nailed to the cross. 00:23:32.559 --> 00:23:34.720 That was what the resurrection is for. 00:23:35.680 --> 00:23:40.960 You know, I like to think of the resurrection almost like a receipt in a way. 00:23:41.279 --> 00:23:50.960 You know, if somebody comes to try and collect on that$200 trillion phone bill, and you can say, I have a receipt. 00:23:51.599 --> 00:23:52.559 It's paid in full. 00:23:52.640 --> 00:23:54.400 You see right here, it's paid in full. 00:23:54.559 --> 00:23:58.799 You know, you can't bring your weapons of debt collection at me. 00:23:59.039 --> 00:24:08.319 This receipt is my justification that I am declared free of debt, and you have no weapons against me. 00:24:08.880 --> 00:24:11.359 That's what Jesus did in the resurrection. 00:24:11.599 --> 00:24:16.799 He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. 00:24:16.960 --> 00:24:23.440 You know, as Paul pleaded with the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians, I want to plead with you. 00:24:23.839 --> 00:24:26.319 Be reconciled to God. 00:24:26.799 --> 00:24:28.480 It's an accounting term, isn't it? 00:24:28.640 --> 00:24:29.440 Reconciled. 00:24:29.759 --> 00:24:31.519 Be reconciled to God. 00:24:31.839 --> 00:24:41.359 He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 00:24:41.599 --> 00:24:48.960 You know, in other words, make sure that your books, that your accounting is square with God. 00:24:49.519 --> 00:24:55.519 Make sure that what you owe has been paid in full by Jesus Christ. 00:24:55.839 --> 00:24:59.279 Otherwise, we're just going to be found bankrupt. 00:24:59.759 --> 00:25:09.200 And scripture couldn't make it any clearer that Jesus is the only one that can erase that debt and reconcile you to God. 00:25:09.599 --> 00:25:14.240 So you can be resurrected with Jesus into new life. 00:25:14.400 --> 00:25:19.119 And all you have to do is ask him to erase that debt. 00:25:19.680 --> 00:25:26.799 Confess that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead and you will be saved. 00:25:27.440 --> 00:25:31.680 Your debt will be cleansed and wiped away and nailed to the cross. 00:25:31.839 --> 00:25:33.119 You will be saved. 00:25:33.359 --> 00:25:35.039 It's a free gift to us. 00:25:35.279 --> 00:25:36.640 It wasn't for Jesus. 00:25:36.880 --> 00:25:39.119 He paid the ultimate price for us. 00:25:39.599 --> 00:25:41.200 But it's a free gift. 00:25:41.440 --> 00:25:44.400 Salvation is a free gift to each one of us. 00:25:44.640 --> 00:25:49.359 Sins forgiven, a new life in Christ awaiting. 00:25:49.599 --> 00:25:54.799 And we can triumph with Christ in his resurrection victory. 00:25:55.119 --> 00:25:57.680 So let's triumph today. 00:25:57.920 --> 00:26:06.160 And if you've never asked him to erase that debt for you of sin that we've incurred, there's no better time than right now. 00:26:06.319 --> 00:26:08.000 I'm going to invite the worship team up. 00:26:08.079 --> 00:26:09.440 We're going to continue to sing. 00:26:09.519 --> 00:26:12.880 And if that's you, I want you to continue to think about that. 00:26:13.039 --> 00:26:18.400 And there's going to be an opportunity afterwards to ask Jesus to erase that debt. 00:26:18.480 --> 00:26:20.960 Or you could even do it from your own seat right now. 00:26:21.039 --> 00:26:23.680 There's nothing special about the process. 00:26:24.079 --> 00:26:29.759 But for all of us, as we sing these songs, I really want us to triumph together. 00:26:29.920 --> 00:26:34.319 Let's celebrate the victory that Jesus has won through the resurrection. 00:26:34.480 --> 00:26:36.079 Would you please pray with me? 00:26:36.640 --> 00:26:40.640 Lord, we thank you once again for all that you've done for us. 00:26:41.119 --> 00:26:44.960 We thank you for the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:47.680 That we get to partake in that. 00:26:47.920 --> 00:26:52.960 That we get to symbolically participate in baptism in that way. 00:26:53.839 --> 00:26:57.359 We thank you for the free gift that you have offered every one of us. 00:26:57.519 --> 00:27:07.440 Lord, I pray for all of your followers right now that are sitting here today, Lord, that we would be in awe once again of all that Jesus has done for us. 00:27:07.599 --> 00:27:17.680 And for everybody that's sitting here that's not following you, that's not a believer in Christ, that's not considering themselves a Christian, Lord, that they would realize that there's two choices. 00:27:17.839 --> 00:27:23.200 And you've made it so easy for us to accept the choice of eternity with you. 00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:33.039 Forgiveness of sin, erasing of our debt, and having that certificate nailed to the cross where your blood was spilled to wash all of that away. 00:27:33.200 --> 00:27:34.799 Lord, we are in awe of you. 00:27:35.039 --> 00:27:39.759 We love you so much, and we thank you for your great love and care for each one of us. 00:27:39.920 --> 00:27:41.359 We pray in Jesus' name. 00:27:41.599 --> 00:27:42.240 Amen.