Easter at Believers Center 2025

If you have your Bibles this Easter Sunday, I’d like to invite you to turn with me to Luke chapter 24. Luke 24, if you don’t have your Bible, or maybe you’re just learning your way around your Bible, it’s no problem at all. We’ve got the verses on the screen. This is Luke 24, beginning in verse 1. It says this on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.

They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright, the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, he is risen.

Come on. So, Father, today we say we’re so grateful that you’re here. We know that when we gather together in the name of Jesus that you’re here with us in our presence. And so we would ask that in these few minutes that you would speak to us. You would make your will for us and in us clear to us, and you’d help us to hear, and you’d help us to have the courage to obey and to respond to you. Again, it’s in your sons, let me pray. Everybody said? Amen.

Forever Free

Well, I am starting a new series this morning called Forever Free. Can you say that with me? Forever free. And let me just tell you that my goal for the next few minutes is to show you how the story of Jesus changes your story. And how who he is has the potential to change who you are. You know, what makes the gospel the good news is not solely exclusively what just happened. The good news is also what it means for you.

See, the word gospel, it simply means good news. And the fact that Jesus got up, well, that’s good news for him. Right? But only when you know what it means does it become good news for you. And my prayer for you today, whether we’ve known each other or we don’t know each other, is that you would leave the property today convinced and confident that God sees you, that God knows you, that God loves you, and because of what God did and still does, you don’t have to live bound by your past. You can live in freedom, not when you get to heaven, right? Not when all your problems get figured out, but right here, right now. You can you can live in freedom.

And in Luke chapter 24, what we just read, you see these women, my amazing wife. I hate when she steals my stuff. That’s great. It’s not great, it’s not these women they show up and they show up and they’re carrying these spices. They are not coming to the tomb to celebrate, right? They’re they’re coming to mourn and to grieve. They’re coming to do what people do when something’s over. See, Jesus the prophet, some people called the Messiah, had just been killed, and so it’s like, well, so much for that. Right? The movement usually dies when the leader does.

And so Jesus has been killed on Friday, and today is Sunday. And the women come to the tomb, and they’re not expecting anything other than to mourn the death of Jesus. But God interrupts their funeral with a plot twist. And I wonder how many of you in the room this morning woke up expecting the same old thing. The same old holiday, the same old struggles, the same old patterns, carrying your spices of you know, like regret, disappointment, and loss. What if God wants to do for you what He did for them? What if God wants to interrupt your pain with a plot twist?

You will always live up to the way that you see yourself

Let me tell you, I’ve been doing this about two decades now, if you can believe it. And here’s what I’ve learned is that if you want to experience the freedom that Jesus offers, then what you need to do is you need to let God rebuild in you a new identity. You think, oh, well, what does that mean? You will always live up to the way that you see yourself. Right? If you see yourself as trash, you’ll live like trash. Am I allowed to say that? Yeah. If you see yourself as royalty, you’ll live like royalty.

We live in a culture here in America that is plagued by identity issues. I meet people every week that are in self-destructive patterns that all stem from the same thing. Seeing yourself in an unhealthy way. It is a pandemic in our society in women and men who are crippled with body issues. Right? Like even today, maybe you woke up and you put on your Easter outfit and you like looked in the mirror and you’re just disgusted with yourself. Because the world has such a broken way of understanding beauty. Right? And so maybe you’re bulging here or balding there, you’re too fat, you’re too skinny. Like where you want hair, there’s no hair there. Where you don’t want hair, Amazon Forest. It’s an identity issue. You look at yourself, you’re like, man, what’s wrong with you?

Some of you maybe it’s not visual. It’s like you you look at yourself and you thought you were gonna be so much more successful at this point in your life than you are. And here you are working at that same dead end job. It’s an identity issue. Maybe some of you it’s like a sin or a struggle, and you can’t believe that you’re still struggling with that same anger or that same unforgiveness. Maybe others in the room, it’s like a physical issue, right? Maybe it’s some physical issue, some disability, and it it has become such a big part of your life that it’s become a bedrock of your identity, to where what you see in yourself is your disability. It’s how you I’m the depressed guy, I’m the lady with a cane, I’m the guy in a wheelchair. And it bleeds into how you see yourself, and it starts to erode in your heart the simple fact that you’re made in the image of God. You don’t see that anymore. What you see is just what’s wrong.

We we have young girls today that believe they’re completely unworthy of love. And so they’ll settle for any jerk that gives them attention. Right? It’s an identity issue. I remember Jordan and I, we were youth pastors at this church for about 10 years. And I remember we had this really cool girl, she came to youth group, we loved her, she was awesome, she was super cute, fun, funny. But it was like she was always coming with these potential boyfriends to youth group. And like, I don’t want to be mean, but these are like low-quality fellas. It’s like nice to meet you. Well, one day we sat her down and we and we said, like, look, we love you. Don’t you think you deserve better than that? And you know what she did? She did this. I said, Oh, that’s the problem right there. See, it’s an identity issue. You will always live up to the way that you see yourself. And the solution in every case is the same. Understanding who you are because of Jesus.

It’s absolutely critical. Right? So, like when you meet someone, maybe I’ll meet someone after service, I’m gonna say, hi, I’m David, I’m a pastor, whatever. That’s how you introduce yourself. But we all have a different conversation that we’re also having inside our own head about how we see ourselves. I’m afraid, I’m insecure, I’m weak, I’m a failure, I’m depressed, I’m unlovable, I’m unqualified, I’m stuck. And some of those labels are labels that you’ve put on yourself, and some of those labels are labels that people have put on you. But in every case, you become what you believe about yourself. And the resurrection of Jesus, believe it or not, has a lot to say, not just about who Jesus is, but about who you are as well.

And so I have three affirmations. I’m not gonna take long, I know y’all got like eggs and stuff. But I’ve got three affirmations for you that I’d like you to write down. And if you have put your faith in Jesus Christ, these things are true because of the cross and because of the resurrection.

My worst chapter isn’t my last chapter

Number one, if you’re taking notes, write this down. My worst chapter isn’t my last chapter. My worst chapter isn’t my last chapter. You know, this first Easter, you see the followers of Jesus doing what a lot of us do, which is they’re turning a chapter in their life into the story of their life. Like, oh, Jesus is dead, everything’s over, let’s hide. They’re gonna come kill us too. We’ll just, it’s all over. But Jesus had something else planned because it’s not the whole story, it’s just a chapter in the story.

And we all find ourselves in chapters of life we don’t like. Your marriage is struggling, your career is struggling. The addiction keeps winning. Your health is failing, your dreams are dying. Listen to me, that chapter doesn’t have to be your final chapter. And as Christians, we come from a long line of screw-ups. That’s part of our, it’s part of our heritage. In fact, I’ve got a list of some Bible characters or some seriously bad chapters in their story. Are you ready? Here we go.

David had an affair and orchestrated a murder. Okay. Moses murdered a guy, then tried to talk God out of using him. Abraham let powerful men take his wife twice just to save his own neck. Jonah ran away from God and got puked up by a fish. Peter was a cursing hothead who denied Jesus. Paul was a Christian killer before he became a church planner. Thomas refused to believe even after everyone else did. Jeremiah was depressed and suicidal. Anyone else feeling better about themselves? Yeah. Listen to this. Samson was incapable of saying no to a beautiful woman. I know a couple people like that. Noah drank too much, got naked, and brought shame on his family. Rahab was a prostitute. Listen to me. But when you think about those people, that’s not what you think. Why? Because your worst chapter doesn’t have to be your last chapter.

That’s why baptism, let me just say, that’s why baptism is powerful. In Romans chapter 6, Paul says that when we’re baptized in water, we’re identifying with Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. So what you’re doing when you’re being baptized is you’re physically demonstrating how you’re dying to your old identity and you’re rising into a new one. Let me just say again, we’re doing baptisms next week, and we would love to baptize you. But we just need to know that you’re coming because we got shirts and we got swag, and you know, so what we need you to do after service is go out into the foyer. You can sign up there, you can sign up on the website too. But baptism is about dying to your old identity and being raised to life in Christ.

You know, some people think that Christians think they’re better than everyone else. It’s actually the opposite. Christians, as Christians, we are painfully aware of our brokenness, of our weaknesses, of our inadequacies, right? But the difference is this is that we’ve found a new point of reference in the cross. And the cross gives us a new identity. Right? And so maybe the world says you’re a failure. But the cross says you’re loved by God. Right? Maybe your past says I’m damaged goods. But the cross says I’m saved by grace. Maybe your circumstances say you’re defeated, but the cross says you’re an overcomer. Listen, listen to me, you can write this down. The resurrection is proof your story isn’t over. My worst chapter isn’t my last chapter. Say it, why don’t you say that with me? My worst chapter isn’t my last chapter.

Because he is, so am I

Number two is this because he is, so am I. Because he is, so am I. First John chapter 4, verse 17.

This is how love is made complete among us, so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment.

Listen to this phrase. Some of the the oldsters, my friend Jen, she says oldsters, I like that. Some of y’all oldsters would know that from the King James is as he is, so are we in this world. As he is, so are we. When we get to heaven, no, as he is, so are we in this world. Second Corinthians chapter 5, verse 17 says this.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here.

See, people, even when they come, even after they come to Christ, they still think, no, I’m just a dirty sinner. I’m just a dirt, and don’t get me wrong, like you are a sinner. I ain’t got no problem with sinner. I’m fine with sinner. I’m a sinner. Like Paul had no problem with sinner. Look at this, 1 Timothy 1 15. Paul says this to his young protege, Timothy.

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst,

Paul says. So I ain’t got no problem saying, sinner, I’ve just got a problem with I’m just a dirty sinner. Because you’re not a dirty sinner. You’re you’re a clean sinner. You’re not a dirty sinner, you’re a clean sinner. Right? 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 21.

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

So the deepest reality of you is not that you’re a sinner. You are a sinner. Right? But the deepest reality of who you are is not a sinner. The deepest reality of who you are is you’re the righteousness of God. And the things that are true for Jesus become true for us too. Because he am, because he is, so am I, right? Because he’s righteous, so am I. I’m not righteous because of what I did. I’m righteous because he’s righteous. Because he’s righteous, so am I. Because he’s a child of God, so am I. Because he’s seated in heavenly places, so am I. Because he’s free from condemnation, so am I. Because he’s victorious, so am I. Because he is, so am I. Amen.

It’s not about you, it’s not about what you did. It’s about putting your faith in Jesus, and the things that are true for Jesus become true for you too, because you are in Christ. You are in Christ. Galatians chapter two, verse 20 says this

I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.

And listen, even if you’re like the most pathetic Christian in the history of the world, which I doubt, right? You are still the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Right? And everything that’s true for Jesus is still true of you. And when you start to see yourself like that, you’ll start to live like that. Right? So it’s like, oh man, you know, I’m just it’s just that’s just who I am. It’s like, well, don’t be surprised when you live like that. Oh, I’ve just got a temper. It’s like, well, don’t be surprised when it comes up. If that’s what you think about yourself. Right? If you say, oh, I just in my blood, I’m Irish, you know me. It’s like, well, if that’s what you think about yourself, right? Then then don’t be surprised when it comes up. But if you see yourself as the righteousness of God, right? You see yourself as redeemed and saved, not because of what you did, but because you put faith in Jesus Christ. When you when you see yourself like that, then you start to live like that.

Because he got up, I can get up

My worst chapter isn’t my last chapter. Two, because he is, so am I. Three, and I’m done. Because he got up, I can get up. Because he got up, I can get up. Why don’t you say that with me? Because he got up, I can get up. Romans chapter 6, verse 4.

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death.

So we’re buried with him. We’re buried with Christ. What does that mean? We’re buried, we were therefore buried with him through baptism into death,

in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

I remember a few years back I was in Metropolitan Detention Center, it’s our jail. I was in there, not as an inmate. I should have started with that. Y’all look where’s the story going? I was in there with my friend Gary. We were doing a Bible study, and you never know who’s gonna show up, and so we we do, and so some guys came over, and if you don’t know jail ministry, it basically looks like we bring a little boom box with like worship and we hand out little pieces of paper so they can sing along. That’s like that’s worship. That’s a welcome to jail ministry. It’s a little clunky, but that’s how we were doing it, and so there was these guys, but there was one guy that caught my eye there, and it was like this guy was he was a hardcore dude, right? Like he had I I like tattoos just fine. But this guy, he had more tattoos than I had ever seen. Every inch of his face was covered in just like gangbanger tattoos.

So we play this, put you know, push play. It’s like you know, a Ron Cannoli, I don’t know, some old dorky music. And this guy is like raising his hands and he’s jumping and he’s crying and he’s kneeling, and everyone’s looking at this guy like, what in the world is up with? But he didn’t care. Like he was just going for it. Like he he was just he was just in it. And so after after the Bible study, I went up and I introduced myself. I don’t even remember what his name was. But I talked to him and I said, Hey, well, I’m Pastor David, blah, blah, blah. And he said, Pastor David, I’m living proof that you can get up from anything. You can get up front. Like, God is in the business of bringing dead things to life. And I I want I want you to know you can get up from divorce. You can you can get up from depression. You can get up from addiction. I want you to know you can get up from failure. Because he got up, I can get up. And I’m ready to have the band anytime.

In John chapter 11, we read, I’ve just got a couple quick little Bible things for you. In John 11, we read about the death of a man named Lazarus. If you don’t know Lazarus, Lazarus is basically Jesus’ best friend. And he had also become, Jesus had become good friends with Lazarus’s two sisters, Mary and Martha. And Lazarus had died. And so it’s like this heart-wrenching day for everybody. And y’all know the punchline, of course, is that Jesus comes and raises Lazarus from the dead, so that sometimes takes some of the sting out of the moment. But before he does that, he has this conversation with Martha, one of the sisters, and he says this, John chapter 11, verse 25.

Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life.

If you’ve heard that a lot, you you don’t realize what an unusual thing that is that he just said. So Jesus doesn’t just experience resurrection. And Jesus doesn’t just offer resurrection. Jesus is resurrection. What does that mean? It means that everywhere that Jesus goes, he brings life into dead things.

And in Mark chapter 5, there’s this man named Jairus. Not Jairus, Jairis. And he goes up to Jesus and he says this, Mark chapter 5, verse 23.

He pleaded earnestly with him. My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.

So Jesus agrees, and they start traveling to J. Iris’ house. And while they’re traveling, some people come to J. Iris. And they say, I’m sorry to tell you, but your daughter, she just died. So you don’t have to bring Jesus, Jesus doesn’t have to come all the way for nothing. I just want you to think what that probably felt like in that moment. Right? He was excited because he had Jesus coming. But then his servants come and say, Oh, your daughter’s already dead. What’s what’s the problem? Don’t even, don’t even bother bringing Jesus. So he looks, Jairus, he looks to Jesus, and Jesus says this: He says, Don’t be afraid, just believe. Don’t be afraid, just believe. And so they keep walking. Eventually they arrive at Jairus’ house. Jesus walks into the room with the daughter, and everyone’s wailing, and everyone’s crying. And look at what Jesus says. Mark chapter 5, verse 39.

He went in and said to them, Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead, but asleep.

The child is not dead, but asleep. Look at me. We can be too quick to call things dead. Some of the things that we call dead, Jesus says are just sleeping. Right? Like that dream that you Jesus says, that didn’t die. That’s not dead, it’s just asleep. But that hope you had for a better future, that’s not dead. That’s just a sleep. That restoration you are believing for in your family, that’s not dead. It’s just a sleep. And see, the resurrection shows me that because he got up, I can get up.

And I think it’s worth noting that Jesus, like before he goes into the tomb, he tells the disciples that he’s coming out. I just think that that means something to me, right? That I think I think we need the confidence before I go in. But like I don’t know what kind of craziness, I don’t know what curve balls life is gonna throw at me tomorrow, but I can tell you this I’m coming out. Right? I don’t I don’t know what the doctor’s report is gonna say, but I can tell you I’m coming out. Right? You can throw me in the lion’s den, but I’m coming out. You can throw me in the fiery furnace, but I’m coming out. Right? Because he got up, I can get up.

Closing statement

Three points. My worst chapter isn’t my last chapter. Because he is, so am I, because he got up, I can get up. Here’s my closing statement. If y’all don’t know, I do closing statements. You can take a picture of him, and then you can act like you took notes all morning. Here’s the closing statement. The resurrection isn’t just about what happened 2,000 years ago, it fundamentally changes your identity today. My worst chapter isn’t my last chapter. Your identity is no longer defined by your failures, sins, or circumstances. Two, because he is, so am I. In Christ, you become like him, righteous, forgiven, and completely loved. Three, because he got up, I can get up. Jesus didn’t just experience resurrection, he is resurrection, bringing life to things that seem dead in your life. However, you walked in today, you can walk out free.