The King Still Reigns

Matthew 28:1-10, 1 Corinthians 15:54-57

Good morning, Church. You look great!

Good morning, church.

It is good to see a full room on Easter Sunday. Some of you are here every week, some of you show up on Christmas and Easter—and listen, I’m glad you’re here. Really am. No sarcasm… yet.

And let me just address the elephant in the room—I’m wearing a tie. I know. I don’t usually do this. Some of you are thinking, “Man, it must be serious today.” It is. If I’m in a tie, something big is happening. Easter will do that to you.

I want to say this too—thank you to everyone who came out for the egg hunt. That was a great day in the life of our church. A lot of kids, a lot of families, a lot of chaos—in a good way.

And a big thank you to everyone who made that happen. A lot of people served, gave their time, energy and effort to set things up, get things cleaned up.

That stuff doesn’t just magically appear.

And I’ve got to say this—a huge thank you to my wife, B. Put in the time, the energy, made sure things actually worked. I’m thankful for her. Our church is better because of her and because of so many other members who have come in and jumped two feet in and started serving.

Alright—if you’ve got a Bible, and you should, go ahead and open it to Matthew 28:1–10.

Now before we read it, let’s just say it straight.

When we say “gospel,” we’re not talking about church language. We’re talking about what God has actually done.

The Son of God stepped off His throne. Not because He had to—but because He chose to.

He was born of a virgin, which means He didn’t come into this world like the rest of us—He didn’t inherit sin. He lived a perfect life. Every moment. Every thought. Every word. No compromise, no failure.

Then He willingly went to the cross.

Nobody took His life. He laid it down.

On that cross, He wasn’t just suffering physically—He was taking on the full weight of sin. Your sin. My sin. All of it.

The judgment of God that we deserve—He absorbed it.

He died. They buried Him. And three days later—He walked out of the grave.

Alive. Not metaphorically. Not spiritually. Physically.

That’s the gospel.

But here’s where it gets real—and this is where most people start to back up.

Everybody loves the cross… until you realize it demands something of us.

Because the cross is a declaration—we’re not good enough to save ourselves.

We aren’t good enough. We can’t pray enough. We aren’t little mistake makers who need to just clean ourselves up. We are black hearted wretched sinners in need of a savior. Jonathon Edwards said "The only thing you contribute to your salvation is the sin that makes it necessary."

And everybody loves the empty tomb… until you realize it means Jesus is actually alive—and not asking for your opinion.

If He’s still dead, you can admire Him. If He’s still dead, you can quote Him. If He’s still dead, you can keep Him at a distance.

But He’s not.

He’s alive.

And since the tomb is empty— it makes every single person ask and answer the question who is Jesus?

C.S. Lewis said He is either a Lunatic, a Liar, or He is Lord.

You can’t call him a good moral teacher, because a good moral teacher will not tell you to cut off your arm if it causes you to sin, or pluck out your eye if it causes you to sin.

He can’t be a good moral teacher because He claimed to be God.

and youll hear people say— Jesus never claimed to be God.

and I love when people do this.

Because a lot of times what will happen is— there’s this other person inside of me. I like to call him bad jordan.

I try not to let him come out. I’m not even sure if he’s saved. and when people say that Jesus never claimed to be God. It tells me one of two things. 1. They’ve never read the Bible. 2. They have the same IQ points as Forest Gump.

Then why did the crowds pick up stones to stone Jesus with in Matthew 8 when Jesus said before Abraham was I am. Thats the same name God gave to Moses at the Burning Bush.

They were going to stone Jesus because he was claiming to be God, genius.

So He either a lunatic, liar, or Lord.

and if He is Lord.

That means He is King.

And kings don’t make suggestions. They don’t negotiate terms.

Kings reign and rule their kingdom.

So the gospel isn’t “Jesus will make your life better.”

The gospel is this: Jesus died in your place, rose again, and now calls you to repent, believe, and surrender to Him as Lord of your life.

That’s it.

Jesus did not come to make life better. He came because He is better than life.

And the question isn’t whether you like that. The question is whether you’ll bow to it.

Because of what he did on the cross, we get to have a personal relationship with Him.

This isn’t a sentimental holiday. This isn’t about avoiding hell.

I don’t know anybody who wants to go to hell. Hell’s Hot and forever is a long time.

But surrendering to the Lordship of Jesus isn’t a get out of hell free card— its becoming a Son or Daughter of the Great High King.

This is a declaration: The King that was crucified is the King who still reigns.

So what I want us to do....

Matthew 28:1–10 “Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.””

Prayer

Truth #1: The King Conquered Death

Think about this— A few women go to the tomb early that morning, in the gospel of Luke we know they are carrying spices they had prepared. Matthew doesnt tell us but they’re going there for one reason—to deal with a dead body.

Now just stop right there for a second, because this matters more than we usually let it.

Why in the world are women the first ones mentioned going to the tomb?

In our world, that doesn’t raise an eyebrow. But in the first century, that was not the case. Women were not treated equally under the law, and their testimony wasn’t even admissible in court. You couldn’t build a legal case on what a woman said.

That would be like having Jose Canseco in charge of testing for steriods. You wouldn’t trust it.

So if you’re trying to make up a story, if you’re trying to convince people of something that didn’t happen, this is a terrible strategy.

You don’t put women as your primary eyewitnesses.

And yet—that’s exactly what the gospel writers do.

Why? Because that’s what actually happened.

These are not cleaned-up, polished, “let’s make this convincing” stories. This isn’t a fairy tale, a long time ago in a galaxy far far away.

These are real, historical events.

The women were the first ones there because the women were the first ones there.

So they head to the tomb, and let’s be clear about what they’re expecting.

They are not going to celebrate a resurrection. They are not going to check and see if Jesus pulled it off.

They are going to find dead Jesus.

They’ve got spices in their hands because they’re preparing to finish what had been started. Nicodemus and Joseph of Artimetea did the burial process with the spices and burial clothes

Let’s just be honest—We know why they are going. These women are coming behind them to do it right.

That’s how it works in my house. I’ll clean something, and then my wife will come behind me and actually clean it.

That’s what they’re doing.

But when they get there, everything changes.

They get to the tomb, and the ground starts shaking.

Matthew tells us there’s a great earthquake-

Researchers studying sediment layers found something interesting. There’s a clear layer tied to a massive earthquake in 31 BC—historically recorded by Josepheus, devastating, killed thousands. No debate there.

But right above it, there’s another disturbed layer.

And based on the dating, it lines up right around 30–33 AD—the exact window of the crucifixion and resurrection, during the time of Pontius Pilate.

It’s not as big as the earlier quake, but it’s still strong enough to shake the ground, shift the earth, and leave a mark in the sediment.

A Great Earthquake happened because an angel of the Lord descends from heaven, rolls the stone back, and sits on it.

Just sits on it—like it’s nothing. Like the thing meant to keep Jesus in the grave is now just a seat.

His appearance is like lightning, his clothing white as snow, and the guards—these trained Roman soldiers—are shaking in their boots. The text says they became like dead men.

So don’t picture a quiet, emotional moment. This is power. This is authority. This is heaven breaking into earth.

Then the angel speaks—not to the guards—but to the women.

“Do not be afraid… I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.”

“as he said.”

In other words, this shouldn’t have caught them off guard. Jesus told them this was coming.

But let’s be honest—they still didn’t get it.

Even after walking with Him. Even after hearing Him teach. Even after He told them plainly that He would be crucified, buried, and raised…

They still showed up expecting a dead Savior.

Which is super comforting to me. Because they were face to face with Jesus and didn’t get it. So, if we don’t understand something when we read Scripture right away, we are in good company.

In the account recorded in Book of Luke, the Angels asked Why do you seek the Dead among the living?

The angels ask a question that just cuts right through everything:

I want to stop right there and ask you that same question.

“Why do you seek the living among the dead?”

Why do you keep looking for life in places that can’t give it?

Now some of you are already pushing back like, “I’m not out here chasing dead things.”

Yes you are. You just dress it up nicer than that.

All of us do this.

Every single one of us has a tendency to go right back to the tomb looking for something it has never produced and can never produce.

We go looking for life. We go looking for purpose. We go looking for meaning.

And even if you love Jesus—I love Jesus yes I do, I love Jesus how bout you?— even if you’ve been in church your whole life—you still drift back into trying to find life in things that were never designed to give it.

Go into any book store— whats the biggest section? Self-improvement.

We tell ourselves, “If I could just get it together… if I could just lose a few pounds, fix my budget, get a better routine, become a better version of me—then I’d finally be satisfied.”

And its a lie. Its a lie from the pit of hell

And you know it’s a lie, because you’ve tried it.

You had the plan. You had the goals. You had the vision board. You had the gym membership.

And now it’s April.

Hows that going?

I stepped on the scale the other day—same number as January. I didn’t even argue with it. I just accepted my fate.

And even when you do make progress—even when you hit the goal—it still doesn’t give you what it promised.

It doesn’t give you life. It just moves the finish line.

So then we pivot.

We say, “Alright, maybe I just need to get serious about religion.”

Now we clean it up. We behave. We follow the rules.

But let’s be honest— a lot of what people call religion is just self-improvement with an “amen” at the end.

Same system. Just with church clothes on.

“Do better. Try harder. Be more disciplined.”

And you do it.

We don’t drink- we don’t chew- we don’t date girls who do. We check every box.

And then you lay your head down at night thinking, “I did everything right… so why do I still feel empty?”

Because behavior modification doesn’t produce life.

So then we swing the other way and go all in on the world.

School. Career. Money. Stuff.

Study hard so you can study harder so you can get a job so you can make money so you can buy stuff to impress people you don’t even like.

And then one day you die and leave it all to somebody who’s going to sell it in a garage sale.

That’s the dream?

We’re all just trying to keep up with the Joneses.

Bad news—the Joneses are broke, stressed, and miserable. You don’t even want to catch them.

And all the stuff you think is going to make you happy? One day it’s sitting in a thrift store with a $3 sticker on it.

All of it.

Or we just chase whatever we feel in the moment.

Whatever desire pops up—feed it.

“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of whatever I want right now.”

And it doesn’t take long to figure out—that road is empty.

You get what you want… and still feel like something’s missing.

So then we go, “I know what I need—I just need the right person.”

Need that Jerry Macquire moment— you complete me. And anyone whos been married, knows thats a lie.

My wife is awesome. I outkicked my coverage when I got to marry her.

But I don’t complete her. She would agree with that. Because there has been a day or two, where she could have sent me to meet Jesus if she wouldnt have ended up in prison but she has a very irrerational fear of being framed for a crime and sent to prison.

But people get so wrapped up in finding the one then everything be alright alright alright.

That is a lie.

That whole “you complete me” thing? That’s movie nonsense.

You start handing somebody else the keys to your happiness like they’re your savior—and they’re going to let you down.

Not because they’re bad— because they’re human.

Even in a good marriage, that kind of pressure will crush it.

Your spouse is not your Savior.

Jesus is.

And here’s the truth we don’t like to admit:

We all keep going back to the tomb.

Over and over again.

Looking for life in things that are dead.

Looking for meaning in things that can’t produce it.

And the angels ask the question again:

Why are you looking for the living among the dead?

Why do you keep going back to that?

Why do you keep expecting something different from things that have already proven they can’t deliver?

Now don’t misunderstand me—I’m not saying those things are all bad.

Money’s not evil. Relationships aren’t evil. Success isn’t evil.

They can actually be good gifts.

But they make terrible gods.

If you look to them for life, they will fail you every single time.

But when your life is found in Christ—when He is your source—then all those things can actually be enjoyed the right way.

Not as the foundation of your joy, but as an overflow of it.

You don’t need them to give you life anymore—because you already have it in Him.

So I’ll ask you again—and I’m not letting you dodge it:

Why do you keep looking for life in places that can’t give it?

Because here’s the reality:

The tomb is empty. Jesus is alive. So stop going back to dead things looking for life.

The Tombs empty. He’s not there.

That why in Matthew 21 the angels say”Come, see the place where he lay.”

and on Friday where a dead body was laid, only burial clothes.

We learn in the book of John- that Simon Peter and John were with Mary.

they saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 

the face cloth was folded.

Robbers didn’t come in and steal the body. Jesus took the time to intentionally fold the cloth and set it down.

and the Angel in Matthew tells them- Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.”

Then in verse 9- Jesus meets them, says, “Greetings,” and their response is immediate. They come up, take hold of His feet, and they worship Him.

This is vital to understand and its our second truth this morning:

Truth #2: The King Deserves Worship.

Notice what they don’t do. They don’t fist bump Him. They don’t nod like, “Hey man, good to see you again.” They don’t treat Him like an old buddy they ran into at Publix.

They fall at His feet.

Shia Lebuff was asked..,

Because when you come face-to-face with the risen King, casual Christianity dies real fast.

You don’t stand there evaluating Him. You don’t keep your distance. You don’t negotiate terms. You hit the ground.

Let’s just be honest—people like a version of Jesus they can manage.

Teacher Jesus? Sure, we’ll take that. Encouraging Jesus? Absolutely, we love that. But risen, reigning King who demands your life? That’s about the time people start backing toward the exit.

But here’s the problem—you don’t get to edit Jesus.

You don’t get to take a highlighter to the Bible and keep the parts that make you feel good while ignoring the parts that confront you. That’s not Christianity—that’s spiritual customization, and it doesn’t save anybody.

R. C. Sproul said it plainly, “The sin of idolatry is thinking God is someone other than who He is.”

And here’s who He is:

He is alive. He is in charge. And He is worthy of everything.

Not part of your life. Not a Sunday morning slot.

Not an accessory you add when it’s convenient. Everything.

Because if Jesus walked out of that grave, then He’s not making suggestions—He’s issuing commands.

Let me say it like this—you don’t stand in front of the risen King like you’re picking something off a Chick-fil-A menu. “I’ll take the grace, hold the lordship, and can you put the obedience on the side?” That’s not how this works.

When you see Him for who He is, you don’t tweak the order—you surrender the whole life.

So here’s the things.

If He’s risen, then He’s not optional.

You don’t add Jesus to your life like He’s a new hobby you’re trying out for a few weeks. He doesn’t get a seat at the table—He flips the table over and takes the throne.

He doesn’t improve your life. He takes over your life.

Let’s get this straight—Christianity is not built on an idea. It’s not built on a philosophy. It’s not built on a set of moral teachings that we’re all supposed to try really hard to live up to.

The gospel is not, “Here’s how to live.” The gospel is not, “Here’s what to believe.”

The gospel is, “Here’s what happened.”

Something actually took place in real history that changed everything.

Jesus was crucified. Not metaphorically—physically, publicly, brutally executed. Jesus was buried. Not spiritually—literally placed in a tomb, dead as dead gets. And three days later, Jesus rose again. Not symbolically—bodily, victoriously, alive.

That’s the gospel.

And here’s why that matters—every other movement in human history survives by preserving teachings. You can kill the leader, but as long as you keep the ideas, the movement limps along.

Not Christianity.

Christianity doesn’t survive because Jesus taught nice things about loving your neighbor. Christianity exists because Jesus walked out of a grave.

You take the resurrection away, and this whole thing collapses like a cheap lawn chair.

I’ll say it like this—if Jesus stays dead, we shut this whole thing down and go home.

Paul said the same thing in 1 Corinthians 15. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile. You’re still in your sins. In other words, if the tomb isn’t empty, we’re wasting our time right now.

This isn’t blind faith. This is rooted in an event.

An empty tomb that nobody could explain away. Hundreds of eyewitnesses who saw Him alive. Disciples who went from hiding in fear to dying as martyrs. And the most powerful empire in the world couldn’t produce a body.

You don’t get that kind of movement from an idea. You get that from a resurrection.

Let’s talk about the evidence for a minute, because this isn’t wishful thinking—this is grounded in reality.

You’ve got an empty tomb. Not a hidden tomb, not a “we can’t find it” situation—an empty tomb in the very city where Jesus was executed. If this thing was fake, all they had to do was roll the stone back and point to a body. Game over.

Then you’ve got over 500 eyewitnesses. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15 that Jesus appeared to more than 500 people at one time. That’s not a private vision. That’s not somebody eating bad fish and hallucinating. That’s a crowd of people seeing the same risen Savior.

Then you’ve got the disciples. These guys were not bold leaders at the start. They were hiding, scared to death, locking doors, hoping they weren’t next. And then all of a sudden, they’re preaching in the streets, getting beaten, imprisoned, and eventually killed—and they don’t back off the message. People will die for something they think is true. Nobody dies for something they know is a lie. Something happened to them.

Just think about this— James the half brother of Jesus— same mom, different Dad— He wrote the Book of James.

What would it take for you to announce to the world that your sibling was God?

Would you be willing to be stoned to death for telling people that your brother is God?

That’s literally what James did. He was stoned to death in 62AD according to Jewish historian Josepheus.

Or How about Peter? The night before the death of Christ, he denies he even knows him 3 times then about 50 days later he is standing in front of the Sanhedrin Councel facing possible death and refuses to stop talking about Jesus.

Why? Because Friday- DEAD. SUNDAY- ALIVE.

So don’t tell me this is blind faith.

Your faith is not blind—it’s rooted in history. It’s anchored in an event that actually happened in time and space.

You’re not being asked to believe a philosophy. You’re being called to respond to a fact.

And that changes everything.

C.S. Lewis said it like this, “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance.”

This is either the most important event in history—or it’s nothing.

And let me put it in plain terms—this isn’t like subscribing to a podcast or trying out a new diet. You don’t casually adopt the resurrection. You respond to it.

Because if Jesus actually walked out of that grave, then He’s not just a teacher you can take or leave—He’s King. And He has something to say about your life.

So the question isn’t, “Do you like Christianity?” The question is, “What are you going to do with the fact that Jesus rose from the dead?”

And I love how Matthew, records how the disciples first encounter Jesus.

Matthew 28:9 “And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.”

In Matthew 28:9 (ESV), the risen Jesus shows up, and everything the disciples had read, heard, and memorized suddenly clicks into place. That moment isn’t random—that’s the destination the entire Bible has been driving toward the whole time.

And if you don’t read it that way, you’re going to turn the greatest story ever told into a self-help book with Bible verses sprinkled on top.

Jesus never treated the Bible like a collection of disconnected stories. He read it like one unified story—all pointing to Him.

So if you sat down in one of His Bible studies, here’s what He would show you:

In Genesis, He’s the promised One—the better Adam, the true and better seed who crushes the serpent’s head. In Exodus, He’s the Passover Lamb—the blood that actually saves, not just temporarily covers. In Leviticus, He’s not just bringing a sacrifice—He is the sacrifice. In the Psalms, He’s the suffering King—mocked, rejected, pierced, and yet still reigning. In the Prophets, He’s the One they couldn’t stop talking about—the coming Savior who would finally make things right.

From the first page to the last page, it’s all building toward Him. Not pieces. Not fragments. One story. One hero. One rescue plan.

And here’s where we mess it up—we read the Bible like it’s mainly about us.

We treat it like a spiritual to-do list:

“Be like David.” “Have courage like Joshua.” “Be faithful like Daniel.”

No, you won’t. Not consistently. That’s the point.

If the Bible is about you becoming better, you’re in trouble.

The Bible is not about you becoming better. It’s about Jesus being your Savior.

Let me say it the way you need to hear it:

You’re not the hero of the story—you’re the one who needs rescuing.

You’re not David stepping onto the battlefield. You’re the Israelite hiding behind a rock hoping somebody else can take down the giant you can’t beat.

And Jesus steps in and says, “I’ve got it.”

Here’s the problem—most people read the Bible like it’s IKEA instructions.

You open it up, you ignore half of it, you try to put your life together, and then you end up with extra pieces, frustrated, and wondering why nothing works.

That’s exactly how people approach Scripture.

They grab a verse here, a principle there, try to assemble a better version of themselves… and miss the fact that the whole thing is about a Savior, not a self-improvement project.

Here’s a line that nails it from Charles Spurgeon:

“Christ is the sum and substance of the Gospel.”

That’s it. That’s the whole thing.

Not you. Not your effort. Not your progress. Christ.

And until you see that, the Bible will either crush you with expectations you can’t meet… or bore you with stories you don’t understand.

But the moment you see Jesus at the center, everything changes.

Now you don’t read David and think, “I need to be braver.” You think, “I need the better David who fights for me.”

Now you don’t read about sacrifice and think, “I need to try harder.” You think, “Thank God the sacrifice has already been made.”

Now it’s not, “What do I need to do?” It’s, “Look what He has done.”

That’s when the Bible comes alive.

That’s when it stops being information… and becomes revelation.

That’s when you’re not just reading a book anymore—

You’re seeing Jesus on every page.

And we worship Him.

Truth #3: The King Sends His People

In Matthew 28:10, Jesus meets them and immediately says, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers…”

Don’t miss that.

The first people to see the risen Christ are immediately given a mission. There’s no waiting period. No onboarding class. No “take a few weeks, process your emotions, and circle back when you’re ready.”

You’ve seen the risen King—now go.

That’s the pattern. Encounter leads to action. Every time.

Here’s the problem in most churches—we’ve got a lot of people who celebrate the resurrection but don’t live like it changed anything.

We’ll sing about it, we’ll post about it, we’ll show up on Easter dressed sharp—but Monday looks exactly the same.

You don’t need more information.

You need obedience.

Most people are educated passed there point of obedience.

Now think about this—the King of the universe walked out of a grave… and we treat Him like a hobby.

We treat the risen Christ like a car alarm going off in a parking lot. Has anyone in the history of car alarms ever heard one going off and thinking “oh no, someones car is being broken into.” No, we think, hit the button and shut your car up. We don’t get up to investigate unless we think its ours.

But here’s the problem- Jesus is not a car alarm. You don’t stay seated and ignore him.

And when you’ve actually encountered the risen King, you don’t stay the same. You don’t sit still. You don’t stay silent.

You go.

If Jesus is alive, then your life has a mission and it has eternal value.

You’re not saved to sit. You’re not saved to spectate. You’re not saved to just take up space. You’re not saved to sit on the sidelines.

You’re saved to go.

To go into your home, your workplace, your school, your community—and tell people that Jesus is alive and it changes everything.

Don’t miss Him! He didn’t die for you to be saved from Hell. He saved you to have a relationship with Him for all eternity!

In chapel at Providence this week, Pastor Joby Martin, He is the Pastor at the Church of Eleven22, he preached and he talked about how this other pastor went to the passion conference. and during this 4 day college aged conference this pastor polled all of the students that were there.

And he asked the go-to- old school pastor question- If you were to die right now, how confident are you, you would go to Heaven?

Scaled of 1-10. 10 being completely sure, 1 being you are sure you wouldnt go to heaven.

You dont do this— do this in your heart.

But he said if you fall in the 1-3 range raise your hand? You don’t but he said hands went up everywhere.

Joby said good- those people recognize there need.

then he said 4-6. And a bunch of hands went up. How in the world are you a 5 on this?

Then the Pastor said 7-9. And a whole bunch of hands went up. And he just said— oh no.

A bunch of people think its about right activity to get into the kingdom of God. That if there good enough, pray enough, read there bible enough, then they’ll get into the kingdom of Heaven.

Then He said— who in here is a 10? He nudged His daughter- and said raise your hand, we’re tens.

I’m a 10. I’m a 10 because my salvation has nothing to do with me. It has everything to do with Jesus.

Jesus paid it all. Salvation is a free gift from Jesus. You believe in your heart and confess with your mouth, you will be saved. period.

1 Corinthians 15:54-56

When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory?     O death, where is your sting?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

That’s reality.

Death doesn’t win anymore. Sin doesn’t have the final word anymore.

Because Jesus already settled it.

So let me bring it right back to you.

Whats your number?

And if your answer is anything less than a 10, it means you’re still trusting in something other than Jesus.

And that’s the problem.

Because the only way to be a 10… is to stop trusting in yourself altogether.

And start trusting fully in the King who still reigns.

I don’t want anyone to leave here this morning and miss what all of this is really about.

Not just the message. Not just the moment. But the reality of having a relationship with Jesus.

Because it is very possible to hear everything we’ve talked about, to understand it, and still not respond to it.

It is possible to be around church, to be familiar with Scripture, to even agree with what’s been said—and still not actually be following Jesus.

And that’s not what He calls us to.

He doesn’t call us to be cultural Christians. He doesn’t call us to just associate with Him when it’s convenient.

He calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Him.

That means He is not just part of your life—He is Lord over your life.

So in just a moment, we are going to stand and sing one more song.

And during that time, I want you to respond in a real and honest way to what God is doing in your heart.

There are some clear steps of obedience.

First is salvation.

If you have never truly trusted in Jesus—if your confidence has been in yourself, your effort, or your ability to be good enough—then today is the day to place your trust fully in Him.

Not partially. Not adding Him onto your life.

But surrendering to Him.

Second is baptism.

We are about to celebrate that together.

And if you have trusted in Christ but have not been baptized, this is your next step.

There is no reason to put that off.

We have everything you need, and if God is leading you to take that step, you can do that today.

And third is obedience.

Whatever God is putting on your heart right now, don’t ignore it.

For some, that may be repentance. For others, it may be stepping into something you have been avoiding.

But you know what it is.

The call is not just to hear—it is to respond.

Because if everything we’ve said this morning is true—and it is—then Jesus is not in the grave.

He is alive.

And if He is alive, then He is Lord.

And if He is Lord, then He is worthy of more than just our agreement.

He is worthy of our lives.