The Sermon I Believe by David McGee
Apr 20, 2014
I Believe (30:05)
Referenced Scriptures: John 20:1-17; John 1:1-5; John 1:14
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The scriptures below are from the WEB Bible.
John 20:1-17
1) Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came early, while it was yet dark, to the tomb, and saw the stone taken away from the tomb.
2) She ran therefore, and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we don‘t know where they have laid him!"
3) Peter therefore went forth, and the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb.
4) They both ran together. The other disciple outran Peter, and came to the tomb first.
5) Stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths lying, yet he didn‘t enter in.
6) Then Simon Peter came, following him, and entered into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying,
7) and the cloth that was on his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but rolled up in a place by itself.
8) Then the other disciple also entered in therefore, who came first to the tomb, and he saw, and believed.
9) For as yet they didn‘t know the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.
10) So the disciples went away again to their own homes.
11) But Mary was standing outside at the tomb weeping. So, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb,
12) and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
13) They told her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don‘t know where they have laid him."
14) When she had said this, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and didn‘t know that it was Jesus.
15) Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?" She, supposing him to be the gardener, said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away."
16) Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned herself, and said to him, "Rhabbouni!" which is to say, "Teacher!"
17) Jesus said to her, "Don‘t touch me, for I haven‘t yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brothers, and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, and my God and your God.‘"
John 1:1-5
1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2) The same was in the beginning with God.
3) All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made.
4) In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5) The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn‘t overcome it.
John 1:14
14) The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
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Google stop the open window reference if you can't breathe. It's because of the flowers, and if I fall asleep is because I taken Benadryl though I can stand lower zone like were glad for everyone this year for the great Sunday. We have to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the title of my message today is, I believe. So let's turn to Luke chapter twenty and will read verses one through seventeen. The nested loop. I'm a John chapter twenty gave Hosea artifact of John chapter twenty. Beginning in verse one. Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalena went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance, so she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciples, the one Jesus loved, and said they have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him. So Peter and the other disciple started for the two. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there, but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus had the cloth was folded by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed they did not understand from the Scriptures that Jesus had to rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes. But Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the two and saw two angels in I seated where Jesus body had been one at the head and the other at the foot they asked her woman, why are you crying. They have taken my Lord away, she said, and I don't know where they have put him at this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize it was Jesus, woman, he said why are you crying is it you're looking for thinking he was the gardener, she said, sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you're put him, and I will get him. Jesus said to her. Mary she turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic rebound. I which means teacher Jesus said, do not hold me, for I have not yet returned to the father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them I am returning to father to my father and your father to my God and your God. I believe it's quite a statement as we think of today Easter. What makes Easter different from any other Sunday. What makes these two different than any other Sunday. We know that in the Old Testament, the Jewish family Jewish of us services were on Saturday the Sabbath of what makes Sunday the first day of the week. The reason that we get together and celebrate and have church while the reason is Jesus rose the first day of the week Sunday and sold the Christians of the early Christians were followers of GR. They were Jewish and a fault were followers of Jesus, so they would have their Sabbath day on Saturday and then they would have their Sunday church as followers of Jesus Christ. But is today different than any other Sunday or any other day of the week isn't this a brief there you know I'm your breathing again. I think the thing in case you didn't notice you are braving about your living selling out entirely and type experience. I would have breakfast and the rest of you are waiting to eat lunch and hope that it's a smart short service so, but the difference of Easter, no matter what you believe no matter what you believe I'm off I'm on. I just turned off, they call me, they really do this to me if I didn't have a good settlement. There is no turn it off. I haven't started yet valid leg and a chance time to go eight okay, so always give me couple more minutes, so the difference of Easter, no matter what you are in a matter where we are in our belief. How did or how shallow our faith is Easter is a celebration. You know, we celebrate the Fourth of July we weren't there, whenever the declaration was made for independence and that we finally won that independence. We weren't there, but we celebrated the facts we celebrate the Fourth of July while it easier. We are celebrating the random resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. We may not have been there which Bob were here, I'd pick on him and Bob Lanier. Today's naked lunch for his family. So we have to get them next week, but not ask Bob if he were here when Jesus rose in the day, but none of us have been there. We weren't there at the time, but we celebrate because Easter is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. So Easter gives to us hope a halt that is a positive experience. We don't know. Hopefully you, we never experience what it is like to live without her people who are without hope, have no sense of what then the value of life for many type of freedom are that it will get any better, but hope that life is greater than this, eating, drinking, getting up and going to bed going out than coming in life that we have hope that there is a purpose beyond just the nine to five that the experience of going to work and earning money so we could spend it in an new Albion dad send it out when it all, life is more than just the every day going on life experience Jesus Christ gives us this whole we believe in the resurrection. I believe I believe in God the father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ his only begotten son, our Lord, I believe that he was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. I believe that he suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, buried, and he ascended, descended into hell, I believe, on the third day he rose again from the dead. I believe he ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God Almighty, I believe he shall come to judge and the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit. I believe in the holy name in the apostle 's Creed. It says Catholic Church. I believe in the church universal, the body of Christ. I believe in the forgiveness of sins. I believe in the resurrection of the body. I believe in life everlasting. I believe we all say that I believe again say we believe in this know-how, how great or how shallow is our faith. How much faith doesn't say that we need to move mountains. They as a grain of mustard seed, and I brought back some mustard seed from Israel and it is one of the smallest finest littlest seeds that you will ever look at to put it in between two pieces two pieces of tape so that I can lose it. It is very fine is very shallow and very small, very tiny. It's as tiny as the head of a knit up in a fully have that amount of faith, we can say to a mountain, be moved and will be so. God is looking for quantity is not looking for gray faith. He's looking forward to us. What do we believe that we believe enough glass. Do we believe enough to make a request of God. We have enough faith to see if we believe enough for something to happen and we question. It is enough faith, our grandson, Jackson, if not as a Papa, Mama grandma, you know, Obama it out a plan this, why does he asked us because he believes no matter what he asked for grandma and grandpa will get it little human area, so we believe Virgin birth. We believe in the resurrection we group will believe in the sinless life of Christ, we believe in the forgiveness of sins. I need four volunteers had a come I hadn't picked out ahead of time that wagering appear. Please rate up in topic some good ones I picked some good ones are your all here and two three four okay, this case I make a mess five twenty four zero five one two three four five if you can all be part of this like a twelfth website under every word and go. I live I was stuck in their but it wasn't not my belief system was off for a messy belief system. It's wet will pick it up later. Okay, all ER five year ways. These act. What's the first thing that comes to your mind a plan to what part of the plant. The UC you see a flower. What part do you see the roads. What you see believes the Stan Blackwell, you will you see the Bay Area house does IAC whole plant. Well, you see the dirt was they who saw the roots, their hopeless now. I bought this different. This is that anybody who flower is not up my flower. I thank them for that, at least& you got that right. I cut up my so they saw the leaves later minute. We then fill in the plant. There believes what you say you saw the staff of the stand. I know it's all a flower. You know what all the and very good. This one is used to argue here, yet fail. Thank you now turn around what we have in front of us, not for kids. We have what five thank you very much. ;-) five advised pastors had too much Demerol and did much of the pain medicine. He sees four again. Now while they have benevolently cavalierly dogleg between the five of them. They have allelic appointment of flour that is not listed@ Jonathan 's getting Utah dirt you not leave your flowers you got scammed you got your flowers does have a parked object 's I'm talking now and but we believe how many believe that this is a flower, but is it dead now. It is intended still alive, but receivers has roots shared some dirt and some roots. How many believe that this is the most important part of the plan and present you go home appliances, you might get a flower next year, so I I plant them every year I'd involved in no blue a couple in July. So now there's some dirt. They got that we got leaves the leaves, and you have flowers. How may believe in God the father. I believe in God the son, how they believe in God the Holy Spirit. I believe I may believe in the resurrection. I may believe that God is coming back again. I may believe that God is with us always. Now don't we try and divide up our beliefs. We believe some things more strongly than others, but they're all part of the same body. We just think that we believe more firmly because we got the roots I'm I'm better off than you because I got the roots of my belief. I now know I got the fruits in my belief. I better off the new nap. I'm just leaking around. I'm leafing through it. And of course if you don't have the stand copy of you be grafted into divine and if you don't have the flowers yesterday because we all have the potential of what we can become when were connected to Christ. You can leave all that on them right right. The flowers are thank you by at home with my planet as Steve got yourself a job without the resurrection we have nothing. The disciples see, I believe that Jesus was born of a virgin. While some, I don't really believe is one emergency, so he lived his life. He said you can't have one without it connected to the other. I believe in salvation gang. What about the fruits of living for him. What about the strength to live for God 's strength is in the rates if you are not connected to the roots, how can there be life sustaining life. So we find roads are corroded viciously evaporated viciously while the GC. I believe because the apostles wrote to loss while the apostles Creed. We just read was not written by the apostles. It is a summer summer at the summarization of what the apostles taught, so that when they didn't have words able to read that something they could recite. I believe in God the father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ his only begotten son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified and buried. He descended to hell the third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and sits at the right hand of God Almighty. Say what you believe. I believe he suddenly decided to believe is coming back bracing are all connected no matter how we try and cut up our faith. God is the same to each one of us. Some eighty five years after the crucifixion and the resurrection. John writes his Gospel, eighty five years. Many of the apostles that he served Christ with our now that they've been martyred. They sacrificed their lives by not giving up their faith. They sacrifice their lives for their faith in Jesus Christ and if they had said we don't believe they would live, but they know that it was better to believe and die a martyr 's death, then turned their back on the ruling. We believe our roots of our belief, art founded in the Scriptures and the Scriptures John tells us in John one one. This is in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. You see, God was there at the very beginning, Jesus was there before the beginning began. He was there and he spoke the world into existence. I believe in God the father may creator of heaven under. I believe in his son Jesus Christ, who lived a sinless life and was crucified on the cross, dead and buried. I believe that he rose on the day to see if that belief system that John is telling us about and he goes on it and he goes on his that that through him all things were made and without him nothing was made that was made in him was life, and is the life that was the light of man, these but he's the light of our lives in verse fourteen, fourteen the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, who came from the father, full of grace and truth. John is telling us about his experience of handling the life, the flower, the one piece, the life of Christ is something that is eternal, and that is part of who we are in. It comes in its bizarre lights to our world. John says we saw his glory with our old. I we saw his glory. I saw him die. I saw him alive. I believe John is persecuted for his belief he will not abandon his belief in the face of death he on believing John states, but I saw the word I touched the living word. I held the word. The truth, the life I held God be whole, behold him, the November Trent design I am an eye held him. John says, I held the work and that word was life to me, not only in his teaching, and in his mission, and in his ministry. I was there with him, but after the resurrection. I was there with him. John makes it clear that Jesus is not just demand. He is the eternal son of God hears the word made flesh, and dwelling among us. He is the light of the world and he offers this gift of eternal life to all of us. It is his life. It is his gift to us eternal life in my brother. He died this week. It's sad you know will miss him course, but I know were years I know that everything that is life of him is in heaven. And he's probably arguing with my mother about what's she supposed to prepare tonight for supper and then he will tell her how she should make it because he's just like me, and I thought like me is nothing like me he's very intelligent, but you see, we know where he goes, we know where we are going. How do we know because we follow the word we follow the giver of life. His name is Jesus would be to create heaven is some way of easing the pain of that heaven was given to us as a gift from God that he has God is going to prepare a place for us. Heaven is created place for creative people who will believe you are forgiven of their sin. The gauze to prepare a place for us that where he is you and I will end up there someday. I believe in God the father. I believe in God the son. I believe in the Holy Spirit. I believe in his presence and his love. I believe that while I was yet in my mother 's womb. He knew me. He formed me he had a plan for my life. The purpose for my life and I don't have it all together yet but is coming together is coming as part of our everyday living are going out and are coming in life belief is an action belief is active. It inspires and motivates and empowers they can't live the Christian life by myself. I need the Spirit of God to empower me and I need the life of Christ to guide me. He is the light of the world result, we believe belief is continuous. It isn't. I didn't believe I have believed no idling past, present, future, if were worried about tomorrow. Don't be Jesus God is already there. God is already there you see with God there is no time. There is no timeframe there is no today and tomorrow to God. There is only time last evening to God. There is no time he transitions before, during, after time, he knows where we came from. He knows every sin that we never committed. He knows every sin that we will commit and he loves us in this moment. Judas was going to betray Jesus. Jesus knew of his pretrial, but he loved Judas the whole way through, even though he knew what Jesus would do in our life. He's also a motel, you know what said he knows what failures. He knows what mistakes and he never takes his eyes off of us. The cause. He wants us. He wants us to be grafted into his mind. He wants us to be rooted and grounded in our faith and our truth, so we can say I believe I believe we are drawn to faith were drawn to our life were drawn to our relationship with Christ. The holy through the Holy Spirit we experience God 's love we experience God 's guidance, we allow the spirit to do his work in us. We believe God has a will for our lives, and God has a purpose for our life. God has a reason for us being where we are and being in the family that we are. He has a reason we're the ones that are trying to cut up our faith were trying to cut apart our faith. God is telling us know what's the big picture. It's the big picture. I believe that one day our bodies will be raised from the dead. I believe that the trump of God shall sound, the dead in Christ shall rise and all that are alive and remain shall be caught up to meet them in the air. I believe that it's going to because his word says so. The same power that raised Jesus to life is the same power that gives us the ability to follow him in life and life of Jesus in the life of Jesus hee hee with Jesus. He was risen from the dead and his disciples his apostles. They verify that life he is alive now and forever more. So the reality of the resurrection changed their lives so completely that the sale disciples who ran away. The night of the crucifixion are the same disciples that Jesus used to build his church and to build his kingdom. The resurrection is the foundation of the Christian faith without the resurrection. It's just another book without the resurrection. It is just the history of Israel, but it is the resurrection that gives life to the word and our faith is alive. It is living. It is active, it quickens us and empowers us. I believe in the resurrection. I believe in the forgiveness of sins. I believe that God is full of grace and mercy that looks beyond our faults and sees the needs of our lives. I believe he forgets us. I believe he forgives all who will repent. I believe he has a will for our life, and it is a divine provider is a divine providence I believe that when life is over. We leave this life to live again, and then so is there I believe that when this life is over. We go on to live again. We only have until we live again. And so while we are in this living moment don't cut apart your faith don't think that Jesus is isolated in one area like the roots from the stem that God is in the pastor. God is in the future, God is here in the present, past and future. This power reaches and exceeds all the wicked ever think or imagine it hasn't entered into our hearts, the things of God has prepared for us, so we are part of this. I believe in the resurrection. I believe in his presence. I believe in his love. I believe he looks beyond our faults. I believe he knows the heart of each one of us and he wants to touch our heart, heal our wounds restore our life and give us hope for today and tomorrow and then father, I thank you for this resurrection day that in hopes that in hope of the resurrection. David is yet to come. We give our life to you today. We ask for your forgiveness. We ask for your healing presence. We ask for your strength, the VR strengthen your love, oh God, to hold us close to you. May this Easter be a very special one to each of us because you touch us again. I believe a man lets say I believe one more time. I believe that the resurrection and the life. Amen. God bless you. Happy Easter. The forget your flowersGoogle stop the open window reference if you can't breathe. It's because of the flowers, and if I fall asleep is because I taken Benadryl though I can stand lower zone like were glad for everyone this year for the great Sunday. We have to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the title of my message today is, I believe. So let's turn to Luke chapter twenty and will read verses one through seventeen. The nested loop. I'm a John chapter twenty gave Hosea artifact of John chapter twenty. Beginning in verse one. Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalena went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance, so she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciples, the one Jesus loved, and said they have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him. So Peter and the other disciple started for the two. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there, but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus had the cloth was folded by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed they did not understand from the Scriptures that Jesus had to rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes. But Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the two and saw two angels in I seated where Jesus body had been one at the head and the other at the foot they asked her woman, why are you crying. They have taken my Lord away, she said, and I don't know where they have put him at this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize it was Jesus, woman, he said why are you crying is it you're looking for thinking he was the gardener, she said, sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you're put him, and I will get him. Jesus said to her. Mary she turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic rebound. I which means teacher Jesus said, do not hold me, for I have not yet returned to the father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them I am returning to father to my father and your father to my God and your God. I believe it's quite a statement as we think of today Easter. What makes Easter different from any other Sunday. What makes these two different than any other Sunday. We know that in the Old Testament, the Jewish family Jewish of us services were on Saturday the Sabbath of what makes Sunday the first day of the week. The reason that we get together and celebrate and have church while the reason is Jesus rose the first day of the week Sunday and sold the Christians of the early Christians were followers of GR. They were Jewish and a fault were followers of Jesus, so they would have their Sabbath day on Saturday and then they would have their Sunday church as followers of Jesus Christ. But is today different than any other Sunday or any other day of the week isn't this a brief there you know I'm your breathing again. I think the thing in case you didn't notice you are braving about your living selling out entirely and type experience. I would have breakfast and the rest of you are waiting to eat lunch and hope that it's a smart short service so, but the difference of Easter, no matter what you believe no matter what you believe I'm off I'm on. I just turned off, they call me, they really do this to me if I didn't have a good settlement. There is no turn it off. I haven't started yet valid leg and a chance time to go eight okay, so always give me couple more minutes, so the difference of Easter, no matter what you are in a matter where we are in our belief. How did or how shallow our faith is Easter is a celebration. You know, we celebrate the Fourth of July we weren't there, whenever the declaration was made for independence and that we finally won that independence. We weren't there, but we celebrated the facts we celebrate the Fourth of July while it easier. We are celebrating the random resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. We may not have been there which Bob were here, I'd pick on him and Bob Lanier. Today's naked lunch for his family. So we have to get them next week, but not ask Bob if he were here when Jesus rose in the day, but none of us have been there. We weren't there at the time, but we celebrate because Easter is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. So Easter gives to us hope a halt that is a positive experience. We don't know. Hopefully you, we never experience what it is like to live without her people who are without hope, have no sense of what then the value of life for many type of freedom are that it will get any better, but hope that life is greater than this, eating, drinking, getting up and going to bed going out than coming in life that we have hope that there is a purpose beyond just the nine to five that the experience of going to work and earning money so we could spend it in an new Albion dad send it out when it all, life is more than just the every day going on life experience Jesus Christ gives us this whole we believe in the resurrection. I believe I believe in God the father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ his only begotten son, our Lord, I believe that he was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. I believe that he suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, buried, and he ascended, descended into hell, I believe, on the third day he rose again from the dead. I believe he ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God Almighty, I believe he shall come to judge and the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit. I believe in the holy name in the apostle 's Creed. It says Catholic Church. I believe in the church universal, the body of Christ. I believe in the forgiveness of sins. I believe in the resurrection of the body. I believe in life everlasting. I believe we all say that I believe again say we believe in this know-how, how great or how shallow is our faith. How much faith doesn't say that we need to move mountains. They as a grain of mustard seed, and I brought back some mustard seed from Israel and it is one of the smallest finest littlest seeds that you will ever look at to put it in between two pieces two pieces of tape so that I can lose it. It is very fine is very shallow and very small, very tiny. It's as tiny as the head of a knit up in a fully have that amount of faith, we can say to a mountain, be moved and will be so. God is looking for quantity is not looking for gray faith. He's looking forward to us. What do we believe that we believe enough glass. Do we believe enough to make a request of God. We have enough faith to see if we believe enough for something to happen and we question. It is enough faith, our grandson, Jackson, if not as a Papa, Mama grandma, you know, Obama it out a plan this, why does he asked us because he believes no matter what he asked for grandma and grandpa will get it little human area, so we believe Virgin birth. We believe in the resurrection we group will believe in the sinless life of Christ, we believe in the forgiveness of sins. I need four volunteers had a come I hadn't picked out ahead of time that wagering appear. Please rate up in topic some good ones I picked some good ones are your all here and two three four okay, this case I make a mess five twenty four zero five one two three four five if you can all be part of this like a twelfth website under every word and go. I live I was stuck in their but it wasn't not my belief system was off for a messy belief system. It's wet will pick it up later. Okay, all ER five year ways. These act. What's the first thing that comes to your mind a plan to what part of the plant. The UC you see a flower. What part do you see the roads. What you see believes the Stan Blackwell, you will you see the Bay Area house does IAC whole plant. Well, you see the dirt was they who saw the roots, their hopeless now. I bought this different. This is that anybody who flower is not up my flower. I thank them for that, at least& you got that right. I cut up my so they saw the leaves later minute. We then fill in the plant. There believes what you say you saw the staff of the stand. I know it's all a flower. You know what all the and very good. This one is used to argue here, yet fail. Thank you now turn around what we have in front of us, not for kids. We have what five thank you very much. ;-) five advised pastors had too much Demerol and did much of the pain medicine. He sees four again. Now while they have benevolently cavalierly dogleg between the five of them. They have allelic appointment of flour that is not listed@ Jonathan 's getting Utah dirt you not leave your flowers you got scammed you got your flowers does have a parked object 's I'm talking now and but we believe how many believe that this is a flower, but is it dead now. It is intended still alive, but receivers has roots shared some dirt and some roots. How many believe that this is the most important part of the plan and present you go home appliances, you might get a flower next year, so I I plant them every year I'd involved in no blue a couple in July. So now there's some dirt. They got that we got leaves the leaves, and you have flowers. How may believe in God the father. I believe in God the son, how they believe in God the Holy Spirit. I believe I may believe in the resurrection. I may believe that God is coming back again. I may believe that God is with us always. Now don't we try and divide up our beliefs. We believe some things more strongly than others, but they're all part of the same body. We just think that we believe more firmly because we got the roots I'm I'm better off than you because I got the roots of my belief. I now know I got the fruits in my belief. I better off the new nap. I'm just leaking around. I'm leafing through it. And of course if you don't have the stand copy of you be grafted into divine and if you don't have the flowers yesterday because we all have the potential of what we can become when were connected to Christ. You can leave all that on them right right. The flowers are thank you by at home with my planet as Steve got yourself a job without the resurrection we have nothing. The disciples see, I believe that Jesus was born of a virgin. While some, I don't really believe is one emergency, so he lived his life. He said you can't have one without it connected to the other. I believe in salvation gang. What about the fruits of living for him. What about the strength to live for God 's strength is in the rates if you are not connected to the roots, how can there be life sustaining life. So we find roads are corroded viciously evaporated viciously while the GC. I believe because the apostles wrote to loss while the apostles Creed. We just read was not written by the apostles. It is a summer summer at the summarization of what the apostles taught, so that when they didn't have words able to read that something they could recite. I believe in God the father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ his only begotten son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified and buried. He descended to hell the third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and sits at the right hand of God Almighty. Say what you believe. I believe he suddenly decided to believe is coming back bracing are all connected no matter how we try and cut up our faith. God is the same to each one of us. Some eighty five years after the crucifixion and the resurrection. John writes his Gospel, eighty five years. Many of the apostles that he served Christ with our now that they've been martyred. They sacrificed their lives by not giving up their faith. They sacrifice their lives for their faith in Jesus Christ and if they had said we don't believe they would live, but they know that it was better to believe and die a martyr 's death, then turned their back on the ruling. We believe our roots of our belief, art founded in the Scriptures and the Scriptures John tells us in John one one. This is in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. You see, God was there at the very beginning, Jesus was there before the beginning began. He was there and he spoke the world into existence. I believe in God the father may creator of heaven under. I believe in his son Jesus Christ, who lived a sinless life and was crucified on the cross, dead and buried. I believe that he rose on the day to see if that belief system that John is telling us about and he goes on it and he goes on his that that through him all things were made and without him nothing was made that was made in him was life, and is the life that was the light of man, these but he's the light of our lives in verse fourteen, fourteen the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, who came from the father, full of grace and truth. John is telling us about his experience of handling the life, the flower, the one piece, the life of Christ is something that is eternal, and that is part of who we are in. It comes in its bizarre lights to our world. John says we saw his glory with our old. I we saw his glory. I saw him die. I saw him alive. I believe John is persecuted for his belief he will not abandon his belief in the face of death he on believing John states, but I saw the word I touched the living word. I held the word. The truth, the life I held God be whole, behold him, the November Trent design I am an eye held him. John says, I held the work and that word was life to me, not only in his teaching, and in his mission, and in his ministry. I was there with him, but after the resurrection. I was there with him. John makes it clear that Jesus is not just demand. He is the eternal son of God hears the word made flesh, and dwelling among us. He is the light of the world and he offers this gift of eternal life to all of us. It is his life. It is his gift to us eternal life in my brother. He died this week. It's sad you know will miss him course, but I know were years I know that everything that is life of him is in heaven. And he's probably arguing with my mother about what's she supposed to prepare tonight for supper and then he will tell her how she should make it because he's just like me, and I thought like me is nothing like me he's very intelligent, but you see, we know where he goes, we know where we are going. How do we know because we follow the word we follow the giver of life. His name is Jesus would be to create heaven is some way of easing the pain of that heaven was given to us as a gift from God that he has God is going to prepare a place for us. Heaven is created place for creative people who will believe you are forgiven of their sin. The gauze to prepare a place for us that where he is you and I will end up there someday. I believe in God the father. I believe in God the son. I believe in the Holy Spirit. I believe in his presence and his love. I believe that while I was yet in my mother 's womb. He knew me. He formed me he had a plan for my life. The purpose for my life and I don't have it all together yet but is coming together is coming as part of our everyday living are going out and are coming in life belief is an action belief is active. It inspires and motivates and empowers they can't live the Christian life by myself. I need the Spirit of God to empower me and I need the life of Christ to guide me. He is the light of the world result, we believe belief is continuous. It isn't. I didn't believe I have believed no idling past, present, future, if were worried about tomorrow. Don't be Jesus God is already there. God is already there you see with God there is no time. There is no timeframe there is no today and tomorrow to God. There is only time last evening to God. There is no time he transitions before, during, after time, he knows where we came from. He knows every sin that we never committed. He knows every sin that we will commit and he loves us in this moment. Judas was going to betray Jesus. Jesus knew of his pretrial, but he loved Judas the whole way through, even though he knew what Jesus would do in our life. He's also a motel, you know what said he knows what failures. He knows what mistakes and he never takes his eyes off of us. The cause. He wants us. He wants us to be grafted into his mind. He wants us to be rooted and grounded in our faith and our truth, so we can say I believe I believe we are drawn to faith were drawn to our life were drawn to our relationship with Christ. The holy through the Holy Spirit we experience God 's love we experience God 's guidance, we allow the spirit to do his work in us. We believe God has a will for our lives, and God has a purpose for our life. God has a reason for us being where we are and being in the family that we are. He has a reason we're the ones that are trying to cut up our faith were trying to cut apart our faith. God is telling us know what's the big picture. It's the big picture. I believe that one day our bodies will be raised from the dead. I believe that the trump of God shall sound, the dead in Christ shall rise and all that are alive and remain shall be caught up to meet them in the air. I believe that it's going to because his word says so. The same power that raised Jesus to life is the same power that gives us the ability to follow him in life and life of Jesus in the life of Jesus hee hee with Jesus. He was risen from the dead and his disciples his apostles. They verify that life he is alive now and forever more. So the reality of the resurrection changed their lives so completely that the sale disciples who ran away. The night of the crucifixion are the same disciples that Jesus used to build his church and to build his kingdom. The resurrection is the foundation of the Christian faith without the resurrection. It's just another book without the resurrection. It is just the history of Israel, but it is the resurrection that gives life to the word and our faith is alive. It is living. It is active, it quickens us and empowers us. I believe in the resurrection. I believe in the forgiveness of sins. I believe that God is full of grace and mercy that looks beyond our faults and sees the needs of our lives. I believe he forgets us. I believe he forgives all who will repent. I believe he has a will for our life, and it is a divine provider is a divine providence I believe that when life is over. We leave this life to live again, and then so is there I believe that when this life is over. We go on to live again. We only have until we live again. And so while we are in this living moment don't cut apart your faith don't think that Jesus is isolated in one area like the roots from the stem that God is in the pastor. God is in the future, God is here in the present, past and future. This power reaches and exceeds all the wicked ever think or imagine it hasn't entered into our hearts, the things of God has prepared for us, so we are part of this. I believe in the resurrection. I believe in his presence. I believe in his love. I believe he looks beyond our faults. I believe he knows the heart of each one of us and he wants to touch our heart, heal our wounds restore our life and give us hope for today and tomorrow and then father, I thank you for this resurrection day that in hopes that in hope of the resurrection. David is yet to come. We give our life to you today. We ask for your forgiveness. We ask for your healing presence. We ask for your strength, the VR strengthen your love, oh God, to hold us close to you. May this Easter be a very special one to each of us because you touch us again. I believe a man lets say I believe one more time. I believe that the resurrection and the life. Amen. God bless you. Happy Easter. The forget your flowers