WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:09.220 Welcome to the Willow Ridge Sermons Podcast, where you can listen to audio from our most 00:00:09.220 --> 00:00:13.860 recent sermons and more. Thanks for listening, and be sure to add this show to your library 00:00:13.860 --> 00:00:16.820 if you'd like to automatically receive new episodes each week. 00:00:27.920 --> 00:00:32.800 Well, good morning. I want to welcome you and wish you a happy Easter. And if you have your Bible, 00:00:32.880 --> 00:00:39.980 and I hope you do, I want to invite you to join in John chapter 20. In John chapter 20. 00:00:40.940 --> 00:00:46.940 As we're going into our passage this morning, as we're coming out of baptism, I want to take just 00:00:46.940 --> 00:00:54.980 a moment and speak to how amazing God is and how amazing we see God working in the life of our church. 00:00:55.520 --> 00:01:02.080 I shared this number in a meeting the other day and was strongly encouraged to say this. 00:01:02.480 --> 00:01:08.780 With all humility, we're not boasting in what we are doing, because we know that we are 00:01:08.780 --> 00:01:16.560 incapable of saving anyone. That it is Jesus Christ who saves, and it is our job to celebrate 00:01:16.560 --> 00:01:24.240 and worship Him and all that He is doing. But if you go back and you look since February, 00:01:24.240 --> 00:01:29.760 between our two services, our English and Spanish services, for those who have been baptized, 00:01:30.160 --> 00:01:37.040 and for those who are listed to be baptized soon, we have seen 30 individuals come forth 00:01:37.040 --> 00:01:42.880 professing Christ as Lord and Savior and plan to be baptized. And so we join in celebrating God 00:01:46.560 --> 00:01:53.280 in what He has done as they have responded to the person and the work of Jesus Christ in His life, 00:01:53.280 --> 00:02:01.600 death, burial, and resurrection. And so today, on this Easter morning, just like every single day, 00:02:02.480 --> 00:02:08.000 we gather together because of the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 00:02:09.040 --> 00:02:15.600 And my prayer for you is just a moment we will dive into our message, is that the resurrection is not simply 00:02:15.600 --> 00:02:25.360 an event we celebrate once a year. But the resurrection impacts our lives every day 00:02:26.320 --> 00:02:31.680 because it sets and determines our eternity. Would you join me as we pray? 00:02:32.960 --> 00:02:38.080 God, as we come to you this morning, as we open your word in John chapter 20, 00:02:38.800 --> 00:02:46.560 Lord, I pray that much would be made of you. Lord, that men and women and children would be drawn to you. 00:02:47.760 --> 00:02:53.920 God, I pray that I would be faithful to your word and that all that I say would be of you. 00:02:55.040 --> 00:03:04.880 And Lord, if any of this is of me, Lord, remove it and work and move for your name and your glory. 00:03:05.840 --> 00:03:08.640 And it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 00:03:09.520 --> 00:03:15.360 Before we read, I would like to share at the very end of the service, we will be partaking in the Lord's Supper together. 00:03:15.360 --> 00:03:18.560 I hope you were able to get some of the elements as you came in. 00:03:18.560 --> 00:03:22.960 If you were not, right now is a wonderful time. You can get up and move during the message 00:03:22.960 --> 00:03:27.600 so that you can get those. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, whether you call Willow Ridge Church 00:03:27.600 --> 00:03:33.440 at home or not, we want to invite you to participate in the Lord's Supper with us at the very end. 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:40.080 Well, Pastor Dave opened our time of worship by reading, beginning in John chapter 20 and reading 00:03:40.080 --> 00:03:46.240 through verse 18. And I would like to pick up this morning in reading in John 20, this time starting 00:03:46.240 --> 00:03:53.920 in verse 19. So would you join me? God's word says, "On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, 00:03:53.920 --> 00:04:00.480 the doors being locked where the disciples were for fears of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them 00:04:00.480 --> 00:04:06.720 and said to them, 'Peace be with you.' When he had said this, he showed them his hands in his side, 00:04:07.280 --> 00:04:15.200 and then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. And Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you, 00:04:15.200 --> 00:04:24.560 as the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.' And when he said this, he breathed on them and said to 00:04:24.560 --> 00:04:31.360 them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you withhold 00:04:31.360 --> 00:04:42.000 forgiveness from any, it is withheld.'" Today, we gather to talk about, to celebrate, to sing about, 00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:50.400 and to witness the effecting work of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But I want us to look at it and ask 00:04:50.400 --> 00:04:59.360 a question. What does this all mean? What does this all mean? From that very first Easter morning, 00:05:00.560 --> 00:05:08.880 when those came to the tomb expecting to prepare a body that they would think would be in a tomb dead, 00:05:09.760 --> 00:05:16.560 to find it empty, to find people hiding, and now Jesus appears, what does the resurrection mean? And 00:05:16.560 --> 00:05:21.280 how does the resurrection ring true from that day to today in its implication? 00:05:22.960 --> 00:05:30.080 I think we can begin to see, following the resurrection, some things in this passage of what Jesus did and 00:05:30.080 --> 00:05:35.760 what Jesus will say in this interaction with the disciples. So, number one, let's look at what 00:05:36.560 --> 00:05:46.000 Jesus did. What Jesus did. Number one, the first thing of what Jesus did in this encounter in John 20, 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:56.160 starting in verse 19, is Jesus went where no one else could go. Jesus went where no one else could go. 00:05:57.120 --> 00:06:09.200 We find the disciples hidden and locked away, the Bible tells us, in a room. In a room made of clay and stone, 00:06:10.160 --> 00:06:18.320 in a room with a thick wooden door, which has been locked so that no one from the outside could come in. 00:06:19.600 --> 00:06:28.400 And as they are gathered in that space, the Bible tells us that Jesus comes to them, 00:06:29.280 --> 00:06:38.320 and he stood among them. He didn't knock on the door. He didn't break through the wall. 00:06:39.840 --> 00:06:51.440 But just as you and I are here, Jesus came to them. He didn't appear as a vision. He didn't appear as 00:06:51.440 --> 00:07:00.880 spirit. But he came fully in flesh, doing what no one else could do. 00:07:02.480 --> 00:07:12.800 Jesus steps into a space that literally no one else could. And what does that mean for us today? 00:07:13.920 --> 00:07:19.680 What does that mean for you and I as we wrestle with, as we contemplate on, as we think about the 00:07:19.680 --> 00:07:25.040 truth of the gospel and the power of the resurrection and what that means? And what it means for us is 00:07:25.040 --> 00:07:31.200 Jesus desires to step into the space in your life and in mine where no one else can step, 00:07:32.160 --> 00:07:38.000 where no one else can go. Jesus desires to step into the spaces of your heart and your life 00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:44.960 where no pastor, no spouse, no friend, no therapist, where not even yourself can go. 00:07:46.640 --> 00:07:51.920 He wants to step into the area that you try to hide, that you try to ignore, that you try to push to 00:07:51.920 --> 00:08:00.560 the side, that you try to reject, that you try to deny. Jesus wants to step into the space 00:08:01.440 --> 00:08:09.040 where no one else can go. The second thing is Jesus steps into the space. Jesus steps into the mess. 00:08:10.080 --> 00:08:16.720 Jesus steps into the mess. Jesus doesn't step into a critical meeting of disciples 00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:26.560 ready to charge the world with the message of the gospel. Jesus doesn't step into a prayer time where 00:08:26.560 --> 00:08:32.240 where they're praying through. Lord, how will you use us to talk about your life, death, burial, and 00:08:32.240 --> 00:08:40.400 resurrection? Jesus steps into the mess of their doubt and of their anxiety because the Bible tells us 00:08:40.400 --> 00:08:49.040 that they were hiding because they were afraid. They were more concerned with their life than they were 00:08:49.040 --> 00:08:54.960 the life that Christ had called them to. You see, the cross and the resurrection should not be 00:08:54.960 --> 00:09:06.720 a surprise for them. As Christ had shared, this is what must take place repeatedly over and over and 00:09:06.720 --> 00:09:14.960 over again. And Jesus steps into the mess of that situation. And just as Jesus Christ stepped into the 00:09:14.960 --> 00:09:23.120 mess of that situation, Jesus desires to step into the mess of my life and yours. You see, you and I, 00:09:23.120 --> 00:09:28.800 now we're, we're, we're incapable of cleaning ourselves up. There's not enough self-help and self-therapy 00:09:28.800 --> 00:09:34.880 to get us through what we need. And so Jesus comes in, steps into that space, steps into our sin, our 00:09:34.880 --> 00:09:46.880 stress, our anxiety, our rebellion, because that's who he is. And as Jesus steps into the space, steps into the mess, 00:09:46.880 --> 00:10:00.400 the Bible says that he presents himself to them. He comes to them, showing them, revealing to them, 00:10:01.040 --> 00:10:11.120 this is who I am. Jesus doesn't come into the room with a pep talk. Jesus doesn't come into the room 00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:16.240 with a new mindset. Jesus doesn't come into the room with a new perspective. 00:10:16.800 --> 00:10:23.520 And if we're being honest, that's not what you and I need. What you and I need is the power of the gospel. 00:10:23.680 --> 00:10:28.760 What you and I need is the work of the gospel. And what you and I need is the person of the gospel. 00:10:29.020 --> 00:10:37.580 And the person of the gospel is Jesus Christ. And Jesus on that day, he steps into the space where no 00:10:37.580 --> 00:10:43.660 one can go. He steps into the mess. And Jesus offers himself. 00:10:45.980 --> 00:10:53.580 The challenge for you, the message for you this morning, is that's exactly what Jesus is offering you today. 00:10:55.020 --> 00:11:02.220 Now, but Jesus doesn't just come in and stand there. The Bible tells us that Jesus speaks. So let's look 00:11:02.220 --> 00:11:09.500 at what Jesus said. Threefold again, we see three different things that Jesus speaks to. Number one, 00:11:09.500 --> 00:11:18.220 Jesus spoke peace. Jesus spoke peace. Now remember, they're afraid. They're terrified. Rome's just killed 00:11:18.220 --> 00:11:26.540 Jesus. Will it kill us now? And Jesus steps in and he says, peace be with you. 00:11:29.100 --> 00:11:35.180 What type of peace is Jesus talking about? Is Jesus talking about a simple peace of mind? 00:11:36.540 --> 00:11:45.020 Is Jesus talking of a peace of situation? What we see Jesus speaking to in this moment is the peace of 00:11:45.020 --> 00:11:55.100 salvation. The ultimate work of the cross. That when Jesus came and gave his life and died on the 00:11:55.100 --> 00:12:01.180 cross, what he's offering you and I is an opportunity. As we just talked about several weeks ago in here on 00:12:01.180 --> 00:12:10.380 Sunday morning, Jesus is reconciling us to God. He's taking enemies of God, objects of wrath and 00:12:10.380 --> 00:12:15.100 turning them into, praise God, sons and daughters of the living God. 00:12:16.940 --> 00:12:26.620 That's the beauty of the peace that he offers us. A peace that is bought and purchased, not with our works, 00:12:27.660 --> 00:12:34.940 but with his blood. So he speaks peace. But then the second thing is that Jesus speaks power. 00:12:35.900 --> 00:12:45.180 That the Bible tells us that Jesus breathes on them as he says, receive the Holy Spirit. 00:12:46.220 --> 00:12:55.420 You see, the life of a person who comes to faith in Christ. They come to faith in Christ through 00:12:55.420 --> 00:13:02.460 acknowledging who he is and what he's done. And then the beauty of the work of the gospel is the life 00:13:02.460 --> 00:13:10.300 that they will live going forward is once again founded in the work that God is doing in them and 00:13:10.300 --> 00:13:19.500 through them through the very spirit of God who lives in them. You see, it's faith upon faith and upon faith. 00:13:19.900 --> 00:13:26.940 It's faith that we come to salvation and it's faith that God calls us to obedience as we trust him in 00:13:26.940 --> 00:13:33.900 our lives. So Jesus spoke with peace, Jesus spoke with power, but we also see that Jesus speaks with purpose. 00:13:35.020 --> 00:13:43.260 Jesus speaks with purpose. What we find here in this room with the disciples is not just a calling for the 00:13:43.260 --> 00:13:49.020 disciples, but it will be a calling for all who put their faith, hope and trust in Jesus Christ as 00:13:49.020 --> 00:13:55.580 Lord and Savior. We see it play out in Matthew 28 as the great commission. Jesus says, I receive the power 00:13:55.580 --> 00:14:02.300 power because just as I have been sent, I am sending you. In Matthew 5, Jesus tells us that we're salt and 00:14:02.300 --> 00:14:08.940 light, that we're to be missionaries, that the story of God is not just how God has saved us, but the story 00:14:08.940 --> 00:14:15.740 of God is here, how God has saved me. So let me share with you how God delights and desires to share you as 00:14:15.740 --> 00:14:24.460 well. You see, the message of the gospel is not a consume and it becomes mine, but the message of the gospel 00:14:24.460 --> 00:14:32.700 is what is for me so that I can share with others. So Jesus steps into this first moment with these 00:14:32.700 --> 00:14:39.740 disciples as he appears to them. He does the impossible as he goes where no one else could, as he steps into 00:14:39.740 --> 00:14:47.820 the mess of their life, as he offers himself to them. But he speaks with peace, with power, and with 00:14:47.820 --> 00:14:57.180 purpose. And the question I have for you this morning, whether this is the first time you've ever been to 00:14:57.180 --> 00:15:08.540 church, or whether you've been to church your entire life is what will you do? What will you do not with a concept 00:15:08.540 --> 00:15:21.180 of Jesus, not just a teaching of Jesus, with not just the cross of Jesus, but what will you do in the fullness 00:15:21.180 --> 00:15:29.420 purpose with the resurrected Jesus? Because just as Jesus stepped onto the 00:15:29.420 --> 00:15:37.340 cross, Jesus stepped out of the tomb. He steps into your life and he offers you the peace of salvation, 00:15:38.140 --> 00:15:45.580 the power of the Holy Spirit, and the purpose of living in obedience to him. 00:15:45.580 --> 00:15:51.580 What will you do? 00:15:54.940 --> 00:15:56.780 Maybe you're thinking to yourself right now, 00:15:58.060 --> 00:15:59.660 you know, but the answer to that question 00:15:59.660 --> 00:16:02.980 would be a lot easier for me 00:16:02.980 --> 00:16:10.900 if I was there that day. One of the things that I love to do as I'm reading, especially the gospels, 00:16:11.860 --> 00:16:18.820 is to take the story and impose myself just as, what would it have felt like to be there in the 00:16:18.820 --> 00:16:28.100 moment? Right, right, to be there when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. To be there as Jesus sat with 00:16:28.100 --> 00:16:34.740 the woman by the well. To be there when Jesus instructed the scribes and the Pharisees on the 00:16:34.740 --> 00:16:38.820 parable of the Good Samaritan. What would have been like to be there in that moment? 00:16:40.260 --> 00:16:44.420 It'd be a lot easier to believe and to trust Jesus 00:16:45.300 --> 00:16:53.140 if I could have been there in that moment. It would help me with deciding what to do. 00:16:54.260 --> 00:16:59.540 Well, it's interesting because there was a disciple at the time, a guy by the name of Thomas. 00:17:00.420 --> 00:17:04.820 And Thomas had been with Jesus. He had been following Jesus for years. 00:17:05.780 --> 00:17:11.540 But in this account, what we see in this gathering space, in this room with the disciples, 00:17:11.540 --> 00:17:18.180 Thomas is missing. Thomas is not found. So let's keep reading because maybe as you're kind of looking 00:17:18.180 --> 00:17:22.900 like, well, here's where I'm at when I wish I would have been there, then maybe you could be a little 00:17:22.900 --> 00:17:30.260 bit like Thomas. So join me in verse 24 through 25. It says, "Now Thomas, one of the twelve called the twin, 00:17:31.220 --> 00:17:38.580 was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, 'We have seen the Lord.' 00:17:39.780 --> 00:17:48.100 But he said to them, 'Unless I see his hands in the marks of the nails and place my finger into the mark 00:17:48.100 --> 00:17:58.740 of the nails and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.'" That's pretty descriptive. 00:18:00.100 --> 00:18:05.940 That's an exact account. There's a guy who's like, well, listen, it is great that you guys got this, 00:18:07.300 --> 00:18:20.740 but here's what I need. I need to see it. I need to see him. I don't need a picture. I don't need a story. 00:18:21.940 --> 00:18:35.220 What I need before I come to faith, what I need is to see and I need to touch Jesus. He says, "I need to put my finger 00:18:36.020 --> 00:18:45.460 in the holes on his hands and I need to place my hand into his side." 00:18:48.420 --> 00:18:56.420 What will you do? What will you do? As the testimony of these seven individuals 00:18:57.300 --> 00:19:01.060 has come forth today to tell you he's alive, he's alive, he's alive. 00:19:02.340 --> 00:19:07.700 As the message of the songs that we have sung this morning testified to the truth that he's alive, 00:19:07.700 --> 00:19:14.260 that he's alive, that he's alive. As the teaching of God's word this morning tells you that he's alive, 00:19:14.260 --> 00:19:19.780 he's alive, he's alive. What will you do with the resurrected Jesus? 00:19:21.620 --> 00:19:28.820 It's interesting with Thomas and it's important with Thomas that Thomas isn't new to the scene. 00:19:30.100 --> 00:19:39.620 As we shared, Thomas has been someone who's walked with, who's heard from, who's eaten with, 00:19:40.180 --> 00:19:46.420 who's prayed with, who's had his own feet washed by Jesus. 00:19:48.100 --> 00:19:54.100 See, Thomas is not ignorant of the teachings of Christ. He's an early disciple of Jesus. He isn't 00:19:54.100 --> 00:20:01.620 new to the crowd. Thomas would have heard Jesus repeatedly say over and over and over again that 00:20:01.620 --> 00:20:12.340 Jesus would die and rise again. Thomas, in fact, had displayed a depth of loyalty to Jesus that in John 00:20:12.340 --> 00:20:22.500 chapter 11, verse 16, that Thomas pledges that he himself is willing to die with Jesus. 00:20:24.100 --> 00:20:32.900 Like, this is not a man who's just finding out at the very beginning. In John chapter 14, it's Thomas's 00:20:32.900 --> 00:20:39.700 question. As Jesus talks about the eternal work of what Jesus is going in the preparation of heaven and 00:20:39.700 --> 00:20:47.780 what Jesus will do, it is Thomas who says, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the 00:20:47.780 --> 00:20:54.900 way?" Which leads to Jesus answering his question. If you're confused, Thomas, I know you've been with 00:20:54.900 --> 00:21:01.140 me, man, for years, but let me give some clarity. Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." 00:21:03.620 --> 00:21:16.260 But when Thomas hears the testimony of others, when Thomas hears what they have said, Thomas says, "Listen, 00:21:18.420 --> 00:21:27.540 I'll believe, but on my terms. I'll believe, but on my terms." And church, here's where I feel like our 00:21:27.540 --> 00:21:34.420 world has been and where our world is. I think it's a testimony that rings true in John chapter 20, 00:21:34.420 --> 00:21:41.060 and it's a testimony that rings true today, that there are millions upon millions upon millions 00:21:41.060 --> 00:21:50.020 of people who say, "That's fine. I'll come to Jesus, but it's on my terms. It's on my terms. I'll 00:21:50.020 --> 00:21:55.940 come to Jesus, but let me find myself first. I'll come to Jesus, but let me figure some things out first. 00:21:56.740 --> 00:22:02.260 I'll come to Jesus, but let me experience life a little bit more. I'll come to Jesus, but let me 00:22:02.260 --> 00:22:08.500 clean myself up a little bit. I'll come to Jesus, but let me solve a few more of my problems. I'll come 00:22:08.500 --> 00:22:14.580 to Jesus, but let me kick that habit first. I'll come to Jesus, but let me work through some emotions. 00:22:14.580 --> 00:22:19.860 I'll come to Jesus, but let me work through my hurt that has been created by the church. I'll come to 00:22:19.860 --> 00:22:25.940 Jesus, but let me work through what I'm blaming God right now for in my life. I'll come to Jesus, 00:22:25.940 --> 00:22:34.820 Jesus, but first I need a deeper level of understanding, and if that's you today, folks, you are Thomas. 00:22:38.180 --> 00:22:46.980 It's Jesus. But Thomas said, "But this is what I need. But this is what I need. But this is what I need." 00:22:47.940 --> 00:22:49.380 Now jump with me to verse 26. 00:22:52.660 --> 00:22:56.180 Thomas laid his terms out. I'll give him credit. He's honest. 00:22:58.740 --> 00:23:07.620 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them, and although 00:23:07.620 --> 00:23:11.780 the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them 00:23:14.580 --> 00:23:19.060 and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, 00:23:21.380 --> 00:23:29.780 "Put your finger here and see my hands and put out your your hand and place it in my side. 00:23:31.540 --> 00:23:33.620 Do not disbelieve, but believe." 00:23:37.140 --> 00:23:40.420 Thomas answered him, "My Lord, my God." 00:23:40.420 --> 00:23:45.140 And Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? 00:23:46.100 --> 00:23:50.260 Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." 00:23:51.860 --> 00:23:58.500 If you're here and you have not put your faith, hope, and trust in Jesus Christ, 00:24:00.180 --> 00:24:05.380 I know you're probably working through your terms in your mind. 00:24:06.500 --> 00:24:11.140 This is what I need. This is what I need. This is what I need. 00:24:12.820 --> 00:24:18.020 But my challenge for you this morning is would you come to Jesus Christ? 00:24:19.700 --> 00:24:26.980 Not because of some outside influence that has brought you to a point, 00:24:28.260 --> 00:24:36.020 but out of simple faith and profession of what Jesus has done and who Jesus is. 00:24:37.700 --> 00:24:44.660 Look, Thomas had terms. He said, "I need to see and I need to touch." 00:24:46.260 --> 00:24:53.700 And what does Jesus do? What does Jesus do? He reveals himself to Thomas. And this is interesting. 00:24:54.260 --> 00:24:59.380 I read this this week, like coming through there. I was reading a pastor who preached about this passage, 00:24:59.380 --> 00:25:04.260 and this just stood out in the realness and the freshness of the truth of God's word. 00:25:04.260 --> 00:25:10.500 Jesus reveals himself to Thomas the same way that he reveals himself to the other disciples. 00:25:10.500 --> 00:25:17.540 He stepped into the room. He offers peace. Just as Jesus is revealing himself to you this morning through his word. 00:25:18.820 --> 00:25:21.860 Jesus reveals through the power of the gospel, "Peace be with you." 00:25:22.580 --> 00:25:26.900 Jesus reveals himself. And then Jesus comes to Thomas. 00:25:28.740 --> 00:25:36.180 And he says, "Touch." He says, "What you need, buddy? Touch it. Touch it. Touch the side. Touch the side." 00:25:36.180 --> 00:25:40.100 Now notice this. Notice this. This blew my mind this week when I read this. 00:25:43.860 --> 00:25:48.580 Thomas never touched him. Thomas never touched him. 00:25:50.580 --> 00:25:53.460 I believe if Thomas would have touched him, the Bible would have told us that Thomas touched him. 00:25:53.460 --> 00:25:55.620 Thomas never touched him. 00:25:56.900 --> 00:26:06.340 In that moment, when Jesus revealed himself to Thomas, the revelation of Christ was all that Thomas needed. 00:26:07.220 --> 00:26:12.020 The revelation of Christ that he offers to you today is the revelation of Christ that he offered to Thomas. 00:26:12.020 --> 00:26:25.620 That was absolutely all he needed. And then in this, the beauty of Thomas, the beauty of doubting Thomas, the beauty of Thomas that we pick on all the time, the beauty of Thomas is that in the revelation of Christ, what does he say? 00:26:25.620 --> 00:26:31.940 He says, "My Lord, my God. My Lord, my God. My Lord, my God." 00:26:32.900 --> 00:26:39.140 In these two titles, Thomas says, "You're my master. You're my savior." 00:26:42.340 --> 00:26:44.900 See, Thomas was no longer on his terms. 00:26:47.300 --> 00:26:51.060 Thomas says, "Jesus, I'm on your terms." 00:26:53.540 --> 00:26:56.340 Folks, whose terms are you on? 00:26:59.620 --> 00:27:08.420 Don't wait for tomorrow for what God desires to do with you and to do in you today. 00:27:10.340 --> 00:27:19.060 Put your faith, your hope, and your trust in the person and in the work of Christ. 00:27:20.180 --> 00:27:28.260 I'm going to ask the praise team and the prayer team, if the praise team will come up on stage, if the prayer team will make their way to the sides of the auditorium. 00:27:29.860 --> 00:27:31.460 Earlier, we talked about your terms. 00:27:32.900 --> 00:27:34.260 But here's the gospel's terms. 00:27:35.460 --> 00:27:39.620 The apostle Paul writes in Romans 10, verses 9 through 10. 00:27:40.660 --> 00:27:48.500 It says, "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, 00:27:49.060 --> 00:27:51.780 you will be saved. 00:27:52.820 --> 00:28:00.660 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." 00:28:01.860 --> 00:28:05.700 If you're here today and you're not a follower of Jesus Christ, 00:28:06.660 --> 00:28:09.460 it's not about you getting it right because he's gotten it right. 00:28:10.020 --> 00:28:12.740 It's not about what you need to do because he's already done it. 00:28:13.380 --> 00:28:18.100 It's about declaring, "My Lord, my God." 00:28:20.100 --> 00:28:25.540 In the light of what the gospel demands, would you be willing to come forth today, number one, 00:28:26.420 --> 00:28:27.780 and admitting that you're a sinner? 00:28:29.060 --> 00:28:32.500 You see, it's the reality of the mess that we find ourselves in. 00:28:35.380 --> 00:28:36.580 You're a sinner, I'm a sinner. 00:28:37.620 --> 00:28:38.420 We're all sinners. 00:28:40.260 --> 00:28:44.100 Jesus didn't come to save non-sinners because there's no such thing. 00:28:45.940 --> 00:28:50.820 And so in order to recognize that we need to be saved, we have to recognize that we need to be saved from something. 00:28:51.860 --> 00:28:54.100 And we need to be saved from ourself and our sin. 00:28:55.220 --> 00:28:57.460 Would you come today and admit that you're a sinner? 00:28:58.660 --> 00:28:59.860 The second thing, would you believe? 00:29:00.740 --> 00:29:01.460 Would you believe? 00:29:02.500 --> 00:29:07.780 Would you put your faith in Jesus Christ, that he died on the cross for your sin, 00:29:08.420 --> 00:29:14.500 that he was buried in the tomb, and that three days later, while we are gathered in here today, 00:29:15.620 --> 00:29:16.900 he rose again? 00:29:17.940 --> 00:29:24.100 Would you believe in the person and the work of Jesus Christ, that he came to save you? 00:29:25.620 --> 00:29:28.100 And then lastly, would you confess? 00:29:28.820 --> 00:29:29.860 Would you confess? 00:29:30.340 --> 00:29:31.060 Would you confess? 00:29:32.020 --> 00:29:37.300 When we think of confessing, we think of confessing like, oh, shucks, well, I guess I gotta admit that. 00:29:38.180 --> 00:29:40.740 But that's not what the word confess means in the Bible. 00:29:41.460 --> 00:29:47.780 The word confess means to proclaim, to announce, to tell truth. 00:29:50.340 --> 00:29:51.060 Would you admit? 00:29:52.020 --> 00:29:52.900 Would you believe? 00:29:53.700 --> 00:29:54.580 And would you confess? 00:29:55.620 --> 00:30:01.060 Jesus Christ, as Lord of your today, your tomorrow, and your eternity. 00:30:02.820 --> 00:30:06.420 Would you join in the profession of Thomas? 00:30:08.020 --> 00:30:10.580 My Lord, my God. 00:30:11.460 --> 00:30:12.340 Would you pray with me? 00:30:15.060 --> 00:30:18.660 God, work and move as only you can. 00:30:20.180 --> 00:30:22.900 for your name, for your renown. 00:30:24.100 --> 00:30:25.460 And it's in Jesus' name we pray. 00:30:26.500 --> 00:30:26.780 Amen. 00:30:28.500 --> 00:30:30.180 That's it for this week's message. 00:30:30.580 --> 00:30:32.980 Be sure to check back next week for a new episode. 00:30:33.460 --> 00:30:37.780 And in the meantime, you can visit us online at willowridgechurch.org, 00:30:38.020 --> 00:30:42.180 or by searching for Willow Ridge Church on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. 00:30:42.580 --> 00:30:43.580 Thanks again for listening. 00:30:43.580 --> 00:30:43.580 Thanks again for listening.