BECAUSE HE LIVES....I HAVE PEACE

• When Jesus appeared to his disciples that first Easter Sunday, the first words out of his mouth were, “Peace be with you!” (John 20:19). 
• The peace Jesus spoke of was more than just a sense of calmness or tranquility. It was the Hebrew word shalom and it was full of meaning.

Has there been a time in your life when you've tried to find peace in your own strength? What do you think God wants us to do as we search for peace?

BECAUSE HE LIVES...I HAVE A PURPOSE

I want you to catch the next thing Jesus said. He tells his disciples: “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21). 

• Where was he sending them? Everywhere. 
• In other words, they were going to become ambassadors of Christ. 
• Their mission, should they choose to accept it, was to spread the word about the cross and the empty tomb—to share the message of Jesus with their friends, neighbors, and relatives. 
• They would use their love, their lives, and their lips to testify about power of the cross and the promise of eternal life.

Salvation gives a whole new purpose with our lives. It's no longer about building ourselves up, It's all about building up the Kingdom of God.

Have you ever been held back by fear or rejection? Our purpose is to talk about God every chance we get. Pray and ask him to remove any doubts from your mind that you don't know enough to share the truth of The Gospel.

BECAUSE HE LIVES... I HAVE A PROMISE

• At the end of this encounter with the risen Christ, John tells us, “these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31)

That’s the promise of John 3:16 too, isn’t it? “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall no perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

The promise that we have, and that no one can ever take away, is the fact we will spend eternity with GOD IN HEAVEN!!!

Who wouldn't want to do that?

This requires surrender. We have to lay our life down at His feet and say, "Lord, here I am and I empty myself. Use me for your glory however you will."

Have you put your full trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ? Do you believe that what He did on that cross was enough to pay the debts of your sin? If you've never confessed that with your mouth, would you come forward this morning and surrender your life into the hands of our Mighty God? That may be the very reason He brought you here today!