Easter Sunrise Service - 04/05/2026

You know, Jesus never says go to church. You say, he didn't say that? Then I'm out of here. And he's not saying right now, go to church if you're not in a relationship with him. He's saying, come to me. And he said that repeatedly to people. Come to me. I'll give you rest. Come to me if you're thirsty. If you're dry, if you're dead inside, come to me. The bible ends with a repeated cacophony of invitations. Come. The spirit and the bride say, come. The Lord is saying, come. [01:06:46] (33 seconds)  #ComeToJesus

Has that happened in your life? Or is Jesus just a wonderful person from history who if he did what the bible says and people say, well, he deserves to be worshiped. Listen. The resurrected Christ is more than a fact to be believed. He's a person. He said, I am the resurrection to be met and to be changed by personally. Here's what the Bible says in Romans eight. When a person becomes a Christian, God's spirit moves into you, regenerates your spirit that was dead, and God's spirit makes your spirit know that you're a child of God. [00:58:33] (37 seconds)  #ChristIsAlive

The real question goes beyond, is Jesus dead or alive? The real question is, are you dead or alive? You say, what a silly question. Of course, I'm right here. Dead tired, but I'm here. But you see, you're alive physically, but that does not make you alive spiritually. Breathing is not believing. James says there are other kinds of faith besides saving faith. There's dead faith. Faith without works, dead. [00:59:34] (42 seconds)  #AliveNotJustBreathing

Are you seeking him? Because I got news for you. If you are, that proves that he's seeking you. You say, what do you mean? The Bible says no man seeketh after God. You say, well, I am. Then that's the Lord. Jesus said, if I've been lifted up on the cross, I'll draw all men to myself. He's the magnet. The spirit of God is drawing you. You think it's just your interest? You think it's your your guilt? You think it's because you don't like the way that you're living and maybe maybe church, maybe God will help you? That's the Lord working in your life. That's where it starts. [01:08:08] (32 seconds)  #HeIsSeekingYou

Every true believer in Jesus has met him as a resurrected lord and experienced a resurrection of their own. In essence, every true believer has the exact same testimony as Lazarus. What was it Lazarus uniquely could say in his day? I was dead and now I'm alive. That was true physically. You have the same testimony only it's a spiritual testimony. I was dead spiritually, but now I'm alive. Has that happened? It needs to. It can. And that's what I'm gonna invite you to experience in just a moment. [01:05:35] (47 seconds)  #IWasDeadNowImAlive

Lazarus was never gonna be able to move that stone. Can you can I tell you something? When it comes to the Lord revealing himself, he does the heavy lifting. He's the one listen. Jesus dealt with your sin. He dealt with death. He has taken away every obstacle that could be between you and him except except that door that's on your side. You say, well, pastor, what what's what's the door that would keep somebody away? Well, that depends on who you are. [01:10:07] (38 seconds)  #LordDoesTheHeavyLifting

I will not believe. I don't care that he said he would come back to life. I don't care that other people claim they met him alive unless I have incontrovertible proof, which by the way, I'm gonna describe to you what it's gonna be. I'm gonna have to I'm gonna have to see the wounds. I'm gonna have to put my hand right into the hole in his side. If that doesn't happen, I will not believe. That's where he starts out. [00:46:38] (24 seconds)  #ShowMeTheWounds

But Jesus didn't come. Die on the cross and rise again for your appreciation. He came that you might have participation in what he's done. Amen? Is that you? Then get out of your seat, come down, and let's do this together. We're gonna sing again, and I challenge you. I beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God, but come. [01:25:51] (80 seconds)  #JoinInHisWork

Listen. The reason Houdini couldn't communicate back is because death is not a magic trip trick that he could overcome. It's a wall that nobody can come through, but Jesus Christ came through it to prove. Here's what it says in the book of Romans chapter one and verse four. God declared Jesus Christ to be his son with power by the resurrection from the dead. It was God's stamp of approval on the person of Jesus Christ and who he claimed to be. [00:42:25] (37 seconds)  #ResurrectionIsProof

Dead or alive. That was the issue even in Paul's day. And I wanna tell you something. I'll tell you why that's the essential question for today. Because you see, if the resurrection account is not true, then it's on the same level as the Easter bunny. It's either the most ridiculous hoax of all of history or it's the most wonderful event of all eternity. You need to decide which one it is. [00:34:05] (31 seconds)  #ResurrectionOrHoax

If this is true, and it is, it changes everything. The resurrection is a receipt. It is God's amen to Christ's. It is finished on the cross. Paid in full, when Jesus died, he said, it's done. I have finished the work the father gave me to do. I died for mankind's sins. [00:05:24] (25 seconds)  #PaidInFull

Why would you look for a living person in a cemetery? You know, my my granddaughter, Lily, she didn't come home from school about a month ago. We got a little concerned. Should have been home. It was getting dark, and she had after school responsibility. So, when she didn't answer her phone, I got in my car, and I started going back from my house to Eldorado back and forth looking for her. I'll tell you somewhere, I didn't go. I didn't go to Forest Lawn. [00:35:08] (25 seconds)  #DontSearchTheCemetery

He is ready to exchange everything you've ever done wrong for everything Jesus did right. You can't earn it. You don't deserve it. No one does. But you can have it if you're willing to just receive it by grace through faith. So would you just bow your heads with me right now? And I'm gonna ask you to pray a prayer. I'm gonna ask you to pray it out loud so that everyone here can hear you. [01:30:22] (26 seconds)  #GraceThroughFaith

Maybe you're here and you say, well well, Bob, I I don't doubt what you're saying is true about Jesus. My problem is I I already love him. I I follow him as and I wish I could live like him. But I have to admit, I've never known for absolutely personal sure that it was true. I don't have a living relationship with him. I have kind of a dead faith. I go to church and I get excited. I feel spiritual at Christmas and Easter and I shed a tear that Jesus died for me, but it doesn't really affect the way that I live. And you are attending Calvary Chapel of Sardis, friend. [01:24:14] (39 seconds)  #FromDeadFaithToAlive

You think about these women. One of them was Mary Magdalene. She had seven demons cast out of her while Jesus was alive. She loved him, but she did not believe he was alive. Look. She didn't go to the tomb to see the risen Lord. She went to finish the funeral. She was sure he was dead, but she still loved him. I I think there are many people, maybe a few even here. You love Jesus. Why? Well, he's changed your life. [00:43:47] (30 seconds)  #LoveDoesntEqualBelief

And Thomas was given exactly what he demanded. By the way, he realized he didn't need it. When Jesus said, come over and touch my wounds. Don't be unbelieving, but believing. Thomas said, my lord and my he he he never says he even did it. He thought he needed it. And Jesus said, I'll give it to you. You don't actually need it. And I believe the Lord is able to do that for every single person. [00:49:43] (25 seconds)  #JesusMeetsDoubters

is needed in every one of their cases and in every case since, listen to me, is a personal encounter with the risen Lord. Let me say that again. What is needed to know that Jesus is alive is a personal encounter. Whether you're a doubter like Thomas or a downright denier like Saul, you still need that. Jesus, by the way, in every case, met them right where they were. [00:48:44] (30 seconds)  #PersonalEncounterWithChrist

And Festus is in a turmoil, so he says to king Agrippa who happens to be in town, that he's not sure what to say about this prisoner, Paul. But he says this in acts 25, when the accusers of Paul stood up, they did not begin bringing any charges against him of crimes that I suspected. But they simply had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive. [00:33:32] (33 seconds)  #DeadManAliveClaim

Here's something I think a lot of times Christians miss about the resurrection of Jesus and his disciples. It it wasn't a one time experience and a flash and then he was gone. Think about it for those disciples in particular. The bible says that Jesus ascended bodily. He went to Bethany. He was raised up. Just suddenly, he ascended to heaven. I think our tendency is like, man, I wish I had seen that. I wish I could have seen the resurrected Lord. [00:51:02] (27 seconds)  #ResurrectionWasRealAndVisible

They're not at the tomb for the funeral. They're in fear and hiding. The bible says they were weeping. That's when the women came back. They were weeping. They were mourning the fact that Jesus was dead. They certainly didn't believe. The two on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24 happened to be talking to Jesus, about Jesus. They just can't tell it's Jesus. And they're really bummed out and discouraged. And Jesus says, what what's wrong? [00:44:39] (26 seconds)  #JesusMeetsYouInBrokenness