Today, on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe, Jesus Christ has conquered death. Jesus Christ has defeated death. And he says something that. No one else could say in all of human history. He alone uniquely can say this, I am the resurrection and the life.
He who believes in me shall live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Welcome to the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. Today, we're continuing to prepare for Easter by gaining a better understanding of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And why this event, which happened over 2,000 years ago, means everything to our lives today. Praise God, the tomb of Jesus Christ is empty.
Now what does that mean for you? Let's join Pastor John Monroe as he begins the second part of his message, Alive Forevermore. Throughout the world on Easter morning, this cry will sound: Christ is risen. Authentic Christianity affirms that there is a living God And that in His mercy and grace He has devised and accomplished the plan of salvation so that we may receive eternal life. This plan of salvation is accomplished.
through the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because Jesus lives, the dead are made alive. That is, those who are spiritually dead in their sins are given his eternal life and so shall live forever. Not only does the living Christ save us from our sins, He transforms our lives and changes the whole direction of our lives. Listen now.
as we think of that supernatural transformation. Central to the Christian faith. is this fact. Yes, a historical fact. that Jesus Rose from the dead.
That the tomb is empty and that Christ is risen. Do you actually believe that? I do. risen from the dead. Amazing to think.
No, the resurrection of Jesus. It's not just a historical fact, it is that. But the resurrection of Jesus Christ is relevant for each one of us. Because they claim of Jesus. The claim of the Son of God is this.
That in his risen life His resurrected life, in his eternal life, He offers that to all who place their trust in him. Jesus says to his followers, I'm going to read it from John chapter 14. Jesus says to his followers this, I want you to grasp this. Want this to be embedded in your very heart and your soul. He says to them, and this is an astonishing promise.
Okay. Because I live You shall live. Also, think of that. One who not only is alive, but is eternally alive, alive forevermore. Jesus is not going to die again.
He's not going to be crucified again. He lives in his endless life. He is the eternal God. And because I live, says Jesus, you shall live also. John chapter 14.
Verse 18, he says, Jesus to his disciples, we call them the apostles. I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more. No.
Think of that. The world doesn't see Jesus, but you, my followers, will see me. Because I live You also will Live. That's wonderful, isn't it? Here is the claim of the Christian faith: that we who are spiritually dead can be offered through Christ new life.
Do you say spiritually dead? Yes. Here is Paul. He's writing to Christians at Ephesus, Ephesians 2, verse 1. He says to them, You were, past tense, you were dead.
In the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world. He's reminding them that before they came face to face with the living Christ, they lived a certain way according to the course of the world. And he says to them, You were dead. spiritually dead in your trespasses and sins. That's pretty Horrible to be described like that, isn't it?
But that is the truth? Spiritually speaking, You are Dead.
Now a dead person doesn't need reformation of character. A dead person doesn't need a change of personality. A dead person doesn't need a better education or to live in a fairer and juster political and economic society. What does a dead person need? Life But this new life has to be personally received by each of us.
What are you to do? What am I to do? I have to admit I'm sinful. And to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, put my trust in Christ. who on the cross died for the sins of John Monroe.
That's grace, that's mercy. Eternal life. Is absolutely free. It's all of God's grace. It's all of God's mercy that is offered to you in Christ and in Christ alone.
You see, when you come to Christ, I don't want you to do that. I want you to put your faith in Christ. You come with empty hands. Stop your bossing. Stop telling us about your achievements, impressive although they are.
No, you come with empty hands. You come not to give God anything. You come not to make a little speech and say, Well, I'm going to try and do better, I'm going to do the best I can, and I'm going to stop doing such and such, and I'm really going to do this. I might every week go to church and you know, God, how difficult that is, but I'm going to do it. No, no, no, no.
You're silent. You have really nothing to say. You have nothing to bring apart from your sin. We come spiritually helpless, spiritually dead, and looking to Christ who died and who. rose again and who still says because I live You shall live also.
So, because Jesus lives, the dead are made alive. Secondly, because Jesus lives, our lives are transformed. I love this. Our lives are changed, spiritually changed. We call that transformation of the person.
You come to the living Christ. How can you stay the same? That's like somebody getting married and then living as a single person. No, it's changed. Things are changed.
This is a living relationship. You're in Christ. There is a fundamental change. Paul puts it this way. Ephesians 2 verse 10.
For we are his workmanship. Created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. I watched as five young Men and women. A couple of tenth graders. Students.
A recent graduate. And I thought, how wonderful. They are God's workmanship. Think of how God works in our lives behind the scenes. There's a young woman, Lydia, 10th grade, who got baptized.
She said she had a terrible life. I know something about it. A terrible home. No father and a mother who didn't care. She and her siblings are placed into a group home.
Because the grandmother can't take care of them. She goes to a foster home. And then, in the grace of God, she comes to a home. That family adopts her into her family. And as she read a scripture, she read from Ephesians 1 that she is now adopted into the family of God.
Wonderful to be adopted into a family. Physical family, how much more wonderful to be adopted into the family of God and that God. Takes this young woman from a terrible background that few of us have experienced. Brings her to Christ, she is God's workmanship. You are God's workmanship.
That God made you. He didn't make you to live a selfish, self-indulgent, self-absorbed life. In your own little bubble, no, he's created you for better things. And when we meet the living Christ, our lives are surrendered to him so that he leads us in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. You see, authentic Christianity is not just going through some church ritual.
It's not just admiring Christ from afar. It's not just having a doctrinal statement. Put before you and say, Oh, yes, I agree with that, and I believe in strong doctrine, believe me. But you can say that and still not know Christ. You can go through all the hoops, as it were, of some church and still not have saving faith in the living Christ.
And when you do, This Life transforms us. And the very r ordinance of baptism is an illustration of that. Here is someone who goes into the water, it symbolizes that they died with Christ. They go under the water, symbolizing they're buried with Christ. This is a burial.
Ah, but they come out of the water symbolizing the new life. That Paul says in Romans 6 that we walk in newness of life, that the old is gone and the new has come. We are new creations in Christ. How can we? continue to live as we once lived if we truly have a personal relationship with the living Christ.
Life is forever changed and This means That we look to Christ to direct us. that we have a power within us Because The claim of the Christian faith is this. That when you trust Jesus Christ, not only is he going to wash you and cleanse your sins. That's Marvelous. Not only is He going to give you eternal life, that's unbelievable almost, isn't it?
He's going to indwell you. Living in Maybe. Transforming us. A new power, a new direction, new wisdom. I baptized an Englishman, a young We shouldn't.
Came to the US from England to play soccer. And he and I have different views of British soccer teams. But the Bible says we are to love our enemies, so I still baptize them. And I didn't hold them under too long. He likes Liverpool, I like Manchester United.
And for a couple of seasons, Manchester United were playing terribly. Hard to watch them. But then their manager bought A new player. His name is Bruno Fernandez. He's Portuguese.
He's by twenty-six. And he plays midfield. And man, what a difference. What difference?
Now when I played soccer, obviously not his level, I played midfield.
So I'm interested in midfield players. And just think, just imagine if I had Bruno Fernandez living in me.
Okay. Just for a day, just for a game, right? That his skill is my skill. That his football brain is my football brain. He just seems to know where the ball is going to come.
And he could kick that ball so accurately. And he just runs and runs and runs. And he's transformed him that I have that power, that I have that wisdom, that I have that skill, because Bruno Fernandez is living in John Monroe when I go onto the soccer field. There's a greater power, isn't it? that Christ lives in me.
And he will help me every day, whatever the situation, whatever the problem, how difficult it is, he is with me, transforming me. And the Christian life then is not trying to please God by my own efforts. That's going to lead to frustration, despair, and even hypocrisy and rule following. No, authentic Christianity is this: that when you come to Christ, He indwells you, and the living Christ lives in us. We're made in the image of God, and Paul is saying, You're his workmanship, and God has created you.
for good works which you prepare beforehand. You you wonder what's gonna happen in next year. Two years from now, we know we Why don't you ask God to direct you? Why don't you ask God for wisdom? Why do you stop depending on your own wisdom?
And allow the mighty God to direct you and help you. This Easter Sunday, I want you to understand. That Jesus Christ has conquered death. That Jesus Christ has defeated death. And that he's.
Says something that no one else could say in all of human history. He alone uniquely can say this. I am. Listen to it. Jesus says, I am the resurrection and the life.
He who believes in me shall live even though he died. And everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. That is, that when I come to Jesus Christ, who's the resurrection and the life, who's conquered death, when I come to him, he gives me his life. Eternal life. And that when I die, that life, that eternal life, is not quenched.
Yes, my physical life will end. I'm laid in a cemetery here in Magnolia Gardens. And people say that's the end of John Monroe. It's not the end of John Monroe, because there's a day coming when I'm going to be resurrected, that even though I die, yet shall I live. Why?
Because I am. Eternally. united to my Lord Jesus Christ, who says, because I live. You. shall live.
Also. I'm asking you today. To open your heart to Christ.
Some of you have never yet done that. Can't understand that. Open your heart to receive Jesus as your Savior. He's alive forevermore. Do you really want to put your hope in this life?
I understand this life can be wonderful. Perhaps you're at the top of the mountain. Just think of all of the changes that have happened in our world, which makes life so wonderful. Just a couple of days ago, I take my iPhone and I press a button, and I'm speaking to my brother thousands of miles away. I'm walking and he's walking.
He's walking in the mountains of Scotland. I'm thinking, why am I not doing that? But that's another story. I mean, he's walking. And it's as if I was speaking to you.
And I thought, there's technology, it's amazing, isn't it? I grew up In the home I was born, we didn't even have a telephone. Younger generation can't understand it. We didn't have a phone in the house. And now A wonder of technology.
I can call someone. You go to hospital, it's amazing what can be done in the medical field. with our technology and operation, think of the brilliance of men, think of our engineering. Think of the brilliance of our scientists and our medical Research people that can produce a vaccine so quickly to combat this virus. How wonderful.
Human ingenuity and the technology that goes on in our lives is absolutely wonderful. And here we are living in the most powerful country of the world. Americans keep saying this is the best country in the world to live. I ask you this question: if it's so good. Why are so many people anxious?
If it's so good, why do many people Why are so many people depressed? Why do so many people appear to be hopeless?
So recently I'm in hospital for a a routine procedure. Just in and out as quickly as I can get, believe me. And I'm speaking to my nurse. It was very nice. We start talking about spiritual things and And she says to me, I've got four children.
I said, how is it? raising four children. She said it's it's really tough.
So we've got a fifteen year old. And she said to me, Do you know that just In the last few months, two of his friends Two of his friends have taken their lives. Suicide.
Now what is it? in our society. In this wonderful country. One of the most powerful countries in the world that we have young people. At high school, middle school, high school, college.
And they're so depressed and they feel so hopeless. Let me take their own lives. Not just young people hopeless.
So I'm asking you. To understand that your only hope in life and in death is in Jesus Christ. And that Jesus Christ prepares us to face death. He gives us supernatural power to live here. And gives us a wonderful hope.
of the future. and says, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. and you'll be saved. I believe that Jesus is alive because of the evidence for the resurrection. I believe that Jesus is alive because the resurrection is taught in the Word of God, and I believe it.
But I also believe it because when I was twelve years old I had the most unforgettable experience of my life, the best experience of my life. But I Ask Jesus Christ. to come. And to save me. And as a boy of twelve.
Not understanding all about the Bible and theology as I now do, but I did know this: that I was a sinful little boy. And that there was more to life than kicking a ball. And I came to Christ and Confess my sin and look to the cross. And saw Christ dying for me. And I realized that he rose again.
And I trusted him and I put my faith in him, and my life has never ever been the same.
So I'm personally convinced, this is very personal to me. I'm personally convinced. of the truth of the resurrection.
So convinced that my whole life is devoted to telling people about the Lord Jesus Christ who's alive. This is not just a theory. This is not just a doctrine to me, it's my life. I'm 100% convinced, 100% convinced that Jesus rose from the dead. I love him.
I know him. I've been transformed by him. I live my life, yes, as a Christian, imperfectly. I'm selling the body. He's still working on me.
But I believe that Christ is alive, risen from the dead, and He's alive forevermore, and death has been conquered. And yes, one day, if He doesn't come, I will die. I can face death because I'm eternally united to Jesus Christ, who still says. Because I live You shall live. Also.
Do you have that hope? Do you have that hope? John Donnelly. He's a 17th century English poet and he writes this. Death be not proud.
No. Though some have called thee mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so. One short sleep passed. We wake eternally. And death shall be no more.
Death thou shalt Die. That's the voice of a believer. Yes, death is mighty. Yes, we many fear death. But as believers in Jesus Christ, we believe this.
that our Lord Jesus Christ has conquered death. The death is defeated. That death thou shalt die, that death shall be no more, because the Lord Jesus Christ is alive and still says to you and me, Do you believe it? Will you accept the promise? Because I live.
You. Shall live. Also. I'm going to give you an opportunity right now. To open your heart and your life to Christ, to put your trust in Christ.
I plead with you. I'm going to lead you in a prayer.
Now this prayer, saying the prayer mechanically. It's not gonna do anything for you. There's not some magic formula. This is of the heart. This is you coming to Christ, confessing your sins.
If this prayer will help you and lead you to Christ. Pray with me. Lord Jesus. I believe you're the Son of God. and that you rose from the dead.
I believe you're a- that you're alive. I admit that I've sinned against God. Gone my own way, rebelled. I know I now turn from my sin, I confess my sin, I repent. of my sin and my Self-centeredness.
Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. They're paying the penalty. of all of my sins on the cross and I Now trust you as my Saviour. I do that. Lord Jesus.
Forgive me. Cleanse me. Save me. And help me. Tona for you.
Yeah. Amen. This is the verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. There's still more to hear when John returns in just a moment, so stay with us. From matters of truth and identity, to the subjects of love and grace, our world seems more confused than ever.
but to find truth and certainty about who we are and find peace, we must turn our attention away from the world and look to the Word of God. To help you do that, John wrote a booklet titled Eternal Security, Finding Certainty in a Chaotic World. Through this special resource, John shares his personal testimony, along with a careful examination of Scripture, to offer us clarity on matters of eternity. Get your copy today by visiting our website at theverdict.org. While you're there, consider making an investment in this Bible teaching ministry.
Whether it's $5, $50, or more, your gift today helps cover the cost of sharing these gospel messages to listeners around the world. And if you haven't already, be sure to subscribe to the Verdict Podcast, featuring John's weekly podcast exclusive called Avizandam. It's available wherever you get your podcasts, or simply go to our website. Again, that's theverdict.org. The verdict is a ministry of Calvary Church in South Charlotte.
We're located on the corner of Highway 51 and Ray Road. If you've been looking for a church home or a community to help you grow in your walk with Christ, We invite you to join us for our Sunday services. For more details about Calvary and our service times, visit theverdict.org.
Now, here's Pastor John Monroe.
Well, what's your verdict? Have you received this eternal life? Has your life been transformed? Perhaps you've only embraced a cultural or ritualistic Christianity rather than having a personal encounter with the living Christ. to hear his words.
I am the resurrection of the life. He who believes in me shall live, even though he die. and everyone who lives in me shall never die. I'm praying that this Easter weekend, You. will personally repent of your sin.
and receive the Lord Jesus as your Savior. Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
