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Prepare For Life | David Fisher

He is risen. He is risen. Let me do it again.

When I say He is risen, you respond with He is risen indeed. He is risen. He is indeed.

What a day. What a day. It’s time for us to prepare for life.

That’s the message for today. Preparing for life. You were made for life.

You know that? You were made for life. When God said, let us believe that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit said, let us make man in our own image. And it took dust and breathe the Spirit into us to live.

You were made to live. Not just a little while. You were made to live eternally with Him.

That’s what we were made for. That’s what we were made for. And Jesus’ death restored us back to that purpose that God had all along that we would live forever.

The problem was as our forefathers sinned and we’ve sinned. We’ve done things that have brought dishonor to God and for that death came into the world. But I’m telling you here today, y’all were made for life.

You were made to know God. That’s what eternal life is. We were made to know Him.

Some of you before when I’ve said this kind of looked at me kind of strange when I said God did not create you to have a relationship with Him. He created you to know Him. See, because just, and it’s not, it’s not wrong to say God created you to have a relationship with Him, but I believe relationship is way too weak.

So we can have a relationship with the mailman. I can have a relationship with the person at the counter. We’re having some interaction.

We’re having some connection between two or more persons, or maybe it’s a connection between things, or maybe it’s a connection between concepts. The Bible says, and Jesus defined eternal life as knowing the Father and the Son, knowing Him. And knowing is so much deeper than just a relationship.

It’s a kind of relationship, but it’s much deeper. It’s this connection. It’s this connection of knowing, this connection that’s developed through time spent together, through meetings spent together, with interacting and speaking and talking and communicating.

Knowing is an intimacy that is so much deeper than just a relationship. Y’all follow me? I like to say God created us to know Him, not just to know about Him. He created us to know Him intimately, and that’s what eternal life is.

We were prepared for life that begins now. So what are we waiting for? We’re preparing for life now. You were not made to die.

Now I know that’s the common reality, the common bitterness that we all have faced, or all of us have lost a loved one somewhere, whether it was a father, a child, a parent, a grandparent, a great-grandparent. Everybody here has faced the bitterness and the reality of physical death, haven’t you? And there is nothing fun about that. It causes us grief.

It causes us hurt. It causes us heartache. And there are a lot of people who are afraid of death, aren’t they? And even people throughout the world, they’ve developed different beliefs that we don’t follow of trying to explain this life and death and what happens and why it happens and what happens to you after.

And there’s all kinds of beliefs out there. And Jesus came to restore what those beliefs ought to be, because he came to defeat death once and for all. There’s one belief that I’m going to call the Forrest Gump Mama belief.

And if y’all have seen the movie, Forrest is standing there beside the big giant oak tree, and he’s got his hands down, and he’s looking at his mama’s headstone, big, white marble and rocks all there. And he says, Mama always said that dying was a part of life. I sure wish it wasn’t.

Oh, so do I. I wish it wasn’t. I wish it wasn’t. And I hate to disagree with Forrest Gump’s mama, but I’m going to tell you, dying is not part of life.

It’s the opposite of life. It is contrary to life. It is everything that life is not.

And I know that’s part of moving on, and without the crucifixion, we wouldn’t have the resurrection. But I’m here to tell you, dying is not part of life. There’s another theory that I’ve heard and I’ve read, or it’s a quote that says, death is a price that we all pay.

Y’all heard that before? Wrong again. It’s almost like it’s thrown out there as, well, you got to have your fun, and it’s just the price you pay for all the fun and all the things you do throughout all your life. It’s the price we pay.

It is not the price we pay. God told Adam and Eve on the day that you sin and the day that you eat this, you’ll die. It is not the price we pay.

The Bible says the wages of sin is death. It’s what we earn. We don’t like to think about it that way, but we earn it because we live in rebellion.

At some point in time of our life, we’ve lived in rebellion and we’ve earned the consequences. Death may be the consequences that are faced, but it’s not the price we pay. The truth is, it’s the debt we owe.

And Jesus came to cancel that debt once and for all. There’s a third kind of motto out there that says you’ve got to prepare for death. Any of y’all ever heard people talk about the bucket list? You know what that means? It means before you kick the bucket list.

It’s not the bucket that just holds stuff. It’s the kicking the bucket list, the things you need to prepare for and the list of things you want to do before you die. I read about a tombstone one time, and it says, remember me as you pass by, as you are now.

So once was I, as I am now, so you must be. Prepare for death and follow me. And the truth is, there are a lot of people who are just trying to squeeze everything out of life, just trying to do everything they can, all the fun, all the fun that they think they can have, all the experiences they think they can muster because they’re just preparing, trying to get it all done before they kick the bucket.

But there’s another line to this gravestone that somebody came in later and added. It says, to follow you I’m not content until I know which way you went. Well, isn’t that the truth? To follow me or to follow you I’m not content until I know which way you went.

I’ll tell you, this is where Jesus completely changed the script. This is where Jesus with the crucifixion and with the resurrection completely changed the script forever and for always. And it was in the wisdom and the mystery of God on how they did it.

If you got your Bible, turn over to 1 Corinthians 2.7. I think we got it. Do we have it on the screen? 1 Corinthians 2.7 says, but we speak, but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained or predetermined before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew. Meaning the rulers, the devil was considered kind of to be the ruler of that age.

The rulers of this age knew, which none of them knew, says for had they known they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. I want to get a little bit of explanation here. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned, what’s happened to people? They’ve died.

It’s happened for thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of years. That’s just the way, it’s the wages of sin. It’s just what happens.

It’s been the consequence. It’s the consequence that human beings have faced ever since the first Adam was created as a human being. He wasn’t created to die, but because of the sin, he did.

And to see for somebody to die meant that they must have done what? Sin. And the devil and the rulers of this age decided that they were going to kill Jesus. But the big problem was, is Jesus had not yet sinned.

So how do you kill somebody who has not sinned? It’s kind of breaking the code, isn’t it? It’s kind of breaking the rules, isn’t it? They wanted to kill Jesus who had not sinned. He wasn’t just a little baby who hadn’t sinned. He was a 30-year-old man who hadn’t sinned.

Any of you 30-year-olds and above kind of think that is quite amazing? I think it is. So how are you going to kill a man who hadn’t sinned? So God in his wisdom said, Jesus, I’m going to put all the sins of all the people upon you, and you’re going to pay the price for what they’ve done. And you know, Jesus was willing to do that.

He was willing to do it. This wasn’t a new idea that came to God right before the cross. He said, hey, why are you going through this? Why don’t we do this? This was a plan that was preordained before the foundation of the world.

Before God even created us, he already had a plan that he was going to put all the sin and all the debt on his son, Jesus. And Jesus died. It didn’t just appear that he died.

Jesus died. It just didn’t look like he died. There were some people who said he really didn’t die.

He just kind of looked like he died. But Jesus died. And his disciples and his mother and John who stood there at the cross saw him take his last breath and say, it’s finished.

Done. And they grieved his death. And they were fearful because of his death.

And they were despondent because of his death. But Sunday came and Jesus rose again. The whole life giving experience, the whole consequence of death was done.

This is the day that changed the world. This is the day. This is the day that death was defeated.

This is the day that God got the victory over everything having to do with death. Today was the day. He said, it’s time for you to quit preparing for death.

It’s time for you to start preparing for life. It’s time to prepare for life, to follow you. I’m not content until I know which way you went.

And I know where Jesus went. You know what Jesus says? Jesus says, follow me. You remember that in the Bible, every time he called a disciple, he didn’t say, hey, would y’all think about coming and tagging along? He said, follow me.

And to follow him, I am content because I know which way he went and he was resurrected from the dead and he was brought to life and he is forever in the presence of his father. And Jesus is calling you to prepare for life. He says, follow me because I’ve created you for this.

I created you to know me. I created you because the Bible says Jesus is the life giver. Jesus has a gift of eternal life that he wants to give to you.

And he’s given it. Will you open it? Yes. Start preparing for life now.

Quit preparing for death. Quit worrying about the things you haven’t done. Quit worrying about the things that you’ve done in the past.

Quit thinking of all the things that you’ve got to do before you die. I want you to start thinking about the things you need to start doing now to live. And the Bible tells us exactly what that is.

If we’re going to start living, if we’re going to start living, we’re going to start following Jesus. We have a chance to know God now, not just in the resurrection, even though in the resurrection it’s just going to get better and better and better. But he’s saying you have the opportunity, you have the right, you have the gift to know him now.

So start spending some time with him now. Start meeting with him now. Start talking to him now, not just someday.

It’s time to start getting prepared for life. I didn’t put this up on the screen, but I think it’s just a wonderful verse. Y’all have heard it before.

It’s in 1 Corinthians 15. He’s quoting from Isaiah, where it’s over in Isaiah it says, he will swallow up death forever. And here Paul is talking about this very verse.

He’s quoting that verse, and he’s also quoting a verse over in Hosea, where it’s now in the Greek, it says death is swallowed. If you make taking notes, if you want to write them down, it’s in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 54. He’s talking about this body that we’re going to have, this resurrected body, this new body that we’re going to have.

It’s not going to fall apart. There’s going to be no more tears. There’s going to be no more crying.

You’re not going to have that ache in the knee. You’re not going to have that inability to see. You’re not going to be stuck in a wheelchair.

We’re going to be alive, more alive than we’ve ever been. And he says, death is swallowed up in victory. Oh, death, where is your sting? Oh, Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin.

He says, but thanks be to God who gives us our victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. I don’t know how y’all act when your team has won a football game, but most folks get a little excited. Why is it that we don’t get just a little more excited when we know we’ve won the victory? The victory is ours.

And I’m going to tell you what, the most cheerful, the most happy, the most boisterous and loud people on this planet ought to be followers of Jesus Christ, who says, we have won the victory because of what Jesus Christ has done for us. No standing around, moping around, acting like things are bad, acting like circumstances aren’t in our favor. Who wants to see a Christ follower? I’m going to tell you, you can’t be a Christ follower and have a frown and keep a frown on your face and talking about the bad things here and about the bad things there.

Now we’ve got a victory. We own the winning team. We all start acting like it.

Christians need to start acting like, oh, the world’s just beating us up. World’s not beating us up. They’re just wasting gas.

They’re just wasting time. I’ll tell you who’s won the victory. The one who’s won the victory is Jesus Christ.

He’s won the victory. So let’s stand strong and start preparing for life now. This is not just a benefit you get after you pass away.

This is a benefit that was intended to be conveyed on you now, to know Him, to know Him now. And how do we do that? I’d like you to turn over to Romans 6. I don’t have this one on the screen, but I think this is a beautiful one, especially for today. Romans 6, verse 4. How do we start preparing for life? How do we start preparing for life other than saying, I want to know you, Jesus.

I want to know you, Father. I want to know you, Holy Spirit. That’s where it begins.

And it says here in verse 4, it says, those of us who were buried with Him through baptism into death. So that’s what baptism is. It’s a reflection of us dying and then being raised up again in newness of life.

That’s why we do it. This is not just a ritual. This is a symbol of exactly what happens because God prepared you for life.

He says, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should also walk in newness of life. And I start preparing for life. I do have these verses up on the screen, Philippians 3. Philippians 3, verse 10.

This is Paul talking again. He’s talking about how the righteousness of God has saved us from the legal requirements of the law. And he says in verse 10, that I may know Him, that I may know Him and the power of His what? The power of His resurrection.

That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings being conformed to His death. If by any means I may attain to the what? The resurrection from the dead. Folks, this is where it all changes.

Of dying to ourself, to follow Jesus, to be an obedient as He was and dying on a cross. And He took every single sin that each one of you have ever committed and He died for it right there on that day. There’s not a sin you could commit that could keep the Father’s love.

Except from blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. That means when the Holy Spirit keeps calling you and calling you and you keep telling them no. There’s eventually going to be a day when you can’t prepare anymore.

So get prepared now. If the Holy Spirit’s calling you and drawing you and dealing with you, do it now. Deal with it today.

The last verse I want to read is in Romans 8. Romans 8 verse 11. If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead. Go back again.

If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead. If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you. If the Spirit dwells in you.

He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. If the Spirit dwells in you, you’re doing good. If the Spirit dwells in you, you’re going to have new life.

If the Spirit does not dwell in you, you will not. It’s time to get prepared for life. It’s time for us to get prepared for life.

I want people to follow you and to say, to follow you I am content because I know which way you went. Isn’t that the great example of a disciple? Disciples bringing people, trying to show people, saying this is the way to go, this is the way to follow, this is the way to Jesus, this is the way to heaven, this is the way to eternal life. This is the way because Jesus is the way.

I never want somebody to follow me when I’m walking down a wrong path, do you? We all have good days, we all have bad days. I hope you’ll follow me on my good days and kind of ignore me on my bad ones. Any of y’all feel that same way? And those of us who still know the way, sometimes we just, we get distracted.

Today should be a reminder. The victory belongs to us. The victory belongs to God and He wants you to be included.

He made you for life. And the only people who are going to go to hell are the ones who’ve chosen it for themselves. You weren’t made for hell.

You were made for life. Hell was made for the devil. It was not made for you.

And those who go there, go there because they’ve chosen to follow the ways of the enemy and not the way of the victor. Today is a beautiful day to start, to start preparing for life. If you’ve never been baptized, today is a day to do it.

Today’s a day to do it because you start. You’re starting. You’re starting.

It doesn’t mean you’ve arrived. You’re just starting. You’re just starting.

You’re just getting on the path, just getting on the right way. You’re starting to get on the right team. Amen.

But I give you all confidence in this. This team wins. This team wins.

Man, I want to be on that team. Don’t you? Is there anybody here today who wants to be baptized? We anybody here who wants to be baptized? Come on. Y’all start making this way over here.

Buddy’s going to do that. Do it. The water’s warm.

See in somebody else. Is there somebody else who wants to be baptized today? You may have been baptized before, but you know that you’re not preparing for life the way you ought to because baptism’s just a start. It’s just a start.

And I want this to be a day. I want this to be a day. We’re fixing to turn down the lights and we’re going to have a time for you to tell God, say, God, I’m on your team and I want to be on your way and I want to prepare for life and I want you to do whatever needs to be done in me to prepare me for life.

I’m so tired of all the death. I’m so tired of all the destruction. I’m so tired of living in the decay and the rottenness of death.

It’s time for us to be prepared to stand for life because that’s why you were made. And don’t you want to do, don’t you want to live where God wanted you to live and don’t you want to live in the way that God wanted you to live with him eternally, forever, forever and ever. I want to ask y’all to stand and pray for those who still may want to get baptized while they get in line.

But more than that, I hope that you’ll spend this time just being alone with God just saying, God, prepare me, prepare my heart. God’s not through creating new hearts yet. He’s still creating new hearts and I pray that you’ll ask him to create one in you.

Feel free to kneel at the altar if you’d like for someone to pray for you. We’ll be standing, elders stand up here and the prayer partners or if there are any who aren’t helping out there. Somebody will be up here to talk to you and pray with you and I hope and pray that you will.

Amen.