Jesus took our sin and shame on the cross. Nothing can keep you from the amazing future He has prepared for you!
>> VICTORIA OSTEEN: JOEL AND I
WERE AT A RESTAURANT
HAVING A LOVELY DINNER
ONE EVENING.
WE HAD BEEN SITTING THERE
FOR A WHILE CHATTING,
BUT WE WERE READY TO GO.
SO WE CALLED THE WAITER OVER
TO ASK HIM FOR OUR CHECK,
AND HE SAID, “OH, I’M SORRY.
I SHOULD HAVE BEEN
OVER HERE EARLIER.”
HE SAID, “THERE WAS A MAN IN
THE CORNER BOOTH RIGHT THERE,
AND HE ALREADY PAID
YOUR BILL.
HE PAID THE TIP AND ALL.”
HE SAID, “YOU GUYS ARE
FREE TO GO.”
JOEL AND I LOOKED AT EACH
OTHER AND WE THOUGHT, “MAN,
THAT’S AWESOME.
THAT’S GOOD NEWS.
SOMEBODY PAID OUR BILL.”
BUT CAN I TELL YOU TODAY,
THERE’S A MAN WHO HAS ALREADY
PAID YOUR BILL?
HE’S ALREADY CANCELED
YOUR DEBT.
IT IS PAID IN FULL, AND HIS
NAME IS JESUS CHRIST.
SEE, WE’VE BEEN TALKING
ABOUT IT ALL DAY.
IT’S THE EASTER MESSAGE:
“IT IS FINISHED.
IT IS DONE.”
HE HAS ALREADY CREATED YOU
IN HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS WHEN
YOU ARE FOUND IN HIM.
HE HAS GIVEN YOU THE POWER
OF THE RESURRECTION.
JOEL QUOTED IT EARLIER, “THE
SAME POWER THAT RAISED HIM
FROM THE DEAD IS ALIVE
IN YOU.”
YOU SEE, YOU’VE GOT
RESURRECTION POWER.
GOD HAS GIVEN YOU MERCY AND
GRACE SO THAT YOU CAN GO
IN THIS RESURRECTED LIFE.
YOU ARE FREE TO GO.
HOW DO WE LIVE THIS
RESURRECTED LIFE?
WE DON’T WANT TO JUST
TALK ABOUT IT.
WE DON’T WANT TO JUST COME
IN HERE ON EASTER AND SAY,
“YES, JESUS IS ALIVE.”
WE WANT TO LIVE THE LIFE THAT
HE DIED TO GIVE US.
WE WANT EVERYTHING THAT
JESUS DIED TO GIVE US.
CAN YOU IMAGINE IF YOU DID
SOMETHING FOR SOMEONE,
YOU LABORED FOR SOMEONE,
YOU GAVE IT YOUR ALL,
AND THEY WEREN’T INTERESTED?
YOU SEE, JESUS GAVE IT HIS
ALL BECAUSE HE WANTED ME
AND YOU.
HE WANTED US
TO BE INTERESTED.
HE WANTED US TO WALK
IN POWER.
SO WE HAVE TO TAKE HOLD
OF EVERYTHING THAT HE
TOOK HOLD FOR US.
THE APOSTLE PAUL SAID IN
PHILIPPIANS, HE SAID, “I
PRESS ON TO TAKE HOLD OF THAT
FOR WHICH CHRIST JESUS
TOOK HOLD FOR ME.”
HE SAID, “I HAVE TO PRESS.”
YOU SEE, SOMETIMES IT’S HARD
TO TAKE HOLD OF THE THINGS
THAT ARE RIGHT THERE IN FRONT
OF YOU BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME
THINGS THAT ARE TRYING
TO DISTRACT YOU.
THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT
ARE TRYING TO ACT MORE
POWERFUL THAN WHAT IS RIGHT
THERE IN FRONT OF YOU.
HAVE YOU EVER KNOWN WHAT
TO DO BUT YOU DIDN’T DO IT?
YOU JUST DIDN’T DO IT.
AREN’T YOU GLAD
YOU’RE FORGIVEN?
AREN’T YOU GLAD THAT JESUS
GIVES US SECOND CHANCES?
SEE, THERE’S A PRESSING.
THERE’S A FIGHT OF GOOD FIGHT
OF FAITH THAT’S INVOLVED.
PAUL SAID,
“I’M NOT LOOKING BACK.”
HE SAYS,
“I’M PRESSING FORWARD.”
YOU KNOW, PAUL KILLED
CHRISTIANS BEFORE HE GAVE
HIS HEART TO CHRIST,
BEFORE HE HAD THAT
DAMASCUS MOMENT WHEN
HE WAS BLINDED AND SHOWN
THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS.
CAN YOU IMAGINE THE GUILT
THAT HE HAD TO FACE WHEN HE
WAS COMING TO THESE CHRISTIAN
BELIEVERS AND TRYING TO SPEAK
THE GOSPEL TO THEM?
CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT
THAT FELT LIKE?
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD, LIKE,
IN YOUR MIND, LIKE,
SOMETHING THAT’S SAYING
THAT “YOU CAN’T TELL
SOMEBODY ABOUT THIS,
BECAUSE YOU’VE
MADE MISTAKES”?
“YOU CAN’T SHARE THE GOSPEL.
YOU’RE NOT GOOD ENOUGH.”
“WHO SAYS YOU CAN DO THAT?”
CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT PAUL HAD
TO PRESS AND HE HAD TO SAY,
“I’M NOT SETTLING.
I’M NOT STOPPING.
I’M NOT LOOKING BACK.
I GOT A CALL ON MY LIFE.
I’M GOING TO TAKE HOLD
OF EVERYTHING CHRIST
TOOK HOLD FOR ME,
AND I’M MOVING FORWARD.”
YOU SEE, THAT’S WHAT YOU AND
I ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO.
WE’RE GOING TO HAVE
TO DO SOME PRESSING.
WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO SAY,
“THERE’S SOME THINGS OUT
THERE THAT JESUS DID FOR ME,
AND I’M NOT LETTING
ANYTHING STOP ME.”
PAUL, HE DIDN’T LET
A SHIPWRECK STOP HIM.
HE DIDN’T LET PRISON
STOP HIM.
HE LET NOTHING STOP HIM.
IN FACT, WHEN HE WAS IN
PRISON, CAN YOU IMAGINE,
HE SAID, “I’M WRITING,
I’M WRITING THIS DOWN
SO THE GENERATIONS
TO COME CAN READ IT.
THEY CAN HEAR WHAT THE LORD
JESUS DID FOR THEM.
THEY CAN HEAR HOW TO LIVE.
THEY CAN PARTAKE OF THIS.”
SEE, IN PRISON, HE PRESSED ON
BECAUSE HE HAD RESURRECTION
POWER ON THE INSIDE OF HIM.
YOU SEE, HE LEFT
A LEGACY ON THIS EARTH,
AND WHEN YOU AND I
TAKE HOLD OF THE THINGS
CHRIST HAS TAKEN HOLD FOR US,
IT IS OUR TURN.
WE TOO CAN LEAVE A LEGACY
TO OUR FAMILIES.
WE CAN MAKE THIS EARTH
A BETTER PLACE.
HEY, DON’T LET THE HARD STUFF
STOP YOU.
PRESS ON, JESUS IS THERE
TO HELP YOU.
HIS BLOOD IS FULL OF POWER.
HE’S TAKEN AWAY THE SHAME.
HE’S TAKEN AWAY THE GUILT.
IF YOU DON’T LIKE YOUR PAST,
HEY, YOU CAN REWRITE
YOUR FUTURE.
DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT.
HE HAS SET YOU FREE TO GO AND
LIVE THIS RESURRECTED LIFE.
WHEN JESUS WALKED THE EARTH,
IT WASN’T EASY FOR HIM.
HE DIDN’T STOP SHORT.
HE DIDN’T SAY, “I’M NOT
INTERESTED ANYMORE.”
HE DIDN’T SAY,
“THIS IS TOO HARD.”
LISTEN, HE WAS BEATEN.
HE WAS BRUISED.
HE WAS SPIT ON.
IT WASN’T GOOD.
HE WAS DENIED.
HE WAS HUNG ON A CROSS
TO DIE.
IT WASN’T GOOD.
IT WAS HARD, BUT ON THAT
THIRD DAY, WHEN HE CAME OUT
OF THAT GRAVE, JUST LIKE HE
SAID HE WOULD, HEY, HE TURNED
THAT WHOLE THING AROUND,
AND GUESS WHAT?
IT WAS GOOD.
CAN I TELL YOU, HIS PLAN
WORKED, AND HIS PLAN IS STILL
WORKING IN YOUR LIFE?
HE CAN TURN AROUND WHAT’S NOT
GOOD AND MAKE IT WORK
FOR YOUR GOOD.
YOU SEE, IT SAYS
IN JEREMIAH 29:11, THIS IS WHAT
GOD SPOKE THROUGH
THE PROPHET JEREMIAH.
HE SAID: “‘I KNOW THE PLANS
I HAVE FOR YOU,’ DECLARES
THE LORD.
‘THEY’RE PLANS TO PROSPER
YOU, NOT TO HARM YOU.
THEY’RE PLANS TO GIVE YOU
A FUTURE AND A HOPE,'”
AND HE WENT ON TO SAY,
“CALL UPON ME.
IF YOU SEEK ME,
YOU WILL FIND ME.”
YOU SEE, HIS PLAN WAS TO
RECONCILE OUR LIFE TO HIS.
HIS PLAN WAS TO BREAK DOWN
THAT DIVIDING WALL BETWEEN US
AND GOD SO THAT WE COULD CALL
UPON HIM, SO THAT HE WOULD
ANSWER US AND SHOW US GREAT
AND MIGHTY THINGS, BUT
SOMETIMES WE STOP SHORT
BECAUSE IT’S DIFFICULT,
BUT CAN I TELL YOU, GOD CAN
CHANGE THOSE DIFFICULT THINGS
IN YOUR LIFE IF YOU’LL PRESS
ON AND TAKE HOLD OF ALL
JESUS DID FOR YOU?
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE THINK
WE HAVE TO PAY GOD BACK,
BUT CAN I TELL YOU, THERE IS
NOTHING THAT YOU CAN DO TO
PAY GOD BACK FOR GIVING HIS
ONLY BEGOTTEN SON FOR YOU?
HE EXCHANGED DEATH, YOUR
DEATH FOR HIS DEATH.
NOW YOU CAN LIVE IN ETERNITY,
FOREVER AND EVER
WITH THE FATHER.
SEE, HE DIDN’T COME JUST
FOR ETERNAL PURPOSES.
HE CAME DOWN TO EMPOWER YOU
RIGHT HERE ON EARTH.
WE THINK WE CAN PAY GOD BACK,
BUT WE COULD NEVER PAY HIM
BACK FOR WHAT HE’S
DONE FOR US.
YOU KNOW, HE DIDN’T DIE
TO MAKE US RELIGIOUS.
HE DIDN’T DIE SO THAT WE
COULD HAVE RELIGIOUS
CEREMONIES, THAT WE COULD DO
THIS, THAT WE COULD KEEP
THIS STRICT RULE.
HE DIED BECAUSE HE WANTED
A RELATIONSHIP WITH US.
THAT’S WHAT THIS DEATH,
BURIAL, AND RESURRECTION
IS ABOUT TODAY.
THAT’S WHY HE SAID, “MY PLANS
ARE GOOD FOR YOU.
THEY’RE TO PROSPER YOU,
NOT TO HARM YOU.
CALL UPON ME.”
IT’S AN INVITATION TO SAY,
“MY PLAN WORKED ON THE CROSS
AND IT’S STILL WORKING
IN YOUR LIFE TODAY.”
I LOVE WHAT THE PSALMIST
DAVID SAID IN PSALM 116.
HE SAID, “WHAT SHALL I RENDER
UNTO THE LORD FOR ALL
THE BENEFITS THAT HE
HAS GIVEN ME?”
HE WAS SAYING, “WHAT CAN
I GIVE BACK TO GOD FOR
EVERYTHING THAT HE’S DONE
FOR ME?”
HE WAS PROPHESYING THE
RESURRECTION AND WHAT JESUS
WOULD DO, AND THIS WAS HIS
ANSWER: “I WILL TAKE UP
THE CUP OF MY SALVATION
AND CALL UPON HIS NAME.”
WHAT CAN I GIVE?
WHAT I CAN GIVE IS TO
TAKE WHAT HE’S DONE FOR ME
AND CALL UPON HIS NAME.
SEE, WE THINK WE HAVE THE
PRICE TO PAY, BUT JESUS HAS
ALREADY PAID THE PRICE.
ALL WE HAVE TO DO
IS TAKE HOLD OF IT.
LISTEN, WHEN GUILT, WHEN
CONDEMNATION COMES KNOCKING
AT YOUR DOOR, WHEN FAILURE
SAYS, “YOU CAN’T GO ON,
YOU’VE MADE A MESS,”
WHEN THINGS
DON’T LOOK GOOD, I WANT YOU
TO KNOW HIS PLAN IS
STILL WORKING IN YOUR LIFE,
AND HE CAN TAKE WHAT DOESN’T
LOOK GOOD AND TURN IT AROUND
AND USE IT FOR YOUR GOOD,
AMEN?
CALL UPON HIS NAME.
LIVE THIS RESURRECTED LIFE.
PRAISE GOD, HE IS AWESOME
IN THIS PLACE TODAY, AMEN?
WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH.