The Rest of the Story

Hey, welcome to Self Talk; Dr. Ray Self here. Just a word about my show. The purpose of this show is to expose the schemes of the enemy and help you live freely and, and the life that God's called you to be. I've always had a passion to see people living in their promised land, being in the place God's called you to be doing what God's created you to do; and, and living that fulfilled life which not only benefits you but benefits your family, your friends, your community. But the enemy has schemed against you your entire life to stop you from this. That's kind of the big focus of our, of my podcast.

Today, I want to talk about a very interesting church service I went to. I visited a new church for Easter and I was actually disturbed, to be honest. I wanna talk about that today but thank you for listening to my show. Be sure and check out all the cool free stuff I have in the show notes. God bless you, thanks again for listening to Self Talk with Dr. Ray Self.

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Okay, here we go. Another show- actually show number 131. Thank you for following and being a part of this, it really means a lot to me. Don't forget to check out all the cool stuff we have. We have a, a store full of neat merchandise, we have ways you can donate, we have free lessons, there's a link to free lessons, you know, we have free stuff on my website that you can access. Check it out. But I want to talk to you about Easter. So today I visited a church for Easter. Now I have a home church but the way it worked out with my family coming in town we could not make it to my home church so we had this Easter service which honestly, you know, I'm a compassionate guy, I'm a merciful guy, but the service disturbed me. I was disturbed by an Easter service. Now, the church was a very modern, high-tech church. It had the lights and the sound and the huge crowd, three services back to back. Um, you know, the three different video screens playing and a huge praise and worship team. Laser lights, spotlights, guys running around with all kinds of fancy camera equipment, you know, you understand the drill. So the emphasis of the whole service was the crucifixion of Christ. We think well, what's so bad about that? Well, it's Easter. Easter's the, the resurrection of Christ. 

So the church played this video um, you know, it's one of these really super cool videos with announcers going “He was buried for our”- so “He would die for our sins, He rose in victory, He did this and the, our Christ, our Savior are the only one, the one, the only God, He is the one,” you know, and the dramatic music is playing in the background and all these cool graphics are showing on the screen. But they were talking about the horrible crucifixion. And the crucifixion of Christ is a critical point in human history. It is very, very important but it's only half the story. And so what concerned me was here we were on Easter, the day we celebrate the resurrection of Christ but instead of celebrating the resurrection, all the pastor would talk about is the crucifixion and then he ended the service with that and all of a sudden it hit me- well it actually didn't hit me all of a sudden, I've known this you know, most of my Christian life- is the crucifixion is only half of the story. If Christ did not rise from the dead, His crucifixion would mean He was just another martyr. But see, the fact that He rose from the dead showed that He was God but it also was our victory. Christ's resurrection from the dead was our final victory. Yes, He took our sins upon the cross. He who knew no sin became sin that we might become the righteousness of God. And so you know the story. You know that Christ died for our sins. And that’s very important. He died for our sins, He died for our disease, He died for our shame, He died to break the curses off of us; He took all the works of the enemy upon His own body. And by faith, we identify with that. By faith, that horrible death on the cross is applied as credit for me. So by faith, I died with Christ but that's only half the story. Three days later, Christ dies. He's dead. But then three days later, He rises from the dead. He comes out of the grave, and I come out of the grave with Him; and you come out of the grave with Him. That's the resurrection of Christ.

You see, by faith, I die with Christ. That's only half the story. But the, the good half, in uh, the, this death is sort of a, a horrible thing, although it was necessary, but the resurrection is the victory. See, I'm living in the resurrection, you're living in the resurrection; you're living in victory. Let me just read this, this scripture to you that I think explains it very, very well. In Romans chapter 6, Paul said something very interesting. Everything he wrote was interesting but in Romans chapter 6, starting at verse 4, Paul  writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, says “Therefore we have been buried with 

Him…” We have been buried with Him. That's with Christ, “through baptism and to death.” So I was buried with Christ. I died with Christ. “so as Christ was raised from the dead to the glory of God, we might walk in the newness of life.” So verse 5, “we have been united with Him in the likeness of his death.” See, by faith I'm united with Christ in the death of Christ but I'm, “also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection” So by faith, I die with Christ but by faith, I resurrect with Christ, and that's what bothered me today was the pastor left this out. 

Here it is, Easter, the day we celebrate the resurrection and all he would talk about is the death, the death of Christ which is critical and it's important but to me, in a way- don't throw rocks at me- it's a little inappropriate for today. Because today is Sunday as I'm recording this- you'll probably hear this a week or two later- Sunday, April the 9th, which is Easter. It's a celebration of the resurrection of Christ. I want to tell you something. It's not enough that Christ died for us. Without the resurrection, see, it's the death and the resurrection. You died with Christ and you rose with Christ. When you're baptized, that symbolically shows that- your burial with Christ and your resurrection with Christ. So yes, I was on the cross with Christ by faith and yes I came out of the grave with Christ in victory. You see it? So how critical it is to have both. Without the two primary doctrines of the gospel or the death of Christ and the resurrection of Christ- matter of fact, that one- Paul said at one point without the resurrection our preaching is in vain. So the rest of the, the death of Christ is extremely important but never, ever, ever forget the resurrection of Christ which is maybe more important. Okay? Because again, if Christ did not rise from the dead in victory, we would not be victorious. Christ would have just been a martyr but not only did He take His sins, but He demonstrated the cleansing of sin, the victory over sin, the incredible newness of life. When He came out of the grave, our sin was no longer on Him. When we came out of the grave with Him, my sin was left behind. You see, I'm walking in the newness of life. I have become a new creature, a new creation, and if you understand this and believe this, then you will walk- and see, it's by faith. 

See, once you, once you have the faith of this and you get revelation of this, it changes you. Now the Holy Spirit comes within you and he makes this stuff come alive to you but it's critical to understand that not only did you die with Christ but you rose with Christ. You were resurrected with Christ. It is the second part of the gospel. It's, in other words, the first part of the story is the horrible crucifixion when Christ has taken our sin. The second part of the gospel is when Christ rose from the dead. As a matter of fact, that's maybe the most controversial part of the gospel because His resurrection from the dead- He came out in complete victory over sin and death, showing us that we too have victory over sin and death by faith because I'm identified with Christ. I'm identified with Christ in His crucifixion, I'm identified with Christ in His resurrection, so I was amazed that this church today did not speak of the resurrection. They focused on the death of Christ and how Christ finished it- well, He did finish, but the finished work of Christ was not complete until He rose from the dead because the resurrection was the victory. The resurrection was the victory over sin and death. Resurrection is the victory. The wages of sin is death and when you sin, you die but if there's a resurrection, then the wages of sin is taken care of because you're not dying, you're being resurrected.

So the resurrection of Christ is critical for us to understand and to know and to believe. Yes, you need to understand Christ died for your sins and yes, you need to understand Christ rose from the dead and so did you. See, I rose with Him. You see, Romans 6:8 says “if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,” You see, I die with Christ but now I live with Christ. That's the resurrection that's what Paul's talking about. Matter of fact, Paul got into a lot of trouble with the Pharisees because he, he preached the resurrection from the dead and it was a big argument for them. But you see, if we're buried with Him, we're also resurrected with Him. So the resurrection means that if I've been resurrected with Christ, my old sin nature, the, my old habits, destructive things that I've done, all the work of the enemy in my life, all the mistakes, all the guilt, all the shame, all the condemnation, it's no longer there. That stuff is in the tomb. It's not with me anymore. I have risen from that. You have risen from that. And Christ had complete victory over all that stuff. You have victory.

It looked like Christ was being defeated when He was on the cross, it looked like, to the whole world, Christ was being defeated. Even Satan thought aha, I've got Him. But when he rose from the dead, God said no, I'm not defeated, I'm alive again. And all that sin and shame and condemnation and disease, it's all been taken care of. It's all finished and the resurrection proves the finished work of Jesus Christ. We're living today in the resurrection of Christ, you are living in the resurrection of Christ; so I was amazed that the church didn't talk about this, especially on Easter. Nothing wrong with talking about Christ and his crucifixion, it’s a very important thing to talk about but on Easter, I think the emphasis should be the resurrection, excuse me? Amen. And of course, the Easter Bunny. No, just kidding. But anyway, I am living and you are- if you're a believer right now, today in 2023, I want you to understand you've been risen. You have risen with Christ. As Christ rose from the dead, so did you rise from the dead. If you believe this and you trust this, you've been identified with Christ in His death but now you're identified with Christ in His resurrection. So one way to look at it was the crucifixion is past, the resurrection is present day. We're still in the resurrection, we're living a resurrected life. Resurrection is for 2023. The death took place over 2000 years ago which was important, it was important, but the resurrection is still happening. We're still living in it. That's our victory, that's our overcoming, that's our, that's, that's everything. That's our happiness, that's our joy, that's- our freedom is the resurrection, folks. It's the resurrection. It's the resurrection, it is the resurrection and I just wanted to point that out today. 

Not a long show today, it's going to be a short show, but I do want to pray for you. Heavenly Father, I thank You for each person listening to me, to this podcast today. I thank You, Father, that You sent Christ to die on a cross for our sins, Father, and by faith, Father, we die on the cross with Him. We've been identified with Him. And Lord, we know now, Father, and we believe and we trust and we know that Christ rose on the third day, Father. And Father, by faith we have risen with Christ. So Father, I pray for everyone listening to me this will become their reality, their reality. That they will understand and know that You rose for us. You died for us but You also rose from the dead for us and so yes, Father, we died that death with Christ on the cross but we're no longer on the cross, Christ is no longer on the cross. Christ is living in complete victory and freedom. He's the Lord of lords and King of kings and through Christ, we have resurrected through- we have resurrected, been resurrected with Christ, Father. Make that real, make that evident, make that alive to every person listening to me today, to this show, Father. I de- declare and decree the blessings and favor of God as we live in the resurrection victory of Christ every day. And we give You praise and honor, Father. And I thank You, Father, for the show and I thank You, Father, for each one listening to this show in Jesus name. Amen, amen, amen. Thank you so much, folks. Thank you for listening to today. It's uh, you know, it's an honor. It really is an honor. Thank you so much. God bless you.

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Hey, thanks again for listening to today's show. I hope you understand the rest of the story is the resurrection. The resurrection, that's what you're living in now in 2023 if you're a believer. Hey, again, thank you so much. Check out a few things which I think will bless you a lot. Um, check out my website that, that, for the podcast. It's, it's under icmcollege.org/selftalk, icmcollege.org/selftalk. There you have every show, you can subscribe, you can give us a review. Reviews really help us a lot, that helps us reach more people, the reviews. You can also donate if the Lord leads you. Donations will help us. This show is not a money-making show, this show costs money so if you could help us defray the expenses and keep this show going, that would be great. If you've ever have, you never finished your college education, you don't have a bachelor's degree on your resume or a master's degree on your resume, or maybe a doctorate degree, you can do that through the International College of Ministry. It is accredited, it is affordable, it's online, you work your own schedule on your own time frame, you set your own schedule. There you can finish most degrees within a year and you can work anytime you want and you do that by going to icmcollege.org/enroll. Another thing, if there's a, look at the show notes, we have some free courses. International College of Ministry offers free courses. You know, check them out, okay? We got a cool store at icmcollege.org/merch, m-e-r-c-h, all kinds of cool stuff. Anyway, neat stuff in the show notes with lots of links that I think will bless you a lot. Thanks again for listening to Self Talk. This is Dr. Ray Self himself. No more self puns, I promise you. Bye-bye.