In the sermon 'The God of Life' by James Lundquist, the speaker explores the concept of God as both the giver of physical and eternal life, focusing on Colossians 1:9-17. He emphasizes the importance of being created in God's image as a unique attribute that confers worth and dignity upon humanity. The sermon highlights how society often demonstrates a disregard for life through actions such as abortion, euthanasia, and other forms of violence, contrasting these with the biblical view of life's sanctity. Lundquist underscores the necessity of redemption through Jesus Christ, who provides hope and eternal life through his death and resurrection. The sermon concludes with a call to repentance and faith, urging individuals to embrace the abundant life offered by the God of life and to live in conformity with Christ's image.

We'll be reading Colossians chapter 1 verses 9 through 17. Let your heart be ready, be made ready for the sermon with this wonderful text. Starting in verse 9, for this reason we also since the day we heard it Do not cease to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God. Strengthen with all might according to his glorious power, for all patience and long-suffering with joy, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of his love in whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God the firstborn over all creation for by him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth visible and invisible whether thrones or dominions or Principalities or powers all things were created through him and for him and he is before all things and in him all things consist this is the word of the Lord let's unite our hearts in prayer heavenly father we what wonderful text what wonderful truths to think on you are the god of life You bless us with physical life you bless us with children Of which God we've had numerous opportunities to praise you over this past year with little babies coming into our church. But God, more importantly, you are the God of spiritual life. You cause us to be born again through Christ. Because of His blood, your people have hope. You are the surety of your people.

You are the surety of eternal life. You have guaranteed it. It's not based on anything, as we read this morning, it's not based on anything corruptible, anything in this creation such as money, but it's based on the precious blood of Christ, based on the Son of God. Oh God, give, James, just words from on high to speak God would you make our hearts and our minds ready ready to be instructed from your word ready to be molded into the image of Christ ready to see more of your glory Ready to be strengthened God on this Lord's Day that we would walk out of here more Christ-like than we walked in We're ready to have more reasons God to praise you Would you help us and God those that don't know you today those that don't have this spiritual life, God if it be your will would you please rescue them today? Pull out their hearts of stone, put in a heart of flesh, may they repent of their sins and turn towards you.

They see their need to come to the God of life. Would you make them see God? Would you remove the veil? Draw them to yourself today. May today God be a day of rejoicing like they've never known before.

May Today be a day of looking at the scripture not as black words on a page God but as words of life wonderful words of life God thank you for this day. Thank you for this time. Yes that you would bless it your son's in the prank. Amen We're taking a Break from Romans today Talk about the God of life. There's a couple reasons why we're doing it.

The first reason was because next week, I'll talk about this. Later on an application, especially in the benediction, I will be walking with love life next Saturday. And as we were looking at the calendar, we realized it's also resurrection Sunday, so don't give us too much credit for why we would have this day. But then we look at it and say, yeah, okay, wonderful how that came together. I just had Colossians one read, there's so much that we can read about life, the resurrection, the life God gives us physically and spiritually.

There's so much that can be read. I'm not going to exposit first, or not going to exposit Colossians. It would be a wonderful activity to do that. I'm not, probably, I may not even mention it again. There's just so much that can be done.

We'll be in many places today. But today's sermon is titled The God of life, and I have two points, the God of physical life, the God of eternal life. Children, if you're prone to take notes or not prone to take much notes because you can't write all that greatly, here's something that you can pay attention to. Count the number of times I say the word life. I don't know what it's gonna be.

You can help me. Lord willing, it's a lot. Lord willing, of all the words I say, life is in there a high percentage of. So count and let me know how much I said. I'll be very interested to know.

God, I pray and I trust in the power of your Holy Spirit to give power to your word, to encourage your children, to exhort your children, to comfort your children, and to draw people to you for salvation. So please, by the power of the Holy Spirit, may this time be glorifying to you, Amen. Let's look first at the God of physical life. You can turn to Genesis 1. Let me read it in 26 and 27.

But in Genesis 1, we have in the beginning, God created. This wise, powerful, glorious act of God in creating. And there's a pattern, let there be, let there be, let there be, let there be, let there be, there's this pattern until we get to verse 26 and 27 and we have this then God said let us make man in our image according to our likeness let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, over the cattle, over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in his own image. In the image of God, he created him, male and female, he created them.

Let there be, let there be, let there be, then let us, let God, God is saying I'm the one that's doing this, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, let us make man in not just any image, not any image of anything created, but in our image, in the image of God. Let us make man in our image. And this is a holy glimpse into the Trinity working together for this wise, glorious act of creating people. This is a holy Trinity. We get to see an agreement creating men and women, boys and girls, children in God's image.

What does it mean to be created in God's image? Well, in order to do that, we need to start looking, okay, what do we see? How does God describe Himself? How does God describe His attributes, His character? But we know about His holiness.

God is holy. That's His top level attribute. That is the script of all His attributes. He is holy. He is holy supreme.

He is holy sovereign. He is holy powerful. He is holy gracious. He is holy merciful. That is God.

Holy perfect in all of his attributes, in all of his character. We have that on that level. But we've also been given the descriptor, also of character in the fruit of the Spirit. Right, when we say the fruit of the Spirit, that's the fruit of God. The fruit of God.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control. These, this is the character of God. This is what God is wholly, perfectly like. So that when we drill down into what it might mean for us to be created in the image of God, then we have Jesus, who is God, the image of God, the express image of God. Just read in Colossians, you could also go to Hebrews to see this.

He demonstrates this holy perfection. And here it is. Here's where the rubber meets the road. Who are we being conformed to? We're being conformed to Christ, who is God.

Second Corinthians 3, 18. We are being transformed into the same image. Romans 8, 29, to be conformed to the image of his son. We are created in the image of God and are to be conformed to that. And one day in glory, we will be perfectly conformed, but not now.

That's not where we are yet. But this is who we are to reflect. This is who we want to be conformed with, to be transformed into. God created us to image him, to represent, to reflect his glory, his attributes. Being made in the image of God is the key differentiator between us and anything else that's been created.

All the animals, anything else been created, being created in the image of God is the key attribute. When we're talking about the God of life, the God of physical life, especially right now, this is the key differentiator. Nothing else in all creation did God bestow this upon. Animals don't act like us. Animals don't organize meals for new births like we did, like we're doing.

They don't do that. Or people in need or care for the poor or the loss of jobs or sin missionaries. Animals don't care for widows, pray for wisdom, or the salvation of others. There's a million other things animals don't do because they're not created in the image of God. We are created in the image of God.

Our value, our worth, our dignity is from being created in the image of God. Not by what anybody else says about you or does to you, but what you think about yourself, your value, your worth, your dignity, all wrapped up in you were created by God. In his image. Think about it. All people are image bearers.

Recognize that. Hear that. All people. No exceptions. Not one exception.

No exceptions for color of skin, no exceptions for nationality, mental capacity, physical ability, body type, vocation, wealth, male, female, beliefs, age, anything. No exception. All people, all people are created in the image of God. And God places a very high value on his image bearers. You're in Genesis, flip over to Genesis 9.

Flip over to Genesis 9. 9 6. 9 6 says, whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed. So capital punishment, death to those. Now why?

Why? For in the image of God he made man you will not kill my image you will not murder my image and if you do you do there's a penalty is the highest penalty for that Then go over if you want to Exodus 21. In Exodus 21, verse 22 and 23, have this. If men fight and hurt a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as a woman's husband imposes on him, and he shall pay as the judge is determined. So even in a struggle where the baby is born prematurely, even if mom and baby are healthy as it says here, there still might be a penalty to pay for that.

But God continues, but if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life eye for eye tooth for tooth hand for hand foot for foot burn for burn wound for wound stripe for stripe If any harm comes to that woman or baby, including life, it's life for life, a death penalty for killing an unborn baby. We become image bears at conception. At conception. Psalm 139, 13-16. We know this.

We know this, but listen to it again. For you God, you, for God, formed my inward parts, you covered me in my mother's womb, I will praise you. For I am fearfully and wonderfully made marvelous are your works and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in secret and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance yet being informed and in your book they are all written the days fashioned for me when as yet there were none of them you know I was I was thinking on this yesterday and my frame was not hidden from you when I was made in secret you know back back when David wrote this right he had no idea what was exactly happening with that growth and development how you get from conception to birth now we have wonderful technology we can see the wonderful things that God is doing from conception to birth.

It is just amazing. Just amazing to see. Jeremiah 1, before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I sanctified you. And then in Job, you will know one of my favorite favorite books I read often.

Job asked in Job 12 to his friends says, in whose hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind? As his friends are challenging him about life, challenging him about what he should do, Job's reply is a great reply. In whose hand is the life of every living thing? Is it you? No, it's not.

Is it me? No, it's not. And the breath of all mankind, is it you? Is it me? No, it is God himself.

And God has provided laws to obey in order to care for one another God cares for you and if you want evidence that God cares about your physical life we'll get to spiritual life is your physical life Look at how he commands people to care for one another, to love for one another. You don't have to go any further than the Ten Commandments. Honor your parents. Honor your parents. I've given them life.

They are image-bearers and I've given them authority over you. Honor your parents. Don't murder. Don't murder image-bearers. Don't steal from image-bearers.

Don't commit adultery with them. Don't lie to them and don't covet anything of theirs. God wants us to care for each other, to love one another. He tells us to love our enemies. We're not enemies in here.

I don't think I have anybody in my life that I can name by name that I would say, man, that's an enemy of mine. I don't think I do. We can name enemies generically. And there are people that are absolutely against me if they knew everything I believe they were his colleagues if they listened to this this morning would hate me tomorrow they don't hate me today but I don't I don't but look how God tells me to deal with I'm not gonna murder them I'm not gonna steal from them I could commit adultery lie to covet theirs God has given us this great gift of life. The highest honor he can have is being created in his image.

And God's given us this great gift of life. And The world has been deceived and acts like it loves death more than life. That's intentionally very provocative to make us think. Because if you went to the general population, I wouldn't say they love death and hate life. I want to live.

Look at all the things that I want to do that prove I want to live. No, no, let me draw your attention to things that actually show you hate life. That you hate, you hate life. There are several ways that we reject God's giving of life, essentially saying, God, you are not wise. You are not good in the creation of commandments of life.

I know better. Let me walk through a few of those. Where we know that there is murder, there's kidnapping, there's slavery, there's human trafficking, there's abuse. But That's a hatred of life. And you have people out there that enjoy doing those things and general society would look at all those things, say, yeah, that is a hatred for life.

That is evil. That is evil. I'm better than that. I don't hate life. Look at that.

They'll point to all those things, point to hatred life. All right, let me draw your attention to a few other things. And let's see how we align on hatred of life, hatred of the life God has given to these image bearers of his. Let's start with abortion. This is the murder of babies.

This is the murder. Every single one of them. In abortion, the intentional murder of babies is killing image bearers of God from conception to birth. The United States in six states and in the District of Columbia, it is legal to murder your baby from birth, I mean, from conception to birth. And what people will say, but James, but it doesn't happen that often at birth or just before birth.

That often? And it may not happen at all in some of these states, but the laws allow it. And if the laws allow it, our evil hearts will partake in it. It will, and it will spread. Well, James, what about rape and incest?

Well, that is determining a baby's worth based on the actions of somebody else. I don't want that. I do not want you determining my worth, my worth based on the way somebody else acts around me or the way some somebody comes and sins against you. Somebody sins against one of you ladies, you really want me to determine your worth based on their action to you their evil action? No, we're not.

And we're not for that baby either if that happened. Well it doesn't look very human especially in the very early weeks but at that point most ladies don't even know they're pregnant. They don't even know they're pregnant at that point. And there we're looking at, then people say, well, what about quality of life? What about deformities?

What about chromosome disorders? Again, worth is not determined by appearance or ability. You're created in the image of God If your worth is determined by God Your life is determined by God Your value is determined by God Let me continue in some ways that we hate the God of life and we hate life. Euthanasia. Euthanasia, the killing of the elderly, the sick, the weak, the disabled, those not seen as having worth, they're a drain on society.

Yeah, and in one hand, say, we're not killing them. Many of them want to die. And I'll get to that amendment. But but you are you you're many of us have been on both sides of this the abortion center, and, and the in the elderly care home, where they can't, they couldn't remember my name from within two seconds of me saying it probably. And I reintroduced myself every week, or others, many here that have been there.

But their value's not determined based on what they can remember, what they can do. All they're doing is spending and spending and spending. They're not...but there is a lot of joy that you get from being around them. Hearing them sing songs that he used to know. Your worth is not determined by your age or your ability or your health and created in the image of God another one suicide suicide you have the highest value in God's creation highest value I understand completely understand there very evil things that can happen to people in this world.

Very evil things, not only can but do happen every single day. I also understand there are some very, very, very weighty things that come upon us. Very weighty things that come upon us. Just hear this. The answer is not self-murdering yourself.

It's not. It's not. Self-murder, in the United States, suicide is 1.4% of all deaths in this country. In Canada, It happens in Canada, watch it. Watch it, it highly influences us.

In Canada, 4% of all deaths are assisted suicide. It's growing at 30% a year, and they are considering, considering, seriously considering, not just some wacko that has this idea, it is seriously being considered right now to pass there to allow those mentally disabled to have physician assisted suicide. Think of the insanity of that. The government says I am not mentally able to make financial decisions for myself, life decisions for myself, what I can do, where I can go, all these things, I can't drive a car, whatever it might be, but, but I can kill myself. It's insane.

We hate life. We hate it. So you have people that consider that, but then you also have people that will push them. Hey, you're getting old in life. You know, amongst your options, have you considered this?

You know, your son or daughter, look at their struggling with this disability. I don't know what their life's going to be like, what kind of quality it's gonna be. Have you considered this? And those things happen and happen and happen. Not just in Canada, but in the United States and many states now, and it's expanding.

Hear me, if you believe you have no value and you're considering this you think this is an option? Your feelings about yourself and yes there are very hard circumstances but your feelings about your worth either lying to you or somebody else's. Please don't listen to that. Please come talk. Your lady, your lady's here they'll talk with you.

You don't have to talk with me. Your very godly lady is here. They'll help shepherd you through that. A couple more areas. Here we get to some that you may not be thinking about.

And the world definitely will hate us over mentioning Homosexuality is hating life. No life comes from this behavior. Basic biology. It doesn't happen. It can't happen.

It won't happen. It's hating life and loving self. Gender issues. Gender issues. Men thinking that they're women, women thinking that they're men.

They're hating the way God's created them they're saying God must have been wrong my feelings no better than God my life what I want out of life what I want to do in my life is more minutes my life has nothing to do with the god of creation has a lot to do with the god of creation the god of creation is the only all wise all good therefore everything he does is wise and good. Quoting Kevin Swanson help me with that this week listening to one of his messages just popped out. Many many will never be used by God with these gender issues many will never be used by God with these gender issues many will never be used by God to create life because they've been permanently changed to not be able to even if they're if their mind changes on the issue they say no what no no I really am a man I'm not a lady or vice versa. Or even if they become saved, this is going to start happening in the church. Hopefully it has already, Lord willing, been merciful to somebody.

It's going to happen in the church. There's a long tail to that. We will care for them. We will love them. We will not draw attention to it all the time.

That was to happen. They've been forgiven. They'll be treated with grace-filled sensitivity here, Lord willing in any church. But they will come face to face every day with their decision and probably not be able to have children and maybe not be able to be married. They'll come face to face with that every single day.

And one more thing, parents that do this to their children, hate their children. This is child abuse, it's a hate for life, a hatred for the God that gave them those children. No life in that. A couple more. The increasing age of people getting married we have a big increase in age of the people getting married this is not about those that desire to get married is not about that there are many people I have in my own household desire to be married they're getting older that is not what this is about they want to be married they want to be fruitful they want to multiply but God has said not yet no I'm talking about people intentionally saying I'm not gonna get married because I am selfish it wouldn't say it that way but they'll say I'm not getting married because da da da da da da da.

In the United States, and this does lead to less children, the United States from the 60s when I was born to now the average marriage age has gone from 20 to 28 20 to 28 people being married from 76% to 31% why would this lead why would this lead to less children a lot of children being there being born out of out of wedlock well a lot of people intentionally don't want children. And the stats show, yes, as much as we see the children being born out of wedlock, the stats also show we're having less children. In my lifetime, the US and the United States, the birth rate's gone from 3.6 to 1.7. 2.1 is replacement. We hate God.

We hate the god of life we generally hate his commandments be fruitful and multiply being fruitful and multiply that now hear me hear me not a topic that I'll that I'll ever mention in detail from Paul. He's not saying you have to have 15 children like I have. It's about your heart's desire. What God's willing. God might, You might not be able to have any children.

It doesn't mean you're unfaithful to God and you hate life. Not a bit. And it's not about the number of children you have. It's not the point here. When I'm talking about the point I'm making are people that intentionally don't want life.

And encouraging that in many ways. Two more. We have this phrase now called fur babies, right? Fur babies, we face it a lot. And that's, I understand the intent of it for some people, but in general, where I'm around, right, fur babies are promoted over human babies, or at least equal to.

When I'm talking to some colleagues sometimes, and they're talking, here I have children, you know what they'll come back to me with? Hey, I've got three fur babies. As if that's equal in some way, shape or form. As if they can understand my parenting and the things that I'm commanded to do and how I love them and care for them, provide for them and instruct them. As if that is the same thing as their puppies, as cute as they may be.

It's not. Jason, on Tuesday morning, said, we do all we can to protect turtle eggs. But we don't do all we can to protect human life. Now, you might be going through my mind, like going through my mind, if you're in the hospital or anything, we'll do all we can to help someone with cancer or illnesses or different things will do a lot. We have tons of technology that God's blessed us with, but that's if you choose to.

If you choose not to, we'll do all we can to help you kill yourself or to encourage that, right? But not for turtle eggs. All the boundaries around it. I'm fine with more turtles. We'll put all the boundaries around it so nobody touches them.

Why don't we put all the boundaries around life? The God of life. One last one, evolution. Evolution leads people to think we are a byproduct of chance random access therefore no real basis for life. No real basis for value.

It really doesn't. Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we may die and that's it. That's it. Just a random act. That just leads to so many things.

Isaiah 45, nine, right? This is coming up, right? Who am I to challenge God in his wisdom? Isaiah 45, nine. Woe to him who strives with his Maker, Shall the clay say to him who forms it, What are you making?

Turn to Romans 1. We see the natural outworking of rejecting the God of life Romans 1 29 through 32 you hate life you reject the God of life here's what we expect here's what we expect Being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness. They are whisperers, backbiders, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful, who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them see the problem we have here the gods the god of life of physical life but if left to ourselves right so far like this isn't a great Easter message James, but if let's come in, the God of spiritual life is coming. If left to ourselves, see what we have, and see our problem here in 32, they are deserving of death, eternal death, Hell. If this is you, that's what we deserve.

And this is all of us in our natural state. All of us in our natural state, but it doesn't have to end there. That is not the end of the story of the God of life. So let's look at the God of eternal life. John 3 16 for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Job 1925 we sang the song this morning I don't know if they based it on this or not maybe Josh looked it up I didn't I usually do but maybe they based it off of this I'm I wouldn't doubt it. Job 1925 for I know that my Redeemer lives. And he shall stand at last on the earth. Now, Job, when was it written? Who was it written by?

We don't know. But most scholars will put it the latest Abraham. There's a good case it could be before the flood. And here's Job saying answering his friends, I know that my Redeemer lives not will live not will redeem me but my Redeemer as if it is already done. I don't know who instructed Job.

I was thinking about this a couple weeks ago when I was reading through Job again. I'm going, God, why didn't you start your Jewish nation, your people of God with Joe? Why didn't you start there? This man who was blameless and upright feared God. Why?

He didn't. He's wise. He is wise. But I know that my Redeemer lives. He had his hope in his Redeemer that lives.

So why do we need saved from this perishing mentioned in John 3.16? Why do we need this Redeemer mention in Job 19? Because as we just saw in Romans, as I just saw about how much we hate God, the God of life, how much we really hate life in our natural state, we're sinning sinners. We sin because we're sinners. In our natural state, rejecting God, we're God's enemies.

And as he says here in 32, deserving of death. The wages of sin is death. The payment for sin. Every time we sin, we are earning something as if we are working for it. You and your natural state without Christ are working for hell.

You're working for it. You're earning wages. You're working for it. It's being put into your account. You're owed it.

You're owed hell. You're owed the wrath of God for all of eternity. I earn the wage and it is an unpayable debt. Jeremiah 17, the heart is deceitful above all things. In Isaiah, our best work is filthy rags.

You can turn to Ephesians two, if you want. In Ephesians 2, Ephesians 2, 1 through the beginning of 4, there's three words in Ephesians 2, 1. I'm going to skip over. They've been added. I'm not saying they're added wrong, but for emphasis, I'm not going to quote those.

And you who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the air the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience among whom also we all all all once conducted ourselves in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, but God, who is rich in mercy. John one, in the beginning was the word. In the beginning was Jesus. In the beginning was Jesus and the word and Jesus was with God and the word was God.

Jesus is God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him and without him nothing was made that was made but God who is rich in mercy in him was life and the life was a light of men but God who is rich in mercy came himself to earth to be the light of men. Be the light of men. This God who is rich in mercy, he himself came.

When Adam and Eve sinned, They didn't die physically right then. Death was coming. Then it was several hundred years later. But death was coming. But they did die spiritually.

If we see Adam and Eve in heaven, it's because they have repented and trusted in the Redeemer alone for salvation. But when Adam and Eve sinned, they did die spiritually. They deserved instant death and God's wrath but but God who is rich in mercy didn't do that to them right the the context of Ephesians 2 but God who is rich in mercy goes to salvation but God who is rich in mercy didn't kill them right then and say I'm done with the human race but God who is rich in mercy goes to salvation. But God who is rich in mercy didn't kill them right then and say, I'm done with the human race. But God who is rich in mercy, when he approached Moses about Israel, did not start over with Moses.

But God who is rich in mercy, even before that, at the flood, maybe billions of people are destroyed and in hell but eight. But God who is rich in mercy. They found grace in the eyes of God. They were saved from the flood. At least Noah was saved spiritually.

And here we have the human race continuing the God of life because God is rich in mercy. See, God's plan was always to create image bearers and when they rejected them to redeem many, that was his eternal plan. Hear this, I just think on this. The value, the worth of his image bears just escalated very, very high. We started with our worth, our value, our dignity is based on being created in the image of God.

Now we have the opportunity to be redeemed. Redeemed! Satan and demons who are angels that rejected God cannot be redeemed. We get that. They don't.

Your value, your worth just went higher. The God of life who is rich in mercy did the only act that could be done for you, for you to have eternal life. Jesus gave his body, Jesus shed his blood as a sacrifice to pay your earned wages of wrath as if he had earned it. He, God, made Jesus, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him from 2nd Corinthians. Jesus died, that's what we call Good Friday.

Buried, rose again, he is alive, he is risen, he is risen again. He's risen from the grave. He did that. Who rose Jesus from the dead? Jesus did.

God did. Because He's God. And He conquered the enemies of sin and death. Think about it. I think I mentioned it early, maybe in the call to worship.

Think about it. What it took for your sins to be paid for for all of that wrath the gods wrath to be paid for it took nothing short it could only take God God himself to come to earth live the perfect life in your place, die the death you deserve, because he became your sin. He took on what you deserve. He took on what you had earned. And he paid the debt as if he himself had been a sinner.

As if He Himself, when God looked on Him and poured out His wrath, He saw adultery on Jesus. He saw a thief. He saw a covetatier. He saw someone that dishonored His parents. He saw someone that murdered.

It wasn't just that He took this on. The scripture says he became that sin. God says you're worth that. You are worth that. Your life, our lives are worth that for Him to redeem.

John 11, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live. John 14, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 10, 10, I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.

I am the good shepherd and the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. John 10 28 I give them eternal life and they shall never perish. Neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. But you didn't earn eternal life. He gives it to you out of love for his image-bearers, of care, out of wanting you have not just a life, not just, right, let's save them.

They're saved from hell, but don't give them life abundantly now and forever more. Now there are also ways that we hate God's work to provide eternal life. Right now there's a church, maybe meeting now for all I know. There's a North Carolina church with 20 locations, huge church, that seems to always have a song in the Christian Top 40. And today, they will not mention why Jesus died, why you need a Savior, why you need redeemed blood, wrath, or the gospel.

They will not, intentionally not. I read your Easter devotionals. I heard about this. I said let me go look for myself and see if this is true. So I went and read their devotionals they put out for this week.

And here's the best of what I read, the best of what I read. Quote, Easter celebrates the faithfulness of God, okay? He always comes through. Jesus' death and resurrection remind us that even when life is difficult and the outlook is bleak, God is still working. His plan is better than you can imagine.

Even when the outlook is bleak, that's what the gospel is about. Even when the outlook is bleak, oh I have tough circumstances, my outlook is bleak, oh but God is God. No mention that you need redeemed. There is no mention there today. You need redeemed because you're a sinner.

No mention that in order to be redeemed, it takes the blood of God himself. No mention that wrath is deserved and earned. None of that. This is hatred of God, of eternal life and of others. This, it is completely heretical that a person or people that would call themselves pastors will not tell the truth of the gospel, either out of fear of man or their delusional, or what I believe they're out and out wolves.

Hatred for eternal life. People also just love, they have tickling ears, right? They have ears that will let them be tickled and they'll feel comfortable in this or not. And people love to redefine the gospel, create their own religions from our idol-making hearts and I'm good enough. I'm not that murderer.

I'm not that abuser. I'm not a kidnapper. I'm not a slave owner. I don't do those things. I'm good enough because they've created their own baseline for what it takes for eternal life.

You've created your own baseline. This is what it is. This is my line. My line is just below real evil. What's the worst I've ever done?

Right? They cheated a little bit in school may have stole a buck from my mom. You had done lied a little bit here and there. What's the worst I've done? But they really hate the God of life.

Listen to this. Listen. Today is the day to repent and believe the God of life was wise and good to create you and that he didn't stop there. Today's the day to believe that the God of life is rich and mercy and gracious to provide eternal life. There's nothing you need to do, nothing you can do to earn that eternal life.

Jesus did the work, paid the price on the cross, died the death, shedding his blood, taking the wrath of God, rising from the dead. Come now come now repent and believe this is your God who is rich in mercy calling you to repent and believe. He doesn't need you to. He's not needing to. It's not going to make him better, feel better about himself.

This is his offer out of him being rich in mercy and in grace. Did this work? Come now, believe now. Later may not come. One day, because the way the world is, the way we create time, right?

There's every moment of every day, you know, name the hour, name the minute, it's happening somewhere in the world today, night, day, it's happening somewhere. One day, while someone somewhere is preaching, while someone somewhere is telling someone about the gospel, maybe it's a mom to her children, maybe it's someone from an abortion center, maybe it's to a colleague, maybe it's to a friend, somewhere, someday, while that is happening, because I trust in the power of the Holy Spirit that that's happening everywhere somewhere on this earth all the time. But sometime during that time when that's happening Jesus will return And it's too late then. Are you really willing? Are you really willing to bet eternity that it is not now?

For all here that have not repented and believed you were willing to take that bet. And right now you may feel like you won. I dodged it. What about the next one? Or the next one?

That day is coming. John 20, 31, But these things are written, That you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. This is your God of life, of all life. The author and the creator of all life, anything that we would call life. Especially the focus today has been the God of physical life, the God of eternal life.

And the value He's given you, the worth you have, what He did to pay the price that you could be saved. Couple applications, three of them. Next Saturday, We will walk with love life, as we've done the last couple of years, we will walk with love life to plead for the saving, for saving physical life, life of babies, life of mothers, because mothers get harmed in this. Mothers do get very harmed in this. Lord willing, it's only in their mind, in their emotions, their feelings, scarred in that way, but they also get physically harmed.

Some women can never have babies again. So we're pleading for physical life and pleading for spiritual life. Please, please let's all prepare for that time by praying and fasting and reading what God says about life. Prepare for that time, which leads me to the second point, an activity for you. I know it's not a once you get into this you'll find it's not it's not a short activity.

You know how far down this road you go. Go to Bible Gateway or what I tend to go to when I'm searching scripture blue letter Bible or whatever favorite app you might have. And do a search just in the New Testament for the word life. Just for the word life. I did that for these last couple of weeks, read all these verses.

You're going to read one hundred and ninety seven verses if you go through them all. One hundred and ninety seven verses in the New Testament about life. The vast majority of it is about spiritual life. About spiritual life. And this is what you're going to do if you go, this is what's going to happen if you get through that exercise.

You're going to find a beautiful view into the gracious, loving God of life who is rich in mercy. It will be an encouragement to your soul. Even if you went through a half or a quarter or a tenth of them, just 20 of them, you will find a great encouragement to your soul. Third, today's the day. May today be the day.

The God of life is offering you salvation. Repent. Repent of your ways. When you repent, you're saying, look where my ways have gotten me. My ways have not gotten me anywhere good.

They're leading to death. They're leading to eternal death. You may have a list of things that are not going well for you. And when you repent, you're saying, God, I recognize your ways are good. Your ways for life, what you have told us about life is so good.

You are so wise. Why would I reject that? Now when you repent, listen to this, when you repent, it doesn't mean things just automatically get better everywhere. You still have family pressures, financial pressures, all kinds of pressures in life that come. If you're sick you may still be sick.

There's all these things that happen. I'm not promising you that. What I am promising you is that you, if you repent and believe in Christ alone, His work alone for salvation, you will be saved for all of eternity. You will be filled the Holy Spirit and you will begin at that moment to grow in conformity to the God of life to Christ your creator. I promise you that.

Now promise you you are not on your own because Christ says he'll never leave you and forsake you. One way he does that is with the instant brothers and sisters you would have here or wherever your church home may be. By grace alone, by faith alone, and Christ alone. Repent and believe. Let me end by reading about your God of life, Matthew 28, 1 through 9.

Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning and his clothing as white as snow. And the guard shook for fear of him and became like dead men. But The angel answered and said to the women, Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.

He is not here, for he is risen, as he said, Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead, and indeed he is going before you in the Galilee. There you will see him. Behold, I have told you. So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring his disciples word.

And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, rejoice. So they came, held him by the feet, and worshiped him. O God of life, we rejoice. We Rejoice that you would give us life but not leave us in our state. That you would conquer the enemies of sin and death.

Pay the price that we can repent and believe in trusting you for salvation and have eternal life reign with you forever and ever and ever without end be conformed to you the good and wise God I thank you God for your word. Thank you for the power of you, Holy Spirit, to give life to your word. I thank you for your power, God, to then recreate us, make us born again, give us new hearts, new spirits, new desires. We can have life and have it abundantly. Thank you for giving us life and giving us abundant life.

Oh God, you be praised, you be glorified, you be magnified. Amen.