HE IS RISEN

Welcome to an Encounter with the Spirit Word and Prayer through the prolific apostolic and teaching ministry of Apostle Femi Lazarus, Lead Pastor, Sphere of Light Church Global. It is his vision to raise God's end-time armies. God has not called you to prove you are the best. He has not. As a leader, you are a broker of gift and talent. So brace up for an experience. Can we lift our hands and just bless him? Let's bless the name of the Lord. Let's bless him. Make sweet melodies to him. Sweet melodies to him. Make sweet melodies to him. He deserves all our praise. Blessed be your holy name. We bless you, Father. There's none like you, Lord. There's none to be compared to you. You are God all by yourself. We worship you, we bless you, we thank you, we exalt you. Blessed be the name of the Lord. In Jesus' mighty name we are praying. Amen. If you are excited about the resurrection, come on, come on, come on, come on, give Jesus a big shout of praise. Maybe I should ask if that is the best you can do. Amen. Amen. So let me ask you a question: is the resurrection really something to shout about? Come on, why not? Let's shout and give him praise. Thank you, Lord. Amen. Um, God bless you. You may please be seated. Good morning, everybody. It's a good time to say Happy Easter, right? Awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome. What a great God we serve. So what I'm going to be doing this morning is to, um, teach in the simplest way possible for anyone to understand, um, the significance of the season and how it applies, um, to our life right now. Are you with me? Are you sure? Thank you, Jesus. We bless the name of the Lord. Amen. I just sense we should just lift our hands and thank him again. Just, just be grateful. Let's be grateful. Let's be grateful to him.

Thank you.

We give you all the praise. In Jesus' mighty name we have prayed. So let's, let's trace from the very beginning, um, um, why did Jesus come in the first place? Why was it necessary for him to come and die? Turn your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter number 3. Romans chapter number 3. If you're there, say amen. I start the reading from verse 10. Romans chapter number 3 from verse 10. This is the basis, um, the basics of the gospel that we have received. He said, as it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that understands, there is none that seek God. They are all gone out of the way, they are altogether become unprofitable. There is none that does good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulcher, with their tongue they have used deceit. The poison of asp is under their lips, whose mouth is full of cursing. And bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways, and the way of peace have they not known. There is no fear of God in their eyes. Um, let me jump a bit to verse 21 just for the sake of time. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and prophets, even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ to all and on all them that believe. For there is no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God. Amen. Now, um, as we start reading Romans 3, when you read there's none that is righteous, um, there is none that seek God, there is none— all right, they've all become unprofitable— that is describing our state. Without Christ. Amen. Um, I like to give very simple illustration. Can I have 3 men please? Help me, let's give them a big hand. Okay, thank you. Can I have one to my right? Thank you. And the 2, please come closer. Um, same arrangement. Um, something had happened. Please pay very keen attention. Long before man was ever created, there was a being in heaven called Lucifer. Luciferian. Are you with me? Are you sure? Why are you wearing black? To complement the illustration. Fantastic. God knows that it is today. Okay, so this guy decided that he wants to be like God. He said he wants to take his seat and be like the Most High, and he was able to lure a very large number of angels. So the Bible said there was no place found for him in heaven. So he fell. Over time, God came, and in Genesis 1:26, the Bible said, God said, let us make man in our own image and after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the bird of the air, and every creeping thing, the cattle of the field, and every creeping thing that creeps upon the face of the earth. So this is man. In whose image did God make this guy? In his own image. What did this guy want to get? He want to be like God. What this guy couldn't get is what God gave this guy. Are you with me? Now there was hot jealousy between this guy and this guy to see a being who didn't have to labor to be like God. He was made to be like God before he could make a choice. Why should it be? And this guy decided, I am going to destroy everything God intends to see in him. I will make sure that this guy will never be on the side of God, rather it will be on my side. So in the book of Genesis chapter number 3, when Eve— please follow illustration carefully— was left alone in the garden, the Bible said the serpent came, he deceived her. Okay, the serpent did what? Deceived her. Okay, Paul, writing epistle to Timothy, said, um, the man was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in transgression. So when— pay attention to this, um, Toby, come. Thank you. So when Eve was deceived by the devil, um, this guy came, Adam. He saw that Eve had eaten what God said they should not eat, and he knew that she will die. So the fall of Eve was deception. The fall of Adam was a choice. At this point, he preferred to die with the bride. So in making that decision, man entered transgression, and the both of them came to the side of the devil. The issue with this illustration is not the fall of her, but the fall of this guy. You know why? Because when he fell, we were all still in his loins. Um, if we want to take a bit of time, I would have loved to tell you something about the timing of temptation. The devil made sure that the temptation could not be forever. It must be between the time frame before man produce. Because if he had produced in the righteous state, he has a righteous seed, the damnation will be to him alone. But the seed can continue. So when he sinned, we all sinned, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. How many people sinned? All. Where were we when he sinned? We were in his loins. Are you with me now? How that through one man's disobedience death entered the world. Sin entered the world, and death through sin. So, um, we all sinned, and years went by. Now, the issue with this thing is that, um, it, it doesn't matter the man that came, from Moses to David to Abraham to all of them, as long as they came in this package before Christ, they were sinners. What did I say? They were all sinners. Because sin here is not an act, it is a nature. And that's why when you read Romans chapter number 1, Romans 2, Romans 3, um, bulk of the illustration that was used on the subject sin is a noun, not a verb. It's a noun. Um, both of you form a cycle, form a cycle. Join your hands together, form a cycle. No, with him. Um, Pastor Toby, join them. I want you to understand this in a simpler state. Um, Pastor Joker, please come. Now spread out a bit. Enter this cycle. You know that song you guys used to sing, who is in the garden Okay, now, but this is not that. So this is the nature of man, and this nature is sin. It doesn't matter what man it is— Abel, David, Moses— they, they had the nature of sin. There was nothing you could do right. This is your nature. Are you with me now? So man could not pay the price for what he has done, and because of that sin, death penalty was passed on man. So God saw this situation that man had sinned, man could not pay. So what God did was that God became Man. Now, the issue of Jesus coming as a man, you will think it's a simple thing, except that he will never leave the state of man forever. So when the Bible says, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, you see that title, only begotten Son, he will lose it for life because there will be many begotten, not only Now we are also begotten of the Father. Amen. So Jesus is not the only begotten Son of God, not anymore. We all are sons right now. He gave up that title for us. Are you with me now? So God in Christ became man, and he has one assignment. That the penalty of what man did, that man could not afford to pay, will be passed on him. A man without a blemish, without spot, without wrinkle. Um, give me the book of Hebrews chapter number 4, verse 15. Please pay attention to this illustration. Hebrews 4:15. Look at this. 4:15. For we have not an high priest who cannot be touched— which cannot be touched, sorry— with the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. The significance of this scripture is all it takes for man to be doomed for life is for God became man to know sin. If Jesus had sinned once— how many times did Adam sin? Once. It means the second Adam is compromised. So in his day-to-day life, in his day-to-day living, the fate of humanity was hanging in the balance. Death is dead, as powerful as it will be, will be of no effect if he tasted sin.

Are you with me?

Have I lost you?

Are you sure?

Is it still clear to this point? Huh? Is this still clear? Now, in the Old Testament, in the era of the law, um, they did many things to, uh— write down the book of Hebrews chapter number 9, Hebrews chapter number 10. You want to, um, study. But for the sake of understanding, hold on a minute. Let me, let me read a few scriptures. Turn your Bibles quickly. Hebrews chapter number 9. Now, are you learning something? Are you sure? Now, the end of this is anybody who is seated under my teaching today, you will be able to share the gospel with anyone without fear.

Amen.

Now look at this. Let's turn to Hebrews chapter number 9. Um, let's start the reading from— let's start from verse 1 so that you— I can get you to understand. Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service and worldly sanctuary. The first covenant talks about the era of the law. Are you with me now? Good. Verse 2 now. For there was a tabernacle made, the first, wherein was the candlestick and the table and the shewbread, which is called the sanctuary.

Verse 3.

And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the holiest of all. Yes, which had the golden censer, the Ark of Covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of covenant. Now when you read, um, you try to understand the Ark of Covenant, um, all the— yeah, I'm not getting— I'm not understanding. Don't worry, you will understand that old ordinances as you read Hebrews 9 and 10. They were explained there. So when you read Leviticus, you don't understand, don't worry, go to Hebrews 9. You see, the Old Testament is the shadow of the things to come. We— the lens through which we understand it is the New. Are you with me? So, um, and over the table— let's jump to verse 6 now. Now these things were thus ordained. The priest went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God.

Yes.

But into the second went the high priest alone once every year. How many times every year? Once every year. Look at it. Not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the error. So in the old tabernacle, we have the holy, we have the holies of holies. Some believe we have 3 chambers. Well, the third one is the outer court. Is that okay? Um, but semantically we have, um, 2. All right, but if we had the outer court, 3. All right, we have the holies, we have— so the priest could do things that has to do with meat offering, um, but the holiest of all, the high priest can only enter how many times in a year? Once. And he could not enter without what? Blood for the purging of his own sins too. He too is a sinner. In fact, that high priest, they have to tie chains around his leg so that in case he dies inside. So the devil knows, okay, Jesus, if you are going to be the sacrificial lamb, if you are going to be the high priest, Um, if the high— if this high priest— we can— all we have to do is to make this high priest like the old, um, enter with the blood but also with sin so that you will not come out. Are you with me? But we have not an high priest who cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, seeing that he was in all points tempted like we are, and yet without what? Sin. He did not sin so that he could be able to offer the blood as a sinless priest once and for all. Not once in a year, once and forever. So when he offered his blood, um, it was a sinless blood. So you could say that the prince of this world came to me but found nothing of his in me. There's nothing there. Amen. Now look at it. Let's, let's jump. But in the second— all right, when— but in the second, when the high priest alone once in a year, without— all right, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people. The Holy Ghost, this signifying that the way to the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing, which was the figure of time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to conscience. So what they were doing was that they were offering sacrifices, but they were not perfected by it. If not, by now Today Easter, all of you will have been here with chicken, ram, depending on your sin. Depending on sin. This one that will say will be devil now, will come with cow. Man of God will come with, um, there's one bed which is called Sweet Sweet when we're in Kano, small, small beds. Hm, will have been offering these things every time. By now all the pastors will have pot belly because Huh? Even you offer the dove, who eat it? You know what the sons of Aaron were doing? They were eating, they were enjoying in those days. Everybody wants to be a Levite. Oh yes, you just enter. Are you that you like meat like this? Just enter that place and this one, it pleases the Lord. But Jesus abolished all that and sacrifice. Now this is what he did by offering himself for us, okay? Something happened now, and this is where it gets dicey. Can I have another 4 guys? Any lady can join if you want to, but let me have— please quickly form a circle, quickly. So now, through the sacrifice of Christ, he gave man a new nature. Join your hands with them too, which is just exactly the way this one function, but just that this is something entirely different. Open the door. Now, this is the nature of righteousness. You did not earn this. He gave you his own righteousness. You did not work for it. You did not— you could not earn it. Righteousness is the ability to stand right before God. So when we stand— now, the idea of this, and this is where the church gets it wrong, is that you have this nature regardless of your imperfection. When you were in this nature, regardless of your perfection, you were a sinner. Now that you are in this nature, it is not about your perfection or imperfection. It is about his perfection. Hallelujah! So when, when we share this gospel, you say, are you now encouraging people to sin? No, because this nature is an enabler.

Yes, sir.

It is an enabler. When you have this nature, it, it, it, it moves you to do what is right. It moves you to do what pleases God. Give us that scripture. 2 Corinthians chapter number 5. Are you learning something today? 2 Corinthians 5, let's start from verse 17, the popular one that everybody knows. And now therefore, if any man be in Christ, a new creature, all things are passed away. Behold, all things have become new. Yes, verse 18. Now all things, and all things are of God who had reconciled them. Somebody say He had reconciled us. That is, there's no more enmity between us and God. To himself by Jesus Christ, and had given to us the ministry of reconciliation. Verse 19 now: To wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their sins to them. Listen to this. It is not you telling the sinner that the sinner is a sinner that saves the sinner. It is you telling the sinner that Christ has died for you and he has a new package for you. A sinner knows that when he's smoking and doing all those things, he will go to hell. So threatening with hell is not actually going to get them saved. It is to show them what Christ has done. Amen. Ah, let me tell you, people are tired of life. Let me tell you something. One time I was on a bus years back, I noticed that the man was driving like he wants to die. Thank God I was sitting in front, so I held him. I said, Baba, uh-uh, what's going on? That's how he broke down in tears. I said, I'm tired of this life. Ah, you are tired of— when the person who is tired of life drives you, you You know you're in trouble. I became a motivational preacher throughout the journey. Started showing him, not because I really care, but because I didn't want to die. He was tired of life. So you see people like that doing several things, tell them they will go to hell. They will tell you, where I am now is hell. That's not the way to get people saved. God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses to them. So you say somebody has killed people all his life, on his deathbed he said, Jesus, have mercy on me. Where will he go? Heaven, straight. What about all he has done?

Is your business.

There are people you see in heaven, that's when you discover how wicked you are. Say, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, go, go out now. And then Jesus will come and say, I paid the price and you are not any better. I wanted to say something, but so it doesn't become headline, let me just say this. He gave a parable. The one who came at the 11th hour, who came at the 9th hour, who came— they all received the same reward though. Somebody now say, ah, Apostle, thank you for this OT that you have given to me. Now let me go and jaye and come back. You may not come back. Because when you hug the devil, he will hold you for long. The moment we receive this nature, the affinity for sin dies because we have a new nature. Now look at this: he has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Verse 20, now quickly. Now then, we ambassadors for Christ, as though God did be seated by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be reconciled to God. Yes, verse 21 now. For he had made him to be sin for us, which knew no sin, that we might be made what? Come on, loud and clear. That might be made what? The righteousness of God in Christ. We were made so on the account of his price, not on the account of our— I'm trying. On the account of what he did. Didn't you see it when Jacob was going to go to Isaac to get the blessing? The mother clothed on him the, the skin of the ram she killed. And when Isaac felt him, Isaac felt the skin, he felt the sacrifice, and said, this is the flesh of Esau but the voice of Jacob. And he smelled the smell of his raiment. And he said, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed. This is the picture of what is going to play out, that we can now therefore come boldly. We have been clothed with his sacrifice. We can come boldly, no longer afraid. You can approach God and call him Daddy. God is not from Obumoso. Sorry, sorry. And God is not Femi Lazarus. He is God. One of the biggest expressions of him that was revealed to us in the Bible is Abba, Daddy. Some of us are too holy to call him Daddy. Daddy me? If you have God's number, what would you save his number with? Some will say, with palè, my G. I'm not sure you understood. We were once children of the devil, and now we are sons of God. God is my daddy. Imagine your name today is John Aliko Dangote, right? You can just come to church and say, Apostle I want my chair to be on the altar now. Say, say, who are you? Say, I am John Aliko. But imagine now that you are sons of God, you're a child of God. That's your son name?

Yes, sir.

Christ. Yes, sir. We were good for nothing, doomed to die, until he came and saved us. And look at how benevolent that saving grace Jesus. It was a man was on his right-hand side on the cross. He just told that one, okay, today you join me in paradise. And many of you have not thought about that word today. What he's saying is that it didn't take him 3 days to do what he did in hell. It didn't take him 3 days. You think, oh, Jesus was in hell fighting the devil. They won. Satan, I will beat you. I'll beat you too. Day too. No, no, no, no, no. He did it in one day. Stayed two extra because he knows intelligent people will come and they will say maybe he didn't die, he fainted. The Jews don't believe that the soul is separated from the body until after 3 days. He stayed 3 days to fulfill all righteousness, but he did all he will do in a moment. Spoiled principalities, spoiled powers, triumph over them publicly. Listen to this, there is actually nothing really special about rising from the dead. Let me burst your bubble, there's nothing special. In fact, Jesus is not the first to rise. From the dead. There was a guy that died and they threw his body where the bones of Elisha was. He came back to life. Even Jesus himself had resurrected Lazarus. Jairus' daughter died. I mean, different examples of people that died. But all those who died and were raised from the dead died again. He rose never to die again. It triumphs over death for life. Talk about Buddha, he's dead. There's no, no religion in the world that talks about, um, a savior that is alive. No religion. No religion. We are not serving late Jesus. It is Jesus of Nazareth. Look at what it says in Revelation chapter— let me give these people a big clap, please. Go back to your seat. Revelation chapter number 1. Revelation Revelations 1, let's go to verse 18. Revelations 1. Is somebody getting blessed? Are you sure? Say thank you, Jesus. Come on, say it again. Let's start from verse 17, please. Revelations 1 from verse 17. Revelations 1 from verse 17. Look at it. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, fear not, for I am the first and the last. Verse 18, now quickly. I am he that liveth and was dead. Not is dead, was dead. Glory! Was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of hell and death. He did not just arise from the dead, he took the keys. You know what that means? Nobody can kill you. The key is with— but do you know that semantically— how do I say this now, uh, because we understand scriptures— semantically, Jesus is not our father, he's our elder brother. Because we have become joint heirs, fellow sons. How can we become the younger brother of God and the Son of God? That's too much. That's too much. You, you say when he became flesh, I said he never went back to stop being man. Look at it, 1 Timothy chapter number 2. 1 Timothy chapter number 2. If you are there, say amen. Now let's, let's, let's start the reading from, um, let's start reading from verse 3 so you can have a bit of background. Look at this. Say, from verse 3, now, for this is good— talk about praying for kings, for all in authority. Say, for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior. Yes. Who would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of who? Of what? The truth. Why? For there is one God and one Medetua, between God and the what? The man.

The what?

Come on, say it again.

The what?

Come on, say it again. With the what? Say it again. The what? Let me tell you, it didn't end there. Imagine now, imagine that your direct elder brother just becomes the president of Nigeria. Yes, that's what I'm about to show you. Sit down. Look at the Book of Revelation chapter number 4. See, let me tell you, Jesus did not just remain man till now. The entire protocol of heaven is manned by men till now on the account of his price. Revelation chapter number 4, look at this. After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven. And the first voice I heard was as the sound of a trumpet talking with me, which said, come up hither, and I will show you things which are to come, to be hereafter. Quickly. And immediately I was in the spirit, and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

Yes.

And he that sat upon the throne was to look upon like a jasper or a sardine stone, and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like an emerald. Yes. And round about the throne were 24 a seat, and upon the seat I saw 24 elders sitting, clothed in white raiment. Number 1, white raiment means that they have been washed in the blood. Angels were not washed in the blood, only men were. Oh God, they are elders. There is a throne seated of Christ, then there is a, a 24-people protocol around that throne. And as they began to describe The one on the throne is man. The elders around the throne, men. It is the world of men. Clothed in white raiment, and they had on their heads crown of gold. Crown is for those who overcame. That is, they lived, they saw, and they conquered. Look at it, all right? Out of the throne proceeds, and before the throne sea of glass. Semantically, sea represents multitudes. This was what the devil saw. This was what he has always wanted, that he will be in the highest protocol. But God reserved that place for you and I, that now we are seated in Christ far above principalities and powers. We have a better seat on his account. Don't live in condemnation. Don't live in rejection. Look at what the Bible says in Romans chapter number 8 from verse 1. Romans 8:1. Romans 8:1, quickly. Let's read this loud and clear. 1, 2, 3, go. There is now therefore no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the— you know, the devil is going to try to remind you of your past. Your past is as good as dead. Any man who is in Christ is a new creature. New means not put to use before. Eh, Apostle, if only you know the things I've done. I have done abortion before. He said you are new. Yes, sir. Brand new. Oh, praise God! Let's give Jesus a big hand one more time. You know, the devil was too certain When Jesus was having his earthly ministry, the devil was so threatened, and all the devil wanted to do was to get rid of him as quickly as he could. He wanted him out of the way, but he did not know that in doing that, he was perfecting the story of our salvation. So the devil later sat back and regret, and the Bible says If the princes of this world had known. Did Jesus die? Yes, they forced a crown of thorns to his head. That's not some golden crown, it's not some musicians mocking God. Listen, this is not the kind of crown made with— this is not Versace or what they call it crown. It's not Gucci bullshit tongues. It's not, it's real tongues. It pierced his core. The cane they used in flogging people in those days, the— what is even serious about the cane is not the strike, it is the fact that the cane had on its end claws. In fact, bulk of those they want to crucify don't make it to crucifixion because they would have lost all their— you only have 5 liters of blood, it doesn't take so much to lose it. So, and they gave him those strokes of cane, and it will wrap around him, and the claws will fasten, and they will pull it out. And the Bible said for each of those stripes were healed. Medically, there are 30 categories of sicknesses. He took one extra in case one comes later. For each category, took the stripes. And you know what they must have been doing in hell? Aha, flog him, he's useless, beat him. They forced him to carry the cross, and he carried that cross. And they nailed his hands, nailed his legs, and he hung. The cross means rejected by the earth, rejected by heaven, hanging in between. He had to cry, they have rejected me, my Father, my Father, why have you two forsaken me? He was not accepted anywhere. And one time he came and said, I'm thirsty, and they forced vinegar to his mouth. When he tasted it, Bible said he yielded up the ghost and said, 'It is finished.' He died. The moment he died, everywhere turned dark. What had never happened before had happened. The caliber of man that had never died before had died. When his blood touched the earth, there was earthquake, shakings everywhere. And they left his body to hang until Joseph of Arimathea said, give it to me. And the mother of Jesus, Mary, Martha, Peter, they wept. You know, when you lose people, you cry. They wept, they wept, they wept. They too Let me show you a scripture now. So when we look at Easter, we are not here to celebrate or to cry or to mourn, as painful as the story may sound. No, we are here to celebrate triumph. Hallelujah! Now let me show you something. Are you with me? Are you sure? Now let's look at the Book of Matthew, chapter number 28. Matthew chapter number 28. Let's start the reading from verse 1. Matthew 28 from verse 1. And in the end— are you there? Thank you. And in the end of the Sabbath, as it began the dawn towards the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled the stone from the door and sat on it. Ah, that's the part that interests me so much. When the angel rolled away the stone, sat on it. The power that raised him is not hiding. We take responsibility for it. He sat on it and his countenance was like light. You couldn't kill Jesus. He laid down his life. The person that they wanted to capture and said, say, who is Jesus? Said, I am he. They all fell. He said, if it please me, I will ask my Father to send legions of angels. He could say at any point, I'm not doing again. And his countenance was like lightning, and his raiment as white as snow. And fear— and for fear of him, the keepers did shake and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said to the women, fear you not, fear not you, for I know that you seek Jesus which was crucified. He is not here, he is risen. As he said, come and see the place where the Lord lay. Tell your neighbor, he's not here, he's risen. They came to see a corpse, but he is risen. He died, yes, for day one, yes, day two, yes. On the third day, the spirit of him that raised him from the dead came, forced him out of the grave. So go quickly and tell the disciples that he's risen from the dead. Now, this is not just some folklore tale. This is historically proven that a man called Jesus once lived, and there is no historical record of where his grave is because it's not there. And that's why we don't go to Israel to see the bones and some leftovers of Jesus. He rose from the dead. And his own kind of resurrection is not the one that they just open the door for him to come out. He triumphed over death and took the keys. That's why we call him the firstborn from the dead, because nobody has ever triumphed over death. When he died, Bible says that we died with him, and when he rose, we rose together in the same similitude. He is alive, and that is the reason why we are alive. This is the foundation of our faith. We are not serving a dead God. We are not serving a dead Messiah. He rose from the grave. This is where faith has its root. On the account of this, we can command certain things to die.

This is—

our faith stems from the root of the fact that he rose from the dead. We can anchor our life on it. What is the hope? That when believers die now, that we don't mourn like unbelievers, that we know that in fullness of time we'll see them also. It's just a matter of time. It's just a matter of time. All your uncles, all the people you've once known that have gone to build— it's just a matter of time. One day soon we'll be together again. Glory to God. He rose. Arose, and we rose with him. Glory! Amen! He's not dead anymore. He said, go tell them, go tell them, he's no longer here. Come see where he was laid. And they got there, clothes is gone. And when he got to the place where they were talking, it was Thomas that was doubting him. And he said, Thomas, I know many of your kind also will exist.

Come.

And he said, Trust your hand to my side. It did. And he could feel the intestines, the livers. I said, yes. I said, put your hand in the holes of my hands. And he did, and it went through. And Thomas, with his doubtful state, broke down in tears. And he said something concerning us: Blessed is that generation whom having not seen yet believe. He captured us there. We are that generation. He is still with the scar as a token of the blood. When a man— when I want to marry my wife, they said this is the bride price I paid. He is the only groom whose bride price was his blood, huh? He's the only groom whose bride price was his what?

Blood.

If Anybody disrespect my wife, you disrespect the highest side of me. If anybody disregard the bride of Christ, you touch him where he will respond as a lion. This is the reason why you should not see yourself as one that should be victimized. You are the bride of Christ. A price was paid. So you see oppression, I say no, he paid the price for this. So let me bring you to understand Romans 12, why you didn't understand it. Romans 12 from verse 1. Now I wrap up there. Romans 12: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercy of God, that you present your— your bodies living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable what? Service. Meaning that having paid everything, it is only reasonable for you to reciprocate. Imagine being married to a woman and say, I want to touch you. She say, don't touch me. It is reasonable to present your body. That's right, that's right.

Reasonable.

That's what makes sense. Amen. So we have not just come this morning to say, oh, thank you, Jesus, because you rose. The question is, are you where he is? Have you accepted the sacrifice? Have you accepted the price that he paid, or will that be in vain over you? One day soon, at the sound of the archangel, all the things we are doing will be over. One day soon. And the Bible said the dead in Christ will rise first, and we who are alive will also rise and meet with him. Will you be there? It's a very important question. Will you be there? Just like being in a garage doesn't make you a car owner, being in a church doesn't make you a Christian. Have you accepted him as your Lord and Savior? Have you confessed his lordship? Have you accepted the sacrifice, the price he paid? Or are you nailing him to the cross the second time? It is not a joke. We have a reasonable service, and that is to present ourselves Oh, the reality of resurrection is beautiful, but it's only beautiful in the life of the man who have accepted him. Have you? If Jesus comes now, where are you going? When you hear rapture, what comes to your heart? If you're afraid, it means you are not giving your life to Christ, because rapture is the groom coming for the bride. And I want us to bow our heads this morning, even as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. I want us to bow our heads this morning. If there's somebody here saying, I want to make commitment as a Christian to serve God with my life, I want to give my life to Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Maybe somebody saying, I have given my life to him, but I need to rededicate my life. Quickly, for the sake of time, I won't call you out, but please be upstanding where you are seated. It doesn't matter, don't be ashamed. The one who died for you hung naked as a 33-and-a-half-year-old man, naked, every genitals was in the public. That's how he died for you. All you have to do today is to publicly affirm him as your Lord and Savior. He's not asking for too much. He's not asking for too much. Are you here? Thank you for standing. You need to give your life to Jesus Christ today and accept the sacrifice. Maybe there's still somebody and the Holy Ghost is saying, you know you should be up. You know I've been running after you all your days just to make sure I call you back home. Why are you still seated? Why are you hiding yourself? Accept my love today and be saved. That's the essence of the season, that we accept what he paid the price for. That's the essence. And if you are upstanding, say these words after me. Lord Jesus, I believe that you came to this world to die for my sins. I believe that you died for my sins. I also believe that you rose on the third day for my justification. Today, Lord, I confess you as my Lord and Savior, and I accept this gift of eternal life in Jesus' name. The Bible says when we have people say this, there is a party in heaven. Come on now, there is joy! And what do we do? We rejoice for souls! We rejoice! You know, one of my greatest joy is that Every day I have at least a soul to my account. Every day. Every day. What a joy we have. Hallelujah. That we stand here knowing— are you aware that Christians are the only ones with hope of eternity that is sure? That is sure. It's not mere religion, it's a call to life. Lift your hands, say thank you, Jesus. Come on, say loud and clear, thank you, Jesus. Thank you for the price you paid on the cross of Calvary to save my soul. Thank you, Jesus. You want to rise on your feet and just bless him. Oh, what a joy, what a joy. That I can be called a child of God. What a joy! With all the things I've done in the past, when they thought my life was over, what a joy that I can be called a child of God. What a joy! What a joy! Falling in love with Jesus. Let's take it slowly. Falling in love with Jesus, falling in love with Jesus is the best thing I have ever known. In his hands I feel protected, in his hands I feel protected. In his hands, in his hands, never disconnected, connected in his hands, in his hands. I feel protected. There's no place I'd rather be, and there's no place I'd rather be. Lift your hands and say thank Thank you, Jesus. Now listen to this.

Our story in the city of Abuja is similar to the story of Jacob who said, by my rod I have passed through Jordan, but now the Lord has made me two bands. You remember how that recently God sent us to Abuja in what I will call the most humble movement. We came practically trusting God for what to do next and how he's going to help us with the words of prophecies he has given to us about the city and the armies are rising. And guess what? God is doing just that. Recently we have been seeing the move of God in the most unbelievable way possible, with his word reaching the unreached, converting sinners to saints, bringing people who have lost hope in church. And now this has necessitated the need for expansion so that we do not fall out of what God is doing. Where we are currently is stringent for us, with rules that will limit what God is doing amongst us. The gospel is free, but the propagation requires a lot of funding. We want our friends, partners, and everyone connected to our ministry to join us as we undertake this project together. We have the urgent need to expand, and we believe that this is the kairos moment for us to do that. We are importing our own tent all the way from China and getting everything needed to fill that space and have a conducive place where we can have our apostolic work beyond what we are having now at the moment. The structure you are seeing on your screen is exactly what we are working at, at the moment. Believe you me when we say that people who are blessed can be blessed much more when we have our own please. We want you to join us as we undertake this project. We need your support. We're counting on you and your generosity. We are working towards a project of ₦180 million in this season. You have the account details on the screen. Use the account details as God has laid in your heart. God bless you so much. We love you from all of us at Sphere of Light Church.

Thank you.

Be with you for always.

Hi there! God is raising for himself an end-time army, and this is the mandate that he has given to us. Truly, the harvest is plenteous, but we need you on board as a laborer. This is a call to partner with what God is doing in this great house. To become a monthly partner with us at Sphere of Light Church and Femi Lazarus Apostolic Ministries Ecumenical, kindly reach us via the number +234 903 095 9735. To give an offering or to sow a seed, kindly make use of these account details being displayed. The gospel of Jesus is spreading. Thank you for being a part of it.