Christ Church at Grove Farm

Rev. Craig Gyergyo: What a special moment in this whole morning, filled with special moments. It reminds you what a gift it is to gather like this on a day like today. Grateful that you've taken the time to come out here and be here. My name is Craig Gyergyo, and I'm a pastor here at Christ Church at Grove Farm. I want to welcome you. I know that there are a lot of people in the house that are guests, and we're very happy that you're here. Thank you for taking some time on this Easter Sunday to come and worship God and to do it together with us.

It gets us excited. To our regular family here, we're so glad you're here and thank you for welcoming our guests so warmly. That's really important to us. We gather this day, of course, because Jesus is alive, and that changes everything. That's the hope of the world.

Let me tell you a little bit about us briefly. We consider ourselves to be a family of families. What that means is we have a lot of different people from different backgrounds and in different places in their faith journey. We love all that. What brings us together is a shared desire to grow and live in Jesus Christ, to understand who Jesus is and what it actually means to follow Him with our lives. That's what we're doing together.

If something today begins to stir in you, a curiosity, a hope, or maybe just a sense that God's at work, we would love to help you. It would be our privilege to help you take the next step in your journey. We believe this undoubtedly: that God meets us right where we are, right here today. He invites us into something new.

That hope is for you. Today we're going to see that new life on display. We'll be telling you about that in a little bit. As we think about the new life, one of the questions that lurks in our minds is this: Why do I keep going back to what I said I was done with? Anyone relate to that? I said I was done with that, but yet I keep on slipping back into that same behavior.

I think that's a frustration that a lot of people hold, if not everyone. If you're being honest with yourself and you're thinking about how you're living your life, we have moments where we say, "That's not who I am anymore. That's not me. I've prayed. I've repented." And yet, what happens? Old patterns of behavior reappear. Old identities become way too familiar again.

We realize that we are unable to put to death in us what we need to put to death. So the question is this: Have you actually changed? Have I actually changed, or am I still just the same person with better intentions? We celebrate Easter because Jesus is alive. But if Jesus is alive, you have to wrestle with this: Why do so many parts of me still feel dead? And why does what is supposed to be dead in me still feel so alive?

The Apostle Paul asked the same question in the book of Romans, chapter six. The way he says it is: "Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?" His answer is immediate. His answer immediately is: "By no means!" That signals to us that something has changed. So if something's changed, why doesn't it always feel like it has? Let's get into the Word of God. This has something to say to us this morning on this Easter Sunday in celebration. We're in the book of Romans, chapter six, in the New Testament. I'm going to start in verse three.

"Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death." The scripture is speaking to an event in history. A tomb was empty and Jesus was raised. Paul says here, if you are in Christ, you have died and you have been buried with Him. And that means that something has changed at the deepest level. What's changed is your identity.

I want you to notice something here. It's the word "into." It's used twice. "All who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death." Christianity is not just about admiring Jesus from afar. It is about the reality of being united to Him. That is what Christianity is about, being united to Him.

Today we're going to celebrate baptisms. Baptism is not a ritual. It's not a random symbol. It is a proclamation of participation. That's what baptism is. Because here's the reality: According to the scriptures, what happened to Jesus has happened to you. That's what the people will be saying here. All those who have trusted in Christ, all those who have been united to Him. When He died, you died. That's what the scripture teaches.

When He was buried, you were buried. What it means is this is the end for all of you who are struggling. Listen, this is the end. It marks the end of your old self. It has been put to death. The old you is not actually being reformed; it has been crucified with Him. Put your spiritual ears on. Lord, help us to see this. That's the reality of being in Jesus.

But the text goes on. The rest of verse four into verse five: "We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may have new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his."

This is the good news part because God is not in the business of simply repairing the old life. No, He replaces it. He replaces the old life. It says we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. You have been raised. If you're in Christ, you've been raised. Not your old life improved, not a second chance at the same old story. It's an entirely new kind of life.

This is why Easter is such a big deal. It's why we're all here gathered in celebration of this remarkable event in history that has ongoing meaning to us today. We're talking about a life that has already passed through death and come out the other side. On Easter, what we remember is this: You don't just get a reset. What you get through Jesus is a resurrection. You get a resurrection. This is the good news of Easter.

"For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin." Oh, that's good news too, isn't it? Before Christ, sin was not just present; sin was master. People were enslaved to sin.

But now, the authority of sin has been broken. Not its presence in the world—I don't have to tell you that—but its authority, its power, its right to rule has been broken. Because what the scripture says is: anyone who has died has been set free from sin. It's saying death changes everything, because a dead person cannot be enslaved.

Sin may still speak. You may still feel the sense of temptation. But it no longer has authority to command you, to rule your life. A couple weeks ago, we were looking at the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. This is in John chapter 11. When Lazarus came out of the tomb, he was alive. His heart was beating.

But this is an interesting detail: He was still wearing the graveclothes, like a mummy. Jesus says, "Take off the graveclothes and let him go." Lazarus was alive, but he was still wrapped. Some of us know exactly what that feels like: alive but still wrapped. Jesus doesn't leave people there. He doesn't call people out of death only; He sets them free.

If you have been made alive in Christ, and yet you're carrying old patterns around and mindsets and identities that belong to the grave, you don't have to. The issue is not: Are you alive? The issue is this: Will you live like someone who has been raised if you're in Christ Jesus? Because you have been raised. So why are you still dressed for the grave? Why are you still wearing those graveclothes? Take them off.

"Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God." Because the tomb is empty, Hallelujah, the life you now share in Christ is not fragile.

His death was once for all. It was the beginning of a new life. And here's what the scripture is teaching us: That new life cannot be undone because death no longer has dominion over Him. He walked out of the grave in victory, never to be held by death again. That means that if you are united to Him, that is the kind of life you now share in. Do you see? His life is your life. This is not temporary; it is not fragile. This is not subject to death's rule. It is resurrection life, the very life of Christ now at work in you by His Holy Spirit.

This is why Easter is why we get dressed up, and this is why we're joyful. Because there's this message to the world that says you can really live. Think of it this way: There are thresholds in life that you cannot uncross. Once you go through them, you can't go back. You live actually from the other side. For instance, no one unconceives themselves. You can't do that. In the same way, no one undeads themselves. You cross that threshold, you've crossed it.

Jesus didn't just survive death. He passed fully through it and he came out into a life where death no longer has dominion. If you are in Christ, then that means that it's not just His story; it is now your story. You have been brought across that same threshold. Not just a better version of your old life, but a life that has already passed through death and cannot be overtaken by death.

That's what the reality is. This means that you're not just trying to get there. "I'm trying to be a better person. I'm trying to get there." No, you are learning to live from the other side of the reality of resurrection life. Because to be alive to God is the presence of something entirely new in your life. It's a new identity. It's a new responsiveness. It's a new relationship to Him. That's the power of Easter Sunday.

You're no longer just trying to get there. No, you're learning to live from the other side. This is a new identity. You've been brought into the life of Christ himself. You're not standing out there alone trying to live this out. It no longer works that way. One more verse. Look at Romans 6:11. This is the heart of it all. "In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus."

If all this is true—and it is true—then if you have died, if you've been buried, if you've been raised with Christ, then there's only one way to live that makes sense. It is not feeling your way into it. It is not working your way into it. It is not thinking your way into it. It's doing what verse 11 says: "count yourselves." In other words, consider it to be true. Align your heart, align your mind, and your soul with what God says is already real.

The Christian life is not powered by striving to become something new. It is lived out by believing that the resurrection is already true and stepping into it. The scripture says: Don't achieve it, consider it. You don't have to fight sin to become free. You fight because you already are. Because you're free, you now have the power to fight. It's a change in your mindset. It's the transformation of your thinking.

We call this "Come Alive." That's how we've built this Sunday and this whole Lenten season. What does it mean to become alive? It means this: Stop identifying with what God has already buried. That's not who you are. If you're in Christ, that's no longer the label you carry. Stop negotiating with what Christ has already defeated and begin to live as someone who has died, been buried, and raised to new life.

When sin calls—and sin calls all of us—you don't have to obey it. You can say, "That is not my master." When you hear the voices in your head and shame speaks, you can say, "That version of me is in the grave." When you feel stuck in life, you can say, "Resurrection work is already at work in me. It's not sustained in me; it is grounded in Christ who will never ever die again. And that is the hope that I'm living from."

You're going to see this new life play out in front of you through baptism today, right in front of us. Baptism is not a ritual of aspiration. It's not an "I'm trying." It is a declaration of a reality that what has happened to Jesus has happened to you. Why? Because you're united to Him. As each person goes into the water and under the water, that represents that they are buried with Christ.

As they come out of the water, it represents that they are raised with Christ to a new living reality. So don't just see people who are saying, "I'm trying to change, I'm trying to be a better person." No, see people saying, "I have died, I have been buried, and I have been raised to new life with Him. This is the reality I'm living from. This is the way I see life. This is the way my heart is postured towards the world."

Here's the question for you this Easter: Will you continue to live wrapped in what belongs to death? Are you going to wear those graveclothes? Or will you step fully into the life you've been given? Because in Christ, you have died, you've been buried, and you've been raised to a new life that is not going anywhere because it is His life. It's Christ's life.

If you are not already in Christ, if you're sitting here thinking, "I don't know if I'm in Christ," if you're thinking, "I don't know if that's my reality," it can be. Not tomorrow, not next week, not next month, but today, right now. It's not about jumping through hoops. It's not about trying to clean yourself up. It's not about becoming more religious. This is about being united with Christ Jesus, the one who loved you enough to enter into your death. That's the kind of love, the beautiful Savior.

That's why we say His name's beautiful. The one who is powerful enough to bring you into His life. It's about surrendering to Him. It's about trusting Him today. That life is available to you. Will you put it off? What's holding you back? The reality of this passage and this day is this: You're not becoming alive. If you're united with Christ, you've been raised with Him. So now live like it's true. Live like it's true with joy, with peace, with confidence, with hope, victorious, no longer pulled down by death or the grave. Because that's not who you are.

If you're in Jesus Christ, you're like Him. You're raised to new life. You've got the resurrection life in you because you're united with Him. If today you realize that you haven't stepped into that new life—and I'm not just talking about knowing about Jesus—if you're recognizing that you have not been united to Him, the one who stepped into death for you and walked out of it for you, then the invitation is really clear: Follow Jesus.

There's your Easter next step. This is turning from sin. This is trusting fully in Him. In the New Testament, that step is made visible through baptism. You can read the New Testament for yourself, and you'll see lots of people who take this step. It's not a ritual where the water saves you. That is not baptism. This is a declaration that you now belong to Him. That is what baptism is.

If God is drawing you today to express that you are united with Him, that you're turning away from old things and turning towards God, then do this: Don't settle for a private intention. I've done this in my life. "I'm going to start doing. I'm going to turn over a new leaf. I'm going to do something," and you say it to yourself. No, step into a public faith.

Step into a public faith. There's something powerful about rising and saying, "I am going to embrace a new life. I am united to Christ." I did this years ago, summer of 1993, and I moved on it. I didn't just feel it. I didn't just have a private intention and say, "God, I believe in you. It's between you and me." No, I made it public. I walked down to the carpet of Three Rivers Stadium and I gave my life to Jesus. I prayed with someone.

For you today, you can step into a public faith. You could do it right now. You could do it today. In a moment, here's what's going to happen. We're going to sing a song. We're going to stand and we're going to sing about the living hope of Jesus Christ. When we do, several people who have already committed to being baptized are going to walk forward and go to their places. If you're one of our people being baptized, that's your cue. When we stand to rise, you're going to go backstage.

But you can go with them. It's not just the people who have already decided; this is on the table for all of us. If you today are like, "It's time for me to step into the reality of being united with Christ. I want to make a public declaration about that," you can be baptized today. Some of you are thinking, "I've got my good clothes on." Listen, we got t-shirts for you. We got shorts for you. We got a hairdryer for you. Really, we do. Deodorant if you need it. We will clean you up. More importantly, God will clean you up.

So don't allow that to be a hindrance. Don't allow the semantics to do it. What if you were to make a bold statement on Easter Sunday and say, "I am aligned with Jesus Christ. I'm united to Him, the one who was resurrected from the grave, who now lives. His death was my death. His life is my life." Come forward with the people. Declare that you belong to Jesus.

Dan Davis and Donna Wells are going to come into place here. They're two of my friends, and they're going to be here in the front. When we rise and when the people being baptized come forward, if you say it's my turn too—by the way, in the first service, we had people do this—you can come forward, come talk to Dan, come talk to Donna, and they will walk you into that next step and tell you what you've got to do. We'll make it really simple for you.

Here's what I want to do right now. Just a moment of reflection. Would you bow your head as a way of expressing humility and saying, "God, I need you"? Close your eyes to block out all the distractions that are around us. Just in the silence of the room, would you allow the Lord to speak to you? Talk to you. Perhaps you have to express something to the Lord. You could do that now.

If God is drawing you, draw near to Him. Don't resist Him. He loves you and cares for you. Fall into His arms. Today is the day. Don't hold back. Step into the life that He offers to you and declare it.

Oh Lord Jesus, anchor us in what is true. I pray God that you would show us where we think like the old self, and that you'd renew our minds, Lord. I pray Lord that you would show us where we're still wearing what belongs to the grave, and you'd set us free because, Lord, you have victory over death. And those who are in Christ, united to Him, have died, been buried, and now live that new life. Teach us, Lord, to walk fully alive, dead to sin and alive to you through faith in Christ Jesus. All this we pray in Jesus' name, and together we say, Amen.

I'm going to ask you to rise. This is where we're going to sing a song. We're going to sing about the living hope we have in Jesus. Sing from a full heart. Those who are being baptized, you're going to come forward now. If anyone here today wants to take the bold step of faith and say, "I'm going to live and be recognized with Christ, united to Him," you can come forward. Our leaders are here. They would love to talk to you. Let's sing in faith about our living hope in Christ. Here we go.