The Next - Sermon, Part 3

But I said Lent is about The Next. What’s the Next? Listen again to verse 4-6.

“But God's mercy is so abundant, and his love for us is so great, 5 that while we were spiritually dead in our disobedience he brought us to life with Christ. It is by God's grace that you have been saved. 6 In our union with Christ Jesus he raised us up with him to rule with him in the heavenly world.”

That’s the Next. We are moving toward Easter – toward resurrection – toward the Next.

When I was a young adult, one of the pastors at my church was Chuck Echols. I tell you his name in case you knew him. Chuck taught me lots of things. I’m not sure I would be standing here, doing this, if it hadn’t been for Chuck. For me he was a vehicle of God’s sanctifying grace. One of the things he said was that you cannot experience the tremendous joy of Easter morning worship without Ash Wednesday. Without Lent. Without Maudy Thursday. Without Good Friday. Without that dead and dark Saturday.

We do not understand The Next, without Lent.