The Other Side Of It-Pastor Josh Pate

·1 hr 1 min·5 clips

Pastor Josh counts to three, prompting dozens to leave their seats and publicly commit their lives to Jesus during the service.

The episode is an Easter Sunday sermon recorded live at Eastgate Church, led by Pastor Josh Pate. Pate opens with energetic audience interaction, encouraging celebration of Jesus' resurrection. He reads from Luke 24 about the women discovering the empty tomb. Pate then outlines four reasons to believe in the resurrection: Jesus' actual death, early historical accounts, the empty tomb, and eyewitness testimonies, citing nine extra-biblical texts and over 500 witnesses. He transitions to discussing the 'other side' of the resurrection story, focusing on human experiences. Pate uses a humorous 'brown pants day' joke involving a Navy captain to illustrate the disciples' fear and spiritual confusion after Jesus' crucifixion. He connects this to modern believers who feel confused when prayers seem unanswered. Pate details Jesus' stress in the Garden of Gethsemane, mentioning hematidrosis (sweating blood), and advises leaning into prayer during stress. He discusses Jesus being mislabeled and falsely accused, emphasizing that only God defines identity. Pate notes Jesus was abandoned by his disciples and understands human feelings of desertion. He describes the physical suffering of crucifixion, explaining Roman methods to maximize pain. Pate links the resurrection to the Holy Spirit's power now available to believers to overcome life's challenges. The sermon shifts to an evangelistic call, explaining Jesus' death and resurrection as atonement for sin. Pate asks congregants if they are ready to stand before God and leads an altar call. He counts to three, and many people come forward to publicly accept Jesus. Pate prays with them, has church leaders guide them for next steps, and announces a Q&A service for the following week.

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