WEBVTT 00:00:00.300 --> 00:00:06.400 I am so excited. I love Easter morning. I love 00:00:06.400 --> 00:00:11.580 Resurrection Sunday. It is what we are all about, 00:00:11.679 --> 00:00:15.839 right? It is what we are all about. And about 00:00:15.839 --> 00:00:19.100 a month ago, I preached a sermon on considering 00:00:19.100 --> 00:00:22.079 Him. Do you remember that? When we were talking 00:00:22.079 --> 00:00:25.780 about running our race, out of Hebrews 12, what 00:00:25.780 --> 00:00:29.679 did it say? To run our race well, we must consider 00:00:29.679 --> 00:00:34.020 him, right? And so I want to revisit for a moment 00:00:34.020 --> 00:00:37.939 that verse, because as we were considering him, 00:00:38.020 --> 00:00:41.340 we were considering him and his sacrifice of 00:00:41.340 --> 00:00:45.479 the cross. But I want for a moment to look at 00:00:45.479 --> 00:00:50.359 Hebrews 12, 2 again, and 3. And at the end of 00:00:50.359 --> 00:00:56.060 verse 2, it says he endured the cross, he scorned 00:00:56.060 --> 00:01:00.740 the shame, and he sat down at the right hand 00:01:00.740 --> 00:01:08.379 of God. He sat down at the right hand of God. 00:01:08.579 --> 00:01:12.900 So it then goes on to verse 3. Consider him who 00:01:12.900 --> 00:01:17.760 endured opposition. And so this morning, I want 00:01:17.760 --> 00:01:22.359 us to take a moment to consider him, the one 00:01:22.359 --> 00:01:26.079 that is right now seated at the right hand of 00:01:26.079 --> 00:01:32.560 the Father. In Matthew 27, we have the account 00:01:32.560 --> 00:01:38.319 of the resurrection. Let's read it. So if you 00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:40.680 have your Bible, take it out. We're going to 00:01:40.680 --> 00:01:44.000 start at the end of 27 and go into chapter 28. 00:01:45.560 --> 00:01:50.760 Starting in verse 65, it says, Take a guard, 00:01:51.140 --> 00:01:58.879 Pilate said. Go, make the tomb. as secure as 00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:05.859 you know how. They are wanting this sealed. They 00:02:05.859 --> 00:02:08.539 didn't want anybody trying to steal the body. 00:02:09.259 --> 00:02:15.939 They wanted this to be a sealed tomb. So set 00:02:15.939 --> 00:02:19.180 a guard and secure it. So they went and made 00:02:19.180 --> 00:02:22.360 the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone 00:02:22.360 --> 00:02:27.960 and posting the guard. After the Sabbath at dawn 00:02:27.960 --> 00:02:31.819 on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene 00:02:31.819 --> 00:02:35.000 and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:39.520 There was a violent earthquake for an angel of 00:02:39.520 --> 00:02:43.520 the Lord came down from heaven and going to the 00:02:43.520 --> 00:02:47.979 tomb, rolled back the stone. And I love this. 00:02:48.199 --> 00:02:54.219 He sat on it. This is what I think about this 00:02:54.219 --> 00:02:59.740 stone. His appearance was like lightning and 00:02:59.740 --> 00:03:04.080 his clothes were white as snow. The guards were 00:03:04.080 --> 00:03:09.060 so afraid of him that they shook and became like 00:03:09.060 --> 00:03:14.759 dead men. The angel said to the women, do not 00:03:14.759 --> 00:03:18.439 be afraid for I know that you are looking for 00:03:18.439 --> 00:03:27.520 Jesus who was crucified. He is not here. Can 00:03:27.520 --> 00:03:30.139 you imagine? They've come looking for the body 00:03:30.139 --> 00:03:34.680 of Jesus. And the angel says, he is not here. 00:03:36.900 --> 00:03:45.419 He has risen just as he said. Come and see the 00:03:45.419 --> 00:03:48.479 place where he lay. Come check it out for yourself. 00:03:49.060 --> 00:03:55.699 See where he was lay. He's not there. And so 00:03:55.699 --> 00:03:58.719 just as we considered him a month ago upon the 00:03:58.719 --> 00:04:01.819 cross, today we're just going to walk quickly 00:04:01.819 --> 00:04:07.080 through three considerations from this passage. 00:04:07.780 --> 00:04:09.939 We're going to move through the first two fairly 00:04:09.939 --> 00:04:12.360 quickly because I want to focus on the third. 00:04:12.479 --> 00:04:15.939 But our first consideration of the risen Jesus 00:04:15.939 --> 00:04:22.889 comes out of verse 2. There was a violent earthquake 00:04:22.889 --> 00:04:25.670 for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven 00:04:25.670 --> 00:04:28.589 and going to the tomb, rolled back the stone 00:04:28.589 --> 00:04:34.310 and sat on it. Our first consideration today 00:04:34.310 --> 00:04:38.850 brings hope to us. Because how many of us have 00:04:38.850 --> 00:04:43.269 ever felt like in our life that certain situations 00:04:43.269 --> 00:04:48.230 or certain relationships are just sealed up good? 00:04:49.519 --> 00:04:52.579 There's no breakthrough in sight. There's no 00:04:52.579 --> 00:04:58.360 resurrection in sight. That thing is dead and 00:04:58.360 --> 00:05:02.839 sealed up in a tomb. Anybody ever felt like that 00:05:02.839 --> 00:05:07.800 in your life? Some of you today maybe are currently 00:05:07.800 --> 00:05:12.540 feeling that way. God, this situation seems like 00:05:12.540 --> 00:05:16.740 it will never ever change. It seems dead. It 00:05:16.740 --> 00:05:21.470 seems sealed up shut. But I have good news for 00:05:21.470 --> 00:05:27.490 you today. I have good news for your situation 00:05:27.490 --> 00:05:35.470 today. Heaven can shake things up a bit. When 00:05:35.470 --> 00:05:43.269 God says it's time to move the stone, I'm sorry, 00:05:43.389 --> 00:05:47.660 there's no guard that can stop that. There's 00:05:47.660 --> 00:05:52.379 no death that can stop that. It matters not what 00:05:52.379 --> 00:05:56.720 it appears in the natural. When heaven says it 00:05:56.720 --> 00:06:00.899 is time, the earth begins to shake. Those things 00:06:00.899 --> 00:06:04.660 in your life begin to shake. And nothing can 00:06:04.660 --> 00:06:08.930 withstand when God says it's time. It's time. 00:06:09.129 --> 00:06:12.470 It's time that those things, those places, those 00:06:12.470 --> 00:06:15.949 relationships be unsealed. It's time for what 00:06:15.949 --> 00:06:19.649 has been blockaged to be rolled away. It is time 00:06:19.649 --> 00:06:24.430 for dead things to come alive again. That's what 00:06:24.430 --> 00:06:30.449 happens when God says it's time. God has a way 00:06:30.449 --> 00:06:35.529 of shaking things up and opening things up. And 00:06:35.529 --> 00:06:41.990 man can't stop that. Man can, the enemy can come 00:06:41.990 --> 00:06:47.649 against you strong. He can try, he can try. But 00:06:47.649 --> 00:06:51.610 we know that he cannot prevail against God. Amen? 00:06:51.769 --> 00:06:56.610 And so take hope today and consider his resurrection. 00:06:57.810 --> 00:07:01.269 Consider that it wasn't just that he was close 00:07:01.269 --> 00:07:05.389 to death, it's that he had already died. It's 00:07:05.389 --> 00:07:08.470 that he had already been sealed up in a tomb. 00:07:08.750 --> 00:07:11.389 And in the natural, we would say, well, that's 00:07:11.389 --> 00:07:13.709 done and over. It's time. We're going to be like 00:07:13.709 --> 00:07:15.829 the disciples and we're going to go back to our 00:07:15.829 --> 00:07:17.910 old lifestyle and we're going to start fishing 00:07:17.910 --> 00:07:25.410 again. What appears in the natural isn't always 00:07:25.410 --> 00:07:30.290 the truth. And we got to begin to ask heaven 00:07:30.290 --> 00:07:35.899 for truth over our situation. Over that thing 00:07:35.899 --> 00:07:39.180 that feels sealed up. We got to begin to ask 00:07:39.180 --> 00:07:45.300 God for his truth. Right? And so we consider 00:07:45.300 --> 00:07:51.399 the shaking of heaven and its ability to unseal 00:07:51.399 --> 00:07:54.699 things. So take hope today. Our second consideration. 00:07:59.860 --> 00:08:05.370 This is so good and this should Build such trust 00:08:05.370 --> 00:08:12.050 in you in verse 6. He is not here. He has risen. 00:08:13.970 --> 00:08:19.850 Catch this phrase, just as he said. Just as he 00:08:19.850 --> 00:08:25.209 said. Jesus had already spoken when he was walking 00:08:25.209 --> 00:08:32.399 the earth of his death and resurrection. And 00:08:32.399 --> 00:08:36.960 here we see the fulfillment of what he said. 00:08:38.960 --> 00:08:46.159 Jesus is true to his word. And some of you have 00:08:46.159 --> 00:08:50.259 had even, not even recently, but I would say 00:08:50.259 --> 00:08:55.279 5, 10, 15, 20 years ago, Jesus say something 00:08:55.279 --> 00:08:59.740 to you. And you haven't seen it come to pass 00:08:59.740 --> 00:09:05.929 yet. But can I say to you today that when Jesus 00:09:05.929 --> 00:09:15.350 says something, when he says something, you can 00:09:15.350 --> 00:09:21.169 take that as done. You can take that as done. 00:09:23.730 --> 00:09:31.139 Just as he said. And so, whatever your... relationship 00:09:31.139 --> 00:09:35.600 issues whatever your struggles that you're believing 00:09:35.600 --> 00:09:40.340 for can I just say this to you whatever Jesus 00:09:40.340 --> 00:09:43.539 has said about it is what you should say about 00:09:43.539 --> 00:09:49.259 it whatever he has said about your marriage and 00:09:49.259 --> 00:09:52.039 the promise you've received maybe that's what 00:09:52.039 --> 00:09:55.860 you should say over your marriage whatever God 00:09:55.860 --> 00:09:59.460 has said over your children Maybe you should 00:09:59.460 --> 00:10:02.299 quit talking about how much trouble they're causing 00:10:02.299 --> 00:10:05.320 you right now and begin to talk about what Jesus 00:10:05.320 --> 00:10:09.240 has said about your children. Maybe it's your 00:10:09.240 --> 00:10:13.899 job. You should ask Jesus, Jesus, what do you 00:10:13.899 --> 00:10:17.120 say about this job? And maybe you should start 00:10:17.120 --> 00:10:22.799 saying that. And so today, when we consider the 00:10:22.799 --> 00:10:28.129 resurrection, we do it. Because just as he said, 00:10:28.289 --> 00:10:37.169 so he says over you. And so this leads us to 00:10:37.169 --> 00:10:39.750 the heart of this, consideration number three. 00:10:42.789 --> 00:10:45.850 I've been preaching myself happy for a couple 00:10:45.850 --> 00:10:51.210 of weeks over consideration number three. He 00:10:51.210 --> 00:11:04.710 is risen. He is risen. In Hebrews 12, what did 00:11:04.710 --> 00:11:10.009 we just read? He sat down at the right hand of 00:11:10.009 --> 00:11:16.710 the throne of God. Consider him. The risen Jesus 00:11:16.710 --> 00:11:24.529 is not a meek Jesus that shed his glory to walk 00:11:24.529 --> 00:11:28.049 the earth. Darren read it a few moments ago, 00:11:28.190 --> 00:11:31.830 didn't he? He made himself of no reputation to 00:11:31.830 --> 00:11:38.330 walk this earth. Jesus is not that right now. 00:11:39.090 --> 00:11:43.789 Isaiah 53 says that there was no beauty about 00:11:43.789 --> 00:11:47.370 him. There was nothing that would attract you 00:11:47.370 --> 00:11:54.480 to Jesus. Can I say today, he is risen and that 00:11:54.480 --> 00:11:59.980 is not who he is today at the right hand of God. 00:12:01.919 --> 00:12:06.039 And so for a few moments, I want us to consider 00:12:06.039 --> 00:12:10.559 him the one seated at the right hand of God. 00:12:11.460 --> 00:12:17.759 In Revelation chapter 1, starting in verse 10. 00:12:18.759 --> 00:12:22.019 On the Lord's day, there's something that happens 00:12:22.019 --> 00:12:25.539 about on the Lord's day, right? Something that 00:12:25.539 --> 00:12:31.940 happens. That's why church is so good. I was 00:12:31.940 --> 00:12:35.659 in the spirit, John said, and I heard behind 00:12:35.659 --> 00:12:42.620 me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said, write 00:12:42.620 --> 00:12:47.200 on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven 00:12:47.200 --> 00:12:52.480 churches. Listen, the disciples hadn't seen the 00:12:52.480 --> 00:12:58.960 risen Jesus. A few of them had seen Jesus when 00:12:58.960 --> 00:13:03.639 he appeared at his transfiguration with Moses 00:13:03.639 --> 00:13:06.240 and Elijah. So they'd had a taste of it. But 00:13:06.240 --> 00:13:09.860 they had not seen Jesus risen and seated at the 00:13:09.860 --> 00:13:14.340 right hand. And so Jesus is wanting now to reveal 00:13:14.340 --> 00:13:19.159 himself to the church. saying, you knew me as 00:13:19.159 --> 00:13:24.159 this meek, unappealing man, but I want you to 00:13:24.159 --> 00:13:28.259 know me now as the risen one. Here is what I 00:13:28.259 --> 00:13:34.159 look like. So send it out to the churches. I 00:13:34.159 --> 00:13:37.860 turned around in verse 12 to see the voice that 00:13:37.860 --> 00:13:41.120 was speaking to me. And when I turned, I saw 00:13:41.120 --> 00:13:45.240 seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands 00:13:45.240 --> 00:13:52.259 was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe 00:13:52.259 --> 00:13:55.860 reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash 00:13:55.860 --> 00:14:00.659 around his chest. The hair on his head was white 00:14:00.659 --> 00:14:05.580 like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were 00:14:05.580 --> 00:14:11.200 like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze 00:14:11.200 --> 00:14:15.679 glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like 00:14:15.679 --> 00:14:20.279 the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand 00:14:20.279 --> 00:14:24.320 he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth 00:14:24.320 --> 00:14:29.740 was a sharp double -edged sword. His face was 00:14:29.740 --> 00:14:34.919 like the sun shining in all its brilliance. This 00:14:34.919 --> 00:14:40.360 is the risen Savior. This is the one whom we 00:14:40.360 --> 00:14:44.080 now consider at the right hand of the Father. 00:14:47.419 --> 00:14:51.539 And so let's just take for a moment time to consider 00:14:51.539 --> 00:14:59.879 him. He's dressed in a robe to his feet with 00:14:59.879 --> 00:15:07.539 a golden sash that speaks of royalty. and priestliness. 00:15:10.679 --> 00:15:16.620 His hair was white as wool, as snow, as seen 00:15:16.620 --> 00:15:25.019 as the Ancient of Days. His eyes were blazing 00:15:25.019 --> 00:15:30.220 fire, filled with divine knowledge and insight, 00:15:30.419 --> 00:15:36.620 piercing the hearts of man. The risen Savior 00:15:36.620 --> 00:15:40.700 looks at you. There's no hiding anything. We 00:15:40.700 --> 00:15:46.039 may think we're hiding, but he sees. He sees. 00:15:48.039 --> 00:15:54.019 His feet like bronze in a furnace. Strong and 00:15:54.019 --> 00:15:58.960 steadfast, able to subdue his enemy and your 00:15:58.960 --> 00:16:05.940 enemy. His voice. was like the sound of rushing 00:16:05.940 --> 00:16:12.320 waters full of divine authority. Just as he said, 00:16:12.519 --> 00:16:20.240 when he speaks, authority is released. He held 00:16:20.240 --> 00:16:22.759 the seven stars, which were the ministers of 00:16:22.759 --> 00:16:25.799 the seven churches he was writing to. Isn't that 00:16:25.799 --> 00:16:29.179 good to know, though? He is able to hold you. 00:16:31.120 --> 00:16:37.679 This risen Savior is able to hold you. Out of 00:16:37.679 --> 00:16:42.039 his mouth, a two -edged sword that wounds and 00:16:42.039 --> 00:16:50.259 heals. And his face like the shining sun. This 00:16:50.259 --> 00:16:53.740 is the radiance of Jesus that will one day light 00:16:53.740 --> 00:17:01.590 the new creation. He's the source of the light 00:17:01.590 --> 00:17:06.789 of the new creation. This is our risen Savior 00:17:06.789 --> 00:17:11.109 today. This is the one that even now is looking 00:17:11.109 --> 00:17:14.849 down upon us from heaven. This is the one even 00:17:14.849 --> 00:17:20.450 now that lives within you. Can you imagine? This 00:17:20.450 --> 00:17:27.289 risen one lives within you. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. 00:17:29.349 --> 00:17:33.269 And so I think John's response is interesting 00:17:33.269 --> 00:17:37.390 because John's response to this revelation is 00:17:37.390 --> 00:17:41.569 the same as the guards at the tomb. And it says 00:17:41.569 --> 00:17:47.210 that John, in verse 17, when he saw him, he fell 00:17:47.210 --> 00:17:52.230 at his feet as though dead. I mean, can you imagine 00:17:52.230 --> 00:17:56.920 if we were able to see Jesus? This is the Jesus 00:17:56.920 --> 00:18:07.460 that Gary can see right now. Here's Jesus' then 00:18:07.460 --> 00:18:10.519 response to John falling at his feet as though 00:18:10.519 --> 00:18:16.140 dead. Jesus places his right hand on him and 00:18:16.140 --> 00:18:22.940 says, do not be afraid, John. Do not be afraid. 00:18:24.720 --> 00:18:29.720 I am the first and the last. I am the living 00:18:29.720 --> 00:18:35.960 one. I was dead and now look. I am alive forever 00:18:35.960 --> 00:18:42.140 and ever and ever and ever. I am alive and I 00:18:42.140 --> 00:18:47.299 hold the keys of death and Hades. Consider him 00:18:47.299 --> 00:18:55.680 today. Consider him today. This is not the meek 00:18:55.680 --> 00:19:01.339 and mild Jesus we saw on earth. He's got blazing 00:19:01.339 --> 00:19:04.079 eyes. He's got a sword coming out of his mouth. 00:19:04.819 --> 00:19:07.779 He was the first and the last. He was dead and 00:19:07.779 --> 00:19:15.819 he's alive. Consider him. You say, okay, I consider 00:19:15.819 --> 00:19:19.180 that. But what does that mean now for my life? 00:19:23.529 --> 00:19:27.089 I can't imagine considering this Jesus and it 00:19:27.089 --> 00:19:35.730 not affecting my life. When Jesus was walking 00:19:35.730 --> 00:19:41.430 on earth, when he had chosen to have no reputation, 00:19:41.549 --> 00:19:45.009 when he had chosen to put off all of his rights 00:19:45.009 --> 00:19:50.710 in heaven and glory and became man, and he walked 00:19:50.710 --> 00:19:54.789 this earth, What he was doing was teaching us 00:19:54.789 --> 00:20:02.529 what life on this earth looks like. We walk in 00:20:02.529 --> 00:20:06.190 meekness and humility. That's what the word calls 00:20:06.190 --> 00:20:13.849 us to. We walk in forgiveness and love of our 00:20:13.849 --> 00:20:20.829 betrayers, even as Jesus did his betrayer. We 00:20:20.829 --> 00:20:27.539 walk. preferring one another. We walk in the 00:20:27.539 --> 00:20:30.880 gentleness that Darren preached about last week. 00:20:31.339 --> 00:20:34.559 He's a gentle God, even in all of his glory. 00:20:37.859 --> 00:20:45.680 We walk allowing God to be our defender. And 00:20:45.680 --> 00:20:50.420 so even as we live, as Jesus lived on this earth, 00:20:53.200 --> 00:20:56.500 We are able to live it knowing this truth, okay? 00:20:56.720 --> 00:21:00.240 Because I think this was the key. Jesus was able 00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:03.940 to do it knowing his truth. We are able to walk 00:21:03.940 --> 00:21:08.660 in that same likeness of Jesus because we know 00:21:08.660 --> 00:21:17.119 this, according to Ephesians 2, verse 6. God 00:21:17.119 --> 00:21:25.609 raised us up with Christ. and seated us with 00:21:25.609 --> 00:21:32.150 him in the heavenly realms within Christ Jesus. 00:21:34.250 --> 00:21:38.809 In order that in the coming ages he might show 00:21:38.809 --> 00:21:42.829 the incomparable riches of his grace expressed 00:21:42.829 --> 00:21:49.940 in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Listen, 00:21:50.140 --> 00:21:53.759 we are able to walk the life that Jesus walked 00:21:53.759 --> 00:21:57.920 in meekness, in humility, in forgiving, in living 00:21:57.920 --> 00:22:01.299 unoffended, in preferring one another, in that 00:22:01.299 --> 00:22:06.180 deep humility. Why are we able to do that? Because 00:22:06.180 --> 00:22:11.640 we know who we are. We know where we're seated. 00:22:11.960 --> 00:22:16.200 And just as Jesus is currently seated with the 00:22:16.200 --> 00:22:20.180 Father, God has raised you and I up to be seated 00:22:20.180 --> 00:22:24.619 even now with him in those heavenly places. I 00:22:24.619 --> 00:22:28.720 can walk in humility because I know where I am 00:22:28.720 --> 00:22:31.880 seated. And I don't need to tell you about it. 00:22:31.920 --> 00:22:35.180 I don't need to tell you how great I am. No, 00:22:35.200 --> 00:22:38.279 because my greatness would only come because 00:22:38.279 --> 00:22:43.200 of Jesus anyway. So there's nothing in me. It 00:22:43.200 --> 00:22:48.039 is all this glorious Savior that lives in me 00:22:48.039 --> 00:22:53.019 and that I am allowed to be seated with. And 00:22:53.019 --> 00:22:56.640 so I can walk in humility. I can walk forgiving 00:22:56.640 --> 00:23:02.039 because I saw Jesus do it. And I know where I'm 00:23:02.039 --> 00:23:05.640 seated with him even now. It brings freedom. 00:23:05.819 --> 00:23:10.250 It allows us to walk in freedom. I don't have 00:23:10.250 --> 00:23:13.490 to prove anything. I'm already seated with Christ 00:23:13.490 --> 00:23:16.930 in the heavenly places. I don't have to earn 00:23:16.930 --> 00:23:20.369 anything. Because of the cross, I'm seated in 00:23:20.369 --> 00:23:25.930 heavenly places. It is by his grace. It is by 00:23:25.930 --> 00:23:31.349 his grace that we are seated with Christ in heavenly 00:23:31.349 --> 00:23:36.750 places. One day we will see the fullness of that 00:23:36.750 --> 00:23:42.279 face to face. Today we see through the glass 00:23:42.279 --> 00:23:47.059 darkly, right? We see with a veil. There will 00:23:47.059 --> 00:23:49.940 come a day when that veil will no longer be there. 00:23:50.019 --> 00:23:55.299 We will see face to face. We will see in all 00:23:55.299 --> 00:24:00.680 the fullness, in all of the glory. And until 00:24:00.680 --> 00:24:05.000 that day, as long as we tread this earth, we 00:24:05.000 --> 00:24:11.869 tread it as Jesus, exalted, glorious one walked 00:24:11.869 --> 00:24:19.210 it. Today, we're considering who the risen Christ 00:24:19.210 --> 00:24:23.670 is. The one with the blazing eyes and the sword 00:24:23.670 --> 00:24:30.130 coming from his mouth, who at his own accusation 00:24:30.130 --> 00:24:36.349 said not a word. He didn't say a word, did he? 00:24:37.839 --> 00:24:42.980 In fact, Isaiah 53 says that. He came as a lamb 00:24:42.980 --> 00:24:45.779 to the slaughter and he didn't utter a word. 00:24:50.460 --> 00:24:58.960 Today, as the risen one, his word is like rushing 00:24:58.960 --> 00:25:04.680 water. There is nothing quiet about his words 00:25:04.680 --> 00:25:09.420 today. Today his voice can be sounding throughout. 00:25:09.599 --> 00:25:13.720 When he sounds his voice, things begin to shake. 00:25:14.279 --> 00:25:25.059 He is quiet no longer. This is your Jesus. You 00:25:25.059 --> 00:25:29.980 may not understand everything about him. or what 00:25:29.980 --> 00:25:33.119 this thing we call Christianity is all about. 00:25:33.400 --> 00:25:38.920 But all you really need to know is that Jesus 00:25:38.920 --> 00:25:44.180 put all of that gloriousness aside in heaven, 00:25:44.240 --> 00:25:49.339 came down to a cross to take our punishment that 00:25:49.339 --> 00:25:56.299 we deserved for our sin, to die a horrible, horrible 00:25:56.299 --> 00:26:01.039 death. And then days later to overcome that death. 00:26:03.200 --> 00:26:08.380 And the good news is that this same Jesus wants 00:26:08.380 --> 00:26:12.940 a relationship with you. He wants a relationship 00:26:12.940 --> 00:26:21.180 with me. He wanted himself made known. He wants 00:26:21.180 --> 00:26:25.980 us to choose him. To choose to answer his call. 00:26:41.650 --> 00:26:46.990 So the choice is ours, isn't it, though? He doesn't 00:26:46.990 --> 00:26:52.630 force any of us. He gives us all free will to 00:26:52.630 --> 00:26:57.049 make the choice. But he's calling to us, come. 00:26:58.190 --> 00:27:02.809 Come to me. I'm just waiting. I'm just waiting 00:27:02.809 --> 00:27:10.049 for you. And so the choice is ours. The choice 00:27:10.049 --> 00:27:13.210 is ours if we're going to live with a sense of 00:27:13.210 --> 00:27:17.250 being defeated in life when it gets difficult. 00:27:18.809 --> 00:27:23.039 Or we can remember the one who lives. Things 00:27:23.039 --> 00:27:25.440 got a little difficult for Jesus, didn't they? 00:27:29.200 --> 00:27:32.000 When we stopped, this is why I love Holy Week, 00:27:32.079 --> 00:27:35.539 because we stopped to consider the beating that 00:27:35.539 --> 00:27:39.039 he took, the thorns that went in. In fact, they 00:27:39.039 --> 00:27:41.279 said the beating was so strong, it probably, 00:27:41.319 --> 00:27:45.779 and so long, his spine would actually be exposed. 00:27:48.079 --> 00:27:53.380 For like 10 hours, he was mocked. Jesus knows 00:27:53.380 --> 00:28:01.900 what it is to have a difficult life. The good 00:28:01.900 --> 00:28:04.880 news is, though, is that no matter how difficult, 00:28:05.019 --> 00:28:07.680 and I think that the martyred church has the 00:28:07.680 --> 00:28:10.920 sense that we have not experienced before, because 00:28:10.920 --> 00:28:14.559 even in their own pain and suffering and martyrdom, 00:28:15.240 --> 00:28:18.960 They experience the risen Savior in a way that 00:28:18.960 --> 00:28:22.619 we haven't experienced. They have walked in a 00:28:22.619 --> 00:28:26.339 very real way the journey that Jesus walked. 00:28:28.140 --> 00:28:31.519 And they do it with a joy that is unexplainable. 00:28:31.559 --> 00:28:35.339 Why? Because they are now, they're walking the 00:28:35.339 --> 00:28:38.799 path of the risen Savior. They're walking, they 00:28:38.799 --> 00:28:42.759 know what this is that Jesus has walked. The 00:28:42.759 --> 00:28:46.000 pain and the suffering. And on the other side 00:28:46.000 --> 00:28:49.599 of it, the glory of having done it with the risen 00:28:49.599 --> 00:28:54.079 Savior. And so you, in your difficulties, listen, 00:28:54.200 --> 00:28:57.980 the risen Savior wants to come alongside. of 00:28:57.980 --> 00:29:01.500 you, in your difficult, hard places, in your 00:29:01.500 --> 00:29:04.900 woundedness, in your betrayal, and you're feeling 00:29:04.900 --> 00:29:07.359 as though you're shut up and dead and sealed 00:29:07.359 --> 00:29:11.619 up. Jesus, the risen Savior, knows what that 00:29:11.619 --> 00:29:15.720 is, and he's shown us, hey, there's another side 00:29:15.720 --> 00:29:19.140 to this. There's the resurrected side. You're 00:29:19.140 --> 00:29:22.740 going to make it to the resurrected side. So 00:29:22.740 --> 00:29:26.799 hang on. Don't give up. Don't give up. Keep choosing. 00:29:26.960 --> 00:29:31.500 Keep choosing. Keep choosing every day. Yes to 00:29:31.500 --> 00:29:35.480 Jesus. Yes to the risen Savior. The choice is 00:29:35.480 --> 00:29:39.460 ours. The truth is that we are his bride. And 00:29:39.460 --> 00:29:42.660 I know that doesn't make a lot of sense. But 00:29:42.660 --> 00:29:47.369 he is the bridegroom. We are the bride. And what 00:29:47.369 --> 00:29:52.170 Jesus desires is a people that reflect some of 00:29:52.170 --> 00:29:56.509 that fire in his eyes. He desires a people who 00:29:56.509 --> 00:30:00.269 speak the words that he speaks. He desires a 00:30:00.269 --> 00:30:03.529 people that carry the wisdom of the ancient of 00:30:03.529 --> 00:30:07.569 days. He desires a people that knows whatever's 00:30:07.569 --> 00:30:11.089 going on in this earth. We are a people in the 00:30:11.089 --> 00:30:19.530 spirit realm who are seated with Jesus. Hallelujah. 00:30:19.530 --> 00:30:24.089 And so today, the worship team is going to come, 00:30:24.170 --> 00:30:28.109 and I wanted to leave some space here for us 00:30:28.109 --> 00:30:32.309 to respond. Because for some of you, you've never 00:30:32.309 --> 00:30:37.349 maybe heard this call to become that follower 00:30:37.349 --> 00:30:40.910 of Christ, to say, I hear him calling to me, 00:30:41.029 --> 00:30:45.460 saying, I want to do this life with you. I want 00:30:45.460 --> 00:30:49.819 you to receive and accept the sacrifice that 00:30:49.819 --> 00:30:53.480 I made on your behalf. And I want to raise you 00:30:53.480 --> 00:30:57.559 up to be seated with me. Some of you, you've 00:30:57.559 --> 00:31:00.359 never made that choice. And today is the day 00:31:00.359 --> 00:31:05.079 to answer the call, to say yes to the risen one. 00:31:06.700 --> 00:31:10.480 And some of you in this room today, you're in 00:31:10.480 --> 00:31:13.140 consideration number one. You need breakthrough. 00:31:13.380 --> 00:31:17.220 You need the sealed tombs of your situations 00:31:17.220 --> 00:31:20.880 to be opened. And you need resurrection power 00:31:20.880 --> 00:31:27.660 to come forth in those places. He wants to do 00:31:27.660 --> 00:31:33.900 that for you today. Some of you need to just 00:31:33.900 --> 00:31:39.539 hear what he's saying. In the most difficult 00:31:39.539 --> 00:31:46.000 places of our life, there is one thing in every 00:31:46.000 --> 00:31:51.400 situation that has been my guarantee. And in 00:31:51.400 --> 00:31:54.019 some of those situations, I've seen the other 00:31:54.019 --> 00:31:57.180 side. Some of them I'm still walking through 00:31:57.180 --> 00:32:00.700 and I haven't seen the other side. And in every 00:32:00.700 --> 00:32:04.960 one of them, here's my guarantee. I have heard 00:32:04.960 --> 00:32:09.589 what Jesus has spoken. over it. And it has produced 00:32:09.589 --> 00:32:16.650 faith that makes me immovable. And it's not how 00:32:16.650 --> 00:32:20.210 great I am walking through it. The immovableness 00:32:20.210 --> 00:32:24.589 comes because I have heard what Jesus has said. 00:32:25.490 --> 00:32:32.450 And when you hear the voice of Jesus, you become 00:32:32.450 --> 00:32:36.750 immovable, just as he said. Some of you need 00:32:36.750 --> 00:32:41.210 to hear his voice today. You've been feeling 00:32:41.210 --> 00:32:44.269 like you've been tossed and turned. And I'll 00:32:44.269 --> 00:32:48.809 tell you what will solve that problem is to hear 00:32:48.809 --> 00:32:52.470 what Jesus is saying over you. To hear his word. 00:32:54.269 --> 00:32:58.029 And so in a moment, as the team leads us in worship, 00:32:58.170 --> 00:33:02.009 our elders are going to come. And they're going 00:33:02.009 --> 00:33:07.930 to pray with you. That happens when we pray with 00:33:07.930 --> 00:33:10.450 one another. There's an agreement that comes 00:33:10.450 --> 00:33:15.230 as we pray with one another. And today we want 00:33:15.230 --> 00:33:20.769 you to have that opportunity. And so if you need 00:33:20.769 --> 00:33:23.650 to hear a word from God, if you need breakthrough 00:33:23.650 --> 00:33:27.549 to happen, if you need God to shake things up, 00:33:27.670 --> 00:33:33.809 we want to pray with you today. And if you need 00:33:33.809 --> 00:33:37.690 to become a Christ follower for the first time 00:33:37.690 --> 00:33:41.609 today, our elders would love to pray with you 00:33:41.609 --> 00:33:45.029 that you might receive the great gift of salvation 00:33:45.029 --> 00:33:48.910 that is the working of the cross and the resurrection 00:33:48.910 --> 00:33:55.490 of Christ. Allowing you, just as Gary did so 00:33:55.490 --> 00:33:59.690 many years ago. Man, does anybody know how long 00:33:59.690 --> 00:34:03.519 Gary was a follower of Christ? It had to have 00:34:03.519 --> 00:34:09.539 been like 50 years, I think. 47? 47 years he 00:34:09.539 --> 00:34:20.900 followed Jesus. I want that kind of legacy. And 00:34:20.900 --> 00:34:23.519 for some of you, this will be day one of your... 00:34:23.519 --> 00:34:28.239 Gary had a day one. And some of you today need 00:34:28.239 --> 00:34:33.019 a day one. Maybe... You've been kind of halfway 00:34:33.019 --> 00:34:37.599 deciding. Today, the risen one is calling. Man, 00:34:37.679 --> 00:34:42.619 get all in with him. This earth is so fleeting. 00:34:42.639 --> 00:34:46.599 This time is so fleeting. The resurrected one 00:34:46.599 --> 00:34:51.619 is waiting for us. He's preparing heaven for 00:34:51.619 --> 00:34:57.340 us, for you. This 70, 80, 90 years on earth is 00:34:57.340 --> 00:35:01.010 like this. Come on, we got to get all in. Our 00:35:01.010 --> 00:35:04.030 Savior's awaiting us. Our Savior's preparing 00:35:04.030 --> 00:35:08.010 a place for us. Our Savior's saying, come on, 00:35:08.050 --> 00:35:10.670 come on. I know what it's like. I've walked that. 00:35:10.869 --> 00:35:14.010 I've been there. I've been tempted by that. Come 00:35:14.010 --> 00:35:16.889 on, I'm waiting for you. I've got good things 00:35:16.889 --> 00:35:20.130 I'm planning for you. Let's get all in. Let's 00:35:20.130 --> 00:35:23.019 get all in. And so will you stand with me this 00:35:23.019 --> 00:35:25.920 morning? And I'm going to ask if our elders would 00:35:25.920 --> 00:35:28.440 just kind of come and make their way across the 00:35:28.440 --> 00:35:32.980 front. And as the team leads us in a moment of 00:35:32.980 --> 00:35:36.639 worship, some of you, I'm going to be preaching 00:35:36.639 --> 00:35:39.800 a sermon soon on what is found in the throne 00:35:39.800 --> 00:35:42.679 room of God, in the presence of God. But one 00:35:42.679 --> 00:35:46.400 of the things found there is bravery, is courage. 00:35:46.739 --> 00:35:49.539 And some of you need to step out in courage. 00:35:50.480 --> 00:35:54.119 and get to one of the elders can we kind of move 00:35:54.119 --> 00:35:56.420 around some of you are all crowded down there 00:35:56.420 --> 00:36:01.039 come on over here there we go but you may take 00:36:01.039 --> 00:36:04.900 a courageous moment of stepping out but i guarantee 00:36:04.900 --> 00:36:09.079 you the risen savior will meet you as you take 00:36:09.079 --> 00:36:13.639 that first step and so father right now we thank 00:36:13.639 --> 00:36:18.880 you that in your great plan and purpose you sent 00:36:19.289 --> 00:36:23.510 your son to this earth. You sent your son to 00:36:23.510 --> 00:36:26.969 take on the death and punishment that our own 00:36:26.969 --> 00:36:32.489 sin deserved. And then you resurrected him and 00:36:32.489 --> 00:36:35.429 you caused him to be seated next to you even 00:36:35.429 --> 00:36:40.630 now. And so Jesus, we turn our gaze, our consideration 00:36:40.630 --> 00:36:54.690 upon you, the risen Something that you know not 00:36:54.690 --> 00:36:57.349 of, that you can't even imagine for your life. 00:36:57.590 --> 00:37:01.710 So come on, son. Come on, daughter. Run to me. 00:37:01.769 --> 00:37:05.170 Run to me. I'm going to help you. I'm going to 00:37:05.170 --> 00:37:08.869 help you. I'm going to help you. And so, Father, 00:37:08.949 --> 00:37:12.929 I ask that even now your Holy Spirit would begin 00:37:12.929 --> 00:37:16.750 to instill courage and bravery for people to 00:37:16.750 --> 00:37:20.889 begin to step out and make that step toward the 00:37:20.889 --> 00:37:24.849 resurrected Savior. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, 00:37:24.849 --> 00:37:27.550 Lord. All right, the team's going to begin to 00:37:27.550 --> 00:37:30.809 lead. And as we begin to sing and begin to worship, 00:37:31.050 --> 00:37:34.110 I want to encourage you to find your way down 00:37:34.110 --> 00:37:37.929 here to some of the elders to begin to pray for 00:37:37.929 --> 00:37:42.309 you. Do not leave. Do not leave like you came 00:37:42.309 --> 00:37:48.099 in. The wonderful resurrected Savior. His eyes 00:37:48.099 --> 00:37:52.440 are upon you and he's just longing for you to 00:37:52.440 --> 00:37:56.320 move toward him. His heart's longing for you. 00:37:57.099 --> 00:38:00.699 And so don't leave and not take that step toward 00:38:00.699 --> 00:38:04.719 him. He's so good. He's so kind and so loving. 00:38:05.630 --> 00:38:08.269 Thank you, Lord. Let's just begin to worship. 00:38:08.429 --> 00:38:11.050 If you're not coming forward, let's just begin 00:38:11.050 --> 00:38:13.710 to worship here. Let's just begin to worship 00:38:13.710 --> 00:38:17.110 this risen one that is seated at the right hand 00:38:17.110 --> 00:38:20.090 of the Father. Let's begin to lift up that heart 00:38:20.090 --> 00:38:22.030 of worship to him. Thank you, Lord.