I am so excited. I love Easter morning. I love
Resurrection Sunday. It is what we are all about,
right? It is what we are all about. And about
a month ago, I preached a sermon on considering
Him. Do you remember that? When we were talking
about running our race, out of Hebrews 12, what
did it say? To run our race well, we must consider
him, right? And so I want to revisit for a moment
that verse, because as we were considering him,
we were considering him and his sacrifice of
the cross. But I want for a moment to look at
Hebrews 12, 2 again, and 3. And at the end of
verse 2, it says he endured the cross, he scorned
the shame, and he sat down at the right hand
of God. He sat down at the right hand of God.
So it then goes on to verse 3. Consider him who
endured opposition. And so this morning, I want
us to take a moment to consider him, the one
that is right now seated at the right hand of
the Father. In Matthew 27, we have the account
of the resurrection. Let's read it. So if you
have your Bible, take it out. We're going to
start at the end of 27 and go into chapter 28.
Starting in verse 65, it says, Take a guard,
Pilate said. Go, make the tomb. as secure as
you know how. They are wanting this sealed. They
didn't want anybody trying to steal the body.
They wanted this to be a sealed tomb. So set
a guard and secure it. So they went and made
the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone
and posting the guard. After the Sabbath at dawn
on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene
and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
There was a violent earthquake for an angel of
the Lord came down from heaven and going to the
tomb, rolled back the stone. And I love this.
He sat on it. This is what I think about this
stone. His appearance was like lightning and
his clothes were white as snow. The guards were
so afraid of him that they shook and became like
dead men. The angel said to the women, do not
be afraid for I know that you are looking for
Jesus who was crucified. He is not here. Can
you imagine? They've come looking for the body
of Jesus. And the angel says, he is not here.
He has risen just as he said. Come and see the
place where he lay. Come check it out for yourself.
See where he was lay. He's not there. And so
just as we considered him a month ago upon the
cross, today we're just going to walk quickly
through three considerations from this passage.
We're going to move through the first two fairly
quickly because I want to focus on the third.
But our first consideration of the risen Jesus
comes out of verse 2. There was a violent earthquake
for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven
and going to the tomb, rolled back the stone
and sat on it. Our first consideration today
brings hope to us. Because how many of us have
ever felt like in our life that certain situations
or certain relationships are just sealed up good?
There's no breakthrough in sight. There's no
resurrection in sight. That thing is dead and
sealed up in a tomb. Anybody ever felt like that
in your life? Some of you today maybe are currently
feeling that way. God, this situation seems like
it will never ever change. It seems dead. It
seems sealed up shut. But I have good news for
you today. I have good news for your situation
today. Heaven can shake things up a bit. When
God says it's time to move the stone, I'm sorry,
there's no guard that can stop that. There's
no death that can stop that. It matters not what
it appears in the natural. When heaven says it
is time, the earth begins to shake. Those things
in your life begin to shake. And nothing can
withstand when God says it's time. It's time.
It's time that those things, those places, those
relationships be unsealed. It's time for what
has been blockaged to be rolled away. It is time
for dead things to come alive again. That's what
happens when God says it's time. God has a way
of shaking things up and opening things up. And
man can't stop that. Man can, the enemy can come
against you strong. He can try, he can try. But
we know that he cannot prevail against God. Amen?
And so take hope today and consider his resurrection.
Consider that it wasn't just that he was close
to death, it's that he had already died. It's
that he had already been sealed up in a tomb.
And in the natural, we would say, well, that's
done and over. It's time. We're going to be like
the disciples and we're going to go back to our
old lifestyle and we're going to start fishing
again. What appears in the natural isn't always
the truth. And we got to begin to ask heaven
for truth over our situation. Over that thing
that feels sealed up. We got to begin to ask
God for his truth. Right? And so we consider
the shaking of heaven and its ability to unseal
things. So take hope today. Our second consideration.
This is so good and this should Build such trust
in you in verse 6. He is not here. He has risen.
Catch this phrase, just as he said. Just as he
said. Jesus had already spoken when he was walking
the earth of his death and resurrection. And
here we see the fulfillment of what he said.
Jesus is true to his word. And some of you have
had even, not even recently, but I would say
5, 10, 15, 20 years ago, Jesus say something
to you. And you haven't seen it come to pass
yet. But can I say to you today that when Jesus
says something, when he says something, you can
take that as done. You can take that as done.
Just as he said. And so, whatever your... relationship
issues whatever your struggles that you're believing
for can I just say this to you whatever Jesus
has said about it is what you should say about
it whatever he has said about your marriage and
the promise you've received maybe that's what
you should say over your marriage whatever God
has said over your children Maybe you should
quit talking about how much trouble they're causing
you right now and begin to talk about what Jesus
has said about your children. Maybe it's your
job. You should ask Jesus, Jesus, what do you
say about this job? And maybe you should start
saying that. And so today, when we consider the
resurrection, we do it. Because just as he said,
so he says over you. And so this leads us to
the heart of this, consideration number three.
I've been preaching myself happy for a couple
of weeks over consideration number three. He
is risen. He is risen. In Hebrews 12, what did
we just read? He sat down at the right hand of
the throne of God. Consider him. The risen Jesus
is not a meek Jesus that shed his glory to walk
the earth. Darren read it a few moments ago,
didn't he? He made himself of no reputation to
walk this earth. Jesus is not that right now.
Isaiah 53 says that there was no beauty about
him. There was nothing that would attract you
to Jesus. Can I say today, he is risen and that
is not who he is today at the right hand of God.
And so for a few moments, I want us to consider
him the one seated at the right hand of God.
In Revelation chapter 1, starting in verse 10.
On the Lord's day, there's something that happens
about on the Lord's day, right? Something that
happens. That's why church is so good. I was
in the spirit, John said, and I heard behind
me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said, write
on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven
churches. Listen, the disciples hadn't seen the
risen Jesus. A few of them had seen Jesus when
he appeared at his transfiguration with Moses
and Elijah. So they'd had a taste of it. But
they had not seen Jesus risen and seated at the
right hand. And so Jesus is wanting now to reveal
himself to the church. saying, you knew me as
this meek, unappealing man, but I want you to
know me now as the risen one. Here is what I
look like. So send it out to the churches. I
turned around in verse 12 to see the voice that
was speaking to me. And when I turned, I saw
seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands
was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe
reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash
around his chest. The hair on his head was white
like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were
like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze
glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like
the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand
he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth
was a sharp double -edged sword. His face was
like the sun shining in all its brilliance. This
is the risen Savior. This is the one whom we
now consider at the right hand of the Father.
And so let's just take for a moment time to consider
him. He's dressed in a robe to his feet with
a golden sash that speaks of royalty. and priestliness.
His hair was white as wool, as snow, as seen
as the Ancient of Days. His eyes were blazing
fire, filled with divine knowledge and insight,
piercing the hearts of man. The risen Savior
looks at you. There's no hiding anything. We
may think we're hiding, but he sees. He sees.
His feet like bronze in a furnace. Strong and
steadfast, able to subdue his enemy and your
enemy. His voice. was like the sound of rushing
waters full of divine authority. Just as he said,
when he speaks, authority is released. He held
the seven stars, which were the ministers of
the seven churches he was writing to. Isn't that
good to know, though? He is able to hold you.
This risen Savior is able to hold you. Out of
his mouth, a two -edged sword that wounds and
heals. And his face like the shining sun. This
is the radiance of Jesus that will one day light
the new creation. He's the source of the light
of the new creation. This is our risen Savior
today. This is the one that even now is looking
down upon us from heaven. This is the one even
now that lives within you. Can you imagine? This
risen one lives within you. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
And so I think John's response is interesting
because John's response to this revelation is
the same as the guards at the tomb. And it says
that John, in verse 17, when he saw him, he fell
at his feet as though dead. I mean, can you imagine
if we were able to see Jesus? This is the Jesus
that Gary can see right now. Here's Jesus' then
response to John falling at his feet as though
dead. Jesus places his right hand on him and
says, do not be afraid, John. Do not be afraid.
I am the first and the last. I am the living
one. I was dead and now look. I am alive forever
and ever and ever and ever. I am alive and I
hold the keys of death and Hades. Consider him
today. Consider him today. This is not the meek
and mild Jesus we saw on earth. He's got blazing
eyes. He's got a sword coming out of his mouth.
He was the first and the last. He was dead and
he's alive. Consider him. You say, okay, I consider
that. But what does that mean now for my life?
I can't imagine considering this Jesus and it
not affecting my life. When Jesus was walking
on earth, when he had chosen to have no reputation,
when he had chosen to put off all of his rights
in heaven and glory and became man, and he walked
this earth, What he was doing was teaching us
what life on this earth looks like. We walk in
meekness and humility. That's what the word calls
us to. We walk in forgiveness and love of our
betrayers, even as Jesus did his betrayer. We
walk. preferring one another. We walk in the
gentleness that Darren preached about last week.
He's a gentle God, even in all of his glory.
We walk allowing God to be our defender. And
so even as we live, as Jesus lived on this earth,
We are able to live it knowing this truth, okay?
Because I think this was the key. Jesus was able
to do it knowing his truth. We are able to walk
in that same likeness of Jesus because we know
this, according to Ephesians 2, verse 6. God
raised us up with Christ. and seated us with
him in the heavenly realms within Christ Jesus.
In order that in the coming ages he might show
the incomparable riches of his grace expressed
in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Listen,
we are able to walk the life that Jesus walked
in meekness, in humility, in forgiving, in living
unoffended, in preferring one another, in that
deep humility. Why are we able to do that? Because
we know who we are. We know where we're seated.
And just as Jesus is currently seated with the
Father, God has raised you and I up to be seated
even now with him in those heavenly places. I
can walk in humility because I know where I am
seated. And I don't need to tell you about it.
I don't need to tell you how great I am. No,
because my greatness would only come because
of Jesus anyway. So there's nothing in me. It
is all this glorious Savior that lives in me
and that I am allowed to be seated with. And
so I can walk in humility. I can walk forgiving
because I saw Jesus do it. And I know where I'm
seated with him even now. It brings freedom.
It allows us to walk in freedom. I don't have
to prove anything. I'm already seated with Christ
in the heavenly places. I don't have to earn
anything. Because of the cross, I'm seated in
heavenly places. It is by his grace. It is by
his grace that we are seated with Christ in heavenly
places. One day we will see the fullness of that
face to face. Today we see through the glass
darkly, right? We see with a veil. There will
come a day when that veil will no longer be there.
We will see face to face. We will see in all
the fullness, in all of the glory. And until
that day, as long as we tread this earth, we
tread it as Jesus, exalted, glorious one walked
it. Today, we're considering who the risen Christ
is. The one with the blazing eyes and the sword
coming from his mouth, who at his own accusation
said not a word. He didn't say a word, did he?
In fact, Isaiah 53 says that. He came as a lamb
to the slaughter and he didn't utter a word.
Today, as the risen one, his word is like rushing
water. There is nothing quiet about his words
today. Today his voice can be sounding throughout.
When he sounds his voice, things begin to shake.
He is quiet no longer. This is your Jesus. You
may not understand everything about him. or what
this thing we call Christianity is all about.
But all you really need to know is that Jesus
put all of that gloriousness aside in heaven,
came down to a cross to take our punishment that
we deserved for our sin, to die a horrible, horrible
death. And then days later to overcome that death.
And the good news is that this same Jesus wants
a relationship with you. He wants a relationship
with me. He wanted himself made known. He wants
us to choose him. To choose to answer his call.
So the choice is ours, isn't it, though? He doesn't
force any of us. He gives us all free will to
make the choice. But he's calling to us, come.
Come to me. I'm just waiting. I'm just waiting
for you. And so the choice is ours. The choice
is ours if we're going to live with a sense of
being defeated in life when it gets difficult.
Or we can remember the one who lives. Things
got a little difficult for Jesus, didn't they?
When we stopped, this is why I love Holy Week,
because we stopped to consider the beating that
he took, the thorns that went in. In fact, they
said the beating was so strong, it probably,
and so long, his spine would actually be exposed.
For like 10 hours, he was mocked. Jesus knows
what it is to have a difficult life. The good
news is, though, is that no matter how difficult,
and I think that the martyred church has the
sense that we have not experienced before, because
even in their own pain and suffering and martyrdom,
They experience the risen Savior in a way that
we haven't experienced. They have walked in a
very real way the journey that Jesus walked.
And they do it with a joy that is unexplainable.
Why? Because they are now, they're walking the
path of the risen Savior. They're walking, they
know what this is that Jesus has walked. The
pain and the suffering. And on the other side
of it, the glory of having done it with the risen
Savior. And so you, in your difficulties, listen,
the risen Savior wants to come alongside. of
you, in your difficult, hard places, in your
woundedness, in your betrayal, and you're feeling
as though you're shut up and dead and sealed
up. Jesus, the risen Savior, knows what that
is, and he's shown us, hey, there's another side
to this. There's the resurrected side. You're
going to make it to the resurrected side. So
hang on. Don't give up. Don't give up. Keep choosing.
Keep choosing. Keep choosing every day. Yes to
Jesus. Yes to the risen Savior. The choice is
ours. The truth is that we are his bride. And
I know that doesn't make a lot of sense. But
he is the bridegroom. We are the bride. And what
Jesus desires is a people that reflect some of
that fire in his eyes. He desires a people who
speak the words that he speaks. He desires a
people that carry the wisdom of the ancient of
days. He desires a people that knows whatever's
going on in this earth. We are a people in the
spirit realm who are seated with Jesus. Hallelujah.
And so today, the worship team is going to come,
and I wanted to leave some space here for us
to respond. Because for some of you, you've never
maybe heard this call to become that follower
of Christ, to say, I hear him calling to me,
saying, I want to do this life with you. I want
you to receive and accept the sacrifice that
I made on your behalf. And I want to raise you
up to be seated with me. Some of you, you've
never made that choice. And today is the day
to answer the call, to say yes to the risen one.
And some of you in this room today, you're in
consideration number one. You need breakthrough.
You need the sealed tombs of your situations
to be opened. And you need resurrection power
to come forth in those places. He wants to do
that for you today. Some of you need to just
hear what he's saying. In the most difficult
places of our life, there is one thing in every
situation that has been my guarantee. And in
some of those situations, I've seen the other
side. Some of them I'm still walking through
and I haven't seen the other side. And in every
one of them, here's my guarantee. I have heard
what Jesus has spoken. over it. And it has produced
faith that makes me immovable. And it's not how
great I am walking through it. The immovableness
comes because I have heard what Jesus has said.
And when you hear the voice of Jesus, you become
immovable, just as he said. Some of you need
to hear his voice today. You've been feeling
like you've been tossed and turned. And I'll
tell you what will solve that problem is to hear
what Jesus is saying over you. To hear his word.
And so in a moment, as the team leads us in worship,
our elders are going to come. And they're going
to pray with you. That happens when we pray with
one another. There's an agreement that comes
as we pray with one another. And today we want
you to have that opportunity. And so if you need
to hear a word from God, if you need breakthrough
to happen, if you need God to shake things up,
we want to pray with you today. And if you need
to become a Christ follower for the first time
today, our elders would love to pray with you
that you might receive the great gift of salvation
that is the working of the cross and the resurrection
of Christ. Allowing you, just as Gary did so
many years ago. Man, does anybody know how long
Gary was a follower of Christ? It had to have
been like 50 years, I think. 47? 47 years he
followed Jesus. I want that kind of legacy. And
for some of you, this will be day one of your...
Gary had a day one. And some of you today need
a day one. Maybe... You've been kind of halfway
deciding. Today, the risen one is calling. Man,
get all in with him. This earth is so fleeting.
This time is so fleeting. The resurrected one
is waiting for us. He's preparing heaven for
us, for you. This 70, 80, 90 years on earth is
like this. Come on, we got to get all in. Our
Savior's awaiting us. Our Savior's preparing
a place for us. Our Savior's saying, come on,
come on. I know what it's like. I've walked that.
I've been there. I've been tempted by that. Come
on, I'm waiting for you. I've got good things
I'm planning for you. Let's get all in. Let's
get all in. And so will you stand with me this
morning? And I'm going to ask if our elders would
just kind of come and make their way across the
front. And as the team leads us in a moment of
worship, some of you, I'm going to be preaching
a sermon soon on what is found in the throne
room of God, in the presence of God. But one
of the things found there is bravery, is courage.
And some of you need to step out in courage.
and get to one of the elders can we kind of move
around some of you are all crowded down there
come on over here there we go but you may take
a courageous moment of stepping out but i guarantee
you the risen savior will meet you as you take
that first step and so father right now we thank
you that in your great plan and purpose you sent
your son to this earth. You sent your son to
take on the death and punishment that our own
sin deserved. And then you resurrected him and
you caused him to be seated next to you even
now. And so Jesus, we turn our gaze, our consideration
upon you, the risen Something that you know not
of, that you can't even imagine for your life.
So come on, son. Come on, daughter. Run to me.
Run to me. I'm going to help you. I'm going to
help you. I'm going to help you. And so, Father,
I ask that even now your Holy Spirit would begin
to instill courage and bravery for people to
begin to step out and make that step toward the
resurrected Savior. Thank you, Lord. Thank you,
Lord. All right, the team's going to begin to
lead. And as we begin to sing and begin to worship,
I want to encourage you to find your way down
here to some of the elders to begin to pray for
you. Do not leave. Do not leave like you came
in. The wonderful resurrected Savior. His eyes
are upon you and he's just longing for you to
move toward him. His heart's longing for you.
And so don't leave and not take that step toward
him. He's so good. He's so kind and so loving.
Thank you, Lord. Let's just begin to worship.
If you're not coming forward, let's just begin
to worship here. Let's just begin to worship
this risen one that is seated at the right hand
of the Father. Let's begin to lift up that heart
of worship to him. Thank you, Lord.