1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,660 Okay, here we are. 2 00:00:02,660 --> 00:00:10,700 This is actually the hallmark of the Christian calendar is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 3 00:00:10,700 --> 00:00:11,940 Amen? 4 00:00:11,940 --> 00:00:18,660 This is the day that, you know, a lot of people, and we don't diminish the cross, but this 5 00:00:18,660 --> 00:00:23,620 was the day that meant more to the early church than any other day. 6 00:00:23,620 --> 00:00:32,280 The fact that Christ is alive because only a living savior can help you. 7 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:37,080 I often say when I go to other places, other nations, great difference between, people 8 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:40,280 want to know the great difference between Christianity and Hinduism and Hinduism and 9 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:44,900 Muhammadism and other, I say the great difference between Christianity and all the others is 10 00:00:44,900 --> 00:00:50,920 that Muhammad, all the Hindu gods are still in the grave, but Jesus is alive. 11 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:51,920 Amen? 12 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:52,920 Amen. 13 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:58,240 Open your Bibles today to 1 Corinthians 15. 14 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:01,200 And you know, I'm going to change a tradition we have in this church. 15 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:04,920 I've been saying we should stand and read because we really do want to honor the Word 16 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:06,720 of God. 17 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:09,160 But this week, you all got to be correctable and teachable. 18 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:15,040 I actually read when Jesus taught, He let the people sit down. 19 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:20,320 So you can stay sit down, but do honor and revere the Word of God. 20 00:01:20,320 --> 00:01:22,560 Revere the Word of God. 21 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:26,400 1 Corinthians 15 verse 12. 22 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:35,160 Now, if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you 23 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:38,560 say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 24 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:43,380 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 25 00:01:43,380 --> 00:01:48,120 And if Christ is not written, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 26 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:49,200 Yes. 27 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:54,240 And we are found false witnesses of God because we have testified of God that He raised up 28 00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:59,760 Christ whom He did not raise up if in fact the dead did not rise. 29 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:02,560 But if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 30 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:05,520 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile. 31 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:07,600 You are still in your sins. 32 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:11,520 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 33 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:18,840 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we of all men are most pitiable. 34 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:24,700 But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the first fruits of those who have 35 00:02:24,700 --> 00:02:25,700 fallen asleep. 36 00:02:25,700 --> 00:02:26,700 Amen, the Word of God. 37 00:02:26,700 --> 00:02:28,980 Father God, we want this word today. 38 00:02:28,980 --> 00:02:34,480 It is Your Word and You have promised us Lord that when it goes forth in the power of Your 39 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:35,920 Spirit, it accomplishes things. 40 00:02:35,920 --> 00:02:38,280 It accomplishes the things that You sent it for. 41 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:43,160 So Father God, I'm asking today in the name of Jesus that You will accomplish great things 42 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:46,000 in the lives of everybody that is here today. 43 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:54,720 That resurrection power will enter into situations that appear hopeless because Lord You are 44 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:58,120 alive and I pray it in Jesus' name. 45 00:02:58,120 --> 00:02:59,420 Isn't it amazing? 46 00:02:59,420 --> 00:03:03,280 If Christ is not risen, your faith is futile. 47 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:06,600 You are still in your sins. 48 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:11,800 And we, He says, of all men are the most pitiable. 49 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:14,080 You know I think there are people today. 50 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:17,240 There are what we call progressive Christians who don't believe in the miracles. 51 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:19,440 They don't believe in the virgin birth. 52 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:21,520 They don't believe in Jesus did miracles. 53 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:26,560 They kind of believe Jesus just came to show us the way of love or something. 54 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:27,560 They're most pitiable. 55 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:32,040 That is a pitiable gospel. 56 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:40,560 It is the worst way to live because if Christ is not risen, everything we believe is futile. 57 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:42,480 Everything we do is futile. 58 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:46,120 All of Christianity hangs on this one thing we celebrate today. 59 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:52,480 And you know that when I think about Easter Sunday, I always think what Easter Sunday 60 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:55,940 is about, it's about new life. 61 00:03:55,940 --> 00:03:59,120 And the best illustration is spring. 62 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:04,400 I once lived in America where, in Memphis, Tennessee, and I had a real winter there where 63 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:05,480 everything dies. 64 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:08,000 All the trees, they just die off in winter. 65 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:16,120 And when spring comes, it's so wonderful because you see things that have died start to experience 66 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:17,920 new life. 67 00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:25,400 And that really is the heart of what today is about, is that Christ died. 68 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:27,840 He actually died on the cross. 69 00:04:27,840 --> 00:04:28,840 They watched him. 70 00:04:28,840 --> 00:04:30,300 He didn't swoon. 71 00:04:30,300 --> 00:04:34,760 He was pierced for our sins, but he was pierced and he died. 72 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:41,160 He was taken away and he was put in a tomb dead. 73 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:43,240 And then he rose again. 74 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:46,800 He rose again to new life. 75 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:50,920 And you know, for centuries, prophets had promised this. 76 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:55,440 They had promised that there would be a Messiah who would come. 77 00:04:55,440 --> 00:05:00,240 He would come from heaven into our world and he would live and he would suffer and he would 78 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:03,440 die and he would rise again. 79 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:09,080 And for many generations, people would wonder, am I going to see this in my lifetime? 80 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:10,080 Is this going to happen? 81 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:14,640 Well, we don't stand on the side of wondering. 82 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:18,640 We are people who know and know that that has happened. 83 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:20,520 Christ did come from heaven. 84 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:21,680 He did live for us. 85 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:22,680 He did suffer. 86 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:23,680 He did die. 87 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:25,520 He did rise again. 88 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:28,900 And what we do as Christians, we don't wonder. 89 00:05:28,900 --> 00:05:29,900 We don't wait. 90 00:05:29,900 --> 00:05:37,000 We actually are able to declare Christ's final words, it is finished. 91 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:41,880 What it means, Christ's final words means God's great plan of salvation. 92 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:46,840 He only had one was accomplished all through the life and the death and the resurrection 93 00:05:46,840 --> 00:05:53,660 of Jesus Christ and his great plan of salvation with the resurrection of Christ is finished. 94 00:05:53,660 --> 00:05:56,280 There is nothing to add. 95 00:05:56,280 --> 00:05:58,320 That's what we declare. 96 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:00,240 That's what we declare. 97 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:09,120 And all that is required for you and I now is to enter into its benefits. 98 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:11,560 Its benefits. 99 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:19,080 And when I speak about the death of Christ, it's really important to understand that the 100 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:22,540 raising of Christ, Christ rose again. 101 00:06:22,540 --> 00:06:28,480 And we shouldn't have to say this but today we do that it is a historical fact. 102 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:30,640 It is a reality. 103 00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:33,040 He was dead. 104 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:38,280 Laid in a tomb for three days, a borrowed tomb. 105 00:06:38,280 --> 00:06:40,320 And then he rose again. 106 00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:48,000 500 people experienced and witnessed the resurrection of Christ knowing that he had died. 107 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:51,440 And why I say it's important is because we are living in a generation, particularly if 108 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:56,440 you're under 50, where people are constantly, we know they're constantly saying, well that's 109 00:06:56,440 --> 00:06:59,680 your truth, this is my truth. 110 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:02,320 Or that's your reality, I have a different reality. 111 00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:04,320 And all that is nonsense. 112 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:07,520 There is one truth. 113 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:11,040 And facts matter. 114 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:12,040 Facts matter. 115 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:17,920 And the resurrection of Jesus is a historical fact. 116 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:23,640 And because of that we know, because of the resurrection, Christ is the Messiah, that 117 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:25,520 Christ did come for us. 118 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:28,280 He did die on the cross for your sin. 119 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:31,120 He did rise again. 120 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:35,280 You are forgiven because of that. 121 00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:39,600 And he is alive and he is coming again. 122 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:42,860 And why you need to acknowledge it, that is a fact. 123 00:07:42,860 --> 00:07:47,200 You will only stand on a fact, you will not stand on a feeling. 124 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:51,160 But God wants you to stand on the fact that Christ died for your sin. 125 00:07:51,160 --> 00:07:52,440 You are forgiven. 126 00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:55,080 He is alive and he is coming again. 127 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:58,600 And he wants you to stand on that and live for him. 128 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:03,040 He wants you to stand on, that's why Paul says, the end of this chapter, thanks be to 129 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:11,260 God who gives us the victory through Christ, knowing this that your labor is not in vain. 130 00:08:11,260 --> 00:08:20,700 So he wants that to be the foundation of your fact, of your faith. 131 00:08:20,700 --> 00:08:24,200 And that you can stand on it and just go all out for it. 132 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:31,920 All out for Christ because everything he says, everything he said, including the fact that 133 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:38,240 he would rise again, everything he said has happened. 134 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:40,800 Everything he said has happened. 135 00:08:40,800 --> 00:08:47,560 We are joyful today because the Bible says that not only has Christ risen from the dead, 136 00:08:47,560 --> 00:08:51,320 but he has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. 137 00:08:51,320 --> 00:08:56,600 The first fruits means that when there is, in the agricultural world, when there is a 138 00:08:56,600 --> 00:09:03,720 harvest, before the main harvest comes in, just at the start of the harvest season, there 139 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:08,920 are first, the first plums or the first little bit of wheat. 140 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:15,240 But it signifies there is a great harvest behind the first fruits. 141 00:09:15,240 --> 00:09:21,760 And because Christ has risen from the dead, if you are in Christ, you too will rise from 142 00:09:21,760 --> 00:09:22,760 the dead. 143 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:26,320 So for you, death has got no sting. 144 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:29,280 And that should really affect the way your life, because psychologists will tell you, 145 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:35,920 behind every anxiety, behind every neurosis, behind every fear is the fear of death. 146 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:42,040 But you and I ought to know that we have already become eternal. 147 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:46,400 There is nothing to fear because the great final thing that we have to overcome, death, 148 00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:47,880 has been overcome for us. 149 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:52,720 We have a life in the Holy Spirit living in me that cannot die. 150 00:09:52,720 --> 00:10:01,300 And when my bodily existence ends, this power that raised Christ from the dead will raise 151 00:10:01,300 --> 00:10:02,300 me again. 152 00:10:02,300 --> 00:10:05,460 I am already eternal. 153 00:10:05,460 --> 00:10:07,560 Blessed are Christ. 154 00:10:07,560 --> 00:10:13,000 I have already received eternal life. 155 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:15,960 Already. 156 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:22,600 And you know, I was thinking the other day, I was thinking of this when I was in, thinking 157 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:28,240 of Easter, when I was in Pakistan, I was thinking, Jesus is the resurrection, but we shouldn't 158 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:31,920 be surprised because everything about him and everything about his ministry and his 159 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:39,680 life when he was here, everything about him had the mark of resurrection about him. 160 00:10:39,680 --> 00:10:45,400 You know, from when he goes to minister to Jairus, his sick daughter, and she dies, but 161 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:47,440 he raises her. 162 00:10:47,440 --> 00:10:52,080 You know, blind eyes, they're like dead eyes and he opens them. 163 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:57,800 Deaf ears, they're like dead and he opens them. 164 00:10:57,800 --> 00:11:05,640 You know, he comes to the widow of Nain and she had sons died and he raises her. 165 00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:10,600 Or the demonic who's entombed, he's living in the tomb, so he's in darkness, it's like 166 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:15,480 it's over for him and Christ comes and frees him and releases him into new. 167 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:20,000 So everything about Jesus, not just when he rose from, everything about that he did had 168 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:23,520 the touch of resurrection about him. 169 00:11:23,520 --> 00:11:26,040 Everything. 170 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:31,120 And I saw something, I think I preached it last Easter, but it still thrills me, and 171 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:33,240 it's in number 17. 172 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:37,320 And it's something that is wonderful to see. 173 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:44,360 It's a time where the children of Israel are arguing over who really can represent God. 174 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:49,840 And they're thinking there is just as special as Moses' Aaron. 175 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:55,680 And God chooses a certain thing to show them that Aaron is his man. 176 00:11:55,680 --> 00:12:01,640 And I'll read it, it says, number 17 verse 2, God says, speak to the children, Moses, 177 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:05,840 of Israel and get them, from them, a rod from each father's house. 178 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:08,040 All their leaders according to their father's house. 179 00:12:08,040 --> 00:12:10,840 Twelve rods write each man's name on his rod. 180 00:12:10,840 --> 00:12:15,640 And you shall write Aaron's name on the rod of Levi, for there shall be one rod for the 181 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:17,000 head of each father's house. 182 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:20,360 Then you shall place them into the tabernacle of meeting before the testimony where I meet 183 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:21,360 with you. 184 00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:27,600 And it shall be that the rod of the man whom I choose will blossom. 185 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:31,840 Then I'll rid myself of the complainants which there may seek at you. 186 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:35,200 Verse 8, now it come to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of wilderness 187 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:41,000 and behold the rod of Aaron, the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds, produced 188 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:44,360 blossoms and yielded ripe almonds. 189 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:48,400 Then Moses brought out all the rods from before the Lord to all the children of Israel. 190 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:50,760 They looked and each man took his rod. 191 00:12:50,760 --> 00:12:55,880 And the Lord said to Moses, bring Aaron's rod back to the testimony to be kept as a 192 00:12:55,880 --> 00:13:02,640 sign against the rebels that you have put their complainants away from me. 193 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:04,340 What's the point? 194 00:13:04,340 --> 00:13:13,880 The point is, first of all, God's man was the man who'd experienced resurrection. 195 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:21,240 So today, if people want to know who amongst all the people that claim to be God's representative, 196 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:26,560 Buddha, Muhammad, whatever else there is, God has, he is unchanging. 197 00:13:26,560 --> 00:13:35,740 The way he decides and chooses and identifies his man is through resurrection. 198 00:13:35,740 --> 00:13:44,440 But also, in this passage here, is that this is the time people all had their opinions 199 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:48,320 but God said, I'll have the final say. 200 00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:53,240 And the final say is resurrection. 201 00:13:53,240 --> 00:14:04,780 So sin, we're told that sin kills, lust kills, pornography kills, everything kills. 202 00:14:04,780 --> 00:14:10,560 But God's last word when you're in that place, His last word, God's final word is resurrection. 203 00:14:10,560 --> 00:14:15,360 That means there is hope, there is life, there is new life to be had when you're living in 204 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:16,880 a place of defeat. 205 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:21,560 God says the final word from Him is that you won't stay there. 206 00:14:21,560 --> 00:14:26,240 The final word from God is resurrection. 207 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:37,840 And you know, we want to know when we speak about the life and the death of Jesus Christ 208 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:40,480 on Good Friday. 209 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:42,100 So here is, there is Jesus. 210 00:14:42,100 --> 00:14:47,440 On Good Friday, He suffers and He dies on a cross. 211 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:54,500 He is pierced for our sins and He is put in a grave. 212 00:14:54,500 --> 00:14:57,640 He is nailed to the cross and He dies. 213 00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:05,160 And then after He dies, He is carried away and put in a tomb, a borrowed tomb. 214 00:15:05,160 --> 00:15:14,100 And then He spends time in that tomb in a place of great darkness. 215 00:15:14,100 --> 00:15:17,640 Place of great darkness. 216 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:20,240 What is the bridge? 217 00:15:20,240 --> 00:15:27,080 Where is the bridge from what Christ experienced to your experience and to how you live? 218 00:15:27,080 --> 00:15:28,880 The experience is this. 219 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:36,080 Is that if you follow Jesus, you are not going to have a problem-free life. 220 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:41,800 There are times where you will be nailed. 221 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:44,980 You know, life will nail you. 222 00:15:44,980 --> 00:15:48,240 And it will seem unjust. 223 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:53,000 You could be nailed by accusation, you could be nailed by losing your job wrongly, you 224 00:15:53,000 --> 00:16:00,880 could be nailed by being accused of something, you could be nailed by a sickness. 225 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:06,080 And Christ was carried away to a place that was foreign. 226 00:16:06,080 --> 00:16:07,920 Your life could be carried. 227 00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:09,840 You could be just taken away, not your fault. 228 00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:11,720 You could just be taken into a situation. 229 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:13,760 You think, how did I get here? 230 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:18,320 How did I end up here? 231 00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:22,280 The third thing about Christ's death was there was a tomb. 232 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:24,880 And tombs are places of darkness. 233 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:29,960 Tombs are places where this tomb was sealed and it was dark and it didn't appear as though 234 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:31,800 you could get out of that place. 235 00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:38,080 You can enter into places where you could be entombed by addiction, you could be entombed 236 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:43,240 by a bad marriage, you could be entombed by sadness, by what's happening in your family. 237 00:16:43,240 --> 00:17:02,200 The problem is, even some Christians, they get nailed or entombed and they stay nailed. 238 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:05,120 They stay entombed. 239 00:17:05,120 --> 00:17:07,440 And they say, this is just the way it is. 240 00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:14,120 And this is, these are the cards, life has dealt me. 241 00:17:14,120 --> 00:17:22,040 And then we come up with reasons, even theologies, about why it's got to be this way, why I've 242 00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:27,200 got to stay in this dark place. 243 00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:34,500 But some people get nailed and experience resurrection. 244 00:17:34,500 --> 00:17:39,440 Some people get carried away and experience resurrection. 245 00:17:39,440 --> 00:17:45,180 Some people get put in dark places and experience resurrection. 246 00:17:45,180 --> 00:17:47,760 And that's what we're meant to be. 247 00:17:47,760 --> 00:17:52,240 You know, a lot of people, they speak and they speak and they want to speak all about 248 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:57,480 the cross, which is great because we know without the cross we cannot be forgiven. 249 00:17:57,480 --> 00:18:03,160 But you know, Ephesians 2 says this. 250 00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:13,680 It says, even when we were dead in trespasses, made alive together by Christ and who raised 251 00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:19,480 us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ, in the ages 252 00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:23,320 come that He might show the exceeding riches of His grace and His kindness towards us in 253 00:18:23,320 --> 00:18:25,640 Christ. 254 00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:26,640 What are you saying? 255 00:18:26,640 --> 00:18:33,320 Ephesians 2 says, and He made alive those who were dead in trespasses. 256 00:18:33,320 --> 00:18:40,080 The point I'm trying to make is that a lot of people, they are able and wish to identify 257 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:44,480 themselves with the cross and say, yes, I'm a sinner and this is where I live and I need 258 00:18:44,480 --> 00:18:48,760 the forgiveness and I understand what Christ has done for me at the cross. 259 00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:49,960 And they want to live in it. 260 00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:54,120 But Paul says, but I've been made alive. 261 00:18:54,120 --> 00:18:55,500 I am in Christ. 262 00:18:55,500 --> 00:18:57,940 I am already seated in heavenly places. 263 00:18:57,940 --> 00:19:04,560 In other words, I am living resurrection life. 264 00:19:04,560 --> 00:19:06,560 Resurrection life. 265 00:19:06,560 --> 00:19:08,560 Hallelujah. 266 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:09,560 Thank you over there. 267 00:19:09,560 --> 00:19:10,560 Bede. 268 00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:12,200 It's good to have you here. 269 00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:15,200 And see, Paul knew this. 270 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:18,680 He said, yes, the cross is about suffering. 271 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:23,760 But he said to know Christ, and he says, my only desire is that I know Christ and I know 272 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:30,880 Him by the fellowship of His sufferings and the power of the resurrection. 273 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:31,880 Other way around. 274 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:36,040 He says, I want to know Christ by the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of 275 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:37,040 His sufferings. 276 00:19:37,040 --> 00:19:39,560 So, yes, you are meant to suffer. 277 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:40,800 Yes, you'll be nailed. 278 00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:42,120 Yes, you'll be carried away. 279 00:19:42,120 --> 00:19:44,420 Yes, but it's never meant to end there. 280 00:19:44,420 --> 00:19:50,280 There are so many times in Paul's life when he was stoned and they thought he was dead, 281 00:19:50,280 --> 00:19:54,940 but it didn't end there because he lived the resurrection. 282 00:19:54,940 --> 00:19:59,320 He lived resurrection life. 283 00:19:59,320 --> 00:20:02,840 And when you live resurrection life, you may say it's over. 284 00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:14,600 They may say it's over, but the truth is it's never over till God says it's over. 285 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:17,280 So many times Paul was stoned. 286 00:20:17,280 --> 00:20:18,280 He was shipwrecked. 287 00:20:18,280 --> 00:20:21,520 Just so many times. 288 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:28,860 But he says, we not only have the fellowship of the sufferings, but we live in the power 289 00:20:28,860 --> 00:20:30,820 of resurrection. 290 00:20:30,820 --> 00:20:33,840 And so you will suffer as a Christian. 291 00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:35,800 You will suffer. 292 00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:38,340 You will get nailed. 293 00:20:38,340 --> 00:20:42,800 You will be carried into places where you don't want to be. 294 00:20:42,800 --> 00:20:46,660 The evil one will make sure of that. 295 00:20:46,660 --> 00:20:48,680 He will. 296 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:54,000 You may have a, you know, you may be suffering with a child right now. 297 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:55,580 You know what's going on. 298 00:20:55,580 --> 00:20:57,800 You may be suffering in your marriage. 299 00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:03,320 Maybe your cross or you may be suffering through your health, through your disease, all sorts 300 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:04,320 of things. 301 00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:08,520 But God wants you to know because of the resurrection. 302 00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:13,860 It's never the end. 303 00:21:13,860 --> 00:21:18,360 If you turn to John chapter 11, this is a really significant point I want us to see. 304 00:21:18,360 --> 00:21:21,440 This is a time when Jesus is teaching here. 305 00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:24,400 Jesus wants us to understand. 306 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:28,920 He wants us to understand not only that he rose from the dead as a historical fact, and 307 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:35,360 it is a historical fact, but he wants us to understand the implications and the application 308 00:21:35,360 --> 00:21:37,720 for our life today. 309 00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:41,360 And in this time we know, this is the story about Lazarus, most of it know very, very 310 00:21:41,360 --> 00:21:46,760 well and Jesus deliberately didn't come to heal Lazarus when they told people that Lazarus 311 00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:47,880 was sick. 312 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:50,440 He left it for four days. 313 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:54,680 And the reason he left it for four days was because people in those days believed that 314 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:57,720 people could rise again after three days, but after four days it was over. 315 00:21:57,720 --> 00:21:58,840 It was hopeless. 316 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:07,560 So he left it four days because he is going to demonstrate that he is the resurrection. 317 00:22:07,560 --> 00:22:11,320 Not that he will be raised, but he is the resurrection. 318 00:22:11,320 --> 00:22:13,000 And so he comes after four days. 319 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:17,320 He leaves it and when he comes to the tomb it says, as soon as Martha heard that Jesus 320 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:22,880 was coming, verse 20, she met with him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 321 00:22:22,880 --> 00:22:26,400 Martha said to Jesus, Lord if you had been here my brother would not have died, but even 322 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:32,440 now I know that whatever you ask of God will give you. 323 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:36,720 Jesus said to her, your brother will rise again. 324 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:44,760 Martha said to him, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 325 00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:47,360 Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection. 326 00:22:47,360 --> 00:22:49,520 Don't you love that? 327 00:22:49,520 --> 00:22:50,920 All the I am statements. 328 00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:51,920 I am the truth. 329 00:22:51,920 --> 00:22:53,040 I am the light. 330 00:22:53,040 --> 00:22:55,000 I am the light of the world. 331 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:59,440 He said, I am the resurrection and the life. 332 00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:07,160 He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live, and whoever lives and believes 333 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:09,840 in me shall never die. 334 00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:15,000 Do you believe this? 335 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:17,000 So here is a situation. 336 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:18,680 It's hopeless. 337 00:23:18,680 --> 00:23:25,460 And Jesus comes and he says to, in this hopeless situation, he says to Mary, first of all, 338 00:23:25,460 --> 00:23:30,020 I am the resurrection and the life. 339 00:23:30,020 --> 00:23:33,680 And it's like what he's saying about that is saying he is the source of resurrection 340 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:34,680 power. 341 00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:39,560 You know, I've said this many times, there's many great rivers, but there's only one, a 342 00:23:39,560 --> 00:23:42,160 great river has many streams but only one source. 343 00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:46,620 There's many religions in the world, but there's only one source of resurrection. 344 00:23:46,620 --> 00:23:47,620 That's Jesus Christ. 345 00:23:47,620 --> 00:23:53,120 He says, I am the resurrection and the life. 346 00:23:53,120 --> 00:23:57,400 And then he says, do you believe it? 347 00:23:57,400 --> 00:23:58,400 He who believes in me. 348 00:23:58,400 --> 00:23:59,880 And then he says, do you believe this? 349 00:23:59,880 --> 00:24:04,560 The most important thing in your life, you may think other things are important, but 350 00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:09,240 the most important thing about you is what you believe about Jesus Christ. 351 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:14,000 And you must understand that he not only is the Messiah and the Savior who came and died 352 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:21,680 for your sin is coming again, but he is the source of resurrection life. 353 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:30,520 And when you're being nailed, you need to know how to access the source of his power. 354 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:34,440 And I want to make a point here that this is really important and I want to speak a 355 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:42,080 little bit about the religious spirit because Mary, she's sort of contemporaneous of a lot 356 00:24:42,080 --> 00:24:43,640 of religious people today. 357 00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:51,440 Jesus comes to her and he says to you, to her, Jesus says, your brother will rise again. 358 00:24:51,440 --> 00:24:55,320 Because he's speaking about a present tense problem. 359 00:24:55,320 --> 00:25:01,040 And she answers and says, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last 360 00:25:01,040 --> 00:25:03,480 day. 361 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:12,480 So she has resurrection faith for the future that when she dies, that she will be raised 362 00:25:12,480 --> 00:25:16,480 again and live with Christ forever. 363 00:25:16,480 --> 00:25:23,960 But she has no present day resurrection faith for her present day problem. 364 00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:33,520 And we know that because you see in verse 39 when Jesus goes to raise Lazarus, he said, 365 00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:39,120 Lord don't go there because there's a stench. 366 00:25:39,120 --> 00:25:46,880 She doesn't really believe that he can do something for her present day problem. 367 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:53,840 She has got faith that when she dies, she's going to rise again. 368 00:25:53,840 --> 00:26:05,760 But here, when life has nailed her, taken her brother away and stuck him in a dark tomb, 369 00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:11,280 there is no faith in resurrection power coming into her situation. 370 00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:16,640 And that's why Jesus says twice, do you believe? 371 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:24,640 And when she says, don't bother yourself about the stench, he says, didn't I say to you, 372 00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:29,120 if you believed, you would see the glory of God. 373 00:26:29,120 --> 00:26:35,640 And see what releases the power of the resurrection. 374 00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:40,940 So it's not just a historical fact for you and it's not just a future promise for you, 375 00:26:40,940 --> 00:26:48,520 but you live in the present power of resurrection life today is that when God nails you, you 376 00:26:48,520 --> 00:26:52,720 know how to change your butt. 377 00:26:52,720 --> 00:27:00,840 When she came, when Jesus came to Mary, Mary said, he's dead, but even now I know. 378 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:08,880 This is what someone who, this is someone, the language of someone, you know if you believe, 379 00:27:08,880 --> 00:27:13,440 you know what sort of faith you have by what comes out of your mouth. 380 00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:15,580 Out of the heart, the mouth speaks. 381 00:27:15,580 --> 00:27:21,360 And what religious people say, they say, I know we have all these promises, I know we 382 00:27:21,360 --> 00:27:26,040 have this book, but we have to be real, but we have to be reasonable. 383 00:27:26,040 --> 00:27:31,520 And they want a reasonable faith and God will never honor it. 384 00:27:31,520 --> 00:27:38,640 But the doctor said, I know what the Bible says, but the psychologist said, this is an 385 00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:40,280 unprecedented problem. 386 00:27:40,280 --> 00:27:45,560 I know what the Bible says that he is the Lord who heals this, but the doctor said, 387 00:27:45,560 --> 00:27:49,560 or I know that the Bible says salvation is me and my husband, but you don't know how 388 00:27:49,560 --> 00:27:52,440 far my child's gone. 389 00:27:52,440 --> 00:28:00,120 There is someone of faith who has been nailed, says, I know it looks dead, I know it looks 390 00:28:00,120 --> 00:28:07,320 hopeless to the world, I know what the circumstance look like, but God, but God. 391 00:28:07,320 --> 00:28:12,880 And as soon as you say, but God, you get connected to the power of God. 392 00:28:12,880 --> 00:28:17,320 Because I tell you what the power of God, what faith really looks like. 393 00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:21,280 And you've got to know how to connect to the power, you've got to know how to connect to 394 00:28:21,280 --> 00:28:22,680 resurrection power. 395 00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:29,000 Like you may need Wi-Fi, but it's no good if you're not connected. 396 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:31,320 It's like, have you ever been in an electrical storm? 397 00:28:31,320 --> 00:28:32,320 There's an electrical storm the other night. 398 00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:34,480 I've said this many times. 399 00:28:34,480 --> 00:28:38,160 The power is in the cloud. 400 00:28:38,160 --> 00:28:43,960 But we need to get the power to affect the earth, our present day problem. 401 00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:48,280 And the only way you can get the power of the storm to the earth is that you need a 402 00:28:48,280 --> 00:28:49,280 conductor. 403 00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:53,280 You need a metal rod, and faith is heaven's conductor. 404 00:28:53,280 --> 00:28:59,000 When God sees someone say, I know the circumstances, but God, the power of God is released from 405 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:01,600 heaven to earth. 406 00:29:01,600 --> 00:29:09,560 But when you stand there and say, I know all this, but I'm a realist, the power stays up 407 00:29:09,560 --> 00:29:12,640 there and you stay nailed. 408 00:29:12,640 --> 00:29:13,900 You stay carried away. 409 00:29:13,900 --> 00:29:20,000 You stay in the tomb because faith is the victory. 410 00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:31,800 So God wants you to not only know and celebrate that death has been defeated on your behalf. 411 00:29:31,800 --> 00:29:35,160 He wants you to know that, and he wants you to celebrate that. 412 00:29:35,160 --> 00:29:40,680 And he wants you to celebrate that Christ did it for you. 413 00:29:40,680 --> 00:29:47,440 And he also wants you to live in resurrection power today. 414 00:29:47,440 --> 00:29:54,960 He wants you to be someone who no matter what life throws at you, you are always hopeful. 415 00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:57,160 You are never down and out. 416 00:29:57,160 --> 00:29:58,480 You will be down. 417 00:29:58,480 --> 00:30:00,240 We all get down. 418 00:30:00,240 --> 00:30:04,240 But the difference between someone who lives in resurrection power because they believe 419 00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:09,940 they are down but never out. 420 00:30:09,940 --> 00:30:13,360 You know it's an old saying, but it's so true. 421 00:30:13,360 --> 00:30:16,520 The greatest sermon ever preached by a guy called, Easter sermon, a guy called Billy 422 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:17,520 Friday. 423 00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:21,120 Was it Billy Friday? 424 00:30:21,120 --> 00:30:24,120 He's a famous American evangelist. 425 00:30:24,120 --> 00:30:27,640 Sunday. 426 00:30:27,640 --> 00:30:28,640 I need a rest. 427 00:30:28,640 --> 00:30:30,720 I really need a holiday. 428 00:30:30,720 --> 00:30:34,240 Billy Sunday, great American evangelist. 429 00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:36,720 And he preached this message, but it was so wonderful. 430 00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:39,560 Yeah, it was cold. 431 00:30:39,560 --> 00:30:40,560 What was it called, Bede? 432 00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:41,560 Billy Sunday. 433 00:30:41,560 --> 00:30:43,600 Oh, no, Billy Sunday. 434 00:30:43,600 --> 00:30:49,520 He said, it may be Friday, but Sunday's coming. 435 00:30:49,520 --> 00:30:55,000 And that's what someone of faith knows, is that we do not live in denial. 436 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:59,100 We do not deny we have Fridays. 437 00:30:59,100 --> 00:31:00,660 We are called to carry a cross. 438 00:31:00,660 --> 00:31:04,680 We will be nailed by life. 439 00:31:04,680 --> 00:31:07,880 We will be taken away in places sometimes. 440 00:31:07,880 --> 00:31:13,280 We will end up in dark places from time to time. 441 00:31:13,280 --> 00:31:25,520 But for someone who believes and says, yes, this is what's happening, but God. 442 00:31:25,520 --> 00:31:29,320 I don't know how, but God. 443 00:31:29,320 --> 00:31:35,720 His power is going to come into my problem and somehow he's going to turn it and he's 444 00:31:35,720 --> 00:31:40,120 going to work it and he's going to turn it around for my good. 445 00:31:40,120 --> 00:31:45,000 I don't know how it's going to happen, but I know he loves me so much. 446 00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:48,000 And he is Lord of all. 447 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:54,680 And if he defeated the grave, he will defeat my problem. 448 00:31:54,680 --> 00:32:00,720 It may be Friday, but Sunday is coming. 449 00:32:00,720 --> 00:32:10,800 It's the confession and that's the declaration of someone who not only lives across, but 450 00:32:10,800 --> 00:32:19,600 lives seated in heavenly places in the power of the resurrection today. 451 00:32:19,600 --> 00:32:25,600 In the power of the resurrection today. 452 00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:34,680 You know, the most dangerous thing to a believer, I believe, the most dangerous thing to a Christian 453 00:32:34,680 --> 00:32:46,020 and I know many people believe it, is the quest and the demand for a reasonable faith. 454 00:32:46,020 --> 00:32:49,400 This is what's killing the church today. 455 00:32:49,400 --> 00:32:55,480 We are people of the enlightenment who actually say unless something is reasonable, let's 456 00:32:55,480 --> 00:32:59,720 say something is reasonable, we can't have it. 457 00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:03,000 Dead men don't rise. 458 00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:05,680 The resurrection is completely irrational. 459 00:33:05,680 --> 00:33:10,720 It's completely unreasonable. 460 00:33:10,720 --> 00:33:13,400 And so is God. 461 00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:19,320 God is not irrational, but he is supra-rational. 462 00:33:19,320 --> 00:33:25,220 There is irrational, there is rational, and there is supra-rational. 463 00:33:25,220 --> 00:33:27,240 He made your mind. 464 00:33:27,240 --> 00:33:33,420 How dare you say to him, you explain yourself to me before I believe you. 465 00:33:33,420 --> 00:33:39,920 He can do what he pleases and he does. 466 00:33:39,920 --> 00:33:47,300 Maybe some people here today, you are nailed by life. 467 00:33:47,300 --> 00:33:55,920 You are in a dark place and the Holy Spirit says to tell you today, but God. 468 00:33:55,920 --> 00:34:00,240 God says it's not over till he says it's over. 469 00:34:00,240 --> 00:34:06,960 And his power, the Bible says the power of the resurrection, Ephesians 1.19 says is available 470 00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:12,040 who to all who believe. 471 00:34:12,040 --> 00:34:17,440 It's belief that releases the power. 472 00:34:17,440 --> 00:34:23,040 So if you're in that place today, it's your Friday. 473 00:34:23,040 --> 00:34:26,040 It's your Friday. 474 00:34:26,040 --> 00:34:29,120 The story of Easter is it's not the end. 475 00:34:29,120 --> 00:34:31,880 If you believe, Sunday is coming. 476 00:34:31,880 --> 00:34:34,680 The power of God is going to come into your problem. 477 00:34:34,680 --> 00:34:36,320 The power of God is going to come to your situation. 478 00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:40,840 I'm not going to tell you what he's going to do, but he will turn it and work it for 479 00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:44,160 your good if you believe. 480 00:34:44,160 --> 00:34:46,840 The worst thing you can do, some people sit here and they go like, but you don't know 481 00:34:46,840 --> 00:34:49,220 what happened to me. 482 00:34:49,220 --> 00:34:51,900 You don't know what happened when I believe God. 483 00:34:51,900 --> 00:34:56,380 You do not make a theology out of your experience. 484 00:34:56,380 --> 00:34:59,620 You make a theology from the word of God. 485 00:34:59,620 --> 00:35:06,600 And the word of God says, Friday is a real, but Sundays are promised. 486 00:35:06,600 --> 00:35:07,600 Amen? 487 00:35:07,600 --> 00:35:08,600 Let's bow our heads. 488 00:35:08,600 --> 00:35:10,600 I want to pray for us. 489 00:35:10,600 --> 00:35:17,480 Father God, I want to thank you that it is finished. 490 00:35:17,480 --> 00:35:18,480 It is finished. 491 00:35:18,480 --> 00:35:23,880 Your great plan of salvation has been accomplished through one man or one man alone, and that 492 00:35:23,880 --> 00:35:26,360 is your son, the Lord Jesus Christ. 493 00:35:26,360 --> 00:35:31,400 We give you praise and we give you thanks that we're not waiting, that he has come, 494 00:35:31,400 --> 00:35:36,800 that he has given, that he has laid down his life, that he has willingly been nailed, 495 00:35:36,800 --> 00:35:44,160 buried in that tomb, but we rejoice. 496 00:35:44,160 --> 00:35:46,400 That is not the end. 497 00:35:46,400 --> 00:35:48,120 That is not the end. 498 00:35:48,120 --> 00:35:50,960 That he rose victorious. 499 00:35:50,960 --> 00:35:55,400 That he defeated every plan of Satan. 500 00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:57,900 He depleted every demon. 501 00:35:57,900 --> 00:35:59,980 He defeated every sin. 502 00:35:59,980 --> 00:36:03,060 He defeated every sickness. 503 00:36:03,060 --> 00:36:07,840 He defeated all anxiety. 504 00:36:07,840 --> 00:36:12,440 Father God, you raised him up in complete victory. 505 00:36:12,440 --> 00:36:20,520 And we thank you that we are not a defeated people, that death has been won for us. 506 00:36:20,520 --> 00:36:24,880 And the power of the resurrection is for us. 507 00:36:24,880 --> 00:36:27,000 It is for us to experience. 508 00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:34,480 Father God, I lift up every person that may feel nailed and I declare hope into them today. 509 00:36:34,480 --> 00:36:37,920 I speak hope into hopeless situations. 510 00:36:37,920 --> 00:36:40,840 I speak hope into hopeless families. 511 00:36:40,840 --> 00:36:43,360 I speak hope into hopeless marriages. 512 00:36:43,360 --> 00:36:49,960 I speak hope into Lord, hospital wards, Father, where people are ill, family is ill, that 513 00:36:49,960 --> 00:36:57,320 Father God, you are able to do anything, that you who raised your son back to life can raise 514 00:36:57,320 --> 00:36:59,200 those marriages back to life. 515 00:36:59,200 --> 00:37:02,520 Father, you can raise that career back to life. 516 00:37:02,520 --> 00:37:08,840 You can raise that child back to life because you are the resurrection and the life. 517 00:37:08,840 --> 00:37:11,040 And we believe you today. 518 00:37:11,040 --> 00:37:15,680 We say no matter what it is, but God and my God is for me. 519 00:37:15,680 --> 00:37:20,360 And all the people said, Amen, Amen, Amen.