WEBVTT 00:00:00.330 --> 00:00:02.750 Well, if you could keep your Bible open in front 00:00:02.750 --> 00:00:06.849 of you, that'd be great. Let's pray. Let's ask 00:00:06.849 --> 00:00:13.289 God for help as we look at his word now. Gracious 00:00:13.289 --> 00:00:15.789 Heavenly Father, we ask that as we dig into your 00:00:15.789 --> 00:00:19.129 word, help us to see the hope that we have in 00:00:19.129 --> 00:00:22.809 Jesus. May it move our hearts to greater joy, 00:00:23.570 --> 00:00:27.350 to greater peace, to greater delight. And we 00:00:27.350 --> 00:00:33.350 ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, up near 00:00:33.350 --> 00:00:36.509 Limberlost are some tennis courts. I don't know 00:00:36.509 --> 00:00:38.890 if you've ever seen them up in freshwater there. 00:00:39.609 --> 00:00:43.429 Court 4 recently was renamed the Tom Bentley 00:00:43.429 --> 00:00:47.270 Court. Tom Bentley was president for 10 years 00:00:47.270 --> 00:00:49.570 of the tennis club there. He was a member for 00:00:49.570 --> 00:00:53.369 50 years. He was instrumental in acquiring the 00:00:53.369 --> 00:00:57.210 land and even some of the bricks. He did a lot 00:00:57.210 --> 00:01:01.149 for the tennis club there. But sadly, Tom is 00:01:01.149 --> 00:01:05.769 gone. He died a few months ago. I was actually 00:01:05.769 --> 00:01:09.549 at his funeral. Because Tom Bentley was no stranger 00:01:09.549 --> 00:01:14.810 to me. Tom Bentley was my uncle. And naming the 00:01:14.810 --> 00:01:18.510 court after him was a fitting honour, just as 00:01:18.510 --> 00:01:20.670 he was greatly honoured by his family and friends 00:01:20.670 --> 00:01:24.950 at his funeral as well. Yet no matter what we 00:01:24.950 --> 00:01:29.319 do, no matter how well we honour people, There's 00:01:29.319 --> 00:01:32.620 something really biting about death, isn't there? 00:01:33.819 --> 00:01:38.599 When we lose a loved one, it's brutal. It's unnatural. 00:01:40.079 --> 00:01:44.420 It's painful because it's so permanent. Uncle 00:01:44.420 --> 00:01:47.000 Tom did a lot for his family and friends and 00:01:47.000 --> 00:01:50.719 for his tennis club. But, you know, it's kind 00:01:50.719 --> 00:01:53.180 of depressing, but it's worth asking, well, to 00:01:53.180 --> 00:01:59.000 what end? If we all die and that's it, then all 00:01:59.000 --> 00:02:02.120 the good we ever do is just palliative care, 00:02:02.140 --> 00:02:05.840 isn't it? It doesn't truly change anything, because 00:02:05.840 --> 00:02:08.159 hey, we're all going to die. It just makes life 00:02:08.159 --> 00:02:13.879 a little bit more comfortable until we do. That's 00:02:13.879 --> 00:02:17.680 the brutal reality of death. And it's so confronting, 00:02:17.680 --> 00:02:21.400 we try to avoid it. Have you ever had dinner 00:02:21.400 --> 00:02:24.120 guests who just won't take the hint and leave? 00:02:25.080 --> 00:02:27.860 Do you want to know how to get rid of them? Drop 00:02:27.860 --> 00:02:31.500 this bomb. What do you think happens when you 00:02:31.500 --> 00:02:36.840 die? Rather than engaging in a deep and meaningful 00:02:36.840 --> 00:02:39.740 philosophical conversation about the afterlife, 00:02:40.520 --> 00:02:43.080 I expect they'll say, oh, look at the time. It's 00:02:43.080 --> 00:02:48.120 a bit late. We'd better be going. In our culture, 00:02:48.139 --> 00:02:51.469 we really don't like death, do we? It's dark, 00:02:51.689 --> 00:02:55.030 it's unsettling, it's crushing. Life feels better 00:02:55.030 --> 00:03:00.889 if we just don't think about death. Yet try as 00:03:00.889 --> 00:03:06.310 we might, death is unavoidable. As the old saying 00:03:06.310 --> 00:03:09.530 goes, there are two certainties in life. They're 00:03:09.530 --> 00:03:13.830 death and taxes. And to be honest, I've got another 00:03:13.830 --> 00:03:16.870 uncle who's actually a tax accountant and he 00:03:16.870 --> 00:03:19.169 can give you a handful of ways to avoid taxes. 00:03:20.110 --> 00:03:26.169 But death, there is absolutely no escape. It 00:03:26.169 --> 00:03:31.469 catches us all. And this makes life, well, living 00:03:31.469 --> 00:03:37.150 life, so hard, doesn't it? Our lives become plagued 00:03:37.150 --> 00:03:43.229 with fear, falsehoods, indecision, because death 00:03:43.229 --> 00:03:47.669 touches everything we do. Today, I want to ask 00:03:47.669 --> 00:03:53.259 you, How can we ever truly live when the spectre 00:03:53.259 --> 00:03:57.780 of death always looms over us? How can we ever 00:03:57.780 --> 00:04:01.599 truly live when the spectre of death always looms 00:04:01.599 --> 00:04:06.699 over us? Well, Easter Sunday and the resurrection 00:04:06.699 --> 00:04:12.219 of Jesus show us how we can. It shows us that 00:04:12.219 --> 00:04:16.300 we can have hope, power and joy even in the face 00:04:16.300 --> 00:04:19.870 of death. Here's the one thing I hope you see 00:04:19.870 --> 00:04:24.769 from our passage today. Jesus really has conquered 00:04:24.769 --> 00:04:31.310 death, so he really can change your life. Jesus 00:04:31.310 --> 00:04:34.769 really has conquered death, so he really can 00:04:34.769 --> 00:04:39.250 change your life. And as we look at Jesus conquering 00:04:39.250 --> 00:04:42.290 of death, we'll see three things today that change 00:04:42.290 --> 00:04:47.470 our lives. So Jesus is alive, so do not be afraid. 00:04:48.850 --> 00:04:51.910 Jesus is alive, so do not be deceived. And Jesus 00:04:51.910 --> 00:04:55.949 is alive, so do not be indecisive. So let's have 00:04:55.949 --> 00:04:57.730 a look at each of those. Here's the first one. 00:04:57.790 --> 00:05:02.470 Jesus is alive, so do not be afraid. If you've 00:05:02.470 --> 00:05:04.850 got your Bible there, look with me at verses 00:05:04.850 --> 00:05:09.370 one to 10 of Matthew 28. And while we're reading 00:05:09.370 --> 00:05:13.670 it, look out for the way fear is used here. Okay, 00:05:13.689 --> 00:05:16.480 look out for the way fear is used here. Here's 00:05:16.480 --> 00:05:18.899 what it says, after the Sabbath at dawn on the 00:05:18.899 --> 00:05:20.839 first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the 00:05:20.839 --> 00:05:24.180 other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was 00:05:24.180 --> 00:05:26.720 a violent earthquake for an angel of the Lord 00:05:26.720 --> 00:05:29.720 came down from heaven and going to the tomb rolled 00:05:29.720 --> 00:05:33.000 back the stone and sat on it. His appearance 00:05:33.000 --> 00:05:35.759 was like lightning and his clothes were white 00:05:35.759 --> 00:05:39.420 as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that 00:05:39.420 --> 00:05:43.519 they shook and became like dead men. The angel 00:05:43.519 --> 00:05:46.920 said to the women, Do not be afraid, for I know 00:05:46.920 --> 00:05:49.160 that you are looking for Jesus who is crucified. 00:05:49.519 --> 00:05:53.019 He is not here. He is risen, just as He said. 00:05:53.680 --> 00:05:56.699 Come and see the place where He lay. Then go 00:05:56.699 --> 00:05:59.199 quickly and tell His disciples, He is risen from 00:05:59.199 --> 00:06:01.399 the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. 00:06:01.819 --> 00:06:05.660 There you will see Him. Now I have told you.' 00:06:05.660 --> 00:06:08.379 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid, 00:06:08.759 --> 00:06:12.279 yet filled with joy, and ran to tell His disciples. 00:06:13.219 --> 00:06:16.100 Suddenly Jesus met them. Greetings, he said. 00:06:16.620 --> 00:06:18.879 They came to him, clasped his feet and worshipped 00:06:18.879 --> 00:06:22.480 him. Then Jesus said to them, do not be afraid. 00:06:22.959 --> 00:06:26.060 Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee. There 00:06:26.060 --> 00:06:30.399 they will see me. Now Jesus comes back to life 00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:34.180 here with glorious power. There's an earthquake. 00:06:34.300 --> 00:06:38.199 There's an angel. And for those opposed to Jesus, 00:06:38.339 --> 00:06:43.839 the guards, this was terrifying, wasn't it? Such 00:06:43.839 --> 00:06:47.500 power was out of this world with all their shields 00:06:47.500 --> 00:06:50.639 and spears. They were no match for whatever was 00:06:50.639 --> 00:06:54.620 going on here. And it was scary for the women 00:06:54.620 --> 00:06:58.480 at the tomb. But for them, it was more of a confusing 00:06:58.480 --> 00:07:01.100 awe, wasn't it? Wow, Jesus is alive. How great's 00:07:01.100 --> 00:07:06.860 this? But as the angel and the risen Jesus tells 00:07:06.860 --> 00:07:12.980 them, they are not to be afraid. You might ask, 00:07:13.199 --> 00:07:16.740 well, why not? I mean, when you live life, it 00:07:16.740 --> 00:07:18.740 seems like there's plenty of things to be afraid 00:07:18.740 --> 00:07:23.220 of, especially for them. I mean, Jesus had just 00:07:23.220 --> 00:07:26.779 been tortured, crucified and murdered after being 00:07:26.779 --> 00:07:33.300 betrayed by one of his own disciples. The one 00:07:33.300 --> 00:07:35.839 they had followed, the Lord Jesus, had lost. 00:07:36.319 --> 00:07:40.060 He'd been humiliated and many of them abandoned 00:07:40.060 --> 00:07:43.259 him. I mean, they were scared because they were 00:07:43.259 --> 00:07:45.560 dealing with their own guilt as well. What's 00:07:45.560 --> 00:07:49.579 he going to do now if he's alive? And sure, these 00:07:49.579 --> 00:07:52.319 two guards were down for the count, but what 00:07:52.319 --> 00:07:54.519 about all the other Roman soldiers? That's kind 00:07:54.519 --> 00:07:59.300 of scary too, isn't it? And just like for us, 00:07:59.600 --> 00:08:03.040 life for them, it just generally is scary, isn't 00:08:03.040 --> 00:08:08.829 it? Because we're fragile. Storms, famine, unemployment, 00:08:09.310 --> 00:08:12.310 economic crashes, the price of petrol, sickness, 00:08:12.610 --> 00:08:15.730 war, people's negligence or violence could mean 00:08:15.730 --> 00:08:18.230 life could end, couldn't it? Maybe the price 00:08:18.230 --> 00:08:21.550 of petrol doesn't do that. It's brutal, isn't 00:08:21.550 --> 00:08:25.649 it? It seems like there's plenty to be afraid 00:08:25.649 --> 00:08:31.209 of. And yet the angels in Jesus' words, do not 00:08:31.209 --> 00:08:34.610 be afraid. Don't just tell us, oh, don't be afraid. 00:08:35.850 --> 00:08:40.129 This is not going to hurt you. They signal to 00:08:40.129 --> 00:08:43.809 us something deeper. If you follow the risen 00:08:43.809 --> 00:08:48.330 Lord Jesus, you do not have to be afraid of anything 00:08:48.330 --> 00:08:56.610 or anyone. Why? Because Jesus' words, did you 00:08:56.610 --> 00:09:01.710 see it in our text, happened just as he said. 00:09:03.370 --> 00:09:07.730 It shows that he's in control. When Jesus died, 00:09:07.850 --> 00:09:11.350 he didn't fall asleep at the wheel, did he? Everything 00:09:11.350 --> 00:09:17.110 was going according to God's plan. And he says 00:09:17.110 --> 00:09:20.710 that he's going to go on ahead to them in Galilee. 00:09:21.409 --> 00:09:23.289 Why Galilee? Because that's where it all started. 00:09:23.970 --> 00:09:25.950 It's all going to start again and they're going 00:09:25.950 --> 00:09:29.490 to get a fresh start because Jesus bore their 00:09:29.490 --> 00:09:32.809 guilt. No matter what his disciples had done, 00:09:32.850 --> 00:09:36.879 no matter how they had failed. Jesus would forgive 00:09:36.879 --> 00:09:44.159 them. And Jesus had overcome death. I mean, that's 00:09:44.159 --> 00:09:48.580 the greatest fear that we have, isn't it? And 00:09:48.580 --> 00:09:54.139 yet Jesus had beaten it. If you belong to Jesus, 00:09:55.840 --> 00:09:57.980 you might know this already, but death will get 00:09:57.980 --> 00:10:04.799 you one day. But it won't be the end. Because 00:10:04.799 --> 00:10:08.200 of what Jesus has done, death is now a doorway 00:10:08.200 --> 00:10:14.419 to eternal paradise. You don't need to fear it. 00:10:17.340 --> 00:10:20.419 The most heartbreaking funeral I've ever seen 00:10:20.419 --> 00:10:22.940 was when I was a minister back in Geraldton. 00:10:24.039 --> 00:10:27.159 I assisted at a funeral for a 50 -year -old man 00:10:27.159 --> 00:10:32.370 who died before his parents. His life was a mess 00:10:32.370 --> 00:10:37.049 of broken and dysfunctional relationships. Do 00:10:37.049 --> 00:10:40.090 you know the highlight of his funeral was that 00:10:40.090 --> 00:10:45.370 he was a big Collingwood magpie supporter. The 00:10:45.370 --> 00:10:48.370 coach of Collingwood, Nathan Buckley, wrote a 00:10:48.370 --> 00:10:50.809 letter about how wonderful this guy was as a 00:10:50.809 --> 00:10:55.850 supporter. He even had a Collingwood casket. 00:10:59.950 --> 00:11:05.110 But it was so sad. There was no hope of anything 00:11:05.110 --> 00:11:10.009 better. Just fear masked with empty platitudes. 00:11:10.970 --> 00:11:15.389 People saying, he's in a better place. Me inwardly 00:11:15.389 --> 00:11:18.649 thinking, really? Why? Why do you think that? 00:11:21.870 --> 00:11:24.509 But contrast that with the funerals of Christians 00:11:24.509 --> 00:11:29.320 that I've been to. I remember in the same church 00:11:29.320 --> 00:11:31.539 building where we had this guy, this Collingwood 00:11:31.539 --> 00:11:33.659 supporter's funeral, we had another guy from 00:11:33.659 --> 00:11:36.340 our church had his funeral there, an older man 00:11:36.340 --> 00:11:41.139 named Rex. And as he died, he died with immense 00:11:41.139 --> 00:11:46.259 peace. And his funeral was so different. It was 00:11:46.259 --> 00:11:50.080 full of hope and joy, despite the grief of losing 00:11:50.080 --> 00:11:54.899 someone that we dearly loved. When people said, 00:11:54.940 --> 00:11:59.200 Rex, is in a better place. It wasn't an empty 00:11:59.200 --> 00:12:05.179 platitude. It was a certain reality. Because 00:12:05.179 --> 00:12:11.100 Rex loved and trusted the risen Lord Jesus. And 00:12:11.100 --> 00:12:13.700 Rex's life reflected it. It wasn't plagued with 00:12:13.700 --> 00:12:19.299 fear, but a deep security in Christ. And all 00:12:19.299 --> 00:12:21.879 of us there who knew Jesus were grateful for 00:12:21.879 --> 00:12:25.080 Rex and knew that one day we'd see him again. 00:12:27.870 --> 00:12:31.330 See, knowing the risen Lord Jesus, it changes 00:12:31.330 --> 00:12:36.970 your life. It gives you a powerful hope that 00:12:36.970 --> 00:12:41.509 calms your worst fears, including that greatest 00:12:41.509 --> 00:12:46.590 of all fears, death itself. If you're a Christian 00:12:46.590 --> 00:12:48.769 here today, I want to ask you, has that hope 00:12:48.769 --> 00:12:56.289 slipped onto the back burner? Don't let it. Let 00:12:56.289 --> 00:12:59.610 it be front and centre in your life, in your 00:12:59.610 --> 00:13:04.190 thinking. Think about that hope when life is 00:13:04.190 --> 00:13:08.470 scary. Think about that hope when you get bad 00:13:08.470 --> 00:13:13.889 news. You know, and it doesn't just have to be 00:13:13.889 --> 00:13:19.350 in the hard times. Marvel at it in the ironically 00:13:19.350 --> 00:13:22.860 dead time that you might have. You know, dead 00:13:22.860 --> 00:13:24.399 time where you have like you're there at the 00:13:24.399 --> 00:13:26.399 stove and you're cooking the eggs or cooking 00:13:26.399 --> 00:13:29.379 whatever you're doing, or you're there and you're 00:13:29.379 --> 00:13:34.139 sitting in traffic. Spend some time thinking 00:13:34.139 --> 00:13:38.019 about that hope. Let it fill you with joy again 00:13:38.019 --> 00:13:41.039 because you know where you're headed. You know, 00:13:41.320 --> 00:13:44.080 the direction of your life is clear. Okay, wherever 00:13:44.080 --> 00:13:46.220 it's going, I know it's headed to eternity. I 00:13:46.220 --> 00:13:49.220 know it's headed to eternity with Jesus in paradise. 00:13:52.500 --> 00:13:58.200 Fill your heart with that hope. And if you're 00:13:58.200 --> 00:13:59.779 here today and you're not yet a Christian, I 00:13:59.779 --> 00:14:04.740 want to ask you, what hope do you have? Is it 00:14:04.740 --> 00:14:08.080 a hope as good as that? What do you think happens 00:14:08.080 --> 00:14:11.299 when you die? You know, you might leave my dinner 00:14:11.299 --> 00:14:14.240 party right away if I ask you that, but I'm asking 00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:16.200 you now, have a think about it. That's a deep 00:14:16.200 --> 00:14:17.860 question. It's one of those big questions of 00:14:17.860 --> 00:14:24.879 life that we all should work out. But Jesus' 00:14:25.399 --> 00:14:28.259 resurrection doesn't just give us a hope that 00:14:28.259 --> 00:14:32.340 soothes our fears. It's actually intellectually 00:14:32.340 --> 00:14:35.879 satisfying. When you believe it, it makes you 00:14:35.879 --> 00:14:39.720 a truth seeker. So Jesus is alive, so don't be 00:14:39.720 --> 00:14:43.899 afraid. But also, Jesus is alive, so do not be 00:14:43.899 --> 00:14:48.179 deceived. I'll tell you, when I first became 00:14:48.179 --> 00:14:53.509 a Christian, I got hit with waves of doubt. I 00:14:53.509 --> 00:14:56.649 kept thinking to myself, have I joined history's 00:14:56.649 --> 00:15:00.789 greatest pyramid scheme? Is this as true as the 00:15:00.789 --> 00:15:05.809 Easter Bunny? I've got no idea. And so I spent 00:15:05.809 --> 00:15:09.230 a year researching into whether Christianity 00:15:09.230 --> 00:15:14.090 really was true. And I want to share with you 00:15:14.090 --> 00:15:18.769 that most of it boiled down to one thing. Did 00:15:18.769 --> 00:15:23.440 Jesus rise from the dead? Did Jesus rise from 00:15:23.440 --> 00:15:26.700 the dead? I mean, you can have all sorts of beef 00:15:26.700 --> 00:15:29.419 and qualms about Christianity, but it boils down 00:15:29.419 --> 00:15:32.559 to that. If Jesus rose from the dead, wow, I 00:15:32.559 --> 00:15:35.500 better listen to him. If he didn't, well, hey, 00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:37.779 you know, it's the greatest joke that anyone's 00:15:37.779 --> 00:15:40.120 ever played or con job that anyone's ever played 00:15:40.120 --> 00:15:43.200 on humanity. Just get rid of it. Dismiss it. 00:15:44.200 --> 00:15:48.000 But if he rose from the dead, take Jesus seriously. 00:15:49.710 --> 00:15:53.110 I love John Dickson's metaphor that in the resurrection 00:15:53.110 --> 00:15:56.769 of Jesus, Christianity places its head on the 00:15:56.769 --> 00:16:00.769 chopping block and invites anyone to take a swing. 00:16:02.730 --> 00:16:05.769 See, Christianity doesn't say, don't ask, don't 00:16:05.769 --> 00:16:09.330 tell. Did Jesus write something? I don't want 00:16:09.330 --> 00:16:12.649 to know, I just believe. Christianity says, use 00:16:12.649 --> 00:16:16.470 your brain, get it engaged, work out the truth. 00:16:17.649 --> 00:16:24.620 It says, Take your swing. And if you do, then 00:16:24.620 --> 00:16:29.960 be real. Ask what actually happened. One of the 00:16:29.960 --> 00:16:33.240 books I really loved was a book called The Case 00:16:33.240 --> 00:16:39.179 for Christ by Lee Strobel. It's a bit of a thick 00:16:39.179 --> 00:16:43.259 one, so it's good as a paperweight as well. But 00:16:43.259 --> 00:16:46.139 Lee Strobel, he was a journalist with the Chicago 00:16:46.139 --> 00:16:50.710 Tribune. And his wife became a Christian. And 00:16:50.710 --> 00:16:53.809 I think he just found her annoyingly kind all 00:16:53.809 --> 00:16:55.909 of a sudden. He was kind of like, what has happened 00:16:55.909 --> 00:16:59.769 to my wife? I'm really annoyed by this. And so 00:16:59.769 --> 00:17:01.750 he went, I know what I'll do. I'll go and prove 00:17:01.750 --> 00:17:05.470 that Christianity isn't true. So he sought out 00:17:05.470 --> 00:17:08.789 to prove that Christianity wasn't true. By the 00:17:08.789 --> 00:17:14.750 end of it, he'd become a Christian. Will you 00:17:14.750 --> 00:17:17.880 be that honest? Will you be that unbiased to 00:17:17.880 --> 00:17:22.420 give Jesus a fair go and work out if he really 00:17:22.420 --> 00:17:28.220 rose from the dead. Well, if you do, you've got 00:17:28.220 --> 00:17:30.319 to work out what actually happened there. I mean, 00:17:30.339 --> 00:17:33.859 there's lots of different stories or ideas about 00:17:33.859 --> 00:17:36.819 what happened, and in verses 11 to 15 we get 00:17:36.819 --> 00:17:39.900 one of them. Here's what it says. While the women 00:17:39.900 --> 00:17:41.680 were on their way, some of the guards went into 00:17:41.680 --> 00:17:44.240 the city and reported to the chief priests everything 00:17:44.240 --> 00:17:46.890 that had happened. When the chief priests had 00:17:46.890 --> 00:17:49.230 met with the elders and devised a plan they gave 00:17:49.230 --> 00:17:52.289 the soldiers a large sum of money telling them 00:17:52.289 --> 00:17:55.009 you were to say his disciples came during the 00:17:55.009 --> 00:17:57.970 night and stole him away while we were asleep. 00:17:58.970 --> 00:18:01.809 If this report gets to the governor we will satisfy 00:18:01.809 --> 00:18:04.769 him and keep you out of trouble. So the soldiers 00:18:04.769 --> 00:18:06.650 took the money and did as they were instructed 00:18:06.650 --> 00:18:09.690 and this story has been widely circulated among 00:18:09.690 --> 00:18:15.640 the Jews to this very day. Well, this is the 00:18:15.640 --> 00:18:18.420 story or the idea that the disciples stole the 00:18:18.420 --> 00:18:24.819 body of Jesus. And it makes no sense to me. Because 00:18:24.819 --> 00:18:27.920 the disciples were martyred for their faith. 00:18:30.180 --> 00:18:34.480 No one knowingly dies for a lie, do they? What 00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:39.700 motive would they have? But also this story is 00:18:39.700 --> 00:18:44.019 full of holes, isn't it? If the Roman soldiers 00:18:44.019 --> 00:18:45.960 slept whilst on duty, do you know what would 00:18:45.960 --> 00:18:49.500 happen to a Roman soldier? You'd be executed. 00:18:51.859 --> 00:18:56.259 It's doubtful they slept. It's doubtful that 00:18:56.259 --> 00:18:59.180 these Roman soldiers with advanced militaristic 00:18:59.180 --> 00:19:02.240 weaponry of the day were beaten up by fishermen. 00:19:05.339 --> 00:19:10.299 And also... It just doesn't strike me as, you 00:19:10.299 --> 00:19:12.539 know, when you read Matthew's version of it, 00:19:12.559 --> 00:19:14.900 that Jesus rose from the dead, it doesn't strike 00:19:14.900 --> 00:19:18.940 me as something that is made up. This story about 00:19:18.940 --> 00:19:21.859 the guard sounds made up, but Matthew's version 00:19:21.859 --> 00:19:24.180 doesn't sound made up. Do you know the first 00:19:24.180 --> 00:19:28.480 witnesses of Jesus' resurrection are women? In 00:19:28.480 --> 00:19:32.220 a patriarchal society like this one, women couldn't 00:19:32.220 --> 00:19:36.420 testify in court. If you were Matthew and you 00:19:36.420 --> 00:19:38.019 were there with the other disciples going, hey, 00:19:38.039 --> 00:19:42.400 let's concoct a story to trick everybody, you 00:19:42.400 --> 00:19:45.660 wouldn't do it this way. You wouldn't start with 00:19:45.660 --> 00:19:49.240 women as the first witnesses. I actually love 00:19:49.240 --> 00:19:51.579 this about the Bible, that it's giving women 00:19:51.579 --> 00:19:54.259 in that culture a wonderful honour, isn't it? 00:19:56.039 --> 00:19:58.980 But also, you've got to wonder why the first 00:19:58.980 --> 00:20:02.539 disciples look so bad too. If this is just made 00:20:02.539 --> 00:20:05.799 up, why do they look so stupid and horrible half 00:20:05.799 --> 00:20:12.980 the time? They abandoned Jesus. Can you smell 00:20:12.980 --> 00:20:20.119 that? It reeks of authenticity, doesn't it? Actually, 00:20:20.140 --> 00:20:24.079 it takes more faith to believe other theories 00:20:24.079 --> 00:20:27.480 about whether Jesus rose from the dead or not, 00:20:28.180 --> 00:20:34.220 because they're so full of holes. Sadly, a lot 00:20:34.220 --> 00:20:37.480 of people don't seek the truth because they're 00:20:37.480 --> 00:20:41.940 like the guards in this story. They believe the 00:20:41.940 --> 00:20:45.160 lie that being physically safe and materially 00:20:45.160 --> 00:20:50.420 well off is what truly matters in life. Being 00:20:50.420 --> 00:20:56.680 healthy and wealthy. But the death and resurrection 00:20:56.680 --> 00:21:02.740 of Jesus exposes that fiction. These guards here 00:21:02.910 --> 00:21:06.250 What's going to happen to them? One day they're 00:21:06.250 --> 00:21:10.470 going to die, aren't they? What good is the money 00:21:10.470 --> 00:21:13.309 that they got paid when they're standing before 00:21:13.309 --> 00:21:18.710 Jesus face to face at Judgment Day? These guards 00:21:18.710 --> 00:21:21.509 saw the evidence of a supernatural resurrection. 00:21:23.450 --> 00:21:26.890 What should they have done? They should have 00:21:26.890 --> 00:21:31.809 become curious. They should have seen through 00:21:31.809 --> 00:21:35.809 the lie that being healthy and wealthy, that's 00:21:35.809 --> 00:21:38.009 not what really matters, that there's more to 00:21:38.009 --> 00:21:43.930 life than this life. If you're here today and 00:21:43.930 --> 00:21:47.910 you're not yet a Christian, can I encourage you, 00:21:48.549 --> 00:21:56.000 don't be like the guards. Seek the truth. What 00:21:56.000 --> 00:21:59.420 happens after death matters more than the comforts 00:21:59.420 --> 00:22:05.259 of this life. Get curious. Take your swing at 00:22:05.259 --> 00:22:09.319 Christianity. See if Jesus rose from the dead. 00:22:11.119 --> 00:22:15.220 Seeking the truth could change your life now 00:22:15.220 --> 00:22:18.119 in so many wonderful ways and not only that, 00:22:18.279 --> 00:22:20.720 it could change your afterlife, couldn't it? 00:22:23.049 --> 00:22:25.269 You see these books? I've got a bunch of them 00:22:25.269 --> 00:22:27.769 here. These are all the ones I read when I was 00:22:27.769 --> 00:22:30.029 on my quest. They're all up the back here, up 00:22:30.029 --> 00:22:34.190 the front here. If you want to read, borrow one 00:22:34.190 --> 00:22:37.089 of them, please come talk to me. I'd love to 00:22:37.089 --> 00:22:39.789 lend it out to you. I'll even let you keep it 00:22:39.789 --> 00:22:45.829 if you really want it. But check it out. Give 00:22:45.829 --> 00:22:50.869 Jesus a fair go. And if you're a Christian, you 00:22:50.869 --> 00:22:54.920 need to learn this stuff too. We need to be able 00:22:54.920 --> 00:22:57.059 to give an answer for the hope that we have in 00:22:57.059 --> 00:23:04.480 Jesus. But not only that, it strengthens us when 00:23:04.480 --> 00:23:09.619 we know these things too. When life hits us for 00:23:09.619 --> 00:23:11.839 six, when there's all sorts of things that make 00:23:11.839 --> 00:23:15.140 us suddenly feel disillusioned with God, having 00:23:15.140 --> 00:23:20.980 this foundation is so helpful. Dig into it yourself, 00:23:21.200 --> 00:23:25.029 work out. Did Jesus really rise from the dead? 00:23:25.430 --> 00:23:32.289 Engage your brain. But Jesus' resurrection doesn't 00:23:32.289 --> 00:23:35.490 just give us hope. It doesn't just make us truth 00:23:35.490 --> 00:23:40.009 seekers. There's one more thing it does. Jesus 00:23:40.009 --> 00:23:45.529 is alive, so do not be indecisive. See, Jesus' 00:23:45.990 --> 00:23:49.029 resurrection makes us bold. It stops us being 00:23:49.029 --> 00:23:52.400 paralysed. In your Bible there, come with me 00:23:52.400 --> 00:23:57.799 to verses 16 and 17. Then the 11 disciples went 00:23:57.799 --> 00:24:00.619 to Galilee to the mountain where Jesus had told 00:24:00.619 --> 00:24:04.700 them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped 00:24:04.700 --> 00:24:11.099 him, but some doubted. Now, what's going on there? 00:24:12.519 --> 00:24:17.140 Well, that word doubted literally means hesitated. 00:24:18.759 --> 00:24:25.339 They hesitated to worship Jesus. Why? Well, maybe 00:24:25.339 --> 00:24:29.619 they were stunned. Whoa, here's Jesus. I mean, 00:24:29.619 --> 00:24:31.539 that's fair enough. He has just risen from the 00:24:31.539 --> 00:24:35.200 dead. Maybe it's a self -defense mechanism. I 00:24:35.200 --> 00:24:37.859 mean, their hopes have been dashed before. Sheesh, 00:24:37.859 --> 00:24:40.160 I don't want to kind of get hurt again. Maybe 00:24:40.160 --> 00:24:41.920 they were worried about their failures. Maybe 00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:44.099 they were going, is Jesus going to get angry 00:24:44.099 --> 00:24:46.220 at me because we did abandon him when he was 00:24:46.220 --> 00:24:51.369 crucified? Well, I mean, it could be all of those, 00:24:51.390 --> 00:24:55.750 but most likely is that they were good Jews and 00:24:55.750 --> 00:24:58.150 that they said the Shema twice daily. Here's 00:24:58.150 --> 00:25:01.349 the Shema. It comes from Deuteronomy 6. They 00:25:01.349 --> 00:25:04.049 would say this twice daily, hero Israel, the 00:25:04.049 --> 00:25:07.509 Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love 00:25:07.509 --> 00:25:09.269 the Lord your God with all your heart and with 00:25:09.269 --> 00:25:11.849 all your soul and with all your might. Basically, 00:25:11.890 --> 00:25:16.630 you shall worship him. How many gods are there? 00:25:17.450 --> 00:25:23.400 One. Who do you worship? Only Him. And now here 00:25:23.400 --> 00:25:27.259 they are and some of them are worshipping Jesus. 00:25:27.759 --> 00:25:32.779 And they're going, I say the Shema twice daily. 00:25:34.019 --> 00:25:36.079 Can I really be worshipping Jesus? This doesn't 00:25:36.079 --> 00:25:41.599 feel right. And so what Jesus does is he reassures 00:25:41.599 --> 00:25:46.400 them. Look at verses 18 to 20. Then Jesus came 00:25:46.400 --> 00:25:48.809 to them and said, all authority in heaven and 00:25:48.809 --> 00:25:52.150 on earth has been given to me. It's godlike, 00:25:52.250 --> 00:25:55.710 isn't it? Therefore, go and make disciples of 00:25:55.710 --> 00:25:57.829 all nations, baptising them in the name of the 00:25:57.829 --> 00:26:00.390 Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching 00:26:00.390 --> 00:26:02.549 them to obey everything I have commanded you, 00:26:02.849 --> 00:26:05.170 and surely I am with you always to the very end 00:26:05.170 --> 00:26:10.549 of the age.' Again, Jesus explains to them that 00:26:10.549 --> 00:26:16.809 God is one and three, that God is Trinity. and 00:26:16.809 --> 00:26:19.130 that they are right to worship Him because He's 00:26:19.130 --> 00:26:23.569 God, He's Lord of all. And because He has this 00:26:23.569 --> 00:26:27.130 universal Lordship, He's also able to be with 00:26:27.130 --> 00:26:30.970 them always. Things that only God can do, isn't 00:26:30.970 --> 00:26:35.849 it? And the way they worship is to make disciples 00:26:35.849 --> 00:26:41.470 and to obey what Jesus says. And Jesus' resurrection 00:26:41.470 --> 00:26:46.680 backs all this up. There's no need to be indecisive. 00:26:46.700 --> 00:26:49.640 There's no need to hesitate worshipping Jesus. 00:26:50.119 --> 00:26:57.240 He truly is God. He truly is Lord of all. At 00:26:57.240 --> 00:27:01.660 home, I have a great poker set and I love playing 00:27:01.660 --> 00:27:05.579 poker with older boys and Laura. We use poker 00:27:05.579 --> 00:27:09.349 chips, but we don't gamble anything. And when 00:27:09.349 --> 00:27:11.289 we're playing poker, you get those moments, really 00:27:11.289 --> 00:27:13.170 good for maths, so that's why I love it for the 00:27:13.170 --> 00:27:16.210 kiddos. But you get those moments where you look 00:27:16.210 --> 00:27:19.349 at your cards and you think, yeah, I've got the 00:27:19.349 --> 00:27:24.089 best hand. And you go, I'll go all in. And you 00:27:24.089 --> 00:27:30.509 know what happens? You hesitate. Have they got 00:27:30.509 --> 00:27:33.430 a better hand? Well, they might have a better 00:27:33.430 --> 00:27:39.720 hand. I'll just do a small bet. Well, that's 00:27:39.720 --> 00:27:42.839 good for poker. There's my, you know, Brendan's 00:27:42.839 --> 00:27:47.720 poker strategies 101 for you. But Jesus' resurrection 00:27:47.720 --> 00:27:53.019 is not like that. Jesus rose again. And so if 00:27:53.019 --> 00:27:55.960 you're a Christian, you have the greatest hand 00:27:55.960 --> 00:28:00.660 you could ever have. It should give you confidence. 00:28:00.720 --> 00:28:02.940 There's no need to hesitate. Should I go all 00:28:02.940 --> 00:28:07.039 in on Jesus? Go all in on Jesus. You can't lose. 00:28:08.529 --> 00:28:12.869 He's so glorious, wonderful. It's so certain. 00:28:13.349 --> 00:28:18.670 Go all in on him. There's no better hand that 00:28:18.670 --> 00:28:21.490 you can hold than to be a worshiper of the risen 00:28:21.490 --> 00:28:27.009 Lord Jesus. See, when you are, it gives life 00:28:27.009 --> 00:28:32.509 direction, purpose and clarity. You know what 00:28:32.509 --> 00:28:37.880 you're here for. The good a Christian does, whether 00:28:37.880 --> 00:28:41.119 it's in word or deed, it's not just palliative 00:28:41.119 --> 00:28:46.579 care, is it? It helps souls to be saved for eternity. 00:28:47.839 --> 00:28:50.220 We're pointing people to the risen Lord Jesus, 00:28:50.259 --> 00:28:52.920 the only one who can give people eternal life. 00:28:54.920 --> 00:28:58.279 When you're a Christian, death doesn't rob life 00:28:58.279 --> 00:29:02.900 of meaning. It gives life meaning. You know where 00:29:02.900 --> 00:29:09.519 it's all going. You have hope beyond death. Sadly, 00:29:09.539 --> 00:29:12.359 too many Christians, myself included at times, 00:29:13.920 --> 00:29:16.900 hesitate from going all in on Jesus, don't we? 00:29:18.859 --> 00:29:24.099 We just make the small bet. We limit our worship. 00:29:26.140 --> 00:29:30.299 Yeah, I'll do some making of disciples. I will 00:29:30.299 --> 00:29:32.900 obey Jesus a bit, but I've got all these other 00:29:32.900 --> 00:29:37.640 things going on in my life. And we're double 00:29:37.640 --> 00:29:43.039 -minded, aren't we? And the antidote is to see 00:29:43.039 --> 00:29:48.019 again that Jesus really did rise and is Lord 00:29:48.019 --> 00:29:54.559 of all. To see reality. That death won't just 00:29:54.559 --> 00:30:00.380 be the end. That it gives life forever to all 00:30:00.380 --> 00:30:06.339 who trust Jesus. It's so meaningful and liberating 00:30:06.339 --> 00:30:10.640 to go all in on Jesus and to know that as you 00:30:10.640 --> 00:30:13.859 do, your life is making ripples into eternity. 00:30:17.299 --> 00:30:21.099 Please don't hesitate. Look at His resurrection. 00:30:21.700 --> 00:30:29.359 See how good it is to follow Him. All right, 00:30:29.359 --> 00:30:33.900 let's wrap up. We started by asking, how can 00:30:33.900 --> 00:30:37.920 we ever truly live when the spectre of death 00:30:37.920 --> 00:30:42.400 is always looming over us? And I hope you've 00:30:42.400 --> 00:30:45.779 seen that it's by living in the light of Jesus' 00:30:46.380 --> 00:30:49.160 resurrection. That's what our three points today 00:30:49.160 --> 00:30:53.880 showed us. Jesus is alive, so do not be afraid. 00:30:54.980 --> 00:30:59.220 Live with hope of eternal life. Jesus is alive, 00:30:59.339 --> 00:31:03.049 so do not be deceived. Don't fall for the lie 00:31:03.049 --> 00:31:06.430 that this life is all there is. Seek the truth 00:31:06.430 --> 00:31:10.849 of Jesus' resurrection. And Jesus is alive, so 00:31:10.849 --> 00:31:15.309 do not be indecisive. Live with meaning and purpose. 00:31:15.470 --> 00:31:20.390 Go all in on Jesus and live to see souls saved. 00:31:22.670 --> 00:31:25.509 You know, you could sum it all up like this. 00:31:26.710 --> 00:31:31.109 Jesus really has conquered death. so he really 00:31:31.109 --> 00:31:37.009 can change your life. If you're a Christian here 00:31:37.009 --> 00:31:41.769 today, I hope today you've been reminded of the 00:31:41.769 --> 00:31:46.750 riches we have in Jesus. I hope you'll keep coming 00:31:46.750 --> 00:31:50.329 back to those in the resurrection to soothe your 00:31:50.329 --> 00:31:53.190 fears, to see the certainty of the hope you have, 00:31:53.369 --> 00:31:57.960 to give your life purpose and direction. We have 00:31:57.960 --> 00:32:00.759 a great hope that acts as the compass of our 00:32:00.759 --> 00:32:06.680 lives. Moments like Easter are so important to 00:32:06.680 --> 00:32:10.019 remember and recalibrate our hearts, isn't it? 00:32:10.819 --> 00:32:15.519 To take the time to remember the hope that is 00:32:15.519 --> 00:32:18.519 ours in Jesus. I'm glad that we've been able 00:32:18.519 --> 00:32:20.759 to do that this Easter and I hope you keep doing 00:32:20.759 --> 00:32:26.900 it throughout the school holidays as well. But 00:32:26.900 --> 00:32:29.240 if you're like these guards that we read about, 00:32:29.380 --> 00:32:31.859 if you're a materialist and you believe this 00:32:31.859 --> 00:32:35.859 life is all there is, well, I hope I've pushed 00:32:35.859 --> 00:32:40.400 you a little bit today to question what you think. 00:32:40.460 --> 00:32:45.140 Is this life all that there actually is? To consider 00:32:45.140 --> 00:32:50.500 the claims of Christ? I mean, and have you actually 00:32:50.500 --> 00:32:55.119 thought about your position? If this world is 00:32:55.119 --> 00:33:00.740 all there is, there's no meaning, there's no 00:33:00.740 --> 00:33:07.079 justice, there's no hope. At best, all you can 00:33:07.079 --> 00:33:11.380 do is just palliative care. I think that's a 00:33:11.380 --> 00:33:15.039 horrible way to live. No judgement on you, I'm 00:33:15.039 --> 00:33:19.500 just saying. That's very depressing. Are you 00:33:19.500 --> 00:33:25.109 robbing yourself by living this way? Are you 00:33:25.109 --> 00:33:31.670 ruining your eternity by living this way? Is 00:33:31.670 --> 00:33:34.390 it really impossible that Christianity could 00:33:34.390 --> 00:33:41.470 be both beautiful and true? If you want help 00:33:41.470 --> 00:33:44.990 finding out whether Jesus rose from the dead, 00:33:45.470 --> 00:33:47.490 come have a chat with me. I'd love to talk to 00:33:47.490 --> 00:33:54.450 you about it. And honestly, What could be more 00:33:54.450 --> 00:33:59.650 important? Because one day all of us will die, 00:34:00.730 --> 00:34:05.230 just like my Uncle Tom did. All of us will enter 00:34:05.230 --> 00:34:11.070 that grave and there's no avoiding it. Only Jesus 00:34:11.070 --> 00:34:14.929 can provide us with a hope beyond the grave, 00:34:15.949 --> 00:34:21.750 a hope that changes our lives. Do you have that 00:34:21.750 --> 00:34:31.639 hope? Is it changing your life? Let's pray. Heavenly 00:34:31.639 --> 00:34:33.519 Father, we want to thank you so much for the 00:34:33.519 --> 00:34:39.179 hope that is in Jesus. Open our eyes to see how 00:34:39.179 --> 00:34:42.539 glorious, how wonderful, how life -transforming 00:34:42.539 --> 00:34:49.059 that hope is. Let it dwell in our hearts. And 00:34:49.059 --> 00:34:51.679 for anyone here today who is uncertain about 00:34:51.679 --> 00:34:56.139 this hope, Please help them to give Jesus a fair 00:34:56.139 --> 00:35:00.659 go to see if Jesus really rose from the dead. 00:35:02.380 --> 00:35:05.659 And we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.