WEBVTT 00:00:02.259 --> 00:00:05.259 Welcome to the Life Bible Church podcast. We 00:00:05.259 --> 00:00:07.660 want to thank you for joining us today and we 00:00:07.660 --> 00:00:10.179 hope you find today's sermon impacting as you 00:00:10.179 --> 00:00:12.699 listen to it wherever you are in your daily walk. 00:00:12.939 --> 00:00:15.960 To find service times and watch messages online, 00:00:16.179 --> 00:00:20.120 see our website at lifebiblechurch .org. Now, 00:00:20.120 --> 00:00:24.879 enjoy this week's message. I want to talk this 00:00:24.879 --> 00:00:31.300 morning about indestructible life. kind of meeting 00:00:31.300 --> 00:00:33.640 as a team here about six months ago, and they 00:00:33.640 --> 00:00:36.060 were asking, what's your theme for Easter? And 00:00:36.060 --> 00:00:39.020 of course, I don't know six months in advance. 00:00:39.079 --> 00:00:41.679 I barely know one week in advance what I'm doing 00:00:41.679 --> 00:00:45.420 on a Sunday morning. And so we prayed about it. 00:00:45.420 --> 00:00:49.340 We felt like this was the title that God was 00:00:49.340 --> 00:00:52.140 kind of just putting on the team's heart, an 00:00:52.140 --> 00:00:55.280 indestructible life. You know, the bottom line, 00:00:55.280 --> 00:00:59.289 and we can go right to slide on the second page, 00:00:59.390 --> 00:01:01.130 that first slide on the second page that says, 00:01:01.210 --> 00:01:07.810 Easter is about God's remarkable reclaiming of 00:01:07.810 --> 00:01:12.870 the way, truth, and the life for mankind. That 00:01:12.870 --> 00:01:15.549 is what Easter is about. In all that is gonna 00:01:15.549 --> 00:01:18.609 be said and done, all that's sung, all that's 00:01:18.609 --> 00:01:21.870 prayed, the communion service, the reality gets 00:01:21.870 --> 00:01:25.989 down to Jesus' statement in John 14 where he 00:01:25.989 --> 00:01:28.530 said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. 00:01:28.689 --> 00:01:31.450 No man comes to the Father but by me. You can 00:01:31.450 --> 00:01:33.069 turn me down just a little bit, David. That'd 00:01:33.069 --> 00:01:34.870 be great. I'm gonna preach a bit this morning. 00:01:34.989 --> 00:01:38.109 The reality is that's what Jesus said. He was 00:01:38.109 --> 00:01:41.640 the way. He is the truth and he is the life. 00:01:41.760 --> 00:01:46.599 And Easter is about claiming that way, truth, 00:01:46.900 --> 00:01:51.780 and life for all who will say yes to him. Because 00:01:51.780 --> 00:01:54.219 Jesus didn't just open the door for himself. 00:01:55.790 --> 00:01:58.769 The whole point of Easter was Jesus would actually 00:01:58.769 --> 00:02:02.489 become the door and become the path, the way, 00:02:02.670 --> 00:02:06.209 the guide, the grace, and the one that would 00:02:06.209 --> 00:02:10.129 cause us to be introduced and reestablished with 00:02:10.129 --> 00:02:13.870 the Father because of sin. And as we begin to 00:02:13.870 --> 00:02:17.969 understand the reality of how incredible this 00:02:17.969 --> 00:02:22.960 message is, Sitting down to prepare for this 00:02:22.960 --> 00:02:25.360 week and just spending time in the scriptures, 00:02:25.500 --> 00:02:29.719 I went four different messages. Now, I'm not 00:02:29.719 --> 00:02:33.860 gonna preach all four this morning. But I was 00:02:33.860 --> 00:02:36.139 like, Lord, I could do this and I could do this. 00:02:36.219 --> 00:02:39.039 And I started to put scriptures down. And I realized 00:02:39.039 --> 00:02:45.240 how many paths. that are all one road that leads 00:02:45.240 --> 00:02:49.319 only through Jesus, the Bible has placed to get 00:02:49.319 --> 00:02:53.819 us to understand how incredible this gift of 00:02:53.819 --> 00:02:57.800 God's good news actually is. You know, you have 00:02:57.800 --> 00:03:01.879 to start from a place of understanding that everything 00:03:01.879 --> 00:03:06.300 that we've been born into is temporary. I've 00:03:06.300 --> 00:03:08.360 said it so many times, you've heard me say it, 00:03:08.419 --> 00:03:12.139 everybody has a shelf life. Your milk will curdle. 00:03:12.490 --> 00:03:17.370 right? We deal with it in the reality that everything 00:03:17.370 --> 00:03:22.229 that we know in this world is temporary. In fact, 00:03:22.250 --> 00:03:24.770 as one scripture says, one translation says, 00:03:24.949 --> 00:03:28.930 everything is temporal. One translation says 00:03:28.930 --> 00:03:32.069 everything is transient, which means it's only 00:03:32.069 --> 00:03:37.860 around for a short season or time. But what we 00:03:37.860 --> 00:03:40.620 deal with with God and what we deal with with 00:03:40.620 --> 00:03:43.860 what he's put inside of us is that he has put, 00:03:43.919 --> 00:03:47.680 the Bible says in Romans, he's put eternity in 00:03:47.680 --> 00:03:51.020 our hearts. Meaning what? There's something, 00:03:51.259 --> 00:03:56.020 even in the midst of sin, Even in the midst of 00:03:56.020 --> 00:03:58.580 fallenness, even in the midst of that which has 00:03:58.580 --> 00:04:01.900 degraded your body, and you can just, I don't 00:04:01.900 --> 00:04:04.159 want you to look around and look at who's degraded 00:04:04.159 --> 00:04:06.780 and getting older. That's not the point. But 00:04:06.780 --> 00:04:10.159 the point is, all of us are facing this thing 00:04:10.159 --> 00:04:19.600 that causes us to what? Diminish. He's put eternity 00:04:19.600 --> 00:04:29.339 inside natural. Because of sin, what Adam and 00:04:29.339 --> 00:04:32.579 Eve traded, they traded for all of us, the Bible 00:04:32.579 --> 00:04:36.019 says, without going into the number of scriptures 00:04:36.019 --> 00:04:38.879 that talk about this. In essence, because we're 00:04:38.879 --> 00:04:42.819 all born out of Adam, all of us have now gotten 00:04:42.819 --> 00:04:47.259 something transitory and temporary in our body 00:04:47.259 --> 00:04:51.399 and in our soul. The Holy Spirit writes this 00:04:51.399 --> 00:04:55.189 in... Romans 6, 23, when it says, the wages of 00:04:55.189 --> 00:05:01.790 sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal 00:05:01.790 --> 00:05:08.769 life in Jesus Christ our Lord. Easter boldly 00:05:08.769 --> 00:05:13.230 proclaims that it could only be Jesus, could 00:05:13.230 --> 00:05:19.120 only be Jesus, who could do, well, he's, He's 00:05:19.120 --> 00:05:21.379 many, many things. It says the Bible says that 00:05:21.379 --> 00:05:24.939 all the mysteries are summed up in Christ. But 00:05:24.939 --> 00:05:28.759 three of the greatest mysteries are these. He 00:05:28.759 --> 00:05:31.439 could only be the sacrificial lamb that would 00:05:31.439 --> 00:05:34.939 pay for sin. He could only be the high priest 00:05:34.939 --> 00:05:38.459 that could actually administrate before the Father 00:05:38.459 --> 00:05:41.720 and us and bring reconciliation. And he's the 00:05:41.720 --> 00:05:45.300 only one that can be king of kings. Now for me 00:05:45.300 --> 00:05:49.899 to teach all three of those in depth would take 00:05:49.899 --> 00:05:53.439 us a year series. And you're not here for a year 00:05:53.439 --> 00:05:57.459 series, so I'm gonna start with just wherever 00:05:57.459 --> 00:06:02.060 I feel led, hallelujah. I'm gonna start with 00:06:02.060 --> 00:06:07.759 a couple of the gospels here. Luke, John, Mark, 00:06:07.839 --> 00:06:11.519 I want to deal with just. The resurrection this 00:06:11.519 --> 00:06:14.100 morning. Because we sang about the blood and 00:06:14.100 --> 00:06:17.920 we sang about the cross. And absolutely all of 00:06:17.920 --> 00:06:21.939 those are true. And Good Friday represents the 00:06:21.939 --> 00:06:25.560 goodness of him being the lamb of God. The death, 00:06:25.579 --> 00:06:28.579 burial, crucifixion of Jesus. We'll talk about 00:06:28.579 --> 00:06:31.959 it a bit. Had to happen. But if it was just about 00:06:31.959 --> 00:06:37.139 death, we alone are miserable. Because then someone 00:06:37.139 --> 00:06:41.829 has to keep dying. But the death that Jesus gave 00:06:41.829 --> 00:06:45.790 us, he did once and for all. And the power of 00:06:45.790 --> 00:06:48.449 his death and the power of the truth of the cross 00:06:48.449 --> 00:06:54.350 is indemnified by the resurrection. Luke 24 verses 00:06:54.350 --> 00:06:57.069 one through following says this, but on the first 00:06:57.069 --> 00:07:00.709 day of the week at early dawn, they went to the 00:07:00.709 --> 00:07:04.230 tomb taking spices that they had prepared. And 00:07:04.230 --> 00:07:06.069 they found the stone had been rolled away from 00:07:06.069 --> 00:07:08.720 the tomb. When they went in, they did not find 00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:11.540 the body of the Lord Jesus. And while they were 00:07:11.540 --> 00:07:15.019 perplexed about this, two men stood beside them 00:07:15.019 --> 00:07:17.759 in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened 00:07:17.759 --> 00:07:19.500 and bowed their faces to the ground, the men 00:07:19.500 --> 00:07:24.319 said to them, why do you seek the living among 00:07:24.319 --> 00:07:30.600 the dead? He is not here, but he is risen. Remember 00:07:30.600 --> 00:07:34.160 how Jesus told you while he was still in Galilee. 00:07:34.750 --> 00:07:37.089 that the son of man must be delivered into the 00:07:37.089 --> 00:07:40.129 hands of sinful men and be crucified and rise 00:07:40.129 --> 00:07:43.350 on the third day. And they remembered his words 00:07:43.350 --> 00:07:46.310 and returning from the tomb, they told all these 00:07:46.310 --> 00:07:50.029 things to the 11 and the rest. Mark's gospel 00:07:50.029 --> 00:07:54.470 says it this way in Mark 16, verse six. And the 00:07:54.470 --> 00:07:56.470 angel said to them, do not be alarmed. You seek 00:07:56.470 --> 00:08:00.689 Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. He has risen. 00:08:01.089 --> 00:08:04.399 He is not here. See the place where they laid 00:08:04.399 --> 00:08:07.180 him? Go tell his disciples and Peter that he 00:08:07.180 --> 00:08:10.360 is going before you to Galilee. There you will 00:08:10.360 --> 00:08:13.579 see him just as he told you. And then John writes 00:08:13.579 --> 00:08:17.540 it this way. John 20 verse 19. On that evening, 00:08:17.699 --> 00:08:20.360 now listen, this is the morning. We just read 00:08:20.360 --> 00:08:23.620 the account of the morning of the tomb. The morning 00:08:23.620 --> 00:08:25.980 of the first day, that Sunday morning, that what 00:08:25.980 --> 00:08:29.319 we would call Easter resurrection morning. Now 00:08:29.319 --> 00:08:33.000 John in chapter 20 points to that same day, that 00:08:33.000 --> 00:08:37.019 evening as the day was about to close. But before 00:08:37.019 --> 00:08:40.899 the day, and I love this, before the day closes. 00:08:43.629 --> 00:08:46.490 He rose early in the morning and revealed himself 00:08:46.490 --> 00:08:49.250 to two that would be witnesses, just like he 00:08:49.250 --> 00:08:51.889 sent witnesses before him while he was on the 00:08:51.889 --> 00:08:55.169 earth, sent them two by two, proclaiming, come 00:08:55.169 --> 00:08:58.490 on somebody, proclaiming that he would come and 00:08:58.490 --> 00:09:01.250 he would visit every town, he would visit every 00:09:01.250 --> 00:09:03.950 place and declare that the kingdom of God was 00:09:03.950 --> 00:09:07.730 come. Now in the same fashion, in the same way 00:09:07.730 --> 00:09:11.429 that Jesus always taught and always did, he met 00:09:11.429 --> 00:09:14.240 the two at the tomb. told them to go testify, 00:09:14.399 --> 00:09:18.580 and before the day was over, he showed himself 00:09:18.580 --> 00:09:22.940 to the rest. That is the kind of God that we 00:09:22.940 --> 00:09:27.299 serve. And that is who we honor and bless. He 00:09:27.299 --> 00:09:30.940 is risen. And when he wrote this, he said, as 00:09:30.940 --> 00:09:33.799 the disciples were behind locked doors. Let me 00:09:33.799 --> 00:09:36.100 tell you something about Jesus. Let me tell you 00:09:36.100 --> 00:09:38.620 something about the risen God. You may have your 00:09:38.620 --> 00:09:41.679 doors locked, but he knows how to get behind 00:09:41.679 --> 00:09:50.759 it. He is able to pick any lock. He is able to 00:09:50.759 --> 00:09:54.019 get behind any wall. He's able to get into any 00:09:54.019 --> 00:09:57.940 house. There's no sin. There's no darkness. There's 00:09:57.940 --> 00:10:01.000 no failure that's walled up something too big 00:10:01.000 --> 00:10:04.940 for Jesus. Why? Because he broke out of the prison 00:10:04.940 --> 00:10:08.039 called hell and destroyed and took the keys of 00:10:08.039 --> 00:10:16.539 death. And his first statement is, I told you 00:10:16.539 --> 00:10:25.320 so. No. No. That'd be my first statement. But 00:10:25.320 --> 00:10:29.419 it wasn't Jesus' first statement. His first statement 00:10:29.419 --> 00:10:35.960 is, peace be with you. Why? Because peace was 00:10:35.960 --> 00:10:41.600 with them. They didn't have it. Come on, listen 00:10:41.600 --> 00:10:44.840 to me. The gospel's right in John 20 right here. 00:10:44.960 --> 00:10:47.139 They didn't have it because they locked the doors. 00:10:47.220 --> 00:10:50.159 They were afraid. The moment Jesus comes behind 00:10:50.159 --> 00:10:52.460 locked doors, he's the only one that can say, 00:10:52.539 --> 00:10:54.659 peace be with you, because I'm standing right 00:10:54.659 --> 00:11:00.659 there. Jesus alone, let's try to describe some 00:11:00.659 --> 00:11:04.759 of this. Jesus alone is the only holy sacrifice. 00:11:06.679 --> 00:11:10.279 Talking about his birth, he was born, what we 00:11:10.279 --> 00:11:14.840 would say, Flesh and blood, the divinity of God, 00:11:14.940 --> 00:11:18.600 God's holy word, as you would call it, as the 00:11:18.600 --> 00:11:21.080 scripture calls it, and in the gospel of John, 00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:23.259 as John framed it, in the beginning was the word, 00:11:23.320 --> 00:11:25.539 the word was God, the word was with God. The 00:11:25.539 --> 00:11:29.200 word came forth from God and we beheld him. Meaning 00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:32.000 what? It's said right here, the word was now 00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:35.379 wrapped in flesh and blood and he manifested 00:11:35.379 --> 00:11:39.340 himself and we touched him. The living word of 00:11:39.340 --> 00:11:41.559 God that came from the Father yet was wrapped 00:11:41.559 --> 00:11:45.840 in our humanity. Jesus would be the only one 00:11:45.840 --> 00:11:50.279 as the holy sacrifice whose flesh was the fulfillment 00:11:50.279 --> 00:11:54.700 of the promise according to David. The promise. 00:11:55.320 --> 00:11:57.980 Of what? That from your line there would come 00:11:57.980 --> 00:12:01.000 a Messiah. The promise that David's line and 00:12:01.000 --> 00:12:04.159 kingship. That all the way back to Abraham. That 00:12:04.159 --> 00:12:08.039 God would bless those who blessed him. And in 00:12:08.039 --> 00:12:13.200 your seed. Not seeds. In your seed all the nations 00:12:13.200 --> 00:12:16.399 of the world would be blessed. Jesus Christ becomes 00:12:16.399 --> 00:12:19.100 the fulfillment of that Messiah. He's the holy 00:12:19.100 --> 00:12:24.210 sacrifice. And what was done to him? To take 00:12:24.210 --> 00:12:29.049 on the sin of the world. It wasn't just crucifixion. 00:12:29.049 --> 00:12:31.309 For there have been many people by the Romans 00:12:31.309 --> 00:12:35.509 got crucified. But the agony of the soul that 00:12:35.509 --> 00:12:38.629 started the crucifixion process. Started the 00:12:38.629 --> 00:12:42.450 night after this communion supper. Started the 00:12:42.450 --> 00:12:44.830 night of the fulfillment of the Passover supper. 00:12:45.070 --> 00:12:47.610 It started with the agony of the soul. When he 00:12:47.610 --> 00:12:50.149 crossed over the brook Kindron. Crossed into 00:12:50.149 --> 00:12:52.860 the garden of Gethsemane. And cried out. God 00:12:52.860 --> 00:12:55.279 if it's any other way than going through what 00:12:55.279 --> 00:12:58.200 I'm about to go through let this cup pass from 00:12:58.200 --> 00:13:03.440 me. The agony of the soul. The personal betrayal 00:13:03.440 --> 00:13:08.500 of disciples. The kiss of the betrayer. The religious 00:13:08.500 --> 00:13:11.519 leader's rejection. Pilate's political rejection. 00:13:12.039 --> 00:13:15.559 Herod's humiliation. The scourge that tore him. 00:13:16.059 --> 00:13:18.639 front and back, the humiliation of the Roman 00:13:18.639 --> 00:13:21.539 guard, the crown of thorns, the carrying of the 00:13:21.539 --> 00:13:24.299 sentence of death on the beam with the weight 00:13:24.299 --> 00:13:28.000 under being scourged almost to death, the searing 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:30.620 pain of the nails in his hands and his feet, 00:13:30.700 --> 00:13:34.240 and the suffocation of crucifixion along as his 00:13:34.240 --> 00:13:36.360 joints were being pulled and stretched apart. 00:13:37.519 --> 00:13:42.440 The incredible love that the father had to send 00:13:42.440 --> 00:13:47.759 his son. to do that for us, to the lengths that 00:13:47.759 --> 00:13:51.720 the father goes, to fully embrace the breadth 00:13:51.720 --> 00:13:54.980 and the scope of the horrific treatment of his 00:13:54.980 --> 00:14:01.980 innocent, holy, never sinned son, to subject 00:14:01.980 --> 00:14:05.419 him to rejection, to the suffering, and to be 00:14:05.419 --> 00:14:09.720 torn to shreds, battered and then traded for 00:14:09.720 --> 00:14:13.789 a criminal to be crucified. It's hard to fathom. 00:14:14.889 --> 00:14:21.009 The father placed the son in our place. He took 00:14:21.009 --> 00:14:25.289 our punishment. He paid our debt to do what? 00:14:25.330 --> 00:14:29.870 To make reconciliation because of sin's breach 00:14:29.870 --> 00:14:33.669 and mar and destruction of all that was right 00:14:33.669 --> 00:14:38.590 and holy. He bridged that of being a holy sacrifice, 00:14:38.710 --> 00:14:42.509 giving his body. and his blood. That's why we 00:14:42.509 --> 00:14:45.009 take, and we will take at the end of service, 00:14:45.129 --> 00:14:50.950 this table. It's not just the blood. It's the 00:14:50.950 --> 00:14:55.870 body and the blood. Everything offered by the 00:14:55.870 --> 00:15:01.429 son was offered to bring reconciliation, relationship, 00:15:01.990 --> 00:15:05.629 alignment, and allegiance back to the father. 00:15:07.570 --> 00:15:12.200 John 1 20, excuse me. John 1 verse 29 says, as 00:15:12.200 --> 00:15:14.460 John the Baptist was preaching and he saw Jesus 00:15:14.460 --> 00:15:18.240 coming toward him, he let out the exclamation, 00:15:18.440 --> 00:15:21.620 behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin 00:15:21.620 --> 00:15:24.539 of the world. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian 00:15:24.539 --> 00:15:27.899 church in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 21 that 00:15:27.899 --> 00:15:30.799 says, for our sake. Come on, can you say that 00:15:30.799 --> 00:15:34.659 with me? For our sake. One more time. For our 00:15:34.659 --> 00:15:41.120 sake. God made Jesus Christ. To be sin. The one 00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:45.580 who knew no sin so that in Jesus we might become 00:15:45.580 --> 00:15:48.559 the righteousness of Christ. The righteousness 00:15:48.559 --> 00:15:53.000 of God. In Jesus. You see, there is no righteousness 00:15:53.000 --> 00:15:58.240 outside of Jesus. Let me say that again. It's 00:15:58.240 --> 00:16:02.059 a great fallacy. That because God sent his son 00:16:02.059 --> 00:16:04.320 into the world to die, which most people can 00:16:04.320 --> 00:16:08.419 quote John 3 .16. The key of John 3 .16 is whoever 00:16:08.419 --> 00:16:12.039 believes in him. Believes is not an external 00:16:12.039 --> 00:16:15.639 thing. Jesus qualifies it later. Whoever lives 00:16:15.639 --> 00:16:21.600 and believes in me. Meaning what? You can't just 00:16:21.600 --> 00:16:25.100 believe that Jesus was the good news. You actually 00:16:25.100 --> 00:16:30.620 have to believe and be in him. Being in him is 00:16:30.620 --> 00:16:33.879 what makes you righteous. Not just declaring 00:16:33.879 --> 00:16:40.320 that he is God's son. What a great lie. The enemy 00:16:40.320 --> 00:16:42.700 has tried to move through the body of Christ, 00:16:42.879 --> 00:16:46.139 trying to take Christianity into a believism 00:16:46.139 --> 00:16:49.820 or a mental truth only. It never was presented 00:16:49.820 --> 00:16:53.600 as that. It was a belief that required all of 00:16:53.600 --> 00:16:57.179 you. That's what actually procures salvation. 00:16:58.799 --> 00:17:05.099 And I loathe those that try to remove the restraints 00:17:05.099 --> 00:17:10.140 and the demands of what God put on pulling on 00:17:10.140 --> 00:17:14.900 his son's blood. To cheapen it and to only make 00:17:14.900 --> 00:17:18.119 it a mental ascent is the greatest lie of all. 00:17:18.579 --> 00:17:22.279 Why? Because demons believe and do not get salvation. 00:17:25.759 --> 00:17:31.450 The reality. That the father through his unmatched 00:17:31.450 --> 00:17:35.329 and unmerited love willingly gave his son Jesus 00:17:35.329 --> 00:17:39.309 Christ who willfully and humbly embraced all 00:17:39.309 --> 00:17:43.309 that was prepared for him. A table and a cup 00:17:43.309 --> 00:17:47.930 of wrath. That's why Jesus is worthy to be worshiped. 00:17:48.230 --> 00:17:51.829 That's why he's what we sang here this morning. 00:17:52.029 --> 00:17:55.559 There's only one found worthy. He's to be honored 00:17:55.559 --> 00:17:58.660 and adored forever. That's why in Revelation 00:17:58.660 --> 00:18:01.920 chapter five, you'll see the scene of heaven. 00:18:02.039 --> 00:18:05.519 And they'll say, worthy is the lamb who was slain 00:18:05.519 --> 00:18:08.920 to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength 00:18:08.920 --> 00:18:12.799 and honor and glory and blessing. And every creature 00:18:12.799 --> 00:18:15.660 in heaven and earth and under the earth and such 00:18:15.660 --> 00:18:19.140 as are in the sea and all that are in all areas 00:18:19.140 --> 00:18:22.400 of the universe saying what? blessing and honor 00:18:22.400 --> 00:18:25.859 and glory and power to him who sits on the throne 00:18:25.859 --> 00:18:31.119 and to the lamb forever and ever. Not only is 00:18:31.119 --> 00:18:34.079 Jesus the lamb of God, the holy sacrifice that 00:18:34.079 --> 00:18:36.759 could actually pay for our sin and bring us into 00:18:36.759 --> 00:18:39.559 reconciliation, but in order to actually put 00:18:39.559 --> 00:18:42.579 the blood on the altar and then officiate, he 00:18:42.579 --> 00:18:45.299 would have to do what? He would have to be the 00:18:45.299 --> 00:18:50.549 high priest. He's the mediator of the new covenant. 00:18:51.170 --> 00:18:55.130 In order to break the power of the old covenant, 00:18:55.190 --> 00:18:59.009 which was bound to every... piece of law that 00:18:59.009 --> 00:19:02.450 was written in Moses's regulations or if you 00:19:02.450 --> 00:19:05.750 will what God put in Moses's life to teach the 00:19:05.750 --> 00:19:08.589 people about God's holiness there would have 00:19:08.589 --> 00:19:13.069 to be a priest that would satisfy the requirements 00:19:13.069 --> 00:19:16.309 of all that was written and now could mediate 00:19:16.309 --> 00:19:19.710 it as one who would give grace as the one who's 00:19:19.710 --> 00:19:24.849 fulfilled it where no one else could. First Timothy 00:19:24.849 --> 00:19:30.299 2. 5 through 6 says this, for there is one God 00:19:30.299 --> 00:19:33.880 and there is one mediator between God and men, 00:19:34.039 --> 00:19:38.900 the man Jesus Christ, who gave himself as a ransom 00:19:38.900 --> 00:19:43.619 for all. Hebrews 9 .15 says it this way, therefore 00:19:43.619 --> 00:19:48.519 Jesus is the mediator of a new covenant so that 00:19:48.519 --> 00:19:53.259 those who are called may receive the promised 00:19:53.259 --> 00:19:59.009 eternal. inheritance. Hebrews 12, 24 says it 00:19:59.009 --> 00:20:03.029 this way, Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant 00:20:03.029 --> 00:20:06.509 and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better 00:20:06.509 --> 00:20:09.470 word than the blood of Abel. That's what we sang 00:20:09.470 --> 00:20:12.329 that last song. Your blood speaks a better word. 00:20:12.410 --> 00:20:17.089 What's a better word? One form of blood, Abel's 00:20:17.089 --> 00:20:20.710 blood, the first murdered person on the earth. 00:20:21.069 --> 00:20:25.660 Jesus, the father actually said to Cain, Through 00:20:25.660 --> 00:20:29.579 the word of God, I hear the blood of your brother 00:20:29.579 --> 00:20:33.900 crying out. What was it crying out for? Justice. 00:20:35.920 --> 00:20:41.099 But Jesus' blood speaks better than Abel's blood. 00:20:42.319 --> 00:20:48.819 Instead of justice, Jesus' blood cries out, I've 00:20:48.819 --> 00:20:54.599 taken it. It's finished. You're forgiven. Jesus 00:20:54.599 --> 00:21:00.420 becomes our living high priest. Hebrews 7, verses 00:21:00.420 --> 00:21:04.380 17 says this, for it is witnessed of Jesus Christ, 00:21:04.500 --> 00:21:09.339 you are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. 00:21:10.099 --> 00:21:12.940 And that means an eternal office, if you will. 00:21:13.859 --> 00:21:17.680 It was not without an oath for those who formerly 00:21:17.680 --> 00:21:21.140 became priests under the old covenant were done 00:21:21.140 --> 00:21:26.150 so without an oath. But this one, Jesus, was 00:21:26.150 --> 00:21:30.269 made a priest with an oath by the one, meaning 00:21:30.269 --> 00:21:34.170 God, who said the Lord has sworn and will not 00:21:34.170 --> 00:21:38.730 change his mind. You are priest forever. This 00:21:38.730 --> 00:21:43.529 makes Jesus Christ the guarantor of a better 00:21:43.529 --> 00:21:48.430 covenant. And then I love this last one. This 00:21:48.430 --> 00:21:52.009 is the title of our message this morning. Verse 00:21:52.009 --> 00:21:55.450 15 and 16, this becomes more evident that there 00:21:55.450 --> 00:21:58.730 was another priest in the likeness of the eternal 00:21:58.730 --> 00:22:02.130 office of the priesthood called Melchizedek. 00:22:02.210 --> 00:22:06.670 Verse 16, who has become a priest not on the 00:22:06.670 --> 00:22:10.470 legal requirement concerning a bloodline from 00:22:10.470 --> 00:22:16.329 Levi, but by the power of an indestructible life. 00:22:17.210 --> 00:22:20.849 You see, the high priest of our faith the very 00:22:20.849 --> 00:22:26.410 mediator of the new covenant of God, lives in 00:22:26.410 --> 00:22:30.150 the power of eternity. He lives in the power 00:22:30.150 --> 00:22:34.829 of eternity. That's why three days in a tomb 00:22:34.829 --> 00:22:41.589 could only happen. Otherwise, without the indestructible 00:22:41.589 --> 00:22:48.150 eternal life that he came from, lived in, and 00:22:48.150 --> 00:22:53.789 is now raised in, we would have no hope. He's 00:22:53.789 --> 00:22:57.890 indestructible. Death could not hold him. He 00:22:57.890 --> 00:23:02.069 could not be held by Hades or by death. Jesus 00:23:02.069 --> 00:23:06.569 was made in our likeness, yet he was completely 00:23:06.569 --> 00:23:11.750 God and had within himself, what? Life within 00:23:11.750 --> 00:23:15.170 himself. And when the Bible says, I have the 00:23:15.170 --> 00:23:18.089 power to lay, Jesus said, I have the power to 00:23:18.089 --> 00:23:21.670 lay my life down. I have the power to take my 00:23:21.670 --> 00:23:25.910 life up again. He was not talking about natural 00:23:25.910 --> 00:23:30.869 humanity. He was talking about the power of defeating 00:23:30.869 --> 00:23:35.049 the foe of natural life and being raised now, 00:23:35.089 --> 00:23:37.650 bringing natural life under the jurisdiction 00:23:37.650 --> 00:23:40.809 and back to the place that it would submit to 00:23:40.809 --> 00:23:48.400 the eternal life of God. That's why Hebrews chapter 00:23:48.400 --> 00:23:52.660 two, verse 17 and 18 says it this way. Therefore, 00:23:52.740 --> 00:23:55.480 Jesus Christ had to be made like his brothers 00:23:55.480 --> 00:23:59.700 in every respect so that he could become the 00:23:59.700 --> 00:24:03.799 merciful, faithful high priest of service to 00:24:03.799 --> 00:24:07.819 God to make propitiation for the sins of his 00:24:07.819 --> 00:24:09.740 people. What does that mean? Propitiation is 00:24:09.740 --> 00:24:14.299 just a high dollar word that's payment. He became 00:24:14.299 --> 00:24:19.559 God's visa. I don't want to cheapen it up, but 00:24:19.559 --> 00:24:24.500 that's the issue. God used his son's blood and 00:24:24.500 --> 00:24:29.400 life as payment to satisfy the righteousness 00:24:29.400 --> 00:24:32.720 and the judgment that was broken because of broken 00:24:32.720 --> 00:24:37.980 relationship and sin. Jesus' life became payment 00:24:37.980 --> 00:24:42.500 to satisfy the holy nature of God. See, that's 00:24:42.500 --> 00:24:49.140 what we forget. We often... travel in the circles 00:24:49.140 --> 00:24:53.220 outside of the understanding of the fear of the 00:24:53.220 --> 00:24:55.859 Lord or the holiness of the Lord. It's easy to 00:24:55.859 --> 00:25:00.160 make Jesus sound more like us than the reality 00:25:00.160 --> 00:25:03.579 that he is. As much as he's been made like us, 00:25:03.700 --> 00:25:06.460 he is actually altogether different and he's 00:25:06.460 --> 00:25:09.579 more like his father because he and the father 00:25:09.579 --> 00:25:13.390 are one. We tend to try to pull things down and 00:25:13.390 --> 00:25:16.230 move it into our framework and think that way. 00:25:16.289 --> 00:25:20.589 He had to satisfy the requirements that holiness 00:25:20.589 --> 00:25:24.690 broken and righteousness broken had to be satisfied 00:25:24.690 --> 00:25:28.369 that justice was required. Judgment was required 00:25:28.369 --> 00:25:31.910 in order for God to actually have relationship 00:25:31.910 --> 00:25:35.990 with you and I. You see, grace isn't cheap. It 00:25:35.990 --> 00:25:42.160 is super expensive. Hebrews 9, 11 says it this 00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:44.839 way. When Christ appeared as the high priest 00:25:44.839 --> 00:25:48.259 of good things that are to come, Jesus entered 00:25:48.259 --> 00:25:52.900 once and for all into the holy places, not by 00:25:52.900 --> 00:25:56.940 the means of blood of bulls and goats, but by 00:25:56.940 --> 00:26:01.440 the means of his own blood, thus securing eternal 00:26:01.440 --> 00:26:06.299 redemption. These truths. The wonderful redemption 00:26:06.299 --> 00:26:10.059 truth is and was done out of God's love for us. 00:26:10.099 --> 00:26:13.319 For our sake, Jesus would embrace the Father's 00:26:13.319 --> 00:26:17.519 will and endure all to become, as God would give 00:26:17.519 --> 00:26:20.299 him, as it says in Hebrews chapter 1, a name 00:26:20.299 --> 00:26:23.640 higher than every name and all things would be 00:26:23.640 --> 00:26:27.680 given now to the Son because of his faithfulness 00:26:27.680 --> 00:26:30.819 and that he completed all of the Father's will. 00:26:31.980 --> 00:26:34.339 Not only is he a mediator of our covenant, we're 00:26:34.339 --> 00:26:37.319 getting close. That's the fastest three -pronged 00:26:37.319 --> 00:26:42.759 message I've ever preached in my life. Not only 00:26:42.759 --> 00:26:45.880 is he a sacrificial lamb, not only is he high 00:26:45.880 --> 00:26:51.200 priest, but now he is living king. Mark 15, one 00:26:51.200 --> 00:26:53.900 and two says this. As soon as it was morning, 00:26:54.019 --> 00:26:56.700 the chief priests held a consultation with the 00:26:56.700 --> 00:26:58.859 elders and the scribes on all of the council. 00:26:59.279 --> 00:27:02.920 And they bound Jesus. They led him away to be 00:27:02.920 --> 00:27:05.579 delivered over to Pilate. And Pilate asked Jesus, 00:27:05.940 --> 00:27:09.759 are you the king of the Jews? And Jesus answered 00:27:09.759 --> 00:27:14.500 him, you have said so. John 18 says it this way. 00:27:14.599 --> 00:27:17.920 Verse 37, Pilate said to Jesus, so are you a 00:27:17.920 --> 00:27:20.759 king? And Jesus answered, you say that I'm a 00:27:20.759 --> 00:27:24.339 king. And for this purpose I was born. And for 00:27:24.339 --> 00:27:28.180 this purpose I have come into the world. I bear 00:27:28.180 --> 00:27:32.980 witness to the truth. First Timothy, as Paul 00:27:32.980 --> 00:27:36.640 is writing young Timothy who's pastoring a church 00:27:36.640 --> 00:27:39.299 in Ephesus that at that point in time was the 00:27:39.299 --> 00:27:42.140 largest church as most scholars believe in the 00:27:42.140 --> 00:27:47.000 earth. Some people say it had over 200 ,000 connected 00:27:47.000 --> 00:27:51.180 people to it. gathered a congregation of over 00:27:51.180 --> 00:27:54.859 25 to 30 ,000 in its gatherings, in its corporate 00:27:54.859 --> 00:27:57.920 gathering, but under the time of the reign of 00:27:57.920 --> 00:28:00.920 the power of Rome and as they were martyring 00:28:00.920 --> 00:28:04.420 Christians, Paul was writing to Timothy to be 00:28:04.420 --> 00:28:08.059 strong and he closes his statement in 1 Timothy 00:28:08.059 --> 00:28:11.519 6. He says, now in the presence of God who gives 00:28:11.519 --> 00:28:15.980 life to all things and of Jesus Christ who is 00:28:15.980 --> 00:28:21.980 the testimony, who in his testimony before Pontius 00:28:21.980 --> 00:28:26.839 Pilate made a good confession to keep the commandment 00:28:26.839 --> 00:28:31.140 unstained and free from reproach until the appearing 00:28:31.140 --> 00:28:34.779 of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display 00:28:34.779 --> 00:28:39.470 at the proper time. He who is blessed and only 00:28:39.470 --> 00:28:42.549 sovereign, the King of kings and the Lord of 00:28:42.549 --> 00:28:46.130 lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells 00:28:46.130 --> 00:28:49.049 in an approachable light, whom no one has ever 00:28:49.049 --> 00:28:52.569 seen or can see, to him be the honor and the 00:28:52.569 --> 00:28:57.670 eternal dominion. Jesus is King of kings and 00:28:57.670 --> 00:29:02.309 Lord of lords. Jesus, both in his life and in 00:29:02.309 --> 00:29:06.380 his death, was victorious. In his life, He was 00:29:06.380 --> 00:29:09.940 victorious as not one sin was able to cling to 00:29:09.940 --> 00:29:14.779 him. Jesus, in his death, because of his victorious 00:29:14.779 --> 00:29:19.299 living and obedience to the Father, had what? 00:29:19.359 --> 00:29:25.519 Full authority to take on the world's sin and 00:29:25.519 --> 00:29:32.279 to be the penalty, punishment, and the propayment 00:29:32.279 --> 00:29:36.589 for that sin. And to raise again with the power 00:29:36.589 --> 00:29:41.029 now, the power of the authority of breaking the 00:29:41.029 --> 00:29:44.950 thing that held men and women bound their whole 00:29:44.950 --> 00:29:48.710 life. And that's what we started with. What's 00:29:48.710 --> 00:29:53.670 held us. The fear of death. The certainty of 00:29:53.670 --> 00:30:00.250 death. The ugliness of death. We have a choice. 00:30:05.769 --> 00:30:09.890 God did all of that by sending his son. I'm gonna 00:30:09.890 --> 00:30:12.210 come back to death and the grave and hell and 00:30:12.210 --> 00:30:20.029 sin. That's a larger series. But the reality 00:30:20.029 --> 00:30:27.829 is today it was about a choice. Because of the 00:30:27.829 --> 00:30:32.309 resurrection, you have a choice. Prior to the 00:30:32.309 --> 00:30:39.099 resurrection, you didn't have a choice. Our choice, 00:30:39.160 --> 00:30:42.180 and that's why it's called the age of grace. 00:30:43.059 --> 00:30:47.299 God in his mercy, his patience and his long suffering 00:30:47.299 --> 00:30:54.319 gives us grace to choose a path that we decide 00:30:54.319 --> 00:30:59.259 to walk in our own personal lives. We live in 00:30:59.259 --> 00:31:02.700 the days of having a choice. That's why many 00:31:02.700 --> 00:31:07.170 scholars call this the age of grace. Here's our 00:31:07.170 --> 00:31:11.329 choices. We can choose to stay the way we are, 00:31:11.450 --> 00:31:16.009 the way we were born, which is what? Under the 00:31:16.009 --> 00:31:20.650 influence, power, and dictates of control of 00:31:20.650 --> 00:31:23.829 sin. We can choose to stay in our own deception. 00:31:23.990 --> 00:31:27.309 We can follow our own heart. We can follow our 00:31:27.309 --> 00:31:30.410 own soul. We can try to mitigate and navigate 00:31:30.410 --> 00:31:34.849 all the courses of life by our own free will. 00:31:36.400 --> 00:31:41.079 We can stay and choose to live under that deception 00:31:41.079 --> 00:31:44.619 of our own thinking, which the Bible says is 00:31:44.619 --> 00:31:49.200 ruled by man's rebellion and by the God of this 00:31:49.200 --> 00:31:52.759 world directing and guiding us under the slavery 00:31:52.759 --> 00:31:58.079 of an idea that we're free by ourselves. But 00:31:58.079 --> 00:32:02.079 because we've been given a choice, we can stand 00:32:02.079 --> 00:32:05.359 in defiance of what has been given. by the father 00:32:05.359 --> 00:32:10.220 through his son. And at the end of days, we will 00:32:10.220 --> 00:32:14.299 be able to offer a form of argument or try some 00:32:14.299 --> 00:32:17.319 form of negotiation for the penalties that are 00:32:17.319 --> 00:32:22.460 required for sin. We have that choice, but let 00:32:22.460 --> 00:32:24.559 it be known to you and all that are listening, 00:32:24.680 --> 00:32:29.099 although that is a choice, that choice has no 00:32:29.099 --> 00:32:33.470 means to deal or secure freedom. from the eternal 00:32:33.470 --> 00:32:38.529 power that God put in mankind that is now broken 00:32:38.529 --> 00:32:43.109 and fallen under the curse of sin. It's a bondage. 00:32:43.470 --> 00:32:46.450 And the Bible calls it death, not just natural 00:32:46.450 --> 00:32:49.789 death, but the Bible calls it an eternal death, 00:32:50.049 --> 00:32:55.210 a perishing. The choice will there be and fall 00:32:55.210 --> 00:32:59.579 short because nothing but holy blood. can actually 00:32:59.579 --> 00:33:02.619 pay the price to remove the curse of eternal 00:33:02.619 --> 00:33:05.619 death and judgment. You see, that's why the resurrection 00:33:05.619 --> 00:33:11.380 is such a big deal. Because only God established 00:33:11.380 --> 00:33:14.859 right from the beginning of our understanding 00:33:14.859 --> 00:33:17.160 of everything that he gave us in the scriptures, 00:33:17.299 --> 00:33:19.940 right from the beginning of Genesis all the way 00:33:19.940 --> 00:33:23.720 through to the book of Revelation, blood, holy 00:33:23.720 --> 00:33:29.200 blood is required to pay for sin. That's why 00:33:29.200 --> 00:33:31.759 standing on your own merits, that's why standing 00:33:31.759 --> 00:33:35.140 and trying to negotiate with good works is such 00:33:35.140 --> 00:33:43.680 buffoonery. That's a great word. Eternal death 00:33:43.680 --> 00:33:53.980 and judgment require holy blood. Or, here's the 00:33:53.980 --> 00:33:57.519 other choice. The other choice is to accept God's 00:33:57.519 --> 00:34:01.779 amazing grace, unrivaled mercy, by faith and 00:34:01.779 --> 00:34:06.839 volition of our own free will. To recognize that 00:34:06.839 --> 00:34:11.159 in my own accord, I have no capacity to garner 00:34:11.159 --> 00:34:16.699 or to present myself as having payment for my 00:34:16.699 --> 00:34:21.800 own life. This is a choice. It's actually choosing 00:34:21.800 --> 00:34:26.519 God's plan Of exchange. Which on the real market. 00:34:26.739 --> 00:34:34.099 Is crazy. Taking my jacked up life. And trading 00:34:34.099 --> 00:34:39.360 it. For God's perfect. Son's life. But he made 00:34:39.360 --> 00:34:48.079 the terms. See this choice at the core. Is the 00:34:48.079 --> 00:34:52.400 choice of. Now hear me. It's not just a belief. 00:34:52.460 --> 00:34:57.699 It's a choice of surrender in believing. The 00:34:57.699 --> 00:35:00.699 choice of welcoming the gospel. The choice of 00:35:00.699 --> 00:35:04.260 embracing God's incredible gift of grace and 00:35:04.260 --> 00:35:07.760 love and forgiveness. As I repent of my sin. 00:35:07.860 --> 00:35:11.559 As we repent of independence, of rebellion. And 00:35:11.559 --> 00:35:14.460 bring our life into alignment and to allegiance 00:35:14.460 --> 00:35:18.920 under what? Kingship. Because it's not enough. 00:35:19.420 --> 00:35:22.760 Just to say, save me. The second part that says 00:35:22.760 --> 00:35:31.460 you live is you have to embrace kingship. This 00:35:31.460 --> 00:35:37.179 is where the cutting of the truth has to be sharp. 00:35:38.900 --> 00:35:42.909 Because it's not just about... having the announcement 00:35:42.909 --> 00:35:45.869 that Jesus paid the price. It's the announcement 00:35:45.869 --> 00:35:49.289 that you take to your heart and you say, not 00:35:49.289 --> 00:35:52.710 only do I recognize the power, the grace, and 00:35:52.710 --> 00:35:55.670 the authority of this gift and its marvelous 00:35:55.670 --> 00:35:59.989 love, but I willingly accept Jesus and I ask 00:35:59.989 --> 00:36:03.809 him to bring his kingdom, his crown, his authority 00:36:03.809 --> 00:36:06.969 over my life and I will be subject to it for 00:36:06.969 --> 00:36:14.949 the rest of my life. That's when, as savior and 00:36:14.949 --> 00:36:19.550 king, we receive forgiveness of our sins. We 00:36:19.550 --> 00:36:22.949 gain freedom from the chains, the weight and 00:36:22.949 --> 00:36:25.869 the consequences of that sin called what? This 00:36:25.869 --> 00:36:31.429 is the big one, eternal death and judgment. There's 00:36:31.429 --> 00:36:35.289 only two choices. The apostle Paul speaking in 00:36:35.289 --> 00:36:38.539 an amphitheater. to a bunch of Epicurean and 00:36:38.539 --> 00:36:41.599 stoic philosophers and contemporary thinkers 00:36:41.599 --> 00:36:45.059 of his day in Acts 17, 24, and I shortened it 00:36:45.059 --> 00:36:47.320 up just a bit just to get to the point, said 00:36:47.320 --> 00:36:50.239 this, the God who made the world and everything 00:36:50.239 --> 00:36:53.639 in it being Lord of heaven and earth does not 00:36:53.639 --> 00:36:56.980 live in temples made by men, nor is he served 00:36:56.980 --> 00:37:02.039 by man's hands as though he needed anything since 00:37:02.039 --> 00:37:07.510 he himself gives. to all mankind, life and breath 00:37:07.510 --> 00:37:11.250 and everything. The apostle Paul by that statement 00:37:11.250 --> 00:37:14.909 was saying, every single person in this room, 00:37:15.070 --> 00:37:17.889 every single person that's watching online, every 00:37:17.889 --> 00:37:21.269 single person on the earth, because of life and 00:37:21.269 --> 00:37:24.590 breath and eternity in their heart, have three 00:37:24.590 --> 00:37:27.949 witnesses that will stand inside of them as they 00:37:27.949 --> 00:37:30.489 look at who he is and have to give an account. 00:37:31.610 --> 00:37:35.360 I will either give an account, of my own accord 00:37:35.360 --> 00:37:38.679 and fall woefully short or I will give an account 00:37:38.679 --> 00:37:41.860 not because of what I did, but because I willingly 00:37:41.860 --> 00:37:46.099 asked Christ to be in me. And because I'm in 00:37:46.099 --> 00:37:49.960 Christ, now all that is Christ becomes mine. 00:37:52.960 --> 00:37:57.360 He continues on in verse 26. And Paul writes 00:37:57.360 --> 00:38:00.219 under the Holy Spirit, speaking to this group 00:38:00.219 --> 00:38:03.590 of educated philosophers and thinkers. He said, 00:38:03.610 --> 00:38:08.110 and God made from one man every nation of mankind 00:38:08.110 --> 00:38:11.030 to live on the face of the earth. And having 00:38:11.030 --> 00:38:15.230 determined allotted periods and the boundaries 00:38:15.230 --> 00:38:18.510 of their dwelling places that they should seek 00:38:18.510 --> 00:38:21.190 God and hope that they might feel their way toward 00:38:21.190 --> 00:38:26.110 him and find him. Yet, God is actually not far 00:38:26.110 --> 00:38:29.889 from each of us. For in God, in him we live and 00:38:29.889 --> 00:38:31.969 move and have our being, even as some of your 00:38:31.969 --> 00:38:36.110 own prophets have said. For we indeed are God's 00:38:36.110 --> 00:38:39.070 offspring. Being then God's offspring, we ought 00:38:39.070 --> 00:38:42.050 not think that the divine is like gold or silver 00:38:42.050 --> 00:38:45.289 or stone or an image to be formed by art or the 00:38:45.289 --> 00:38:49.460 imagination of man. Continuing on. These times 00:38:49.460 --> 00:38:53.920 of ignorance, God overlooked. But now he commands 00:38:53.920 --> 00:38:58.059 all people everywhere to repent because he's 00:38:58.059 --> 00:39:02.280 fixed a day when he will judge the world in righteousness 00:39:02.280 --> 00:39:07.639 by a man whom he has appointed. And of this, 00:39:07.900 --> 00:39:12.420 he has given assurance to all men by raising 00:39:12.420 --> 00:39:20.619 him from the dead. The gospel of Jesus Christ, 00:39:20.860 --> 00:39:27.599 the raising of the dead is tied to the judgment 00:39:27.599 --> 00:39:33.179 and the putting down of eternal death. You see, 00:39:33.199 --> 00:39:40.039 you can't just have a story about how amazing 00:39:40.039 --> 00:39:43.800 love is if you don't know how amazing what you've 00:39:43.800 --> 00:39:48.190 been saved from is. it doesn't become that amazing. 00:39:50.050 --> 00:39:54.909 And isn't that what now two generations in our 00:39:54.909 --> 00:39:58.730 Western world have experienced? They've experienced 00:39:58.730 --> 00:40:02.590 a gospel that does not actually tell them what 00:40:02.590 --> 00:40:05.929 they're actually getting saved from. What actually 00:40:05.929 --> 00:40:08.849 awaits because of what was broken clear back 00:40:08.849 --> 00:40:11.630 thousands of years ago that we were all born 00:40:11.630 --> 00:40:15.269 into. We try to explain a gospel and a God that's 00:40:15.269 --> 00:40:18.590 full of love without the reality that the whole 00:40:18.590 --> 00:40:22.250 reason of his love was to keep us from what was 00:40:22.250 --> 00:40:30.079 awaiting us. Here's the resurrection truth. Jesus 00:40:30.079 --> 00:40:33.340 did not rise from the dead 2 ,000 years ago on 00:40:33.340 --> 00:40:37.420 that first Easter Sunday morning. If he didn't 00:40:37.420 --> 00:40:41.739 rise, we of all people are miserable. Then it 00:40:41.739 --> 00:40:45.699 means that in our 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, some of 00:40:45.699 --> 00:40:57.139 us 90, this is it. If this is it, yuck. The apostle 00:40:57.139 --> 00:41:01.630 Paul put it this way. In 1 Corinthians 15, if 00:41:01.630 --> 00:41:04.869 Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty 00:41:04.869 --> 00:41:09.210 and your faith is empty. And on top of it, we'll 00:41:09.210 --> 00:41:13.070 be found as false witnesses of God because we've 00:41:13.070 --> 00:41:17.329 testified of God that he raised Christ up. And 00:41:17.329 --> 00:41:19.610 if he did not raise him up, in fact, the dead 00:41:19.610 --> 00:41:22.550 do not rise. And if the dead do not rise, then 00:41:22.550 --> 00:41:25.110 Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, 00:41:25.190 --> 00:41:27.510 your faith is futile and you're still in your 00:41:27.510 --> 00:41:30.329 sins. Then those that have fallen asleep in Christ 00:41:30.329 --> 00:41:33.130 have actually perished. And if in this life we 00:41:33.130 --> 00:41:36.170 only have hope in Christ, we of all men are pitiable 00:41:36.170 --> 00:41:39.889 because we haven't really understood that Christ 00:41:39.889 --> 00:41:44.030 had to rise. If he didn't, this is a miserable 00:41:44.030 --> 00:41:52.650 life. Jesus' victory is a victory for all of 00:41:52.650 --> 00:41:56.010 us who choose Christ. He secures our victory 00:41:56.010 --> 00:42:02.130 on the cross and in the resurrection. Jesus now 00:42:02.130 --> 00:42:07.550 lives in the power of an indestructible life. 00:42:09.710 --> 00:42:13.769 Trent, would you tell all of the ensemble to 00:42:13.769 --> 00:42:16.469 come on out? I just need to get them here so 00:42:16.469 --> 00:42:20.960 I don't go over time. Trust me, it takes a lot 00:42:20.960 --> 00:42:26.400 to keep me restrained. All right. When it talks 00:42:26.400 --> 00:42:29.559 about indestructible life, what's he talking 00:42:29.559 --> 00:42:35.219 about? That word eternal life. Eternal life. 00:42:36.519 --> 00:42:41.360 That word in the Greek is the word zoe. It's 00:42:41.360 --> 00:42:44.320 a very unique word in the Greek. It means as 00:42:44.320 --> 00:42:48.260 principle of life, a better life in an absolute 00:42:48.260 --> 00:42:52.710 sense. But more than that, in the New Testament 00:42:52.710 --> 00:42:57.630 language, it means the life of God. So when you 00:42:57.630 --> 00:43:01.630 are reading about this word called life, there 00:43:01.630 --> 00:43:03.969 are multiple words in the Greek, just like there 00:43:03.969 --> 00:43:06.349 are multiple words for love in the Greek. There's 00:43:06.349 --> 00:43:09.070 four different words for love. Each have a different 00:43:09.070 --> 00:43:15.829 meaning. There's words for life. Zoe is the word 00:43:15.829 --> 00:43:20.219 that the gospel or the Greek uses to describe 00:43:20.219 --> 00:43:24.619 the life of God. And by describing the life of 00:43:24.619 --> 00:43:27.860 God, that's why John 3, 16 and other verses like 00:43:27.860 --> 00:43:30.719 it, he's saying, whosoever believes in him shall 00:43:30.719 --> 00:43:35.340 not perish, but have eternal life. It's not just 00:43:35.340 --> 00:43:44.900 eternal life, it's eternal life of God. It means 00:43:44.900 --> 00:43:50.929 that whoever accepts Christ Now is by faith in 00:43:50.929 --> 00:43:55.789 Christ. Not just has eternal life. But has the 00:43:55.789 --> 00:44:00.530 life that God has. Minus his divinity. Everything 00:44:00.530 --> 00:44:04.210 else minus his divinity. He now gives us in that. 00:44:04.269 --> 00:44:08.849 Which is joy. Peace, security, life, everything 00:44:08.849 --> 00:44:12.769 that is in the atmosphere of heaven without any 00:44:12.769 --> 00:44:16.050 form of decay, without any form of breach, without 00:44:16.050 --> 00:44:19.010 any form of sin, without any form of sickness 00:44:19.010 --> 00:44:22.550 or weakness, those who have life not only will 00:44:22.550 --> 00:44:26.510 get him, but get his life of where he lives around 00:44:26.510 --> 00:44:29.289 us, in us, and through us, and there will never, 00:44:29.329 --> 00:44:39.199 ever be another separation. The Zoe life of God. 00:44:39.699 --> 00:44:43.500 And Jesus makes it clear. As John was writing 00:44:43.500 --> 00:44:47.400 in John 5, verse 26, he says, for as the father 00:44:47.400 --> 00:44:54.099 has Zoe in himself, life in himself, so he has 00:44:54.099 --> 00:45:01.320 granted the son to have Zoe in himself. Jesus 00:45:01.320 --> 00:45:05.139 makes it really clear as he goes further into 00:45:05.139 --> 00:45:08.139 John. The gospel of John in John chapter 11, 00:45:08.199 --> 00:45:14.579 talking to Martha and Mary about their brother 00:45:14.579 --> 00:45:19.960 Lazarus. Jesus said to Martha, I am the resurrection 00:45:19.960 --> 00:45:26.000 and the life. Now listen, here's where the power 00:45:26.000 --> 00:45:31.420 of the truth lives. Whoever believes in me, though 00:45:31.420 --> 00:45:39.309 he dies, yet shall he prosper. Whoever believes 00:45:39.309 --> 00:45:44.110 in me, though he die naturally, yet shall he 00:45:44.110 --> 00:45:52.809 Zoe. And everyone who lives and believes in me 00:45:52.809 --> 00:45:58.489 shall never die. Notice that Jesus puts the emphasis 00:45:58.489 --> 00:46:09.349 on living as you believe. It's not a, hear me, 00:46:09.469 --> 00:46:14.550 it's not a one time confess something is true. 00:46:15.210 --> 00:46:19.190 It's a one time, if you will, confess it's true 00:46:19.190 --> 00:46:28.769 and a lifetime of living it. First John, as he 00:46:28.769 --> 00:46:31.530 writes again, just bringing this point home, 00:46:31.849 --> 00:46:35.360 that which was from the beginning. That which 00:46:35.360 --> 00:46:39.059 we have heard and seen, 1 John 1, 1 through 3. 00:46:39.179 --> 00:46:42.840 We've seen it with our eyes. We've looked upon 00:46:42.840 --> 00:46:45.519 and have touched with our hands concerning the 00:46:45.519 --> 00:46:52.159 word of life. The life, the Zoe, was made manifest. 00:46:53.159 --> 00:46:57.139 And we have seen it. And we testify and proclaim 00:46:57.139 --> 00:47:02.039 to you the eternal life which was with the Father. 00:47:02.750 --> 00:47:06.409 and was made manifest to us that we have seen 00:47:06.409 --> 00:47:11.949 and heard and we proclaim this to you so that, 00:47:12.010 --> 00:47:17.829 please hear me, so that you too may have fellowship 00:47:17.829 --> 00:47:24.269 with us for indeed our fellowship is with the 00:47:24.269 --> 00:47:29.710 Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. This is 00:47:29.710 --> 00:47:35.820 the Zoe life. So that what we were estranged 00:47:35.820 --> 00:47:37.420 from, thank you guys, you can go ahead and prepare. 00:47:37.579 --> 00:47:46.539 Thank you. What we were estranged from. And I 00:47:46.539 --> 00:47:49.360 could go into myriads of scripture, but let me 00:47:49.360 --> 00:47:53.300 just go into Ephesians chapter two. You can find 00:47:53.300 --> 00:47:56.559 it down the line. He says, we were estranged. 00:47:58.840 --> 00:48:04.130 Having no hope. We were not heirs. We were considered, 00:48:04.190 --> 00:48:07.769 what the Bible calls, far off. We didn't have 00:48:07.769 --> 00:48:10.230 the oracles. We didn't have the promises. We 00:48:10.230 --> 00:48:12.750 were born, for the majority of us, we were born 00:48:12.750 --> 00:48:17.110 Gentile. We were born sinful. And it's only because 00:48:17.110 --> 00:48:22.969 of Jesus that he would now bring and tear down 00:48:22.969 --> 00:48:26.309 the wall of separation that kept us from God 00:48:26.309 --> 00:48:31.849 and bring both Jew and Gentile into one Thing 00:48:31.849 --> 00:48:35.150 that he is building called the redeemed people 00:48:35.150 --> 00:48:39.849 of God, his church. So that you could what? Have 00:48:39.849 --> 00:48:44.210 fellowship with the father and the son. And that 00:48:44.210 --> 00:48:48.250 fellowship would be what? The foundation of it 00:48:48.250 --> 00:48:53.389 would be Christ and the life of it would be his 00:48:53.389 --> 00:48:58.909 indestructible life. That you step into him and 00:48:58.909 --> 00:49:04.590 he comes into you. An indestructible life now 00:49:04.590 --> 00:49:10.070 comes to you. What used to hold us down? Death. 00:49:10.630 --> 00:49:16.750 The fear of death. The demise, the aging, the 00:49:16.750 --> 00:49:22.469 weakness. That which has a shelf life. That all... 00:49:23.190 --> 00:49:26.090 fades, even though we live it out until Christ 00:49:26.090 --> 00:49:30.650 comes, it all fades and diminishes because the 00:49:30.650 --> 00:49:34.409 diminishing now leads us to a graduation where 00:49:34.409 --> 00:49:38.230 the apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15 that 00:49:38.230 --> 00:49:43.710 this tent must give way so that the new building 00:49:43.710 --> 00:49:46.429 could come. What's the new building? You and 00:49:46.429 --> 00:49:49.650 Christ, Christ and you, giving you a new body, 00:49:49.750 --> 00:49:53.329 a new home. and a new place with him forever. 00:49:54.150 --> 00:49:57.489 But you don't have to wait for that in heaven. 00:49:57.550 --> 00:50:00.869 You can actually start operating in Zoe and in 00:50:00.869 --> 00:50:04.210 fellowship with the Father and the Son right 00:50:04.210 --> 00:50:09.269 now. That's the beauty of resurrection. That's 00:50:09.269 --> 00:50:13.469 the beauty of who Jesus is. Before we take communion 00:50:13.469 --> 00:50:18.309 this morning, I'd like you to just, if you would, 00:50:18.329 --> 00:50:20.250 bow your head and close your eyes for a moment. 00:50:27.440 --> 00:50:32.400 In this room, I recognize there are many that 00:50:32.400 --> 00:50:36.579 are followers of Jesus Christ. And what I'm saying, 00:50:36.659 --> 00:50:41.159 hopefully, is just reaffirming and building your 00:50:41.159 --> 00:50:44.440 faith and causing you to know and understand 00:50:44.440 --> 00:50:48.139 how powerful a salvation is that you have from 00:50:48.139 --> 00:50:52.380 Christ. But there are others in this room that 00:50:52.380 --> 00:50:55.780 do not know the one that I'm talking about. They 00:50:55.780 --> 00:51:01.550 have Somehow believed or missed the truth. That 00:51:01.550 --> 00:51:05.949 there is a choice that can lead them out of their 00:51:05.949 --> 00:51:09.630 own self -deception. Out of hardness of heart. 00:51:09.730 --> 00:51:13.289 Out of the brokenness. Out of the path that they've 00:51:13.289 --> 00:51:16.110 walked. You don't have to listen to the lies 00:51:16.110 --> 00:51:19.650 of the enemy. That God won't forgive you. The 00:51:19.650 --> 00:51:24.230 Bible and the Spirit of God say there is no sin. 00:51:25.639 --> 00:51:30.739 that can hold you other than keeping your whole 00:51:30.739 --> 00:51:33.699 life by rejecting the blood of Jesus. That's 00:51:33.699 --> 00:51:38.280 the only sin. That's the only sin that will actually 00:51:38.280 --> 00:51:43.139 send you. It's the unforgivable sin. Why? Because 00:51:43.139 --> 00:51:46.460 only the blood of Jesus can pay the penalty of 00:51:46.460 --> 00:51:49.400 eternal death and break the power of judgment. 00:51:50.480 --> 00:51:52.579 Every other sin that you've done in your body, 00:51:52.639 --> 00:51:54.880 every other sin that you've done in your mind, 00:51:54.940 --> 00:51:57.159 every other thing that's done, no matter how 00:51:57.159 --> 00:52:02.000 you've lived, even if you have in many ways defiled 00:52:02.000 --> 00:52:04.900 and lived in lawlessness, I'm telling you now 00:52:04.900 --> 00:52:08.400 by the power of his eternal blood and the working 00:52:08.400 --> 00:52:10.920 of his word that raised Christ from the dead, 00:52:11.039 --> 00:52:15.119 that same power that lifted Christ is able to 00:52:15.119 --> 00:52:20.159 save you right now. So I don't know who you are, 00:52:20.239 --> 00:52:23.820 but I know before I take this meal, this meal 00:52:23.820 --> 00:52:27.739 represents, even though we call it a meal in 00:52:27.739 --> 00:52:31.440 the natural, it's less than the snacks we give 00:52:31.440 --> 00:52:36.539 our nursery. Right? Come on. I know you're praying, 00:52:36.599 --> 00:52:41.199 but that was kind of funny. Hallelujah. In the 00:52:41.199 --> 00:52:43.139 fact, just this little cup of juice and this 00:52:43.139 --> 00:52:45.440 little piece of bread, and we call it a meal. 00:52:45.500 --> 00:52:48.070 Why do we call it a meal? Because it represents 00:52:48.070 --> 00:52:51.849 the fullness of who Jesus Christ is. The fullness 00:52:51.849 --> 00:52:54.469 of his word and the fullness of the spirit of 00:52:54.469 --> 00:52:57.230 God that brings revelation to cause you to be 00:52:57.230 --> 00:53:01.789 satisfied in your heart and soul. If you're here 00:53:01.789 --> 00:53:05.849 this morning, I'm not going to have you come 00:53:05.849 --> 00:53:08.530 to an altar, although I'm going to have you come 00:53:08.530 --> 00:53:10.710 to an altar right where you're at. I'm not going 00:53:10.710 --> 00:53:12.570 to have you come and stand here. We're going 00:53:12.570 --> 00:53:15.349 to get ready to take this table after you've 00:53:15.349 --> 00:53:18.659 made a choice. But you have been given a choice 00:53:18.659 --> 00:53:21.239 because of the resurrection of Jesus. You've 00:53:21.239 --> 00:53:23.960 been given a choice because of the power of his 00:53:23.960 --> 00:53:26.519 love and his grace. And if you're here this morning, 00:53:26.599 --> 00:53:28.980 you need to get things right with God. Wherever 00:53:28.980 --> 00:53:32.340 you're at, you need to make Jesus Christ not 00:53:32.340 --> 00:53:35.739 only a belief that he died for your sin, but 00:53:35.739 --> 00:53:39.519 that he now is going to be your king and you 00:53:39.519 --> 00:53:41.880 will surrender to him. Whether you've walked 00:53:41.880 --> 00:53:44.820 away backslid or you've never known him, I'm 00:53:44.820 --> 00:53:48.820 asking you now. The choice comes to your heart. 00:53:49.800 --> 00:53:51.599 And if that's you, you would say, you know what? 00:53:53.780 --> 00:53:58.159 I want to believe and I want to live. I'll live 00:53:58.159 --> 00:54:01.659 in that belief that Jesus forgives me. I'll welcome 00:54:01.659 --> 00:54:05.159 his blood and I'll welcome his kingship. And 00:54:05.159 --> 00:54:08.000 I will choose to follow him all of my days. If 00:54:08.000 --> 00:54:10.159 that's you, I just want you to lift your hand 00:54:10.159 --> 00:54:11.920 right where you're at. I'm going to send people 00:54:11.920 --> 00:54:14.539 to you to pray with you. Just lift your hand. 00:54:14.599 --> 00:54:17.599 Thank you. All over the building. Ministry team, 00:54:17.719 --> 00:54:19.440 just keep them lifted up. They're going to come 00:54:19.440 --> 00:54:21.980 follow. They're going to come right to you. Even 00:54:21.980 --> 00:54:26.079 right now. And if you're standing behind somebody 00:54:26.079 --> 00:54:27.980 that has their hand lifted, just touch them on 00:54:27.980 --> 00:54:29.340 the shoulder and say, I'm right here to pray 00:54:29.340 --> 00:54:34.000 with you. I'm right here to pray with you. Are 00:54:34.000 --> 00:54:38.480 there any others? Come on. Are there any others 00:54:38.480 --> 00:54:40.519 that would say, that's me? You got to lift the 00:54:40.519 --> 00:54:44.760 hand high here so I can see it. This is about 00:54:44.760 --> 00:54:48.679 the resurrection. This is about Jesus receiving 00:54:48.679 --> 00:54:53.699 the honor that he deserves. All right. Thank 00:54:53.699 --> 00:54:55.880 you for lifting your hand. Thank you. For those 00:54:55.880 --> 00:54:59.599 that are praying, just pray with them. For the 00:54:59.599 --> 00:55:05.400 rest of us this morning, the choir's gonna sing 00:55:05.400 --> 00:55:09.139 a little bit. We're gonna worship the Lord and 00:55:09.139 --> 00:55:12.800 we're gonna get ready to take this meal. Would 00:55:12.800 --> 00:55:16.840 you? Would you just stand with me, those that 00:55:16.840 --> 00:55:19.579 are not being ministered to, just stand, the 00:55:19.579 --> 00:55:34.960 rest of the congregation. Lord Jesus, I want 00:55:34.960 --> 00:55:37.019 to thank you that you are still drawing people, 00:55:37.179 --> 00:55:40.840 men and women to you. I want to thank you for 00:55:40.840 --> 00:55:42.820 the power of your blood. I want to thank you 00:55:42.820 --> 00:55:45.579 for life. And I want to thank you that you are 00:55:45.579 --> 00:55:49.159 no longer on the cross, but you are the risen 00:55:49.159 --> 00:55:52.659 king. And Lord, we bless you this morning. We 00:55:52.659 --> 00:55:56.280 come to this table now as believers of those 00:55:56.280 --> 00:55:59.320 that have made a choice to say, I will take of 00:55:59.320 --> 00:56:02.860 his cup. I will take of his body. I will drink. 00:56:02.860 --> 00:56:06.139 I will drink what represents payment for my sin. 00:56:06.260 --> 00:56:09.719 And I will eat what represents life of his word. 00:56:11.059 --> 00:56:15.440 Lord, let today. This day, as we celebrate Easter, 00:56:15.659 --> 00:56:19.760 Lord, let my faith and my strength in you be 00:56:19.760 --> 00:56:24.860 revitalized and let joy come knowing that you 00:56:24.860 --> 00:56:29.880 did it for me. We love you and we bless you. 00:56:30.360 --> 00:56:34.099 In Jesus' mighty name, and everybody said, amen. 00:56:34.179 --> 00:56:36.099 Now the ushers are going to go ahead and dismiss. 00:56:36.340 --> 00:56:39.059 You can come on both sides of the table. You 00:56:39.059 --> 00:56:41.349 can grab a cup and a piece of bread. There should 00:56:41.349 --> 00:56:43.849 be a little tray of gluten -free bread if that 00:56:43.849 --> 00:56:46.750 is what you need. Come, receive communion. We'll 00:56:46.750 --> 00:56:49.449 take it together as a family. As you go back 00:56:49.449 --> 00:56:51.349 to your seats, we'll do it all together as one. 00:56:53.829 --> 00:56:56.550 Thank you for taking the time to listen to this 00:56:56.550 --> 00:56:59.150 week's message. We are so grateful for those 00:56:59.150 --> 00:57:01.869 who tune in each week and have given generously 00:57:01.869 --> 00:57:04.869 to this ministry. If you would like to give, 00:57:05.010 --> 00:57:07.510 click the link in the episode description below. 00:57:08.059 --> 00:57:10.739 You can also help us by subscribing to this podcast 00:57:10.739 --> 00:57:12.940 and sharing it with your friends and family. 00:57:13.559 --> 00:57:16.360 Lastly, if you are in need of prayer send us 00:57:16.360 --> 00:57:22.119 a text message at 541 -625 -1365. We would love 00:57:22.119 --> 00:57:22.880 to pray with you.