The Answer

[0:00] I wanted to talk about the answer that we need today.

[0:19] People are looking for answers. Australia is in crisis today.! Many Aussies lack power, hope and victory.! This is the problem. Three things in particular.

[0:31] Australia's greatest problems today. Amongst them would be Australia's power problem, Australia's hope problem and Australia's victory problem. And firstly I'll submit to you that Australia has a power problem.

[0:45] There's a power crisis. A power crisis. I'm not talking about the more costly cost of power, which we know is a problem. I'm not talking about the answer that is save the planet, you're not going to turn off your light switches and somehow we're going to miraculously save the planet.

[1:00] No, the power crisis that we're talking about today is a real one. It's the fact that our nation has lost a certain power. The foundation, the fabric of our society has been undermined.

[1:14] The moral foundation. And we lack the moral courage. But there's a lack of many things these days. A lack of respect to parents, of values of decency and order, of laws that have respect to life.

[1:29] And man has become powerless in many ways. Aussies are quite powerless, lawless, powerless. And there's a power problem too in the church today. In the church scene. We see there's a form of godliness, but they're denying the power thereof.

[1:43] There's much talk of power in many circles, but there's an evident lack of power. A lack of power. Many Christians are weak and sickly. They've got a lack of power. A lack of spiritual power.

[1:55] And friends, I put it to you today that the answer to this lack of power, to this power crisis, is found at the empty tomb. The answer to the power crisis is found at the empty tomb.

[2:09] The resurrection shows us God's power. God's power. We see the resurrection. It speaks of God's astonishing supernatural power. Beyond human strength. Power to set people free.

[2:21] And we can know this power. We personally know this power as Paul's prayer in Philippians 3 verse 10. He says that I may know him and the power of his resurrection.

[2:33] And the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death. What does the resurrection mean for us? It means the power of the risen Christ. It means that the tomb could hold him no longer.

[2:46] This is the power of the Christian life. The resurrection power. The power of his church. The power of his death. Power over death. Power over sin. Power over hell. And we can know a power beyond our own that can overcome this power crisis that we might feel in this nation today.

[3:04] And you might feel in your life today. God's power can fill your life, pulsate through your veins, enrich your spiritual life, and empower you from on high to be his witness in this world.

[3:17] And we can trade our weakness for his strength. The answer to Australia's power problem is the power of his resurrection. He is risen. He is risen indeed.

[3:29] He is risen indeed. It's the answer to Australia's power problem. For the powerless, there's a power that can turn lives around, the transforming power of the resurrection.

[3:40] There's an answer to Australia's power crisis. And it's the power of his resurrection. Secondly, we see there's a hope problem. There's a deficit of hope, if you like.

[3:52] Let's turn to this problem of hopelessness. In case you haven't noticed it, in Australia there's a problem of a lack of hope. A loss of hope. I've heard it described, I've heard it put in an academic lecture by some academic who described the state of our nation saying that we have a deficit of hope.

[4:12] A deficit of hope. In other words, a lack of hope, a deficiency, a poverty of hope, if you like, in our nation. A poverty of spirit. A lack of hope.

[4:23] You know, we've driven through the country in recent times. In fact, yesterday, we've seen the dry, dusty plains and towns that look like they're becoming ghost towns.

[4:35] There's towns that are dying. There's growing unemployment. There's poverty. There's misery on many fronts. And there's a lack of hope. Even for supposedly successful people.

[4:47] Those that have supposedly got it all. They want to end it all. You see that all the time, don't you? These ones who've got their names in lights are often the ones you hear that their lives are a mess and they want to end their lives.

[5:02] Why is there this deficit of hope? There's a hopelessness that seems to grab a hold of people. And they search in vain, looking for vain hope. Futile hope.

[5:13] Hope that is empty and will let them down. They just find confusion and disappointment. We see people turning to drink or drugs or vain philosophies of men and yet they find no hope there.

[5:26] Their lives are swallowed up in despair and disappointment. Some turn to the bottle to think that they'll find their hope at the bottle of the bottle. But yet it is not there.

[5:38] They find their hopes dashed. There's a lack of hope for many Aussies today. I put it to you there is an answer to that. And the answer to Australia's hope problem is the one who rose from the dead and offers hope.

[5:54] Living hope. The resurrection hope. The resurrection shows us God's hope today. It shouts out from that empty tomb. He's alive. He's alive. He is risen.

[6:05] He is risen indeed. He is risen indeed. It shouts it out that we have a lively hope. A hope that lives beyond the grave. He's not here. He has risen. There is life and living hope for us in 1 Peter 1.

[6:18] We read, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again. He's made us born again by a lively hope.

[6:30] A living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. There's a resurrection hope. He's made us born again, begotten again unto a lively hope.

[6:41] And it tells of an inheritance there that is incorruptible. It cannot be corrupted. It cannot corrupt away. And it's undefiled. It's pure. And it fades not away.

[6:52] It's reserved in heaven for you. And you are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the latter time. The last time. It tells us of the lively hope.

[7:05] And friends, I put it to you today that this hope, this hope is a never-ending hope. It's a never-failing hope. It cannot be dimmed or diminished by death. There is nothing that can separate us from his love.

[7:19] Nothing, not anything in life. No. Not anything. No nothing. Not even death. And this sure and confident hope is a lively hope.

[7:30] It's a living hope. It's an eternal hope in its dimension. And this life is eternal. Our hope cannot be lost. This hope is strong and sure and steadfast.

[7:41] We read of it in Hebrews 6 verse 19. It tells us of this hope as compared to an anchor. Now some people say I'm stuck in the mud. Well I want to be stuck with the anchor.

[7:53] Where I can be strong and sure and steadfast. And hold fast that which is good. Hebrews 6 verse 19 it says, Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, which entereth into that within the veil.

[8:08] The context is talking about the veil as it were from life to death. There's a veil, there's a curtain. And we don't know what's beyond there. But this hope will hold us beyond that curtain of death.

[8:20] Into the very beyond. The life beyond. And friends we have a living hope that can enter confidently into. Behind that curtain that is death as it were.

[8:31] And this hope we have is now like an anchor. It will hold us, it will ground us, it will anchor us sure and steadfast, firm and unfailing. And the Bible tells us of this God that we know.

[8:43] And he is called the God of hope. Romans 15 verse 13 it says, Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and hope, peace rather, in believing that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost.

[9:00] There's an enduring hope and it's found in a person, the Lord Jesus Christ. The answer to Australia's power problem is the power of his resurrection.

[9:12] The answer to Australia's hope problem is found in the living hope of his resurrection. And thirdly, consider how Australia has a victory problem.

[9:24] You know, wouldn't we like to be that one at the, at the one who breaks the tape on the finishing line. We'd all like to have that euphoric experience of crossing the finishing line.

[9:36] Crossing the finishing line of our lives, having lived life to the full, life without regret. That finishing line is getting ever closer for all of us. As I shared earlier, one of our loved ones has passed away just in recent days.

[9:52] And friends, that finishing line is getting closer and closer. Many lives are consumed by defeat and loss. There's failure and destruction. For many, life is a downward spiral and you're pretty much on your own.

[10:05] At every turn, it seems another setback, another trouble, some more difficulty. Instead of victory, many are overwhelmed with a sense of defeat.

[10:17] Like they're weighed down, as is pictured here. Like it's a battle. And it's one we feel like we're losing. And life can feel like a contest where the odds are against us.

[10:29] And it seems like the only ones who win are the bullies and the cheats. That can be what life feels like sometimes. But friends, there is an answer. There is an answer to the victory problem.

[10:42] We can win this great contest that is life. And it's not performance enhancing drugs. It is the power of his resurrection. God can fill our lives with victory.

[10:55] The resurrection points to that. The Lord Jesus, it says, he was raised up and so too shall we be. We will be raised from the dead. In 1 Corinthians 15, we read of that finishing line, if you like.

[11:11] 1 Corinthians 15, 51, it says, Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. Talking about the sleep as it were of death.

[11:22] When we close our eyes, we will awaken. Verse 52. In a moment. In the twinkling of an eye. At the last trunk.

[11:33] Dooo. It will sound like the sofa. That's an impression of a sofa. At the twinkling of an eye. At the last trunk. For the trumpet shall sound.

[11:45] Dooo. And the dead shall be raised. Incorruptible. And we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption. And this mortal must put on immortality.

[11:58] So when this corruptible shall I put on incorruption. And this mortal shall I put on immortality. Then shall be brought to pass this saying that is written. Death is swallowed up in victory.

[12:10] O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? It goes on. Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. You know the word victory has been defined as an act of defeating an enemy or an opponent.

[12:26] In a battle, game or other competition. This word victory speaks of winning in a contest. But friends, life is no game. Life is no game.

[12:38] There is an element of battle to it. In our lives. And the good news is for you and for me. That the last enemy. The very last enemy is dead.

[12:54] And Jesus has destroyed it. That's what the empty tomb means for us. If you trust the Lord Jesus in his dying on the cross for your sin. In his rising to life.

[13:06] The empty tomb speaks to us that death is defeated. And you have victory today. That's what we remember around this time together.

[13:18] I'd invite you as the ushers will help us now to pass the cup and bread. To hold together and we'll join together to eat and drink.

[13:29] And you're invited to this table. As the Lord Jesus invited his own to the table. And we'll pass the bread and cup and hold together just as we waited on.

[13:42] Just as you do that, let me read another account of this time. And as believers, I just want to reinforce today the victory that outlasts this life.

[13:53] The answer to our power problem is to know the power of his resurrection. The answer to Australia's hope problem is to know that lively hope. That living hope.

[14:05] To know him and his salvation. And the answer to our victory problem is to know that there is victory even over the last enemy who is dead.

[14:16] And so he invites us to come as we remember his death. As we remember his rising again. As we personally apply it to our lives. It says in Matthew 28 the account reads, In the end of the Sabbath as it began to dawn.

[14:31] Toward the first day of the week came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And behold there was a great earthquake for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven. And came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat upon it.

[14:45] His countenance was like lightning. And his raiment white as snow. And for fear of him the keepers did shake and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye.

[15:00] Fear not ye. For I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified. He is not here. He is risen. He is risen indeed.

[15:12] As he said. Come see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell his disciples. There is over 300 verses in the New Testament that testify to the truth of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus.

[15:30] 300 verses in the New Testament. Now this is something precious and vital to understand the answer. The answer to our crisis.

[15:44] And most especially personally. The personal answer to all of our deepest needs. The deepest need to know him is to trust him today.

[15:59] Trust the power that he showed in his rising again. Trust his power. Power over cancelled sin. At the cross your sin was cancelled.

[16:11] It was paid. If you but claim his grace today. Trust him now. He passed the bread and cup to those he loved.

[16:24] As a picture of what he has done. And we reflect on that now. We reflect on the precious blood.

[16:37] Unworthy as we are. We can claim its cleansing power. We can claim his saving grace. We can know it personally. That victory over death and hell.

[16:50] And our very sin. The power to live the Christian life. The hope that goes beyond happenstance and what happens to us. Hope that goes beyond our circumstance.

[17:05] Hope beyond the grave. Living lively. Everlasting. Life eternal hope. And you can know that now. By his power and grace.

[17:16] You can know that now. And this is not any spooky magical ceremony. This is merely a reminding of what he has done. And so I urge you as you reflect on what he has done.

[17:30] Examine yourself, he says. And so partake. Let us pray. Lord, we thank you for the cross. We thank you that at the cross you bore our sin and shame.

[17:42] You paid our price in full. For those that can and will trust you. You save beyond the grave. You save for eternity those that will trust you.

[17:56] We thank you, Lord, for that saving grace that cancels all our sin. We thank you for that body in which you bore our very guilt and the due penalty that we should have carried.

[18:08] You carried it all, all the way. We thank you, Lord, that you took it all through the grave. And now risen. You're praying for us even now. As we are praying just now.

[18:19] You're praying for us. As our great high priest. He says, take, eat. This is my body. Let us eat. It tells us this is the cup of the New Testament, the new covenant.

[18:44] Lord, we thank you for the bread. We thank you for the blood. Thank you for the cup that reminds us of that blood shed freely, not unwillingly, but freely.

[18:55] Not begrudgingly, but generously, abundantly. And your grace too is abundant on those who will trust you. Lord, we thank you that we can know a wonderful power beyond our own power.

[19:09] We know we're powerless. Sin has a power that we battle every day. We know there's a hope for our loved ones who've trusted you beyond. They're waiting still, waiting now.

[19:22] And there's a hope beyond the grave. There's a hope we can have that's eternal, springing up because of your work at the cross, that finished work. A hope not based on anything we do, but everything you've done and accomplished when you said it is finished.

[19:38] We thank you, Lord, for the victory we can know personally in our lives as we have that contest with sin, a battle, a struggle within, yet the victory is won.

[19:49] And the battle is not ours, it's yours, and you've already won it. At the cross, at the tomb, you've demolished death, you've destroyed death. Our last enemy is already killed because of what you did, because of your blood.

[20:06] Lord, there's victory today. There's victory in the blood because of what you've done. Help us, Lord, to walk in that victory and to claim that victory.

[20:18] To claim that victory over whatever holds us back and changes us and stops us from living the Christian life that we might be realising that scripture that says we're more than conquerors for him that loved us.

[20:30] Lord, we thank you for the blood. He says, drink in remembrance of me. Lord, we thank you in Jesus' name. Let us drink. Praise the Lord.

[20:42] Let us drink.

[20:54] Let us drink.