[0:00] All right, we've lost the elephants. Welcome to Squamish Baptist Church, and we get this wonderful pleasure of celebrating Easter, or as we like to call it, Resurrection Sunday. Amen?
[0:15] My name is BK. I have the pleasure of being one of the pastors here. So welcome. If you're just visiting family, friends, coming to visit, check us out. Please feel welcome. Welcome. We have any questions, as Dave had articulated quite clearly.
[0:30] We have a welcome card. The reality is we want to know you. We want to be a part of your lives. We also want you to be a part of our lives here as we are a community of believers who have this wonderful task of reaching people for Christ. Amen?
[0:44] So this morning, we are in Acts chapter 2. Acts chapter 2. You're going to need your Bibles because this is the priority of our preaching, is to come from God's Word.
[0:55] If you do not have a Bible, you can use it on your smartphone. Many different ways to get a hold of God's Word. But today, we're here to celebrate Easter and talk about how wonderful it is.
[1:08] In fact, it is so wonderful that the great British preacher Charles Spurgeon said, If God had made the power to depend upon the speaker and his style, he would have chosen that the resurrection, which is the grandest of all truths, should have been proclaimed by angels rather than men.
[1:32] Right? It is the grandest of all truth to be shouted out beyond for all men to hear. But God in his power has put the power in his Word, not in men.
[1:44] Amen? So that is how wonderful the news is. In fact, this news is so great, for lack of a better word, the apostles, those who walked with Jesus Christ, couldn't stop talking about it.
[1:58] That's all they talked about. We're going to see in Acts chapter 2, Peter's first sermon that he ever gives is on the resurrected Jesus. Later on, in Acts chapter 4, he's going to preach the resurrected Jesus.
[2:12] Later on, in Acts chapter 2, he's going to preach, guess what? Jesus. Right, exactly. And then Stephen's going to come along. And he's actually going to be stoned for what he preaches in Acts chapter 7, but he preached the resurrected Jesus.
[2:28] Exactly. Then Philip, remember he meets the eunuch from Ethiopia in Acts chapter 8, and what did he preach? Amen, right? They just can't stop. And then, of course, we have this guy named Paul.
[2:41] Paul can't stop talking. He can't stop preaching. He can't stop writing. And what does he preach? Exactly. Chapter 9, chapter 13, chapter 28.
[2:52] And after Paul's done talking, he starts writing. He starts writing. We look in the New Testament. We have all these books. They're called the epistles, whether it be the book of Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians, 1 Peter, that Peter writes.
[3:10] Everywhere in the New Testament, what is being taught? The resurrected Jesus. Amen. And, of course, the final book of the New Testament, the book of Revelation.
[3:24] Jesus Christ himself says, I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is and who was and who was to come, the Almighty. I am the first and the last and the living one.
[3:36] I died, and behold, I am alive forever. And I have the keys of death and Hades. Amen. The God who we worship is very much alive.
[3:51] Right from the very start, do you know what one of Satan's greatest lies was? That Jesus, in fact, did not resurrect. In fact, in the book of Matthew, even before, we're kind of out of the gospel sections when the guards went to their authorities to say, hey, hey, hey, this angel came down, this great glory, and it rolled back the stone, and Jesus came.
[4:17] It says in Matthew 20 at 11 that they were paid off to say that the tomb was robbed. Now, imagine what that would have been for the first century soldiers. Oh, yeah, we got overwhelmed by a bunch of first century Galilean fishermen.
[4:32] Right? What would that have said about their promise of Roman soldiers? Right? But the question that I want to ask for you or answer this morning is, why is the resurrection of Jesus so important?
[4:47] Why do all those who preach throughout the New Testament, those who write in the New Testament, why do they make their focal point of everything about this cross and this tomb and the fact that Jesus resurrected?
[5:04] In fact, Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15, 12, writes, Now, if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
[5:22] If God couldn't conquer the grave, how could we conquer the grave? But if there is no resurrection of the dead? Then not even Christ has been raised.
[5:34] And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. Where we are even found to be misrepresenting God.
[5:49] Because we testified about God that he raised Christ when he did not raise, if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.
[6:03] And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
[6:15] If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we of all people most to be pitied. What Paul is simply saying there, if Christ has not been raised, this Christian faith is in vain.
[6:33] And we should be pitied for following a lie. Without the resurrection, there is no faith and we are lost as everyone else's.
[6:44] So this morning I'm going to cheat. I'm going to cheat as a preacher. I'm actually going to preach someone else's sermon. I'm going to preach the first sermon that Peter ever preached to you.
[6:56] This is the sermon that he preached almost 2,000 years ago. And within this sermon, Peter is going to provide for us four results of the resurrection.
[7:10] Or four facts that happened because of the resurrection. Or four effects of the resurrection. You with me on that? So what's interesting, if you look at chapter 2.
[7:22] Chapter 2 is an incredible passage, chapter on its own. I'm going to give you a little bit of a context for this sermon. So basically, Jesus Christ rose from the dead.
[7:34] And then he preached to his disciples for 40 days. Scriptures tell us that not only did he preach, but he continued to build in. And many people saw him, all the disciples.
[7:45] And it says that over 500 people were eyewitnesses to the event that Jesus Christ had risen. So then Jesus God calls him up to heaven.
[7:56] So he ascends to heaven. And this church, which is now gathered in Jerusalem, are kind of wondering, what's next? Well, this is where Acts chapter 2 comes in.
[8:07] And you might know it as the day of Pentecost. This is when Jesus Christ pours out his spirit, the Holy Spirit, that every believer in Christ is indwelt with at the time of their salvation.
[8:20] He just dumps it on them. And it says in Acts chapter 2, verse 1, it says, And they experienced this thing called tongues.
[8:45] And they were speaking to real languages. And you're going to notice in your text, it actually lists the languages that they were all speaking to all the different people in Jerusalem so that they could understand.
[8:58] So all these people who were indwelt at this moment are now preaching the gospel to everyone. All right? So they're going around and they're speaking. And verse 12, it says, And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, What does this mean?
[9:15] But others mocking said, They are filled with new wine. So the idea that they were going and speaking other languages was kind of perplexing. But then Peter comes in and he explains to them that they are now, there's a prophecy that has been fulfilled out of the book of Joel.
[9:33] They aren't drunk, but they are beginning to evangelize to others the truth about Jesus Christ. And this now brings us to verse 22 of Acts chapter 2.
[9:48] Peter steps up and he states, Men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst as you yourselves know.
[10:07] This is Jesus delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God. You crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
[10:19] God raised him up, loosening the pangs of death because it was not possible for him to be held by it. First thing I want you guys to see is that Paul or Peter is making an argument to him that Jesus Christ is a real person.
[10:37] Okay? This is very important for us to understand that Jesus Christ is a real person. Why? Because if Jesus Christ wasn't a real person, guess what we wouldn't have?
[10:48] We wouldn't have had a real resurrection. What happens when we don't have a real resurrection? We do not have a faith. Now what's really interesting is you don't preach the resurrection unless you believe there's a resurrection.
[11:04] Amen? If you don't believe it, why would you preach it? Something that never happened doesn't affect you unlike the truth of the resurrection.
[11:14] And just to let the cat out of the bag in case you did not know, every single one of the apostles except for one all died preaching the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
[11:31] People do not die for a lie. They do not die for a lie. Now you might say, hey, wait a second. There's a whole bunch of people who die for their faith.
[11:43] The thing is, most people today who would die for their faith are dying because someone told them something and they believed it. They wrongly believed it. These people were at the very beginning.
[11:54] They saw Jesus Christ. They saw that he died. They saw that he rose again. Right? They didn't perpetuate a lie. They died for something they believed in because they knew it to be true.
[12:08] There's a difference. So here is Peter jumping out. Notice the first thing he says. Jesus of Nazareth. Now the reason he's saying Jesus of Nazareth, he's identifying Jesus Christ because they knew where he came from.
[12:23] He was a person who existed in that day. Just as we are from Squamish or from Toronto or Vancouver or wherever we may hail from, that is where we exist.
[12:34] We are a part of history. And they're tagging, so to speak, using common verbiage on Facebook, right? They're tagging Jesus to reality.
[12:45] And what's interesting is there was no denying that he was a man. Now why is he making that statement? Because at that time when they were stating or trying to deceive people that Jesus didn't resurrect, they said he was almost a phantom.
[13:01] Arguments came up that he was a ghost. He wasn't really God in the flesh. He was just God in spirit and then rose again. But if you've been with us on our life of Christ, what is Jesus Christ?
[13:12] He's a man. He's got a history. He's got brothers, sisters, a mother, a father. And he lived for 33 years. So what Peter is doing, he's rooting his arguments in reality.
[13:28] He was a carpenter. He got baptized by John the Baptist. You know his mother. She's over here. Her name is Mary. But we also know that he was more than a man.
[13:42] Let's look at the next verse. He was a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst as you yourselves know.
[13:57] If you've been with us right now, we're currently in a study of the life of Christ. And we're looking at these situations. And one of the things that Jesus did to affirm that not only he was man, but he was fully God, is that he was able to do these great and mighty works.
[14:11] He was able to heal anybody who was sick. He was able to raise people from the dead. He was able to calm storms. He was able to drive demons out of people. And all these things did not make him God, but it made people know that he had the power of God.
[14:27] And the things that God said, Jesus Christ said himself, is, I am God. I am the Son of God. I am the Messiah. So they all knew these things.
[14:40] They knew that Jesus was a man sent from God because only, and even the Jewish rulers knew that the only way he could do the signs and wonders and mighty works that he did was if he were from God.
[14:58] In fact, his fame was so great, Gentiles, miles and miles outside of Israel came to him to have their loved ones healed and their problems solved.
[15:12] So this is Peter letting them know that this Jesus, who you knew as from Nazareth, was also of God.
[15:26] Let's take a look at verse 23. This Jesus delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God. You crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
[15:43] Not only did he live as God, you still crucified him. You were there. This is in Jerusalem.
[15:53] If you remember, a week before Jesus was crucified, the whole city came together, tens of thousands of people, to declare that he was the king.
[16:05] We call that Palm Sunday. He was there to rescue God's people. Everybody knew who Jesus was. And here, Peter's telling them, you mocked him.
[16:18] You reviled him. You insulted him. In fact, you even cheered on the Roman executioners.
[16:31] Taking a word from this past Friday's sermon, you forsook him. As one author states, Jesus was a real man from a real place who lived a real life in front of real people who died a real death, which you were involved with.
[16:52] These are the facts. This is history. This is undeniable. Verse 24.
[17:05] God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.
[17:15] You see, this is the plan of God. You see, this all happened according to the plan of God. Jesus was not a victim of history. Jesus drove history.
[17:28] This was all a part of the divine plan. It wasn't a sovereign, crazy accident. It was meant to go down the way God meant it to go down.
[17:41] You see, all those people in the Bible who preach Jesus' resurrection, they actually don't argue for the resurrection. They simply affirm it. So great is the argument in history.
[17:54] There's no use to waste your time arguing for it. Everyone knows that it happened. It's as real as you and I. Not only did Peter see it, we know Peter, Pail, James, and over 500 people affirm this truth.
[18:08] In fact, they will die affirming this truth. So this is the reality that Peter is grounding his arguments in.
[18:19] And now he's going to tell them four things happened because of the resurrection. All right? The first part of the resurrection, or the first result of the resurrection, is death was conquered.
[18:31] Amen? Death was conquered. Jesus won, devil lost. It's that simple. Death could not hold Jesus. And I'm sure you all know the quote, whether you know it's by Benjamin Franklin, what are the two uncertainties in life?
[18:47] Death and taxes, right? Well, guess what? Jesus changed all that. Back in 1970, there was a Canadian scientist. He wrote a book called Countdown, A Time to Choose.
[19:01] And in this, he explained his search for the truth. And it's a book about him attempting to answer the question of whether or not it was possible for a living soul to survive the physical death of the body.
[19:15] The investigation led him to go on a mission to look for evidence in the world. And he went to religions to see if they could find the answer. After studying the grave of Jesus, knowing it was empty and nobody ever being able to produce the body for all to see, he concluded that it was only Jesus that could reverse the curse of death.
[19:40] He wrote the following. He says, when I looked at religion, I said, I have two questions. One, has anybody ever conquered death?
[19:51] And two, if they have, did they make a way for me to conquer death? I checked the tomb of Buddha and it was occupied.
[20:04] I checked the tomb of Confucius and it was occupied. And I checked the tomb of Muhammad and it was occupied. But I came to the tomb of Jesus and it was empty.
[20:17] And I said, there is one who conquered death. And I asked the second question, did he make a way for me to do that too?
[20:28] And I opened the Bible and discovered that he said, because I live, you shall live also. So, this means that death is no longer the end of life.
[20:47] The grave is just a hole in the ground. It's simply a way on the path to eternity. Eternal life with the Son of God.
[20:58] That is why Paul concludes in 1 Corinthians 15 that I referred to earlier, that without the resurrection of Jesus, we would live in vain and we should be pitied.
[21:10] Because this life is the end. That fact, the fact that Jesus has power over death, leads us to believe that there is nothing to fear.
[21:23] That is the first result of the resurrection. The second result of Jesus conquering death is that God's word is proven true.
[21:37] God's word is proven true. The truth of the matter is there is over 1,000 prophecies that we can relate to history today that are in God's word.
[21:49] And I wish I had time to go over every single one of them, but we'd be here till next Easter, right? You got to have our turkey or ham. Anyway, there's all these prophecies came through.
[22:00] Now, remember, this is Peter and he's in Jerusalem. And Peter is speaking to a group of Jews. And there's massive amounts of details.
[22:12] And Dave read those texts. But if you look at verse 25, it says, For David says concerning him. And what he's doing is he's quoting from Psalm 16. And he's talking about the prophecy.
[22:25] And David prophesied about the coming Messiah who would sit on his throne. Right? The meaning to a Jew would be immediate as Peter read those lines to them from the Old Testament.
[22:40] And any believing Jew at that time would understand that now David was pointing to Jesus Christ as the Messiah. Remember several weeks ago when Jesus fed the 6,000, which we learned was the 20,000?
[22:55] And it was interesting, the response. It says in John 6, 14, it says, When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, This is indeed the prophet who has come into the world.
[23:07] Did Jesus Christ ever call himself a prophet? Say it out loud. Did Jesus Christ ever declare himself a prophet? No. He declared himself the Messiah, the Son of God.
[23:20] And that's exactly in line with the Old Testament text said. He was this Messiah called to deliver his people. That one from his line, they would have known.
[23:31] Remember when we look at Matthew 1 and Luke 1, and we see all those genealogies, and we get kind of bored, we don't understand. The significance of those genealogies is it's rooting Jesus' birth to David's throne.
[23:48] That's what the genealogy in Matthew is about. That he's in the line of David. Anybody would know, who knew their Jewish prophecy, would know if there was a Messiah, he had to come from the line of David.
[24:00] David. So that's what Peter is doing in this text there. He's telling them, he's rooting them into history. Let's take a look at verse 29.
[24:13] It says, Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David. Remember, he was known as the greatest king, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
[24:24] So David's dead, right? We know that he's dead. Being therefore a prophet, this is David, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on the throne.
[24:39] David foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.
[24:53] In the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God made good on that prophecy. So here we know that not only through the resurrection of Jesus Christ is death conquered, which means there's got to be a way for us, and two, that God's word is trustworthy.
[25:14] God's word is trustworthy. Jesus Christ is doing, God, Jesus did exactly what God said he would do through his scriptures. The third result of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is that Jesus Christ is exalted.
[25:34] Jesus Christ is exalted. Take a look at verse 33. It says, being therefore exalted at the right hand of God. The right hand of God is the place of honor.
[25:47] Hebrews 1, 4 says, Jesus appointed the heir of all things, through whom he also created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God.
[26:01] In the exact imprint of his nature. And he upholds the universe by the word of his power. Note this. After making purification for sins, that's dying on the cross and rising again, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
[26:30] By Jesus Christ being exalted, we worship him. Amen. We do not worship a dead God. We worship a great God who sits in the place of glory in heaven.
[26:44] Philippians 2, Paul reminds us, therefore, God has highly exalted Jesus and bestowed on Jesus the name that is above every other name, so that the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
[27:03] The glory of God the Father. If there is no resurrection, Jesus is not exalted, nor is God glorified.
[27:20] You with me on that one? The work that Jesus Christ does points to the Father. We know this intuitively, right?
[27:31] God so loved the world, he sent his only son, right? That's about Jesus Christ doing the will of the Father to bring glory on his Father.
[27:46] So in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we see that it proves that the death was conquered, it proves that God's word is true, and it proves that God is exalted, or Jesus is exalted, and God is glorified.
[28:01] And the final result of the resurrection I want to share with you today is found in verse 33 as well. And that is, we are able to receive the power of the Holy Spirit.
[28:15] We are able to receive the power of the Holy Spirit. Take a look at verse 33. And having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.
[28:31] And the proof of that is in this place called Pentecost, right here, right now in Jerusalem, where Peter's teaching. This is the proof, and it relates back to John 7, 37.
[28:41] So this is obviously pre-cross. It's in the last six months of Jesus' life. And John writes that Jesus said, it says, on the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, if anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.
[28:58] Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. Now, this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, but as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
[29:20] What Jesus was committing to there is, until I rise again and go to be with my Father, the Spirit won't come down. Now that Jesus has risen, ascended, this is the outpouring of the Spirit.
[29:35] What's the significance of the Spirit in our lives, right? You know what we are without Spirit? Blind. We're spiritually blind eyes. The role of the Spirit is to open our eyes.
[29:46] It's used to convict us of sin. It is our power to do the things that God calls us to. He's also our comforter, our intercessor.
[30:04] He's also called the Spirit of God and the Spirit of truth. You see, as Jesus ascended to be with the Father, the Holy Spirit descended to be with us.
[30:20] So the work of the Spirit that we enjoy today, depends on the resurrection. The exaltation of Jesus Christ, which glorifies God, depends on the resurrection.
[30:34] The truthfulness of this Scripture depends on the resurrection. And ultimately, the truth of our faith and whether or not it is in vain depends on the resurrection.
[30:49] You see, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the focal point of all Christianity. You see, if there was no resurrection of Jesus, we are dead in our sins and we have no hope.
[31:07] If there is no resurrection of Jesus, God's Word is not true. If there is no resurrection, Jesus Christ is the loser and Satan is the winner.
[31:23] And if Jesus didn't resurrect, there is no Holy Spirit in the world. But guess what? There is a resurrection.
[31:34] It happened 2,000 years ago today. Over 500 people testified to it. And this is what Peter declares. Verse 36, Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.
[31:54] Which brings us to Peter's final point. And it's a point I might rightfully ask of you as well. What is your response to this truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ?
[32:17] The reality is you might believe everything you have heard this morning. You might say, yeah, I believe it. I've believed it my whole life that Jesus resurrected.
[32:29] I've been to every Easter sermon since I've been a kid. In fact, that's the only church service I will come to because I'm never going to miss that one. See, the problem is you might believe that but that's actually not going to help you unless you respond to that truth.
[32:50] The truth that I just taught you through the words of Peter. How did the people who heard the message that he taught them?
[33:01] Look at verse 37. Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart. Another way to say it, they were pierced.
[33:14] They were greatly pained. They were deeply moved. It's like almost a person who's asleep and you throw a bucket of water, just shakes them alive.
[33:27] And they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, the rest of the apostles, brothers, what shall we do?
[33:45] You see, they understand that they are guilty, that they are the ones that crucified God, son. they're the ones guilty for killing the Messiah.
[33:57] He taught with them. He lived with them for three years and they didn't see it. They rejected it. The fact of the matter is they now see that all those things Jesus told them were true.
[34:12] I want you to put your place in their feet for a second. If you just found out you killed the son of God, what is your response to that?
[34:33] There's only one response. Mortal fear. You just killed God's son. son. That's not a joke. Oops. You start thinking, how do I get away from God?
[34:51] There's no excuse good enough. You would fear his vengeance. The fact of the matter is Scripture is quite clear.
[35:06] It tells us that Jesus lived, he died, he rose again. ascended to heaven and is coming back to judge the living and the dead. How do you think your judgment's going to work for you?
[35:22] You see, if you are not living according to the precepts of God, there is much to be fearful for. What can you do?
[35:36] Well, what's interesting, what Peter tells them to do is the exact same thing I would tell you to do? Let's go to verse 38. And Peter said to them, repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
[36:00] For the promises, this promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.
[36:14] Now, why does he use this baptism? Why baptism? Why does we start with baptism? Well, baptism in itself doesn't save someone, but baptism is an outward reflection of an inward reality.
[36:33] and that reality is you have repented. Remember last week, last Friday, we talked about those that didn't follow, well, not, didn't follow, everyone forsook Jesus, amen?
[36:47] Everyone, governing authorities, the apostles, his friends, everybody, the crowds, everybody, even God forsook Jesus on the cross that night.
[37:04] Here, how do we guarantee that we will not be forsaken by God, which means turning to Jesus.
[37:14] And the act of repentance is not just accepting Jesus, but it's turning back from everything that you were and forsaking it and coming to him.
[37:28] You with me? It's just not a positive, it's leaving the negative. It's leaving the old life behind and coming to the new life. It does not save you, but this act of baptism tells everyone that you are trusting God to be your Lord and Savior.
[37:48] You are telling the people there that you believe that Jesus was born a virgin and lived a human life, that you believe that Jesus died for your sins on the cross, that you believe that Jesus rose from the grave conquering death, and that you believe that Jesus now sits at the right hand of God, and you believe that he is coming back to judge the living and the dead.
[38:15] There's only one way to make good with that God. Paul tells us in Romans 10, 9, that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
[38:36] For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. Lord, if you are ready to forsake the old and accept what Jesus Christ has for you, then I can welcome you to a new life that is found only in Jesus Christ.
[39:01] Let me pray. Dear Lord, Heavenly Father, when we consider this sermon of Peter, we read a few verses later that over 3,000 people committed their lives to you.
[39:19] These are the ones that lived during the time of Jesus who were guilty of ignoring him. They were guilty of taking from him. They were guilty of reviling him and cheering on the soldiers.
[39:35] It tells us that even those who did such wicked sins that led to an innocent man's death can be saved.
[39:48] A lot of us are not guilty of such a sin, but we are guilty of living a life outside of Jesus Christ. We are guilty of living a life for us.
[40:03] Most people who know not Jesus have an idol, and that idol is themselves, their pleasure, their priorities. But you call us to a different life, a life that is found in you, a life of worship of the true and living God, a life where we're empowered by the work of the Holy Spirit.
[40:33] We turn to a life where we live in community in a group of saints, people just like you and I who encourage, build up, disciple, and help grow in the knowledge and love of Jesus.
[40:52] See, the fact of the matter is, I find it interesting in the text that nowhere does it say that Jesus was loving. I think he doesn't even need to say it because Jesus' whole testimony on earth was love.
[41:06] He gave up his comfort, he gave up his place, he chose to travel, to share the good news, to heal all those who were sick, to build in to those who did not know him, and continually had compassion on those who did not see.
[41:31] Father, there is hope for anyone who places their faith in Jesus Christ. All we need to do is no one understand that Jesus did indeed rise from the dead and offers us eternal life.
[41:56] We ask these things in your great and mighty name. Amen.