WEBVTT

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 The scripture reading comes from 1 Corinthians chapter 15. The text is a bridge, so it be

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 all along on the screen or any other bulletin. Starting in verse 1, we read,

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 Now I will remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in

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 which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you prophesy the word I preached

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 to you, and then you begin to gain. For I deliver to you at the first importance what I also

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 received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was

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 buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that

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 he appeared to see first, then to the twelve, then he appeared to more than five hundred

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 brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have gone with me.

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 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there

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 is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even

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 Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain,

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 and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified

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 about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise, if it is true that the dead are

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 not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ

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 has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins. Then those also

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 who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only,

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 we are all of all people most to be pitied. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead,

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 the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also

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 the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

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 But each in his own order, Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.

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 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and

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 every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

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 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

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 Why are we in danger every hour? I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus,

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 our Lord. I die every day. What do I gain of, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus?

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 If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. Do not be deceived.

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 Bad company ruins good morals. Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning.

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 For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. But someone will ask,

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 how are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come? So is it with the resurrection of the dead.

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 What is sown is perishable. What is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor. It is raised in glory.

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 It is sown in weakness. It is raised in power. It is sown a natural body. It is raised a spiritual body.

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 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

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 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.

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 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality,

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 then shall come to pass the saying that is written,

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 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

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 But thanks be to God, who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

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 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,

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 knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. This is the word of God.

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 Great. Thanks, Annabelle. That was a long reading, but thank you. Good morning, everybody.

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 And it is so good to be back with the Watermark family, to see your faces. Some of you,

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 we haven't seen your faces in months, and so a warm welcome to you. If you are new or watching

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 online, my name is Kevin, one of the elder pastors here. It is so great to be with the church family

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 once again. We've missed you so much, and this just feels like, I think we said it last time,

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 like a good family reunion meal together, right? And so a warm welcome. I would love you to join me

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 as we pray together. And I'm going to read a prayer that was written by a man called Scott Smith.

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 It's not too long. Will you join me as we pray and just revel in Christ this morning? Let's pray

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 together. Lord Jesus, the question you put to the Pharisees before your arrest, who do you say I am,

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 remains the most important question for us to answer, even here today in 21st century Hong Kong.

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 Lord Jesus, the more we study the scriptures, the more we realize there is always more to you.

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 You, Lord Jesus, are the creator, the sustainer, the restorer of all things, the alpha and the omega,

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 the beginning and the end, and everything in between. Angels worship you. Tiny birds depend upon you.

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 Jesus, you are the second Adam, not just our second chance. You are the son of David, but you're also

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 the son of God. You lived a life of perfect obedience for us. You, Jesus, exhausted all judgment

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 against us on the cross. By you, we are completely forgiven. Jesus, in you, we are perfectly righteous.

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 Jesus, you are our reigning king, our returning bridegroom, our sovereign over days, over all

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 dominions, even sovereign over flowers of the field. Bruised reeds love your appearing. Children

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 dance at you. Demons tremble before you. Jesus, you are gentle and lowly. You are high and exalted.

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 Wonder of wonders, because you are this and so much more. We are in your heart. We are on your mind

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 all the time. This doesn't make us special. It makes us yours. Jesus, you know us perfectly,

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 and for some reason you delight in us fully. Jesus, there's not a moment you're not loving us,

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 praying for us, advocating for us. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Continue to free us from under-thinking

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 about you, under-believing in who you are. So very amen, we pray, in your glorious and graceful name.

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 Amen. Amen. Well, this morning, as we have heard and sung about, is Resurrection Sunday. And along

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 with billions of Christians around the world, we celebrate the fact, this astounding and unexpected

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 event in the history of the world. That 2,000 years ago, on Passover weekend, in the city of Jerusalem,

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 Jesus of Nazareth was condemned to die as a criminal. And a Pontius Pilate, he was nailed to a

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 Roman cross. He was marched up to Calvary, hoisted up on the cross. And there, he was left to hang and

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 to die for the sins of the world. That the sins of all those who come to him in faith and repentance,

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 who trust in him, will be put on his shoulders. There, Jesus took the wrath of God so that those

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 who come to him in faith no longer bear that wrath, but are under his gracious forgiveness.

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 And so we celebrate that. But this morning, we celebrate that on the third day, Jesus rose from

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 the dead. That the disciples found his tomb. The stone that was rolled to seal the tomb was rolled away.

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 That the tomb was empty. The grave clothes had been folded up. And then the coming hours and days,

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 Jesus revealed himself in a physical, bodily, resurrected, nail-scarred body to his disciples.

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 Jesus rose not just as a spirit. Jesus rose not just as a ghost. Jesus rose in a physical,

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 nail-scarred body. And his disciples and many others were going to testify how they had encountered him.

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 I know for some of us that are maybe still trying to make sense of this, it seems crazy that Jesus,

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 who was dead, could rise again. Central to the Christian message, central to the whole Christian

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 understanding of what life in God's kingdom is, is this idea that Jesus, who was laid in the tomb,

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 rose again. And as we said, not just in a spiritual sense, not just that Jesus rises from our

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 hearts when we believe in him. Jesus' death and resurrection is not just a myth to lay credence

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 to this newfound religion. Jesus, the historical event, really happened that he died and he rose

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 again. But what does that mean for us today? What does that mean for us in 21st century Hong Kong,

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 that this crazy event that happened 2,000 years ago? Well, on one hand, it means that the claims that

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 Jesus made about himself are verified. Jesus really is who he said he was, the divine son of God who

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 came to take upon himself the sins of the world. But as we're going to look at today in the passage

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 that Annabelle read to us, it means so much more than something that happened 2,000 years ago and

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 something that's going to happen one day in the future. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead

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 changes the entire way that those that are in Christ view life and understand what life in our world

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 looks like and means. And so let's look at 1 Corinthians 15 as we work through this passage today.

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 And so if you've got your bulletin, open it up with me. We're going to work through it a little bit

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 and this passage. Now, we need to understand the context of what's going on here.

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 Paul writes this letter to the Corinthians. And obviously, the city of Corinth is a city in

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 ancient Greece. And if you'll know anything about Greek philosophy, the Greeks believed

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 that the material physical body is kind of something of less value than the spiritual and

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 immaterial world. For the ancient Greeks, the spiritual world, the immaterial world was good and

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 righteous and look forward to that. The physical world was of lesser value, even something that is

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 wrong, something that is evil. Now, interestingly enough, the Corinthians believed that Jesus really

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 did die and rise again. They had looked at the evidence, they had heard the testimony, they had done

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 the research, and they fully believed that Jesus died and rose from the grave. But what they weren't so

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 sure about is that when human beings die, there is a physical after, there is a physical world to come,

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 which we will inhibit. For the Corinthians, when we die, our bodies just, all the physical world gets

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 done away with. And we somehow transcend into an immaterial, soulish, disembodied state, and we do

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 something up in the heavens. Who knows what, but some immaterial world up there that our spirits go to.

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 And Paul writes them to say that this misunderstanding of the world to come actually is going to impact

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 the way that we live our lives here and now. And so for them, Jesus' resurrection from the dead was some

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 unique event that happened to Jesus alone because on the basis of his being the Son of God. But for

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 everyone else, the best that we can hope for when we die is some immaterial, soul, kind of disembodied

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 state where we go in the clouds and maybe play harps and sing kumbaya, my Lord, for all eternity.

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 And Paul's going to show them that that's not the case. And what we believe about what Jesus did on

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 the cross and what his resurrection means actually changes everything about our lives.

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 And so the first thing, or let me say this, I think in our day and age, many Christians believe

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 something similar. We know that Jesus died. We know that Jesus rose again. And we hope that that,

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 what that means is that somehow after our life, it'll mean that there's hope for us. But what that means,

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 we don't really know. Maybe it just means that our souls get to be in heaven. And we, as we said,

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 we sit on clouds and we sing songs, but it all sounds a little ethereal, a little domesticated,

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 a little boring, if we are allowed to say. What Paul writes to show us here is that Jesus'

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 resurrection from the dead in a physical bodily sense means that for those of us that are in Christ,

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 our resurrection from the dead in a physical bodily sense, in a physical glorious world,

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 a majestic world is absolutely certain. Look at what he says here in verse 12. He says,

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 now if Christ is proclaimed as being raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there's no

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 resurrection from the dead for us? So the Corinthians are saying, it's fine that Jesus rose from the dead,

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 but us, this is all there is in life. Let's just make merry and make the most of this world.

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 Let's just live it up, make the most money, satisfy our lives here, because after this world,

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 who knows what there is to come? Maybe our souls will go into some next world existence,

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 but this world is where it all really comes. And Paul is saying, if Jesus really rose from the dead,

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 how can you say that all we have to hope and live for is the things of this world?

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 Don't you know there's a whole nother world that's coming? He says, verse 13,

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 for if there's no bodily physical resurrection of the dead for us, then not even Christ has been raised.

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 And then our faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ

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 have perished. They've died. They're non-existent. For if, as Christians, we hope in this life only,

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 we of all people are most to be pitied. Friends, you see that? If our hope is found in the things of

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 this world only, well, we of all people are most to be pitied. There's no difference.

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 What's the point of being a Christian? Then Christianity is all a self-improvement project.

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 But, he says, in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead and is the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep,

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 those who have died. Now, the word first fruits is taken from an agricultural, a farming analogy,

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 and it means the down payment, the guarantee of what's to come. Let's say you reap a harvest,

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 and the first fruits indicates what the rest is to come, what it looks like. You go to the market and

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 you want to buy some fruit, and the seller says, yeah, have a taste. He gives you a first fruit,

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 a taste of what the rest of the batch will be like. It's an indication of what is to come.

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 If you're to make a payment, you pay a deposit, the first payment, guaranteeing the rest to follow.

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 Jesus' physical bodily resurrection from the dead is not just a metaphysical analogy.

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 It's actually a guarantee of what is to come in the world to come, what will happen to us,

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 that our bodies will rise in a physical resurrection glorious sense.

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 For those who are with Christ, our resurrection is guaranteed by the living God.

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 The resurrection, for those of us that are in Christ, is absolutely guaranteed.

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 It's certain. It's to come.

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 Friends, this world, in this world you will have trouble.

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 But this world is not where your hope lies.

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 There is a world to come which is absolutely certain.

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 But look at what Paul says.

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 Secondly, he says, not only does Jesus' physical bodily resurrection make our own resurrection absolutely certain,

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 it makes it wonderful.

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 Look at how Paul describes it in verse 35.

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 He says, someone will say, how are the dead raised?

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 With what kind of body do they have?

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 Okay, so Paul is telling us here, when you die, you and I will be raised from the dead,

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 not in this world, in the age to come, with a physical, glorious, wonderful, resurrected body.

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 In a physical, wonderful, glorious world.

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 But what kind of bodies will we have?

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 My grandmother just passed away last week.

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 She was 98 years old.

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 What kind of body?

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 She became a follower of Jesus in her mid-70s.

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 And what kind of body will she be raised with in Christ?

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 Well, look at what Paul says here.

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 Paul answers with the analogy of a seed.

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 He says, when you plant a seed, the seed is just a bare kernel of what you hope will grow.

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 You plant an acorn, you hope to get an oak tree.

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 You plant an avocado stone or pip, you hope to get an avocado tree.

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 You plant a tiny chili seed, and you hope to get a chili bush.

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 Paul says, in the same way, our bodies are like in kernel form.

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 And when they die, what is raised is not just a slightly improved version,

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 but a whole new, glorious version.

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 Look at what he says here in verse 42.

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 Friends, how many of us are getting aged?

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 How many of us here struggle with sickness and disease?

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 Some of us, some of us with diabetes.

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 Some of us are gluten intolerant.

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 Some of us daily face the battle of pain and aches and agony.

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 Friends, our body is going to be sown in weakness and fragility.

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 Perishable.

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 It's going to be raised a whole new, glorious body.

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 Pain-free.

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 Ache-free.

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 Disease-free.

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 No more agony.

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 No more pain.

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 No more needing to watch what you eat.

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 No more reaction and pain in our bodies to come.

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 In fact, look at what he says in verse 49.

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 He says, just as we have borne the image of the man of dust in this world,

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 so we shall bear the image of the man of heaven.

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 Paul is saying that in the world to come,

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 our physical bodies will resemble Jesus' resurrection body.

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 Isn't that incredible?

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 He says the same thing in Philippians chapter 3.

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 He says, when Jesus comes,

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 he will transform our lowly, sin-ravaged, pain-infected bodies

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 with his glorious body.

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 Our physical bodies in the new heavens and the new earth

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 will, in the glorious age to come,

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 will resemble in some way the glorious, majestic body of Jesus.

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 Isn't that incredible?

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 Isn't that good news?

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 Friends, heaven is not just going to be us sitting on the clouds,

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 playing harps, wondering what to do with our time.

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 Heaven is going to be a glorious and a renewed creation

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 where we will join with Christ in enjoying God,

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 enjoying creation, enjoying one another

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 in an infinitely beautiful and glorious new world.

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 C.S. Lewis, in the last of his Narnia books,

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 the last battle,

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 he has this scene where he describes what glory is going to be like.

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 And in this scene, the four children,

00:21:50.019 --> 00:21:51.779
 Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter,

00:21:52.339 --> 00:21:55.659
 grab some fruit in this picture of eternity.

00:21:56.279 --> 00:21:57.099
 And they eat this fruit.

00:21:57.220 --> 00:21:58.079
 And C.S. Lewis says,

00:21:58.259 --> 00:21:59.659
 what was the fruit like?

00:22:00.139 --> 00:22:01.919
 Well, how can you describe a taste?

00:22:01.920 --> 00:22:06.360
 All I can say is that the very sweetest strawberry you've ever eaten,

00:22:06.560 --> 00:22:07.840
 the very sweetest melon,

00:22:08.279 --> 00:22:10.460
 the most delicious pear you've ever eaten,

00:22:10.940 --> 00:22:16.039
 will feel wooden, flowery, hard, and disgusting

00:22:16.039 --> 00:22:18.200
 compared to that which is to come.

00:22:18.900 --> 00:22:19.180
 He says,

00:22:19.180 --> 00:22:23.360
 Think of the most beautiful day that you've ever experienced.

00:22:23.600 --> 00:22:25.660
 And compared to the glory of eternity,

00:22:26.160 --> 00:22:29.240
 the bluest sky will seem overcast and dull,

00:22:29.640 --> 00:22:31.940
 depressing and anxiety-producing.

00:22:32.259 --> 00:22:35.000
 The very greenest vistas you've ever seen

00:22:35.000 --> 00:22:37.860
 will seem dry and dead, archaic,

00:22:38.420 --> 00:22:39.940
 compared to the glory that's to come.

00:22:40.400 --> 00:22:42.100
 He's trying to find this language to say,

00:22:42.500 --> 00:22:45.500
 the very best thing that you've experienced in this world

00:22:45.500 --> 00:22:50.059
 will seem depressing and old and archaic and dying

00:22:50.059 --> 00:22:51.700
 compared to the world that's to come.

00:22:52.779 --> 00:22:55.319
 Friends, Jesus' resurrection from the dead

00:22:55.319 --> 00:22:57.880
 is a first-fruit prototype

00:22:57.880 --> 00:23:00.619
 of the world that we've got to look forward to

00:23:00.619 --> 00:23:02.619
 for those of us that are in Christ.

00:23:03.779 --> 00:23:04.700
 That's good news.

00:23:06.619 --> 00:23:08.640
 But there's something actually more important

00:23:08.640 --> 00:23:10.720
 than all of that about the resurrection.

00:23:11.460 --> 00:23:12.880
 There's something more significant

00:23:12.880 --> 00:23:15.359
 about what Jesus' resurrection means.

00:23:16.039 --> 00:23:16.579
 And that is,

00:23:16.819 --> 00:23:19.700
 not only has Jesus' resurrection secured for us

00:23:19.700 --> 00:23:21.119
 a glorious world,

00:23:21.200 --> 00:23:22.519
 which is certain and wonderful,

00:23:23.140 --> 00:23:24.440
 even more startling,

00:23:24.799 --> 00:23:26.079
 is that in many ways,

00:23:26.299 --> 00:23:29.380
 Jesus' resurrection secures for us

00:23:29.380 --> 00:23:30.680
 the world that's to come

00:23:30.680 --> 00:23:34.420
 is in some ways already here today.

00:23:35.380 --> 00:23:36.720
 Okay, now you're going to need to follow me here

00:23:36.720 --> 00:23:38.180
 because this is going to be a little theological.

00:23:38.460 --> 00:23:39.140
 Okay, are you ready?

00:23:40.099 --> 00:23:41.359
 Thank you, Iris.

00:23:41.559 --> 00:23:42.559
 Okay, great.

00:23:42.559 --> 00:23:45.419
 In the New Testament,

00:23:45.940 --> 00:23:49.940
 Jesus' resurrection was not just an isolated event

00:23:49.940 --> 00:23:52.319
 that was unique to Jesus as the Son of God,

00:23:52.839 --> 00:23:55.740
 but rather Jesus' resurrection from the dead

00:23:55.740 --> 00:23:59.500
 was the beginning or something,

00:23:59.720 --> 00:24:01.740
 an event that set in motion

00:24:01.740 --> 00:24:05.700
 a whole new entire world to come.

00:24:06.299 --> 00:24:06.559
 Okay?

00:24:06.559 --> 00:24:07.799
 Let me say it this way.

00:24:08.519 --> 00:24:10.259
 Jesus' resurrection from the dead,

00:24:10.359 --> 00:24:11.579
 Jesus' death and resurrection,

00:24:11.940 --> 00:24:14.279
 was not just a historical event

00:24:14.279 --> 00:24:16.039
 that happened 2,000 years ago.

00:24:16.419 --> 00:24:18.039
 It was the inauguration

00:24:18.039 --> 00:24:21.639
 of an entire new universe

00:24:21.639 --> 00:24:23.559
 or cosmos or world

00:24:23.559 --> 00:24:25.119
 that began then.

00:24:25.119 --> 00:24:28.579
 So, let me quote N.T. Wright,

00:24:28.699 --> 00:24:30.119
 who's one of the greatest philosophers

00:24:30.119 --> 00:24:31.619
 and theologians on this point.

00:24:31.719 --> 00:24:33.219
 Listen to how N.T. Wright says it.

00:24:33.919 --> 00:24:34.299
 He says,

00:24:34.399 --> 00:24:35.199
 In the New Testament,

00:24:36.039 --> 00:24:37.259
 the point of the resurrection

00:24:37.259 --> 00:24:39.919
 is not simply that the Creator God

00:24:39.919 --> 00:24:41.359
 has done something remarkable

00:24:41.359 --> 00:24:43.279
 for one solitary individual,

00:24:43.839 --> 00:24:45.859
 but that in and through the resurrection,

00:24:46.519 --> 00:24:49.039
 the present evil age

00:24:49.039 --> 00:24:52.199
 has been invaded by the age to come.

00:24:52.200 --> 00:24:54.660
 A time of return,

00:24:54.860 --> 00:24:56.120
 restoration and renewal.

00:24:56.819 --> 00:24:58.160
 An event has occurred

00:24:58.160 --> 00:24:59.440
 and as a result,

00:24:59.840 --> 00:25:01.319
 the world is a different place.

00:25:01.799 --> 00:25:03.620
 Human beings have a new possibility

00:25:03.620 --> 00:25:07.920
 to become a completely different kind of people.

00:25:08.640 --> 00:25:08.799
 Okay?

00:25:08.840 --> 00:25:09.580
 Do you see what he's saying?

00:25:10.059 --> 00:25:11.180
 Because of the resurrection,

00:25:11.680 --> 00:25:13.860
 the present evil age in which we live

00:25:13.860 --> 00:25:17.720
 has been invaded by the world to come.

00:25:18.180 --> 00:25:19.200
 And in some ways,

00:25:19.200 --> 00:25:23.039
 that world is beginning to bear fruit in our lives.

00:25:24.380 --> 00:25:25.519
 N.T. Wright is saying this.

00:25:26.000 --> 00:25:27.900
 Not only does the resurrection of Jesus

00:25:27.900 --> 00:25:30.140
 guarantee that one day when we die,

00:25:30.480 --> 00:25:32.960
 we will have a magnificent resurrection bodies

00:25:32.960 --> 00:25:35.720
 that will participate in this new glorious creation,

00:25:36.019 --> 00:25:37.400
 in the new heaven and new earth,

00:25:37.740 --> 00:25:38.420
 but in fact,

00:25:38.620 --> 00:25:40.080
 that glorious new world

00:25:40.080 --> 00:25:41.120
 has in some way,

00:25:41.700 --> 00:25:42.539
 in seed form,

00:25:43.500 --> 00:25:45.100
 partially but significantly,

00:25:45.720 --> 00:25:47.660
 begun in our world today

00:25:47.660 --> 00:25:49.180
 for those that are in Christ.

00:25:50.240 --> 00:25:52.140
 Jesus' death and resurrection

00:25:52.140 --> 00:25:54.140
 began or set in motion

00:25:54.140 --> 00:25:57.220
 something that will culminate with his return

00:25:57.220 --> 00:25:59.279
 when he defeats all his enemies,

00:25:59.480 --> 00:26:00.920
 when he crushes evil,

00:26:01.200 --> 00:26:03.019
 when he hands back the kingdom of God

00:26:03.019 --> 00:26:03.820
 to his father,

00:26:04.160 --> 00:26:06.180
 and when he reigns for all glory

00:26:06.180 --> 00:26:08.040
 with those that are in Christ.

00:26:09.940 --> 00:26:11.080
 Jesus' resurrection

00:26:11.079 --> 00:26:13.259
 was a deliberate invasion,

00:26:13.579 --> 00:26:14.960
 a repudiation,

00:26:15.159 --> 00:26:15.939
 a reversal

00:26:15.939 --> 00:26:17.460
 of the present

00:26:17.460 --> 00:26:18.740
 sin-ravaged,

00:26:19.179 --> 00:26:21.019
 pain-saturated,

00:26:21.279 --> 00:26:22.179
 death-stained,

00:26:22.379 --> 00:26:23.519
 God-denying world

00:26:23.519 --> 00:26:25.419
 by the kingdom of God

00:26:25.419 --> 00:26:26.099
 to come.

00:26:27.039 --> 00:26:27.399
 And friends,

00:26:27.460 --> 00:26:28.899
 for those of us that are in Christ,

00:26:29.039 --> 00:26:30.199
 we get to participate

00:26:30.199 --> 00:26:31.859
 in that world

00:26:31.859 --> 00:26:33.059
 here and now.

00:26:34.619 --> 00:26:36.000
 It's kind of like,

00:26:36.339 --> 00:26:38.259
 let me see if this analogy makes sense,

00:26:38.259 --> 00:26:39.960
 it's kind of like

00:26:39.960 --> 00:26:42.140
 when a couple are married

00:26:42.140 --> 00:26:43.740
 and they're trying to have kids

00:26:43.740 --> 00:26:46.119
 and the wife falls pregnant.

00:26:47.259 --> 00:26:48.660
 In some ways,

00:26:48.980 --> 00:26:51.359
 your life doesn't change too much.

00:26:52.099 --> 00:26:53.420
 You're still the same person.

00:26:53.559 --> 00:26:54.900
 You still go to work.

00:26:55.279 --> 00:26:57.140
 You still go to the shops.

00:26:57.259 --> 00:26:58.700
 You don't get transformed

00:26:58.700 --> 00:27:00.859
 from this world to another kingdom.

00:27:01.420 --> 00:27:02.779
 You still live in this world.

00:27:03.740 --> 00:27:04.859
 But in another sense,

00:27:04.859 --> 00:27:06.139
 the age to come

00:27:06.139 --> 00:27:07.759
 invades your life

00:27:07.759 --> 00:27:09.899
 and turns your whole world upside down.

00:27:10.699 --> 00:27:12.099
 You start off maybe feeling

00:27:12.099 --> 00:27:13.639
 a little bit nauseous, right?

00:27:14.740 --> 00:27:16.019
 You start to see

00:27:16.019 --> 00:27:17.500
 everything in the world differently.

00:27:17.740 --> 00:27:18.759
 Suddenly you start to see

00:27:18.759 --> 00:27:19.659
 public transport

00:27:19.659 --> 00:27:20.339
 and you think,

00:27:20.819 --> 00:27:21.919
 I wonder how a pram

00:27:21.919 --> 00:27:23.240
 will fit on that bus

00:27:23.240 --> 00:27:24.539
 or that MTR system.

00:27:25.299 --> 00:27:26.259
 Suddenly you start looking

00:27:26.259 --> 00:27:27.919
 at the packaging

00:27:27.919 --> 00:27:28.879
 and the labels

00:27:28.879 --> 00:27:30.179
 on all sorts of foods

00:27:30.179 --> 00:27:31.159
 that you eat.

00:27:31.959 --> 00:27:32.699
 In some ways,

00:27:32.779 --> 00:27:34.319
 your whole world is different

00:27:34.319 --> 00:27:36.059
 because the age to come,

00:27:36.179 --> 00:27:37.099
 the world that is going

00:27:37.099 --> 00:27:37.619
 to be yours

00:27:37.619 --> 00:27:38.579
 in nine months' time

00:27:38.579 --> 00:27:40.579
 has invaded your world

00:27:40.579 --> 00:27:41.339
 in anticipation

00:27:41.339 --> 00:27:42.480
 of what's to come.

00:27:43.119 --> 00:27:43.639
 And yet,

00:27:43.700 --> 00:27:44.299
 in many ways,

00:27:44.359 --> 00:27:45.539
 you're still the same person.

00:27:47.579 --> 00:27:49.099
 The resurrection of Jesus

00:27:49.099 --> 00:27:51.079
 is the inauguration,

00:27:51.220 --> 00:27:52.200
 has set in motion

00:27:52.200 --> 00:27:53.359
 a series of events

00:27:53.359 --> 00:27:55.079
 in which the entire world

00:27:55.079 --> 00:27:56.179
 changes for those

00:27:56.179 --> 00:27:56.899
 that are in Christ.

00:27:57.539 --> 00:27:58.220
 Listen to how

00:27:58.220 --> 00:27:59.259
 Tim Keller puts it.

00:27:59.339 --> 00:27:59.980
 He says this,

00:28:00.619 --> 00:28:01.759
 The resurrection was indeed

00:28:01.759 --> 00:28:02.939
 a miraculous display

00:28:02.940 --> 00:28:03.820
 of God's power.

00:28:04.500 --> 00:28:05.779
 But we should not see it

00:28:05.779 --> 00:28:06.700
 as a suspension

00:28:06.700 --> 00:28:08.320
 of the natural order

00:28:08.320 --> 00:28:08.900
 of the world.

00:28:09.640 --> 00:28:10.039
 Rather,

00:28:10.340 --> 00:28:11.240
 it is the beginning

00:28:11.240 --> 00:28:12.480
 of the restoration

00:28:12.480 --> 00:28:14.039
 of the natural order

00:28:14.039 --> 00:28:14.720
 of the world.

00:28:15.240 --> 00:28:16.140
 The world as God

00:28:16.140 --> 00:28:17.120
 intended it to be.

00:28:17.799 --> 00:28:18.000
 Okay?

00:28:18.140 --> 00:28:18.840
 Do you get that?

00:28:20.100 --> 00:28:21.039
 We shouldn't see

00:28:21.039 --> 00:28:21.740
 the miracle

00:28:21.740 --> 00:28:22.680
 of the resurrection

00:28:22.680 --> 00:28:23.799
 as a suspension

00:28:23.799 --> 00:28:24.820
 of the natural order

00:28:24.820 --> 00:28:25.640
 like God just said,

00:28:25.740 --> 00:28:25.840
 Okay,

00:28:26.259 --> 00:28:27.660
 I'm just going to pause

00:28:27.660 --> 00:28:28.620
 how things are going to be.

00:28:28.700 --> 00:28:29.700
 I'm going to do a miracle

00:28:29.700 --> 00:28:31.019
 and then things are going

00:28:31.019 --> 00:28:31.440
 to go back

00:28:31.440 --> 00:28:32.240
 to the natural order.

00:28:33.039 --> 00:28:33.500
 Actually,

00:28:33.600 --> 00:28:34.220
 the resurrection

00:28:34.220 --> 00:28:35.480
 was a restoration

00:28:35.480 --> 00:28:37.220
 of how the world

00:28:37.220 --> 00:28:38.819
 as God intended it to be

00:28:38.819 --> 00:28:41.400
 actually is.

00:28:41.940 --> 00:28:42.700
 The resurrection

00:28:42.700 --> 00:28:44.220
 means not merely

00:28:44.220 --> 00:28:44.860
 that Christians

00:28:44.860 --> 00:28:45.600
 have a hope

00:28:45.600 --> 00:28:46.680
 for the future,

00:28:47.059 --> 00:28:48.720
 but that we have a hope

00:28:48.720 --> 00:28:50.380
 that comes from the future

00:28:50.380 --> 00:28:52.059
 that begins now.

00:28:52.620 --> 00:28:54.380
 The Bible's startling message

00:28:54.380 --> 00:28:55.580
 is that when Jesus

00:28:55.580 --> 00:28:56.720
 rose from the dead,

00:28:56.720 --> 00:28:58.559
 he brought the future,

00:28:58.940 --> 00:29:00.600
 majestic, glorious,

00:29:01.059 --> 00:29:02.660
 life-giving kingdom of God

00:29:02.660 --> 00:29:04.759
 into our present world

00:29:04.759 --> 00:29:06.360
 here and now.

00:29:07.960 --> 00:29:08.960
 I hope that's not

00:29:08.960 --> 00:29:09.720
 too philosophical.

00:29:11.980 --> 00:29:13.039
 Jesus' resurrection

00:29:13.039 --> 00:29:15.019
 doesn't just change things

00:29:15.019 --> 00:29:15.980
 for when you die.

00:29:16.559 --> 00:29:18.299
 It changes the entire way

00:29:18.299 --> 00:29:20.100
 you see the world now.

00:29:21.640 --> 00:29:23.240
 The resurrection of Jesus

00:29:23.240 --> 00:29:24.380
 means that Christians,

00:29:24.559 --> 00:29:25.559
 as one author put it,

00:29:25.559 --> 00:29:26.740
 living in heaven

00:29:26.740 --> 00:29:28.099
 even as we live on earth,

00:29:28.779 --> 00:29:30.019
 living in the future

00:29:30.019 --> 00:29:31.059
 even as we live

00:29:31.059 --> 00:29:31.619
 in the present.

00:29:33.139 --> 00:29:34.460
 And when you think about it,

00:29:34.500 --> 00:29:35.319
 what that means

00:29:35.319 --> 00:29:37.519
 is the entire Christian life

00:29:37.519 --> 00:29:39.119
 is a participation

00:29:39.119 --> 00:29:41.079
 in the world to come.

00:29:41.980 --> 00:29:42.599
 That's why,

00:29:42.679 --> 00:29:43.059
 what it means

00:29:43.059 --> 00:29:43.879
 is Christians say,

00:29:44.079 --> 00:29:45.240
 I'm a sojourner

00:29:45.240 --> 00:29:45.799
 on this world,

00:29:45.899 --> 00:29:46.440
 I'm a citizen

00:29:46.440 --> 00:29:47.339
 of the world to come.

00:29:47.960 --> 00:29:48.579
 It's saying,

00:29:48.819 --> 00:29:49.700
 I'm not my own,

00:29:49.799 --> 00:29:50.599
 but I belong,

00:29:50.799 --> 00:29:51.480
 body and soul,

00:29:51.599 --> 00:29:52.639
 to Christ.

00:29:53.259 --> 00:29:53.839
 It's saying,

00:29:53.980 --> 00:29:54.919
 it's no longer I

00:29:54.920 --> 00:29:55.300
 who live,

00:29:55.400 --> 00:29:56.080
 but it's Christ

00:29:56.080 --> 00:29:56.860
 who lives in me.

00:29:57.500 --> 00:29:58.100
 The resurrection

00:29:58.100 --> 00:29:58.960
 means that Christians

00:29:58.960 --> 00:29:59.279
 say,

00:29:59.640 --> 00:30:00.400
 I'm willing to count

00:30:00.400 --> 00:30:01.380
 all the treasures

00:30:01.380 --> 00:30:02.100
 of this world

00:30:02.100 --> 00:30:03.180
 as rubbish

00:30:03.180 --> 00:30:04.680
 in order that I may

00:30:04.680 --> 00:30:05.380
 know Christ

00:30:05.380 --> 00:30:06.400
 and the power

00:30:06.400 --> 00:30:07.400
 of his resurrection,

00:30:07.800 --> 00:30:09.300
 even as I participate

00:30:09.300 --> 00:30:10.360
 in the sufferings

00:30:10.360 --> 00:30:11.720
 of this world.

00:30:13.140 --> 00:30:14.320
 Romans chapter 6

00:30:14.320 --> 00:30:15.420
 puts it like this,

00:30:16.259 --> 00:30:18.000
 when Jesus died,

00:30:18.140 --> 00:30:19.160
 we died with him.

00:30:19.259 --> 00:30:20.940
 And when Jesus raised,

00:30:21.360 --> 00:30:22.880
 he was raised from the dead

00:30:22.880 --> 00:30:23.640
 by the glory

00:30:23.640 --> 00:30:24.360
 of the Father

00:30:24.360 --> 00:30:26.740
 so that we might walk

00:30:26.740 --> 00:30:28.380
 in newness of life

00:30:28.380 --> 00:30:30.120
 in this world today.

00:30:31.580 --> 00:30:32.100
 Friends,

00:30:32.200 --> 00:30:33.000
 do you know what that means?

00:30:33.780 --> 00:30:35.100
 It means for those of us

00:30:35.100 --> 00:30:36.100
 that are in Christ

00:30:36.100 --> 00:30:37.060
 by faith,

00:30:37.640 --> 00:30:39.840
 everything changes.

00:30:40.560 --> 00:30:41.760
 Because the resurrection

00:30:41.760 --> 00:30:43.520
 of Jesus from the dead

00:30:43.520 --> 00:30:45.200
 doesn't just mean good news

00:30:45.200 --> 00:30:46.600
 for the future one days,

00:30:46.980 --> 00:30:48.100
 it means the good news

00:30:48.100 --> 00:30:48.900
 of the future

00:30:48.900 --> 00:30:50.480
 has invaded our world now.

00:30:50.480 --> 00:30:51.799
 It means that in

00:30:51.799 --> 00:30:52.740
 through the resurrection,

00:30:53.079 --> 00:30:54.740
 in the present evil age,

00:30:55.079 --> 00:30:57.000
 God has invaded our world

00:30:57.000 --> 00:30:58.059
 with the age to come.

00:30:58.519 --> 00:30:59.200
 And as a result,

00:30:59.319 --> 00:31:00.680
 the world is a different place.

00:31:01.079 --> 00:31:02.299
 And those that are in Christ

00:31:02.299 --> 00:31:03.740
 have the new possibility

00:31:03.740 --> 00:31:04.620
 of being utterly

00:31:04.620 --> 00:31:06.259
 different kinds of people.

00:31:07.799 --> 00:31:08.779
 Jesus' resurrection

00:31:08.779 --> 00:31:11.380
 changes everything.

00:31:12.799 --> 00:31:13.380
 Everything.

00:31:15.240 --> 00:31:16.360
 And when we look

00:31:16.360 --> 00:31:17.059
 at the New Testament,

00:31:17.240 --> 00:31:17.779
 one of the things

00:31:17.779 --> 00:31:18.380
 that's amazing

00:31:18.380 --> 00:31:20.100
 is that you see

00:31:20.100 --> 00:31:21.220
 in everything

00:31:21.220 --> 00:31:22.220
 that the apostles

00:31:22.220 --> 00:31:23.140
 write about,

00:31:23.700 --> 00:31:24.440
 they appeal

00:31:24.440 --> 00:31:25.100
 to the hope

00:31:25.100 --> 00:31:25.760
 of the resurrection,

00:31:25.960 --> 00:31:26.720
 the will to come,

00:31:27.000 --> 00:31:27.800
 to deal with

00:31:27.800 --> 00:31:29.500
 every issue in life.

00:31:30.340 --> 00:31:31.140
 The resurrection

00:31:31.140 --> 00:31:32.300
 changes the way

00:31:32.300 --> 00:31:33.200
 that we see money.

00:31:33.900 --> 00:31:34.780
 It changes the way

00:31:34.780 --> 00:31:35.440
 that we see

00:31:35.440 --> 00:31:36.420
 our desires.

00:31:36.960 --> 00:31:37.880
 It changes the way

00:31:37.880 --> 00:31:39.080
 that we handle success.

00:31:39.460 --> 00:31:40.260
 It changes the way

00:31:40.260 --> 00:31:41.280
 we handle disappointment.

00:31:41.520 --> 00:31:42.220
 It changes the way

00:31:42.220 --> 00:31:43.400
 we handle failure.

00:31:43.740 --> 00:31:44.600
 It changes the way

00:31:44.600 --> 00:31:45.560
 we handle hurt

00:31:45.560 --> 00:31:46.180
 and betrayal.

00:31:46.180 --> 00:31:47.360
 It changes the way

00:31:47.360 --> 00:31:47.900
 that we view

00:31:47.900 --> 00:31:48.480
 our bodies

00:31:48.480 --> 00:31:49.420
 and sexuality.

00:31:49.920 --> 00:31:50.420
 The resurrection

00:31:50.420 --> 00:31:51.080
 of Jesus

00:31:51.080 --> 00:31:52.580
 changes absolutely

00:31:52.580 --> 00:31:53.799
 everything.

00:31:55.640 --> 00:31:56.240
 Friends,

00:31:56.340 --> 00:31:57.019
 if you do not

00:31:57.019 --> 00:31:57.600
 understand

00:31:57.600 --> 00:31:58.920
 what Jesus did

00:31:58.920 --> 00:31:59.500
 when he died

00:31:59.500 --> 00:32:00.279
 and rose again

00:32:00.279 --> 00:32:01.120
 from the grave,

00:32:02.120 --> 00:32:03.080
 if you do not

00:32:03.080 --> 00:32:03.440
 understand

00:32:03.440 --> 00:32:03.980
 what Jesus

00:32:03.980 --> 00:32:04.539
 is doing

00:32:04.539 --> 00:32:05.120
 in this world

00:32:05.120 --> 00:32:05.620
 by way

00:32:05.620 --> 00:32:06.400
 of his resurrection,

00:32:07.160 --> 00:32:07.860
 you'll forever

00:32:07.860 --> 00:32:08.720
 be anxious,

00:32:09.680 --> 00:32:10.200
 frustrated,

00:32:11.160 --> 00:32:12.080
 super busy,

00:32:12.960 --> 00:32:13.180
 overworked,

00:32:14.500 --> 00:32:14.900
 frantically

00:32:14.900 --> 00:32:15.680
 running around

00:32:15.680 --> 00:32:16.920
 and yet paradoxically

00:32:16.920 --> 00:32:17.800
 you'll be

00:32:17.800 --> 00:32:18.700
 unfulfilled,

00:32:19.340 --> 00:32:20.280
 desperately trying

00:32:20.280 --> 00:32:21.460
 to secure for yourself

00:32:21.460 --> 00:32:22.440
 some kind of

00:32:22.440 --> 00:32:23.400
 heaven on earth

00:32:23.400 --> 00:32:24.400
 on your own terms.

00:32:28.300 --> 00:32:28.820
 Friends,

00:32:29.540 --> 00:32:30.380
 why is it that

00:32:30.380 --> 00:32:30.880
 our city,

00:32:31.000 --> 00:32:31.560
 and maybe you're

00:32:31.560 --> 00:32:32.019
 one of them,

00:32:32.140 --> 00:32:33.180
 is so frantically

00:32:33.180 --> 00:32:34.360
 running around,

00:32:34.820 --> 00:32:35.600
 extra busy,

00:32:36.220 --> 00:32:37.440
 never able to rest,

00:32:38.080 --> 00:32:39.400
 never able to slow down?

00:32:39.400 --> 00:32:41.420
 It's because

00:32:41.420 --> 00:32:42.080
 we are frantically

00:32:42.080 --> 00:32:42.940
 trying to secure

00:32:42.940 --> 00:32:43.780
 for ourselves

00:32:43.780 --> 00:32:45.000
 the heaven on earth.

00:32:45.440 --> 00:32:46.420
 But the good news

00:32:46.420 --> 00:32:46.940
 of the gospel

00:32:46.940 --> 00:32:48.180
 is that Jesus died

00:32:48.180 --> 00:32:49.000
 not just to take

00:32:49.000 --> 00:32:49.920
 our sins upon himself

00:32:49.920 --> 00:32:50.519
 to do that,

00:32:50.860 --> 00:32:52.540
 but Jesus rose again

00:32:52.540 --> 00:32:53.640
 so that we don't need

00:32:53.640 --> 00:32:54.220
 to anxiously

00:32:54.220 --> 00:32:55.940
 secure for ourselves

00:32:55.940 --> 00:32:56.840
 heaven on earth.

00:32:57.280 --> 00:32:58.840
 Jesus came to invest

00:32:58.840 --> 00:32:59.860
 and invade

00:32:59.860 --> 00:33:01.519
 our sin-laden,

00:33:01.820 --> 00:33:03.300
 death-stained,

00:33:03.519 --> 00:33:05.180
 pain-saturated world

00:33:05.180 --> 00:33:06.480
 with his kingdom,

00:33:06.920 --> 00:33:08.060
 with his heaven on earth.

00:33:08.059 --> 00:33:11.819
 And so,

00:33:12.059 --> 00:33:13.319
 as we come to land,

00:33:13.399 --> 00:33:14.000
 let's think about

00:33:14.000 --> 00:33:14.659
 a couple of things

00:33:14.659 --> 00:33:15.200
 practically.

00:33:16.099 --> 00:33:17.500
 Think about what this means

00:33:17.500 --> 00:33:18.240
 for the way we think

00:33:18.240 --> 00:33:18.919
 about money.

00:33:21.919 --> 00:33:23.619
 We are all economic beings

00:33:23.619 --> 00:33:24.259
 and we live in

00:33:24.259 --> 00:33:25.299
 an economic world.

00:33:26.079 --> 00:33:27.019
 And Jesus says that

00:33:27.019 --> 00:33:27.720
 money is neither

00:33:27.720 --> 00:33:28.379
 a good thing

00:33:28.379 --> 00:33:29.220
 nor a bad thing.

00:33:29.339 --> 00:33:30.299
 Money has no

00:33:30.299 --> 00:33:32.159
 moral values,

00:33:32.399 --> 00:33:33.399
 morally neutral.

00:33:34.259 --> 00:33:34.799
 But remember

00:33:34.799 --> 00:33:36.200
 Jesus' very famous words

00:33:36.200 --> 00:33:37.339
 in Matthew chapter 6,

00:33:37.419 --> 00:33:38.039
 what Jesus said,

00:33:38.059 --> 00:33:38.279
 is,

00:33:38.799 --> 00:33:39.159
 he says,

00:33:39.220 --> 00:33:39.940
 do not lay up

00:33:39.940 --> 00:33:40.779
 for yourselves

00:33:40.779 --> 00:33:42.399
 treasures on earth

00:33:42.399 --> 00:33:43.759
 where moth and rust

00:33:43.759 --> 00:33:44.599
 destroy and where

00:33:44.599 --> 00:33:45.879
 thieves break in and steal,

00:33:46.240 --> 00:33:47.500
 but lay up for yourselves

00:33:47.500 --> 00:33:48.919
 treasures in heaven

00:33:48.919 --> 00:33:50.019
 where neither moth

00:33:50.019 --> 00:33:50.879
 nor rust destroy,

00:33:51.059 --> 00:33:52.079
 thieves do not break in

00:33:52.079 --> 00:33:52.599
 and steal.

00:33:53.319 --> 00:33:53.980
 And then he says,

00:33:54.220 --> 00:33:55.240
 for where your heart is,

00:33:55.319 --> 00:33:55.980
 there your treasure

00:33:55.980 --> 00:33:57.099
 will be as well.

00:33:58.019 --> 00:33:59.440
 Now when Jesus is talking

00:33:59.440 --> 00:34:00.559
 about heaven and earth,

00:34:00.619 --> 00:34:01.599
 he's not talking about

00:34:01.599 --> 00:34:02.899
 a geographical place.

00:34:03.379 --> 00:34:04.299
 Store up for yourselves

00:34:04.299 --> 00:34:05.299
 treasures up there

00:34:05.299 --> 00:34:05.940
 in the sky,

00:34:05.940 --> 00:34:06.940
 not here on earth.

00:34:07.720 --> 00:34:08.619
 Jesus is not talking

00:34:08.619 --> 00:34:10.019
 about a temporal place

00:34:10.019 --> 00:34:11.700
 like store up,

00:34:11.860 --> 00:34:12.800
 do not spend your money

00:34:12.800 --> 00:34:13.079
 now,

00:34:13.159 --> 00:34:14.700
 but invest it for the future.

00:34:14.960 --> 00:34:15.420
 He's not talking

00:34:15.420 --> 00:34:16.280
 about a time frame.

00:34:17.240 --> 00:34:18.000
 What he's saying

00:34:18.000 --> 00:34:18.940
 is that how,

00:34:19.599 --> 00:34:20.200
 he's saying you can

00:34:20.200 --> 00:34:21.659
 see and use money

00:34:21.659 --> 00:34:23.240
 in a this present world

00:34:23.240 --> 00:34:23.720
 sense,

00:34:24.099 --> 00:34:25.260
 or you can see it

00:34:25.260 --> 00:34:26.360
 in the kingdom of God

00:34:26.360 --> 00:34:26.780
 sense.

00:34:27.320 --> 00:34:28.659
 And how you see it

00:34:28.659 --> 00:34:29.460
 is going to determine

00:34:29.460 --> 00:34:30.880
 not just what you do

00:34:30.880 --> 00:34:31.420
 with money,

00:34:31.420 --> 00:34:32.920
 but with what it does

00:34:32.920 --> 00:34:33.860
 to you.

00:34:34.659 --> 00:34:36.079
 How you see money

00:34:36.079 --> 00:34:37.260
 is going to determine

00:34:37.260 --> 00:34:38.280
 whether you're a slave

00:34:38.280 --> 00:34:38.680
 to it,

00:34:38.940 --> 00:34:39.519
 or whether you're

00:34:39.519 --> 00:34:40.559
 a master of it.

00:34:40.980 --> 00:34:42.460
 Whether it controls you,

00:34:42.740 --> 00:34:43.420
 or whether you're

00:34:43.420 --> 00:34:44.159
 free from it.

00:34:45.039 --> 00:34:45.980
 Jesus says that

00:34:45.980 --> 00:34:47.420
 how we see

00:34:47.420 --> 00:34:48.659
 this world

00:34:48.659 --> 00:34:49.519
 and our participation

00:34:49.519 --> 00:34:50.380
 in this world

00:34:50.380 --> 00:34:51.099
 will transform

00:34:51.099 --> 00:34:51.980
 the way we handle

00:34:51.980 --> 00:34:53.180
 something very tangible

00:34:53.180 --> 00:34:54.380
 like our wealth.

00:34:55.280 --> 00:34:56.019
 Or think of

00:34:56.019 --> 00:34:57.119
 sexuality.

00:34:58.260 --> 00:34:59.180
 In our day,

00:34:59.260 --> 00:35:00.420
 we live in a day and age

00:35:00.420 --> 00:35:01.340
 in which our culture

00:35:01.340 --> 00:35:02.099
 tells us that

00:35:02.099 --> 00:35:03.440
 sexuality and sex

00:35:03.440 --> 00:35:04.400
 is both everything

00:35:04.400 --> 00:35:05.380
 and nothing

00:35:05.380 --> 00:35:06.500
 all at the same time.

00:35:06.980 --> 00:35:07.659
 It's everything

00:35:07.659 --> 00:35:08.780
 because if you are

00:35:08.780 --> 00:35:10.900
 not having lots of it,

00:35:11.000 --> 00:35:11.659
 you are nothing.

00:35:12.119 --> 00:35:13.079
 But it's also nothing

00:35:13.079 --> 00:35:14.360
 because it doesn't

00:35:14.360 --> 00:35:15.240
 really mean anything.

00:35:15.400 --> 00:35:15.840
 You can have it

00:35:15.840 --> 00:35:16.659
 with as many people

00:35:16.659 --> 00:35:17.240
 as you want,

00:35:17.480 --> 00:35:18.380
 as often as you want.

00:35:19.119 --> 00:35:20.180
 Our culture tells us

00:35:20.180 --> 00:35:20.880
 that our sexuality

00:35:20.880 --> 00:35:21.680
 is just a matter

00:35:21.680 --> 00:35:22.680
 of personal preference.

00:35:22.800 --> 00:35:23.400
 It's my body,

00:35:23.480 --> 00:35:24.099
 I get to do

00:35:24.099 --> 00:35:25.400
 what I want with it.

00:35:25.960 --> 00:35:26.559
 And in fact,

00:35:26.599 --> 00:35:27.139
 we see this

00:35:27.139 --> 00:35:28.180
 in the book of Corinthians.

00:35:28.260 --> 00:35:29.139
 Look at what Paul says

00:35:29.139 --> 00:35:30.400
 here in chapter 15.

00:35:30.780 --> 00:35:31.980
 He says in verse 32,

00:35:32.639 --> 00:35:33.880
 if the dead are not raised,

00:35:34.180 --> 00:35:35.079
 if God's kingdom

00:35:35.079 --> 00:35:36.599
 doesn't invade our world,

00:35:36.920 --> 00:35:38.139
 well then let's just eat

00:35:38.139 --> 00:35:38.659
 and drink

00:35:38.659 --> 00:35:39.840
 for tomorrow we die.

00:35:40.000 --> 00:35:41.059
 Let's do whatever we want.

00:35:41.559 --> 00:35:42.960
 You only live once, right?

00:35:43.139 --> 00:35:44.220
 YOLO, live it up.

00:35:44.720 --> 00:35:45.539
 Do whatever you want

00:35:45.539 --> 00:35:46.320
 because you only have

00:35:46.320 --> 00:35:46.920
 one life.

00:35:48.220 --> 00:35:48.700
 In fact,

00:35:48.760 --> 00:35:49.180
 the Corinthians

00:35:49.180 --> 00:35:50.000
 had a saying.

00:35:50.139 --> 00:35:50.519
 They said,

00:35:51.139 --> 00:35:51.720
 as the stomach

00:35:51.720 --> 00:35:52.500
 is for food

00:35:52.500 --> 00:35:53.619
 and food is for the stomach,

00:35:54.000 --> 00:35:54.639
 so the body

00:35:54.639 --> 00:35:55.240
 is for sex

00:35:55.240 --> 00:35:56.300
 and sex is for the body.

00:35:56.880 --> 00:35:57.200
 In other words,

00:35:57.240 --> 00:35:58.019
 this is my body.

00:35:58.099 --> 00:35:58.659
 Let me fulfill

00:35:58.659 --> 00:35:59.559
 my appetites.

00:35:59.559 --> 00:36:00.659
 Do what I want with it.

00:36:01.519 --> 00:36:02.599
 But look at how Paul

00:36:02.599 --> 00:36:03.539
 writes to the Corinthians.

00:36:03.719 --> 00:36:04.440
 He says this

00:36:04.440 --> 00:36:06.019
 in chapter 7.

00:36:06.779 --> 00:36:07.000
 He says,

00:36:07.119 --> 00:36:07.599
 don't you know

00:36:07.599 --> 00:36:08.299
 that your body

00:36:08.299 --> 00:36:09.099
 is a temple

00:36:09.099 --> 00:36:10.000
 of the Holy Spirit

00:36:10.000 --> 00:36:11.799
 whom you have from God?

00:36:12.259 --> 00:36:13.500
 You are not your own.

00:36:14.059 --> 00:36:14.699
 You were bought

00:36:14.699 --> 00:36:15.400
 with a price.

00:36:15.980 --> 00:36:17.000
 You belong to God.

00:36:17.199 --> 00:36:17.900
 Glorify God

00:36:17.900 --> 00:36:18.559
 with your bodies.

00:36:19.420 --> 00:36:19.940
 The Corinthians

00:36:19.940 --> 00:36:20.440
 were saying,

00:36:20.860 --> 00:36:21.099
 listen,

00:36:21.320 --> 00:36:22.219
 our body is just,

00:36:22.539 --> 00:36:23.739
 it's a material thing.

00:36:23.820 --> 00:36:24.320
 One day we're going

00:36:24.320 --> 00:36:24.780
 to die.

00:36:24.880 --> 00:36:25.059
 We're going

00:36:25.059 --> 00:36:25.539
 to be laid

00:36:25.539 --> 00:36:26.160
 in the grave.

00:36:26.519 --> 00:36:27.039
 Who cares?

00:36:27.100 --> 00:36:27.640
 Our spirits

00:36:27.640 --> 00:36:28.120
 will go and be

00:36:28.120 --> 00:36:28.900
 with God in heaven,

00:36:29.160 --> 00:36:29.800
 but what we do

00:36:29.800 --> 00:36:30.360
 with our bodies

00:36:30.360 --> 00:36:30.760
 is for me

00:36:30.760 --> 00:36:31.480
 just to maximize

00:36:31.480 --> 00:36:32.440
 my own enjoyment.

00:36:32.920 --> 00:36:33.980
 Let me just live it now

00:36:33.980 --> 00:36:35.260
 and maximize my pleasure.

00:36:35.760 --> 00:36:36.220
 And Paul says,

00:36:36.280 --> 00:36:36.960
 don't you see

00:36:36.960 --> 00:36:37.820
 that your body

00:36:37.820 --> 00:36:39.160
 is part of the kingdom

00:36:39.160 --> 00:36:40.000
 of God to come?

00:36:40.539 --> 00:36:41.580
 How you steward

00:36:41.580 --> 00:36:42.120
 your body

00:36:42.120 --> 00:36:43.400
 actually makes a difference.

00:36:43.519 --> 00:36:44.400
 You are participating

00:36:44.400 --> 00:36:45.760
 with your body

00:36:45.760 --> 00:36:47.059
 in the kingdom of God

00:36:47.059 --> 00:36:47.800
 in this life.

00:36:48.340 --> 00:36:49.220
 Use your body

00:36:49.220 --> 00:36:49.980
 as an agent,

00:36:50.120 --> 00:36:50.660
 as a tool,

00:36:50.760 --> 00:36:51.420
 as a vessel

00:36:51.420 --> 00:36:52.599
 for the kingdom

00:36:52.599 --> 00:36:53.500
 of God to come.

00:36:55.340 --> 00:36:56.180
 Sam Albury,

00:36:56.559 --> 00:36:59.440
 who is a pastor

00:36:59.440 --> 00:37:00.260
 in the UK,

00:37:01.000 --> 00:37:01.860
 a man who lives

00:37:01.860 --> 00:37:03.180
 with the daily reality

00:37:03.180 --> 00:37:04.400
 of being sexually

00:37:04.400 --> 00:37:05.559
 attracted to other men,

00:37:05.740 --> 00:37:06.659
 he says all his life,

00:37:06.720 --> 00:37:07.559
 as long as he knows,

00:37:08.059 --> 00:37:09.480
 he's had homosexual desires,

00:37:10.220 --> 00:37:11.320
 and yet he's come

00:37:11.320 --> 00:37:12.659
 to see that his body

00:37:12.659 --> 00:37:14.619
 belongs not to himself,

00:37:14.740 --> 00:37:15.440
 but to Christ

00:37:15.440 --> 00:37:16.300
 as part of the kingdom

00:37:16.300 --> 00:37:17.280
 of God in this world.

00:37:18.079 --> 00:37:18.820
 And so he's chosen

00:37:18.820 --> 00:37:19.980
 to steward his body

00:37:19.980 --> 00:37:21.000
 for the glory of God

00:37:21.000 --> 00:37:22.320
 and to retain,

00:37:22.840 --> 00:37:23.619
 to restrain

00:37:23.619 --> 00:37:25.300
 his sexual desires.

00:37:25.440 --> 00:37:26.440
 And so listen

00:37:26.440 --> 00:37:28.199
 to what Sam Albury writes.

00:37:29.079 --> 00:37:29.519
 He says,

00:37:29.619 --> 00:37:30.559
 as a follower of Jesus,

00:37:31.579 --> 00:37:32.880
 we will all incur

00:37:32.880 --> 00:37:33.480
 some cost.

00:37:33.599 --> 00:37:34.420
 Whatever our cost

00:37:34.420 --> 00:37:36.099
 of discipleship may be,

00:37:36.739 --> 00:37:37.480
 however much

00:37:37.480 --> 00:37:38.739
 we may have to lose out

00:37:38.739 --> 00:37:39.280
 in the course

00:37:39.280 --> 00:37:40.219
 of following Jesus,

00:37:41.199 --> 00:37:42.260
 Jesus shows us

00:37:42.260 --> 00:37:44.340
 that even in this life,

00:37:44.519 --> 00:37:45.659
 in this world,

00:37:46.159 --> 00:37:47.320
 it will be worth it.

00:37:48.519 --> 00:37:49.460
 Sam Albury's not saying,

00:37:49.820 --> 00:37:50.659
 I'll suffer now,

00:37:50.659 --> 00:37:51.299
 but don't worry,

00:37:51.379 --> 00:37:52.119
 one day when I get

00:37:52.119 --> 00:37:52.539
 to heaven,

00:37:52.659 --> 00:37:53.539
 it'll all be worth it.

00:37:54.239 --> 00:37:55.460
 As a follower of Jesus,

00:37:55.579 --> 00:37:56.599
 the kingdom of God

00:37:56.599 --> 00:37:58.679
 has invaded my world now.

00:37:59.199 --> 00:37:59.739
 And actually,

00:37:59.920 --> 00:38:02.059
 the price I pay now

00:38:02.059 --> 00:38:03.039
 will be all worth it

00:38:03.039 --> 00:38:03.920
 in this world

00:38:03.920 --> 00:38:05.259
 because what I do

00:38:05.259 --> 00:38:05.899
 with my body

00:38:05.899 --> 00:38:06.779
 is a participation

00:38:06.779 --> 00:38:08.679
 in the glorious kingdom

00:38:08.679 --> 00:38:09.159
 of God

00:38:09.159 --> 00:38:10.000
 in this life.

00:38:11.319 --> 00:38:11.799
 Lastly,

00:38:12.000 --> 00:38:12.759
 let's think about this.

00:38:12.819 --> 00:38:13.639
 We could think about

00:38:13.639 --> 00:38:14.440
 suffering.

00:38:15.179 --> 00:38:16.219
 What about suffering?

00:38:16.219 --> 00:38:18.899
 Look at what Paul says

00:38:18.899 --> 00:38:19.699
 in our passage

00:38:19.699 --> 00:38:20.679
 in verse 30.

00:38:21.679 --> 00:38:21.980
 He says,

00:38:22.099 --> 00:38:22.699
 if the resurrection

00:38:22.699 --> 00:38:23.559
 is not true,

00:38:24.259 --> 00:38:25.219
 if all our hope

00:38:25.219 --> 00:38:26.719
 is in what we have

00:38:26.719 --> 00:38:27.459
 in this world,

00:38:28.059 --> 00:38:29.119
 why do we suffer?

00:38:30.199 --> 00:38:31.319
 Why do we allow ourselves

00:38:31.319 --> 00:38:32.199
 to be put in danger?

00:38:33.019 --> 00:38:34.079
 Why do we allow ourselves

00:38:34.079 --> 00:38:34.799
 to be tortured,

00:38:35.179 --> 00:38:35.679
 abused,

00:38:35.839 --> 00:38:36.939
 taken advantage of?

00:38:37.739 --> 00:38:39.019
 Why not just avoid

00:38:39.019 --> 00:38:40.219
 suffering at all costs?

00:38:41.219 --> 00:38:41.959
 And the answer,

00:38:43.339 --> 00:38:43.500
 well,

00:38:43.539 --> 00:38:44.539
 Paul writes to Corinthians

00:38:44.539 --> 00:38:45.500
 in another chapter,

00:38:45.719 --> 00:38:47.139
 in 2 Corinthians chapter 4,

00:38:47.199 --> 00:38:48.059
 and this is what he says.

00:38:48.779 --> 00:38:49.199
 He says,

00:38:49.279 --> 00:38:50.159
 as followers of Jesus,

00:38:50.279 --> 00:38:51.059
 we are afflicted

00:38:51.059 --> 00:38:51.719
 in every way,

00:38:51.839 --> 00:38:52.759
 but we are not crushed.

00:38:53.399 --> 00:38:54.519
 We are perplexed,

00:38:54.559 --> 00:38:55.179
 but we are not driven

00:38:55.179 --> 00:38:55.879
 to despair.

00:38:56.419 --> 00:38:57.439
 We are persecuted,

00:38:57.799 --> 00:38:58.779
 but we are not forsaken.

00:38:59.299 --> 00:39:00.500
 We are struck down

00:39:00.500 --> 00:39:01.199
 in this life,

00:39:01.199 --> 00:39:02.519
 but we are not destroyed,

00:39:03.259 --> 00:39:04.899
 knowing that he

00:39:04.899 --> 00:39:06.480
 who raised the Lord Jesus

00:39:06.480 --> 00:39:08.659
 will also raise us

00:39:08.659 --> 00:39:09.719
 from the dead

00:39:09.719 --> 00:39:10.480
 and bring us

00:39:10.480 --> 00:39:11.239
 into his presence.

00:39:11.319 --> 00:39:12.139
 You see what he's saying there?

00:39:12.439 --> 00:39:14.019
 In the midst of our suffering,

00:39:14.119 --> 00:39:15.359
 in the midst of persecution,

00:39:15.839 --> 00:39:17.019
 in the midst of opposition,

00:39:17.399 --> 00:39:18.599
 we live knowing

00:39:18.599 --> 00:39:19.500
 that our life

00:39:19.500 --> 00:39:20.500
 is in Christ's hands,

00:39:20.599 --> 00:39:21.119
 the risen,

00:39:21.119 --> 00:39:21.859
 the risen,

00:39:21.939 --> 00:39:22.859
 resurrected Jesus.

00:39:23.739 --> 00:39:24.039
 He says,

00:39:24.119 --> 00:39:24.899
 for this light

00:39:24.899 --> 00:39:26.099
 and momentary affliction

00:39:26.099 --> 00:39:27.339
 is preparing for us

00:39:27.339 --> 00:39:29.059
 an eternal weight of glory

00:39:29.059 --> 00:39:30.679
 beyond all comparison

00:39:30.679 --> 00:39:31.939
 as we look

00:39:31.939 --> 00:39:33.219
 not to the things

00:39:33.219 --> 00:39:34.119
 of this world

00:39:34.119 --> 00:39:35.159
 that are seen,

00:39:35.559 --> 00:39:36.599
 but to the things

00:39:36.599 --> 00:39:37.879
 that are unseen.

00:39:37.880 --> 00:39:40.019
 Friends,

00:39:40.059 --> 00:39:40.740
 throughout the whole

00:39:40.740 --> 00:39:41.480
 New Testament,

00:39:41.640 --> 00:39:42.200
 the Christians

00:39:42.200 --> 00:39:43.000
 are those who view

00:39:43.000 --> 00:39:43.519
 hardship,

00:39:44.039 --> 00:39:44.800
 who view suffering,

00:39:44.960 --> 00:39:45.500
 difficulty,

00:39:45.860 --> 00:39:46.700
 even debt,

00:39:46.780 --> 00:39:47.559
 in a completely

00:39:47.559 --> 00:39:48.500
 upside-down

00:39:48.500 --> 00:39:50.099
 counter-intuitive paradigm

00:39:50.099 --> 00:39:51.500
 because of what?

00:39:52.000 --> 00:39:52.740
 Because of the hope

00:39:52.740 --> 00:39:53.340
 of the resurrection,

00:39:53.880 --> 00:39:55.180
 because Jesus died

00:39:55.180 --> 00:39:55.980
 and rose again,

00:39:56.340 --> 00:39:57.680
 because Jesus' kingdom

00:39:57.680 --> 00:39:59.220
 has invaded this world.

00:39:59.960 --> 00:40:01.059
 And so look at what Paul says

00:40:01.059 --> 00:40:02.539
 at the final verse

00:40:02.539 --> 00:40:03.920
 of our chapter

00:40:03.920 --> 00:40:04.680
 in verse 15.

00:40:04.679 --> 00:40:05.119
 He says,

00:40:05.119 --> 00:40:05.480
 Therefore,

00:40:05.659 --> 00:40:06.699
 my beloved brothers,

00:40:06.919 --> 00:40:08.239
 be steadfast,

00:40:08.539 --> 00:40:09.440
 be immovable,

00:40:09.839 --> 00:40:10.879
 always abounding

00:40:10.879 --> 00:40:12.039
 in the work of the Lord,

00:40:12.460 --> 00:40:14.339
 knowing that in Christ Jesus

00:40:14.339 --> 00:40:15.419
 your suffering,

00:40:15.899 --> 00:40:16.599
 your work,

00:40:16.980 --> 00:40:17.599
 your labor,

00:40:18.199 --> 00:40:19.139
 is not in vain.

00:40:23.579 --> 00:40:24.219
 Friends,

00:40:24.279 --> 00:40:25.599
 what is your greatest longing

00:40:25.599 --> 00:40:27.119
 of your heart this morning?

00:40:28.319 --> 00:40:30.239
 What is your greatest fear

00:40:30.239 --> 00:40:30.859
 this morning?

00:40:30.860 --> 00:40:34.000
 The resurrection

00:40:34.000 --> 00:40:35.099
 of the Son of God,

00:40:35.280 --> 00:40:36.180
 Jesus Christ,

00:40:36.300 --> 00:40:37.180
 means that God

00:40:37.180 --> 00:40:38.539
 is able to invade

00:40:38.539 --> 00:40:40.840
 both your deepest longings

00:40:40.840 --> 00:40:42.079
 and your deepest fears

00:40:42.079 --> 00:40:44.200
 with His glorious

00:40:44.200 --> 00:40:45.400
 resurrection,

00:40:46.140 --> 00:40:47.500
 life-giving power,

00:40:47.940 --> 00:40:48.880
 even today.

00:40:50.280 --> 00:40:51.720
 Jesus is not just saying,

00:40:51.980 --> 00:40:52.559
 Hold on,

00:40:52.640 --> 00:40:53.360
 because one day

00:40:53.360 --> 00:40:53.940
 it'll be good.

00:40:54.860 --> 00:40:56.220
 Jesus is not just saying,

00:40:57.039 --> 00:40:57.820
 Best of luck,

00:40:58.019 --> 00:40:59.579
 but one day when you die,

00:40:59.660 --> 00:41:00.559
 it'll all be worth it.

00:41:01.500 --> 00:41:02.760
 Jesus is able to say,

00:41:02.960 --> 00:41:04.180
 Your deepest longings,

00:41:04.280 --> 00:41:05.300
 your deepest fears,

00:41:05.480 --> 00:41:06.599
 your deepest pain,

00:41:06.720 --> 00:41:07.940
 even in this life,

00:41:08.360 --> 00:41:10.260
 is invaded and infused,

00:41:10.440 --> 00:41:11.019
 able to me,

00:41:11.039 --> 00:41:12.500
 if you'll look to me in faith,

00:41:13.099 --> 00:41:14.880
 with my resurrection power

00:41:14.880 --> 00:41:15.559
 and life.

00:41:18.200 --> 00:41:18.680
 Colossians,

00:41:18.840 --> 00:41:19.280
 Paul writes,

00:41:19.360 --> 00:41:19.900
 and he says,

00:41:20.599 --> 00:41:21.740
 Christ in us,

00:41:21.880 --> 00:41:22.960
 the hope of glory.

00:41:23.660 --> 00:41:24.800
 Not just one day

00:41:24.800 --> 00:41:25.300
 when we die,

00:41:25.480 --> 00:41:26.720
 Christ in us now,

00:41:27.420 --> 00:41:28.340
 the hope of glory.

00:41:29.760 --> 00:41:30.200
 Friends,

00:41:30.199 --> 00:41:30.960
 Christians are those

00:41:30.960 --> 00:41:31.719
 who live in heaven

00:41:31.719 --> 00:41:32.799
 while still on earth,

00:41:33.419 --> 00:41:34.480
 living in the future

00:41:34.480 --> 00:41:36.279
 while being in the present.

00:41:37.799 --> 00:41:39.179
 I want to close with the story.

00:41:39.379 --> 00:41:41.299
 In the mid-17th century,

00:41:41.460 --> 00:41:42.480
 1665,

00:41:42.980 --> 00:41:44.019
 a long time ago,

00:41:44.699 --> 00:41:45.819
 in the UK,

00:41:46.819 --> 00:41:48.319
 there was a great plague

00:41:48.319 --> 00:41:50.439
 called the Bubonic Plague,

00:41:50.519 --> 00:41:50.960
 I think it was,

00:41:51.019 --> 00:41:51.719
 the Great Plague.

00:41:52.259 --> 00:41:54.139
 And it first struck London

00:41:54.139 --> 00:41:55.519
 and thousands of people

00:41:55.519 --> 00:41:56.119
 were dying.

00:41:57.799 --> 00:41:59.299
 Whoever contracted this plague

00:41:59.299 --> 00:42:00.539
 essentially would die.

00:42:00.599 --> 00:42:02.339
 It was like COVID on steroids.

00:42:03.779 --> 00:42:04.219
 Hundreds,

00:42:04.420 --> 00:42:05.279
 thousands of people

00:42:05.279 --> 00:42:06.219
 in the city of London

00:42:06.219 --> 00:42:06.759
 were dying.

00:42:06.879 --> 00:42:07.420
 And they didn't know

00:42:07.420 --> 00:42:08.219
 how to cure it.

00:42:08.599 --> 00:42:09.599
 They didn't know what to do.

00:42:10.079 --> 00:42:11.599
 Anyone that got infected died.

00:42:11.599 --> 00:42:14.779
 And what happened was

00:42:14.779 --> 00:42:16.599
 that in 1665,

00:42:17.299 --> 00:42:18.339
 a small town,

00:42:18.440 --> 00:42:19.380
 a very small village

00:42:19.380 --> 00:42:20.519
 actually called Eam,

00:42:20.719 --> 00:42:22.059
 up in the north of the UK,

00:42:22.559 --> 00:42:23.420
 in Derbyshire,

00:42:24.759 --> 00:42:27.000
 a cloth manufacturer,

00:42:27.159 --> 00:42:27.920
 a tradesman,

00:42:28.179 --> 00:42:30.000
 bought some cloth

00:42:30.000 --> 00:42:30.719
 from London

00:42:30.719 --> 00:42:32.339
 and it got sent up

00:42:32.339 --> 00:42:33.219
 to this village.

00:42:33.659 --> 00:42:34.420
 It was wet

00:42:34.420 --> 00:42:37.000
 and so the tradesman

00:42:37.000 --> 00:42:38.639
 took this piece of cloth

00:42:38.639 --> 00:42:39.319
 when it arrived

00:42:39.319 --> 00:42:39.940
 in his store

00:42:39.940 --> 00:42:41.280
 and he shook it out

00:42:41.280 --> 00:42:42.019
 and he hung it up

00:42:42.019 --> 00:42:42.900
 to dry in front

00:42:42.900 --> 00:42:43.579
 of the fireplace

00:42:43.579 --> 00:42:44.920
 to dry out this cloth.

00:42:45.960 --> 00:42:47.220
 And the fleas

00:42:47.220 --> 00:42:48.260
 that were embedded

00:42:48.260 --> 00:42:49.720
 in this cloth

00:42:49.720 --> 00:42:51.300
 were carrying the plague.

00:42:52.099 --> 00:42:53.280
 And so this tradesman

00:42:53.280 --> 00:42:55.260
 contracted the plague himself

00:42:55.260 --> 00:42:57.099
 and then two or three weeks later

00:42:57.099 --> 00:42:57.920
 he had died.

00:42:58.740 --> 00:42:59.840
 But in those three weeks

00:42:59.840 --> 00:43:01.340
 he had spread the plague

00:43:01.340 --> 00:43:02.079
 to others.

00:43:02.880 --> 00:43:03.900
 And so in a couple of weeks

00:43:03.900 --> 00:43:04.360
 and months

00:43:04.360 --> 00:43:05.760
 people in this village

00:43:05.760 --> 00:43:06.679
 started to die.

00:43:07.619 --> 00:43:09.280
 August 1665.

00:43:09.940 --> 00:43:10.619
 September,

00:43:11.280 --> 00:43:11.780
 October,

00:43:12.079 --> 00:43:12.579
 November,

00:43:13.340 --> 00:43:14.179
 hundreds of people

00:43:14.179 --> 00:43:14.880
 start dying.

00:43:16.480 --> 00:43:18.860
 And by the mid-1666,

00:43:19.019 --> 00:43:19.679
 a year later,

00:43:20.559 --> 00:43:22.220
 I think over a hundred people

00:43:22.220 --> 00:43:23.000
 had already died

00:43:23.000 --> 00:43:23.760
 in this village.

00:43:24.500 --> 00:43:25.900
 And people were starting

00:43:25.900 --> 00:43:26.940
 to flee the village

00:43:26.940 --> 00:43:28.200
 because they didn't want

00:43:28.200 --> 00:43:29.980
 to contract the plague.

00:43:30.059 --> 00:43:31.240
 And so they started to flee.

00:43:32.059 --> 00:43:33.119
 One lady had,

00:43:33.380 --> 00:43:34.559
 in a matter of eight days,

00:43:34.679 --> 00:43:36.099
 buried her husband

00:43:36.099 --> 00:43:37.220
 and her six children.

00:43:37.539 --> 00:43:38.240
 Buried them

00:43:38.240 --> 00:43:39.400
 all in a matter of eight days.

00:43:39.400 --> 00:43:42.700
 One man realized

00:43:42.700 --> 00:43:43.420
 there's something

00:43:43.420 --> 00:43:44.160
 we need to do.

00:43:44.400 --> 00:43:45.200
 And so the vicar

00:43:45.200 --> 00:43:45.980
 of the town,

00:43:46.079 --> 00:43:46.519
 his name was

00:43:46.519 --> 00:43:47.579
 William Mompison,

00:43:48.559 --> 00:43:49.680
 realized that

00:43:49.680 --> 00:43:50.619
 we are probably

00:43:50.619 --> 00:43:51.260
 going to die

00:43:51.260 --> 00:43:52.420
 but if we all flee

00:43:52.420 --> 00:43:53.340
 to the other villages

00:43:53.340 --> 00:43:54.139
 we're going to spread

00:43:54.139 --> 00:43:54.940
 the plague to them

00:43:54.940 --> 00:43:56.059
 and they're going to die as well.

00:43:56.740 --> 00:43:57.660
 And so he came up

00:43:57.660 --> 00:43:58.340
 with this idea.

00:43:58.900 --> 00:43:59.260
 He said,

00:43:59.440 --> 00:44:00.139
 we as a village

00:44:00.139 --> 00:44:01.360
 need to self-isolate.

00:44:01.700 --> 00:44:02.860
 We need to lock down

00:44:02.860 --> 00:44:03.280
 the village

00:44:03.280 --> 00:44:03.720
 and make sure

00:44:03.720 --> 00:44:04.720
 nobody comes in

00:44:04.720 --> 00:44:05.820
 and nobody goes out.

00:44:05.820 --> 00:44:07.000
 And we will die

00:44:07.000 --> 00:44:08.059
 but it will save

00:44:08.059 --> 00:44:08.780
 the other villages

00:44:08.780 --> 00:44:09.559
 from the plague.

00:44:10.200 --> 00:44:11.160
 But the problem was

00:44:11.160 --> 00:44:11.980
 he was a new vicar

00:44:11.980 --> 00:44:13.080
 and so nobody

00:44:13.080 --> 00:44:13.980
 really trusted him.

00:44:14.039 --> 00:44:14.460
 He didn't have

00:44:14.460 --> 00:44:15.160
 any credibility.

00:44:16.039 --> 00:44:17.120
 The previous vicar

00:44:17.120 --> 00:44:21.380
 had been fired

00:44:21.380 --> 00:44:22.680
 by the bishops

00:44:22.680 --> 00:44:23.380
 in London.

00:44:23.920 --> 00:44:24.880
 But the previous vicar

00:44:24.880 --> 00:44:25.720
 still stayed

00:44:25.720 --> 00:44:26.500
 on the outskirts

00:44:26.500 --> 00:44:26.960
 of the village.

00:44:27.100 --> 00:44:27.960
 And so the new vicar

00:44:27.960 --> 00:44:29.620
 went to the old vicar,

00:44:30.140 --> 00:44:31.320
 his name was Edward Stanley,

00:44:31.580 --> 00:44:31.900
 and said,

00:44:32.200 --> 00:44:33.019
 I have a plan.

00:44:33.559 --> 00:44:34.240
 The only way

00:44:34.240 --> 00:44:35.140
 that we can save

00:44:35.140 --> 00:44:36.460
 the other surrounding villages

00:44:36.460 --> 00:44:38.500
 is if we isolate

00:44:38.500 --> 00:44:39.820
 and lock down the village.

00:44:40.460 --> 00:44:41.220
 But the people

00:44:41.220 --> 00:44:42.019
 won't trust me

00:44:42.019 --> 00:44:43.059
 but they will trust you.

00:44:43.580 --> 00:44:44.620
 Will you help me

00:44:44.620 --> 00:44:45.660
 convince the village?

00:44:46.559 --> 00:44:48.300
 And so these two pastors

00:44:48.300 --> 00:44:49.740
 went back to the village,

00:44:49.840 --> 00:44:50.400
 the man agreed,

00:44:50.780 --> 00:44:51.980
 and they spoke to the village

00:44:51.980 --> 00:44:52.539
 and they said,

00:44:53.140 --> 00:44:54.280
 we will die

00:44:54.280 --> 00:44:55.620
 so that others

00:44:55.620 --> 00:44:57.200
 can find life.

00:44:58.200 --> 00:44:59.120
 And they convinced

00:44:59.120 --> 00:45:00.300
 the village

00:45:00.300 --> 00:45:02.019
 to lock themselves down.

00:45:02.620 --> 00:45:03.660
 Nobody could come in,

00:45:03.740 --> 00:45:04.680
 nobody could go out

00:45:04.680 --> 00:45:06.680
 so that the surrounding towns

00:45:06.680 --> 00:45:07.260
 would live.

00:45:08.400 --> 00:45:09.060
 William Opherson,

00:45:09.240 --> 00:45:10.160
 his wife died,

00:45:10.920 --> 00:45:12.240
 and he writes a letter

00:45:12.240 --> 00:45:14.200
 to her parents.

00:45:15.060 --> 00:45:15.840
 And in this letter,

00:45:16.000 --> 00:45:17.060
 he writes of how

00:45:17.060 --> 00:45:17.840
 the fact that

00:45:17.840 --> 00:45:19.460
 in the early days,

00:45:19.580 --> 00:45:20.720
 she was encouraged

00:45:20.720 --> 00:45:22.180
 to flee the town.

00:45:23.140 --> 00:45:24.800
 But she decided to stay

00:45:24.800 --> 00:45:26.539
 and to spend her life

00:45:26.539 --> 00:45:27.500
 and to die

00:45:27.500 --> 00:45:29.519
 in order to save

00:45:29.519 --> 00:45:30.559
 not just the people

00:45:30.559 --> 00:45:31.139
 in the village

00:45:31.139 --> 00:45:32.460
 but the villages around her.

00:45:33.119 --> 00:45:33.820
 And he writes

00:45:33.820 --> 00:45:34.679
 to her parents

00:45:34.679 --> 00:45:35.179
 and he says

00:45:35.179 --> 00:45:36.739
 that she had this hope,

00:45:37.280 --> 00:45:38.619
 this incredible hope

00:45:38.619 --> 00:45:40.320
 that came from her faith

00:45:40.320 --> 00:45:41.420
 in who Christ was.

00:45:41.900 --> 00:45:42.699
 Hope not just

00:45:42.699 --> 00:45:43.539
 in the world to come

00:45:43.539 --> 00:45:44.699
 but a hope that allowed her

00:45:44.699 --> 00:45:46.500
 to suffer in this world

00:45:46.500 --> 00:45:48.699
 and that allowed her

00:45:48.699 --> 00:45:49.360
 to die well.

00:45:50.960 --> 00:45:51.380
 Friends,

00:45:51.460 --> 00:45:52.159
 do you see how

00:45:52.159 --> 00:45:53.219
 the resurrection

00:45:53.219 --> 00:45:54.119
 of the dead,

00:45:54.639 --> 00:45:55.659
 Jesus from the dead,

00:45:55.759 --> 00:45:56.659
 doesn't just mean

00:45:56.659 --> 00:45:57.339
 that one day

00:45:57.339 --> 00:45:58.440
 all will be made well.

00:45:59.099 --> 00:45:59.759
 That's true

00:45:59.759 --> 00:46:01.279
 but it actually empowers

00:46:01.279 --> 00:46:02.019
 and it changes

00:46:02.019 --> 00:46:03.339
 the way we see everything.

00:46:04.079 --> 00:46:04.659
 The resurrection

00:46:04.659 --> 00:46:05.759
 of Jesus from the dead

00:46:05.759 --> 00:46:06.799
 means that our life

00:46:06.799 --> 00:46:07.559
 in this world

00:46:07.559 --> 00:46:08.279
 is invaded

00:46:08.279 --> 00:46:09.500
 with the kingdom of God.

00:46:10.079 --> 00:46:10.920
 It means it changes

00:46:10.920 --> 00:46:11.799
 the way that you handle

00:46:11.799 --> 00:46:12.359
 criticism.

00:46:12.980 --> 00:46:13.819
 It changes the way

00:46:13.819 --> 00:46:14.299
 that you handle

00:46:14.299 --> 00:46:15.119
 disappointments.

00:46:15.480 --> 00:46:16.219
 It changes the way

00:46:16.219 --> 00:46:17.059
 you handle money

00:46:17.059 --> 00:46:17.799
 and power

00:46:17.799 --> 00:46:18.399
 and sexuality

00:46:18.399 --> 00:46:19.539
 and desires

00:46:19.539 --> 00:46:20.699
 and forgiveness

00:46:20.699 --> 00:46:21.420
 and bitterness

00:46:21.420 --> 00:46:22.199
 and hurt.

00:46:22.539 --> 00:46:23.319
 It changes the way

00:46:23.319 --> 00:46:24.219
 you handle success

00:46:24.219 --> 00:46:24.799
 and it changes

00:46:24.799 --> 00:46:25.779
 the way you handle failure.

00:46:25.780 --> 00:46:27.400
 Jesus' resurrection

00:46:27.400 --> 00:46:28.040
 from the dead

00:46:28.040 --> 00:46:29.600
 changes absolutely

00:46:29.600 --> 00:46:30.740
 everything.

00:46:31.700 --> 00:46:32.019
 And friends,

00:46:32.120 --> 00:46:32.880
 when the glory

00:46:32.880 --> 00:46:33.560
 of the resurrection

00:46:33.560 --> 00:46:34.200
 of Jesus

00:46:34.200 --> 00:46:35.340
 and all that it holds

00:46:35.340 --> 00:46:36.280
 for us in this life,

00:46:36.680 --> 00:46:37.480
 when it impacts

00:46:37.480 --> 00:46:38.480
 not just our heads

00:46:38.480 --> 00:46:39.300
 but our hearts,

00:46:39.400 --> 00:46:40.540
 it'll change our life

00:46:40.540 --> 00:46:42.340
 and it'll set you free

00:46:42.340 --> 00:46:43.380
 from the fear

00:46:43.380 --> 00:46:44.400
 of missing out.

00:46:45.019 --> 00:46:45.900
 It'll set you free

00:46:45.900 --> 00:46:46.860
 from needing to build

00:46:46.860 --> 00:46:47.460
 your kingdom

00:46:47.460 --> 00:46:48.440
 in this world.

00:46:49.280 --> 00:46:49.540
 Friends,

00:46:49.640 --> 00:46:51.700
 when it gets inside of us,

00:46:51.760 --> 00:46:53.100
 it'll empower us

00:46:53.100 --> 00:46:55.280
 to live the most radical life

00:46:55.280 --> 00:46:56.640
 you could possibly imagine

00:46:56.640 --> 00:46:58.280
 because you'll no longer

00:46:58.280 --> 00:46:59.560
 be banking your life

00:46:59.560 --> 00:47:00.100
 and your hope

00:47:00.100 --> 00:47:01.440
 in the things of this world

00:47:01.440 --> 00:47:03.000
 but on Him

00:47:03.000 --> 00:47:05.040
 who has invaded this world

00:47:05.040 --> 00:47:07.240
 with the world to come.

00:47:07.820 --> 00:47:08.940
 Let's pray together

00:47:08.940 --> 00:47:10.380
 before we take communion.

00:47:13.080 --> 00:47:14.660
 Oh Lord Jesus Christ,

00:47:14.740 --> 00:47:16.160
 our great and glorious King,

00:47:16.920 --> 00:47:17.840
 You, O God,

00:47:17.940 --> 00:47:19.940
 who are Alpha and Omega,

00:47:20.080 --> 00:47:21.380
 the beginning and the end

00:47:21.380 --> 00:47:22.680
 and everything in between.

00:47:22.679 --> 00:47:23.980
 You, O God,

00:47:24.019 --> 00:47:24.679
 who are sovereign

00:47:24.679 --> 00:47:26.619
 over days and dominions,

00:47:26.719 --> 00:47:28.279
 over death and darkness,

00:47:29.179 --> 00:47:30.899
 but even over tiny flowers

00:47:30.899 --> 00:47:31.639
 of the field.

00:47:32.500 --> 00:47:33.599
 You, Lord Jesus,

00:47:34.019 --> 00:47:36.259
 who are making all things new.

00:47:37.859 --> 00:47:38.819
 Father, I pray

00:47:38.819 --> 00:47:40.679
 that You will infuse

00:47:40.679 --> 00:47:41.879
 and invade our hearts

00:47:41.879 --> 00:47:42.559
 with the hope

00:47:42.559 --> 00:47:43.839
 of the resurrection,

00:47:44.099 --> 00:47:45.619
 that You'll invade our hearts

00:47:45.619 --> 00:47:47.659
 with the will to come.

00:47:48.440 --> 00:47:50.059
 God, I pray for those of us

00:47:50.059 --> 00:47:51.099
 that are in You,

00:47:51.259 --> 00:47:52.139
 that are in Christ,

00:47:52.259 --> 00:47:53.199
 that by faith

00:47:53.199 --> 00:47:53.940
 that we, God,

00:47:54.000 --> 00:47:54.599
 will live,

00:47:55.079 --> 00:47:57.820
 not just with the hope

00:47:57.820 --> 00:47:59.920
 that we can hold on

00:47:59.920 --> 00:48:00.779
 to the will to come,

00:48:01.440 --> 00:48:03.199
 but that Your kingdom come

00:48:03.199 --> 00:48:04.340
 will invade our lives,

00:48:04.400 --> 00:48:05.299
 that we will live

00:48:05.299 --> 00:48:06.360
 in heaven

00:48:06.360 --> 00:48:07.880
 as it is on earth,

00:48:07.960 --> 00:48:08.400
 that God,

00:48:08.480 --> 00:48:09.440
 even in our city,

00:48:09.619 --> 00:48:10.799
 may it be in Hong Kong

00:48:10.799 --> 00:48:12.219
 as it is in heaven,

00:48:12.699 --> 00:48:13.840
 because You, God,

00:48:13.900 --> 00:48:14.840
 have placed us here,

00:48:15.420 --> 00:48:16.360
 because You, God,

00:48:16.400 --> 00:48:17.639
 are invading our hearts

00:48:17.639 --> 00:48:19.339
 with Your kingdom,

00:48:19.500 --> 00:48:20.179
 power, and life.

00:48:22.000 --> 00:48:22.400
 Jesus,

00:48:22.500 --> 00:48:23.059
 won't You come

00:48:23.059 --> 00:48:23.819
 and fill us

00:48:23.819 --> 00:48:25.460
 afresh with Your Spirit?

00:48:26.339 --> 00:48:26.779
 Won't You come

00:48:26.779 --> 00:48:27.719
 and change our lives?

00:48:27.799 --> 00:48:28.519
 Won't You make us

00:48:28.519 --> 00:48:30.219
 courageous and bold

00:48:30.219 --> 00:48:31.539
 and allow us

00:48:31.539 --> 00:48:32.759
 to live radical lives

00:48:32.759 --> 00:48:33.699
 of sacrifice,

00:48:34.539 --> 00:48:35.579
 because we know

00:48:35.579 --> 00:48:36.539
 our lives are not

00:48:36.539 --> 00:48:38.059
 only found

00:48:38.059 --> 00:48:38.579
 in the kingdom

00:48:38.579 --> 00:48:39.319
 of this world,

00:48:40.059 --> 00:48:41.619
 but are found in You.

00:48:41.619 --> 00:48:46.279
 Jesus,

00:48:46.420 --> 00:48:47.219
 come and have Your way,

00:48:47.299 --> 00:48:47.739
 we pray.

00:48:48.920 --> 00:48:49.559
 Come and open

00:48:49.559 --> 00:48:50.579
 the eyes of our hearts

00:48:50.579 --> 00:48:52.400
 in Your wonderful

00:48:52.400 --> 00:48:53.839
 and Your glorious name.

00:48:55.519 --> 00:48:55.920
 Amen.