WEBVTT

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 Good morning and let me add my welcome.

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 My name is Sam and I'm on the ministry team here at St Paul's.

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 I'm going to pray for us and then we're going to reflect on that passage

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 and the story of Easter that we have been reminded of this morning.

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 Father God, we thank you for the chance to gather this morning

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 and we ask that you might give us clarity

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 as we reflect on a story that might be familiar,

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 that might even have baggage attached for us personally.

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 Please give us the ability to look fresh

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 and to hear what it is that you want us to hear. Amen.

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 This week, the British comedian Ricky Gervais

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 was asked by the Wall Street Journal to write an article for Easter.

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 It was a follow-up to an article that he did around Christmas time

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 entitled, Why I'm a Good Atheist.

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 This article he entitled, Why I'm a Good Christian.

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 He was quick to concede that the heading was provocative and misleading.

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 But in his article, he talked about how he admired Jesus.

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 He admired the teachings. He admired the life.

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 Although he rejected any claim that Jesus might be a God or a saviour.

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 And he expressed that he was frustrated with Christians

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 who claimed to follow Jesus but were so drastically

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 nothing like the one they claimed to follow.

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 And from there, his article proceeded to work its way through the Ten Commandments,

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 one at a time, basically showing how he was ticking the box on all ten of them.

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 And then finished with the sentiment that he guesses,

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 in light of his ticking the box on the commandments,

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 he's as good a Christian as anyone.

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 Now, I find Ricky Gervais a very funny comedian.

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 I really enjoy the stuff that he does.

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 And so, I was interested in his reflections.

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 Obviously, I disagree with him on a bunch of stuff.

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 But what stuck out for me was where he ended up

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 having been asked to write something about Easter.

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 He's clearly not a believer.

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 He doesn't think that Jesus legitimately died and rose again.

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 But having been asked to write this article,

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 he didn't wrestle with the historical reliability of Jesus.

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 Didn't touch it.

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 He doesn't express difficulty believing that Jesus rose again.

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 For him, an article about Easter is an article about morality.

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 That was, for him, what it meant to respond to the question,

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 what is Easter for me?

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 It was to measure how good or bad he thought he was

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 by this apparent standard that God sets.

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 And for a lot of people, and even for some Christians,

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 that's all Easter is.

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 Following Jesus is about little more than living

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 some kind of exemplary moral life.

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 And, of course, holding other people to do the same,

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 being the moral police.

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 Now, I don't know what your perspective on Easter is.

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 I don't know why you came into this building this morning.

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 This could be your annual or your biannual church visit.

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 Now, I don't know what interactions you've had

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 with Christians in the past, good or bad.

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 But I do know that many people I speak to

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 approach a day like today feeling guilty.

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 We've sung and we've been reminded of the savageness

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 savageness of that first Good Friday.

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 That an innocent man would be butchered.

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 And it could be that you're here today

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 because you know you're supposed to be.

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 You know that it is significant, you know it matters,

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 and you get this sense that if you don't come here,

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 you might be doing something wrong.

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 And so you are here.

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 But maybe there's a part of you,

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 maybe it's even a really big part of you,

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 that will breathe a sigh of relief

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 when we get to the end of our time together.

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 And maybe you can go back into that normal pattern

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 where maybe you know that God might not be happy with you,

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 but it's easier to kind of hold it at arm's length.

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 If that's you,

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 I want to say I'm really glad you're here.

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 Because I actually believe that God has something significant

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 that he wants to say to you this morning.

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 Something that might actually transform the way

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 that you not just view Easter,

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 but the way that you view Jesus himself.

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 Because Easter is not about guilt.

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 Jesus didn't die on the cross

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 so that then he could spend the rest of our lives

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 making us feel bad about how far short we fall

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 of the kind of life that he calls us to.

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 Jesus didn't go through everything he went through

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 so that we could be pressured into being more moral.

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 Easter is the high point of God showing us who he is.

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 Easter is the moment where God tries to just zoom in on himself for us

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 so that we might get a picture of what he's like,

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 how he works, who he is.

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 And the Bible makes it really clear,

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 God is love.

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 Not just God loves, although that's true,

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 but the Bible actually says love is who he is.

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 It's how he works.

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 And so importantly,

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 it's how he feels towards you.

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 I want to show you two things this morning about God's love

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 that I hope and pray will transform the way you feel

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 when you come to Easter,

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 when you think about church,

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 when you think about Christians.

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 But more than that,

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 I want to show you two things about God's love from the Bible

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 that I believe could transform your whole life.

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 And so I want you to bear with me.

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 I want you to give God a chance to speak a little bit louder

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 than maybe some of those negative interactions

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 or unhelpful voices have spoken in the past.

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 And I want you to hear from him two things.

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 First one,

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 God loves you.

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 God loves you.

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 I remember growing up as a kid,

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 one of my biggest fears was whether or not God loved me.

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 Now, it's not something that I would focus on regularly.

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 It's not like I walked around thinking,

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 does God love me now?

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 But I had this awareness.

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 I knew enough about God.

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 I'd heard enough Bible stories.

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 I'd heard the Easter story enough times.

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 And I knew enough about me

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 that there was some sort of a gap there.

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 I knew God was powerful.

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 I knew he was holy.

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 I knew he was perfect.

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 I knew he was in charge.

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 And I knew that I was the kid at school

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 that other kids' parents would say,

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 don't hang out with that kid.

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 I knew what it was to do the wrong thing and get punished.

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 I understood how life worked.

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 If you do something bad,

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 then there's consequences.

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 And so for me,

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 taking that correct understanding of life,

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 that do something wrong,

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 pay the price for it,

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 and then this God who is good and requires me to be good,

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 those things coming together didn't make sense to me.

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 I'd heard the phrase,

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 God loves you.

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 I'd heard the sentiment that God is loving.

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 But I couldn't understand how someone like me,

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 who was bad,

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 is bad,

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 could be loved by God.

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 The way I had experienced love in my life

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 was so restricted

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 to when I do good things,

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 I'm loved.

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 And when I do bad things,

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 I'm punished.

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 It's not to say my parents were harsh or bad

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 or anything like that.

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 They were great.

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 But that is how we engage with love with one another.

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 We tend to love when it's positive coming back the other way.

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 But when someone hurts us,

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 that love quickly dries up.

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 And so from that place,

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 the idea of a God who is love and could love me

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 was really difficult to comprehend.

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 And this is why Easter can be offensive.

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 This is why I understand,

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 and it makes sense that some people maybe don't want to

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 be in church or around Christians

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 or hear this message.

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 Easter and the cross and Jesus' death

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 is the answer to the problem

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 that God is holy and we are not.

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 So even wrapped up in this message

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 and wrapped up in the fact that God is trying to show you

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 how loving he is towards you,

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 part of that message is

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 you actually don't deserve that love.

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 It's not the whole message,

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 and that's the problem.

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 When we just stop there,

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 hearing that we're not good enough

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 and walk away feeling worse

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 or feeling this pressure to try harder,

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 it's not the whole message,

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 but it is part of the message.

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 And so if you have come here this morning

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 and you do feel that sense of guilt or failure,

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 I want to say on one level,

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 that's actually kind of okay.

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 Because it's true.

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 You and I and everybody else

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 isn't worthy of the love of a perfect God.

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 The way that we treat him when we live,

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 the things that we put in front of him in our lives,

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 the things that we treat as more important,

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 is not okay,

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 is offensive,

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 but it's just not the whole message.

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 And see, the issue is,

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 when you come to Easter

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 and you hear something like that,

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 what do you do with that?

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 You can do the Ricky Gervais trick

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 and just move the goalposts a bit.

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 He just changed the way he read the Ten Commandments

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 to give himself a tick on all of them

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 and then you might feel a little bit better.

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 Alternatively, you could just reject God

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 and say, I'm not interested

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 and I won't be held to your standard.

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 But maybe there's a third option.

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 Maybe there's something better

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 that God actually designed for us.

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 As Steve was reading out that passage for us,

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 two thieves were crucified on either side of Jesus.

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 So one on either side of Jesus.

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 And there's two responses there.

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 I remember hearing this story as a kid.

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 There was a children's storybook version

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 of the thief on the cross.

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 And I always found it entertaining

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 because one thief just looked like a derelict.

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 You know, he was unshaven.

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 He had a scowl on his face

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 in each of the illustrated pictures.

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 You knew straight away that he was the bad guy.

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 But the other guy who eventually asks for Jesus' mercy

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 somehow looked like it was an accident that he was there.

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 He'd been mostly good.

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 I mean, he was even clean shaven.

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 And then somehow he just ended up in the wrong place

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 and was alongside this other criminal.

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 But just to be clear,

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 that's the kid's story version and it's wrong.

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 All the Bible says is that there were two criminals

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 and they both deserved to die for how they had lived.

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 That's the man's own admission.

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 We're getting what our deeds deserve.

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 These two men,

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 when confronted with the innocent death of Jesus,

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 respond in two completely different ways.

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 One is to mock and reject the fact

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 that Jesus could possibly have any right over his life,

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 could possibly be loving towards him.

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 The other one is to recognise

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 that actually when you stand next to the perfection of Jesus,

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 the only response is to recognise,

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 yeah, I am unworthy.

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 But this thief recognises something else.

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 That Jesus is here to deal with that unworthiness.

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 The whole reason he came

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 was so that God's love could steamroll our inadequacy.

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 God's love is an offer for anyone.

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 When I say God loves you,

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 it's not some vague hope that possibly he might love you

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 and you might think,

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 Sam, you don't know who I am, what I've done.

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 You don't know my past.

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 You don't know my thoughts.

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 It's not a hope that God might love you.

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 What this story shows us

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 is that God can and does love the worst person

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 on the worst day.

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 In this passage,

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 he offers forgiveness to a thief

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 who does nothing except ask for it.

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 There's not even the opportunity for this thief

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 to somehow try and make up for the life that he had before.

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 He's about to die.

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 And yet Jesus says,

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 I love that person.

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 One of the most significant prayers in Scripture

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 was in verse 34.

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 Just try and be in this moment.

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 Jesus has just had nails

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 driven through his wrists and feet.

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 He's hanging on a cross,

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 slowly suffocating,

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 barely alive from the beatings he's had

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 for the previous few days.

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 And he looks down at the people

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 who have done this to him.

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 And he prays,

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 Father,

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 forgive them,

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 for they do not know what they are doing.

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 Even in their moment

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 of most active opposition to Jesus,

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 he still has love for them.

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 He still has care for them.

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 And so I can say,

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 and you can know,

00:13:17.719 --> 00:13:20.839
 that even in your worst moments in your life,

00:13:21.179 --> 00:13:21.939
 even in the points

00:13:21.939 --> 00:13:24.139
 where you most actively reject God

00:13:24.139 --> 00:13:25.159
 and ignore him

00:13:25.159 --> 00:13:26.459
 and treat him like he doesn't matter,

00:13:27.599 --> 00:13:29.259
 that love is still offered.

00:13:35.079 --> 00:13:37.439
 If Easter time makes you feel guilty,

00:13:37.440 --> 00:13:40.580
 I guess that's okay.

00:13:42.500 --> 00:13:43.580
 Because you are guilty.

00:13:46.600 --> 00:13:48.060
 But you need to understand,

00:13:49.000 --> 00:13:51.140
 there is no standard to meet

00:13:51.140 --> 00:13:52.540
 if you're going to be loved by God.

00:13:53.820 --> 00:13:55.980
 The fact that you don't deserve God's love

00:13:55.980 --> 00:13:57.940
 doesn't actually disqualify you from it.

00:13:58.160 --> 00:13:59.280
 There's no entry requirements.

00:13:59.660 --> 00:14:00.560
 Just stop running

00:14:00.560 --> 00:14:02.760
 and ask God for his mercy.

00:14:04.560 --> 00:14:06.480
 There were probably nicer, better people

00:14:06.480 --> 00:14:08.220
 than the thief and the soldiers on that day.

00:14:09.100 --> 00:14:10.700
 But they were the ones who said,

00:14:10.920 --> 00:14:12.580
 God, I want the love that you're offering.

00:14:15.980 --> 00:14:17.399
 God's love isn't his way of saying,

00:14:17.500 --> 00:14:18.300
 look, let's forget about

00:14:18.300 --> 00:14:19.779
 some of the rough edges in your life.

00:14:19.860 --> 00:14:21.100
 Let's pretend they never happened.

00:14:21.659 --> 00:14:22.700
 He's not looking at you

00:14:22.700 --> 00:14:24.120
 through rose-colored glasses.

00:14:26.940 --> 00:14:28.080
 Easter is God saying,

00:14:28.080 --> 00:14:30.080
 I know the worst bits about you.

00:14:31.740 --> 00:14:32.899
 And I love you anyway.

00:14:36.480 --> 00:14:38.000
 But more than that,

00:14:39.580 --> 00:14:42.560
 the second thing that God says to you at Easter

00:14:42.560 --> 00:14:44.940
 is look at how I love you.

00:14:46.100 --> 00:14:47.920
 Because just love in itself

00:14:47.920 --> 00:14:49.639
 might actually just add to the guilt.

00:14:51.800 --> 00:14:54.019
 I mean, the idea of love sounds fantastic,

00:14:54.279 --> 00:14:55.379
 but maybe that's not enough

00:14:55.379 --> 00:14:56.399
 if you're feeling guilty.

00:14:56.399 --> 00:15:01.639
 I believe it was a few months ago

00:15:01.639 --> 00:15:02.759
 that some hackers

00:15:02.759 --> 00:15:05.980
 cracked the internet site

00:15:05.980 --> 00:15:07.079
 Ashley Madison.

00:15:08.079 --> 00:15:09.360
 It's a site that exists

00:15:09.360 --> 00:15:12.500
 to facilitate extramarital affairs

00:15:12.500 --> 00:15:13.459
 discreetly.

00:15:15.360 --> 00:15:16.740
 Some hackers decided

00:15:16.740 --> 00:15:18.279
 that they would go in

00:15:18.279 --> 00:15:19.919
 and take the database of members

00:15:19.919 --> 00:15:20.659
 from that site

00:15:20.659 --> 00:15:21.620
 and make it public.

00:15:22.779 --> 00:15:24.360
 The result being that

00:15:24.360 --> 00:15:25.980
 thousands and thousands

00:15:25.980 --> 00:15:26.860
 of marriages

00:15:26.860 --> 00:15:28.120
 were thrown into disarray

00:15:28.120 --> 00:15:28.759
 when suddenly

00:15:28.759 --> 00:15:30.320
 the infidelity of one partner

00:15:30.320 --> 00:15:31.460
 became public.

00:15:34.700 --> 00:15:36.000
 The awkwardness of this,

00:15:36.080 --> 00:15:37.639
 it even resulted in instances

00:15:37.639 --> 00:15:39.159
 of some people committing suicide

00:15:39.159 --> 00:15:40.220
 because they couldn't deal

00:15:40.220 --> 00:15:40.779
 with the guilt.

00:15:41.700 --> 00:15:42.779
 And I read one story

00:15:42.779 --> 00:15:43.379
 of a wife

00:15:43.379 --> 00:15:44.019
 whose husband

00:15:44.019 --> 00:15:45.000
 had committed suicide

00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:46.800
 and her devastation was

00:15:46.800 --> 00:15:48.779
 that she would have

00:15:48.779 --> 00:15:49.940
 worked through it with him.

00:15:50.860 --> 00:15:52.019
 She would have continued

00:15:52.019 --> 00:15:52.759
 to love him.

00:15:54.360 --> 00:15:55.840
 But can you understand

00:15:55.840 --> 00:15:57.200
 that the awkwardness

00:15:57.200 --> 00:15:58.680
 in a scenario like that

00:15:58.680 --> 00:15:59.419
 is that even though

00:15:59.419 --> 00:16:02.000
 one party has been unfaithful

00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:02.700
 and the other party

00:16:02.700 --> 00:16:03.560
 has said I'm willing

00:16:03.560 --> 00:16:04.620
 to keep loving you,

00:16:05.639 --> 00:16:08.300
 the unworthiness of the love

00:16:08.300 --> 00:16:09.460
 that this cheating partner

00:16:09.460 --> 00:16:10.039
 is receiving

00:16:10.039 --> 00:16:11.200
 almost makes the love

00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:12.500
 hurtful.

00:16:13.379 --> 00:16:15.259
 It almost makes you feel worse

00:16:15.259 --> 00:16:16.379
 because you know

00:16:16.379 --> 00:16:17.060
 you don't deserve

00:16:17.060 --> 00:16:18.019
 to be treated this way

00:16:18.019 --> 00:16:19.000
 because that's not the love

00:16:19.000 --> 00:16:19.680
 you've been giving.

00:16:20.720 --> 00:16:21.480
 And so it could be

00:16:21.480 --> 00:16:22.820
 that you hear God is loving

00:16:22.820 --> 00:16:23.940
 and it's not that you haven't

00:16:23.940 --> 00:16:24.580
 heard that message

00:16:24.580 --> 00:16:25.640
 but really it just makes

00:16:25.640 --> 00:16:26.460
 you feel worse.

00:16:27.960 --> 00:16:28.940
 You hear that Jesus

00:16:28.940 --> 00:16:29.860
 loved you so much

00:16:29.860 --> 00:16:31.000
 he died on the cross

00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:32.180
 and if anything

00:16:32.180 --> 00:16:32.879
 you're like

00:16:32.879 --> 00:16:34.500
 stop telling me that

00:16:34.500 --> 00:16:37.560
 because he would love me

00:16:37.560 --> 00:16:38.200
 that much

00:16:38.200 --> 00:16:39.140
 while I'm over here

00:16:39.140 --> 00:16:39.700
 treating him like

00:16:39.700 --> 00:16:40.300
 he doesn't matter.

00:16:40.379 --> 00:16:41.140
 If anything it might

00:16:41.140 --> 00:16:42.620
 just heap guilt on you.

00:16:45.220 --> 00:16:46.520
 But Easter isn't just

00:16:46.520 --> 00:16:48.060
 God saying he loves you.

00:16:48.760 --> 00:16:49.700
 It's showing you

00:16:49.700 --> 00:16:50.720
 how his love

00:16:50.720 --> 00:16:52.200
 fixes that issue.

00:16:53.720 --> 00:16:54.320
 God's love

00:16:54.320 --> 00:16:55.100
 is more than just

00:16:55.100 --> 00:16:55.860
 some feeling

00:16:55.860 --> 00:16:56.800
 or some sentiment.

00:16:57.720 --> 00:16:58.480
 The cross is not

00:16:58.480 --> 00:16:59.620
 some masochistic

00:16:59.620 --> 00:17:00.760
 bunch of flowers

00:17:00.760 --> 00:17:03.040
 or hallmark card.

00:17:04.620 --> 00:17:05.519
 It's effective.

00:17:06.539 --> 00:17:07.580
 It works.

00:17:07.779 --> 00:17:08.700
 It does something.

00:17:09.460 --> 00:17:10.440
 In the Old Testament

00:17:10.440 --> 00:17:11.259
 in the book of Isaiah

00:17:11.259 --> 00:17:12.200
 written a long time

00:17:12.200 --> 00:17:13.440
 before Jesus turned up

00:17:13.440 --> 00:17:14.519
 God promised

00:17:14.519 --> 00:17:15.440
 that he would provide

00:17:15.440 --> 00:17:16.100
 a saviour

00:17:16.100 --> 00:17:17.160
 to deal with that issue

00:17:17.160 --> 00:17:17.880
 that gap.

00:17:19.000 --> 00:17:19.400
 And the way

00:17:19.400 --> 00:17:20.039
 that saviour

00:17:20.039 --> 00:17:21.059
 would save us

00:17:21.059 --> 00:17:23.059
 was through an exchange.

00:17:23.740 --> 00:17:24.659
 Now let me read it to you

00:17:24.659 --> 00:17:26.200
 from Isaiah 53

00:17:26.200 --> 00:17:27.059
 it'll be on the screen.

00:17:28.339 --> 00:17:29.759
 He grew up before him

00:17:29.759 --> 00:17:30.700
 like a tender shoot

00:17:30.700 --> 00:17:31.859
 this is describing Jesus

00:17:31.859 --> 00:17:32.679
 and like a root

00:17:32.679 --> 00:17:33.639
 out of dry ground

00:17:33.639 --> 00:17:34.779
 he had no beauty

00:17:34.779 --> 00:17:35.480
 or majesty

00:17:35.480 --> 00:17:36.659
 to attract us to him

00:17:36.659 --> 00:17:38.339
 nothing in his appearance

00:17:38.339 --> 00:17:39.539
 that we should desire him.

00:17:40.619 --> 00:17:41.799
 He was despised

00:17:41.799 --> 00:17:42.480
 and rejected

00:17:42.480 --> 00:17:43.279
 by mankind

00:17:43.279 --> 00:17:45.339
 a man of suffering

00:17:45.339 --> 00:17:46.779
 and familiar with pain

00:17:46.779 --> 00:17:47.960
 like one

00:17:47.960 --> 00:17:48.919
 from whom people

00:17:48.919 --> 00:17:49.819
 hide their faces.

00:17:49.819 --> 00:17:51.839
 he was despised

00:17:51.839 --> 00:17:52.759
 and we held him

00:17:52.759 --> 00:17:53.579
 in lower seam.

00:17:55.000 --> 00:17:56.019
 Surely he took up

00:17:56.019 --> 00:17:57.039
 our pain

00:17:57.039 --> 00:17:58.539
 and bore

00:17:58.539 --> 00:17:59.759
 our suffering

00:17:59.759 --> 00:18:01.519
 yet we considered

00:18:01.519 --> 00:18:02.159
 him punished

00:18:02.159 --> 00:18:02.819
 by God

00:18:02.819 --> 00:18:03.720
 stricken by him

00:18:03.720 --> 00:18:04.419
 and afflicted

00:18:04.419 --> 00:18:06.059
 but he was pierced

00:18:06.059 --> 00:18:07.220
 for our transgression

00:18:07.220 --> 00:18:08.419
 he was crushed

00:18:08.419 --> 00:18:09.559
 for our iniquity

00:18:09.559 --> 00:18:10.819
 the punishment

00:18:10.819 --> 00:18:11.679
 that brought us

00:18:11.679 --> 00:18:12.960
 peace was on him

00:18:12.960 --> 00:18:14.339
 and by his wounds

00:18:14.339 --> 00:18:15.200
 we are healed.

00:18:16.039 --> 00:18:16.819
 What happens

00:18:16.819 --> 00:18:17.500
 in the cross

00:18:17.500 --> 00:18:17.899
 is that

00:18:17.900 --> 00:18:19.019
 that all the things

00:18:19.019 --> 00:18:19.540
 that are part

00:18:19.540 --> 00:18:20.120
 of our life

00:18:20.120 --> 00:18:20.800
 and our character

00:18:20.800 --> 00:18:21.480
 and our values

00:18:21.480 --> 00:18:22.320
 and our actions

00:18:22.320 --> 00:18:23.040
 and our thoughts

00:18:23.040 --> 00:18:24.560
 and part of us

00:18:24.560 --> 00:18:25.880
 that in any way

00:18:25.880 --> 00:18:27.280
 draw the just

00:18:27.280 --> 00:18:28.960
 judgment of God

00:18:28.960 --> 00:18:31.800
 it is completely

00:18:31.800 --> 00:18:32.600
 transferred

00:18:32.600 --> 00:18:33.440
 to Jesus.

00:18:35.120 --> 00:18:36.300
 When we look at him

00:18:36.300 --> 00:18:36.800
 on the cross

00:18:36.800 --> 00:18:37.780
 as an innocent man

00:18:37.780 --> 00:18:39.100
 we look rightly

00:18:39.100 --> 00:18:40.720
 but what we need

00:18:40.720 --> 00:18:41.380
 to look harder

00:18:41.380 --> 00:18:41.920
 and see

00:18:41.920 --> 00:18:43.060
 is the reason

00:18:43.060 --> 00:18:43.780
 he's there

00:18:43.780 --> 00:18:44.940
 is not just

00:18:44.940 --> 00:18:45.460
 to do something

00:18:45.460 --> 00:18:45.880
 dramatic

00:18:45.880 --> 00:18:46.900
 as an innocent person

00:18:46.900 --> 00:18:48.120
 but so that

00:18:48.120 --> 00:18:48.620
 the punishment

00:18:48.620 --> 00:18:49.320
 we deserve

00:18:49.320 --> 00:18:49.960
 can actually

00:18:49.960 --> 00:18:50.880
 be given.

00:18:51.920 --> 00:18:52.880
 God can't just

00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:53.760
 shrug his shoulders

00:18:53.760 --> 00:18:54.900
 he can't just

00:18:54.900 --> 00:18:55.640
 let us off.

00:18:57.160 --> 00:18:58.220
 What we have done

00:18:58.220 --> 00:18:59.600
 deserves to be punished

00:18:59.600 --> 00:19:01.340
 and what Jesus does

00:19:01.340 --> 00:19:02.220
 is absorb

00:19:02.220 --> 00:19:03.460
 that punishment.

00:19:05.780 --> 00:19:06.800
 The forgiveness

00:19:06.800 --> 00:19:07.840
 that God offers

00:19:07.840 --> 00:19:08.460
 isn't a

00:19:08.460 --> 00:19:09.340
 let's forget

00:19:09.340 --> 00:19:09.980
 what you've done

00:19:09.980 --> 00:19:11.460
 it's a

00:19:11.460 --> 00:19:12.580
 let me pay for it

00:19:12.579 --> 00:19:14.859
 let me cover

00:19:14.859 --> 00:19:15.460
 it over

00:19:15.460 --> 00:19:16.720
 let me atone

00:19:16.720 --> 00:19:17.359
 for it

00:19:17.359 --> 00:19:20.839
 he takes on him

00:19:20.839 --> 00:19:21.919
 every bit of you

00:19:21.919 --> 00:19:22.980
 that is unworthy

00:19:22.980 --> 00:19:23.559
 of God

00:19:23.559 --> 00:19:24.319
 and his love

00:19:24.319 --> 00:19:27.199
 and not just

00:19:27.199 --> 00:19:27.779
 takes it

00:19:27.779 --> 00:19:30.019
 but exhausts it

00:19:30.019 --> 00:19:31.879
 satisfies it

00:19:31.879 --> 00:19:33.259
 absorbs it

00:19:33.259 --> 00:19:34.359
 deals with it

00:19:34.359 --> 00:19:35.659
 finishes it

00:19:35.660 --> 00:19:37.500
 Easter

00:19:37.500 --> 00:19:38.060
 isn't just

00:19:38.060 --> 00:19:38.300
 God

00:19:38.300 --> 00:19:38.800
 saying

00:19:38.800 --> 00:19:39.320
 he loves

00:19:39.320 --> 00:19:39.560
 you

00:19:39.560 --> 00:19:42.180
 but it's

00:19:42.180 --> 00:19:42.700
 God saying

00:19:42.700 --> 00:19:43.080
 my love

00:19:43.080 --> 00:19:43.620
 is enough

00:19:43.620 --> 00:19:46.740
 for every bit

00:19:46.740 --> 00:19:47.100
 of you

00:19:47.100 --> 00:19:48.320
 it's God

00:19:48.320 --> 00:19:48.700
 saying

00:19:48.700 --> 00:19:49.920
 if you would

00:19:49.920 --> 00:19:50.340
 just

00:19:50.340 --> 00:19:51.279
 accept

00:19:51.279 --> 00:19:51.860
 my love

00:19:51.860 --> 00:19:52.259
 if you would

00:19:52.259 --> 00:19:52.519
 just

00:19:52.519 --> 00:19:53.360
 ask for

00:19:53.360 --> 00:19:53.980
 my mercy

00:19:53.980 --> 00:19:55.519
 then you

00:19:55.519 --> 00:19:55.940
 would never

00:19:55.940 --> 00:19:56.820
 be unloved

00:19:56.820 --> 00:19:59.259
 it's God

00:19:59.259 --> 00:19:59.580
 saying

00:19:59.580 --> 00:20:00.180
 the death

00:20:00.180 --> 00:20:01.060
 of the

00:20:01.060 --> 00:20:01.480
 God

00:20:01.480 --> 00:20:01.779
 man

00:20:01.779 --> 00:20:02.320
 of Jesus

00:20:02.320 --> 00:20:03.300
 is sufficient

00:20:03.300 --> 00:20:04.420
 for everything

00:20:04.420 --> 00:20:05.000
 you've ever

00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:05.300
 done

00:20:05.299 --> 00:20:05.859
 or will

00:20:05.859 --> 00:20:06.180
 do

00:20:06.180 --> 00:20:09.319
 and so

00:20:09.319 --> 00:20:11.079
 guilt's

00:20:11.079 --> 00:20:11.779
 not there

00:20:11.779 --> 00:20:12.180
 anymore

00:20:12.180 --> 00:20:14.180
 even if you

00:20:14.180 --> 00:20:14.799
 make mistakes

00:20:14.799 --> 00:20:15.579
 in the future

00:20:15.579 --> 00:20:17.700
 Jesus' death

00:20:17.700 --> 00:20:18.379
 in your place

00:20:18.379 --> 00:20:19.000
 is enough

00:20:19.000 --> 00:20:21.440
 Easter is not

00:20:21.440 --> 00:20:21.859
 a time

00:20:21.859 --> 00:20:22.559
 to feel guilty

00:20:22.559 --> 00:20:23.940
 there is a

00:20:23.940 --> 00:20:24.480
 weight and a

00:20:24.480 --> 00:20:25.220
 gravity about

00:20:25.220 --> 00:20:25.839
 Good Friday

00:20:25.839 --> 00:20:26.500
 but it's not

00:20:26.500 --> 00:20:27.059
 a time for

00:20:27.059 --> 00:20:27.399
 guilt

00:20:27.399 --> 00:20:29.279
 today is the

00:20:29.279 --> 00:20:29.740
 day that we

00:20:29.740 --> 00:20:30.440
 remember and

00:20:30.440 --> 00:20:30.899
 celebrate

00:20:30.899 --> 00:20:31.819
 that God

00:20:31.819 --> 00:20:32.700
 offers freedom

00:20:32.700 --> 00:20:33.579
 from guilt

00:20:33.579 --> 00:20:35.159
 forgiveness

00:20:35.160 --> 00:20:36.320
 from sin

00:20:36.320 --> 00:20:38.600
 love

00:20:38.600 --> 00:20:40.300
 unconditional

00:20:40.300 --> 00:20:41.720
 unending

00:20:41.720 --> 00:20:45.040
 please hear

00:20:45.040 --> 00:20:45.680
 God today

00:20:45.680 --> 00:20:48.360
 as you are

00:20:48.360 --> 00:20:48.920
 right now

00:20:48.920 --> 00:20:50.940
 no changes

00:20:50.940 --> 00:20:52.259
 no improvements

00:20:52.259 --> 00:20:53.000
 no adjustments

00:20:53.000 --> 00:20:53.700
 as you are

00:20:53.700 --> 00:20:54.360
 right now

00:20:54.360 --> 00:20:55.380
 God says

00:20:55.380 --> 00:20:56.380
 I love you

00:20:56.380 --> 00:20:59.120
 that's why

00:20:59.120 --> 00:20:59.800
 Jesus came

00:20:59.800 --> 00:21:00.900
 that's why

00:21:00.900 --> 00:21:01.380
 he died

00:21:01.380 --> 00:21:02.840
 so that you

00:21:02.840 --> 00:21:03.480
 could know

00:21:03.480 --> 00:21:04.140
 God loves

00:21:04.140 --> 00:21:04.340
 you

00:21:04.340 --> 00:21:05.300
 so that you

00:21:05.300 --> 00:21:05.540
 could have

00:21:05.540 --> 00:21:06.320
 confidence

00:21:06.320 --> 00:21:07.900
 that in spite

00:21:07.900 --> 00:21:08.320
 of who you

00:21:08.320 --> 00:21:08.680
 are God

00:21:08.680 --> 00:21:09.100
 will keep

00:21:09.100 --> 00:21:09.860
 loving you

00:21:09.860 --> 00:21:12.500
 but one last

00:21:12.500 --> 00:21:12.780
 thing

00:21:12.780 --> 00:21:15.880
 this isn't

00:21:15.880 --> 00:21:17.000
 some transaction

00:21:17.000 --> 00:21:17.940
 going on

00:21:17.940 --> 00:21:19.200
 it might all

00:21:19.200 --> 00:21:19.740
 sound a bit

00:21:19.740 --> 00:21:20.240
 mechanical

00:21:20.240 --> 00:21:21.000
 so ours goes

00:21:21.000 --> 00:21:21.600
 over here

00:21:21.600 --> 00:21:22.460
 dealt with

00:21:22.460 --> 00:21:22.960
 we're good

00:21:22.960 --> 00:21:23.620
 ticket to heaven

00:21:23.620 --> 00:21:24.260
 fantastic

00:21:24.259 --> 00:21:28.460
 might sound

00:21:28.460 --> 00:21:29.420
 like we get

00:21:29.420 --> 00:21:29.700
 this little

00:21:29.700 --> 00:21:30.240
 bit of God's

00:21:30.240 --> 00:21:30.720
 love to be

00:21:30.720 --> 00:21:31.039
 forgiven

00:21:31.039 --> 00:21:31.779
 we look

00:21:31.779 --> 00:21:32.180
 forward to

00:21:32.180 --> 00:21:32.640
 heaven and

00:21:32.640 --> 00:21:32.900
 then we've

00:21:32.900 --> 00:21:33.240
 got this

00:21:33.240 --> 00:21:34.000
 earth waiting

00:21:34.000 --> 00:21:34.339
 room

00:21:34.339 --> 00:21:37.240
 and maybe

00:21:37.240 --> 00:21:37.619
 there's some

00:21:37.619 --> 00:21:38.259
 half truth

00:21:38.259 --> 00:21:38.619
 there

00:21:38.619 --> 00:21:41.220
 but the cross

00:21:41.220 --> 00:21:41.720
 means more

00:21:41.720 --> 00:21:42.160
 than that

00:21:42.160 --> 00:21:43.460
 God's love

00:21:43.460 --> 00:21:44.059
 is bigger

00:21:44.059 --> 00:21:45.000
 than just a

00:21:45.000 --> 00:21:45.640
 tick on your

00:21:45.640 --> 00:21:46.500
 report card

00:21:46.500 --> 00:21:47.279
 and something

00:21:47.279 --> 00:21:47.879
 to look forward

00:21:47.879 --> 00:21:48.259
 to in the

00:21:48.259 --> 00:21:48.599
 future

00:21:48.599 --> 00:21:50.220
 remember that

00:21:50.220 --> 00:21:50.900
 the whole

00:21:50.900 --> 00:21:51.400
 point of

00:21:51.400 --> 00:21:53.440
 Easter is

00:21:53.440 --> 00:21:53.740
 that we

00:21:53.740 --> 00:21:54.340
 might see

00:21:54.340 --> 00:21:54.860
 what God

00:21:54.860 --> 00:21:55.240
 is

00:21:55.240 --> 00:21:56.220
 see how

00:21:56.220 --> 00:21:56.720
 he works

00:21:56.720 --> 00:21:57.120
 see what

00:21:57.120 --> 00:21:57.780
 he's like

00:21:57.780 --> 00:21:59.900
 being loved

00:21:59.900 --> 00:22:00.460
 by God

00:22:00.460 --> 00:22:01.720
 is not so

00:22:01.720 --> 00:22:02.180
 much about

00:22:02.180 --> 00:22:03.080
 the love

00:22:03.080 --> 00:22:04.220
 that God

00:22:04.220 --> 00:22:04.680
 gives

00:22:04.680 --> 00:22:06.100
 it's about

00:22:06.100 --> 00:22:06.820
 the God

00:22:06.820 --> 00:22:07.400
 who gives

00:22:07.400 --> 00:22:08.080
 that love

00:22:08.080 --> 00:22:09.620
 that's what

00:22:09.620 --> 00:22:10.320
 Easter is about

00:22:10.320 --> 00:22:10.740
 that's what

00:22:10.740 --> 00:22:11.300
 the barrier

00:22:11.300 --> 00:22:11.840
 of us not

00:22:11.840 --> 00:22:12.259
 being good

00:22:12.259 --> 00:22:12.640
 enough and

00:22:12.640 --> 00:22:13.040
 God being

00:22:13.040 --> 00:22:13.440
 perfect

00:22:13.440 --> 00:22:14.540
 that's the

00:22:14.540 --> 00:22:14.980
 problem

00:22:14.980 --> 00:22:16.700
 that we're

00:22:16.700 --> 00:22:17.800
 not connected

00:22:17.800 --> 00:22:18.259
 to him

00:22:18.259 --> 00:22:18.780
 that we can't

00:22:18.780 --> 00:22:19.680
 relate to him

00:22:19.680 --> 00:22:20.640
 that we can't

00:22:20.640 --> 00:22:21.240
 talk to him

00:22:21.240 --> 00:22:22.019
 that we can't

00:22:22.019 --> 00:22:22.980
 depend on him

00:22:22.980 --> 00:22:24.759
 Jesus death

00:22:24.759 --> 00:22:25.500
 in our place

00:22:25.500 --> 00:22:26.400
 doesn't unlock

00:22:26.400 --> 00:22:27.279
 a fix of love

00:22:27.279 --> 00:22:27.740
 it doesn't give

00:22:27.740 --> 00:22:28.319
 you a shot in

00:22:28.319 --> 00:22:28.839
 the arm to

00:22:28.839 --> 00:22:29.279
 make you feel

00:22:29.279 --> 00:22:29.700
 better about

00:22:29.700 --> 00:22:30.220
 yourself and

00:22:30.220 --> 00:22:30.940
 so that you

00:22:30.940 --> 00:22:31.460
 don't have to

00:22:31.460 --> 00:22:32.059
 fear hell

00:22:32.059 --> 00:22:35.180
 Jesus death

00:22:35.180 --> 00:22:35.740
 on the cross

00:22:35.740 --> 00:22:36.440
 actually takes

00:22:36.440 --> 00:22:37.039
 you from being

00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:38.059
 far away from

00:22:38.059 --> 00:22:38.700
 God the Bible

00:22:38.700 --> 00:22:39.359
 even says being

00:22:39.359 --> 00:22:40.319
 an enemy of

00:22:40.319 --> 00:22:41.839
 God and

00:22:41.839 --> 00:22:42.880
 draws you into

00:22:42.880 --> 00:22:43.579
 a relationship

00:22:43.579 --> 00:22:44.120
 with him where

00:22:44.120 --> 00:22:44.539
 you are a

00:22:44.539 --> 00:22:46.079
 precious child

00:22:46.079 --> 00:22:48.259
 where you are

00:22:48.259 --> 00:22:49.099
 immovably

00:22:49.099 --> 00:22:50.240
 brought into

00:22:50.240 --> 00:22:50.859
 the family

00:22:50.859 --> 00:22:52.679
 loved

00:22:52.679 --> 00:22:54.019
 protected

00:22:54.019 --> 00:22:55.439
 provided for

00:22:55.439 --> 00:22:58.339
 Jesus love

00:22:58.339 --> 00:22:59.719
 isn't a fix

00:22:59.719 --> 00:23:01.379
 it's a

00:23:01.379 --> 00:23:02.240
 foundation for

00:23:02.240 --> 00:23:02.659
 life

00:23:02.659 --> 00:23:05.199
 I remember

00:23:05.199 --> 00:23:05.579
 as a kid

00:23:05.579 --> 00:23:06.099
 growing up

00:23:06.099 --> 00:23:06.439
 I used to

00:23:06.439 --> 00:23:07.359
 sometimes question

00:23:07.359 --> 00:23:07.959
 my parents

00:23:07.959 --> 00:23:08.599
 love for me

00:23:08.599 --> 00:23:10.339
 in the little

00:23:10.339 --> 00:23:10.799
 things

00:23:10.799 --> 00:23:12.459
 they would do

00:23:12.459 --> 00:23:13.000
 big things

00:23:13.000 --> 00:23:13.359
 for me

00:23:13.359 --> 00:23:14.359
 they would

00:23:14.359 --> 00:23:14.959
 look after me

00:23:14.959 --> 00:23:15.240
 they would

00:23:15.240 --> 00:23:15.899
 provide food

00:23:15.899 --> 00:23:16.240
 for me

00:23:16.240 --> 00:23:16.559
 they would

00:23:16.559 --> 00:23:17.039
 take me to

00:23:17.039 --> 00:23:17.279
 school

00:23:17.279 --> 00:23:17.679
 they would

00:23:17.679 --> 00:23:18.240
 support me

00:23:18.240 --> 00:23:18.740
 and encourage

00:23:18.740 --> 00:23:19.119
 me in

00:23:19.119 --> 00:23:19.699
 whatever I was

00:23:19.700 --> 00:23:20.019
 doing

00:23:20.019 --> 00:23:21.660
 but oh

00:23:21.660 --> 00:23:22.019
 horror

00:23:22.019 --> 00:23:22.920
 sometimes they

00:23:22.920 --> 00:23:23.299
 would deny

00:23:23.299 --> 00:23:24.279
 me McDonald's

00:23:24.279 --> 00:23:26.740
 and in

00:23:26.740 --> 00:23:27.360
 anguish

00:23:27.360 --> 00:23:28.920
 sometimes in

00:23:28.920 --> 00:23:29.580
 tears I'm not

00:23:29.580 --> 00:23:30.059
 embarrassed to

00:23:30.059 --> 00:23:30.299
 admit

00:23:30.299 --> 00:23:32.259
 I would wonder

00:23:32.259 --> 00:23:32.700
 whether they

00:23:32.700 --> 00:23:33.360
 still loved me

00:23:33.360 --> 00:23:36.519
 I would sit

00:23:36.519 --> 00:23:37.080
 in my room

00:23:37.080 --> 00:23:37.600
 reflective

00:23:37.600 --> 00:23:38.580
 angry

00:23:38.580 --> 00:23:39.279
 mopey

00:23:39.279 --> 00:23:40.180
 thinking how

00:23:40.180 --> 00:23:40.440
 could they

00:23:40.440 --> 00:23:41.240
 possibly love

00:23:41.240 --> 00:23:41.799
 me and deny

00:23:41.799 --> 00:23:42.240
 me something

00:23:42.240 --> 00:23:44.180
 so amazing

00:23:44.180 --> 00:23:46.779
 and as I

00:23:46.779 --> 00:23:47.299
 grew and

00:23:47.299 --> 00:23:47.759
 matured

00:23:47.759 --> 00:23:48.120
 ever so

00:23:48.120 --> 00:23:48.560
 slightly

00:23:48.560 --> 00:23:50.400
 I began

00:23:50.400 --> 00:23:51.140
 to realise

00:23:51.140 --> 00:23:51.539
 that

00:23:51.539 --> 00:23:53.799
 the costly

00:23:53.799 --> 00:23:54.460
 ways that

00:23:54.460 --> 00:23:54.860
 they loved

00:23:54.860 --> 00:23:55.060
 me

00:23:55.060 --> 00:23:56.940
 the big

00:23:56.940 --> 00:23:57.519
 things that

00:23:57.519 --> 00:23:57.980
 they did

00:23:57.980 --> 00:23:58.279
 in my

00:23:58.279 --> 00:23:58.720
 life

00:23:58.720 --> 00:23:59.259
 at their

00:23:59.259 --> 00:23:59.440
 own

00:23:59.440 --> 00:24:00.060
 expense

00:24:00.060 --> 00:24:00.759
 gave

00:24:00.759 --> 00:24:01.400
 context

00:24:01.400 --> 00:24:02.680
 to the

00:24:02.680 --> 00:24:02.920
 little

00:24:02.920 --> 00:24:03.400
 ways they

00:24:03.400 --> 00:24:03.700
 loved me

00:24:03.700 --> 00:24:03.960
 that I

00:24:03.960 --> 00:24:04.140
 didn't

00:24:04.140 --> 00:24:04.640
 understand

00:24:04.640 --> 00:24:07.380
 it was

00:24:07.380 --> 00:24:07.640
 out of

00:24:07.640 --> 00:24:08.100
 love for

00:24:08.100 --> 00:24:08.360
 me

00:24:08.360 --> 00:24:09.039
 that they

00:24:09.039 --> 00:24:09.220
 didn't

00:24:09.220 --> 00:24:09.560
 allow me

00:24:09.560 --> 00:24:09.799
 to eat

00:24:09.799 --> 00:24:10.220
 McDonald's

00:24:10.220 --> 00:24:10.700
 every day

00:24:10.700 --> 00:24:11.460
 and it's

00:24:11.460 --> 00:24:11.620
 out of

00:24:11.620 --> 00:24:11.860
 love for

00:24:11.860 --> 00:24:12.140
 me that

00:24:12.140 --> 00:24:12.279
 they

00:24:12.279 --> 00:24:12.700
 discouraged

00:24:12.700 --> 00:24:12.920
 my

00:24:12.920 --> 00:24:13.240
 habit at

00:24:13.240 --> 00:24:13.340
 the

00:24:13.340 --> 00:24:13.600
 moment

00:24:13.599 --> 00:24:16.719
 but in

00:24:16.719 --> 00:24:17.079
 that moment

00:24:17.079 --> 00:24:17.399
 I didn't

00:24:17.399 --> 00:24:17.879
 understand

00:24:17.879 --> 00:24:18.039
 it

00:24:18.039 --> 00:24:18.539
 it wasn't

00:24:18.539 --> 00:24:18.839
 until

00:24:18.839 --> 00:24:19.639
 I was

00:24:19.639 --> 00:24:20.039
 that little

00:24:20.039 --> 00:24:20.199
 bit

00:24:20.199 --> 00:24:20.419
 older

00:24:20.419 --> 00:24:20.699
 and could

00:24:20.699 --> 00:24:20.959
 actually

00:24:20.959 --> 00:24:21.319
 look at

00:24:21.319 --> 00:24:21.679
 the big

00:24:21.679 --> 00:24:22.119
 things they

00:24:22.119 --> 00:24:22.459
 done in

00:24:22.459 --> 00:24:22.859
 my life

00:24:22.859 --> 00:24:23.740
 the sacrifices

00:24:23.740 --> 00:24:24.419
 they made

00:24:24.419 --> 00:24:24.919
 so that I

00:24:24.919 --> 00:24:25.639
 could do

00:24:25.639 --> 00:24:25.980
 what I

00:24:25.980 --> 00:24:26.419
 needed to

00:24:26.419 --> 00:24:26.639
 do

00:24:26.639 --> 00:24:26.919
 that I

00:24:26.919 --> 00:24:27.159
 suddenly

00:24:27.159 --> 00:24:27.519
 realised

00:24:27.519 --> 00:24:27.839
 that even

00:24:27.839 --> 00:24:28.079
 though I

00:24:28.079 --> 00:24:28.500
 don't get

00:24:28.500 --> 00:24:28.740
 it

00:24:28.740 --> 00:24:29.480
 even though it

00:24:29.480 --> 00:24:29.759
 doesn't make

00:24:29.759 --> 00:24:30.459
 sense to me

00:24:30.459 --> 00:24:31.119
 they're actually

00:24:31.119 --> 00:24:32.039
 probably loving

00:24:32.039 --> 00:24:32.539
 me there

00:24:32.539 --> 00:24:33.039
 because it

00:24:33.039 --> 00:24:33.279
 would be

00:24:33.279 --> 00:24:33.719
 ridiculous

00:24:33.719 --> 00:24:34.240
 for them

00:24:34.240 --> 00:24:34.539
 to do

00:24:34.539 --> 00:24:34.819
 something

00:24:34.819 --> 00:24:35.819
 that costs

00:24:35.819 --> 00:24:36.339
 them and is

00:24:36.339 --> 00:24:36.959
 painful for

00:24:36.959 --> 00:24:37.419
 them out of

00:24:37.419 --> 00:24:37.779
 love

00:24:37.779 --> 00:24:39.379
 and then to

00:24:39.379 --> 00:24:40.319
 withhold something

00:24:40.319 --> 00:24:40.799
 small and

00:24:40.799 --> 00:24:41.619
 insignificant like

00:24:41.619 --> 00:24:42.179
 a five dollar

00:24:42.179 --> 00:24:43.019
 McDonald's meal

00:24:43.019 --> 00:24:45.299
 just to

00:24:45.299 --> 00:24:45.819
 spite me

00:24:45.819 --> 00:24:49.339
 the New

00:24:49.339 --> 00:24:50.079
 Testament tells

00:24:50.079 --> 00:24:50.379
 us in

00:24:50.379 --> 00:24:50.980
 Romans chapter

00:24:50.980 --> 00:24:51.599
 8 it's on

00:24:51.599 --> 00:24:52.039
 the screen

00:24:52.039 --> 00:24:53.920
 he who did

00:24:53.920 --> 00:24:54.819
 not spare his

00:24:54.819 --> 00:24:56.139
 own son but

00:24:56.139 --> 00:24:56.980
 gave him up for

00:24:56.980 --> 00:24:58.539
 us all how

00:24:58.539 --> 00:24:59.079
 will he not

00:24:59.079 --> 00:25:00.079
 also along

00:25:00.079 --> 00:25:00.680
 with him

00:25:00.680 --> 00:25:02.279
 graciously give

00:25:02.279 --> 00:25:02.900
 us all

00:25:02.900 --> 00:25:03.420
 things

00:25:03.420 --> 00:25:09.680
 he who did

00:25:09.680 --> 00:25:10.600
 not spare his

00:25:10.600 --> 00:25:11.259
 own son

00:25:11.259 --> 00:25:13.460
 God who

00:25:13.460 --> 00:25:13.880
 was willing

00:25:13.880 --> 00:25:14.420
 to send

00:25:14.420 --> 00:25:15.039
 Jesus to

00:25:15.039 --> 00:25:15.680
 the cross

00:25:15.680 --> 00:25:17.440
 put him to

00:25:17.440 --> 00:25:17.800
 that through

00:25:17.800 --> 00:25:18.400
 the anguish

00:25:18.400 --> 00:25:19.160
 of absorbing

00:25:19.160 --> 00:25:19.980
 our punishment

00:25:19.980 --> 00:25:21.420
 when that

00:25:21.420 --> 00:25:22.120
 becomes the

00:25:22.120 --> 00:25:22.800
 baseline of

00:25:22.800 --> 00:25:23.380
 the way that

00:25:23.380 --> 00:25:24.000
 God loves

00:25:24.000 --> 00:25:25.519
 us we

00:25:25.519 --> 00:25:25.940
 can be

00:25:25.940 --> 00:25:26.680
 confident that

00:25:26.680 --> 00:25:27.620
 there is no

00:25:27.620 --> 00:25:28.980
 moment no

00:25:28.980 --> 00:25:29.800
 circumstance

00:25:29.800 --> 00:25:30.980
 no difficulty

00:25:30.980 --> 00:25:31.680
 no struggle

00:25:31.680 --> 00:25:32.440
 no joy

00:25:32.440 --> 00:25:33.180
 where God

00:25:33.180 --> 00:25:33.480
 is not

00:25:33.480 --> 00:25:34.019
 actively

00:25:34.019 --> 00:25:34.880
 loving us

00:25:34.880 --> 00:25:37.279
 what Easter

00:25:37.279 --> 00:25:38.259
 does is not

00:25:38.259 --> 00:25:39.279
 just give you

00:25:39.279 --> 00:25:39.799
 the tick of

00:25:39.799 --> 00:25:40.180
 forgiveness

00:25:40.180 --> 00:25:40.819
 although that

00:25:40.819 --> 00:25:41.559
 is incredible

00:25:41.559 --> 00:25:43.660
 what Easter

00:25:43.660 --> 00:25:44.440
 does is not

00:25:44.440 --> 00:25:45.460
 just give you

00:25:45.460 --> 00:25:45.980
 the guarantee

00:25:45.980 --> 00:25:46.680
 of heaven in

00:25:46.680 --> 00:25:47.140
 the future

00:25:47.140 --> 00:25:47.819
 although that

00:25:47.819 --> 00:25:48.660
 is overwhelming

00:25:48.660 --> 00:25:52.360
 what God

00:25:52.360 --> 00:25:53.000
 does in the

00:25:53.000 --> 00:25:53.820
 cross is give

00:25:53.820 --> 00:25:54.100
 you the

00:25:54.100 --> 00:25:55.060
 baseline for

00:25:55.060 --> 00:25:55.680
 his love

00:25:55.680 --> 00:25:57.779
 he gives

00:25:57.779 --> 00:25:58.140
 you the

00:25:58.140 --> 00:25:59.240
 biggest thing

00:25:59.240 --> 00:26:00.660
 the most

00:26:00.660 --> 00:26:01.920
 costly thing

00:26:01.920 --> 00:26:04.300
 so that even

00:26:04.300 --> 00:26:04.920
 in struggle

00:26:04.920 --> 00:26:05.640
 you can say

00:26:05.640 --> 00:26:06.080
 even though I

00:26:06.080 --> 00:26:06.720
 don't get it

00:26:06.720 --> 00:26:08.519
 I know that

00:26:08.519 --> 00:26:09.240
 God would not

00:26:09.240 --> 00:26:10.040
 withhold something

00:26:10.040 --> 00:26:10.759
 good for me

00:26:10.759 --> 00:26:13.519
 even though he

00:26:13.519 --> 00:26:14.000
 might not be

00:26:14.000 --> 00:26:14.860
 making me better

00:26:14.860 --> 00:26:15.560
 quick enough

00:26:15.560 --> 00:26:16.000
 for me

00:26:16.000 --> 00:26:17.720
 even though he

00:26:17.720 --> 00:26:18.180
 may not be

00:26:18.180 --> 00:26:18.660
 giving me a

00:26:18.660 --> 00:26:19.259
 job quick

00:26:19.259 --> 00:26:19.620
 enough

00:26:19.620 --> 00:26:21.180
 even though he

00:26:21.180 --> 00:26:21.560
 may not be

00:26:21.560 --> 00:26:22.120
 solving my

00:26:22.120 --> 00:26:23.060
 financial struggles

00:26:23.060 --> 00:26:23.740
 quick enough

00:26:23.740 --> 00:26:25.060
 even though he

00:26:25.060 --> 00:26:25.500
 may not be

00:26:25.500 --> 00:26:26.080
 settling my

00:26:26.080 --> 00:26:26.880
 anxiety quick

00:26:26.880 --> 00:26:27.259
 enough

00:26:27.259 --> 00:26:28.060
 even though he

00:26:28.060 --> 00:26:28.440
 may not be

00:26:28.440 --> 00:26:29.039
 providing the

00:26:29.039 --> 00:26:29.720
 partner that I

00:26:29.720 --> 00:26:30.400
 desperately want

00:26:30.400 --> 00:26:31.060
 quick enough

00:26:31.060 --> 00:26:32.340
 or even at

00:26:32.340 --> 00:26:32.620
 all

00:26:32.620 --> 00:26:37.180
 I know he

00:26:37.180 --> 00:26:38.039
 still loves me

00:26:38.039 --> 00:26:39.740
 because the

00:26:39.740 --> 00:26:40.620
 baseline is he

00:26:40.620 --> 00:26:41.200
 gave me the

00:26:41.200 --> 00:26:42.320
 biggest best

00:26:42.320 --> 00:26:43.440
 most costly

00:26:43.440 --> 00:26:44.200
 thing first

00:26:44.200 --> 00:26:47.120
 so how would

00:26:47.120 --> 00:26:47.840
 he not also

00:26:47.840 --> 00:26:48.500
 give me every

00:26:48.500 --> 00:26:48.960
 other good

00:26:48.960 --> 00:26:49.519
 thing for me

00:26:49.519 --> 00:26:50.080
 out of love

00:26:50.080 --> 00:26:52.960
 what Easter

00:26:52.960 --> 00:26:53.680
 does what the

00:26:53.680 --> 00:26:54.480
 cross does

00:26:54.480 --> 00:26:57.640
 is gives us a

00:26:57.640 --> 00:26:58.500
 foundation for

00:26:58.500 --> 00:26:58.940
 life

00:26:58.940 --> 00:27:02.100
 because of

00:27:02.100 --> 00:27:02.960
 Jesus you can

00:27:02.960 --> 00:27:03.640
 know that God

00:27:03.640 --> 00:27:05.160
 loves you even

00:27:05.160 --> 00:27:05.680
 though you don't

00:27:05.680 --> 00:27:06.240
 deserve it

00:27:06.240 --> 00:27:09.019
 and you don't

00:27:09.019 --> 00:27:09.519
 have to spend

00:27:09.519 --> 00:27:10.220
 your life feeling

00:27:10.220 --> 00:27:11.100
 guilty about that

00:27:11.100 --> 00:27:11.680
 because he's

00:27:11.680 --> 00:27:12.480
 wiped away the

00:27:12.480 --> 00:27:13.539
 guilt he's

00:27:13.539 --> 00:27:14.079
 paid the debt

00:27:14.079 --> 00:27:14.559
 it's done

00:27:14.559 --> 00:27:15.200
 there's no point

00:27:15.200 --> 00:27:15.920
 dragging it back

00:27:15.920 --> 00:27:16.519
 out it's been

00:27:16.519 --> 00:27:17.059
 pushed to the

00:27:17.059 --> 00:27:17.960
 side Jesus has

00:27:17.960 --> 00:27:18.440
 said it's

00:27:18.440 --> 00:27:20.160
 finished and so

00:27:20.160 --> 00:27:20.960
 you can bask in

00:27:20.960 --> 00:27:21.539
 the love of God

00:27:21.539 --> 00:27:24.559
 confidently you

00:27:24.559 --> 00:27:25.259
 can know that his

00:27:25.259 --> 00:27:26.200
 love is sufficient

00:27:26.200 --> 00:27:27.799
 for even now when

00:27:27.799 --> 00:27:31.099
 you fail and you

00:27:31.099 --> 00:27:31.700
 can know that his

00:27:31.700 --> 00:27:32.720
 love is limitless

00:27:32.720 --> 00:27:35.400
 because the God

00:27:35.400 --> 00:27:36.160
 who created

00:27:36.160 --> 00:27:38.360
 everything has

00:27:38.360 --> 00:27:39.319
 already given his

00:27:39.319 --> 00:27:40.500
 best gift to

00:27:40.500 --> 00:27:42.180
 you his most

00:27:42.180 --> 00:27:43.279
 costly gift to

00:27:43.279 --> 00:27:46.519
 you and so in

00:27:46.519 --> 00:27:47.680
 any situation

00:27:47.680 --> 00:27:49.519
 no matter how

00:27:49.519 --> 00:27:51.580
 painful and

00:27:51.580 --> 00:27:52.460
 there will still

00:27:52.460 --> 00:27:52.960
 be painful

00:27:52.960 --> 00:27:55.360
 situations you

00:27:55.360 --> 00:27:55.960
 can know that

00:27:55.960 --> 00:27:56.700
 God is loving

00:27:56.700 --> 00:27:58.680
 you then because

00:27:58.680 --> 00:28:00.720
 of Jesus even

00:28:00.720 --> 00:28:01.220
 if you don't

00:28:01.220 --> 00:28:01.940
 understand it you

00:28:01.940 --> 00:28:03.060
 can look and

00:28:03.060 --> 00:28:03.820
 say I know he

00:28:03.820 --> 00:28:05.160
 loves me because

00:28:05.160 --> 00:28:05.840
 he's already given

00:28:05.840 --> 00:28:08.320
 me his best there

00:28:08.320 --> 00:28:09.080
 is nothing he

00:28:09.080 --> 00:28:10.400
 would withhold from

00:28:10.400 --> 00:28:11.120
 those who are his

00:28:11.119 --> 00:28:11.959
 precious children

00:28:11.959 --> 00:28:15.119
 I don't know why

00:28:15.119 --> 00:28:15.799
 you came today

00:28:15.799 --> 00:28:18.379
 I don't know what

00:28:18.379 --> 00:28:19.119
 Easter meant for

00:28:19.119 --> 00:28:19.519
 you when you

00:28:19.519 --> 00:28:20.279
 walked in the door

00:28:20.279 --> 00:28:22.319
 but I really pray

00:28:22.319 --> 00:28:23.139
 that today you

00:28:23.139 --> 00:28:24.419
 hear and believe

00:28:24.419 --> 00:28:25.659
 God's words to

00:28:25.659 --> 00:28:26.099
 you

00:28:26.099 --> 00:28:29.679
 he says I love

00:28:29.679 --> 00:28:31.459
 you just as you

00:28:31.459 --> 00:28:31.779
 are

00:28:31.779 --> 00:28:34.319
 no conditions

00:28:34.319 --> 00:28:35.039
 no strings

00:28:35.039 --> 00:28:35.500
 attached

00:28:35.500 --> 00:28:37.640
 my love is

00:28:37.640 --> 00:28:38.579
 enough to deal

00:28:38.579 --> 00:28:39.299
 with anything you

00:28:39.299 --> 00:28:39.920
 have done or

00:28:39.920 --> 00:28:40.380
 will do

00:28:40.380 --> 00:28:44.000
 and my love for

00:28:44.000 --> 00:28:44.279
 you is

00:28:44.279 --> 00:28:45.119
 unconditional

00:28:45.119 --> 00:28:47.000
 undeserved

00:28:47.000 --> 00:28:48.539
 unlimited

00:28:48.539 --> 00:28:50.059
 and unending

00:28:50.059 --> 00:28:53.299
 I pray that

00:28:53.299 --> 00:28:54.220
 today you might

00:28:54.220 --> 00:28:55.119
 taste and feel

00:28:55.119 --> 00:28:55.940
 that kind of love

00:28:55.940 --> 00:28:56.380
 for you

00:28:56.380 --> 00:28:59.740
 and have your

00:28:59.740 --> 00:29:00.359
 whole life

00:29:00.359 --> 00:29:01.559
 transformed by

00:29:01.559 --> 00:29:02.500
 it

00:29:02.500 --> 00:29:05.400
 let's pray

00:29:05.400 --> 00:29:10.779
 father God we

00:29:10.779 --> 00:29:11.339
 want to thank you

00:29:11.339 --> 00:29:11.880
 for Jesus

00:29:11.880 --> 00:29:14.019
 we want to thank

00:29:14.019 --> 00:29:14.500
 you that even

00:29:14.500 --> 00:29:15.079
 though we don't

00:29:15.079 --> 00:29:15.660
 deserve it you

00:29:15.660 --> 00:29:16.240
 were willing to

00:29:16.240 --> 00:29:17.059
 go to incredible

00:29:17.059 --> 00:29:17.799
 lengths that we

00:29:17.799 --> 00:29:18.740
 might be confident

00:29:18.740 --> 00:29:19.619
 that your love is

00:29:19.619 --> 00:29:20.119
 not just a

00:29:20.119 --> 00:29:20.920
 sentiment it's an

00:29:20.920 --> 00:29:22.460
 action it's

00:29:22.460 --> 00:29:23.039
 sufficient

00:29:23.039 --> 00:29:25.140
 God I pray that

00:29:25.140 --> 00:29:25.480
 if there are

00:29:25.480 --> 00:29:26.039
 people in this

00:29:26.039 --> 00:29:26.660
 room now who

00:29:26.660 --> 00:29:27.420
 maybe are following

00:29:27.420 --> 00:29:27.980
 you but are

00:29:27.980 --> 00:29:28.579
 wrestling with

00:29:28.579 --> 00:29:29.039
 doubts

00:29:29.039 --> 00:29:30.240
 wrestling with

00:29:30.240 --> 00:29:30.579
 their own

00:29:30.579 --> 00:29:32.720
 failures may

00:29:32.720 --> 00:29:33.279
 they know that

00:29:33.279 --> 00:29:33.799
 your love is

00:29:33.799 --> 00:29:34.240
 enough

00:29:34.240 --> 00:29:36.899
 there are people

00:29:36.899 --> 00:29:37.439
 in this room

00:29:37.439 --> 00:29:38.220
 wrestling with

00:29:38.220 --> 00:29:39.359
 the insecurity

00:29:39.359 --> 00:29:40.419
 or uncertainty

00:29:40.419 --> 00:29:41.460
 of circumstances

00:29:41.460 --> 00:29:42.299
 in life may

00:29:42.299 --> 00:29:43.079
 they see the

00:29:43.079 --> 00:29:45.139
 cross as the

00:29:45.139 --> 00:29:46.500
 guarantee that

00:29:46.500 --> 00:29:46.939
 there is no

00:29:46.939 --> 00:29:47.619
 limit to your

00:29:47.619 --> 00:29:47.960
 love

00:29:47.960 --> 00:29:50.919
 if there are

00:29:50.919 --> 00:29:51.519
 people in this

00:29:51.519 --> 00:29:52.199
 room who don't

00:29:52.199 --> 00:29:52.859
 yet know what

00:29:52.859 --> 00:29:53.439
 it is to be

00:29:53.439 --> 00:29:54.179
 loved like that

00:29:54.179 --> 00:29:55.759
 I pray that

00:29:55.759 --> 00:29:56.439
 today might be

00:29:56.439 --> 00:29:56.980
 the day where

00:29:56.980 --> 00:29:57.659
 like the thief

00:29:57.659 --> 00:29:58.359
 they ask for

00:29:58.359 --> 00:29:58.740
 mercy

00:29:58.740 --> 00:30:00.819
 and they

00:30:00.819 --> 00:30:01.319
 taste and

00:30:01.319 --> 00:30:02.779
 experience your

00:30:02.779 --> 00:30:03.620
 perfect love

00:30:03.620 --> 00:30:05.960
 Amen

00:30:05.960 --> 00:30:07.079
 beautiful

00:30:07.079 --> 00:30:07.960
 Amen

00:30:07.960 --> 00:30:08.200
ippa