WEBVTT

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 To honor the reading of God's holy word, would you please rise with me.

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!

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 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

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 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

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 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

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 This is God's holy and authoritative word.

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 You may be seated.

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 Thank you.

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 Brian Johnson is a tech business CEO who has poured everything into one project.

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 Not dying.

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 Following a hyper regimented body care system, he eats a precise 2,250 calories every day.

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 He follows a particularly calibrated workout plan with 25 different exercises.

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 He maintains a specific body fat composition, measuring himself every day, and he takes up

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 to 100 pills of vitamins and minerals every day.

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 That's like two fistful of pills.

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 He even exposes himself to experimental medical procedures, like receiving blood plasma transfusions

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 from his own 17-year-old son, and subjecting himself to rounds of experimental gene therapies that are only legal in a few countries in the world.

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 The grand result?

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 Based on some recent tests, nothing's working.

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 He's aging just as fast as we are.

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 Now, human beings can live for another million years on this planet before Christ returns.

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 Make leaps and bounds in developing science and technology that I can't even fathom.

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 But this I know for sure.

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 We will always continue to die.

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 Because death is not merely a scientific issue.

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 It's ultimately a spiritual issue.

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 We have a dying problem because we have a sin problem.

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 For the wages of sin is death before a holy and righteous judge, and there is not a single one of us in this room that is righteous on our own standing before him.

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 Sin is the deadly, heart-stopping, lung-clothed, brain-rotting condition that wipes every single one of us out.

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 Sin is the only one of us in this room that is righteous on our own.

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 We are already living immortal lives.

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 In our passage this Easter morning, the Apostle Paul makes it clear that for all of you who have put your faith in Jesus Christ,

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 you have been united to him by faith, and therefore you have already died.

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 You have already resurrected with Jesus Christ.

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 And because of that, out of that, we can now seek the things that are above.

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 That's the main point of my sermon today.

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 So in turn, I'm going to follow Paul's logic in this short passage and talk about the foundation,

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 and then the focus,

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 and finally the future of the resurrected lives that we now live with Christ.

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 This Resurrection Sunday, we celebrate and we remember,

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 along with billions of others in the universal church of Christ,

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 the most significant event in all of human history.

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 More important than any war, any stock market crash, any natural disaster,

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 because this single event has single-handedly transformed and changed the course of human history forever,

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 for all eternity.

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 This one day in history is the very cornerstone of the Christian faith.

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 It's the hinge on which all of Christianity turns and hangs upon.

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 Without it, really, the rest of Christianity has no legs to stand upon.

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 Paul makes that clear when he says in 1 Corinthians 15,

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 if Christ has not been raised,

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 then our preaching is in vain,

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 and your faith is in vain.

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 We are even found to be misrepresenting God,

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 for we testified about God that he raised Christ.

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 And if Christ has not been raised,

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 then your faith is futile,

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 and you are still in your sins.

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 If in Christ we have hope in this life only,

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 we are of all people most to be pitied.

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 Here Paul gives the hypothetical,

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 the if,

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 if the resurrection weren't true.

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 But let's turn that on the head.

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 If the resurrection were true,

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 what does that mean for us?

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 If you are here today,

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 and you are not a believer,

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 I just want to personally thank you so much

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 for coming to join with us in worship

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 of our resurrected Jesus this Easter Sunday.

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 It's our joy and privilege to have you come.

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 And I encourage you to stick around after the service

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 so that we get to talk to you more,

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 we get to learn your names and your stories.

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 But given the importance of the resurrection,

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 and given the uncertainty of time,

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 and the certainty of future judgment,

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 I want to ask you a simple question now.

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 What do you think of the resurrection of Jesus Christ?

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 Do you think this actually happened?

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 Do you think a man from the dead could be raised?

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 As you think about it,

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 I'm going to give you some food for thought

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 as we know some things about the end of Jesus' life.

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 Historians, both Christian and non-Christian alike,

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 have testified to these three facts

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 about the end of Jesus' life.

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 Number one,

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 we know that Jesus was crucified by the Romans.

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 Number two,

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 there was an empty tomb.

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 Number three,

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 there are multiple eyewitnesses

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 testifying that Jesus has resurrected and risen.

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 So there's a crucifixion,

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 there's an empty tomb,

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 and you have multiple eyewitnesses.

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 So if we have these facts,

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 what's the best way

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 for us to reconstruct what happened here?

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 How do we make sense?

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 How do we put these different pieces

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 of the puzzle together?

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 Some hypothesize that some claimed

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 to see and talk with Jesus

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 after his crucifixion,

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 not because he died and resurrected,

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 but simply because he fainted,

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 he swooned on the cross.

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 So then later,

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 when they laid him in the tomb,

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 he simply got up on his own power

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 and presented himself to others.

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 But there are problems with this theory.

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 One does not simply walk off

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 being scourged and whipped with lashes

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 that have these sharp pieces of metal

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 and bone nettled into them.

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 Just imagine how much Jesus' back

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 would have been torn up into bits and pieces,

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 the copious amounts of blood

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 that he would have lost.

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 That in and of itself

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 could have killed Jesus.

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 But on top of that,

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 he was crucified.

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 And crucifixion was a particularly

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 effective method

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 of capital punishment

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 that the Romans developed.

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 The Romans were master killers,

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 and it seems dubious

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 that they would have bungled this execution.

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 Others proposed that Jesus' body

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 was merely stolen from the body,

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 and mass hysteria spread like gangrene

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 because of this simple lie.

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 But if Jesus' body was stolen,

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 which again is a dubious claim in the first place

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 because it was heavily protected,

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 what do you make of these hundreds

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 of eyewitness testimonies

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 claiming that they saw,

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 they interacted,

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 they ate with a resurrected Jesus?

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 Well, someone might push back and say,

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 well,

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 they could have been in all on the same lie.

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 They could have been all lying together.

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 But keep in mind,

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 so many of these men

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 would leave their homes,

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 their families,

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 to go to distant foreign lands

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 to share this testimony

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 that Jesus has resurrected.

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 and many of them

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 would give up their very own lives

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 as martyrs.

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 You lie until a certain point,

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 but you don't die for a lie.

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 Still others believe

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 that multiple people

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 merely hallucinated

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 their vision of Jesus.

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 People nowadays still,

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 they claim to have seen

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 a recently deceased loved one

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 in a ghost,

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 in a dream,

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 in a premonition,

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 sure,

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 but when have you heard

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 of hundreds of people

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 all testifying

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 to seeing the same vision,

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 the same dead person?

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 It is a psychological impossibility

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 for hundreds of people

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 to all see the same thing.

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 So maybe,

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 just maybe,

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 the best answer

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 to make sense

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 of these facts

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 is the supernatural one.

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 Maybe,

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 just maybe,

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 the most plausible explanation

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 for this historical anomaly

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 is that these testimonies

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 are true

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 and credible.

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 Yes,

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 we aren't able

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 to prove the resurrection

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 today

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 based on any kind

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 of empirical evidence,

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 not in the same way

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 that I can prove

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 that gravity exists

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 by dropping this pen,

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 but we constantly believe,

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 we constantly believe things

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 based on

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 only eyewitness testimony.

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 testimony.

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 We as a society

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 wouldn't be able

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 to function

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 unless we believed

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 someone else's word.

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 After all,

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 how do you know

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 your date of birth?

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 Do you remember it?

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 No,

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 you simply trust

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 the testimony

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 of your parents,

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 of the doctors.

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 faith.

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 And while Hebrews 1.11

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 says,

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 faith is the assurance

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 of things hopeful,

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 the conviction

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 of things not seen,

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 that does not mean

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 that faith

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 is like a blind leap

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 into the dark.

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 Faith isn't like

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 a buffet line

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 where you

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 just go

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 and pick and choose

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 whatever seems

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 appetizing to you.

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 for the late,

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 great theologian

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 Augustine commented

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 that if you try

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 to have faith

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 without reason,

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 that is no faith

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 at all,

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 but that's credulity,

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 that's gullibility,

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 that's foolishness

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 that leads people

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 to believing

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 all kinds

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 of wacky things.

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 Instead,

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 faith and reason

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 have a symbiotic

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 relationship,

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 a deep congruity

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 between them.

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 And if you need

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 reason and faith,

00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:43.700
 Christianity

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 has strong,

00:12:45.799 --> 00:12:47.000
 very strong,

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 historical,

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 concrete data

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 to back up

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 its claims.

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 So I ask you again,

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 what do you make

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 of the resurrection?

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 If it were true,

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 what does it mean

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 for you?

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 I think that means

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 you have to follow

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 what the former

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 atheist and cold case

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 detective

00:13:05.879 --> 00:13:06.980
 J. Warner Wallace

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 has said and lived out.

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 I am not a Christian

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 because it works

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 for me.

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 I had a life

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 prior to Christianity

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 that seemed to be

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 working just fine.

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 And my life

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 as a Christian

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 hasn't always been easy.

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 I am a Christian

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 because it is true.

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 I am a Christian

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 because my high regard

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 for the truth

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 leaves me

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 no alternative.

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 if the resurrection

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 is true,

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 that means

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 every word

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 out of his mouth

00:13:41.220 --> 00:13:42.300
 is true too.

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 If someone

00:13:44.620 --> 00:13:45.700
 accurately predicted

00:13:45.700 --> 00:13:47.780
 the mega million

00:13:47.780 --> 00:13:48.660
 lottery numbers

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 every Tuesday

00:13:49.740 --> 00:13:50.480
 and Friday

00:13:50.480 --> 00:13:51.420
 for the past year,

00:13:51.900 --> 00:13:52.960
 you best believe

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 you're going to buy

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 a ticket

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 with whatever numbers

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 he tells you

00:13:56.340 --> 00:13:57.280
 to buy.

00:13:57.279 --> 00:13:59.720
 And if Jesus

00:13:59.720 --> 00:14:00.720
 accurately predicted

00:14:00.720 --> 00:14:01.419
 that he

00:14:01.419 --> 00:14:03.379
 would die

00:14:03.379 --> 00:14:04.039
 and resurrect

00:14:04.039 --> 00:14:05.100
 three days later

00:14:05.100 --> 00:14:06.839
 a supernatural feat

00:14:06.839 --> 00:14:07.500
 that defies

00:14:07.500 --> 00:14:08.939
 all natural expectations,

00:14:09.480 --> 00:14:10.360
 you best believe

00:14:10.360 --> 00:14:11.559
 you better take

00:14:11.559 --> 00:14:12.139
 his words

00:14:12.139 --> 00:14:13.079
 seriously.

00:14:14.259 --> 00:14:14.919
 That's why

00:14:14.919 --> 00:14:15.379
 the resurrection

00:14:15.379 --> 00:14:16.220
 is so important

00:14:16.220 --> 00:14:17.799
 because it substantiates

00:14:17.799 --> 00:14:19.240
 all of Jesus'

00:14:19.500 --> 00:14:19.919
 claims.

00:14:22.019 --> 00:14:22.600
 And similarly,

00:14:22.759 --> 00:14:23.439
 Jesus exhorts

00:14:23.439 --> 00:14:24.120
 his followers

00:14:24.120 --> 00:14:25.679
 in John 5, 24

00:14:25.679 --> 00:14:27.219
 to believe his word.

00:14:27.379 --> 00:14:27.699
 He says,

00:14:27.699 --> 00:14:28.679
 truly, truly,

00:14:28.799 --> 00:14:29.620
 I say to you,

00:14:30.199 --> 00:14:31.439
 whoever hears my word

00:14:31.439 --> 00:14:32.739
 and believes him

00:14:32.739 --> 00:14:33.319
 who sent me

00:14:33.319 --> 00:14:35.379
 has eternal life.

00:14:37.199 --> 00:14:38.339
 He does not come

00:14:38.339 --> 00:14:38.959
 into judgment

00:14:38.959 --> 00:14:39.919
 but has passed

00:14:39.919 --> 00:14:40.519
 from death

00:14:40.519 --> 00:14:41.379
 to life.

00:14:43.199 --> 00:14:44.219
 If we

00:14:44.219 --> 00:14:45.319
 are taking

00:14:45.319 --> 00:14:46.279
 all of Jesus'

00:14:46.559 --> 00:14:47.899
 words very seriously

00:14:47.899 --> 00:14:49.159
 and accepting them

00:14:49.159 --> 00:14:49.740
 as true,

00:14:49.959 --> 00:14:51.099
 what is he claiming here?

00:14:51.179 --> 00:14:51.779
 He's claiming

00:14:51.779 --> 00:14:53.620
 that he can offer

00:14:53.620 --> 00:14:54.120
 to us

00:14:54.120 --> 00:14:55.319
 the secret

00:14:55.320 --> 00:14:57.660
 of immortality,

00:14:57.900 --> 00:14:59.180
 eternal life

00:14:59.180 --> 00:14:59.660
 with him.

00:15:01.180 --> 00:15:01.860
 That's not just

00:15:01.860 --> 00:15:02.780
 in the future,

00:15:03.080 --> 00:15:03.340
 guys,

00:15:03.580 --> 00:15:05.160
 but it's now.

00:15:05.760 --> 00:15:06.379
 For did you notice

00:15:06.379 --> 00:15:06.820
 something about

00:15:06.820 --> 00:15:07.440
 the tenses

00:15:07.440 --> 00:15:08.480
 of these verbs?

00:15:09.280 --> 00:15:09.879
 For those who have

00:15:09.879 --> 00:15:11.120
 believed in Jesus,

00:15:11.740 --> 00:15:12.379
 he's saying that

00:15:12.379 --> 00:15:13.580
 you have

00:15:13.580 --> 00:15:15.280
 eternal life.

00:15:15.460 --> 00:15:16.460
 It's the present tense.

00:15:17.740 --> 00:15:18.860
 You have

00:15:18.860 --> 00:15:19.360
 passed

00:15:19.360 --> 00:15:19.980
 from death

00:15:19.980 --> 00:15:20.760
 to life.

00:15:21.520 --> 00:15:22.180
 It's referring

00:15:22.180 --> 00:15:22.700
 to an action

00:15:22.700 --> 00:15:23.480
 from the past.

00:15:23.480 --> 00:15:23.519
 Christ.

00:15:25.259 --> 00:15:26.060
 In the same

00:15:26.060 --> 00:15:26.600
 spirit,

00:15:27.259 --> 00:15:28.100
 the apostle Paul

00:15:28.100 --> 00:15:28.899
 in our passage

00:15:28.899 --> 00:15:29.399
 this morning

00:15:29.399 --> 00:15:29.800
 says,

00:15:30.500 --> 00:15:31.659
 if you have

00:15:31.659 --> 00:15:32.080
 been

00:15:32.080 --> 00:15:33.840
 raised with

00:15:33.840 --> 00:15:34.259
 Christ,

00:15:35.080 --> 00:15:35.519
 and later

00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:36.039
 he says

00:15:36.039 --> 00:15:36.600
 in verse 3,

00:15:36.680 --> 00:15:37.980
 you have

00:15:37.980 --> 00:15:38.480
 died.

00:15:40.039 --> 00:15:40.860
 All these verbs

00:15:40.860 --> 00:15:41.340
 are in the

00:15:41.340 --> 00:15:42.220
 past tense.

00:15:43.740 --> 00:15:44.340
 And Paul makes

00:15:44.340 --> 00:15:45.220
 it very clear

00:15:45.220 --> 00:15:46.440
 that over 200

00:15:46.440 --> 00:15:47.399
 times in his

00:15:47.399 --> 00:15:47.759
 writings

00:15:47.759 --> 00:15:48.759
 and in our

00:15:48.759 --> 00:15:49.600
 passage today,

00:15:50.060 --> 00:15:50.519
 that again,

00:15:50.519 --> 00:15:50.960
 for those

00:15:50.960 --> 00:15:51.220
 who have

00:15:51.220 --> 00:15:52.799
 put their

00:15:52.799 --> 00:15:53.360
 faith in

00:15:53.360 --> 00:15:54.139
 Jesus Christ,

00:15:54.579 --> 00:15:55.019
 we have

00:15:55.019 --> 00:15:55.799
 been united

00:15:55.799 --> 00:15:56.620
 with Christ

00:15:56.620 --> 00:15:57.460
 in a mystical

00:15:57.460 --> 00:15:57.919
 union.

00:15:58.939 --> 00:15:59.819
 Just like a

00:15:59.819 --> 00:16:00.439
 branch cannot

00:16:00.439 --> 00:16:01.220
 produce fruit

00:16:01.220 --> 00:16:01.720
 unless it's

00:16:01.720 --> 00:16:02.299
 connected to

00:16:02.299 --> 00:16:02.699
 the vine,

00:16:03.600 --> 00:16:04.299
 just like the

00:16:04.299 --> 00:16:05.100
 body cannot

00:16:05.100 --> 00:16:05.860
 function and

00:16:05.860 --> 00:16:06.500
 feel unless

00:16:06.500 --> 00:16:07.120
 it's connected

00:16:07.120 --> 00:16:07.779
 to the head,

00:16:08.360 --> 00:16:08.960
 and just like

00:16:08.960 --> 00:16:09.759
 how a husband

00:16:09.759 --> 00:16:10.319
 and wife

00:16:10.319 --> 00:16:12.659
 are so close

00:16:12.659 --> 00:16:13.299
 that they become

00:16:13.299 --> 00:16:14.340
 one flesh,

00:16:14.919 --> 00:16:15.980
 just like that,

00:16:16.079 --> 00:16:16.659
 Christ has

00:16:16.659 --> 00:16:18.000
 loved us

00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:19.279
 so intimately,

00:16:20.039 --> 00:16:21.019
 so wonderfully,

00:16:21.240 --> 00:16:22.919
 so powerfully,

00:16:23.159 --> 00:16:24.179
 that he has

00:16:24.179 --> 00:16:25.220
 inextricably

00:16:25.220 --> 00:16:26.259
 and united,

00:16:26.659 --> 00:16:27.360
 eternally

00:16:27.360 --> 00:16:29.259
 united ourselves

00:16:29.259 --> 00:16:29.940
 with him.

00:16:31.039 --> 00:16:32.000
 So much so

00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:32.720
 that wherever

00:16:32.720 --> 00:16:33.720
 Christ is,

00:16:34.100 --> 00:16:34.799
 we will go.

00:16:36.120 --> 00:16:36.980
 And whatever

00:16:36.980 --> 00:16:38.120
 Christ has done,

00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:39.460
 we can say

00:16:39.460 --> 00:16:40.139
 that we have

00:16:40.139 --> 00:16:40.399
 done.

00:16:42.080 --> 00:16:42.940
 So in our

00:16:42.940 --> 00:16:43.299
 passage,

00:16:43.460 --> 00:16:43.820
 Paul is

00:16:43.820 --> 00:16:44.860
 highlighting the

00:16:44.860 --> 00:16:45.519
 fact that yes,

00:16:45.639 --> 00:16:46.779
 we will die

00:16:46.779 --> 00:16:47.399
 and resurrect

00:16:47.399 --> 00:16:48.779
 with Christ

00:16:48.779 --> 00:16:49.279
 in the future,

00:16:49.339 --> 00:16:49.959
 that'll be our

00:16:49.959 --> 00:16:51.059
 bodily resurrection.

00:16:51.720 --> 00:16:52.519
 But in our

00:16:52.519 --> 00:16:53.500
 union with

00:16:53.500 --> 00:16:54.100
 Christ,

00:16:54.459 --> 00:16:55.079
 we have

00:16:55.079 --> 00:16:56.299
 spiritually died

00:16:56.299 --> 00:16:57.139
 and we have

00:16:57.139 --> 00:16:58.459
 spiritually resurrected

00:16:58.459 --> 00:17:00.519
 already with

00:17:00.519 --> 00:17:01.079
 Christ.

00:17:01.519 --> 00:17:02.480
 And what does

00:17:02.480 --> 00:17:03.199
 that mean?

00:17:04.879 --> 00:17:06.000
 For all those

00:17:06.000 --> 00:17:06.680
 who are born

00:17:06.680 --> 00:17:07.160
 in Adam

00:17:07.160 --> 00:17:09.299
 were enslaved

00:17:09.299 --> 00:17:09.920
 to sin.

00:17:11.259 --> 00:17:12.259
 We were all

00:17:12.259 --> 00:17:13.660
 born in sin,

00:17:13.759 --> 00:17:14.279
 meaning that

00:17:14.279 --> 00:17:15.339
 we are not

00:17:15.339 --> 00:17:16.359
 sinners because

00:17:16.359 --> 00:17:17.259
 we sin.

00:17:18.639 --> 00:17:19.259
 No, it goes

00:17:19.259 --> 00:17:20.159
 far deeper

00:17:20.159 --> 00:17:20.839
 than that.

00:17:21.939 --> 00:17:23.500
 We sin

00:17:23.500 --> 00:17:24.579
 because we

00:17:24.579 --> 00:17:25.599
 are sinners.

00:17:27.500 --> 00:17:28.299
 It's not

00:17:28.299 --> 00:17:29.099
 that we just

00:17:29.099 --> 00:17:29.980
 did bad things

00:17:29.980 --> 00:17:30.899
 here and there

00:17:30.899 --> 00:17:31.740
 once in a while.

00:17:32.119 --> 00:17:32.799
 No, we

00:17:32.799 --> 00:17:34.679
 were under

00:17:34.679 --> 00:17:35.679
 the dominance,

00:17:36.220 --> 00:17:36.959
 the control

00:17:36.959 --> 00:17:37.619
 of sin.

00:17:38.119 --> 00:17:38.559
 Sin was

00:17:38.559 --> 00:17:39.599
 part of us.

00:17:41.259 --> 00:17:42.099
 I think we have

00:17:42.099 --> 00:17:42.659
 a lot to learn

00:17:42.659 --> 00:17:43.359
 from this story,

00:17:43.480 --> 00:17:44.220
 from this strange

00:17:44.220 --> 00:17:45.259
 case of Dr. Jekyll

00:17:45.259 --> 00:17:45.980
 and Mr. Hyde,

00:17:47.039 --> 00:17:47.759
 in which the

00:17:47.759 --> 00:17:49.120
 author, Robert

00:17:49.120 --> 00:17:49.839
 Louis Stevenson,

00:17:49.900 --> 00:17:50.500
 he writes about

00:17:50.500 --> 00:17:51.819
 a Dr. Jekyll,

00:17:52.059 --> 00:17:52.600
 a nice,

00:17:53.360 --> 00:17:54.120
 kind man,

00:17:54.339 --> 00:17:55.420
 but honest,

00:17:55.640 --> 00:17:56.480
 and knows that

00:17:56.480 --> 00:17:57.220
 he has

00:17:57.220 --> 00:17:58.839
 some ugliness

00:17:58.839 --> 00:17:59.259
 to him,

00:17:59.380 --> 00:18:01.819
 some pride,

00:18:01.960 --> 00:18:02.420
 some bitterness,

00:18:02.860 --> 00:18:04.079
 and so he

00:18:04.079 --> 00:18:05.059
 decides to take

00:18:05.059 --> 00:18:05.799
 a potion,

00:18:06.200 --> 00:18:07.559
 a potion that

00:18:07.559 --> 00:18:08.319
 would amass,

00:18:08.600 --> 00:18:09.360
 congeal all

00:18:09.360 --> 00:18:10.360
 of this ugliness

00:18:10.359 --> 00:18:11.979
 into a separate

00:18:11.979 --> 00:18:12.699
 personality

00:18:12.699 --> 00:18:14.240
 named Mr. Hyde.

00:18:16.639 --> 00:18:17.179
 Unfortunately

00:18:17.179 --> 00:18:17.619
 for him,

00:18:17.740 --> 00:18:18.539
 Jekyll quickly

00:18:18.539 --> 00:18:19.779
 realized that

00:18:19.779 --> 00:18:20.779
 Mr. Hyde

00:18:20.779 --> 00:18:22.619
 was way,

00:18:22.859 --> 00:18:24.339
 way worse

00:18:24.339 --> 00:18:24.959
 than he could

00:18:24.959 --> 00:18:25.599
 ever have

00:18:25.599 --> 00:18:26.000
 imagined.

00:18:27.000 --> 00:18:27.699
 He's way more

00:18:27.699 --> 00:18:28.419
 insidious

00:18:28.419 --> 00:18:29.799
 and murderous

00:18:29.799 --> 00:18:30.719
 and ugly

00:18:30.719 --> 00:18:31.599
 than he could

00:18:31.599 --> 00:18:31.919
 have ever

00:18:31.919 --> 00:18:32.359
 imagined.

00:18:33.740 --> 00:18:34.339
 And eventually,

00:18:34.459 --> 00:18:35.079
 while he was

00:18:35.079 --> 00:18:36.259
 first able to

00:18:36.259 --> 00:18:36.939
 control that

00:18:36.939 --> 00:18:37.679
 transformation,

00:18:37.680 --> 00:18:39.460
 the power

00:18:39.460 --> 00:18:40.240
 of the potion

00:18:40.240 --> 00:18:41.160
 overcame him

00:18:41.160 --> 00:18:42.360
 and Jekyll

00:18:42.360 --> 00:18:43.220
 lost control

00:18:43.220 --> 00:18:44.660
 of Mr. Hyde.

00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:46.460
 He was unable

00:18:46.460 --> 00:18:47.299
 to suppress

00:18:47.299 --> 00:18:47.980
 the evil

00:18:47.980 --> 00:18:48.779
 within him.

00:18:50.440 --> 00:18:50.900
 And in the

00:18:50.900 --> 00:18:51.920
 final scene

00:18:51.920 --> 00:18:52.539
 of the novella,

00:18:52.740 --> 00:18:53.460
 Jekyll has no

00:18:53.460 --> 00:18:54.799
 solution but to

00:18:54.799 --> 00:18:55.480
 end his own

00:18:55.480 --> 00:18:56.600
 life to stop

00:18:56.600 --> 00:18:57.440
 Mr. Hyde.

00:18:58.820 --> 00:18:59.380
 And like

00:18:59.380 --> 00:19:00.140
 Dr. Jekyll,

00:19:00.220 --> 00:19:00.920
 we all

00:19:00.920 --> 00:19:02.440
 have had

00:19:02.440 --> 00:19:03.360
 that same

00:19:03.360 --> 00:19:04.580
 potion inside

00:19:04.580 --> 00:19:04.840
 of us.

00:19:04.900 --> 00:19:05.320
 It's really

00:19:05.320 --> 00:19:05.920
 a poison.

00:19:05.920 --> 00:19:08.140
 It's flowing

00:19:08.140 --> 00:19:08.580
 through our

00:19:08.580 --> 00:19:08.900
 veins.

00:19:09.039 --> 00:19:09.400
 It's giving

00:19:09.400 --> 00:19:10.240
 control to

00:19:10.240 --> 00:19:11.120
 sin to

00:19:11.120 --> 00:19:12.240
 our Mr. Hyde's.

00:19:13.060 --> 00:19:13.519
 For in so

00:19:13.519 --> 00:19:13.940
 many words,

00:19:14.019 --> 00:19:14.340
 it's like

00:19:14.340 --> 00:19:14.960
 Stevenson's

00:19:14.960 --> 00:19:15.720
 whole story

00:19:15.720 --> 00:19:16.180
 is just

00:19:16.180 --> 00:19:16.680
 taken from

00:19:16.680 --> 00:19:17.460
 Romans 7

00:19:17.460 --> 00:19:18.320
 where Paul

00:19:18.320 --> 00:19:18.620
 writes,

00:19:18.779 --> 00:19:19.240
 for I do

00:19:19.240 --> 00:19:19.900
 not understand

00:19:19.900 --> 00:19:20.440
 my own

00:19:20.440 --> 00:19:20.880
 actions.

00:19:21.580 --> 00:19:22.140
 For I do

00:19:22.140 --> 00:19:22.519
 not do

00:19:22.519 --> 00:19:23.039
 what I want

00:19:23.039 --> 00:19:23.480
 but I do

00:19:23.480 --> 00:19:23.860
 the very

00:19:23.860 --> 00:19:24.360
 thing I

00:19:24.360 --> 00:19:24.860
 hate.

00:19:25.759 --> 00:19:26.300
 I do

00:19:26.300 --> 00:19:26.580
 not do

00:19:26.580 --> 00:19:27.060
 the good

00:19:27.060 --> 00:19:27.680
 I want

00:19:27.680 --> 00:19:28.080
 but the

00:19:28.080 --> 00:19:28.660
 evil I

00:19:28.660 --> 00:19:29.080
 do not

00:19:29.080 --> 00:19:29.500
 want is

00:19:29.500 --> 00:19:29.840
 what I

00:19:29.840 --> 00:19:30.560
 keep on

00:19:30.560 --> 00:19:30.940
 doing.

00:19:32.080 --> 00:19:32.740
 If I

00:19:32.740 --> 00:19:33.519
 do what

00:19:33.519 --> 00:19:34.039
 I don't

00:19:34.039 --> 00:19:34.420
 want

00:19:34.420 --> 00:19:36.120
 is no

00:19:36.120 --> 00:19:36.640
 longer I

00:19:36.640 --> 00:19:36.940
 who do

00:19:36.940 --> 00:19:37.220
 it but

00:19:37.220 --> 00:19:38.140
 sin that

00:19:38.140 --> 00:19:38.580
 dwells

00:19:38.580 --> 00:19:39.120
 within me.

00:19:41.640 --> 00:19:42.160
 That's

00:19:42.160 --> 00:19:42.820
 all of

00:19:42.820 --> 00:19:43.019
 our

00:19:43.019 --> 00:19:43.500
 conditions

00:19:43.500 --> 00:19:43.940
 before

00:19:43.940 --> 00:19:44.400
 Christ.

00:19:45.680 --> 00:19:46.100
 So how

00:19:46.100 --> 00:19:46.539
 are we

00:19:46.539 --> 00:19:47.120
 cured

00:19:47.120 --> 00:19:47.740
 from this

00:19:47.740 --> 00:19:48.400
 poison?

00:19:49.180 --> 00:19:49.640
 How do

00:19:49.640 --> 00:19:50.220
 we regain

00:19:50.220 --> 00:19:50.840
 control

00:19:50.840 --> 00:19:51.779
 over our

00:19:51.779 --> 00:19:52.019
 sin?

00:19:54.039 --> 00:19:54.620
 For one,

00:19:54.860 --> 00:19:55.259
 Paul makes

00:19:55.259 --> 00:19:55.960
 it clear

00:19:55.960 --> 00:19:56.539
 that it's

00:19:56.539 --> 00:19:57.220
 not by

00:19:57.220 --> 00:19:57.820
 following a

00:19:57.820 --> 00:19:58.220
 bunch of

00:19:58.220 --> 00:19:58.860
 man-made

00:19:58.860 --> 00:19:59.539
 legalistic

00:19:59.539 --> 00:19:59.980
 rules.

00:20:01.820 --> 00:20:02.380
 This church

00:20:02.380 --> 00:20:02.960
 in Colossae

00:20:02.960 --> 00:20:03.360
 was being

00:20:03.360 --> 00:20:04.020
 tempted by

00:20:04.020 --> 00:20:04.480
 false

00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:04.860
 teaching.

00:20:06.020 --> 00:20:06.240
 Andrew

00:20:06.240 --> 00:20:06.820
 spoke about

00:20:06.820 --> 00:20:07.160
 it that

00:20:07.160 --> 00:20:08.620
 involved a

00:20:08.620 --> 00:20:09.880
 toxic brew

00:20:09.880 --> 00:20:11.940
 of legalistic

00:20:11.940 --> 00:20:13.100
 Judaism and

00:20:13.100 --> 00:20:13.560
 worldly

00:20:13.560 --> 00:20:14.160
 paganism.

00:20:15.520 --> 00:20:16.380
 These false

00:20:16.380 --> 00:20:17.100
 teachers added

00:20:17.100 --> 00:20:17.840
 a bunch of

00:20:17.840 --> 00:20:18.480
 legalistic

00:20:18.480 --> 00:20:19.140
 rules saying

00:20:19.140 --> 00:20:20.540
 don't handle,

00:20:20.720 --> 00:20:21.240
 don't touch,

00:20:21.360 --> 00:20:21.700
 don't look,

00:20:21.800 --> 00:20:22.120
 don't do

00:20:22.120 --> 00:20:22.380
 this,

00:20:22.660 --> 00:20:23.080
 don't do

00:20:23.080 --> 00:20:25.100
 that under

00:20:25.100 --> 00:20:25.740
 the guise of

00:20:25.740 --> 00:20:27.140
 holiness to

00:20:27.140 --> 00:20:27.940
 put death

00:20:27.940 --> 00:20:28.560
 to sin.

00:20:30.400 --> 00:20:31.060
 Expecting all

00:20:31.060 --> 00:20:31.600
 this rule

00:20:31.600 --> 00:20:32.080
 keeping to

00:20:32.079 --> 00:20:32.720
 have power

00:20:32.720 --> 00:20:33.759
 to conquer

00:20:33.759 --> 00:20:34.779
 our fleshly

00:20:34.779 --> 00:20:35.359
 impulses.

00:20:36.480 --> 00:20:37.279
 We in the

00:20:37.279 --> 00:20:37.799
 church, we

00:20:37.799 --> 00:20:38.480
 are still

00:20:38.480 --> 00:20:39.059
 tempted to

00:20:39.059 --> 00:20:39.439
 do the

00:20:39.439 --> 00:20:40.159
 same thing.

00:20:41.439 --> 00:20:42.240
 Every time

00:20:42.240 --> 00:20:42.939
 we sin,

00:20:43.919 --> 00:20:44.619
 we hurt

00:20:44.619 --> 00:20:45.179
 others, we

00:20:45.179 --> 00:20:45.639
 do things

00:20:45.639 --> 00:20:45.939
 that we

00:20:45.939 --> 00:20:46.480
 don't want

00:20:46.480 --> 00:20:46.879
 to do,

00:20:47.319 --> 00:20:47.879
 what is

00:20:47.879 --> 00:20:48.679
 often our

00:20:48.679 --> 00:20:49.379
 first reaction?

00:20:49.519 --> 00:20:50.220
 We just

00:20:50.220 --> 00:20:50.939
 throw at it

00:20:50.939 --> 00:20:51.639
 a bunch of

00:20:51.639 --> 00:20:52.240
 legalistic

00:20:52.240 --> 00:20:52.839
 rule following.

00:20:54.720 --> 00:20:55.339
 I'm going

00:20:55.339 --> 00:20:55.799
 to read my

00:20:55.799 --> 00:20:56.339
 Bible like

00:20:56.339 --> 00:20:56.799
 crazy.

00:20:57.919 --> 00:20:58.500
 I'm going

00:20:58.500 --> 00:20:58.779
 to pray

00:20:58.779 --> 00:20:59.379
 twice as

00:20:59.379 --> 00:20:59.759
 hard.

00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:00.539
 I'm going

00:21:00.539 --> 00:21:00.859
 to start

00:21:00.859 --> 00:21:01.399
 fasting.

00:21:02.079 --> 00:21:04.059
 Don't

00:21:04.059 --> 00:21:04.319
 get me

00:21:04.319 --> 00:21:04.480
 wrong,

00:21:04.539 --> 00:21:04.980
 those things

00:21:04.980 --> 00:21:06.000
 are good,

00:21:06.119 --> 00:21:06.599
 but they're

00:21:06.599 --> 00:21:07.919
 insufficient on

00:21:07.919 --> 00:21:08.339
 their own

00:21:08.339 --> 00:21:10.679
 because trying

00:21:10.679 --> 00:21:11.259
 to fight

00:21:11.259 --> 00:21:12.619
 sin, fight

00:21:12.619 --> 00:21:13.419
 your Mr.

00:21:13.539 --> 00:21:14.500
 Hines based

00:21:14.500 --> 00:21:15.000
 on your

00:21:15.000 --> 00:21:15.939
 own power,

00:21:17.179 --> 00:21:17.659
 it's like

00:21:17.659 --> 00:21:19.740
 bringing a

00:21:19.740 --> 00:21:20.299
 butter knife

00:21:20.299 --> 00:21:20.919
 to a gun

00:21:20.919 --> 00:21:21.179
 fight.

00:21:23.480 --> 00:21:24.179
 Paul says

00:21:24.179 --> 00:21:25.359
 himself right

00:21:25.359 --> 00:21:25.939
 before our

00:21:25.939 --> 00:21:26.359
 passage,

00:21:26.359 --> 00:21:27.659
 these man

00:21:27.659 --> 00:21:28.219
 made rules

00:21:28.219 --> 00:21:29.019
 have indeed

00:21:29.019 --> 00:21:29.779
 an appearance

00:21:29.779 --> 00:21:30.879
 of wisdom

00:21:30.879 --> 00:21:31.459
 in promoting

00:21:31.459 --> 00:21:32.000
 self-made

00:21:32.000 --> 00:21:32.579
 religion and

00:21:32.579 --> 00:21:33.359
 asceticism and

00:21:33.359 --> 00:21:33.879
 severity to

00:21:33.879 --> 00:21:34.219
 the body,

00:21:34.219 --> 00:21:35.119
 but they are

00:21:35.119 --> 00:21:35.859
 of no

00:21:35.859 --> 00:21:37.599
 value in

00:21:37.599 --> 00:21:38.179
 stopping the

00:21:38.179 --> 00:21:38.799
 indulgence of

00:21:38.799 --> 00:21:39.219
 the flesh.

00:21:39.599 --> 00:21:39.939
 You can

00:21:39.939 --> 00:21:40.719
 try all

00:21:40.719 --> 00:21:41.259
 you want,

00:21:41.740 --> 00:21:42.139
 you can

00:21:42.139 --> 00:21:42.599
 work your

00:21:42.599 --> 00:21:43.179
 fingers down

00:21:43.179 --> 00:21:43.639
 to the bone

00:21:43.639 --> 00:21:43.939
 and you

00:21:43.939 --> 00:21:44.319
 will have

00:21:44.319 --> 00:21:45.699
 nothing to

00:21:45.699 --> 00:21:46.319
 show for

00:21:46.319 --> 00:21:46.579
 it.

00:21:48.659 --> 00:21:49.939
 But praise

00:21:49.939 --> 00:21:50.639
 be to God

00:21:50.639 --> 00:21:51.119
 that the

00:21:51.119 --> 00:21:51.839
 solution to

00:21:51.839 --> 00:21:52.359
 kill our

00:21:52.359 --> 00:21:53.259
 sin is not

00:21:53.259 --> 00:21:53.959
 to kill

00:21:53.960 --> 00:21:54.920
 ourselves like

00:21:54.920 --> 00:21:55.259
 Dr.

00:21:55.340 --> 00:21:55.600
 Jekyll.

00:21:56.240 --> 00:21:56.620
 And it's not

00:21:56.620 --> 00:21:57.160
 to kill our

00:21:57.160 --> 00:21:58.039
 bodies by a

00:21:58.039 --> 00:21:58.380
 bunch of

00:21:58.380 --> 00:21:59.079
 legalistic

00:21:59.079 --> 00:22:00.059
 rule following,

00:22:00.600 --> 00:22:01.620
 but it is

00:22:01.620 --> 00:22:02.539
 found in the

00:22:02.539 --> 00:22:04.100
 killing of

00:22:04.100 --> 00:22:04.840
 the Passover

00:22:04.840 --> 00:22:05.299
 lamb,

00:22:05.620 --> 00:22:06.360
 Jesus Christ.

00:22:07.759 --> 00:22:08.259
 For Jesus

00:22:08.259 --> 00:22:09.000
 Christ on

00:22:09.000 --> 00:22:10.079
 Good Friday,

00:22:10.539 --> 00:22:10.920
 though he

00:22:10.920 --> 00:22:12.279
 never sinned,

00:22:12.700 --> 00:22:12.980
 though he

00:22:12.980 --> 00:22:13.680
 never had a

00:22:13.680 --> 00:22:14.680
 Mr. Hyde in

00:22:14.680 --> 00:22:15.940
 him, he was

00:22:15.940 --> 00:22:16.920
 crucified as if

00:22:16.920 --> 00:22:17.600
 he did,

00:22:18.100 --> 00:22:18.819
 bearing the

00:22:18.819 --> 00:22:19.559
 total weight

00:22:19.559 --> 00:22:20.220
 of sin on

00:22:20.220 --> 00:22:20.920
 behalf of us

00:22:20.920 --> 00:22:21.400
 sinners.

00:22:22.360 --> 00:22:23.160
 Not just

00:22:23.160 --> 00:22:23.920
 dying,

00:22:23.960 --> 00:22:24.620
 for us,

00:22:25.000 --> 00:22:25.579
 but he

00:22:25.579 --> 00:22:26.480
 allowed us

00:22:26.480 --> 00:22:27.100
 to die

00:22:27.100 --> 00:22:28.059
 with him.

00:22:30.759 --> 00:22:31.740
 Not to

00:22:31.740 --> 00:22:32.620
 die in

00:22:32.620 --> 00:22:33.100
 sin, but

00:22:33.100 --> 00:22:33.779
 to die

00:22:33.779 --> 00:22:35.019
 to sin.

00:22:36.299 --> 00:22:37.039
 By grace,

00:22:37.160 --> 00:22:37.759
 we know that

00:22:37.759 --> 00:22:38.460
 our old self

00:22:38.460 --> 00:22:39.180
 was crucified

00:22:39.180 --> 00:22:39.819
 with him so

00:22:39.819 --> 00:22:40.140
 that the

00:22:40.140 --> 00:22:40.660
 body of

00:22:40.660 --> 00:22:41.299
 sin might

00:22:41.299 --> 00:22:41.600
 be brought

00:22:41.600 --> 00:22:42.200
 to nothing,

00:22:42.559 --> 00:22:43.100
 so that we

00:22:43.100 --> 00:22:43.579
 would no

00:22:43.579 --> 00:22:44.200
 longer be

00:22:44.200 --> 00:22:45.319
 enslaved to

00:22:45.319 --> 00:22:45.680
 sin.

00:22:46.400 --> 00:22:46.960
 For one who

00:22:46.960 --> 00:22:47.600
 has died has

00:22:47.600 --> 00:22:48.680
 been set free

00:22:48.680 --> 00:22:49.500
 from sin,

00:22:49.559 --> 00:22:50.079
 just like the

00:22:50.079 --> 00:22:50.539
 assurance of

00:22:50.539 --> 00:22:51.019
 pardon that we

00:22:51.019 --> 00:22:51.460
 read just

00:22:51.460 --> 00:22:51.759
 earlier.

00:22:51.759 --> 00:22:52.759
 God

00:22:52.759 --> 00:22:53.759
 is

00:22:53.759 --> 00:22:53.680
 so

00:22:53.680 --> 00:22:54.259
 whenever we

00:22:54.259 --> 00:22:55.240
 look at the

00:22:55.240 --> 00:22:56.319
 cross, we

00:22:56.319 --> 00:22:56.879
 ought to see

00:22:56.879 --> 00:22:57.799
 Jesus hanging

00:22:57.799 --> 00:22:59.500
 there, nailed

00:22:59.500 --> 00:23:00.200
 there because of

00:23:00.200 --> 00:23:00.940
 our sin.

00:23:03.079 --> 00:23:04.079
 But whenever we

00:23:04.079 --> 00:23:04.500
 look at the

00:23:04.500 --> 00:23:05.200
 cross, we ought

00:23:05.200 --> 00:23:06.379
 to see our old

00:23:06.379 --> 00:23:07.420
 selves, our

00:23:07.420 --> 00:23:08.799
 selves, the

00:23:08.799 --> 00:23:09.359
 ones who are

00:23:09.359 --> 00:23:10.160
 controlled and

00:23:10.160 --> 00:23:10.879
 dominated by

00:23:10.879 --> 00:23:12.680
 sin, crucified on

00:23:12.680 --> 00:23:13.440
 that cross with

00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:13.640
 him.

00:23:13.640 --> 00:23:18.460
 church, are you

00:23:18.460 --> 00:23:20.259
 aware that you

00:23:20.259 --> 00:23:21.640
 are no longer

00:23:21.640 --> 00:23:22.740
 controlled by

00:23:22.740 --> 00:23:23.759
 sin anymore?

00:23:24.600 --> 00:23:25.400
 But the same

00:23:25.400 --> 00:23:26.040
 power that

00:23:26.040 --> 00:23:27.160
 resurrected Jesus

00:23:27.160 --> 00:23:27.980
 from the grave

00:23:27.980 --> 00:23:29.220
 now flows through

00:23:29.220 --> 00:23:30.040
 your veins.

00:23:30.580 --> 00:23:31.140
 Resurrection

00:23:31.140 --> 00:23:32.420
 power, not

00:23:32.420 --> 00:23:33.620
 sin's deadly

00:23:33.620 --> 00:23:34.880
 poison, flows

00:23:34.880 --> 00:23:36.020
 now in your

00:23:36.020 --> 00:23:36.520
 veins.

00:23:38.759 --> 00:23:39.040
 This

00:23:39.040 --> 00:23:39.460
 resurrection

00:23:39.460 --> 00:23:40.000
 Sunday, we

00:23:40.000 --> 00:23:40.320
 don't just

00:23:40.320 --> 00:23:41.340
 remember Jesus'

00:23:41.680 --> 00:23:42.480
 death and

00:23:42.480 --> 00:23:42.940
 resurrection.

00:23:42.940 --> 00:23:43.019
 resurrection.

00:23:43.539 --> 00:23:44.160
 We remember

00:23:44.160 --> 00:23:45.259
 our own

00:23:45.259 --> 00:23:46.120
 death and

00:23:46.120 --> 00:23:47.160
 resurrection, our

00:23:47.160 --> 00:23:48.019
 own transformation,

00:23:48.640 --> 00:23:49.519
 our freedom from

00:23:49.519 --> 00:23:50.420
 sin and new

00:23:50.420 --> 00:23:51.140
 life in him.

00:23:52.740 --> 00:23:53.660
 We don't just

00:23:53.660 --> 00:23:54.620
 commemorate the

00:23:54.620 --> 00:23:55.400
 resurrection on

00:23:55.400 --> 00:23:56.480
 Easter, we need

00:23:56.480 --> 00:23:57.580
 to live it out.

00:23:59.420 --> 00:24:00.400
 And how do we

00:24:00.400 --> 00:24:00.820
 do that?

00:24:01.500 --> 00:24:02.059
 In our passage

00:24:02.059 --> 00:24:03.700
 today, Paul gives

00:24:03.700 --> 00:24:04.820
 us one command,

00:24:06.000 --> 00:24:06.960
 just one command,

00:24:07.380 --> 00:24:08.120
 highlighting the

00:24:08.120 --> 00:24:09.539
 focus of the

00:24:09.539 --> 00:24:10.340
 resurrected life,

00:24:10.440 --> 00:24:10.960
 which is my

00:24:10.960 --> 00:24:11.640
 second point.

00:24:11.640 --> 00:24:14.400
 signified by the

00:24:14.400 --> 00:24:15.259
 connecting words

00:24:15.259 --> 00:24:16.300
 if and for,

00:24:16.460 --> 00:24:17.660
 Paul shows the

00:24:17.660 --> 00:24:18.820
 foundation of this

00:24:18.820 --> 00:24:20.259
 resurrected life is

00:24:20.259 --> 00:24:21.460
 our resurrection

00:24:21.460 --> 00:24:22.500
 with Christ.

00:24:22.960 --> 00:24:23.520
 And out of that

00:24:23.520 --> 00:24:24.920
 resurrection power,

00:24:25.560 --> 00:24:26.460
 he then calls the

00:24:26.460 --> 00:24:28.759
 Colossians and us to

00:24:28.759 --> 00:24:29.860
 seek the things that

00:24:29.860 --> 00:24:30.820
 are above, where

00:24:30.820 --> 00:24:32.100
 Christ is seated at

00:24:32.100 --> 00:24:32.740
 the right hand of

00:24:32.740 --> 00:24:33.020
 God.

00:24:34.000 --> 00:24:35.140
 Again, Paul repeats

00:24:35.140 --> 00:24:35.940
 this command in a

00:24:35.940 --> 00:24:36.980
 slightly different way,

00:24:37.420 --> 00:24:39.020
 set your minds on the

00:24:39.020 --> 00:24:40.080
 things that are above,

00:24:40.079 --> 00:24:41.500
 not on the things

00:24:41.500 --> 00:24:42.259
 that are on earth.

00:24:44.419 --> 00:24:45.559
 And so while it is

00:24:45.559 --> 00:24:46.319
 true that we have

00:24:46.319 --> 00:24:48.579
 already died to the

00:24:48.579 --> 00:24:49.419
 power of sin, we

00:24:49.419 --> 00:24:50.779
 have already resurrected

00:24:50.779 --> 00:24:52.659
 by the power of the

00:24:52.659 --> 00:24:54.899
 Spirit, we have not

00:24:54.899 --> 00:24:56.759
 yet experienced the

00:24:56.759 --> 00:24:57.939
 fullness of

00:24:57.939 --> 00:24:59.159
 resurrection life with

00:24:59.159 --> 00:24:59.960
 Christ in heaven.

00:25:01.240 --> 00:25:01.919
 We know that by

00:25:01.919 --> 00:25:02.960
 experience, don't we?

00:25:03.119 --> 00:25:04.299
 Even as Christians,

00:25:04.439 --> 00:25:05.980
 after our transformation,

00:25:06.339 --> 00:25:07.659
 we know that we can't

00:25:07.660 --> 00:25:09.140
 coast in this life.

00:25:10.160 --> 00:25:11.440
 We're not out of the

00:25:11.440 --> 00:25:13.420
 fight because while

00:25:13.420 --> 00:25:15.340
 that poison that gives

00:25:15.340 --> 00:25:16.660
 total control to our

00:25:16.660 --> 00:25:17.759
 sin, that gave control

00:25:17.759 --> 00:25:18.660
 to our Mr.

00:25:18.740 --> 00:25:19.779
 Hines is out of our

00:25:19.779 --> 00:25:22.500
 systems, we can still

00:25:22.500 --> 00:25:25.440
 be discouraged and

00:25:25.440 --> 00:25:27.560
 plagued by sin by our

00:25:27.560 --> 00:25:27.860
 Mr.

00:25:27.980 --> 00:25:29.680
 Hines, the remnants of

00:25:29.680 --> 00:25:29.880
 him.

00:25:31.040 --> 00:25:32.740
 And if we weren't,

00:25:33.080 --> 00:25:33.980
 then Paul wouldn't have

00:25:33.980 --> 00:25:35.100
 to give a command like

00:25:35.100 --> 00:25:35.460
 this.

00:25:35.460 --> 00:25:36.480
 But knowing that we

00:25:36.480 --> 00:25:38.160
 are not yet in heaven,

00:25:38.660 --> 00:25:39.700
 he gives this command

00:25:39.700 --> 00:25:41.559
 to seek and to set our

00:25:41.559 --> 00:25:42.299
 minds on the things

00:25:42.299 --> 00:25:42.900
 that are above.

00:25:44.340 --> 00:25:45.120
 And what are these

00:25:45.120 --> 00:25:45.480
 things?

00:25:46.860 --> 00:25:49.039
 Ultimately, they're

00:25:49.039 --> 00:25:50.240
 summed up in the person

00:25:50.240 --> 00:25:51.480
 of Jesus.

00:25:53.079 --> 00:25:53.920
 Paul alludes to that

00:25:53.920 --> 00:25:55.019
 when he says, seek the

00:25:55.019 --> 00:25:55.799
 things that are above.

00:25:56.059 --> 00:25:56.480
 Why?

00:25:56.720 --> 00:25:57.880
 Because that's where

00:25:57.880 --> 00:25:58.759
 Christ is.

00:25:59.039 --> 00:25:59.819
 That's where he is

00:25:59.819 --> 00:26:00.700
 seated at the right

00:26:00.700 --> 00:26:01.819
 hand of God, the

00:26:01.819 --> 00:26:02.140
 Father.

00:26:02.140 --> 00:26:03.780
 Father, where he is

00:26:03.780 --> 00:26:05.620
 now ruling and reigning

00:26:05.620 --> 00:26:07.020
 as the supreme,

00:26:07.480 --> 00:26:08.840
 preeminent Lord of the

00:26:08.840 --> 00:26:09.220
 universe.

00:26:11.280 --> 00:26:12.180
 And after all, if your

00:26:12.180 --> 00:26:13.800
 life is indissolvably,

00:26:14.320 --> 00:26:16.200
 inextricably, irreversibly

00:26:16.200 --> 00:26:17.960
 united with Christ for all

00:26:17.960 --> 00:26:19.280
 eternity, then why would

00:26:19.280 --> 00:26:20.460
 you look to anything

00:26:20.460 --> 00:26:22.100
 else other than Christ

00:26:22.100 --> 00:26:22.900
 alone?

00:26:24.460 --> 00:26:25.600
 Both the Colossians

00:26:25.600 --> 00:26:28.280
 church and us today, we

00:26:28.280 --> 00:26:30.960
 are tempted by this false

00:26:30.960 --> 00:26:32.180
 teaching of syncretism,

00:26:33.000 --> 00:26:35.579
 of claiming to have

00:26:35.579 --> 00:26:38.920
 Christ, but then seeking

00:26:38.920 --> 00:26:40.759
 to add things to him,

00:26:41.600 --> 00:26:43.019
 seeking other things on

00:26:43.019 --> 00:26:43.880
 top of Christ.

00:26:45.559 --> 00:26:46.880
 Back then, their ancient

00:26:46.880 --> 00:26:48.420
 culture tended to look up

00:26:48.420 --> 00:26:50.019
 to the sky, and they

00:26:50.019 --> 00:26:51.140
 would feel this pull to

00:26:51.140 --> 00:26:54.140
 worship the sun god, to

00:26:54.140 --> 00:26:54.799
 placate it.

00:26:55.600 --> 00:26:56.880
 They would worship and

00:26:56.880 --> 00:26:58.680
 make sacrifices to the

00:26:58.680 --> 00:26:59.960
 rain god so that they

00:26:59.960 --> 00:27:00.779
 would get good rain for

00:27:00.779 --> 00:27:01.399
 their crops.

00:27:02.480 --> 00:27:03.639
 And in the same way, we,

00:27:04.220 --> 00:27:05.079
 while still teaching,

00:27:06.460 --> 00:27:07.639
 hey, you need Christ.

00:27:08.579 --> 00:27:11.180
 Christ is good, but they

00:27:11.180 --> 00:27:12.599
 also sought to placate

00:27:12.599 --> 00:27:13.559
 these other elemental

00:27:13.559 --> 00:27:15.339
 forces, like the sun,

00:27:15.460 --> 00:27:16.379
 moon, rain, and earth.

00:27:16.639 --> 00:27:17.759
 They taught them to

00:27:17.759 --> 00:27:19.099
 worship angels on top of

00:27:19.099 --> 00:27:20.079
 their worship of Christ.

00:27:23.279 --> 00:27:24.779
 They said, if you have

00:27:24.779 --> 00:27:26.559
 Christ, plus these other

00:27:26.559 --> 00:27:27.680
 things, plus these elemental

00:27:27.680 --> 00:27:29.180
 forces, plus these other

00:27:29.180 --> 00:27:31.460
 idols, you're going to be

00:27:31.460 --> 00:27:32.000
 better off.

00:27:32.060 --> 00:27:32.620
 You're going to be more

00:27:32.620 --> 00:27:33.460
 spiritually fulfilled.

00:27:33.580 --> 00:27:35.019
 After all, the more, the

00:27:35.019 --> 00:27:35.700
 merrier, right?

00:27:37.060 --> 00:27:39.600
 This is the faulty logic of

00:27:39.600 --> 00:27:40.140
 syncretism.

00:27:42.019 --> 00:27:45.140
 Is there value added to a

00:27:45.140 --> 00:27:48.640
 juicy, fatty, medium-rare,

00:27:48.640 --> 00:27:51.980
 A5 Wagyu steak if I squeeze a

00:27:51.980 --> 00:27:53.340
 whole bottle of Heinz ketchup

00:27:53.340 --> 00:27:54.000
 all over it?

00:27:56.000 --> 00:27:57.680
 Is there value added to a

00:27:57.680 --> 00:28:00.680
 sleek, elegant, 3.1 million

00:28:00.680 --> 00:28:03.360
 dollar Ferrari F80 if I slap

00:28:03.360 --> 00:28:04.900
 a hundred bumper stickers all

00:28:04.900 --> 00:28:05.320
 over it?

00:28:07.980 --> 00:28:09.720
 In other words, Paul needs

00:28:09.720 --> 00:28:12.640
 nothing extra, nothing more

00:28:12.640 --> 00:28:14.180
 than Christ.

00:28:15.200 --> 00:28:16.660
 He knows that nothing could

00:28:16.660 --> 00:28:19.140
 possibly add to his

00:28:19.140 --> 00:28:20.420
 spiritual fulfillment, to his

00:28:20.420 --> 00:28:22.560
 sense of safety and security

00:28:22.560 --> 00:28:24.860
 than Christ alone.

00:28:26.080 --> 00:28:27.600
 Because he knows that his

00:28:27.600 --> 00:28:29.860
 life, as he says in verse 3,

00:28:29.940 --> 00:28:32.360
 that his life is hidden with

00:28:32.360 --> 00:28:33.500
 Christ in God.

00:28:34.140 --> 00:28:35.900
 He knows, he knows that the

00:28:35.900 --> 00:28:39.280
 safest place that we can be is

00:28:39.280 --> 00:28:39.640
 sheltered.

00:28:40.860 --> 00:28:42.440
 Sheltered in the arms of Christ.

00:28:42.640 --> 00:28:47.100
 That he who began a good work

00:28:47.100 --> 00:28:50.340
 in us will surely bring it to

00:28:50.340 --> 00:28:51.840
 completion at the day of

00:28:51.840 --> 00:28:52.240
 Christ.

00:28:53.560 --> 00:28:56.280
 That he will never abandon, he

00:28:56.280 --> 00:28:57.660
 will never forsake us.

00:28:58.920 --> 00:29:00.600
 If you need to be reminded of

00:29:00.600 --> 00:29:02.740
 the safety that we find in the

00:29:02.740 --> 00:29:04.740
 refuge of God, just read the

00:29:04.740 --> 00:29:05.200
 Psalms.

00:29:05.800 --> 00:29:06.880
 And there you'll hear about how

00:29:06.880 --> 00:29:09.580
 God calls us the apple of his

00:29:09.580 --> 00:29:11.540
 eye, the pupil of his eye.

00:29:11.539 --> 00:29:14.539
 And just like how we instinctively

00:29:15.119 --> 00:29:18.579
 flinch to protect ourselves, God

00:29:18.579 --> 00:29:20.799
 is saying that he doesn't need a

00:29:20.799 --> 00:29:25.119
 moment to think and ponder, should I

00:29:25.119 --> 00:29:26.359
 protect my children?

00:29:28.180 --> 00:29:31.079
 No, his most natural, his

00:29:31.079 --> 00:29:33.799
 instinctual reaction is to shield

00:29:33.799 --> 00:29:35.639
 us, to protect us.

00:29:35.640 --> 00:29:37.940
 And it is sovereignty to you to work

00:29:37.940 --> 00:29:39.540
 all things for our good.

00:29:44.180 --> 00:29:45.780
 And I have to admit that this simple

00:29:45.780 --> 00:29:48.160
 phrase has been the greatest comfort

00:29:48.160 --> 00:29:50.100
 for me in this season as I've been

00:29:50.100 --> 00:29:51.300
 preparing the sermon.

00:29:51.299 --> 00:29:55.819
 And some of you guys know, Friday was my

00:29:55.819 --> 00:29:57.480
 last day of work as a full-time

00:29:57.480 --> 00:30:00.460
 engineer in the biotech, pharma world.

00:30:01.000 --> 00:30:03.379
 And tomorrow will be the start of

00:30:03.379 --> 00:30:05.720
 really the great privilege of full-time

00:30:05.720 --> 00:30:07.180
 ministry and working for this church.

00:30:10.639 --> 00:30:12.899
 I mean this when I say I have no idea

00:30:12.899 --> 00:30:16.079
 what the future holds for me and for my

00:30:16.079 --> 00:30:20.659
 family, but this I know for sure.

00:30:22.799 --> 00:30:28.059
 My life, my family's life, we are

00:30:28.059 --> 00:30:28.379
 hidden.

00:30:32.240 --> 00:30:33.759
 We are hidden in Christ.

00:30:36.759 --> 00:30:38.740
 Sometimes I have to remind myself of

00:30:38.740 --> 00:30:38.980
 that.

00:30:43.980 --> 00:30:46.440
 But this Easter, I look to the

00:30:46.440 --> 00:30:51.680
 resurrection as proof that Jesus

00:30:51.680 --> 00:30:55.640
 hides me from every unforeseen obstacle.

00:30:59.299 --> 00:31:01.900
 Every insidious enemy, every thorn in

00:31:01.900 --> 00:31:05.960
 my side, he will hide me from and he

00:31:05.960 --> 00:31:08.720
 will overcome them just as he overcame

00:31:08.720 --> 00:31:09.079
 death.

00:31:11.319 --> 00:31:14.819
 The resurrection for me is proof that God

00:31:14.819 --> 00:31:18.079
 can and he will bring death or bring

00:31:18.079 --> 00:31:19.019
 life from death.

00:31:20.000 --> 00:31:22.460
 Strength out of weakness and hope out of

00:31:22.460 --> 00:31:22.839
 despair.

00:31:24.740 --> 00:31:26.799
 And I know that some of you are enduring

00:31:26.799 --> 00:31:28.000
 through hard seasons.

00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:32.039
 A dark battle against depression.

00:31:33.740 --> 00:31:36.360
 A time of unwanted singleness.

00:31:38.720 --> 00:31:40.799
 A season of financial insecurity.

00:31:41.839 --> 00:31:43.259
 A loss of a loved one.

00:31:46.120 --> 00:31:48.240
 All that stuff makes the path to heaven

00:31:48.240 --> 00:31:49.779
 look dauntingly long.

00:31:52.420 --> 00:31:54.000
 But take heart, friend.

00:31:55.579 --> 00:31:57.779
 Hear this from God's word, which is true

00:31:57.779 --> 00:31:59.839
 even if you don't feel like it is.

00:31:59.839 --> 00:32:07.639
 Your lives even now are hidden, safe,

00:32:09.240 --> 00:32:12.279
 protected, assured in Christ.

00:32:15.480 --> 00:32:19.159
 Christ is not only the great source of

00:32:19.159 --> 00:32:25.019
 security for our lives, but he is our life.

00:32:25.019 --> 00:32:28.200
 As Paul writes in verse 4.

00:32:29.779 --> 00:32:31.639
 I'm sure you've heard and said something

00:32:31.639 --> 00:32:34.519
 yourself like, watching this show,

00:32:35.279 --> 00:32:37.119
 reading this book, playing this video game,

00:32:37.379 --> 00:32:38.759
 it's giving me life.

00:32:38.759 --> 00:32:42.059
 It is my life.

00:32:42.180 --> 00:32:43.619
 I'm totally obsessed.

00:32:46.220 --> 00:32:48.160
 In the same way, Paul is saying that

00:32:48.160 --> 00:32:51.539
 Christ is our life.

00:32:53.720 --> 00:32:58.039
 That a Christian is defined by a growing,

00:32:59.200 --> 00:33:01.940
 a healthy obsession with him.

00:33:01.940 --> 00:33:06.160
 Because the Christian recognizes that he is the

00:33:06.160 --> 00:33:08.860
 source of unfathomable riches.

00:33:10.140 --> 00:33:13.340
 That he is a well that will never run dry.

00:33:14.299 --> 00:33:16.700
 He is a precious diamond that you can turn

00:33:16.700 --> 00:33:19.680
 over and over and over again in your heart.

00:33:19.940 --> 00:33:21.660
 And you will see new beauties

00:33:21.660 --> 00:33:24.180
 and new angles.

00:33:24.180 --> 00:33:28.660
 He is infinite God.

00:33:29.220 --> 00:33:33.820
 No matter how much we grow and learn of Christ,

00:33:34.420 --> 00:33:38.259
 that distance, that gap between an infinite God

00:33:38.259 --> 00:33:41.299
 and finite creatures will never, ever be shortened.

00:33:43.720 --> 00:33:46.320
 How could the finite ever approach the infinite?

00:33:46.560 --> 00:33:49.600
 So don't ever think that heaven will be boring

00:33:49.600 --> 00:33:53.400
 one day for 10,000, 100,000, a million years

00:33:53.400 --> 00:33:54.120
 into heaven.

00:33:54.720 --> 00:33:56.759
 We'll still say and feel,

00:33:57.400 --> 00:34:00.700
 Christ is that good, that amazing.

00:34:01.220 --> 00:34:03.120
 I've only scratched the surface of him.

00:34:03.920 --> 00:34:06.900
 I'm totally obsessed with Christ.

00:34:09.619 --> 00:34:12.220
 Pastor Tim Keller shared a perfect example

00:34:12.220 --> 00:34:14.440
 of a growing, maturing Christian

00:34:14.440 --> 00:34:16.039
 that he once counseled,

00:34:16.039 --> 00:34:19.800
 who set her mind, her focus on the risen Christ.

00:34:19.800 --> 00:34:23.580
 Her old self was constantly in and out

00:34:23.580 --> 00:34:24.820
 of relationships with men.

00:34:25.580 --> 00:34:26.840
 But as her new self,

00:34:26.960 --> 00:34:29.740
 she spoke of an experience that she had

00:34:29.740 --> 00:34:31.340
 and some advice that she received

00:34:31.340 --> 00:34:32.760
 from a counselor.

00:34:33.960 --> 00:34:34.860
 She says,

00:34:35.120 --> 00:34:36.800
 I'm going to my counselor.

00:34:37.480 --> 00:34:38.160
 And she said,

00:34:38.240 --> 00:34:39.880
 I built my very significance

00:34:39.880 --> 00:34:42.560
 and acceptability and identity on men.

00:34:42.559 --> 00:34:45.659
 All of that is right and helpful.

00:34:46.880 --> 00:34:48.799
 However, my counselor doesn't have

00:34:48.799 --> 00:34:50.099
 a very good solution for me.

00:34:51.179 --> 00:34:53.460
 My counselor says that what I should do instead

00:34:53.460 --> 00:34:55.719
 is get myself a great education

00:34:55.719 --> 00:34:56.940
 and a great career.

00:34:58.759 --> 00:35:00.299
 Well, my counselor means well,

00:35:00.380 --> 00:35:00.799
 and of course,

00:35:00.900 --> 00:35:02.440
 I absolutely do need to get some training,

00:35:02.559 --> 00:35:03.420
 get myself a job.

00:35:03.820 --> 00:35:05.539
 But what she's saying

00:35:05.539 --> 00:35:07.239
 is that I should do that

00:35:07.239 --> 00:35:09.619
 so that I will feel better about myself.

00:35:09.619 --> 00:35:12.019
 But that would mean

00:35:12.019 --> 00:35:12.920
 I would be switching

00:35:12.920 --> 00:35:15.339
 from one kind of idol to another.

00:35:17.599 --> 00:35:18.500
 For many years,

00:35:18.579 --> 00:35:20.380
 my heart has been looking at men

00:35:20.380 --> 00:35:21.059
 and saying,

00:35:21.239 --> 00:35:23.619
 unless I'm successful at love,

00:35:23.739 --> 00:35:24.980
 I'm nothing.

00:35:26.619 --> 00:35:28.199
 But the therapist wants me

00:35:28.199 --> 00:35:29.759
 to look at my career and say,

00:35:30.619 --> 00:35:31.839
 unless I'm a successful,

00:35:32.000 --> 00:35:33.339
 independent businesswoman

00:35:33.339 --> 00:35:35.299
 who is in control of my own life,

00:35:35.559 --> 00:35:36.400
 I am nothing.

00:35:36.400 --> 00:35:42.579
 I don't want to be enslaved to my work

00:35:42.579 --> 00:35:43.599
 as I was to men.

00:35:44.700 --> 00:35:47.000
 I don't want to be as enslaved

00:35:47.000 --> 00:35:48.260
 to my independence

00:35:48.260 --> 00:35:49.960
 as I was to my dependence.

00:35:50.619 --> 00:35:52.059
 I'm actually being asked

00:35:52.059 --> 00:35:54.619
 to exchange a typical female idol

00:35:54.619 --> 00:35:56.300
 for a typical male idol.

00:35:56.960 --> 00:35:58.000
 And I don't want either.

00:35:58.000 --> 00:36:01.219
 when I go to church,

00:36:01.880 --> 00:36:03.880
 when I'm in worship,

00:36:04.920 --> 00:36:06.860
 when what Jesus did for me

00:36:06.860 --> 00:36:09.360
 is so real and so wonderful,

00:36:10.280 --> 00:36:11.400
 in my heart,

00:36:11.480 --> 00:36:12.460
 I speak to the men

00:36:12.460 --> 00:36:13.639
 that were in my life

00:36:13.639 --> 00:36:14.420
 and say,

00:36:14.539 --> 00:36:15.920
 I'm glad to know you.

00:36:16.840 --> 00:36:18.500
 And I certainly wouldn't mind

00:36:18.500 --> 00:36:19.119
 being married,

00:36:20.400 --> 00:36:22.559
 but you are not my life.

00:36:24.159 --> 00:36:26.300
 Christ is my life.

00:36:26.300 --> 00:36:29.500
 I'm done.

00:36:30.340 --> 00:36:32.340
 I'm done making anything else

00:36:32.340 --> 00:36:32.960
 in my life.

00:36:34.440 --> 00:36:35.720
 You're a good thing,

00:36:36.200 --> 00:36:37.820
 but you're not an ultimate thing.

00:36:39.480 --> 00:36:41.180
 I'd love to have a husband,

00:36:42.180 --> 00:36:42.940
 but if I don't,

00:36:43.019 --> 00:36:43.900
 I've got Jesus.

00:36:45.039 --> 00:36:47.539
 And I set my mind

00:36:47.539 --> 00:36:49.200
 on things above.

00:36:51.300 --> 00:36:52.740
 You can't give me

00:36:52.740 --> 00:36:53.500
 any of the things

00:36:53.500 --> 00:36:55.060
 that Jesus has given me.

00:36:56.300 --> 00:37:00.019
 this is a model example

00:37:00.019 --> 00:37:01.560
 of what it looks like

00:37:01.560 --> 00:37:03.000
 to seek the things

00:37:03.000 --> 00:37:03.780
 that are above.

00:37:04.560 --> 00:37:05.780
 This is the heart

00:37:05.780 --> 00:37:06.680
 of Christianity

00:37:06.680 --> 00:37:08.600
 over syncretism,

00:37:08.740 --> 00:37:09.000
 saying,

00:37:09.400 --> 00:37:11.080
 I'm done.

00:37:11.079 --> 00:37:14.579
 I'm done.

00:37:15.360 --> 00:37:16.480
 I'm done.

00:37:16.599 --> 00:37:17.579
 I'm done making

00:37:17.579 --> 00:37:19.000
 anything else my life.

00:37:19.460 --> 00:37:21.219
 I'm done making money,

00:37:21.679 --> 00:37:22.099
 marriage,

00:37:22.279 --> 00:37:23.039
 man's approval,

00:37:23.279 --> 00:37:24.159
 ministry even,

00:37:24.400 --> 00:37:25.400
 my life.

00:37:26.039 --> 00:37:26.719
 Above all,

00:37:26.860 --> 00:37:29.019
 Christ is my life.

00:37:30.380 --> 00:37:32.519
 So I'm gonna keep him

00:37:32.519 --> 00:37:33.880
 the center of my attention,

00:37:34.059 --> 00:37:35.920
 the focus of my life,

00:37:36.880 --> 00:37:37.719
 the north star

00:37:37.719 --> 00:37:39.000
 that I'm running towards.

00:37:39.000 --> 00:37:41.719
 even when obstacles

00:37:41.719 --> 00:37:42.539
 come my way,

00:37:42.599 --> 00:37:43.579
 I'm not letting that

00:37:43.579 --> 00:37:44.320
 stop me

00:37:44.320 --> 00:37:45.900
 from relentlessly,

00:37:46.280 --> 00:37:47.579
 persistently pursuing

00:37:47.579 --> 00:37:49.260
 my first love.

00:37:53.019 --> 00:37:54.199
 And when we do that,

00:37:54.239 --> 00:37:54.920
 when we endure

00:37:54.920 --> 00:37:55.659
 to the end,

00:37:56.719 --> 00:37:59.059
 the rest of the world,

00:37:59.199 --> 00:37:59.659
 they're in for

00:37:59.659 --> 00:38:00.800
 a grand old surprise.

00:38:00.800 --> 00:38:03.440
 because the fact

00:38:03.440 --> 00:38:04.039
 that your life

00:38:04.039 --> 00:38:05.019
 is hidden in Christ

00:38:05.019 --> 00:38:06.180
 has another meaning

00:38:06.180 --> 00:38:06.760
 to it.

00:38:08.300 --> 00:38:09.560
 Because who you are

00:38:09.560 --> 00:38:12.220
 truly isn't visible yet.

00:38:13.980 --> 00:38:14.820
 It's hidden.

00:38:15.100 --> 00:38:15.940
 It's concealed.

00:38:18.380 --> 00:38:19.620
 Your life on earth

00:38:19.620 --> 00:38:21.260
 looks like everyone else's.

00:38:22.200 --> 00:38:22.980
 You ride the T,

00:38:23.380 --> 00:38:24.100
 you go to work,

00:38:24.580 --> 00:38:25.340
 sit in class,

00:38:25.440 --> 00:38:26.360
 do your daily chores.

00:38:26.360 --> 00:38:29.440
 But what they don't know

00:38:29.440 --> 00:38:31.140
 and they can't see

00:38:31.140 --> 00:38:32.420
 is that you

00:38:32.420 --> 00:38:33.120
 are living

00:38:33.120 --> 00:38:34.640
 a resurrected life

00:38:34.640 --> 00:38:35.320
 in Christ.

00:38:36.940 --> 00:38:38.360
 We see this literary contrast

00:38:39.059 --> 00:38:40.880
 in verses three and four,

00:38:41.000 --> 00:38:41.200
 right?

00:38:42.220 --> 00:38:43.180
 Now we are hidden.

00:38:43.579 --> 00:38:44.519
 Now we're disregarded.

00:38:44.660 --> 00:38:45.740
 Now we're lowly.

00:38:47.300 --> 00:38:48.220
 But that day,

00:38:48.320 --> 00:38:49.599
 when he returns,

00:38:50.180 --> 00:38:51.700
 we will appear

00:38:51.700 --> 00:38:52.440
 with Christ

00:38:52.440 --> 00:38:53.640
 in glory.

00:38:53.639 --> 00:38:56.599
 and he's going

00:38:56.599 --> 00:38:57.739
 to return soon.

00:39:00.079 --> 00:39:00.819
 In other words,

00:39:00.879 --> 00:39:01.579
 what is true of you

00:39:01.579 --> 00:39:02.519
 on the inside

00:39:02.519 --> 00:39:04.319
 will always eventually

00:39:04.319 --> 00:39:05.039
 be true of you

00:39:05.039 --> 00:39:05.799
 on the outside.

00:39:06.739 --> 00:39:08.319
 If you are inside,

00:39:08.539 --> 00:39:08.900
 dead,

00:39:09.819 --> 00:39:10.940
 dead in sin,

00:39:12.059 --> 00:39:13.099
 you will be dead

00:39:13.099 --> 00:39:13.739
 on the outside.

00:39:15.859 --> 00:39:17.199
 If you are inside,

00:39:17.379 --> 00:39:17.920
 resurrected,

00:39:18.339 --> 00:39:19.420
 in Christ,

00:39:19.980 --> 00:39:21.639
 you will be resurrected

00:39:21.639 --> 00:39:22.679
 to live with him

00:39:22.679 --> 00:39:24.099
 forever in glory.

00:39:24.980 --> 00:39:26.139
 This is the guaranteed

00:39:26.139 --> 00:39:26.940
 future

00:39:26.940 --> 00:39:28.719
 of the resurrected life.

00:39:31.119 --> 00:39:32.259
 Many of you know

00:39:32.259 --> 00:39:32.679
 and love

00:39:32.679 --> 00:39:33.819
 Johnny Erickson Tata.

00:39:34.960 --> 00:39:37.039
 Such a faithful model

00:39:37.039 --> 00:39:38.279
 of how to live

00:39:38.279 --> 00:39:40.239
 with keeping your eyes

00:39:40.239 --> 00:39:41.279
 only on Christ.

00:39:43.119 --> 00:39:43.719
 Quadriplegic,

00:39:44.239 --> 00:39:45.699
 paralyzed from the shoulders

00:39:45.699 --> 00:39:47.179
 down from a diving accident

00:39:47.179 --> 00:39:48.960
 since the age of 17

00:39:48.960 --> 00:39:49.879
 in 1967.

00:39:49.880 --> 00:39:51.559
 She is now

00:39:51.559 --> 00:39:54.019
 75 years old

00:39:54.019 --> 00:39:55.119
 after almost

00:39:55.119 --> 00:39:57.119
 six entire decades

00:39:57.119 --> 00:39:58.840
 of persevering

00:39:58.840 --> 00:40:00.500
 and keeping her eyes

00:40:00.500 --> 00:40:00.940
 on Christ

00:40:00.940 --> 00:40:01.840
 with this disability.

00:40:02.740 --> 00:40:04.119
 Can you imagine that?

00:40:05.860 --> 00:40:07.619
 Even after battling cancer,

00:40:07.740 --> 00:40:08.880
 she is one of the longest

00:40:08.880 --> 00:40:10.599
 living quadriplegics today.

00:40:11.079 --> 00:40:12.160
 And she said,

00:40:12.640 --> 00:40:12.960
 I,

00:40:13.519 --> 00:40:13.880
 with shriveled,

00:40:15.180 --> 00:40:16.180
 bent fingers,

00:40:17.140 --> 00:40:18.200
 atrophied muscles,

00:40:18.199 --> 00:40:19.679
 gnarled knees,

00:40:19.779 --> 00:40:20.779
 and no feeling

00:40:20.779 --> 00:40:22.079
 from the shoulders down,

00:40:23.539 --> 00:40:24.799
 will one day

00:40:24.799 --> 00:40:26.879
 have a new body,

00:40:27.939 --> 00:40:28.480
 light,

00:40:29.319 --> 00:40:29.759
 bright,

00:40:30.079 --> 00:40:31.019
 and clothed

00:40:31.019 --> 00:40:31.859
 with righteousness,

00:40:32.539 --> 00:40:34.119
 powerful and dazzling,

00:40:34.659 --> 00:40:36.879
 now hidden

00:40:36.879 --> 00:40:38.179
 in a frail,

00:40:38.799 --> 00:40:39.939
 weak body.

00:40:39.940 --> 00:40:43.360
 but one day

00:40:43.360 --> 00:40:44.539
 revealed

00:40:44.539 --> 00:40:45.780
 in total,

00:40:46.000 --> 00:40:46.619
 stunning,

00:40:47.820 --> 00:40:49.139
 ineffable glory,

00:40:49.800 --> 00:40:50.420
 matchless,

00:40:50.760 --> 00:40:51.720
 staggering beauty,

00:40:52.280 --> 00:40:55.200
 that's going to be you.

00:40:56.460 --> 00:40:58.200
 All your permanent scars,

00:40:58.659 --> 00:41:00.820
 all your physical weaknesses,

00:41:01.440 --> 00:41:03.619
 all the body image insecurities

00:41:03.619 --> 00:41:04.340
 that you have

00:41:04.340 --> 00:41:05.780
 will all be put to rest.

00:41:05.780 --> 00:41:07.620
 You need not look

00:41:07.620 --> 00:41:08.180
 in the mirror

00:41:08.180 --> 00:41:09.519
 and sigh anymore

00:41:09.519 --> 00:41:10.400
 because the mirror

00:41:10.400 --> 00:41:11.320
 can't capture

00:41:11.320 --> 00:41:12.360
 who you truly are.

00:41:14.660 --> 00:41:16.280
 Soon and very soon,

00:41:16.400 --> 00:41:17.300
 you will be shown

00:41:17.300 --> 00:41:19.340
 in glory with Christ.

00:41:21.240 --> 00:41:21.980
 So knowing that,

00:41:22.100 --> 00:41:22.820
 Paul exhorts

00:41:22.820 --> 00:41:23.720
 the Colossians

00:41:23.720 --> 00:41:24.540
 and us

00:41:24.540 --> 00:41:25.600
 that because

00:41:25.600 --> 00:41:26.840
 we have been united

00:41:26.840 --> 00:41:27.600
 with him,

00:41:27.800 --> 00:41:28.100
 seek,

00:41:28.480 --> 00:41:29.280
 keep your eyes

00:41:29.280 --> 00:41:30.340
 on the things above

00:41:30.340 --> 00:41:31.660
 and keep your eyes

00:41:31.660 --> 00:41:32.600
 on the things ahead.

00:41:32.599 --> 00:41:35.839
 cultivate a heavenly perspective

00:41:35.839 --> 00:41:38.119
 and an eternal attitude

00:41:38.119 --> 00:41:39.980
 that should color

00:41:39.980 --> 00:41:40.739
 and permeate

00:41:40.739 --> 00:41:42.059
 all of our lives,

00:41:42.179 --> 00:41:43.659
 every single facet of it.

00:41:44.739 --> 00:41:45.880
 Instead of focusing

00:41:45.880 --> 00:41:47.159
 on next week,

00:41:47.460 --> 00:41:48.139
 next month,

00:41:48.319 --> 00:41:49.079
 next year,

00:41:50.179 --> 00:41:50.900
 we ought to focus

00:41:50.900 --> 00:41:52.500
 about the next million,

00:41:53.099 --> 00:41:53.579
 billion,

00:41:53.940 --> 00:41:55.239
 trillion of years

00:41:55.239 --> 00:41:55.940
 that we have

00:41:55.940 --> 00:41:56.599
 with Christ.

00:41:58.440 --> 00:41:59.860
 Knowing that you are now

00:41:59.860 --> 00:42:01.319
 living the resurrected life.

00:42:02.599 --> 00:42:04.059
 What would it look like

00:42:04.059 --> 00:42:04.860
 for you

00:42:04.860 --> 00:42:07.219
 to adopt

00:42:07.219 --> 00:42:08.199
 a heavenly mindset

00:42:08.199 --> 00:42:09.119
 right here

00:42:09.119 --> 00:42:09.739
 and right now

00:42:09.739 --> 00:42:12.759
 as a stay-at-home mother

00:42:12.759 --> 00:42:15.980
 doing another load

00:42:15.980 --> 00:42:16.420
 of laundry,

00:42:16.699 --> 00:42:17.319
 cleaning another

00:42:17.319 --> 00:42:17.980
 dirty diaper,

00:42:18.900 --> 00:42:19.519
 cooking another

00:42:19.519 --> 00:42:20.279
 family dinner,

00:42:21.480 --> 00:42:22.480
 as someone

00:42:22.480 --> 00:42:23.719
 who is overlooked

00:42:23.719 --> 00:42:26.219
 or overworked

00:42:26.219 --> 00:42:26.960
 at your job

00:42:26.960 --> 00:42:27.500
 right now,

00:42:28.119 --> 00:42:30.639
 as a spouse

00:42:30.639 --> 00:42:31.360
 experiencing

00:42:31.360 --> 00:42:32.279
 marital troubles,

00:42:32.599 --> 00:42:34.719
 as someone

00:42:34.719 --> 00:42:35.279
 dealing with

00:42:35.279 --> 00:42:36.380
 chronic sickness

00:42:36.380 --> 00:42:37.420
 and disability,

00:42:38.099 --> 00:42:39.219
 what would it look like

00:42:39.219 --> 00:42:40.079
 for you now

00:42:40.079 --> 00:42:41.139
 to cultivate

00:42:41.139 --> 00:42:43.179
 an eternal perspective?

00:42:43.179 --> 00:42:46.079
 You see,

00:42:46.159 --> 00:42:46.879
 setting your eyes

00:42:46.879 --> 00:42:47.919
 on the heavenly future

00:42:47.919 --> 00:42:50.279
 is not an optional

00:42:50.279 --> 00:42:50.819
 aspect

00:42:50.819 --> 00:42:52.359
 of the Christian faith.

00:42:53.839 --> 00:42:54.419
 For the gospel

00:42:54.419 --> 00:42:55.099
 is more,

00:42:55.259 --> 00:42:56.179
 it's more than,

00:42:56.279 --> 00:42:57.179
 and it's so important,

00:42:57.299 --> 00:42:58.739
 but it's more than just

00:42:58.739 --> 00:43:00.639
 penal substitutionary atonement.

00:43:00.799 --> 00:43:01.399
 It's more than just

00:43:01.399 --> 00:43:02.399
 God's courtroom.

00:43:03.279 --> 00:43:04.779
 As important as it is

00:43:04.779 --> 00:43:05.819
 because it doesn't capture

00:43:05.819 --> 00:43:07.099
 the entire story.

00:43:07.099 --> 00:43:11.539
 And frankly,

00:43:11.619 --> 00:43:12.159
 I'm convinced

00:43:12.159 --> 00:43:12.839
 that much of the

00:43:12.839 --> 00:43:13.900
 American church today,

00:43:14.039 --> 00:43:14.920
 me included,

00:43:15.360 --> 00:43:16.539
 we don't think enough

00:43:16.539 --> 00:43:17.199
 about heaven.

00:43:19.239 --> 00:43:20.319
 A professor from

00:43:20.319 --> 00:43:21.059
 Southern Seminary,

00:43:21.219 --> 00:43:23.119
 Matthew Westerholm,

00:43:23.380 --> 00:43:24.619
 studied the difference

00:43:24.619 --> 00:43:25.559
 between songs used

00:43:25.559 --> 00:43:26.319
 in American churches

00:43:26.319 --> 00:43:27.219
 from 2000

00:43:27.219 --> 00:43:28.699
 to 2015

00:43:28.699 --> 00:43:30.279
 compared to those

00:43:30.279 --> 00:43:30.799
 that are used

00:43:30.799 --> 00:43:32.099
 in 1737

00:43:32.099 --> 00:43:34.380
 to 1960.

00:43:35.339 --> 00:43:36.619
 Can anyone guess

00:43:36.619 --> 00:43:38.039
 what the main difference was?

00:43:39.139 --> 00:43:40.159
 He writes,

00:43:40.360 --> 00:43:42.360
 among many similarities,

00:43:43.119 --> 00:43:44.019
 the one difference

00:43:44.019 --> 00:43:44.880
 was striking,

00:43:45.819 --> 00:43:46.980
 the topic of heaven,

00:43:47.579 --> 00:43:49.599
 which was once frequently

00:43:49.599 --> 00:43:51.219
 and richly sung about

00:43:51.219 --> 00:43:53.519
 has all but now disappeared.

00:43:54.920 --> 00:43:56.579
 But the gospel stays

00:43:56.579 --> 00:43:58.099
 for us,

00:43:59.079 --> 00:44:00.779
 becomes real for us

00:44:00.780 --> 00:44:03.140
 with this lost discipline

00:44:03.140 --> 00:44:05.360
 of Christian daydreaming,

00:44:06.580 --> 00:44:07.920
 Christian imagination.

00:44:09.320 --> 00:44:10.500
 I'm not talking about

00:44:10.500 --> 00:44:10.900
 daydreaming

00:44:10.900 --> 00:44:11.540
 what we're going to eat

00:44:11.540 --> 00:44:12.120
 for potluck

00:44:12.120 --> 00:44:12.860
 or what you're going to do

00:44:12.860 --> 00:44:13.400
 over the weekend.

00:44:15.380 --> 00:44:16.420
 We're to imagine

00:44:16.420 --> 00:44:17.300
 what it's like

00:44:17.300 --> 00:44:18.940
 to see Jesus,

00:44:20.019 --> 00:44:21.380
 to reign

00:44:21.380 --> 00:44:22.780
 with the rest of the saints,

00:44:24.100 --> 00:44:26.260
 to see his face

00:44:26.260 --> 00:44:27.519
 for the first time.

00:44:29.320 --> 00:44:30.340
 That's what seeking

00:44:30.340 --> 00:44:31.260
 the things above

00:44:31.260 --> 00:44:31.860
 is about.

00:44:33.280 --> 00:44:34.579
 And it's not about

00:44:34.579 --> 00:44:35.940
 this Christian discipline

00:44:35.940 --> 00:44:37.360
 of imagination,

00:44:37.500 --> 00:44:37.780
 daydreaming.

00:44:37.920 --> 00:44:38.740
 It's not about

00:44:38.740 --> 00:44:40.200
 just wasting your time

00:44:40.200 --> 00:44:41.620
 speculating about questions

00:44:41.620 --> 00:44:42.780
 that we don't really know

00:44:42.780 --> 00:44:43.860
 about heaven,

00:44:44.059 --> 00:44:44.519
 that scripture

00:44:44.519 --> 00:44:45.440
 doesn't make clear.

00:44:45.820 --> 00:44:46.960
 For what scripture

00:44:46.960 --> 00:44:48.220
 does make clear

00:44:48.220 --> 00:44:48.820
 in heaven

00:44:48.820 --> 00:44:50.840
 is enough fodder

00:44:50.840 --> 00:44:52.340
 to fuel

00:44:53.100 --> 00:44:54.180
 our daydreams

00:44:54.180 --> 00:44:55.100
 and to give us

00:44:55.100 --> 00:44:56.180
 bright hope

00:44:56.180 --> 00:44:56.860
 for the darkest

00:44:56.860 --> 00:44:57.579
 of days,

00:44:57.579 --> 00:45:01.519
 for this next week,

00:45:02.139 --> 00:45:03.219
 this next month,

00:45:03.299 --> 00:45:04.340
 for whatever time period

00:45:04.340 --> 00:45:05.960
 that you deem appropriate,

00:45:06.079 --> 00:45:07.239
 I want to encourage you,

00:45:07.279 --> 00:45:08.179
 I challenge you

00:45:08.179 --> 00:45:09.599
 to think

00:45:09.599 --> 00:45:10.639
 and imagine

00:45:10.639 --> 00:45:11.460
 and daydream

00:45:11.460 --> 00:45:12.139
 about heaven

00:45:12.139 --> 00:45:14.299
 and do it

00:45:14.299 --> 00:45:15.799
 until it makes you happy

00:45:15.799 --> 00:45:18.579
 because it will.

00:45:21.900 --> 00:45:23.319
 Although many Christian songs

00:45:23.319 --> 00:45:24.059
 in our modern era

00:45:24.059 --> 00:45:25.059
 have lost the wonder

00:45:25.059 --> 00:45:25.639
 about heaven,

00:45:25.980 --> 00:45:26.659
 there's still

00:45:26.659 --> 00:45:27.880
 one classic

00:45:27.880 --> 00:45:29.719
 that models this well

00:45:29.719 --> 00:45:31.000
 that I can't get over.

00:45:32.460 --> 00:45:33.739
 I can only imagine

00:45:33.739 --> 00:45:34.400
 by mercy me,

00:45:34.480 --> 00:45:35.279
 I'm sure most of you

00:45:35.279 --> 00:45:35.860
 guys know it,

00:45:36.039 --> 00:45:39.000
 and as I read

00:45:39.000 --> 00:45:39.579
 this chorus,

00:45:41.320 --> 00:45:42.400
 imagine with me

00:45:42.400 --> 00:45:46.719
 that surrounded

00:45:46.719 --> 00:45:48.059
 by your glory,

00:45:49.659 --> 00:45:52.759
 what will my heart feel?

00:45:52.760 --> 00:45:58.840
 will I dance

00:45:58.840 --> 00:45:59.440
 for you,

00:45:59.540 --> 00:45:59.820
 Jesus?

00:46:01.820 --> 00:46:02.820
 Or in awe

00:46:02.820 --> 00:46:03.280
 of you,

00:46:03.340 --> 00:46:03.900
 be still?

00:46:07.980 --> 00:46:09.260
 Will I stand

00:46:09.260 --> 00:46:10.320
 in your presence

00:46:10.320 --> 00:46:14.400
 or to my knees

00:46:14.400 --> 00:46:15.200
 will I fall?

00:46:16.700 --> 00:46:17.760
 Will I sing

00:46:17.760 --> 00:46:18.400
 hallelujah?

00:46:19.680 --> 00:46:20.900
 Will I be able

00:46:20.900 --> 00:46:22.340
 to speak at all?

00:46:22.760 --> 00:46:25.320
 I can only imagine.

00:46:27.980 --> 00:46:29.500
 It's this kind

00:46:29.500 --> 00:46:30.060
 of imagination

00:46:30.060 --> 00:46:32.380
 that can empower us

00:46:32.380 --> 00:46:34.220
 with bright hope

00:46:34.220 --> 00:46:35.700
 to persevere,

00:46:35.980 --> 00:46:37.600
 to persevere

00:46:37.600 --> 00:46:39.040
 through this hard life

00:46:39.040 --> 00:46:40.360
 to make it

00:46:40.360 --> 00:46:41.500
 to the celestial city.

00:46:42.600 --> 00:46:44.140
 So let's seek

00:46:44.140 --> 00:46:45.660
 the things that are above

00:46:45.660 --> 00:46:46.760
 and seek the things

00:46:46.760 --> 00:46:47.320
 that are ahead.

00:46:47.320 --> 00:46:47.380
 God.

00:46:49.760 --> 00:46:51.080
 Because as another song

00:46:51.080 --> 00:46:51.440
 goes,

00:46:51.700 --> 00:46:52.820
 one day the sun

00:46:52.820 --> 00:46:53.539
 will set

00:46:53.539 --> 00:46:54.760
 in the west

00:46:54.760 --> 00:46:55.720
 for the last time.

00:46:56.900 --> 00:46:57.740
 One day

00:46:57.740 --> 00:46:58.940
 we're gonna earn

00:46:58.940 --> 00:46:59.340
 a dollar

00:46:59.340 --> 00:47:00.080
 that we spend

00:47:00.080 --> 00:47:01.039
 for the last time.

00:47:02.600 --> 00:47:03.260
 One day

00:47:03.260 --> 00:47:04.280
 we'll say goodbye

00:47:04.280 --> 00:47:05.640
 to our loved ones

00:47:05.640 --> 00:47:07.220
 for the last time.

00:47:08.600 --> 00:47:09.220
 One day

00:47:09.220 --> 00:47:10.500
 Satan will tempt us

00:47:10.500 --> 00:47:11.019
 in sin

00:47:11.019 --> 00:47:12.640
 for the last time.

00:47:12.639 --> 00:47:15.779
 and that last time

00:47:15.779 --> 00:47:17.299
 will be the first time

00:47:17.299 --> 00:47:19.619
 of an entirely new life.

00:47:20.900 --> 00:47:21.920
 That one day

00:47:21.920 --> 00:47:22.599
 we will walk

00:47:22.599 --> 00:47:23.799
 on streets of gold

00:47:23.799 --> 00:47:25.440
 for the first time.

00:47:26.559 --> 00:47:27.599
 And that one day

00:47:27.599 --> 00:47:28.420
 we will wake up

00:47:28.420 --> 00:47:29.739
 feeling no pain

00:47:29.739 --> 00:47:31.239
 for the first time.

00:47:32.239 --> 00:47:33.339
 And that one day

00:47:33.339 --> 00:47:35.039
 we will see Jesus' face

00:47:35.039 --> 00:47:37.219
 for the first time.

00:47:39.460 --> 00:47:41.099
 So with our focus

00:47:41.099 --> 00:47:43.300
 our foundation

00:47:43.300 --> 00:47:43.980
 our focus

00:47:43.980 --> 00:47:44.679
 and our future

00:47:44.679 --> 00:47:46.059
 set in Jesus Christ

00:47:46.059 --> 00:47:47.360
 for the rest

00:47:47.360 --> 00:47:48.300
 of our spiritually

00:47:48.300 --> 00:47:49.779
 resurrected lives

00:47:49.779 --> 00:47:51.539
 until our bodily

00:47:51.539 --> 00:47:52.099
 resurrection

00:47:52.099 --> 00:47:52.779
 with him

00:47:52.779 --> 00:47:55.460
 let it all be said

00:47:55.460 --> 00:47:55.980
 of us

00:47:55.980 --> 00:47:57.659
 as it was said

00:47:57.659 --> 00:47:58.940
 of Puritan Richard Sibbes

00:47:58.940 --> 00:48:00.039
 in his obituary

00:48:00.039 --> 00:48:02.219
 of that good man

00:48:02.219 --> 00:48:03.519
 let this high praise

00:48:03.519 --> 00:48:04.039
 be given

00:48:04.039 --> 00:48:05.099
 heaven

00:48:05.099 --> 00:48:06.219
 was in him

00:48:06.219 --> 00:48:07.679
 before he was in heaven.

00:48:08.920 --> 00:48:10.219
 Of that good woman

00:48:10.219 --> 00:48:11.840
 let this be said

00:48:11.840 --> 00:48:13.880
 let this high praise

00:48:13.880 --> 00:48:14.320
 be given

00:48:14.320 --> 00:48:16.679
 of heaven

00:48:16.679 --> 00:48:18.000
 heaven was in her

00:48:18.000 --> 00:48:19.860
 before she was in heaven.

00:48:20.599 --> 00:48:21.340
 Come Lord Jesus

00:48:21.340 --> 00:48:22.139
 come in glory.

00:48:23.219 --> 00:48:24.159
 Pray with me.

00:48:26.840 --> 00:48:28.239
 This resurrection Sunday

00:48:28.239 --> 00:48:29.019
 again Lord Jesus

00:48:29.019 --> 00:48:30.759
 we give all the glory

00:48:30.759 --> 00:48:31.239
 to you

00:48:31.239 --> 00:48:32.679
 and see that you

00:48:32.679 --> 00:48:33.820
 have done the heavy

00:48:33.820 --> 00:48:34.200
 lifting

00:48:34.200 --> 00:48:35.500
 that you have saved

00:48:35.500 --> 00:48:36.420
 us from our sin

00:48:36.420 --> 00:48:37.660
 and you have conquered

00:48:37.660 --> 00:48:38.260
 death

00:48:38.260 --> 00:48:39.700
 so that there is

00:48:39.700 --> 00:48:40.760
 no victory to hell

00:48:40.760 --> 00:48:42.120
 no victory to death

00:48:42.120 --> 00:48:43.480
 and sin anymore

00:48:43.480 --> 00:48:44.720
 and so we want to

00:48:44.720 --> 00:48:46.019
 keep our eyes on you

00:48:46.019 --> 00:48:46.900
 empower us

00:48:46.900 --> 00:48:47.940
 by your Holy Spirit

00:48:47.940 --> 00:48:49.300
 to keep you

00:48:49.300 --> 00:48:49.860
 the center

00:48:49.860 --> 00:48:50.620
 of our attention

00:48:50.620 --> 00:48:51.880
 the focus

00:48:51.880 --> 00:48:52.720
 of our lives

00:48:52.720 --> 00:48:54.519
 and wait for that

00:48:54.519 --> 00:48:55.860
 glorious future

00:48:55.860 --> 00:48:56.740
 that we will share

00:48:56.740 --> 00:48:57.600
 with you Lord Jesus.

00:48:58.660 --> 00:48:59.380
 In Jesus name

00:48:59.380 --> 00:48:59.760
 we pray

00:48:59.760 --> 00:49:00.619
 amen.