[Music] Since the beginning of time, supernatural events have taken place. Not only did Cooper have cancer, he had terminal cancer. Science is a way of describing how the natural world functions. The feeling was beyond anything I've ever felt before. It doesn't say anything about the supernatural world. It opens my life to dark forces that ruined my mental health. We've got hundreds of millions of people claiming that they've seen miracles and I suddenly break out in this like brilliant bright light. Like if you were in your flesh, you would be like when the supernatural crashes into human suffering, everything changes. Finley had a skull fracture along with spinal fracture and 2 days, 3 days later, there's no fracture in his spine. for people in the midst of their suffering. Cooper was healthy until he wasn't. It is incredibly natural to question if God is still in the miracle business, then why doesn't he perform more miracles? What science can uniquely do is show the condition of the person beforehand. I cannot explain that and the condition of the person afterwards. And that moment into hopelessness, I felt literally lighter and I knew that I'm physically forgiven. And the surgeon goes, "I don't know what happened, bro. I know what happened, dude. I'll tell you what happened. [Music] [Applause] I'm in awe at how many believers just don't understand the resurrection. They intentionally, because it's the strategic act of the powers of darkness that bring the way of truth into disrepute, keep Jesus on the cross. The empty tomb is the eternal validation of the power and supremacy of Christ. Without the empty tomb, without the resurrection, your hope and faith is in vain. It is the singular event of all time. Everybody track it. [Music] [Applause] [Music] We're going to talk about resurrection power. Everybody tracking? The wolves lose. If you didn't know, I'll give you the spoiler alert now. The wolves lose at the end of the day. Right. I saw this powerful picture and I that's all I was thinking about all week. It was like a old u what's it called? Like medieval like a old medieval painting and it was a lamb with a little golden halo thing over his head, you know, like they would do in the in the dark ages and it there's about five or six wolves each with their mouth on it. Black wolves just ripping at it. And I'm looking at the image I'm like they don't stinking they don't win, right? The wolves lose. They didn't know that their own their own defeat was contained within the fact that they thought that they could slay the lamb. But what they didn't understand is that the lamb was worthy to receive all glory and power and honor and praise both now and forever more. And that was their very singular defeat was the one thing that they thought that they could overcome him with. Right? So the convergence of the culmination of all of our human experience, the greatest single event in all of human history, the singular event to which all your hope is secured and unto which all your faith is upheld. the assurance of the certainty of the first fruits of the second coming of Jesus Christ and all the manifold wisdom and majesty and goodness of God for all of creation to bear witness to and for all the heavenly host to give glory for is the power and the purpose of the resurrection. Everybody tracking? Yes. There is nothing in human history, even in the cosmos, in all of creation, that means all the celestial hosts, who knows how long they've been around, the culmination of all of it, is contained within the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is our sword. It is our shield. It is our boast. Anybody who says, "Bro, you shouldn't be so boastful." I'm like, "Really? Let the wise man boast in this." That is understanding. You know what? I will boast that I know my God. You better believe I have a boast. The boast is the power of the resurrection. And he says that same power is in you that God exerted to raise his own son from the dead. I will boast in the completed work of Jesus Christ. Nothing else. I won't boast in strength. I won't boast in wisdom. I won't boast in anything else. But I will boast that I know my God and the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Tracking. Amen. It is our strength and our fearlessness as well as our every source of humility and meekness and submission. It is God's eternal taunt and his crown of victory over all of his enemies as well as the exertion of the supremacy of Christ in all things to all things for all things through all things. This is the vexation of the powers of darkness and the silencer of all the religiously hotty. the resurrection. 1 John 3:8 says this, "The reason the son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work." Has anybody told you that? I thought according to Caleb, it was to make you feel super special about yourself. The son of God was manifest for this region that you might feel super duper special about yourself and have some healing bond for your own wretchedness. That's not what it says. The Son of Man was made manifest for this reason, that he might destroy the works of the evil one. Matthew 10:34 says, "Thank not that I've come to bring peace." Oh my listeners, my disciples, my apostles, you're misunderstanding my entire posture. I didn't come to bring peace. I came to bring a sword. 1 Corinthians 15 says this regarding Christ Jesus. The end will come when God the Father when Jesus hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion and authority and a power for he must reign until he's put all of his enemies under his feet. Guess what the last enemy is to be destroyed? And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. This is the power of the devil and of Satan that Christ Jesus came to completely obliterate as a masterful warrior king. Galatians 1 3-5 says this. Grace and peace to you from God our father and Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age according to the will of God our father. Colossians 1:13, Jesus has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the son he loves and whom we have the redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Revelation 17:14, these will rage war against the lamb. I I already I'm going to give you I'm going to keep giving you a spoiler alert, but the lamb has overcome if you didn't know that. The lamb is overcome. The wolves lose because he is lord of lords and he is king of kings. And those who are with him are the called, the chosen, and the faithful. Romans 16:20, the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. Under whose feet? Under. Under under your feet. He's going to crush Satan under your feet. Malachi 4. Then it'll be ashes under the souls of your feet. All the wicked and evildoers will be ashes under the soul of your feet. Why? Because they already are under Christ's feet. That's right. And if Christ is in you and you are in him and he is in the father as he's in him and there's all this crazy amazing intermixing things going on of full unity with Christ Jesus. That's why Satan himself, the destruction of the devil is actually going to go under the soles of your feet. This is the power of the resurrection. Romans 8:38 through39 says this, "I am convinced of this. I'm convinced of the sufficiency of the risen King Jesus that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor death, nor any created thing." What do you think that covers? Nor any created thing. You think that might kind of be all inclusive? Yes. will be able to separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And again, if you haven't seem if you don't seem to be able to fully grasp it yet, I'll tell you again the spoiler alert. If you can't discern it yet, the wolves lose the power of the resurrection. Did you hear all those things? Yeah. The wolves lose. They lost. They did lose his He has rescues. He has delivered. He has It's all done. It's all past tense. This is the power of the resurrection. The power that we were commanded biblically. You must know the power of the resurrection and live out from the resurrection. Jesus Christ literally came to hunt the wolves to kill the counterfeit lion to take back the keys and to take up his own life to give you and me a hope and a certainty. A hope and a certainty. It's not a wish. Let the pagans wish for stuff. I don't wish for anything. I'm confident in it. I hope in it because it is secure. Because the tomb is empty. Beloved, he came to give us a certainty of a glorification to assert his immutable, unfathomable goodness and righteousness and justice and love for all of eternity in glory. Listen closely to John 10:11-20. Again, I'm in awe, sadly in awe, in the wrong wrong kind of awe at how many believers I believe they're in the faith. I believe they have salvation, but they just don't understand the resurrection. It's because of the infiltration, the powers of darkness, the secret doctrines of demons. It's because of Catholicism and Cabalism and Talmudism and Judaism and the Judaizers. There's a reason why we don't know the power of the resurrection because they keep them on the cross. Everybody tracking? Anybody seen the iconography and all these different denominations which are all Catholic? I don't care if they're Methodist. I don't care if they're Lutheran. I don't care if they're whatever. They're all Catholic. They intentionally, because it's the strategic act of the powers of darkness that bring the way of truth into disrepute, keep Jesus on the cross. Which is why nobody knows the power of the resurrection. That's right. The cross is empty. There's nobody on it. The tomb is empty. There's nobody in it. This is the power of the resurrection that has been strategically removed from your lives that we must know and understand because it is the glory of all of heaven forever and ever. Everybody tracking? Okay, that's as much as I'll talk about that because I'll you'll have a three-hour who knows what. Listen closely. John 10 11-20. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. Okay, here he's he's talking about the resurrection or the crucifixion. Watch where he takes it. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and he runs away. And then the wolf attacks and scatters the flock. My king is the hunter of wolves if you didn't know. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and he cares nothing for the sheep. The reason my father loves me, the reason my father loves me is that I laid down my life only to take it back up again. Did you hear that? Yes. Did you hear the reason why the father loves the son and why the son is the good shepherd and why the wolves that come in and all these hired hands and try to scare the flock. They have no power because he says I'm the good shepherd and I have come to hunt the wolves. I will lay down my life for my sheep and then I will testify to my consumate victory because I have the power to take it back up again. And that's why my father is so pleased and delighted in who I am. The resurrection. It's because of the resurrection. No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down. How's that for a warrior king? He's like, you think anybody's Nobody taking my life from me, boy. I choose to lay it down by my free will cuz I came to destroy the works of the devil. And you are all being savaged by it day in and day out. I came to make war because I came to hunt the wolves because I love you and I love my father and this is his will that I should lay down my life and then I should exert my power and my authority by demonstrating I have the power to take it back up again. That's right. He said I have authority to lay it down and I have authority to take it up again. This is the command I received from my father. Of course, the Jews who heard these words were again divided, just like many Christians are. Many of them said, "He's demonpossessed and he's raving mad. He just told you his mission set." And they go, "The guy's insane. He's demonpossessed. Why listen to him?" He said, "I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep knows me. Just as my father knows me and I know the father, I laid down my life for my sheep. The Lord God Almighty through Christ Jesus literally came to hunt the wolves as a good shepherd with a rod and his staff so that you might have a certainty of a hope, a certainty of freedom, a certainty of the resurrection and the glorification forever more. The enemy is defanged. He's declawed and you have been made alive. Colossians 2:13-15. And you who were dead in your trespasses and uncircumcised in your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven all of our trespasses by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us in its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and the authorities and put them to open shame by trumping triumphing over them. They are disarmed. They are defanged and you've been made made alive. The resurrection. Matthew 10:16 says, "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep amid the wolves." Sheep amidst wolves, but your sheep under the power and the protection of the good shepherd who literally came to hunt the wolves. That's the power of the resurrection. The counterfeit lion who's seek seeking who he may destroy. But the resurrection, death and sin, seeking to enslave and taunt and devour you. But the resurrection, the enemy plots and schemes and devises in the masses. But the resurrection, this is the centrality of all of your human experience. The resurrection is literally the entirety of God's will, plan, power, and purpose for humanity from before the foundations of the earth and for the glorification and his magnification forever more. From everlasting to everlasting. How How long is that? Anybody? How long is that? It's so powerful. However, a great reductionism has occurred in the faith where the centrality of our Christian calling election has actually commanded us to stop at the cross. Have you noticed that? Have you listened to the language out there and the song out there? How many of you have come out of a seeker friendly church or a church growth model emerging church? Probably a majority of you. And you will hear the same liturgy week after week. Go to the cross. Go to the cross. Go to the cross. Go to the cross. Go to the cross. Have you ever thought to look up? There's nobody on it. There's nobody on it. Have you looked over? The stone is rolled away. There's nobody in it. The cross went somewhere, beloved. It didn't stop at the cross. Only the enemy wants you to stop at the cross so that you never walk in the power of what Christ actually came to do, which to make you immortal, imperishable. The corruptible puts on the incorruptible. The perishable puts on the imperishable. The mortal puts on the immortal. And you have a hope of holiness and righteousness and a right standing before a holy God because the tomb is empty and the seat is reoccupied. Everybody tracking. The cross as unfathomable as it is was just the beginning. The cross was redemptive. The cross was reconciling. Praise God. But you know what? The cross couldn't do what it didn't do. It didn't restore. It redeemed and it reconciled, but it didn't quite restore. Redemptive, being saved from sin and error, reconciliation, repairing a separation from a broken relationship. But the empty tomb and the reoccupied seat of the father, that is inconceivable. The empty tomb that is restoration to a right relationship with the father. Renewed, whole, redeemed, it's done. Reconciled, it's done. Restoration, that is your eager anticipation. And it is a certainty and a hope because the linens were folded and the tomb is empty. The empty tomb is the eternal validation of the power and supremacy of Christ. Everybody tracking? Without the empty tomb, without the resurrection, your hope and faith is in vain. It was the multi-dimensional proof and the power of all that God had ever said, all that he had ever promised, all that had ever been prophesied, and all that he had ever assured the inhabitants of the earth. It was the culmination of everything he whispered in the ears of the prophets. It was the culmination of everything that the angels longed to look into to try to understand what God was talking about. It was the resurrection and nobody understood it and now it is done. It confirmed his identity and his bonafites to both save and restore and conquer and rule and reign over all of creation. It is the singular event of all time. The resurrection is your all and all as it is forever his all in all to his glorification. Little side note, if you haven't noticed through the scriptures, both the father and the son had the power and were forgiving sins before the cross. Everybody understand that? Redemption. It was redemptive. But it says all throughout the scriptures about those who were dead longing for the thing they didn't understand, which was the resurrection. He said, "Your sins be forgiven. Your sins be forgiven so that you know that I have power." Oh, it wasn't enough for you that I healed that guy. Okay. What's easier to say your sins be forgiven or heal that? I'll tell you what, I'll heal them just for you jokers. You phariseical joke. I'll heal them just for But the harder thing is to say your sins are forgiven, right? They're forgiving sins before the cross. The cross was because it went somewhere. The cross was because it went to shield. The shield was because it went to the preaching of the captives. to preaching the captives was so that he could exert his power and take his own life back up again and reoccupy the right hand of the seat of God. The power was the resurrection because the resurrection is unto our restoration to the fullness of a relationship with God for all of eternity. Everybody tracking? Colossians 1:13-23 declares the fullness of Jesus in a very concise clean statement. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the son he loves and whom we have redemption the forgiveness of sins. One the son is the image of the invisible God and the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities. All things have been created through him and for him. Why? Why do you guys always get all worked up about what the globally elite are doing? It's like, do you not know your God? I mean, yeah, it sucks. We need to be informed, right? We need to brace for impact. We need to be prudent. My God has dominion over all thrones and all powers and all authorities and nothing has ever changed about that. I digress. He is before all things and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning and the firstborn among the dead. So that in everything he might have supremacy. He's even the firstborn of the resurrection. That's why nobody was allowed to experience before. So that he had supremacy even in that over all things. For God was pleased to have all of his fullness dwell in him and through him to reconcile to himself all things. So he's already said the redemption. Now he's addressed the reconciliation. But he said Christ was the first fruits of the resurrection. He goes on to say, "Whether things on earth or things in heaven by making peace through his blood shed on the cross, once you were alienated from God and you were enemies in your mind because of your evil behavior, but now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish, and free from accusation. restoration, redemption, reconciliation, the resurrection. There's your restoration. That's what everybody has been in eager anticipation of, eagerly awaiting for. This is the fullness of the gospel that the prophets and the angels long to look into, that their spirit saw at a distance dimly, but they could not fully grasp. Even 2 Timothy 1:9-10 says this, "He has saved us and called us to a holy life, not because of anything we have done, but because of his own purpose and grace." This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time. Are you guys Are you guys understanding this? I'm not a Calvinist, but there's something going on here that God forneew like he knew. He knew exactly what was going down before the beginning of time. He knew. He forneew who was going to be his, who was going to receive him, who was going to accept him by their free will. So that nullifies Calvinism by their but he forneew who was going to receive him. He says before the beginning of time, this was the purpose and grace of God. But it has now been revealed to you through the appearing of Christ Jesus, our savior. Because of the resurrection, now you know the resurrection affirmed it all. He has destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. This is the hope that everything's set on. The ultimate will of the Lord God Almighty and all of his intents and purposes through Jesus was always the resurrection. His resurrection for our resurrection. John 6:35-34 through 40 says this. Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me, and still you don't believe. All those the Father gives me will come to me. And whoever comes to me, I will never drive away." How's that for an amen? Never. He'll never drive you away. For I have come down from heaven, not by my will, but to do the will of him who sent me. and this is the will of him who sent me. I love how concise the scripture is. I love when people are like I don't know what God's will is for my life or I don't know. I'm like I can tell you. I can tell you not in spiritual righteousness oraughtiness or vanity. I can tell you because he says it's so plain. He even says what Jesus God's will for Jesus was. He says, "This was the mission set of my son, and this is the will of him who sent me that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day." That was always plan A. The resurrection was always plan A. It was his resurrection so that we have a certainty of our resurrection. That was the will of his father. For my father's will is that everyone who looks to the son and believes in him shall have eternal life and I will raise them up at the last day. It is the mission set of Jesus and his good pleasure because it was the mission set of the father and it was his good pleasure always plan A. This was always the entirety of the majesty of the Lord. There is no plan B that's being implemented here as so many teach these days like oh there was the fall so God scrambled to make a mission set for his son to kind of redeem it because because he didn't know that we were going to re reject him he didn't know we were going to sin he didn't know that the third of the angels that already rebelled were going to tempt Eve and Adam in the garden and then bring about the he didn't know so my God's not all knowing he's not all powerful that's actually what's taught in the seeker- friendly church is disgusting that God has this plan for redemption. As if he didn't know it was always the plan. It was always plan a fornown before the beginning of the foundations of the earth. Fore to crush him. Fore known to bruise him. Fore for this because he was fornown for resurrection because we were fornown for resurrection. So that he might be glorified and magnified from everlasting to everlasting. the power, the display of the power once and for all time. Acts two says, "This man was handed over to you by God's deliberate plan and fornowledge, and with the help of wicked men, you put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, you fools." Okay, you fools. You That was always the plan. That was always the definite plan and fornowledge of God. John 5:1 19-21 says this, "For the father loves the son and shows him all he does. Yes, he will show him even greater works than these so that you will be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives him life, so even the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it, that you might be amazed. That you might be amazed at the forgiveness of sins. Not just the forgiveness of sins, that's redemption. That you might be amazed at a at a healed relationship, at emerging, that separation. That's reconciliation. Oh, no. Not that you just would be amazed at that, but that you would be in awe for all of eternity. The restoration that I will be your God and he will be my people and never will you have to depart from my presence and I'll wipe away all tears from your eyes. There'll be no more death. There'll be no more sorrow. There'll be nothing because of the power of the resurrection. This is the all that the Lord wants his people to know and understand. It is our blessed hope, beloved. It is the glorification that we have a certainty of because of the resurrection. Something the wicked and the rebels of old will never taste nor see. They'll only nash their teeth at it from afar. It is a distinction for all of eternity. Which is why Philippians 3:18 through 21 says this. For as I often told you before, and now I'll tell you again, even with many tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. It sucks, right? I don't get it. I don't get why most believers actually live as enemies of the cross. Their destiny is destruction. Their God is their stomach. Their glory is to their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven which we eagerly await a savior from there. The Lord Jesus Christ who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control will transform our lowly bodies so that we will be like his glorious body. That's the power of the resurrection. the coming glorification of these bodies transformed to be just like his. First John 3 says the same thing. What great love the father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are. And he goes, "Dear friends, we are now children of God. And what we will be has not yet been made known. But I'm telling you, because the tomb is empty, I'm telling you, we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. We shall see him in his glory, and we will be just like him in his glory. This is the power of the resurrection. The crucifixion wasn't the endgame. The crucifixion was the only way, the necessary way to the power and the supremacy of the resurrection. Listen to how clearly 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 lays out the power and the purpose of the stone being rolled away and the linens being folded. Now, if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, then how can some of you say that there is no resurrection from the dead? But if there is no resurrection from the dead, then not even Christ was raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. Do you guys realize that? That's why the enemy wants to keep you at the cross instead of living out from the resurrection. Because if you're not living out from the power of the resurrection, everything you say and all your faith and all your preaching and all your testimony and all your witness is in vain because you just go, "Go to the cross. Go to the cross. Go to the cross. Go to the cross." No, we live out from the resurrection so that our preaching in our faith is not in vain. We are even found, he goes on to say, we are even found to be misrepresenting God if we're teaching that there is no re no resurrection because we testified that God raised Christ. And if Christ has not been raised again, your faith is futile and you are still stuck in your sins. You are still dead in your sins without the resurrection. Those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope and this life only, we are most we are of all people most to be pied. He says if there's no crucifixion, I mean if there's no resurrection, if it's only about the crucifixion, everything is vain. You are more to be pied than anybody else. You want to know why? Because you go about like one and mourning your entirety of your life. You want to know why? Because you deny your flesh, but you have no hope because there's no recogna. So, so you don't get anything out of this world and you're not getting anything for all of eternity because there's no resurrection. So, you might as well feed your flesh. If you're a believer and you're walking solely out from the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and you have not come into an understanding of the beauty and the majesty and the power of the resurrection, you're more to be pied than everybody else on the face of the earth. That's how significant knowing the weight of the resurrection truly is. The crucifixion brings hope in this life only. The resurrection is a certainty of glory for all of eternity. And it is a hope that will not because it cannot ever disappoint you. As you've heard me say many times, and I will continue to magnify and proclaim without ever wearing the glory of God and the manifestation of his immutable qualities, the mission set of Jesus and everything about the entirety of the word and the gospel unto the greatest single event in human history and all of creation and for all time is the fact that God veiled in flesh went to the cross and then the cross went somewhere. I say it all the time. The cross was a means to an it was tactical, beloved. It's war. It's war. It's multi-dimensional cosmic asymmetric hybrid warfare. If they would have known, they would have never crucified the king of glory. They had no clue what they were doing. They fought thought for certain as the darkness swirled around them at the cross. They're nashing their teeth and they're mocking him. Can you picture what was going on there? the mocking and the laughter and the torment of Christ as he's hanging there bleeding out and they're just lording over him and lording over him and blah blah and they didn't know it was a tactical fate maneuver for a tactical decapitation because the cross took Christ to shield where he preached to the captives and he punched that counterfeit line in his stupid mouth and shattered all of his teeth and defanged him and he took the power of the keys and the death of Hades back and he had the power to take his own life up again. He said, "I win, you lose." That's right. And then he sat down like any good victor would and put his feet up. Now what? Do your worst. That's what the cross did. The cross went somewhere. The cross led to a cancellation of her legal indebtedness, which led to Shiel, which led to the most gnarly, fearsome sermon I can ever imagine. I don't know what he said down there, but he preached something I can't even imagine. the king of all glory. All those fallen angels reserved in chains and all their co they're entering in the earth inside the earth. He went into the earth to sh was like, "Where you at? You thought you thought I came to hunt the wolves. Give me those keys back now." And then he goes, "Watch this. Watch my power and authority I can exert. I'll take my own life back up again. and I win forever more. This led to the demonstration of the power and the authority and the majesty of Christ Jesus over all things. It says, "By his death, he broke the power of him who holds the power of death, that is the devil. By his death, he broke his power over death. By his death, he broke his power over the curse of sin. By his death, and by his taking up his own life again, he gave you a hope that will never ever disappoint." John 10:18 says, "No one takes my life from me, but I have authority to take it up again." He literally identifies himself to the Apostle John and the revelation of the culmination of all human history as the victor because of the resurrection. Fear not, Revelation 1:18. I am the first. I am the last. I am the living one. You didn't kill me. I died and behold I am alive forever more and I have the keys of death in Hades. How's that for a warrior king Jesus? That's the power of the resurrection. And all this led to the reoccupation at the right hand of the father. Hebrews 10:12 says, "But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the father. And since that time, he waits for all these enemies to be made his foottool. The eager anticipation of restoration, all of it. And because of this, because of this, because of where the cross led, it didn't stop at the cross. It went somewhere. Because of this, that is why Philippians 2:6-11 says that Christ Jesus, who being in very nature, God did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage. Rather, he made himself as nothing. By taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness, and being found in the appearance of a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Therefore, this is the therefore. This is why Jesus said, "This is the reason why my father loves me. Because I lay down my life for my sheep. I came to hunt the wolves and then I take it back up again." He goes, "This is why. Therefore, because I was obedient to death on the cross, because of where the cross led, that's why God exalted him to the highest place and gave him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth. And every tongue acknowledged that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. It was all about glorification. It's always been about glorification. He says this is the why we have been given an assurance of his soon returning in all of his victorious, glorified, supreme state because the stone was rolled back. Revelations 5 9-10 says, "And they sang a new song." What kind of song? New song. We always make that distinction. Is it a different song? No. That's a brand new one. No one's ever heard the melody before. And they sang a new song saying, "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals. Because you were slain, crucifixion, with your blood, you purchased for God persons, reconciliation from every tribe and language of people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom, a priest to serve our God, and they will reign on earth forever." Restoration. He's saying the same thing over and over and over again, which is therefore the assurance because Christ is going to be glorified that you too will be as well. 1 Corinthians 15, I won't read it all. It goes into great detail. He says, "I tell you, don't you know, flesh and blood can't inherit the kingdom of heaven." It can't. So that's why that's why you will be transformed and glorified in a glorified body the same way Christ was. So you where he is you can be with him also. Says the dead will be raised imperishable. Then then shall the saying come to pass the saying that is written where you at death I'm paraphrasing. This is the message translation. Where you at bro? Where's your sting bro? Where you at death? You've lost your sting. You've been swallowed up, man. Then the saying will come to pass. When we are glorified in these glorified bodies and raised from death and life, that's when that saying is spoken. The saying, "Longhold, where you at? You lost. I won. I came to hunt the wolves and it is finished. The victory is secure." That's why again going back to Philippians 3, we eagerly await our Lord and Savior who will transform our bodies to a glorious state like his. So where he is, we can be also remembers Colossians 3 1-3. Since then you have been raised with Christ. I I don't get that. So it's like already it is but not yet. You have been. Yes. I don't understand. I just by faith I go, "Praise God, it's done." Like that's all. Like, it's so done. It's done. Done. I don't know what that means. Since then, you have been raised with Christ. Set your hearts on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. That's the power of the resurrection, the glorification. Remember 1 Peter 5:4. And when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. Powerful. It's so powerful. This is our blessed hope. This is what we have been waiting patiently for. As Romans 8 says, "But we ourselves who have the first fruits of the spirit grown inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sunship, the redemption of our bodies, the glorification because of the resurrection." Do you guys grown inwardly? Are you just like Jesus is like life 2.0, a little self-help thing, right? It's life plus. Sprinkle a little Jesus on there and I can feel a lot better about my crummy self. Or do you groan like all of creation? It says, groaning inwardly, longing for the sons of glory to be revealed, longing, waiting in eager anticipation for adoption or sunship, for the redemption of these broken bodies, for the destruction of all the powers of darkness, for the ashes under the souls of your feet to be and glory where he is also. Does your heart burn inwardly waiting in eager anticipation of this? Do you speed his coming or is it all about you and what you can get in this life? We must know the power of the resurrection. It is the centrality of everything everything. We have been guaranteed with the first fruits because Christ Jesus was the firstborn even among the dead. So that all things he would have supremacy. He says that he did this to give us his spirit as a deposit guaranteeing what is going to come next for you. See you. You can throw off the fear. He can throw off the anxiety. He can throw off the anxieties about your failing bodies and about the nearness of death. He can throw off your anxieties about the world and the things of the world and about the global elite and the mass nations of men of Allah. You can throw it all off because he says, "I've given you a deposit of my spirit guaranteeing you what is to come. It is an irrevocable covenantal guarantee. Do you know what it is? It's your glorification because of his resurrection." That's what it is. This is the big why. This is the power and purpose of your faith. Not just the forgiveness of sins, the restoration to eternal life. So much more. This is the power and peace that equips you to endure all of this life. Remember second Timothy 2 8-12. Remember Jesus Christ raised from the dead, descended from David. He goes on to say, "I can endure everything for the sake of elect that they too may obtain salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory." Here is a trustworthy saying. If we died with him, we're going to live with him. If we endure with him, we're going to reign with him. He goes, "Don't you remember?" He's saying, "Don't you remember the resurrection?" Romans 8:16-18, he says, "Don't you remember the resurrection?" Now, if indeed we're children of God, then that means we're heirs. We're cos with Christ. if indeed we share with this suffering because don't don't you remember you're also going to share with him in glory. He's like this is why you can endure. This is why you can take the hits. This is why you can suck it up buttercup and get off of yourself. You can because the resurrection don't you remember 2 Corinthians 1 says the same thing. This happened. He says that I might not rely on myself but on God who raises the dead. That's right. I was shipwrecked. I was pushed beyond my ability to endure. I felt the sentence sentence of death on my very life. Oh, but that's right. All these pressures came in my life so that I might not rely on myself, but I would learn to rely on God who is the resurrection who raises the dead. He goes, "On him I've set my hope. He has delivered. He will deliver. He will continue deliver. I have put my hope in this because it is guaranteed and it is certain. First Peter says the same thing. 1 Peter 4:13, rejoice in as much as you participate in the sufferings of Christ so that you can be overjoyed when the glory is revealed because he is risen. Beloved, that's why all of it, that's why you can endure all of it. That's why you can navigate all of it. That's why you can be upheld through all of it. That's why you can be radiant. That's why you can be overjoyed. I have no clue what that means. I have a struggle just reaching normal joy. I don't know what it is to be overjoyed. But he says you can be overjoyed. Because he is risen. Don't you remember? Don't you remember? Don't you remember? What in the Why do you got your panties in a bunch? Can I say that? Too late. Why do you have your panties in a bunch? He's risen, right? He is risen indeed. This is the power of Christ in you, the hope of glory. Right? That's right, man. Yes. First Peter 5:10. And the God of all grace, how much grace? All I don't know. I think he's tapped out. I think he's got a reserve and I've I've withdrawn too much grace, so he's probably done with me. No. Is that what it says? Okay. and the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ Jesus after you have suffered a little while himself restore you and make you strong and firm and steadfast to him be power forever and ever. Amen. Amen. What then should we say about all these things? Is Romans 8 like dude let me think about let me think. Okay, now what should I say about all these things? If God is for us, who in the world's going to stand against us? Who's going to bring a condemnation a a common condemnation against you? No one. Who is it that's going to judge you? No one. Who is it that's going to stand in your way? No one. I am convinced of this because the tomb is empty. I am convinced that neither light nor dark nor angel nor demon nor whatever anything in all creation can separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. The tomb is empty. The linens are folded. Beloved, I mean, what in the world do you say to this revelation? That's why it grieves my heart to watch my beloved brothers and sisters eek their way through life. It just shouldn't be. So, I get despondency. I get discouragement. I get being put back on your heels. I get falling flat on your face but not to the point of being crushed. Don't you know? Don't you remember? Don't you remember? When he appears, we'll be like him also. Yes, man. May your heart's cry be this. Philippians 3:10. And if it's not, may it be this. Start praying through it daily, hourly, if you must, until your heart sings out with full confidence. I want to know Christ. Yes. To know the power of the resurrection. I got to know it, God. I got I don't know it. I don't understand it. I don't know the depths of your love, which is why I'm so fearful. I don't know the power of the resurrection. I want to know it, God. I believe it. I just can't really comprehend it. Oh God, I want to know Christ and to know the power of his resurrection and the participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in death and so somehow attaining to the resurrection from the dead. That's what I want to know in this life. I don't need to know God's every detailed plan for my life. Believe me, I would love to ask my wife. She hears it every night. What is God doing? What am I doing here? What am I supposed to be doing? What? She's like, she's my muse. Talks me off a ledge every day. Rather than having these wanderings and musings and wanderings of my carnality, I want my spirit to cry. I want to I got to know Christ in the powers of resurrection. I got to know what it means to be unified within suffering and somehow to die so that I may also know the power of the resurrection from the dead. I got to know this because when we do and even even only a handful of his people dead, let the powers of hell be put on notice. Let them be put on notice. When a people who know their God and they know the sufficiency of the empty tomb and the power of the resurrection go forth in the strength of God and do daring feats of valor. Amen. Amen. This is the power and the purpose of your testimony. It is the reason, the only reason why we gather. We don't gather for self-help. Do I give you guys self-help sermons? I mean, I kind of do. It's like die to self so then you can live, right? That is self-help. Just die. I tell you guys, just die. Just kill yourselves. Mortify it, crucify it, put it to death. This is not about self-help. It's not about self-improvement. It's not about self soothing, but a bold witness to the resurrection. That is what you have been called to in Christ Jesus. Cry out that you would know it and know the power of it so that you can testify to it. Acts 4:32 through34 says this. All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions were their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power, the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's why the church began. That's why you and I are seated here today and we're learning about the majesty of the completed work of Jesus Christ is because they got it and they preached the power of the resurrection. And then the next generation preached the power of the resurrection. Then the next generation preached the power of the resurrection and it kept going. Come hell or high water, the gates of hell cannot prevail against it until the leady and church age comes about. Until they say they're wealthy and in need of nothing. Until they give heed to the doctrines of demons. Till the way of truth comes into disrepute. To the love of pleasure trumps the love of God. Till lovers of self trump everything. Till they're always learning, never able to come to an understanding the truth. The truth is a person in the deity of Jesus Christ, the way and the resurrection. He is the resurrection. He is the life. So if the way of truth is coming in disrepute, it's because you don't know the resurrection. You don't know it. And so the great apostasy, the great falling away, the great infiltration, the great amassing of the powers of darkness, who seemingly think they're going to win this go around. They won't. God always has a ram in the bush. He's always got a remnant and a ram in a bush. And I assure you that those who know their God and the power of the resurrection, who do not love their life so much as they're afraid to lose it, will overcome it all. The wolves lose because the wolves have already lost. Everybody tracking. Stop crying out in despair. Lord, lead me to the cross. That's where you come into the faith. Everybody, if you're in the faith, stop. You're You went through the cross. Your sins are forgiven. They've been removed as far as the east is from the west. I don't know how far that is. It's a long ways. Just infinitely in opposite directions. Though your sins were as crimin, he's made him white as snow. He doesn't treat you according to your iniquities or reward you according to your deeds done in the flesh. Your sinful flesh, right? You're done. You've already, if you're in the faith, the c you quit crying out in despair. Leave me to the cross. Leave me to the cross. Leave me to the cross. He already did. That's why you even know his name and his name is on your lips. Look up. There is nobody on it. Look over. There is nobody in the tomb. Rather, you ought to cry out to long to know the power of the resurrection and to be unified with Christ and suffering unto death, so that you'd also be unified with him in the resurrection. What if that was your heart's cry instead? God, I I my sins have been dealt with. Praise be to you, God. Worthy is the lamb. Worthy is the lamb. Show me and teach me the power of the resurrection in my life. The power and purpose of Christ. Colossians 3:23 says, "Whatever you do, work with all of your heart as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know since you know definitively that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a re as a as a reward, the resurrection, the glorification. Since you know this, that's why you can do this. This is the power and purpose of Christ. This is the power and purpose for you, for your radiancy, for your hope, for your resolve, for your more than conquering, overcoming, victorious, abundant life that everything is trying to keep you from understanding. Everybody tracking everything about the powers of darkness and your own stupid carnality is trying to keep you from understanding the power of the resurrection and the soon cunning glorification. That's what separated everybody in the days of old. The Sadducees, you know what distinguished them? They denied the resurrection. That's what separated the Sadducees from the Pharisees. The hatred of the Sanhedrin and most of the Pharisees was because they were talking about the resurrection. Those who reject the gospel is because they can't fathom the resurrection. The reason for transhumanism and a newagers and nirvana and what's the thing where you reincarnation and all these things is because they hate that you have to go through Christ for the resurrection. They want to apart from Christ. The divisions, the confusion, the infighting within the church is centered upon the humanistic manipulation of the resurrection. The rapture debate, sorry for anybody that offends you, I love you all the same, is a reductionism and a massaging and a manipulation of the power of the resurrection. It completely reduces the resurrection. So there isn't a resurrection. Wait, so those who are alive are taken up for wait. It says no, the dead who are the dead in Christ at the sound of the last trumpet, shout of the archangel. Then those are ra and then and then these guys who are dead, they're resurrected to rule and reign with Christ for a thousand years. then everybody else. It's the resurrection is the singular greatest fate event in history, not the rapture. This is the reductionism of the gospel because it's a reductionism of the power and the majesty and the sufficiency of the rolled away stone in the empty tomb and the reoccupied seat. This is a big deal, beloved. If you get it wrong, it's powerless. It's powerless. The resurrection is the centrality of all of human history and all the word and all the gospel because it's about the glorification of the father through the son and the father glorifying the son that we might be also glorified with him the resurrection. Everybody understand the reason why so many of us live powerless slavery to fear bondage infused testimony corrupted lives as a lack of belief and understanding truly in the power and the purpose and the hope of the resurrection. That's why we're chewed up and spit out because we don't get it. We think it's like I got a little got a little fire insurance now. I guess that's that's I'm just this broken, weak, messy person. I'm just whatever. I'll just be happy to get through life. Take another hit. Take another hit. Take another. He's like, you don't know what's coming. The resurrection is coming. The glorification is coming. And this powerless living would be put to death instantly if we knew and understood the depths of what happened on that day. John 11:25-26. Jesus said to her as he says to us all, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even if he dies. And everyone who lives and believes in me will never die." Do you believe this? That's the last statement he said. I just told you what's going down. But then he gives the follow on question. Do you believe this? Do you believe this? Does your life and testimony reflect this certainty? Are you still weeping at the foot of the empty cross, still mourning in the upper room, unwilling to believe the good news that he is risen? They're sitting there just weeping. They're like, "The dude's outside. They saw him. They came running back. He's risen. He's risen. I don't believe Let me put my finger in your wounds, Jesus. I don't believe it. I don't believe it. That's so many of us. He says, "I am the resurrection and life. Do you believe it? I brought you good news. I've shown it. Do you believe it? I'm sitting on the shore cooking you fish in my resurrected, glorified body. And you still won't walk out from the power of a knowing of the fact that he is risen and all of your hope and all of your future glory and all of eternity is certain and secure. But the question is, do you believe it? Pray into this, hunger and thirst for this. Eagerly anticipate this. Tenaciously expect boldly live out from the majesty of the supremacy of Christ Jesus because he is risen indeed. Closing verse. I'll leave you with this foundational power of your faith and your hope and your assurance of your victorious testimony. The power for you who do choose truly not just with Christy's word smithing to believe that Jesus Christ is erection resurrection and the life. Ephesians 1 11-23. Well, I'm starting in verse 15. I'm cheating. For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God's people, I've not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking God, I ask this for you. I pray that you ask this for me. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious father may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which you were called. I'm praying this for you. You pray it for me. The riches of the glorious inheritance for his holy people. is like this is what I'm praying for for you cuz from it is the wellspring of everything else in your entire reality. You have to know the hope of the glory of the inheritance that is coming for you in Christ Jesus to know the hope which he has called you the riches of his glorious inheritance for his holy people and his incomparably great power for us who he who believe because that power is the same. Did you hear that? Y what's the power similar like the same that power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at the right hand in the heavenly realms far above all ruler and authority and power and dominion and every name that is invoked not only in this present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet, and appointed him head over everything for the church, which is the body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. Bless the Lord, oh my soul. I pray, oh God, that we would know the power of the resurrection, this glorious inheritance that's coming for us. Amen. Because it is the same power, the same power he has for us right now is the same power that he used not only to exert over Christ Jesus to raise him from the dead and to seat him in the right heavenly realms, but he said then to put him over all ruler, all authority, all powers in every age, both now and forever more. Amen and amen and amen. Beloved, live out from the power of the resurrection. We must live out from the power of the resurrection in this life. That's a wrap. [Applause]