Untitled Sermon

Okay, take your Bibles and turn with me, if you would, to James chapter 4. James chapter 4, as we continue in our study in James. James chapter 4, back of your Bible. Towards the concordance. James chapter 4, beginning with verse 11. Listen as I read it and then catch up as we get there. Verse 11, James chapter 4. Brothers, James says, do not slander one another.

Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you're not keeping it, but you're sitting in judgment on it. There's only one lawgiver and judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you, who are you to judge your neighbor? Now listen, you who say, today or tomorrow, we'll go to this or that city,

spend a year there, carry on business and make money. Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, if it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that. As it is, you boast and brag and all such boasting is evil. Anyone then who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

This past week. As I'm sure everyone is aware, 39 people chose to take their lives in what they sincerely believed was the truth. I don't think that it was just coincidence that this event happened during what's called Holy Week in Christendom. That time between the celebration of Palm Sunday or the day that Jesus entered into Jerusalem and Resurrection Sunday.

I don't think it's just a mere coincidence. I don't think that they just sat and planned that out per se. But I do think that our enemy. Satan did. And had that coordinated to coincide with this particular time. Because this past week, that's all that anybody's talking about. Satan seeks to minimize the cross. He seeks to minimize the effect of the cross. And it's interesting to me that several of the different accounts that we watched this past week on this event.

When they interviewed both knowledgeable people, experts in the field. As well as different individuals that had been in. One of the common things they said was. When they were asked, why do people do this? Is because they said their needs were not met by conventional religion. By the conventional church. And that speaks a lot to the church of Jesus Christ today.

As people have looked and they have seen. And what they've seen they don't like. And so they seek to find satisfaction and fulfillment somewhere else. But they still have little sprinkles of Christianity in it. It's interesting some of the commentators identified this group as a radical Christian cult. Because they used things out of scripture. Two major things I want you to be aware of where this is concerned.

Especially on today. On Resurrection Sunday. The day we celebrate the greatest day in Christianity. When Jesus rose from the dead. Two major things to be aware of where this is concerned. First of all, we see a continued paving of the way in preparation for the rapture of the church. This is part of conditioning. This is part of the enemy's conditioning. As we move towards a one world government.

As we move towards a one world religion. As we continue to move in that direction. The enemy is paving the way for an acceptance of an event called the catching out. 1 Thessalonians 4. In the Latin that word is raptus or rapturo. The rapture of the church. The catching out of the church. 20 years ago even when Hal Lindsey or 30 years ago now. When Hal Lindsey wrote his book Late Great Planet Earth.

People were excited. That this idea was to the forefront again. It's not a new idea. It's been around. Paul anticipated the catching out. That's what he wrote his epistle to the Thessalonians about. But as it came to the forefront again. People were speculating on how all these things would happen. And how it would catch the world by such surprise. Well the way you see the conditioning happening now.

It's not going to be that much of a surprise. All of the intonations here regarding aliens. And the spaceships. And the thing behind the curtain. And the comet that's coming. Even as the commentators present it as kind of a wacky idea. Watch the news presentations. Read the things in the media. They're treating it now as yeah it's kind of wacky. But maybe there's something there.

Maybe there's some substance to this. Watch that. Because that shift is moving. Look at all the stuff that's before us now with alien stuff. Independence Day. Star Trek is back. You know and the grossing great box office acclaim again. The invasion is coming May 4th. The television. I mean everything has to do with alien stuff. Conditioning. Yeah people think of it as sci-fi.

It's really interesting. It's very entertaining. Nothing harmful about it. But then as you have events like this taking place. It's a conditioning. It's a desensitizing. So that when the church is finally removed. It's going to be easily explained away. Secondly it should go to show us that people are starving for spiritual relevance. The world is starving for spiritual food.

Everybody knows there's something more than this life. And they're looking for a way to connect. They're looking for a way to find that next step. Whatever. And there's an opening and an opportunity now to share the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. These people. These 39 individuals sincerely believed what they believed. And they went to sleep taking their own lives.

And they woke up in hell. And that is where they will spend eternity. Because they believed a lie. There's only one hope. There's only one way to the presence of God. And that is through Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Period. Nothing else. No other way. Something you can anticipate now is more resistance to the church. More resistance from the governmental sources to the church.

To true conservative evangelical Christianity. You'll see more resistance to that. One of the programs we watched was on MSNBC. And they had an opportunity for people to call in and ask questions. And one called. And I was very interested. My ears perked up when he called. And he said, Isn't there some governmental agency or some way that we can set up a watchdog agency in the government to watch out for these cults?

And one of the authorities, one of the professors that they had lined up, wisely said, This is, you know, no, because this would interfere with our First Amendment rights to the freedom of religion. And so if we're going to have freedom of religion, we're going to have to tolerate certain things such as this. Because of that. Freedom. And that was the last that was said.

But I was amazed that that topic was broached. Because you'll hear that more. Watch. Because there's going to be more of a stress, more of an effort put forth to develop some kind of a governmental agency that will watchdog over these cults. And one of the things, the buzzwords are going to be last days, Armageddon, moving off of this planet, catching away, moving to another existence, moving to the kingdom of God.

These are going to be buzzwords that they will attend. Catch to a cult. And the longer the Lord tarries, the more we're going to see that kind of thing. So anticipate it. But don't let it scare you. This is one of the greatest opportunities to share the gospel ever. People are responding around the world in numbers and ways as never before in the history of the world to the message of God's salvation.

And especially in the last 2,000 years to the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. So resistance is going to peak as far as authority is concerned. But the response is going wild. And I believe it's the final, I personally believe it's the final harvest before the Lord catches out his church. But at the same time, it really lays out something that we need to be aware of.

And I've mentioned it before to the congregation here, and I'll continue to mention it. And that is make sure you're grounded in the truth of the word of God and not relying on some person, some teacher, some individual, some leader. Make sure you know what this says. And you're living according to. It. Article, recent article out of Time Magazine. And again, it's always interesting around Christmas and around Resurrection Sunday.

I hate to use the term Easter even because that's such a pagan term. There was a kind of a futile explanation of what Easter really is, how we celebrate Easter the way we did in the paper this week. And it kind of skirted around the issue that the church never celebrated it before the time of Constantine in 300 roughly A.D. The church always celebrated the resurrection during Passover because that's when it happened was during Passover.

But it was in 300 A.D. when the church was finally allowed to come out from underground worship that it came into the pagan temples and embraced all of the pagan philosophies of Constantine and the Roman church. And so there was a celebration of Ishtar, of the goddess of fertility. And that's been woven into Christianity now to where Ishtar, Easter, has Easter bunnies and chickies and eggs and absolutely nothing to do with the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Again, an attempt by the. To minimize the cross and the effect of the cross. But around Resurrection Sunday, around this time, you'll see articles in all the different magazines and newspapers. Time had a had a big section on something I want to share about the does heaven exist. Newsweek has a big deal on prayer and the reality of prayer. But out of the Time magazine article, there's there's some interesting statistics that I wanted to share this morning as we move into this area of our study, because it's always an eye opener to me.

Does heaven exist? One of the questions they asked was. Do you believe in heaven? And these are current statistics and of the people that were interviewed, of the people that were asked, 81 percent said yes, they believe that heaven exists. They were also asked, do you believe in hell? And 63 percent said yes. Now, it's always amazing to me that less believe in hell want to acknowledge its existence in heaven.

Everybody wants a good time, but nobody wants to face consequences. And it's just typical of our society. Everybody wants to do their own thing without having to have any kind of consequences. Don't tell me what to do. I'll do my own thing. I won't hurt anybody. Don't tell me what to do. Don't force your morality on me. Everybody wants to do what they want to do without the real reality of understanding that there are consequences to our action.

Another question they ask is what will happen to you immediately after death? And 61 percent said they'd go directly to heaven. Only one percent said that people would go to hell. Again, notice the contrast. But this is the one that really, I guess, bothered me the most. It says one of the questions was, do people get into heaven based mostly on the good things they do on their faith in God?

Yes. Or both. Now, only six percent said that people get to heaven based only on the good things that they do. And that's okay. Thirty-four percent said that people get to heaven based only on their faith in God. And 57 percent of the people interviewed said they believe that people get to heaven by their faith in God and the good things that they do and their good deeds.

So, figuratively speaking, one out of every two of you sitting here believes that. Conceivably, half of the people in this room believe that. Conceivably, half of the people in this sanctuary this morning believe that somehow the good that I do is going to help me possibly get to heaven. Somehow, some of you believe that God has some scales and he puts good tiles on the good side with the good things that you do and bad tiles on the bad side.

And hopefully, when you get to the end of your life, the good tiles will outweigh the bad and you'll get to go to heaven. Because 57 percent of the respondents said that. But the Bible says that salvation comes back. Salvation comes by grace alone, God's unmerited favor. It means there's nothing you or I could do, will do, did do, ever could do to merit it, to receive it.

By grace alone, through faith alone, not works, not good deeds. In Christ alone, in his atoning death on the cross, period. That's it. No other way. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200 by any other means. Only in the shed blood of Christ on the cross is there salvation and access into God's presence. Period. But 57 percent of the respondents say otherwise, which opens people up for deception just like the cults.

You sit here and as the church, we look at things like that and go, how could people be so gullible? How could people be so deceived? You're one step away. And that one step is as you turn and face the world instead of keeping your eyes closed. Fixed on Christ. Fixed on the cross. You're one step away. Never forget that. I'm not talking about losing salvation.

I'm talking about being deceived. You're one step away. And that's all Satan wants to do is to make you take that one step and he's got you neutralized. See? There was an article in yesterday's paper here in good old Arc City. Somebody from this area had at one time sat at a conference at Wichita State University. Wichita State University under this fella. Under the current DOE.

At a lecture 20 some years ago. Back in the 70s. And they were giving their account of that particular contact. And they stressed in there. I thought it was interesting. They stressed, that was before I became a Christian. And then they talked about what had happened and that they'd lost contact and hadn't heard any more about this until this particular, this week when they read about the events and saw it on TV.

But there's a quote that this individual said at the end of the article. And you can get yesterday's paper. Yesterday's traveler. And read the article. Because at the end of the article she says, quote, I hope they reach the level of happiness they were desiring. End quote. Speaking of the people that took their lives. And this I'm assuming is now after she's become a Christian.

That does not compute. It's like if I sincerely believe something, God's got to honor that, doesn't he? His word says there is only one path. And few there be that find it. I am the way. The truth. And the life. And no man comes to the Father but by me. There is no other name under heaven by which you must be saved other than the name that is given that is Jesus Christ the Lord.

It is the name of Jesus Christ at which everything in heaven and earth and under the earth will bow and give glory to, to the glory of God the Father. Period. Now that's not some church view. That's according to scripture. And if you're not aware of those things, you're one step away from deceit. From embracing a lie. Now we come to James 4 today. And we're looking at releasing our hold on the world.

That's what this chapter heading is for us as we're studying through chapter 4 in James. Releasing our hold on the world. James is writing with the idea that if you have truly embraced Jesus Christ. If you've truly come to saving faith in Jesus Christ. It will transform you. It will have an effect on your life. There will be workings of faith in your life that are obvious for you to see.

And that's why he wrote his epistle. In chapter 1 he said those workings of faith will be revealed through trials. Through the squeezings. When you're squeezed. When you're in those tight spaces. What comes out will show you if you're really in relationship with him. Or you're embracing the world. Do you seek him during those times? Do you trust him for wisdom during those times?

Are you walking after his ways knowing that every good and perfect gift comes down from the father of light? Or are you seeking your own way? It's revealed during the time of testing. During the time of trial. Chapter 2 he told us that those workings of faith will be evidenced in our relationships with others. Do we have a servant heart towards other people?

Have the racial barriers been broken down in Christ? And we seek to serve our brothers and sisters of other cultures? Or have we got those little barriers between rich and poor? One nationality and another. One culture and another. If those barriers are there then the workings of faith are not. Chapter 3 he says that if you're truly walking with the Lord it will be evidenced through your speech.

It will reverberate through your speech. Your tongue has the capacity to do great things to encourage or destroy. And you will either be speaking he says in chapter 3 the wisdom of God or the wisdom of the world. You'll either be dispensing life or you'll be dispensing death by what you say. And it doesn't he's not just stressing whether or not you say bad words.

He's talking about the life that you speak is either the life that comes from the wisdom of God. Or it's the death that comes from the wisdom of the world. Then we come into chapter 4. And he says that the effects of faith in our lives will be that we will want to release our hold on the world. We will want to release our hold on the world. And he says that we are at war.

Three different kinds of war he talked about in the first ten verses. First of all we're at war with each other. There's conflicts, individual conflicts, conflicts among nations, conflicts among groups of people everywhere. We have wars. And he says they come basically from your own particular flesh level. You desire to have and don't get. There's a greed. You want something, someone, some position, something and you don't get it.

And you fight to get it. There's conflicts within ourselves. He said our flesh wars. You desire these things of the flesh within and you don't have. You're not the way you want to be. You're not the most beautiful. You're not the richest. You don't have the family that you really wanted to have or the position or whatever that you want to have. And so inside you're warring with yourself with your own flesh.

And he said thirdly though that comes from the basis of the war that we have with God. The war that we have within ourselves and the war that we have among other individuals stems from the fact that we're at war with God. That we have become enemies of God. Now James is writing to believers. Remember that. So he's not talking about unbelievers. He's not talking about those who don't know the Lord.

He's talking about those of us in the church. Those who are believers in Jesus Christ being enemies of God. And we saw in these verses how that happens. And that's as we befriend his enemies which are the world and the flesh and the devil. We seek to be satisfied by the world. We seek the guidance of the Lord. We seek the strength of the flesh. And we seek the strength of the devil.

And the wisdom of the devil instead of the son of man. Instead of Christ. Instead of the wisdom that comes only from him through the cross. Then he gave us quickly ways to bring peace. Ways to put an end to those areas of war. Verses 7 through 10. He talked about first of all our submitting to God. There's a need to submit to the Lord. To line ourselves up under him saying that God we need you.

Father we need you. You are sovereign over us and we need you. Secondly he says in verse 8 to resist the devil. And that word literally means to array. Like a battle array. And we saw last time that that means we stand in the arraying glory of God. Which is his armor. The armor of God in Ephesians chapter 6. But also the glory of God as we're in that relationship with him.

You are surrounded by his glory when you're in relationship with him. Now you don't recognize it yet. Jesus was transformed before the three disciples on the mount of transfiguration. And that glory was revealed to them. That same glory is ours as believers in Jesus Christ. You will fully realize it when you're in his presence. But as you draw near to him. As you submit yourself to him.

You are arrayed with that to the spiritual world around you. More and more books are bringing that out. In the secular realm as well as in Christendom. Then he says draw near. We draw near to God. And we saw in verses 8 and 9 how we do that. And that is with a confession of sin. An acknowledgement of our sin. A confession of it. A heartfelt confession. Not just a sorry God.

Sorry. Sorry I did that. But a heartfelt confession that wrenches us from our very depths of our being. That we don't want to do that anymore. And we repent of that. And we draw near to God in that way. And the Bible says there that he draws near to us as we do that. And then finally humble ourselves. Verse 10. Before the Lord. Which is really a summation of the other three.

That we humble ourselves before him seeking to walk now in that way. With that awareness. And so as we come to verse 17. There is no change. The same thought is there. That is why I summarize this every time we start. To bring our minds back to where we are. Because he is not changing gears here as we come to verse 11. And go on through. He is still with the same thought process.

As he is bringing us into the area of the first thing we do to release our hold on the world. Is to draw near to God. Now secondly as we come to verse 11. It is to rely on his power. To rely on his power. How do I release the hold the world has on me? I have to draw near to God first. It has to be a conscious effort. I have to willingly, actively do that. And then as I do that I have the option now to rely upon his power.

To draw upon that power of God. And that is what I want to begin looking at today. On this resurrection Sunday. Because that is where it came from. That is what is the result of the resurrection. That is what God has enabled us to have. Is his power. Where that is concerned. The only way you will be able to rely on his power. Is to first of all draw near to him.

So let me ask you the same question I asked last week. Are you drawing near to God? Are you practicing verses 7 through 10? Are you aware of the enemy's desire to just get you to turn? That is all he wants you to do. It is interesting. As you read the gospels. You will see that from the mount of transfiguration. As Jesus comes down the mountain. The gospels in each case declare.

That he set his face like flint towards Jerusalem. His face was set. He was fixed on the cross. Nothing else was going to move him. Off of what his purpose was. Was the cross. Well see that is how we need to be with him. Our eyes need to be fixed on Jesus. That is what Hebrews 12 says. As a result in Hebrews 11. Of all the people that God has given us. As examples of those who have trusted him by faith.

As a result of that. As a result of that great cloud of witnesses. That has gone before us. So we are to fix our eyes on Jesus. That is a command. And it has the implication. That what the enemy is going to try and do. Is get you to move him off. That is all he wants to do. The enemy cannot have you. If you belong to God. You have been bought and paid for with the price.

You belong to Jesus. You are stamped with the spirit. Ephesians chapter 1. You have been sealed by the spirit of God. The enemy cannot have you. But he can have fun with you. He can get your eyes off of Christ. And you are dead meat. You are neutralized. But God wants us to rely on his power. Now let me ask you this one. I am just going to ask you two questions.

It will be real brief. As we answer. What is the power that we have available to us? That he wants us to rely on? And what are we supposed to do with it? I mean that is obvious. And we will talk about that a little as we get into this. What is the power itself? And what do we do with it? How do we rely on it? I mean if we are supposed to do it. We need to know what it is.

And then we need to know how to do it. If we are supposed to do it. Right? A lot of times we as preachers can get up here and give you big flowery things. And sound real hermeneutical. And real ministerial. And give you some great names of things in the scripture that you know. And you kind of go out going that was really nice. And what effect does it have on my life?

How do I do what he wants me to do? Is basically what this is for. Okay. What is the power? How do I use it? Okay now for that. Hold your finger here in James. And go back with me just a little bit to your left to the book of Ephesians. Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1. We could go several places. And I'll mention several as we go through this. But I want to take you to one text that you can focus on.

And read with me as we read. That makes a concise presentation of what this power is. Ephesians chapter 1. Let's begin reading at verse 15. And Paul writes. For this reason. Verse 15 of Ephesians chapter 1. Ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus. And your love for all the saints. Now he's talking to the church at Ephesus. But he could be and is talking to us.

That's why this is a part of scripture. That's why God made it a part of scripture. Is because we love Jesus. We have faith in him. And we love the saints as a result of that. Which is a mark of our discipleship. According to John's gospel. Because of that Paul says. I've not stopped giving thanks for you. Remembering you in my prayers. Now he asks for three things.

He says. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. The glorious Father. First of all. May give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation. So that you may know him better. Paul says the first thing that he prays. Because you know Jesus and love him. Is the spirit of wisdom and revelation. That sounds good. I pray for the spirit of wisdom and revelation.

I want this nebulous kind of spirit thing. That comes in. I have wisdom and revelation. Is that what it says? No. See we stopped short in the sentence. But somebody could take that. And manipulate it. Just like that. And you think. There's something there. That I don't have. That I need. But it is. Let's see where we get it. He says. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The glorious Father. May give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation. So that you may know him better. That's the first thing that's needed. In the life of a Christian. It's not to know all the rituals of the church. It's not to know all the fundamentals. Do we stand here? Do we sit here? Do we pray with our eyes closed? Do we get to kneel? Can we raise our hands?

It's to get to know him better. All the other stuff doesn't make any difference. It's getting to know him. That makes all the difference in the world. Warren Wiersbe has written. That concerning the knowledge of Christ. To know him personally is salvation. To know him increasingly is sanctification. To know him perfectly is glorification. You see salvation is nothing other.

And nothing less than. Coming to know the person Jesus Christ. If you've never been introduced to. Or don't feel that you know the person Jesus. Then there's a chance that you've just responded. To some kind of something. That was generated at some church service. Or something somewhere. And they asked you to come forward. And you did. Because you felt like that's what you were supposed to do.

But you didn't realize. That you were being introduced to a person. To Jesus Christ. He is the son of God. He is a person. He's a personality. But he was manifest in the flesh. He's God in the flesh. And to come to understand. And to come to understand that. To come to surrender your heart to him. Is salvation. To know him personally. Is salvation. Wiersbe says.

To know him increasingly. Is sanctification. The word sanctify. Means to be set apart unto. The minute you came to know Jesus. As who he is. And introduced to him as the person. Of the Godhead. The son of God. You were set aside by God. Unto him. You've been set aside. Sanctified by God. Unto him. You are his possession. And you've been set aside now. For a special work of God.

Through you. That's sanctification. But we are also called. To sanctify ourselves. We are to sanctify our own bodies. Paul tells the Thessalonians. Unto Christ. That we no longer use them. As tools of immorality. That comes. As you get to know him better. It's not just from a list of rules. That you gotta follow. And check off. As you go down through the day.

It's getting to know him. The more you know him. The more you know his likes. And his dislikes. And you do them. You'll get to know him. The more you know him. The more you know his likes. And his dislikes. And you do them. You follow him. And you are set aside. Unto him. Husbands. How many of you know. That your wife. Really wanted to watch. The final four.

This week. Probably very few did. Some probably did. But for the most part. Most of the wives. Probably go. Final four. What? And you knew that. Right husbands? How did you know that? Because you know them. I mean. You just know. You've been through. The basketball thing. Before with them. And you know them. You've been through. The basketball thing. Before with them.

And you know them. You just know. They don't like basketball. Because. You know them. Wives. How many of your husbands. Just can't wait. To go to the mall. With you. And you laugh. Why do you laugh? Because you know them. You know. When you say. Can I have the checkbook? They go. Why? Where are you going? I don't want to go. But where are you going? You know that.

Because you know them. Same is true. Of the Lord. You grow. In sanctification. As you grow. In your knowledge. Of him. So. You grow. In your knowledge. Of him. And ultimately. See. What ultimately. We're waiting for. Is to see him. Face to face. To know him. Perfectly. Paul said. In 1 Corinthians 13. When we see him. Face to face. We'll know. Even also. As we are known.

And that's glorification. That's. When we'll be like him. For we'll see him. As he is. But that's knowing. It's all based on relationship. It's all based on. Getting to know him more. Not church fundamentals. Him. Better. Are you? Are you growing in that? Secondly. He says. Verse 18. I also pray. That the eyes of your heart. May be enlightened. In order. That you may know.

The hope. To which. He has called you. The riches. Of his glorious. Inheritance. In the saints. Do you know that. As a Christian. This morning. Can you tell me. That you know. The glorious. Hope. To which. You have been called. Or did you just. Join a church. Boundary. Between us. But we'll see him. Face to face. We'll see the riches. Of his glory. Sin will be.

No more. No more thorns. No more dandelions. I can't. Wait. Do you know. That hope. Paul prayed. That we know it. And how do you know it. You get to know him more. You get to know him. Through his word. Through that time. With him. Through that time. With others. That know him. Already. And you glean. From them. The experiences. You may know him better. And know the.

Hope. That he's called you to. The inheritance. And his saints. But also. Verse 19. His incomparably. Great. Power. For us. Who. Believe. Paul wants us to know that power. James is telling us about that power. Now you'll read through that text. In chapter 4. And you'll. Not find. Not find the word power anywhere. But what he's implying. Is that we rely on the power of God.

To do. What he's telling us. In chapter 4. Well here. Paul's telling us. I want you to know him. Increasingly. And I want you to know. The power. That's available to you. What's that like. Paul. What is that power. Here he goes. That power. Verse 19. Is like the working. Of his mighty strength. Which he exerted. In Christ. When he raised him. From the dead.

And seated him. At his right hand. In the heavenly realms. Far above all rule. And authority. Paul's cranked up. Now he's going. And power. And dominion. And every title. That can be given. Not only in the present age. But in the one to come. He's preaching now. And with a pencil. His body. The fullness of him. Who. Fills everything. In every way. Amen. I mean.

Paul's just gone on. He's talked about. The power of God. That raised Christ. From the dead. Not only raised him. From the dead. But seated him. In the heavenly places. As he promised. That put him in authority. Over everything. That is. Was. Or will be. And he goes on. In Philippians. To say. That at that glorious name. Everything's going to bow. And affirm that.

To the glory of God. The power. Of the dead. It's resurrection power. And we celebrate that. Today. As we celebrate. The resurrection. Of our Lord. He has given us. Resurrection power. Okay. Now the question. Great. We have. You as a believer. In Jesus Christ. No matter how old. How young. How long you've walked. With the Lord. No matter what your. Your physical stature.

No matter what your status. In society. Have. The power. Of the resurrection. Wow. To do what? To do. You know. The power. Of the resurrection. You go. Great. I've got the power. Of the resurrection. What do I do with it? You know. Where. Where is it? How do I. Kind of like. Star Trek is back. You know. And I always get a kick out of. Luke. When he finds his wand.

You know. Oh. Sorry Yoda. You know. It's like giving a. Giving. Giving a believer. A three inch fire hose. You know. By himself. I've got the power. Of God. For what? It's about the power of God. And that's what. Oh boy. Pentecostal. You know. He cares about. Healing. The power of God. No. The power. Like the working. Of his mighty strength. Which he exerted.

In Christ. When he raised him. From the dead. When. Was. The power. Of God. Revealed. To Jesus. In Jesus. Only. At the resurrection. No. That's the climax. Of it. But the power. Of God. Revealed. When he was. Here. In this life. He walked. As fully. Man. As well. Drawing. On the same. Sources. We have. To draw. From. The power. Of the Holy Spirit. Resident.

Within us. Who has. The resurrection. Power. Now. Jesus. Hadn't. Gone. To the cross. Yet. When I'm. Talking. About. What. He's. Given. To us. That's. How. We. Use. What. Do. You. Mean. To. Do. His. Will. I. Mean. Just. That. To. Do. His. Will. Let's. Go. Pre-cross. Seminy. Tells. His. Disciples. Sit. Where. Here. While. I. Go. Over. There. And. Pray. You. Know.

The. Story. He. Took. Peter. And. Two. Sons. Of. Zebedee. James. And. John. You. Guys. Keep. Watch. With. Me. For. One. Hour. And. He. Asked. Peter. Watch. And. Pray. So. That. You. Will. Not. Fall. Into. Temptation. The. Spirit's. Willing. The. Body. Of. Jesus. Prayed. Light. Himself. Before. The. Father. If. There's. Any. Other. Way. That. Salvation. Can.

Be. Effected. If. There's. Any. Other. Way. Other. Than. The. Cross. Then. Your. What's. Ahead. Your. Will. Be. Done. That's. The. Power. Of. The. Resurrection. And. See. It. Was. Ultimately. Manifested. In. The. Fact. That. God. Raised. Him. From. The. Dead. Because. The. Cross. And. That's. Great. Jesus. Told. Us. Every. Day. Deny. Yourself. And. Take. Up.

Your. Cross. Daily. And. Follow. Me. Now. You. May. Not. Like. Yours. Jesus. Didn't. Like. He. Did. With. His. Son. And. He. Says. To. You. Just. Like. He. Did. To. The. Son. Trust. Me. Trust. Me. Lord. If. There's. No. Other. Way. I. Have. You. As. A. Christian. Have. That. The. World. Doesn't. Have. That. Available. You. Have. Resurrection. Power. To. Do.

His. Will. You. Have. To. Be. Willing. You. Have. To. Be. Rely. On. The. Power. That's. Given. To. You. As. A. Result. Of. The. Resurrection. Paul. Wants. Us. To. Know. That. I. Want. Us. To. Know. That. This. Morning. Is. A. Joy. On. The. Other. Side. Of. The. Cross. Trust. In. The. Power. Of. God. To. Bring. Him. Through. The. Cross. Don't. Fix. Your. Eyes.

On. Your. Cross. It. Will. It. Will. Someday. Be. A. Memory. That. Fades. Instead. Of. The. Crisis. That. Appears. To. You. Right. Now. And. All. God. Is. Saying. Is. Trust. Me. Trust. Me. Is. Not. Going. To. Do. We. Can. Be. Disobedient. To. His. Will. Or. We. Can. Willingly. Seek. To. Obey. One. Of. Three. You. Do. Every. Day. And. I. Think. That. Is. A. Church.

It's. A. Church. Acting. Like. What. God. Intended. It. To. Be. Relying. On. His. Power. Trusting. In. His. Will. By. Faith. That. Turned. The. Person. Of. Jesus. Christ. May. That. Happen. Right. Now. We. Ask. That. You. Come. Into. Our. Hearts. We. Ask. That. Based. On. The. Shed. Blood. Of. Jesus. On. The. Cross. The. Work. Of. The. Cross. And. To. Get. Our.

Eyes. Focused. On. The. Things. Of. The. World. On. Our. Own. Ability. On. Our. Own. Desire. And. So. It. Seems. Overwhelming. And. They. Are. In. And. Of. Our. Strength. We're. Unable. To. Take. Care. Of. But. As. Believers. In. Jesus. Christ. As. Those. Who. Have. Trusted. By. Him. In. Jesus. Name. God. Is. Good. And. All. The. Time. God. Is. Good. And. All.

The. Time. God. Is. Good. And. All. The. Time. Everything. Everything. We. Need. Time. Just. How. Much. You. Love. Me. Just. How. Much. You. Love. Me. All. My. Life. Change. Till the. Heaven. You. Sky. Lay. Much. You. Love. Me. Just. How. Much.