WEBVTT NOTE Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver Episode: Invisible-Life Publishing Date: 2020-04-12T06:00:44-07:00 Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/invisible-life/ 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:09.000 The topic today is invisible life, invisible life. That's a topic, invisible life. 00:00:09.000 --> 00:00:20.000 So if you want to turn to Colossians chapter 3, Rain was reading it yesterday. Colossians 3. 00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:22.000 Yeah. 00:00:29.000 --> 00:00:34.000 I think guys, Aaron's been offended by the fact that Colorado would have missed the playoffs. 00:00:34.000 --> 00:00:36.000 So he's making comments. 00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:42.000 Okay. So if you can turn to Colossians 3. 00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:45.000 1-3. Colossians 3, 1-3. 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:55.000 Colossians 3, 1-3. We're talking about this life called the invisible life. 00:00:55.000 --> 00:01:02.000 And resurrection life is invisible and must be made visible by a people who have that life. 00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:07.000 And so just look at Colossians 3, verse 1-3. 00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:14.000 And it says that, Since then you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, 00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:18.000 where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:22.000 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:27.000 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 00:01:27.000 --> 00:01:32.000 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with him in glory. 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:33.000 Let me read that again. 00:01:33.000 --> 00:01:38.000 Since then you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, 00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:40.000 where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 00:01:40.000 --> 00:01:44.000 Set your minds on the things above, not on earthly things. 00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:49.000 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 00:01:49.000 --> 00:01:54.000 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with him in glory. 00:01:54.000 --> 00:02:00.000 So resurrection life is an invisible life and must be made visible. 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:09.000 But I just want to list and look at maybe five aspects of this life called resurrection life. 00:02:09.000 --> 00:02:13.000 That will kind of give us an idea of how to go about it. 00:02:13.000 --> 00:02:20.000 So if I looked at those five aspects, the first one would be resurrection basics. 00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:23.000 Resurrection basics. 00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:39.000 The next one would be that we have a resurrection God or a God of resurrection. 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:50.000 The third one would be resurrection hope, because this life is a life that's full of hope. 00:02:50.000 --> 00:02:58.000 The fourth one would be what this resurrection life actually entails. 00:02:58.000 --> 00:03:00.000 What's it like? What does it feel like? 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:08.000 And the last one would be, for now, would be resurrection faith. 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:11.000 How do we live this life? 00:03:11.000 --> 00:03:15.000 So these are the five things that I would like to examine. 00:03:15.000 --> 00:03:20.000 So let's start with the first one, resurrection basics. 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:22.000 Resurrection basics. 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:29.000 If you have questions, guys, feel free to send it to one of the guys here and they'll read it out. 00:03:29.000 --> 00:03:31.000 Resurrection basics. 00:03:31.000 --> 00:03:41.000 Guys, we've got to understand this, and I think Danu was referring to this on a small video that he put together for Bahrain. 00:03:41.000 --> 00:03:47.000 But when you think of Jesus' death, you need to understand, 00:03:47.000 --> 00:03:51.000 Hey guys, make sure I'm not going out of the frame sometimes when I keep walking. 00:03:51.000 --> 00:03:58.000 Yeah. Jesus' death was not proof enough that the sins of the world were taken away. 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:05.000 Jesus' death was not proof enough that the sins of the world were taken away. 00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:10.000 I could die for you. I mean, not all of you. I could die for at least two of you. 00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:14.000 But here's the thing. Just because I die for you doesn't mean your sins are taken away. 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:20.000 Jesus' death was not proof enough that the sins of the world were taken away. 00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:27.000 If the sin bearer was actually sinless, then resurrection would prove it. 00:04:27.000 --> 00:04:32.000 Because only a sinless man could rise from the dead after dying for others. 00:04:32.000 --> 00:04:34.000 Just think of that. 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:41.000 That had Jesus come down to the earth and died, that would have not necessarily made sense. 00:04:41.000 --> 00:04:46.000 He had to rise again because it's in his rising again. 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:52.000 It is in his resurrection that we now know that here was a man who was sinless, 00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:55.000 who actually bore the sins of the world. 00:04:55.000 --> 00:04:59.000 And the only way he could rise again was if he was sinless. 00:04:59.000 --> 00:05:02.000 And therefore now we know that our sins are taken care of. 00:05:02.000 --> 00:05:06.000 Otherwise, it isn't true. 00:05:07.000 --> 00:05:11.000 And so two factors determined Christ's resurrection. 00:05:11.000 --> 00:05:17.000 Two factors determined Christ's resurrection. 00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:27.000 The first factor was in Acts chapter 2, verse 24, 00:05:27.000 --> 00:05:32.000 and it says that it was impossible for death to hold him. 00:05:33.000 --> 00:05:38.000 It was impossible for death to hold him. 00:05:43.000 --> 00:05:45.000 It was impossible for death to hold him. 00:05:45.000 --> 00:05:47.000 Acts chapter 2, verse 24. 00:05:47.000 --> 00:05:49.000 Why was it impossible for death to hold him? 00:05:49.000 --> 00:05:52.000 Because you can only pay the wages of... 00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:58.000 You can only pay death to someone who has committed sin because the wages of sin is death. 00:05:58.000 --> 00:06:02.000 Therefore, it was impossible for death to hold Jesus Christ down 00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:07.000 because he could not be paid the wages of sin because he had never sinned. 00:06:07.000 --> 00:06:11.000 So that's the first factor that determined Christ's resurrection, 00:06:11.000 --> 00:06:13.000 that it was impossible for death to hold him. 00:06:13.000 --> 00:06:17.000 The second factor that determined his resurrection was that 00:06:17.000 --> 00:06:29.000 it was the Holy Spirit who raised Christ, 00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:35.000 who raised Jesus to life. 00:06:35.000 --> 00:06:38.000 It was the Holy Spirit who raised Jesus to life. 00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:40.000 On one hand, death could not hold him. 00:06:40.000 --> 00:06:43.000 On the other hand, it was the Spirit of God who raised Christ to life. 00:06:43.000 --> 00:06:48.000 Go read Romans 8, verse 11. 00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:49.000 Romans 8, 11. 00:06:49.000 --> 00:06:52.000 It says there in Romans 8, 11, 00:07:04.000 --> 00:07:08.000 And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, 00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:12.000 He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies 00:07:12.000 --> 00:07:14.000 through His Spirit who lives in you. 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:19.000 Or look at Ephesians 1, 19, which we just read. 00:07:19.000 --> 00:07:22.000 Ephesians 1, 19. 00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:24.000 It says in Ephesians 1, 19... 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:28.000 No, it's not 1, 19. Yeah, it is. Ephesians 1, 19. 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:31.000 The incomparably great power for us to believe, 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:34.000 the power is like the working of His mighty strength, 00:07:34.000 --> 00:07:37.000 which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead. 00:07:37.000 --> 00:07:42.000 These are the two things that caused Christ to rise from the dead. 00:07:42.000 --> 00:07:49.000 And now this then translates or outworks in our life. 00:07:53.000 --> 00:07:55.000 That's how it works. Any questions? 00:07:55.000 --> 00:07:58.000 Oh, actually, before you ask questions, just look at one more thing. 00:07:58.000 --> 00:08:00.000 This is quite crazy. 00:08:01.000 --> 00:08:05.000 You know, all of us, because we are born in sin 00:08:05.000 --> 00:08:09.000 and we have the penalty of death over us right from when we are born, 00:08:09.000 --> 00:08:18.000 we all are wound in a mother whose name is wages of sin is death. 00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:28.000 That's the name of the mother who carries us in her womb. 00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:32.000 And so we are born with the sentence of death over us. 00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:38.000 When Christ died, what happened was this womb was broken open. 00:08:41.000 --> 00:08:48.000 But it's when Christ rose from the dead that the stillborn that now was freed from death 00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:52.000 had life come into Him and He now becomes alive. 00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:56.000 Christ's death alone does not make me alive. 00:08:56.000 --> 00:08:58.000 Christ's death delivers me from death. 00:08:58.000 --> 00:09:01.000 Christ's life raises me to life. 00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:08.000 Christ's death is not what gives me life. 00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:12.000 Christ's death breaks me from the tomb of death. 00:09:12.000 --> 00:09:15.000 Christ's life, His being raised, 00:09:15.000 --> 00:09:18.000 He is not the one who is going to raise me from death. 00:09:18.000 --> 00:09:24.000 Christ's life, His being raised is what injects life into me. 00:09:26.000 --> 00:09:28.000 Any questions? 00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:38.000 Those are resurrection basics, eh? 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:42.000 Now let's talk about the resurrection. 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:47.000 Let's talk about Him being a God of resurrection or a resurrection God. 00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:52.000 You know, it's become a habit with Him. 00:09:52.000 --> 00:09:55.000 Resurrection is the pattern of your God. 00:09:55.000 --> 00:09:57.000 Resurrection is the pattern of your God. 00:09:57.000 --> 00:09:59.000 You must embrace this. 00:09:59.000 --> 00:10:02.000 There are certain things that are so definitive about your God 00:10:02.000 --> 00:10:06.000 that the more you embrace it, the more you will enjoy this character of His. 00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:09.000 Resurrection is a pattern of your God. 00:10:09.000 --> 00:10:13.000 You see it in Eden. 00:10:13.000 --> 00:10:16.000 In the book of Genesis, you also see it in the book of Genesis. 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:19.000 In the book of Genesis, you also see it in Revelation. 00:10:19.000 --> 00:10:23.000 Right through from the beginning to the end, resurrection is a pattern of God. 00:10:23.000 --> 00:10:29.000 So in Eden, you see Him resurrecting lives that were pronounced dead. 00:10:29.000 --> 00:10:32.000 Adam and Eve, dying you will die. 00:10:32.000 --> 00:10:36.000 And instead, God steps in and begins to bring them back to life. 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:38.000 You go further and you see Abraham. 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:44.000 In Romans 4, verse 19, it says Abraham considered his condition 00:10:44.000 --> 00:10:47.000 and considered himself as good as dead. 00:10:47.000 --> 00:10:50.000 And out of that death, God brings life. 00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:54.000 You go down a little further and you come to Isaac. 00:10:54.000 --> 00:10:58.000 It says of Isaac in Hebrews 11, verse 19, 00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:01.000 that Abraham looked at Isaac on the altar 00:11:01.000 --> 00:11:05.000 and he realized that Isaac was as good as dead. 00:11:05.000 --> 00:11:08.000 And to get him back would be God bringing him back to life. 00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:13.000 You look at Jonah in Matthew 12, 40, words that Jesus Himself spoke. 00:11:13.000 --> 00:11:16.000 And He says, the only sign I will give you is the sign of Jonah, 00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:20.000 where for three days and three nights, he will be in the belly of the fish, 00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:22.000 but he shall rise. 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:24.000 And He was talking about Himself. 00:11:24.000 --> 00:11:27.000 You look at the river of God in Ezekiel 47, verse 9. 00:11:27.000 --> 00:11:30.000 You're talking about swamps and marshes that are dead. 00:11:30.000 --> 00:11:34.000 And the river of God that flows from under the temple of God begins to give life. 00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:39.000 You look at the two witnesses, which symbolize the church in Revelation 11, 11. 00:11:39.000 --> 00:11:43.000 And the whole earth clapped its hands as it saw the two witnesses dead. 00:11:43.000 --> 00:11:45.000 And then the breath of God came in. 00:11:45.000 --> 00:11:50.000 And these that had laid dead for three and a half days come back to life. 00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:54.000 The point is, this God is a God of resurrection. 00:11:54.000 --> 00:11:57.000 He brings life into decay. 00:11:57.000 --> 00:11:59.000 He brings life into barrenness. 00:11:59.000 --> 00:12:02.000 He brings life into dry bones. 00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:04.000 He brings life into tombs. 00:12:04.000 --> 00:12:06.000 He brings life where there is death. 00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:07.000 Remember that song? 00:12:07.000 --> 00:12:13.000 Where there was death, you brought life, Lord, and you lifted me up. 00:12:13.000 --> 00:12:17.000 Embrace this nature of God, 00:12:17.000 --> 00:12:22.000 and you will find that a whole lot of situations will begin to change 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:27.000 because it is natural for you to see the pattern of God and things that are decaying, 00:12:27.000 --> 00:12:31.000 things that are barren, things that are dry, things that are tombed, things that are dead. 00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:36.000 I almost think that there are times when I begin to relish the fact that something is dead 00:12:36.000 --> 00:12:42.000 because I know that this creates now an opportunity for me to join God in making history. 00:12:42.000 --> 00:12:44.000 That's the thing, eh? 00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:49.000 If you don't begin to see God as one who has a pattern of resurrecting, 00:12:49.000 --> 00:12:55.000 then you will not be able to join him as he goes about in history, 00:12:55.000 --> 00:12:58.000 bringing back to life the things that are dead. 00:12:58.000 --> 00:12:59.000 This is decay. 00:12:59.000 --> 00:13:01.000 This is death. 00:13:01.000 --> 00:13:04.000 And in the middle of it is a God who resurrects. 00:13:04.000 --> 00:13:06.000 Jeremiah 29, verse 11. 00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:08.000 The plans I have for you are good. 00:13:08.000 --> 00:13:11.000 Was spoken during a time of great calamity. 00:13:11.000 --> 00:13:13.000 We just take Jeremiah 29, 11. 00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:15.000 You read the passages above and the passages below, 00:13:15.000 --> 00:13:19.000 and you realize that God is speaking in a time of tragic tragedy. 00:13:19.000 --> 00:13:22.000 God has spoken to you in a time of great calamity. 00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:25.000 You read the passages above and the passages below, 00:13:25.000 --> 00:13:29.000 and you realize that God is speaking in a time of tragic calamity. 00:13:29.000 --> 00:13:31.000 That's when he begins to speak. 00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:33.000 What do you think he's doing now? 00:13:33.000 --> 00:13:35.000 This is a God who rubs his hands in glee. 00:13:35.000 --> 00:13:40.000 This is the spirit of God who enjoys stepping into chaos. 00:13:44.000 --> 00:13:46.000 You know some people, right? 00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:50.000 If they know you're hungry, there'll be soup and food at your door. 00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:54.000 Doesn't happen to me, but it happens to some people. 00:13:56.000 --> 00:14:00.000 Or if they know you don't have money, they supply you money. 00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:03.000 Or if they know you need comfort, they're there with comfort. 00:14:03.000 --> 00:14:05.000 And you begin to expect that of people. 00:14:05.000 --> 00:14:08.000 This must be something you expect of God at a time like this. 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:10.000 This is a resurrection God. 00:14:10.000 --> 00:14:12.000 This is a resurrection God. 00:14:12.000 --> 00:14:18.000 And there is no time like this time when the earth needs a pattern to now break forth. 00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:20.000 And it breaks forth through a people, eh? 00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:23.000 Because the spirit of God now operates through a people. 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:28.000 The second thing is, or the third thing, is this idea of resurrection hope. 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:30.000 Resurrection hope. 00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:35.000 Hey, if there's anyone watching who doesn't know Jesus Christ, eh? 00:14:35.000 --> 00:14:45.000 Then I'm saying to you, man, it's such a bad idea to keep postponing, welcoming this person who is alive and who gives life. 00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:47.000 Yeah? 00:14:49.000 --> 00:14:51.000 Just begin the journey today. 00:14:52.000 --> 00:14:54.000 Begin the journey today. 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:57.000 I'm not going to lead you in a prayer of salvation. 00:14:57.000 --> 00:15:01.000 I'm just going to ask you to start this journey with Christ today, saying, 00:15:01.000 --> 00:15:10.000 I'm hearing and I know that you are real, so please let today be the beginning of me knowing you and walking with you. 00:15:12.000 --> 00:15:15.000 I hope that happens for you, man, if you don't know this Christ. 00:15:16.000 --> 00:15:19.000 The third thing is resurrection hope. 00:15:21.000 --> 00:15:25.000 I've said this before and I'll say it again, if the risen Christ is in you, 00:15:25.000 --> 00:15:28.000 if the risen Christ is in you, 00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:35.000 if this risen Christ that we are talking about, that we sang about, if the risen Christ is in you 00:15:35.000 --> 00:15:40.000 then in all things, good and bad, then in all times, good and bad, 00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:42.000 then in all circumstances, good and bad, 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:48.540 and bad. If this risen Christ is in you, then in all things and at all times, good 00:15:48.540 --> 00:15:55.160 or bad, you must have, you must have an expectation. You must have an expectation 00:15:55.160 --> 00:15:59.200 of His presence, His goodness, His power and laughter. So here's a question I'm 00:15:59.200 --> 00:16:09.920 asking you. If this Christ, if this risen Christ is in you, then in all things you 00:16:09.920 --> 00:16:26.000 must have, it's not even a choice, you must have an expectation of His goodness, 00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:42.800 His presence, His power and His laughter. Just look at that eh? Hey think of it, at 00:16:42.800 --> 00:16:48.120 present you are locked in with the healthiest person on the universe, Jesus 00:16:48.120 --> 00:16:55.000 Christ. You are quarantined with the healthiest person in the universe, Jesus 00:16:55.000 --> 00:16:58.320 Christ. What do you think is going to happen to you? You're going to come out really 00:16:58.320 --> 00:17:05.640 whole. In the process what you need to develop is an expectation that it 00:17:05.640 --> 00:17:09.400 doesn't matter how things are, this risen Christ living in me means that 00:17:09.400 --> 00:17:14.400 every day in every situation I have an expectation of His goodness, I have an 00:17:14.400 --> 00:17:17.840 expectation of His presence, I have an expectation of His power and I have an 00:17:17.840 --> 00:17:27.920 expectation of His laughter. Don't know if you think like that. This morning when 00:17:27.920 --> 00:17:33.720 something was going wrong before I came here I quickly flipped to this eh? It was 00:17:33.720 --> 00:17:38.560 like father but then there is your son Jesus Christ and even though this 00:17:38.560 --> 00:17:42.080 situation is happening and it's not pleasant and it's happened before and I'm 00:17:42.080 --> 00:17:48.360 a little scared of it. Now oh God I switch to this thing where if Christ, if 00:17:48.360 --> 00:17:54.440 the risen Christ lives in me then Jacob will always in good times and in bad 00:17:54.440 --> 00:18:00.880 times have an expectation, a confident expectation, an assurance of your 00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:10.120 goodness to break forth, your presence to be very evident, your power to be strong 00:18:10.160 --> 00:18:20.440 and your laughter, your laughter and this is brought to me by the Spirit but 00:18:20.440 --> 00:18:33.280 this is the way we need to think eh? Go ahead Derek. Yeah how do we walk in this 00:18:33.280 --> 00:18:43.520 expectation without being insensitive to the fear and the grief of others? Yeah 00:18:43.520 --> 00:18:54.840 the way you walk with this expectation is by having it, let me put it this way, 00:18:54.840 --> 00:19:01.200 how I express this depends on the conditions around me but I always carry 00:19:01.320 --> 00:19:05.600 it within me. I'll always carry it within me when I go to pray for a sick person 00:19:05.600 --> 00:19:10.440 my expectation is that the power, the compassion, the goodness, the laughter and 00:19:10.440 --> 00:19:15.920 the presence of God will affect the sick person. When I go to pray for a dead 00:19:15.920 --> 00:19:20.280 person I really mean this, when I go to pray for a dead person my expectation is 00:19:20.280 --> 00:19:24.680 that the presence of power, the laughter and the goodness of God will affect the 00:19:24.680 --> 00:19:28.520 dead person. The few times that I've gone to pray for the dead people 00:19:28.720 --> 00:19:32.240 that has been my expectation. This doesn't mean that I start singing songs 00:19:32.240 --> 00:19:36.320 of joy and hallelujah while I'm praying for a person that is sick or for a 00:19:36.320 --> 00:19:40.720 person who's hurt or for a person who's dead but within me is this expectation. 00:19:40.720 --> 00:19:46.680 This is the expectation that Christ had when he went and met Mary and Martha in 00:19:46.680 --> 00:19:51.240 John chapter 11 because he knows the nature of his father, the nature of his 00:19:51.240 --> 00:19:56.600 father is that of a resurrection God and so he goes to the tomb and within him is 00:19:56.600 --> 00:20:01.560 this expectation that my father is a resurrection God and then he also knows 00:20:01.560 --> 00:20:07.760 that within him now is the power, the goodness, the presence and the laughter 00:20:07.760 --> 00:20:12.000 of God. He does not necessarily burst out in laughter he actually begins to weep. 00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:17.000 He also feels indignant at times other times he weeps but within him the 00:20:17.000 --> 00:20:23.120 expectation is solid. It is fascinating how the idea of intercession which we 00:20:23.120 --> 00:20:27.160 would have talked about on Friday had we gone into explaining what priests 00:20:27.160 --> 00:20:32.080 look like. The idea of intercession is empathizing with those that you pray for 00:20:32.080 --> 00:20:37.760 while identifying with God's intent for them. Intercession is empathizing with 00:20:37.760 --> 00:20:42.120 those that you pray for while identifying with the intent of God for 00:20:42.120 --> 00:20:47.600 them. Where intercession goes wrong here on earth is we begin to empathize with 00:20:47.600 --> 00:20:53.080 people and their desires for themselves or we empathize with people based on 00:20:53.080 --> 00:21:02.560 their condition. Jesus actually at times would choose not to empathize because he 00:21:02.560 --> 00:21:06.520 knew that that empathizing would lead him to betray the intent of his father. 00:21:06.520 --> 00:21:11.040 Classic example is when Jairus's daughter is dead and people have 00:21:11.040 --> 00:21:14.880 surrounded her and all these stories are resurrection stories. Jairus's daughter 00:21:14.880 --> 00:21:18.960 is dead people have surrounded him and he should have empathized. He should have 00:21:18.960 --> 00:21:23.520 mourned with the mourners instead he realizes that to bring forth what his 00:21:23.520 --> 00:21:29.280 father wants in terms of his father being a resurrection God he 00:21:29.280 --> 00:21:34.520 drives the mourners out and then goes and says this is the intent of God. Now 00:21:34.520 --> 00:21:40.600 that's how we work this out. So thanks for that question. Guys there's another 00:21:40.600 --> 00:21:47.520 beautiful scripture in 1st Peter 1 3 to 7. 1st Peter 1 3 to 7. 1st Peter 1 00:21:47.520 --> 00:21:55.320 3 to 7. 1st Peter 1 3 to 7. Here's what it says. 00:21:59.440 --> 00:22:06.800 It says praise be to God and the father of our Lord Jesus Christ in his great 00:22:06.800 --> 00:22:12.600 mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope which is a song we sang 00:22:12.600 --> 00:22:17.160 through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an 00:22:17.160 --> 00:22:22.000 inheritance that can never perish spoil of faith kept in heaven for you who 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:28.080 through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation 00:22:28.080 --> 00:22:32.840 that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice though 00:22:32.840 --> 00:22:36.480 now for a little while you may have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 00:22:36.480 --> 00:22:42.160 These have come so that your faith of greater worth than gold which perishes 00:22:42.160 --> 00:22:46.600 even though refined by fire may be proved genuine and may result in praise 00:22:46.600 --> 00:22:52.520 and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Resurrection hope does three 00:22:52.520 --> 00:23:01.520 things based on that scripture. It shields you. Resurrection hope shields 00:23:01.520 --> 00:23:14.680 you. It endures trials. It endures trials and proves the genuineness of your faith 00:23:14.680 --> 00:23:25.640 proves how genuine your faith is. How can you say that from that scripture because 00:23:25.640 --> 00:23:31.500 it says so. Listen praise God that now we have this living hope that comes 00:23:31.500 --> 00:23:35.420 because of the resurrection of Christ and it does a few things. One it 00:23:35.420 --> 00:23:42.420 shields you. It protects you. It keeps you but that isn't where it stops. It 00:23:42.420 --> 00:23:49.220 helps you endure trials. When trials come because you have living hope you don't 00:23:49.220 --> 00:23:53.500 then begin to spite God. You don't thumb your nose at God. You don't say God does 00:23:53.500 --> 00:23:57.940 not exist. You don't look at him and cloud his face with your thoughts. 00:23:58.060 --> 00:24:03.760 Instead you begin to endure trials because you know that here is a God who 00:24:03.760 --> 00:24:09.260 has brought you resurrection hope and then finally it proves genuine faith as 00:24:09.260 --> 00:24:15.700 in faith only exists because there is assured hope. Faith would not exist if 00:24:15.700 --> 00:24:25.460 there is no hope. Just think of that eh. If you did not have a assured hope you 00:24:25.460 --> 00:24:32.980 would not have faith. As a resurrection hope does this for you. It shields you 00:24:32.980 --> 00:24:38.700 as it protects you. It has you endure trials because you know that it's only a 00:24:38.700 --> 00:24:42.580 matter of time before things break forth and as you endure trials it proves 00:24:42.580 --> 00:24:45.980 genuine faith because if there is no trial there is no proving of genuine 00:24:45.980 --> 00:24:57.060 faith. It's a muscle. You don't exert it. It doesn't grow. Any questions? 00:25:05.860 --> 00:25:15.100 Yes. You know the Bible says that one of the ways we purify ourselves it's in one 00:25:15.100 --> 00:25:19.020 of the last books of the Bible in the New Testament. It says one of the ways 00:25:19.020 --> 00:25:26.860 we purify ourselves is by embracing the hope that Christ will return to take us 00:25:26.860 --> 00:25:34.620 to be with him and so there's two things I want to say about living with the hope 00:25:34.620 --> 00:25:42.700 of being with Christ or living with the hope of Christ return. One that God didn't 00:25:42.700 --> 00:25:49.500 want us to live in that hope in a way that makes us desire us to escape the 00:25:49.500 --> 00:25:55.220 earth. That is what a lot of Christians in the past and even the present do eh. 00:25:55.220 --> 00:25:59.980 We're always talking about Christ coming back so that we can escape out of this 00:25:59.980 --> 00:26:05.020 earth so that we can leave the other wicked people behind. Hey just couple of 00:26:05.020 --> 00:26:09.860 years ago or 30 years ago or five years ago you were one of those wicked people. 00:26:09.900 --> 00:26:17.300 Thank God it didn't happen then eh. It's odd how the righteous forget how wicked 00:26:17.300 --> 00:26:27.200 they were. So on one hand that's the extreme we take where this living hope 00:26:27.200 --> 00:26:30.100 becomes so consuming that we want to leave the earth so that we can be with 00:26:30.100 --> 00:26:35.420 him but I would say when it comes to this living hope say what Paul said to 00:26:35.420 --> 00:26:41.540 be present with you is profitable to be absent with you is to be with the Lord. I 00:26:41.540 --> 00:26:46.060 want to develop that part eh right now I'm really enjoying the earth I like 00:26:46.060 --> 00:26:51.340 being on the earth I like what God is doing on the earth. I'm in no hurry to 00:26:51.340 --> 00:26:55.380 leave the earth but I also know the Bible says that I purify myself by this 00:26:55.380 --> 00:26:59.020 hope that God is coming that this world will be changed. I look forward to the 00:26:59.020 --> 00:27:02.580 earth being changed I look forward to the newness of the earth I look forward 00:27:02.580 --> 00:27:07.020 to things being restored I look forward to no tears no fears for things to be 00:27:07.020 --> 00:27:12.700 made new yes I look forward to that but I wish I would develop this hope of 00:27:12.700 --> 00:27:18.860 being with him to a greater degree because it actually purifies you eh. You 00:27:18.860 --> 00:27:28.420 know I was reading just recently that if you had to wait to meet if Christ was 00:27:28.420 --> 00:27:33.020 here in flesh like if he hadn't left the earth if he was here in flesh and 00:27:33.020 --> 00:27:37.980 you were a believer and you wanted an audience with him it would take you 25 00:27:37.980 --> 00:27:44.060 years before you got three minutes with him. Can you believe that there are so 00:27:44.060 --> 00:27:48.880 many people on the earth that if he were to meet with each person it would take 00:27:48.880 --> 00:27:52.700 you 25 years before you got three minutes with him. Now don't start sitting 00:27:52.700 --> 00:27:56.500 and calculating whether that's true if it's not I'll let you know next week but 00:27:56.500 --> 00:28:01.780 the point is thank God he is spirit eh and that he is with me that he never 00:28:01.780 --> 00:28:10.980 goes home that he can't say you can't come home today. Does that kind of answer 00:28:10.980 --> 00:28:19.220 the question? I hope so because I don't think it fully answers the question. Yeah 00:28:19.300 --> 00:28:26.900 Yeah okay what does it mean to have the expectation of his presence his 00:28:26.900 --> 00:28:31.300 goodness his power and his laughter. Guys those four things when you put them 00:28:31.300 --> 00:28:39.260 together it it symbolizes the glory of God. The glory of God is joyous. The glory 00:28:39.260 --> 00:28:45.000 of God is joyous. One of the ways we express joy is through laughter. I want 00:28:45.000 --> 00:28:48.660 to bring in the deliberate concept of laughter because Christians don't equate 00:28:48.660 --> 00:28:52.980 laughter with God but I'm telling you man one of the things that you will see 00:28:52.980 --> 00:28:57.620 when you actually see him face to face is he is highly enjoyable. He is joyous 00:28:57.620 --> 00:29:03.180 and he laughs. Haven't you met people who are joyful who crack really good jokes 00:29:03.180 --> 00:29:09.820 and laugh? Where do you think it came from? Came from anything good here on 00:29:09.820 --> 00:29:15.860 earth that is enjoyable came from a father who invented it and so instead of 00:29:15.860 --> 00:29:20.780 using the word joy which makes it so Christian I wanted to use the word 00:29:20.780 --> 00:29:27.540 laughter that you must have an expectation of his presence his goodness 00:29:27.540 --> 00:29:31.940 his power and laughter. I wish I could show you the silly things that sometimes 00:29:31.940 --> 00:29:39.260 happen with Phoebe where Jeevan will go tickle her feet and make sounds like 00:29:39.260 --> 00:29:46.940 I mean he makes sounds like that and Phoebe does begins to start laughing 00:29:46.940 --> 00:29:50.340 and when Phoebe begins laughing then her parents start laughing there is this 00:29:50.340 --> 00:29:55.580 easy laughter. What is perhaps the most pleasant sound in the face of the earth 00:29:55.580 --> 00:30:03.380 the laughter of a child? I mean I'm not a dad and I think so. This God has got a 00:30:03.380 --> 00:30:06.660 great joy and laughter man. 00:30:09.300 --> 00:30:14.100 Let me go back to the question that Derek had conveyed earlier on this idea 00:30:14.100 --> 00:30:17.700 of living hope with Christ return or living hope and we go to be with him. 00:30:17.700 --> 00:30:23.140 Many times when I've been with people who are suffering and who are close to 00:30:23.140 --> 00:30:30.220 death I am so grateful that there is around the corner a life waiting that 00:30:30.220 --> 00:30:37.460 it's so worth exchanging where you leave life here to become someone who now sees 00:30:37.460 --> 00:30:45.920 Christ face to face. Which is why Paul then says in 1st Corinthians that why 00:30:45.920 --> 00:30:50.340 should we be like the rest of the world that grieves don't you know that it's 00:30:50.340 --> 00:30:53.860 okay to grieve for a while but my God man you have been called to a hope that 00:30:53.860 --> 00:30:59.400 awaits you but you leave this body behind you and you're instantly with the 00:30:59.400 --> 00:31:06.460 most amazing being in the entire universe. Today when I was driving here I 00:31:06.460 --> 00:31:11.380 was thinking okay so if I walked in heaven and held your hand would I still 00:31:11.380 --> 00:31:18.660 be able to feel that hole in your hand that Thomas put his fingers in? It was 00:31:18.660 --> 00:31:26.860 just a thought. I think it freaked me out a little but I probably start crying. 00:31:30.180 --> 00:31:34.580 Let's go to resurrection life. What kind of life is this? Resurrection life. 00:31:34.580 --> 00:31:42.100 Resurrection life. Hey this is mind-blowing man just I'll try to say 00:31:42.100 --> 00:31:49.300 this without getting excited so let me sit down which may or may not work 00:31:49.300 --> 00:31:54.500 because if I get excited I might miss out on being able to describe it the way 00:31:54.500 --> 00:32:01.060 I should. So guys resurrection life is the limitless life that Christ himself 00:32:01.300 --> 00:32:07.780 personally presently possesses. Resurrection life is that limitless life 00:32:07.780 --> 00:32:15.860 that Christ presently personally possesses. I mean we imagined Christ while 00:32:15.860 --> 00:32:19.860 we were singing and worshipping right? So the life that Christ personally 00:32:19.860 --> 00:32:25.820 presently possesses is resurrection life and the strange thing is this is the 00:32:25.820 --> 00:32:36.260 life that he shares with me by his spirit now. I have not been given some 00:32:36.260 --> 00:32:43.660 other polished new eternal life. It's not it's not a secondary version it's not a 00:32:43.660 --> 00:32:50.140 it's not a lower iPhone thing that I have been given. The very life that 00:32:50.140 --> 00:32:57.020 Christ presently possesses is the life that he shares with me right now. The 00:32:57.020 --> 00:33:00.540 life that he possesses right now in heaven is the same life that I possess 00:33:00.540 --> 00:33:11.540 right now. His private life has become mine. It scares me to say it because one 00:33:11.540 --> 00:33:18.220 I can't wrap my head around it. Two it is overwhelming. What kind of God is this? 00:33:18.220 --> 00:33:31.380 How common does he want to become? His private life has become mine. His private 00:33:31.380 --> 00:33:38.100 life has become mine which also means that I can draw my thoughts, my emotions, 00:33:38.100 --> 00:33:48.940 my interests, my attitudes from him. His private life has become mine which then 00:33:48.940 --> 00:33:55.020 means that I can actually draw my thoughts, my emotions, my attitudes, my 00:33:55.020 --> 00:34:09.060 interests from him. I can hear you chewing Josh. You know in 1st Corinthians 2 00:34:09.060 --> 00:34:15.860 9 to 11 it says and the spirit who knows what a person best his spirit who knows 00:34:15.860 --> 00:34:20.860 God best his spirit and he says is this spirit that I've given to you so that 00:34:20.860 --> 00:34:27.100 you may know the ways of God. You may know the things he's given you freely. It 00:34:27.100 --> 00:34:31.060 boggles my mind. I'm sorry I have to stand. It's very hard to preach this thing sitting 00:34:31.060 --> 00:34:36.420 down. It boggles my mind that I actually share his private life that his private 00:34:36.420 --> 00:34:42.260 life has become mine and that I can draw my thoughts, my emotions, my interests, my 00:34:42.260 --> 00:34:49.780 attitudes from him. Here's another thing about this life. This life is pulsing with 00:34:49.820 --> 00:34:54.420 the benefits of the age to come. This life is pulsing with the benefits of the age to 00:34:54.420 --> 00:35:01.660 come. What are the benefits of the age to come? Healing, joy and laughter, power, 00:35:01.660 --> 00:35:07.380 love, but more than anything else I think presence. There is a time coming when I 00:35:07.380 --> 00:35:12.620 will constantly forever behold his presence face to face but till that 00:35:13.060 --> 00:35:16.060 happens I am already tasting his presence without seeing him face to face. 00:35:16.060 --> 00:35:26.940 This is the kind of life we possess guys. Do you realize how this invisible life 00:35:26.940 --> 00:35:32.020 must be made visible through this jar of clay? Now do you realize what Paul says 00:35:32.020 --> 00:35:41.420 that treasure is in jars of clay? This is the treasure. This is the treasure. 00:35:41.420 --> 00:35:49.340 I'm pulsing with a life that has in it the benefits of the age to come. Why is 00:35:49.340 --> 00:35:54.860 it that I'm joyful when things are going wrong? Why is it that it doesn't matter 00:35:54.860 --> 00:36:01.100 how dark things get? There's always a way that either joy bursts out or joy bursts 00:36:01.100 --> 00:36:06.700 in because the life I possess is actually severed from the old order of 00:36:06.700 --> 00:36:13.340 the world. It is severed. It's been cut off. It was like a cord was cut when I 00:36:13.340 --> 00:36:22.860 was born again. A cord was cut when Jesus rose from the dead. Joy bursts forth. 00:36:22.860 --> 00:36:27.500 Healing is appropriated. Why? Because there is a time coming when there will be 00:36:27.500 --> 00:36:31.860 no sickness, no fear, no tear but I already begin to taste and enjoy that 00:36:31.860 --> 00:36:46.860 life. I've enjoyed it for now 31 or 32 years man. I taste his love and I know 00:36:46.860 --> 00:36:55.260 his presence. These are benefits of a life that come from an age beyond. It's 00:36:55.380 --> 00:37:03.020 a life that is severed from the dominion of the old world order. As in this world 00:37:03.020 --> 00:37:12.020 has absolutely no hold or influence upon this life that I possess. This world may 00:37:12.020 --> 00:37:18.300 affect my flesh, my thinking but it cannot touch the life that I possess 00:37:18.860 --> 00:37:28.460 because it's not from it's not from mortal sperm. 1 Peter 1 23 you have been 00:37:28.460 --> 00:37:36.420 born again not with mortal sperm but with immortal seed. The quality of life 00:37:36.420 --> 00:37:42.180 called resurrection life is completely different guys. It cannot be compromised 00:37:42.500 --> 00:37:50.580 by sin. Just think of that. Just think of that. This life that I possess that I 00:37:50.580 --> 00:37:57.260 share with Christ who is indissolubly present in the face of the Father right 00:37:57.260 --> 00:38:01.460 now. This life that I possess cannot be compromised by sin. This life that I 00:38:01.460 --> 00:38:07.300 possess cannot be compromised by sickness, death or decay. This life that I 00:38:07.300 --> 00:38:18.660 possess can never be deceived or seduced by Satan. Rock-solid man. Why is it 00:38:18.660 --> 00:38:22.140 important to understand resurrection life? Because the more I understand the 00:38:22.140 --> 00:38:29.660 life I actually possess the more I'll behave like I actually am. The more I 00:38:29.660 --> 00:38:35.500 understand the life I possess the more I'll behave like I actually am. 00:38:37.500 --> 00:38:42.980 Is it any surprise then that this life can even quicken your mortal body while 00:38:42.980 --> 00:38:50.740 you're on earth? Leave alone quickening you where in the flash of an eye your 00:38:50.740 --> 00:39:00.500 bodies will be transformed into immortal. This is the life the life that I possess 00:39:00.500 --> 00:39:07.420 is a life of great love, great power. It's a life that is fearless. It's a life 00:39:07.420 --> 00:39:11.780 full of shalom. 2nd Timothy 1 7 talks about this. The spirit I have given you 00:39:11.780 --> 00:39:18.460 is not a spirit of timidity or covetous. This resurrection life that I 00:39:18.460 --> 00:39:26.660 have, this ascended life that I have is a life of great power. You know I want to 00:39:26.660 --> 00:39:31.340 say this to you guys sometimes when your body is weak, sometimes when your head 00:39:31.340 --> 00:39:41.620 is clogged, sometimes when your physical energy is low, fall back into that 00:39:41.620 --> 00:39:50.980 reserve called resurrection life. Dive into the real life that you have. Yes this 00:39:50.980 --> 00:39:57.340 physical life can sometimes feel like it's it's veining it's it's being sapped 00:39:57.340 --> 00:40:02.620 but I'm telling you there is I've done this and I know it for a fact that there 00:40:02.620 --> 00:40:06.380 is a reserve and that reserve is actually greater in strength than your 00:40:06.380 --> 00:40:12.220 physical life that you can literally go back into and draw from the unlimited 00:40:12.220 --> 00:40:18.660 reservoir of resurrection life that you share with Christ himself. 00:40:21.100 --> 00:40:29.460 This life is a life of great love. I am capable of it, of great power. It's a 00:40:29.460 --> 00:40:35.700 fearless life. Fearless life. What can it be afraid of? It is whose life are you 00:40:35.700 --> 00:40:39.540 talking about? You're talking about the life of Christ at present right next to 00:40:39.540 --> 00:40:44.300 the Father. His life is what you're sharing. He shares his private life with 00:40:44.300 --> 00:40:53.180 you and it is a life of great shallow wholeness. It is the ascended life of 00:40:53.180 --> 00:40:57.820 Christ. It is the ascended life of Christ. I'm looking forward to talking 00:40:57.820 --> 00:41:01.940 about ascension because death does something, resurrection does something but 00:41:01.940 --> 00:41:08.260 my God if Jesus had just risen and not ascended we'd still be in bad shape man. 00:41:08.300 --> 00:41:13.580 This life that I have is not just risen it is the ascended life of Christ that 00:41:13.580 --> 00:41:17.780 I possess. It's the same quality of life that the ascended Christ presently has 00:41:17.780 --> 00:41:22.380 which means then that this life that I possess is actually seated above 00:41:22.380 --> 00:41:29.580 satanic thrones and powers. Do you realize why if we begin to think like 00:41:29.580 --> 00:41:36.340 this, if we begin to discover or explore this why the devil would hate it? Because 00:41:36.340 --> 00:41:43.260 you would begin to know how this life operates. It is the ascended life of 00:41:43.260 --> 00:41:47.780 Christ seating me in heavenly places above Satan's thrones and powers and as 00:41:47.780 --> 00:41:51.620 you begin to go down this road you become a little less fearful and a 00:41:51.620 --> 00:42:02.940 little more fearless. I mean if you were related to the king of a certain nation 00:42:02.940 --> 00:42:08.300 it does not matter which part of the kingdom you go to you know that your 00:42:08.340 --> 00:42:15.620 life is shared with him and that you are indissolubly present in his throne room 00:42:15.620 --> 00:42:21.460 even though you're in a little village on the outskirts of the kingdom. 00:42:25.620 --> 00:42:30.740 Unfortunately because this resurrection life is carried in a physical body that 00:42:30.740 --> 00:42:36.300 experiences the limitations of sin I get dull or I am dulled to the 00:42:36.300 --> 00:42:40.500 immeasurable capacity of this life because we carried in this body because 00:42:40.500 --> 00:42:47.020 this body is prone to decay because this body is prone to deception, seduction 00:42:47.020 --> 00:42:52.060 and sin because this body has limitations because this body will die 00:42:52.060 --> 00:42:57.140 one day. We look at this body and we are not able to see the life that is carried 00:42:57.140 --> 00:43:02.820 within this body. You must understand Paul's reasoning of treasures and jars 00:43:03.300 --> 00:43:08.540 of clay and he says I realize that this outer body is fading but my god I have a 00:43:08.540 --> 00:43:13.940 treasure inside. I realize that even though I'm dying on the outside the 00:43:13.940 --> 00:43:18.820 inner man is being renewed. Why does Paul keep saying this? Because he found out 00:43:18.820 --> 00:43:24.700 that even though he's beaten, even though he's lost, even though he's got problems 00:43:24.700 --> 00:43:28.860 that prevent him from functioning well that the inner man within him, the spirit 00:43:28.860 --> 00:43:32.180 man within him keeps getting stronger, keeps getting stronger, keeps getting 00:43:32.180 --> 00:43:36.740 stronger. Why? Because at some point Paul realized, ah shucks I've got something 00:43:36.740 --> 00:43:45.780 inside me that is far greater than what is what it is encased in. It's a way to 00:43:45.780 --> 00:43:50.580 live guys that we must explore especially during times like this. This 00:43:50.580 --> 00:43:57.060 is when this invisible life should become so visible. It is a life that is 00:43:57.060 --> 00:44:01.340 hidden in Christ but will appear in blazing brilliance when Christ appears. 00:44:01.500 --> 00:44:05.740 Man I'm telling you when Christ appears why do you think this treasure will show? 00:44:05.740 --> 00:44:09.820 Because these bodies will be replaced and then you will see us in our glory. I 00:44:09.820 --> 00:44:15.380 say to the earth you will see the sons of God in its glory. I say to creation 00:44:15.380 --> 00:44:20.980 wait wait the day is coming. You have been groaning to see the manifestation 00:44:20.980 --> 00:44:25.820 of the sons of God. The day is coming. Our life is hidden in Christ but I say to 00:44:25.820 --> 00:44:31.180 you creation, I say to you earth that you will see the manifestation of the sons 00:44:31.180 --> 00:44:35.820 of God in their glory. We are hidden in Christ now but when Christ comes we shall 00:44:35.820 --> 00:44:42.700 appear with him in glory. This awaits us man begin to take a grasp of this life 00:44:42.700 --> 00:44:48.100 that we have. It's a marvelous life that we possess. Marvelous life. After all 00:44:48.100 --> 00:44:57.980 whose life is it? It's his man. Let's go on to resurrection faith. Resurrection 00:44:57.980 --> 00:45:06.220 faith. Guys resurrection always breaks into situations and is accelerated in 00:45:06.220 --> 00:45:11.660 response to your faith. Resurrection life always breaks into situations and is 00:45:11.660 --> 00:45:18.220 actually accelerated in response to your faith. In 2nd Kings 434 you see that 00:45:18.220 --> 00:45:25.780 with a Shunammite woman. Her son is dead. Gehazi goes with Elisha's staff to place 00:45:25.780 --> 00:45:32.300 it on the Sun. Nothing happens and they ask her so how are you? She says it is 00:45:32.300 --> 00:45:40.420 well. It is well. What a statement of faith eh? What is her expectation? That her 00:45:40.420 --> 00:45:48.900 son will rise. Whenever faith is exerted resurrection life bursts forth because 00:45:48.900 --> 00:45:56.020 it is the pattern of your God. He's a resurrection God. You look at Lazarus. 00:45:56.020 --> 00:46:01.820 Mary and Martha summoned Jesus. They are struggling through this idea of I wish you 00:46:01.820 --> 00:46:07.740 had been here earlier but yet at the same time there is faith there. You see 00:46:07.740 --> 00:46:15.980 Talitha, Jairus's daughter, the little girl, the little child. In Mark chapter 5 00:46:15.980 --> 00:46:21.700 verse 34 Jesus says to the man don't worry just believe. I know the others are 00:46:21.700 --> 00:46:25.540 saying she's dead but don't worry. Resurrection breaks in. You look at Acts 00:46:25.540 --> 00:46:33.540 chapter 9 verse 34. A woman called Tabitha or Dorcas. They said for Peter 00:46:33.540 --> 00:46:39.100 resurrection breaks forth or the rising of the dead happens. You see the Valley 00:46:39.100 --> 00:46:48.500 of Bones Ezekiel 37 and it says in Ezekiel 37 that as Ezekiel began to 00:46:48.500 --> 00:46:55.700 prophesy in faith a huge valley full of dry bones must have been a battle that 00:46:55.700 --> 00:46:59.480 had happened a generation ago because the bodies had been stripped and the 00:46:59.480 --> 00:47:08.700 bones were dry and in that dryness now resurrection happens. For that matter you 00:47:08.700 --> 00:47:14.740 look at Marcus who's sitting at home who I was emailing yesterday. 00:47:14.740 --> 00:47:19.660 Resurrection life brought him back to being alive right now sitting at home 00:47:19.660 --> 00:47:28.260 praising God. Guys the agent of transformation in each instance is the 00:47:28.260 --> 00:47:31.580 spirit of the Living God. The agent of transformation I didn't say the agent of 00:47:31.580 --> 00:47:35.260 reformation I said the agent of transformation because resurrection 00:47:36.140 --> 00:47:39.340 life transforms. Resurrection life doesn't polish you. Resurrection life doesn't 00:47:39.340 --> 00:47:44.700 reform you. It transforms you. The agent of transformation in each instance is the 00:47:44.700 --> 00:47:50.560 spirit of the Living God. I mean if you look at Ezekiel 37 there's a there's an 00:47:50.560 --> 00:47:56.740 odd thing that's happening at Ezekiel 37. First Ezekiel is commanded to prophesy 00:47:56.740 --> 00:48:05.340 to the dry bones that he's told to command them to live and so he 00:48:05.340 --> 00:48:11.020 prophesies to the dry bones and you see bone coming to bone sinews coming on 00:48:11.020 --> 00:48:15.060 flesh coming on so he prophesies and they all come together that's from verse 00:48:15.060 --> 00:48:21.340 4 to 7. Let's just read that Ezekiel 37 4 to 7. I just want to show you a way to 00:48:21.340 --> 00:48:29.740 begin to activate resurrection faith in times such as this. Ezekiel 37 verse 4 to 00:48:29.740 --> 00:48:37.100 7. Then he said to me prophesy to these bones and say to them dry bones hear the 00:48:37.100 --> 00:48:40.660 word of the Lord. This is what the sovereign Lord says to these bones. I 00:48:40.660 --> 00:48:44.900 will make breath enter you and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to 00:48:44.900 --> 00:48:48.840 you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin. I'll put breath in 00:48:48.840 --> 00:48:51.400 you and you will come to life then you will know that I am the Lord. So I 00:48:51.400 --> 00:48:55.240 prophesied as I was commanded and as I was prophesying there was a noise a 00:48:55.240 --> 00:48:58.360 rattling sound of the bones came together bone to bone. I looked and 00:48:58.360 --> 00:49:07.760 tendons but there was no breath in them but there was no breath in them. So 00:49:07.760 --> 00:49:12.840 initially when he prophesies bone comes to bone the body is formed but then he 00:49:12.840 --> 00:49:17.440 is commanded to prophesy to the breath or to the ruwa or the spirit to give 00:49:17.440 --> 00:49:21.480 life to the fleshed out bones. It's almost like this repeat of the scene 00:49:21.480 --> 00:49:25.680 from Genesis 2 7 where God takes the dust of the earth and he forms man but 00:49:25.680 --> 00:49:29.080 now that man is formed man still is lying on the ground and then it says 00:49:29.080 --> 00:49:33.280 God breathed and man became a living soul and it's the same motive being 00:49:33.280 --> 00:49:36.640 played out here. Where the bones have come together everything has been 00:49:36.640 --> 00:49:40.260 fleshed out but there is still no breath and then he begins to prophesy to the 00:49:40.260 --> 00:49:44.280 breath because verse 9 says then he said to me prophesy to the breath 00:49:44.280 --> 00:49:48.040 prophesy son of man and say to it this is what the sovereign Lord says come 00:49:48.040 --> 00:49:51.280 from the four winds or breath and breathe into these slain that they may 00:49:51.280 --> 00:49:55.320 live. So I prophesied as he commanded me and the breath entered them and they 00:49:55.320 --> 00:50:01.080 came to life and they stood upon their feet a vast army. And so here's what I 00:50:01.080 --> 00:50:16.520 want to draw from it. When we yield when we yield to when we yield to the laws 00:50:16.520 --> 00:50:32.440 to the laws of the spirits operation I'll explain it when we yield to the 00:50:32.440 --> 00:50:46.240 laws of the spirits operation we can command we can command the operations of 00:50:46.320 --> 00:51:06.000 the spirit we can command the operations of the spirit and fully count on him and 00:51:06.000 --> 00:51:25.600 fully count on him to work his mighty power. First Ezekiel goes and prophesies 00:51:25.600 --> 00:51:30.400 as he's been commanded and when he prophesies bones sinews flesh come 00:51:30.400 --> 00:51:34.520 together but that ain't enough that still doesn't bring life then he's told 00:51:34.520 --> 00:51:41.800 to command breath command Rua command the spirit because people are still 00:51:41.800 --> 00:51:46.800 arguing about whether Rua there means just wind or breath or whether he's 00:51:46.800 --> 00:51:49.960 talking about the four winds of the earth but they're talking about the 00:51:49.960 --> 00:51:54.520 spirit I would argue that it is both breath and the spirit but the point is 00:51:54.520 --> 00:52:00.960 this after reading Ezekiel 37 when we yield to the laws of the spirits 00:52:01.000 --> 00:52:06.120 operation and that's what I'll touch on before we end when we yield to the laws 00:52:06.120 --> 00:52:12.160 of the spirits operation we can command the operations of the spirit and fully 00:52:12.160 --> 00:52:18.960 count on him to work his mighty power which means that when I begin to when I 00:52:18.960 --> 00:52:30.880 begin to obey submit to take on learn practice the rules of how the Holy Spirit 00:52:31.280 --> 00:52:38.560 operates then I get to have the privilege of commanding the operation of 00:52:38.560 --> 00:52:44.000 the Holy Spirit here on earth and I can fully count on him to work his mighty 00:52:44.000 --> 00:52:50.960 power give us another example Jacob okay so it would be like me yielding to the 00:52:50.960 --> 00:52:57.320 king of a nation saying I yield to the ways you do things let me give you a 00:52:57.320 --> 00:53:04.520 better example so Joseph yielded to Pharaoh Pharaoh said to him you will be 00:53:04.520 --> 00:53:10.160 my second-in-command and so Joseph yielded to Pharaoh's ways Pharaoh said 00:53:10.160 --> 00:53:14.520 to him you will be my second-in-command and then look at what happens Joseph 00:53:14.520 --> 00:53:20.160 begins to tell Pharaoh how to prepare for the famine Pharaoh agrees and now 00:53:20.160 --> 00:53:25.760 Pharaoh's purposes are accomplished it is almost the sense of you saying to a 00:53:25.840 --> 00:53:30.520 king I'll operate by your ways the king says you're an expert in these areas why 00:53:30.520 --> 00:53:34.360 don't you tell me what you want done since you know my ways and as you begin 00:53:34.360 --> 00:53:39.120 to speak it I will by my authority make it happen 00:53:42.200 --> 00:53:53.040 do you understand if you don't please ask me I wish you were here it's like me 00:53:53.080 --> 00:53:56.880 being appointed by the king because I have learned to submit to the ways of 00:53:56.880 --> 00:54:01.040 the king I know how he thinks I know how he operates I've learned the laws of a 00:54:01.040 --> 00:54:05.880 office operation now that he has seen that he can trust me he says Jacob now 00:54:05.880 --> 00:54:11.680 since you know my ways you tell me what I should do you give the command and I 00:54:11.680 --> 00:54:15.880 will do it because I know you know my ways I will do it do you want to hear 00:54:15.880 --> 00:54:22.560 another instance where this happened crazy story Joshua turns to the Sun and 00:54:22.560 --> 00:54:27.120 turns to the moon and says to the Sun and the moon stand still that should 00:54:27.120 --> 00:54:34.960 have knocked the galaxy out of its orbit and for 24 hours the Sun stands 00:54:34.960 --> 00:54:38.560 still and the moon stands still till the slaughter is complete and then it goes 00:54:38.560 --> 00:54:46.680 on to say no other time in the history of man had one ever done that where is 00:54:46.680 --> 00:54:51.640 it where is that scripture can someone find it I know it's in Joshua but can 00:54:51.640 --> 00:54:54.320 you do better than that 00:54:54.320 --> 00:55:16.040 I can't hear you okay Joshua 10 verse 12 look at it guys this is exactly what I'm 00:55:16.040 --> 00:55:21.040 trying to say and then we'll talk about what are the two operations of the 00:55:21.760 --> 00:55:26.800 look at what it says on the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel Joshua 00:55:26.800 --> 00:55:30.160 said to the Lord in the presence of Israel look at it look at what he's 00:55:30.160 --> 00:55:35.280 saying Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel it's not the Lord 00:55:35.280 --> 00:55:38.600 said to Joshua in the presence of Israel it's Joshua said to the Lord in the 00:55:38.600 --> 00:55:44.040 presence of Israel Oh Sun stand still over Gideon Oh moon over the valley of 00:55:44.040 --> 00:55:47.800 Ajalon so the Sun stood still and the moon stopped till the nation avenged 00:55:47.800 --> 00:55:51.640 itself on its enemies it is written in the book of Jasher the Sun stopped in 00:55:51.640 --> 00:55:54.880 the middle of the sky and delayed going down for about a full day there has 00:55:54.880 --> 00:56:00.360 never been a day like it before or since a day when the Lord listened to a man 00:56:00.360 --> 00:56:08.600 surely the Lord was fighting for Israel do you understand guys that when we 00:56:08.600 --> 00:56:13.960 yield to the laws of the Lord its operation we can command the operations 00:56:14.120 --> 00:56:19.920 of the Spirit and fully count on him to work his mighty power 00:56:25.240 --> 00:56:30.440 any questions because I'm going to end with this last statement which has three 00:56:30.440 --> 00:56:35.400 subsections I'm kidding not really 00:56:35.400 --> 00:56:41.840 okay so what are the laws of the spirits operation what are the laws of the 00:56:41.840 --> 00:56:50.240 spirits operation you can see it in Genesis 1 2 you can see it in John 6 63 00:56:50.240 --> 00:56:57.840 you can see it in Revelation 4 2 what you see is that the word and the spirit 00:56:58.280 --> 00:57:04.800 you can see it in Revelation 4 2 what you see is that the word and the spirit 00:57:04.800 --> 00:57:13.080 work in tandem the word and the spirit work in tandem so in Genesis 1 2 the 00:57:13.080 --> 00:57:17.320 word is let there be light but before the word was spoken the spirit of God 00:57:17.320 --> 00:57:22.680 was already hovering over that which was a chaotic mass and as the word was 00:57:22.680 --> 00:57:25.880 released the spirit was already there the spirit knows the heart of God was 00:57:25.920 --> 00:57:31.360 already there you go to John 6 63 and is Jesus speaking and now Jesus says this 00:57:31.360 --> 00:57:35.080 says it differently but it's the same word spirit tandem he says the words 00:57:35.080 --> 00:57:40.360 that I speak to you a spirit in life you go to revelations 4 2 and it says and I 00:57:40.360 --> 00:57:45.200 heard a voice saying come up higher and then the spirit of the Lord took me 00:57:45.200 --> 00:57:49.220 there is this idea of either the word coming first and then the spirit of the 00:57:49.220 --> 00:57:53.160 spirit coming first and then the word or the spirit waiting for the word or the 00:57:53.240 --> 00:57:57.800 being spoken before the spirit can do something it is this word spirit tandem 00:57:57.800 --> 00:58:03.360 that you and I have to begin to practice use understand fathom right now because 00:58:03.360 --> 00:58:20.820 when you speak forth when you speak forth the authoritative would be it 00:58:20.820 --> 00:58:26.180 logos as in what is already written or Rema that's how I'm defining it right 00:58:26.180 --> 00:58:34.220 now as in spoken to you specifically when this happens when does when you 00:58:34.220 --> 00:58:47.740 speak for the authoritative word the spirit enters the void the spirit enters 00:58:47.740 --> 00:59:09.500 the void to quicken dry bones the spirit enters the void to quicken dry bones to 00:59:09.500 --> 00:59:29.700 quicken cities to quicken situations to quicken nations you name it guys we don't 00:59:29.700 --> 00:59:36.860 pray to God we pray with God don't make a theology out of it but it's a very 00:59:36.940 --> 00:59:41.660 important statement we pray with God may your will be done here on earth as it is 00:59:41.660 --> 00:59:45.980 in heaven I must know his will I know some of you have heard me say this maybe 00:59:45.980 --> 00:59:51.860 a million times or a little less but we pray with God your prayer team is very 00:59:51.860 --> 00:59:58.740 powerful it is Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit in you and the body the intent 00:59:58.740 --> 01:00:02.540 though is to understand what Christ is saying and begin to speak it so the 01:00:02.540 --> 01:00:07.260 spirit of God can begin to work it and you in doing this become part of the 01:00:07.260 --> 01:00:11.500 history of God here on earth only now you begin to chronicle it because you 01:00:11.500 --> 01:00:16.420 are watching it unfold oh man the number of books you will not be able to write 01:00:16.420 --> 01:00:19.940 because you didn't chronicle it but you cannot chronicle it unless you get 01:00:19.940 --> 01:00:25.300 involved in the works of God we are scribes that are keeping tabs on what 01:00:25.300 --> 01:00:29.500 God is doing here on earth and during war during famine during lack during 01:00:29.600 --> 01:00:35.140 disease during times like this during the days of Ezekiel during the days of 01:00:35.140 --> 01:00:39.440 famine that is when history should be written by people who watch 01:00:39.440 --> 01:00:42.900 God at work pray with him because you're the voice 01:00:42.900 --> 01:00:46.780 of God pray with him because you're the army of the Sun pray with him because 01:00:46.780 --> 01:00:51.180 you're the community of the spirit hear me again pray with him because you are 01:00:51.180 --> 01:00:55.420 the voice of the father pray with him because you're the army of the Sun pray 01:00:55.420 --> 01:01:01.880 with him because you are the community of the spirit. And so this week ahead I'm 01:01:01.880 --> 01:01:06.440 hoping as a church that we can practice these truths because I'll send you 01:01:06.440 --> 01:01:13.640 outlines not just for Vancouver but for different nations in the world so that we 01:01:13.640 --> 01:01:18.760 can pray a certain way and then chronicle the results. Go ahead Jeevan a 01:01:18.760 --> 01:01:21.280 question. 01:01:25.420 --> 01:01:45.360 So the answer do you want to use the mic to ask that question? 01:01:45.360 --> 01:01:52.040 Hello. 01:01:52.040 --> 01:01:58.560 Go ahead. 01:01:58.560 --> 01:02:04.280 Joshua 10 verse 14 says there has never been a day like it before or since. A day 01:02:04.280 --> 01:02:09.640 when the Lord listened to a human being. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel. 01:02:09.640 --> 01:02:15.240 So the question is I'm confused how we can command the spirit if it says that 01:02:15.240 --> 01:02:21.680 it was the only time before or since that God has obeyed a human. Yeah so what 01:02:21.680 --> 01:02:32.600 is being made there is a historical statement by Joshua or whoever wrote 01:02:32.600 --> 01:02:45.040 that book. It is not a prophetic statement it's a historical statement 01:02:45.040 --> 01:02:55.720 and so let's assume this was in 1965 that it was made. Then since 65 to 2020 01:02:55.720 --> 01:03:07.320 there have been many Joshua's, many Ezekiel's, many Peters, many Jacob's, many 01:03:07.320 --> 01:03:26.360 Jeevans who having seen what God did here take it as a pattern of God to be 01:03:26.360 --> 01:03:50.600 repeated whenever God commands. Part of the reason history must be chronicled is 01:03:50.600 --> 01:03:56.960 so that a generation may rise up that can repeat it. Part of the reason judges 2 01:03:56.960 --> 01:04:02.040 verse 10 is the saddest statement in the Bible is because her people did not 01:04:02.040 --> 01:04:15.040 repeat it. It is the saddest verse in the Bible. Her people did not repeat the 01:04:15.040 --> 01:04:22.240 history of God and the generation that came after did not know what they could 01:04:22.240 --> 01:04:33.080 do and who God was. And while this truth must not be messed with as in this 01:04:33.080 --> 01:04:38.880 written word must not be messed with this is not the Alpha and Omega this is 01:04:38.880 --> 01:04:44.840 a book that chronicles what God has allowed us to see and we use this now to 01:04:44.840 --> 01:04:48.840 begin to have God keep revealing who he is. 01:04:48.840 --> 01:04:59.360 Yeah. Alrighty let's end with that song these are the days of Elijah and this is 01:04:59.360 --> 01:05:05.360 a song of preparation as in I'm preparing you as the voice of God I'm 01:05:05.360 --> 01:05:09.600 preparing you as the army of the Sun preparing you as a community of the 01:05:09.600 --> 01:05:15.920 spirit for a time such as this as we sing it here. So just get up stretch and 01:05:15.920 --> 01:05:24.000 do not do not do not switch off we'll switch off only after we're done yeah 01:05:24.000 --> 01:05:26.920 cool