Okay, let's get going then. The time between crucifixion and the
resurrection of Jesus Christ, we don't really think about or talk about that
time much because on Good Fridays we talk about Good Friday, the death and
crucifixion of Jesus and then on Sunday we talk about Easter Sunday and
the time between the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
That was a dark, dreadful, fear-filled, sorrowful time for the disciples and
those who knew Jesus. So we almost quickly jump from Good Friday to
resurrection Sunday but the time between that is a time of great hardship where
some of them left everything that they knew. Jesus came by, Jesus said follow me
and they followed Jesus only to realize that this Jesus that they thought would
save them is now dead. A few of them saw Jesus just a few days ago in his glory
Jesus in his glory they saw him and then a couple days later they look at Jesus
and his body is motionless, it's not moving. They knew Jesus how he looked, how
he was, certain things that were very unique about Jesus and now on Friday
when they looked at Jesus his face was unrecognizable and so when they go into
Saturday and leading up to Sunday it is a difficult time for the disciples
because they don't know what to do. Now it's not just that Jesus died it is also
that everything that they know all of the systems all of the power hierarchies
they're all after them and so they hide themselves in a room probably locking it
up probably huddled together. Isn't it good to see Wayne? Yes it is. Good to have you here Wayne.
So that's what's happening with the disciples a time of darkness
and Maurice too. Both of them. So it's happening and they know that
they're in a time of difficulty and then on the other side you have the power
structures you have the Sanhedrin you have the Pharisees all taking a step
back and now thinking he's done because Jesus is dead and the devil Satan and
the powers of darkness thought that's it. So that's the reality of Friday, Saturday
leading up to Sunday and we cannot forget that. We cannot forget the fact
that for two days three days there was a time when they when the disciples were
afraid fearful of what was happening and then you see these women who are going
to the tomb. Why? Because they wanted to apply ointments they wanted to go there
and see Jesus. It says they they were seeking after Jesus. They get there.
Only to realize now that this one stone that they were talking about on their way to the tomb
how will we get this stone rolled away so that we can go into the tomb? That this
very stone that they were talking about it's been rolled away and all of a
sudden at that point they realize something has happened. They don't know
what has happened but something has happened and then the disciples come to
know about it. Two of them run to the tomb only to discover that it is true
the only thing that's left here are the linen clothes and the handkerchief
neatly folded kept aside and Jesus is not there. And then we know everything
that happened after that but I wanted to stay there for a minute to
recognize that before the resurrection of Jesus Christ the disciples went
through a time like that and then all of a sudden in an instant God proved
himself true and Jesus resurrected from the dead. He was truly dead. All of the
powers of darkness all of Satan's schemes all of the Sanhedrin schemes
every political power that tried to put him down obliterated in a second. Why?
Because God said my son will now rise up and Jesus Christ rose up from the dead.
What we're going to talk about today look at today is how does this apply to
us and this is not a new thing because some of us who've been Christians for
years we have heard this many times but practically how do we live a lifestyle
that aligns with the resurrection of Jesus. That's why I've titled this
resurrection lifestyle because resurrection of Jesus Christ is not an
event it's not just an event it is a lifestyle for us to partake in. It's a
lifestyle for us to live in every day. It's not just an event it's a lifestyle.
So we'll read a few verses now and then we'll go from there. Let's first read
Acts chapter 224. Acts chapter 224. It says God raised him from the dead freeing
him from the agony of death because it was impossible to keep its hold on him.
Acts 224. But God raised Jesus from the dead freeing Jesus from the agony of
death because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Jesus. So the
fact that Jesus died for our sins is one thing but the fact that he resurrected
is another because if Jesus said that I'm going to die for the sins of the
world and he died okay he died for the sins of the world but it had to be
a perfect man without any sins who was going to die and the resurrection was
the proof of the fact that Jesus was sinless and that death could not hold
him down. The death of Jesus Christ by itself is not proof. The resurrection of
Jesus now is proof of the fact that death tried to keep him down. Powers tried
to keep him down but nothing could and he rose up from the dead. So that's one.
Number two. Let's read Romans chapter 8 11. Romans chapter 8 11. If the spirit of
him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you he who raised Christ Jesus
from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his
spirit who dwells in you and if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the
dead is living in you he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life
to your mortal bodies because of his spirit who lives in you. So it's the
spirit of God that raised Jesus from the dead. The spirit of God raised Jesus
from the dead. So on one hand we said death could not hold him anymore and he
was sinless and now the spirit of God raised Jesus to life. Third verse we're
going to look at is 1st Corinthians 15 14. You don't need to go there I'll just
read it out loud. It says and if Christ has not been raised this is Paul
speaking and if Christ has not been raised then our preaching is in vain and
your faith is in vain. The enormity of the resurrection. Jesus died yes but he
rose again and when he rose again he was risen by the power of God and it proved
that Jesus was sinless and death couldn't hold him and now we can say
everything that we preach everything we stand up for everything that we know as
convictions in our mind all of that is rooted in this one thing that Jesus
Christ rose from the dead. All of it everything that we do all of our
existence is based on this one truth that Jesus Christ is not dead anymore.
That Jesus rose from the dead. Everything that we put our lives to
everything that we believe in our hope for the future what we know will happen
the moment we die on earth all of it goes back to this one fundamental truth
that Jesus Christ is alive that he is he has risen that he is not dead he is a
living God and so that being the truth that being the reality how do we live
with what we're gonna call today resurrection lifestyle. Resurrection
lifestyle how do we live like that so we look at a few different things and as I
go through this list I want us to apply this practically in our lives think
about where we are at in life whatever we are doing how can we apply the
resurrection principles of God in our lives. The thing about resurrection is
it's not new to God it doesn't just happen in Matthew chapter 28 and Luke
chapter 24 and John chapter 20 this is God's nature so the first thing is our
God is a resurrection God it is in his nature and it is something he has done
always our God is a resurrection God he gives life to that which is dead and so
it's not a new thing that happened when God said my son will rise up from the
dead in three days no this is the nature of God this is a very character of God I
want us to look at it this way when God looks at a desert he doesn't see a
desert when God looks at a desert he sees life that can grow there when God
looks at anything that is dry he doesn't see dryness he sees the life that can
spring out of the dryness and so everything that we're going to talk
about today is not just about resurrection Sunday and what happened
then but everything we are going to talk about today is the reality that is very
much ours is the reality that we live by every day that I serve a God who is now
risen he is not dead anymore and in his very nature he gives life and in his
very nature life flows and that's who he is and because that he that is he who
what did I say that but because that is who he is now now everything changes for
me because I now know that my god let's read Isaiah chapter 35 I was looking at
this verse yesterday and think about it think of it pictures this in your mind I
say at chapter 35 1 & 2 this is the God we serve he brings life into barrenness
so Isaiah 35 1 & 2 wilderness and desert will sing joyously the badlands will
celebrate and flower wilderness and desert when God looks at it he sees a
joyous singing because life will come the badlands when God looks at looks at
he sees celebration and flowering this is the very nature of our God the one
who who we call master he is the one who gives life wherever he goes where he is
present life overflows and all through the scripture we see this let's read
Colossians chapter 3 1 to 3
if then you have been raised with Christ seek the things that are above where
Christ is seated at the right hand of God set your minds on things that are
above not in things that are on the earth for you have died and your life
is hidden with Christ in God and so when we look at situations that are dry
when we look at situations where it seems like it's wilderness or desert is
type of situation and then we see the reality of God who looks at the same
situation and says that very place from that very place life will spring out
from that very place there is life that will flow out from that very place I
hear a sound of joyous singing from that very place flowers will come up
plants will come up trees will come up this is the very nature of the God we
serve and we cannot run away from it all through the scripture as we when we see
the Genesis creation story life we see times when in the Old Testament where a
dead boy was resurrected back to life we then see Paul and Jesus going to the
tomb Lazarus life we see later on Dorcas Paul or Peter looking at Dorcas
life this is not a one-time event this is the very nature of God this is who
he is when he comes life comes when he is there life flows this is the God we
serve and regardless of how my life situation is where my king is where
your king is he is reminding us today that his life flows into those situations
that his life gives birth where whatever is barren he gives life to whatever is
dry will not remain dry anymore and this is not something that he has to
bring to existent existence this is who he is and I want us to think that way
when we are going through life situations or when we are dealing with
someone else's problems this is who our God is from him flows life when we speak
his name when Peter and John are walking and then they see this man who is lame
what do they say in the name of Jesus Christ rise up and walk because in his
name there is life in his presence there is life and I don't want to go through
this super fast I want us to stay there a second and I want even as I'm talking
right now I'm looking at areas where I need his life and I know for a fact I
know this for real that because he is present here he will bring life because
he's not working for it it is who he is it is when he is there it is there life
number two the resurrection power of God breaks into situations and is
accelerated in response to our faith the resurrection power God breaks into
situations and is accelerated in response to our faith the resurrection
power God breaks into situations and is accelerated in response to our faith
let's read Acts chapter 940 another story Acts chapter 940 so a lady named
Tabitha died and in Acts chapter 40 it's Peter but Peter put them all outside and
knelt down and prayed and turning to the body he said Tabitha arise and she
opened her eyes and when she saw Peter she sat up so the resurrection power
of God that is flowing from him every second every day that is available for
us that resurrection power breaks into our situations that resurrection power
is accelerated in response to my faith in response to your faith so when Peter
was there and he's looking at Dorcas she is dead but in response to the faith
that Peter has knowing fully well that this Jesus who appeared to me a few days
ago when I thought that I messed up big time he came and he said feed my sheep
and then he filled me with his spirit and then he said go to the ends of the
world and proclaim I know this Jesus he lives in me and in the name of Jesus
Christ rise up and therefore in response to the faith that Peter had power broke
through and so again we're going to go slow there's no need to rush throughout
this teaching this is not a teaching for the sake of teaching this is a teaching
for the sake of this restructuring power to change and move in our lives
and so even as we sit here this is the truth my Jesus he is able to revive when
I was thinking about all of this yesterday or a couple days ago I was
thinking all of this ties in so beautifully well with revival because
this is who he is it is impossible for my God to not give life that's his
nature and so we trust in his nature and we see in the physical who he actually
is Ezekiel chapter 37 Ezekiel chapter 37 maybe we won't read it because I
remember a few days ago or a couple weeks ago we read that together but each
time resurrection power is activated is in work the agent of transformation for
each instance is the Spirit of God so the agent of transformation in each
instance is the Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead he is the agent of
transformation in each instance so in Ezekiel 37 we don't need to read it
verses 4 to 7 what does God say Ezekiel prophesied to the bones and then
which is 9 10 God says now prophesied to the breath spirit to give life to the
bones around which now there is flesh because he prophesied already to the
bones Ezekiel 37 and so from that story here is what we're going to see okay so
from that story where God says here is what you need to speak and he speaks
here is the principle we are deriving from that the principle is the Spirit of
God has directions for us and when we command the operations of the spirit
based on his directions then life cannot be stopped so the Spirit of God who is
doing this work he has his directions on how it is to be done and when we align
with his spirit and we hear him say prophesy now to the bones prophesy now
to the to the breath and when we are in alignment with the directions of the
spirit with the laws of the spirit then it is impossible to stop life so we
align ourselves with the directions the directives that we get from the spirit
I'll give you an example a few days ago when we were talking with a person Mark
and I were there we're talking with this person and Mark was talking with
someone else and then I was talking and then all of a sudden felt God say his
heart is so open you now need to tell him about me and I started telling him
about Jesus and as I'm telling about talking to him about Jesus and sharing
what Jesus has done sharing what how his life can be he looked like this his eyes
were like this and he said no way he can forgive sins I said yes he can he said
no way he can forgive sins I said yes he can forgive sins every time we talk
with someone we don't do it but that day with that particular person God said
his heart is so open you have to speak it right now and we didn't do anything
we just spoke we just said what Jesus said very quickly he said I receive him
very quickly he said I receive him because it's the direction from God
because if I go and now do that to everyone else because it happened here
no it is specific directives from the spirit because he knows exactly what
needs to be done you are not to prophesy to the wind first first you
prophesy to the bone then you prophesy to the wind and when you do that then an
army is rising up so the directives and the law laws of the the spirit we align
with that and then we command from there then we declare from there and then it
is impossible to stop what God wants to do the resurrection power of God
orchestrated progressed by the power of God but by the power of his spirit so
when I speak when we speak the authoritative word of heaven then the
spirit of God enters the void and quickens dry bones when we speak the
authoritative word of God as God speaks as we speak it his resurrection power
goes into dry situations decaying situations and it brings life so it can
be what's written in the word it can be a word that he is giving you for that
time for that specific situation a Rhema word we hear we speak and it happens so
over the last few weeks this is the way that God has been leading us God has
been asking us to to to say he has been asking us go out this is the time this
is the time for this to happen not just in your life this is the time for this
to happen for everyone you meet because there is a revival happening the
resurrection power of God is the reviving power of God and this revival
that we have been talking about it's here it's happening it's real and again
it's so natural for God to revive so natural for him to revive next one I can
now draw my thoughts my interests my attitudes from Jesus because his private
life has become mine I can now draw my thoughts my interests my attitudes from
Jesus because his life has become mine
one of the things that we can fight for is Abba my inheritance is that I'm like
you you said I'm growing up to be your stature and so doesn't matter how I am
right now my interests my thoughts my personality my attitudes the reality is
that I am in you you're in me and therefore I am fully yours and therefore
my interests are changing and therefore my personality I don't give to who it's
for and therefore my attitudes I will put away because I ascribe to your
personality I ascribe to your interests I ascribe to your thoughts one of the
things that sometimes I sometimes you hear right it's my personality that's how
I am it's a very common thing it's my personality it's who I am I'm who I am
no there are so many things about my personality that's just so wrong and I
am to continually say no Abba I don't want that I don't want to be I am who I
am I want to be who you are and that's what I want to be so we become a people
together a people who who are together and we say we don't need things that are
from our past to dictate and control how we live we want the revival from Jesus
we want the resurrected power of Jesus to change the way we are we will not
settle that's the word we will not settle because sometimes we can settle
with a single word we can settle sometimes we can settle how with a
with a mindset we can settle for little we don't want to do that because the
standard that we follow is the standard of Christ the one we are walking after
is Jesus Christ so how come how dare I say my personality is slightly different
so I can stand here and do that no if I am fully following Christ he said die to
yourself and then follow me and when you follow me now you are my disciple so my
personality doesn't really matter I will have my personality change so that it
matches with my creator my Lord who I follow don't take it to the other extent
I'm not saying that our personalities are not unique I'm not saying that there
are special things about our personalities that's not what I am saying
I'm saying that we follow the one who went before us and he continually
transforms us and this resurrection power is a power that we only that we
are not just celebrating this resurrection power is a power that
continuously 24-7 transforms me and transforms you that is the reality of
this power that in my sleep he changes me that when I am awake and walking he
changes me when I say I need less of me and more of you he changes me when I say
I am done with this I need more of you he changes me this revive this reviving
power this resurrecting power is not just for one day this is for every
second of every day and as soon as I say I need more of you there is enough
of him he gives me and that's his reality and we need this we need this
for where God is taking us we need this acts 29 because he is saying you know he
is saying there is more waiting for you and we cannot go ahead and walk into all
of that if we are all about our personalities and our interests and how
we are I didn't have any of this in my notes but I know for a fact that he's
inviting us to say come be together in what I am calling you to do because I am
opening things and you need you need you need to align with how I am asking you
to be and when you do when you do you watch you watch this is who he is and so
this revive this revival we are talking about this resurrection power I know I
am going back to that but I will go back to that because it is possible it is
absolutely here it is it is so God and he will do it and I align about I want to
change I don't want to be how I am I want more of you Jacob said this when we
started talking about the revival he said there are two things that will be
characteristic of this revival one purity to devotion we go back to that
this resurrection life this like lifestyle is a life pulsing with
benefits of the age to come this resurrection lifestyle is a life that
pulsating with benefits of the age to come this resurrection lifestyle is a
life pulsating with benefits of the age to come let's read second Timothy chapter
17 let's read second Timothy chapter 17 second Timothy chapter 17 can someone
read it so the spirit of God gives us power great power great love great
self-control three things great love great power great self-control so father
I need to I need to love people I give you great love father I don't know how
to break through this thing I give you great power father this has been
bothering me for years and I'm still here and I'm still here and I can't get
out I give you great self-control all of which are realities that is so easily
accessible to us by his spirit and I want to touch on the fear part because I
know two days ago when we met that's something that eventually the Holy
Spirit led us to that and I want us even right now as we sit here to look at
areas in our lives where we know we are afraid I want us to look at areas in our
lives right now where we know we are we have fear sometimes we can ignore it
think about it please sometimes we hide it because there are other things that
are going so well and God is saying today that my power my resurrection
resurrection power will free you from fear will completely free you from fear
it is your inheritance all of myself belongs to you I do not give you half of
myself I did not give you a little I'll give you all of myself and so as you
now open your heart as you now say I need you in this area I've desperately
you I'm here fear has no room the peace of Jesus Christ has room now the
security that comes from Jesus has room now the healing that comes from Jesus
has room now
it's time
I know I talked about all of this but here's the other reality the other
reality is that because we live in human bodies and because of the environment
around us it is easily possible to be dulled to the immeasurable capacity of
this resurrection life that even now as we hear we hear but because of the world
around us because of the noise it is easily possible and because we live in
human bodies that are limited by sin it is easily possible to be dulled to the
immeasurable capacity of this resurrection life it is possible I'll
read a verse and then we'll go there let's read I love this verse man
Philippians chapter 314 you don't need to read it I'll read it listen to me
though Philippians chapter 3 verse 14 I press on toward the goal for the price
of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus I press on toward the goal for
the price of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus there is an upward call of
God on my life there is an upward call of God on your lives you cannot deny it
even though the the physical body we are in that is limited by sin even though
the environment against around us even even though there is noise around us
that try to dull us to the immeasurable capacity of this resurrection power
even though all of that is true there is an upward call of God on each and every
one of our lives there is an upward call of God I have these balloons here
to illustrate this as best as I possibly can there is an upward call of God on
our lives that yes everything that I said so far is true and we are walking
around on earth as we walk around on earth we're limited by our human bodies
we're limited by sometimes that which is around us and while all of what I said
is true the image immeasurable capacity of God's
resurrection power doesn't really show it's like look at this they don't even
look like balloons but we're walking right but there is an upward call of God
on our lives you can't deny it you can't deny it regardless there is an upward
call of God on our lives and what God is saying today is this it doesn't matter
how it's looking when you press into what I have this power that we are
talking about is not a power that is limited by that which is around you this
power is not a power that is limited by our inabilities this power is a power
that will go up because there is a resurrection power available because
Jesus rose from the dead and can't keep him down he's resurrected and this power
cannot be kept down it's impossible to keep this down I want this to go into
our thinking I want to see the the first balloons that I talked to you about or
showed you around but this is the truth of his world and the good news for us
is about this is where I need your help there you go okay good good it's working
so far last move the second balloon is me this is who I am and guess what when
I am with him I need your help here too father this is where don't say don't waste this
there you go almost there and because I am with Jesus joking aside because I'm
in him because he is in me because his power is true because it will never fail
because I want to go back to that verse Philippians 3 14 there is an upward call
of God on my life there is an upward call of God on your lives and regardless of what our
situations look like regardless of how the noise around us make or try to control our life the
truth is that this upward call cannot be stopped and so that's it this upward power of God is real
it cannot be stopped it cannot be stopped don't look at it now look at me please we'll get it
done don't worry we'll leave it there for Jacob but please understand this there is an upward call
of God on our lives and it cannot be stopped it cannot be stopped this power will break through
every situation every block every other power that comes against us and it cannot be stopped
think about this upward call go back to the first words that we read and it ties in with the
resurrection story too I don't have any more goodies that's it it ties in with the resurrection
story too which is what did the the women do they went to the tomb looking for Jesus and then in
that verse that we read from Colossians it says set your mind on things that are above and when
you set your mind on things that are above then you will seek it you can't seek the things that
are above when I am setting my mind on things that are below but when I set my mind on this upward
call of God on my mind on my life on this upward call of God on your life then I start seeking this
and then because this power is never mine or developed by mine to begin with and because this
power is fully his and because this power is fully his fully his you're not contributing to
this power thank God I am not contributing to this power thank God all of this is all of him and
because of that it cannot be stopped and I want us to so walk around this week and starting now
in the reality of this truth there is no going back because God is preparing us for that which
is he has in front of us and this is the direction we go this is the direction we are walking say
couple more things we'll finish right on time or much before that because it's only 1230 five
minutes and we'll wrap up let's read Ezekiel chapter 47 verse 9 Ezekiel chapter 47 verse 9
swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows there will be large numbers of
fish because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh so where the river flows
everything will live I'll read it again swarms of living creatures will live wherever this
river flows wherever this resurrection power is whenever this resurrection power is active
wherever this resurrection power flows into swarms of living creatures will live when it
touches a dead situation there is life when it touches a dry situation there is greenery when
it touches desert there is joyous singing when it touches thirsty lands there is springs of water
when it touches my weakness there is strength where it touches when it touches that which
I have longed for and is my inheritance it is available and the reason I read this verse
is because it also takes us back to what we've been talking about that this body the way God
is commissioning us now is not just for ourselves this truth is for the world outside this truth
is for our colleagues at work this truth is for our friends this truth is for us this truth is
for the ones we meet on the streets this truth is for the rich it's for the poor this truth is
for the single and it is for the married and forever because he was laughing this truth is
for all of us and all that God wants today is for us to say we are not celebrating just an event
we are not here to celebrate an event we are here to celebrate an event and walk in this
resurrection power because this is so much ours the way God has set us up set this up is so good
because it is not based on our abilities or inabilities can you imagine what life would
be like if we were asked by God to do things based on our abilities Wayne is laughing that's
right response man we are so privileged because our Savior did it all he died he rose again
and he said I'm giving all of myself to you and this power is available to you it's for you to
partake in it's not just for you it's for everyone you meet and so I closed with this one thing
because soon after Jesus resurrected when he met the disciples he addressed two things one he
addressed hardness of heart then he addressed lack of belief or unbelief and it's important
to note that because even with everything we are saying everything we are running after we don't
want to be people with the hardness of heart we want to be people whose heart can flow any which
way God wants it to flow we want to be a people who a people not few we want to be a people who
will run when God says this way all together we want to be a people in whom he cannot find
unbelief because we trust him well because we have arrived as a body to a place where we know
you have led us well we look back only to press on forward with this upward call of God on our
lives we are not meant for this earth there is an upward call that cannot be stopped the balloons
are still there I can't bring it down unless someone else does something that's the truth it is there
and I pray that during this week we will remind ourselves of this that this resurrection power
is available for me and I'm going to walk in it and it's not based on my abilities but I'm going
to align myself with myself with the directives of the spirit with the laws of his spirit and
then I'm going to run after him and everything else he does that's it Tony can you come up and
sing break the chains and as we sing the song sing it in response to what you've heard sing
it in response to about dry areas I need life there in areas I need life about I need you to
come in and break chains because this resurrection power is active I want us to respond to God and
his truth by singing the song and what I believe is that when we sing it things will shift things
will move only because he is true to his word and his power is available Jesus I just want to thank
you for everything that you've done that allows us to be here to celebrate today your resurrection
is way beyond anything we can comprehend and the sacrifice that you made is also way beyond anything
we can comprehend so father I just and Holy Spirit I ask that you would really especially this week
especially this week because you want to solidify this in our in our lives and in our thinking and
in our spirits so I ask that you would really remind us constantly of your resurrection your
resurrection power and the things that you're calling us to be because you have indwelled us
and there's nobody here who's here by accident father so I ask on behalf of all of us
that you would make us really aware of you this week and make us responsive may we not put up
barriers and things that will hesitate and put up all the things that we're habitually doing to
separate us from what you want for us I pray that you would work on us miracles so that we come back
next week with great great stories and I ask this in the name of the risen Christ amen