April 17: The Resurrection

Good morning, again, welcome to those of you who are visiting us today. You are joining us at 32 weeks into the sermon series. We started in September with telling the entire story of the Bible. From beginning to end. We started with Genesis the beginning of September. And today, we have caught up to the resurrection, which I'm very excited to talk about and then we'll continue on through acts in May and end with Revelation. So if you're interested in what you've missed, you can find our sermons online or you can listen to the podcast. But more importantly, if you want to see how the whole story and you can come back with us to the rest of the series. But before we get to the resurrection, I have to get us all on the same page where we've been so far. I'm going to try and do it officially cuz we've covered a lot of what we've been saying throughout the sermon series. Is that the Bible is the story of God's plan, to establish a Place full of people who live out their purpose in his presence. Those are the four things. You remember, you can tell cuz they all start with the same letter. Place people purpose presents. The parts of God's plan song. God made the world and he put human beings in in the Bible says he made us for a particular function that he designed us to rule over this world on his behalf. That's what we are made for each came down to live with us on the seventh day. And that was the goal. That was the design that God wanted all along for us. The problem is that human beings messed it up. We aren't actually very good at obeying God's as I know, we will be good at it if we wanted to be, but we don't want to follow God. We want to build our own kingdoms and self. The first she was messed it up in their kids, messed it up and their kids mess it up, and it just kept getting worse and worse. Until God launched a plan to restore Humanity, back to his design, and that plan involves using one particular group of people the Israelites. I'm giving them one particular place to live the land of Israel, and he came down to live with them in the temple. And he gave them a purpose. And their purpose was to live in God's presence in a way that would show the world who God is and what he wants for his people until God gave them strict rule. They are our extensive rule 613 guidelines of how to live out his nature hit, how to show the world who he is in their culture. And we call that the law of Moses is it this was the whole point that Israel would be a light to the world. Would be a nation of pre-soak, the whole world could look at Israel and see who got it is and what he wants for his people. Unfortunately, the Israelites weren't any better at following God than the rest of us. And so they rebelled against God and rebelled against God and rebelled against God and it got so bad that at one point. She said the only way I can reveal who I am and what I want a for Humanity through this kingdom is to say not that whoever I am whatever I want. It's whatever I want the it's not what is happening in Israel until that point. He declared the Covenant broken and he sent the people into exile to demonstrate to the world. This is not what I want. I want something greater than this. So the 20 to Exile Some of them got to come back about seventy years later. They built a new Temple. But the exiled an end because God didn't return to that Temple. They didn't get the rest of the Jews. Didn't return to the promised land. They didn't get to rule over the promised land. Didn't get to enforce almost none of the important parts of the plant got reestablished. And so the juice that to work on trying to get every get everything on track again by their own efforts. So what they did was they said. All right, the problem obviously is the Gentiles, they messed it up for us. So no Gentiles. The Gentiles are going to help us build the temple. They're certainly not going to be allowed in the temple. Will kick them out of Jerusalem, and we will not have any dealings with Gentiles are lawbreakers. We're just going to cuddle in here by ourselves and keep the law as meticulously as we can to make sure that Nobody messes it up and we'll just keep everybody in an arm's length. Witches. You may recognize is the opposite of the plan, which was for them to be a light to the Nations, until they try this way of building God's Kingdom for about five hundred years, and it doesn't work. And then suddenly a man appears on the scene named Jesus. We find out that God has sent Jesus to call Israel, back to the plan to call Israel, back to God's design for Humanity. And that's the story that we've been telling you for the last 6 weeks or so, as we get ready for the portion of the story that were in today. I'm going to help you get your bearings in the store each week. We look at these four kind of coordinate to help you understand where you are in a Bible story. If you're reading it with a plan in mind you look for who is the story about? Where is their home? How can they meet with God and what did God tell them to do? Normally, we have a special passes that we read for this, but I'm just going to catch you up on what we've been saying about Jesus. Okay. So at this point in the story, the story of the Bible is about Jesus and the juice, it is still about the Jews because the Jews are still gots people. And God is committed to saving the world through the juice, who's going to save them through the Jews or not at all, because God keeps his word and he has sent Jesus to leave them and 2 to return the Jews to God's plan. So that threw them, he can save the world. So, Jesus is designated by God as their leader as the one who's going to restore the plan through Israel.

Where is their home? Their home right now is called Galilee and Judea. Those are two Roman provinces. And that reminds us that the Israelites are not in charge right now. They have been conquered by the Romans and the Romans can carve their territory up. However, they want and fairly arbitrarily. They've carved it into Judea and Galilee and there's a a king over Galilee and there's a Roman Governor over Judea, but that isn't the presence of Roland's in the promised land is an ever-present reminder that the people are in Exile.

A very important question of all, the Jews would have been asking if this time is, how can they meet with God? Their understanding. Is that the place you meet with God is the temple? And most of them are aware. They've been talking about the fact that God hasn't returned to this new Temple. The prophets talk about that but they're waiting for a day when God will return and they know that the place that will return his to his Temple. Unfortunately, most of the missed the fact that God's presence actually returned to Earth in Jesus. There's a moment when Jesus was baptized and the Holy Spirit descended on him and God Spirit visibly tangibly, return to Earth until actually, if you want to meet God, the place where you'll meet God now, is in Jesus. Which is a part of the tragic. Irony of the fact that the Jews are going to execute Jesus in order to protect what they think, is the real Temple. And that leads us to the purpose. What did God tell Jesus to do? Jesus mission is to restore the kingdom of God to Earth, which that is the way that Jesus free. When he says the repent for the kingdom of God is near, that's his way of saying that God is ready to restore the plan to The World. God is going to become king again. And so the God is ready to end the Exile and to move things forward to Israel, better get on board. Because he has realized the Jews have been going the wrong way. And that's why Jesus says repent. He's not just talking to individual people and he says that he's talking to a whole nation that has been on the wrong path of following God and he said, you need to get off this path because it leads to destruction. We should all to mately did forty years later, the Romans destroyed them because they're on this path of constantly fighting against the Romans to protect their lot. He said instead of to avoid destruction need to follow my way and anyone around forgiving people and killing people and restoring people into the community of God and created this family of people who are committed to living out the mission of Israel. According to Jesus's teachings for you. What Jesus said was the right way to obey God and to live out his plan. And after three years of this, Jesus went to Jerusalem to force the Jews to make a choice. Do we go seats ride into the city on a donkey, declaring himself to be the Messiah, and he goes to the temple. And he says, this whole thing is wrong, this whole system, you built is wrong. This is not what God calls us to do. We are called to love our neighbors. We are called to be light to the world. Until he forces the juice to make a choice. And the Jewish leaders, do not take kindly to this Challenge. And so, when they can't refute him in in public debates, they conspired have an executed and they, they arrest him in the middle of the night, and they charged with treason against the temple and they convinced him. And they hand them over to the Romans. And then they pushed the Romans to execute him in and Pontius Pilate. He stands Jesus up to the crowds. He basically gives the Jewish crowds of Israel to Choice. Are you going to protect us? Are you going to defend this man, or are you going to tell me to kill him? And the crowds rejected Jesus because they rejected what he said about what it meant to be God's people.

And that's where we left off the story last week. So, today on Easter. We are talking about the climax of the story. Not just the story of Jesus, but the entire story of the Bible. How is this going to? If you're here, you probably know how the story goes, but I'm kind of going to pretend that you don't because if you hadn't heard this story for a long time, you would be surprised at how it goes. The people witness that. We're certainly surprised the story of Empires in towers and floods, and, and fiery mountains and God's finger carving laws, all these these huge stories have boiled down to this confrontation. Jesus. Going to the cross. Let's see what happens.

The soldiers Let Jesus away into the palace. That is the Pretoria man called together. The whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him than Twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him and they began to call out to him hail King of the Jews again. And again, they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him falling on their knees. They paid homage to him and when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him, then they let him out to crucify him.

This scene is a is a perversion of the expectations of Israel for their Messiah. They expected their Messiah to conquer the Nations and to have the rulers of the world at their feet, cowering, and and proclaiming the Messiah to be king of the Jews. So I'm to promise this. And instead, when Jesus comes into his kingdom. They are doing it in mockery of him. But maybe he's just waiting for the best moment. Or maybe he's just making it more dramatic. They got they crucify him but it takes a long time. It takes days for a person to die when they've been crucified. So it's even when he was on the cross. The story is not necessarily over and there's certainly some people there who whether they do that genuinely or not are are waiting to see what God is going to do to. Someone ran filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it in his on his staff and offered it to Jesus to drink. Now, leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes down to take him down. He said,

This is a test this moment and the terms of the test for anyone watching is that if God lets this man die than he is. Not the Messiah because God would not allow his Messiah to be humiliated and killed. We talked about this in our sunrise service. This morning, that a dead Messiah is a Failed Messiah until for them. This is the test. If he dies, he's not the Messiah.

Do naturally with 31 weeks invested into this. There are thousands of years for the Jews and that's in the story. Clearly. He's not going to die. Except with a loud. Cry. Jesus breathed his last.

The first part of the story is that Jesus confronted the powers and Jerusalem and let them humiliate and execute.

And every person in the city would have been convinced in that moment that Jesus was not the Messiah. Because he's dead.

And he died without finishing the job. He died without doing any of the things that the Messiah was supposed to accomplish. And if Jesus is, that was where the story ended, that, that would be what we think of Jesus today. Another, and a long list of failed. Messiahs who were killed by the Romans.

But the story doesn't end there. Is a couple days later, some of Jesus's followers, some women go to pay, respect to his body and they find the tomb open and empty. And the first they assume that the body was stolen. But then these two men appear, who look, rather like angels and tell them that Jesus is Alive.

And then elsewhere, there are these two disciples who are leaving Jerusalem to go to the town of Emmaus and they run into this guy on the road. And they start talking about how disappointed they are. That Jesus turned out not to be the Messiah, cuz they really thought he was. And this guy says, no, you don't get it. That is exactly what was supposed to happen to the Messiah and they talked about this as they walk. And then at one point, they stopped on the road to have a meal. And as they're eating, this man breaks, a piece of bread and suddenly they realize it's Jesus. And then he disappears.

Later that day. All the disciples were gathered together in their talking about these things and trying to make sense of what on Earth is going on. While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them. And said to them, peace, be with you. They were startled and frightened thinking, they saw ghosts, which makes sense. Right? Because he appeared in the locked room without going through the door, right? Normal people. Don't do that. He also disappeared from in from the right in front of the two guys on the road to Emmaus. And they have been walking with her the whole time that they didn't quite recognizing. Like, this doesn't sound like a normal person. Sounds like a ghost. He said, why are you troubled and why do doubts rise in your mind's? Look at my hands in my feet. It is I myself touch me and see a ghost does not have Flesh and Bones. As you see, I have When he had said that he showed them his hands and his feet and while they still did not believe it because of Joey animes with a ask him if he ask them. Do you have anything here to eat? They gave him a piece of broiled fish and he took it and ate it in their presents.

Odd turn for the story. He died was killed by the Romans. But then, on the third day, Jesus rose from the dead and ate some fish.

Ever, wondered about that fish. It's a weird detail. He ate some Royal Fish. Why we care about the fish. I'm in argue today that the fish is there to support the most important thing for us to learn in the story of the Resurrection. In fact, I almost title this sermon the fish, but I thought that was a little underwhelming. But the fish is a big deal when we asked why the fish.

Is because it helps us to answer the bigger question that you may not be asking. A much bigger question. The most important question, which is, why does any of this matter?

Yes, I caught you before. Why does the fact that Jesus died and rose from the dead matter? He's not the only one. Use the sixth person in the Bible, to rise from the dead. In fact, the most recent one Lazarus was in the grave longer than Jesus was. Nobody thought the world change when Lazarus came out of the grave. Nobody thought the world changed when the shunammite woman son came back to life or most of them. We don't even know their names. Why does the death and resurrection of one person matter? The normal way that we answer that question is with a logical argument with with philosophical arguments with theories. When you go to Seminary you study this at they call them theories of atone. They are a logical arguments to explain why the death and resurrection of Jesus matters to us and you have to memorize and get tested Moral Moral influence Ransom. Substitutionary atonement penal substitution area tournament and Christus. Victor was the ones I learned. They're all different arguments about why this matters and usually were presenting the gospel to someone. Do you end up having to do it? That's where this question really comes up. And so you may have used a subset atonement theory. If you've used the Romans road or the wordless book, because we end up telling people, not just Jesus died and rose from the dead, but we have to convince them why it matters and he usually do something along the line of well, you send, and because you said doesn't matter how little the thing is, you deserve to die. But there's a loophole that if one innocent person dies than anybody who's guilty that trust in his, that he died, who believes that he died. They get off free. And we have to convince people that that's how the world works, but that's how God works. And we have to make that logic obvious. Can I find a doctor harder sell to make to convince people in their souls? That that's the way God was especially since that's how our legal system works. Like if you we had a judge you said I'll let everybody off a death row. If one in the person will die for them. It's A Hard Sell to convince people that that's the way the universe works. Another struggle that we have with this is that the Bible doesn't give us one clear, explanation of why the death of Jesus and the resurrection magazine actually gives us a whole bunch. It talks about the resurrection of Jesus, and a whole bunch of different ways. All these different image. That's why there's so many theories of atonement. Why does the bible use all these different images and all these different arguments? It was because the Bible doesn't give us this, this Cosmic law that we have to accept the Lord to understand that Jesus's death and Resurrection matters to us. It gives us a story and if you track with the story, it reveals why the resurrection of Jesus matters? Because the Bible tells the story of Jesus. The way you tell a joke. And the resurrection is the punchline. I don't mean anything. Disrespectful for that by that. Let me explain. I'll give you an example. Okay, not claiming is the greatest joke in the world, but it works for three example K. So the pope is in the Vatican as he often is and his assistant runs, and he says, Holy Father. Holy Father, terrible. This horrible does calamitous news. Our Lord and savior has returned. And he's on the phone for you. And the Pope says my son. Our Lord is returned. Why? This is excellent news. This is amazing. News is the best news I could ever be. Why would you call this bad news? And it doesn't says because Holy Father, he's calling from Salt Lake City.

To the degree that that's funny. It's because the punchline past all this information that you suddenly realize, and your brain works. It back through the story and that realization of how the punchline explains the story that makes you laugh. If I tell you the story straight, it is not even remotely funny or even interesting. They try it. So Jesus return to Salt Lake City because it turns out the Mormons were right after all, and then he called the Pope in, the pope was disappointed. Not funny, right? But the punch line, it past the information in and then you suddenly realize and read it back through the story. That's the way the Bible tells the story of Jesus. You're not expecting what happens but it because you just tell the story safe, great news. Wonderful news. The best news ever. Jesus was sent here by God and he preached the gospel to the Jews and they rejected him and and he's and they turned over the road to the Romans kill them. You say Good News. Why would you call that? Good news? That's horrible news. That's the worst news ever, you say, ah, but you rose from the dead and he ate some fish. But now, we have to explain the fish thing. What is the fish thing all about? Well, it helps us distinguish between Jesus's resurrection and all those other resurrections because Jesus, the first thing that is very clear to his followers, is it? Jesus is not in a normal state of existence, right? He goes through doors. They can't always recognize them. So they see ghosts. But he shows them his wounds and he eats the fish and that proves to them, not ghost alive, but not normal alive. Some other kind of alive. And the juice have a category for this. This we actually have the testimony of one of the men who was in that room telling us what they saw. John in the opening of his first letter in the Bible. It says we Proclaim this, we Proclaim to you, the one who existed from the beginning. Then we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched it with our own hands. He is the Word of Life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us and we have seen him. And now we testify on Proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the father. He's revealed and then he was revealed to us.

That phrase eternal life. That is a key phrase that he's using to describe what he saw in Jesus. Eternal life in Greek and Hebrew, it actually means life of the age. It's not just a different quantity of life and is a different quality of life, the different kind of life. It's the kind of life that you get in God's age it. So what John is telling us is that the fish proof that Jesus was not a ghost. He had received a new kind of Life called eternal life. Through his resurrection is different from all those other resurrections. But why does that matter? Well now we have to figure out what eternal life means. So let's rewind. The story are going to go back to the very first place that the phrase eternal life is used in Genesis 3, telling the story of Adam and Eve in that original design that God had it with the first time with everything was working perfectly. When the people were in their place feeling it, fill a filling their purpose in his present. The result was eternal life. After Adam and Eve broke their. The commands. God says, the man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil, he must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take from the Tree of Life and eat and live forever. Those words live forever. Those are the same worth the life of the age and it's the first time we hear about this eternal life that Adam and Eve had access to when the design of the world was properly work. There seems to be that when all the pieces of God's plan on working that it is the sum is greater than the parts in the human beings have this thing called eternal life. And so when God speaks to the Israelites about what it will be like when they finally get their act together. And when God finally gets his design working, aren't you'll notice. I'm going to read you a passage from Ezekiel, you'll notice that this passage includes all four of the parts of the plan and wrapped up in the middle of it. Is this idea of eternal life.

Ezekiel. It says I will take the Israelites out of the nation's where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back to their own land place. They will no longer to file them cells with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses. For I will save them from all their sinful backsliding and I will cleanse them purpose. They will be my people and I will be their God, people, they and their children and their children's children will live there forever and David, my servant will be their prince forever. I'll make a covenant of peace with them. It will be an Everlasting, Covenant. I will establish them increase their numbers and I will put My Sanctuary among them Forever presents. My Dwelling Place will be with them. I will be their God and they will be my people. Here is How It Ends. The Nations will know that. I the Lord make Israel. Holy When My Sanctuary is among them forever. The Nations will know, because the goal of this whole thing of working through Israel so that the nation's will know. So as God is promising them, that everything is going to get put back together in twine, in the middle. Is this idea that whenever he's put back together, there will be eternal life. And this is why the tradition among the Jews grew up that? That at the culmination of all things, there would be. This thing called the resurrection of the Dead, which is not a concept, but an event that would happen. When all of God's people will be resurrected to live this new eternal life with God. Do eternal life is the sign that the mission of the Messiah is accomplished and the plan is restored. When all the pieces are put back together, then eternal life comes.

And when you understand that, you can start to understand the punchline, the punchline is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Eternal life has already come. Right in the middle of this world, right in the middle of this age. Without the, without the military to feed the Roman Empire, all these big things that people are expecting in what Jesus did somehow things have best been set, right? So that eternal life is here. And once you realize eternal life is available and present, then you start to work back and fill in the gaps understanding just like the punch. You can work out exactly what all of this means simply from the fact that Jesus is Alive. Because first of all, if Jesus is Alive, then the plan is already restored and the resurrection of the dead has begun this. Hope that we have in something that will happen in the future. It's already started two thousand years ago. This is what the Apostle, Paul tells the Corinthians. He says, in fact Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a Great Harvest of all who have died. So you see just as death came into the world through a man. Now the resurrection of the dead has begun through another man. That's not a concept. Set an event that is already started just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam. So everyone belongs to belongs to Christ will be given new life, but there is an order to this. Resurrection Christ was raised as a first of the Harvest than all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back. The resurrection of Jesus is a down payment on eternal life. We know it's coming because we've already seen it start in. Jesus is revealed to the world, through the resurrection. Do whatever Jesus did worked. The plan has been restored it. So if Jesus is Alive, if that's what Resurrection means in, Jesus is Alive, then as we continue to work out the logic. That means that he really is the Messiah, the king of Israel. And the world, you wouldn't think he was the king because you didn't get a crown of gold. He got a crown of thorns and he didn't get, he got beaten by soldiers, instead of bow down to him, and his throne was being nailed to a cross. And yet, when God raised him from the dead, he said, that is my king, that is what my king looks like, that is what my king does. So, like it or not agree with them or not. If Jesus is a light, you have to accept that. Jesus is King. It can't be any other way. You can't be alive and not them aside. This is what Peter tells the people of Israel on Pentecost, 50 days later. He's talking to the same crowd that called her Jesus to be executed. There are probably people in the crowd who watched him die. And he says, God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all Witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God. He has received from the Father, the promise, Holy Spirit and it's pouring out what you now. See and hear. Therefore tell all that. All of Israel, be assured of this. God has made this Jesus. Whom you crucified both Lord and Messiah. If Jesus is Alive, then he is King. He must be. The only reason he would be alive. And if he is alive, and if he is King. Then what that also means that he must have been right about what it means to follow God. Remember, Jesus spent his whole Ministry in this controversy with the Jewish leaders about what it looks like to follow, God and the Jewish leaders, we're safe enough. We need to stay away from Jen's house as much as we can. And and we're going to keep the law to take us if he can wear to stay as far away from people who break the law as we can. And if anybody tries to mess with us, we will fight them to the death of Jesus. Dad is not what God's kingdom is about. And that was their whole their whole confrontation. And so the Jewish people were waiting for a messiah who would fight to the death for the lot and Jesus died for the world. And as you think about the way, Jesus died. Also think back to what, Jesus taught about what it looks like to follow guy to obey. God, any part of his plan is that I tell you do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps, you on the right cheek turn to them the other cheek also, and if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt hand over your coat as well. I tell you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you that you may be children of your father in Heaven because his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get be? Perfect. Therefore as your heavenly father is perfect. You see how that lines up with exactly what Jesus did in his confrontation, with the leaders in Jerusalem. When we cover The Sermon on the Mount, we talked about how do a lot of people try to dismiss The Sermon on the Mount as exaggeration or something. That's just for Saints, or pastors are missionaries. But if if The Sermon on the Mount is not realistic, if it isn't meant to be taken, literally, if it's just an exaggeration, then look at the way. Jesus went to the cross and tell me he didn't mean that sermon. If Jesus is Alive, then that means he died the right way and for the right reasons and that means the, what Jesus says about what it looks like to follow, God is true. It must be or he wouldn't be alive.

Expected it to be a little quiet here because Jesus The Sermon on the Mount as some pretty severe commands. Just the ones I listed there are hard enough as we realized Jesus's, right? Well, then I am in trouble.

I was a lot more comfortable with what the Jewish leader said. It looks like the father God, I can hunker down and just follow a list of rules and ignore everybody else. But we're not done with talking about what the death and resurrection of Jesus means. Because remember we talked about this, the biggest obstacle to Israel being restored, has been the fact that they broke the Covenant that in full view of the world than they were supposed to be following God. They set a terrible example of what it means to follow God and they rebelled against him and God had to publicly say, whatever I want for my world. This is not it. And if she brings them back without dealing with what they have done, then he basically tells World. It doesn't actually matter. What you do. You can, you can represent me. However, you want. So the fact that Israel has broken the Covenant rebelled against God is an obstacle to the plan being restored. That's what's been holding everything up for 500 years. So if the plan is back on track and what that must mean, is it a failure of Israel has been dealt with? Jesus is Alive that he must have freed Israel from their sin. If you'll ever struggled with why the death and resurrection of Jesus matters for you and you struggled with the logical arguments that we have used to explain that. I'm going to ask you to not focus on that. There are important things to delve into as we talked about why Jesus died and why is resurrection matters, but the reason why we know for sure that it changes our state is because Jesus is Alive. When God brought Jesus back it proved that the job was done. If there wasn't in our sins, hadn't been dealt with than the resurrection would not have started. Paul talks about this in Galatians. And I don't think that this is just personally The Way I Are. You see inspiration scripture? I don't see evidence in the in the letters that the Holy Spirit like revealed Cosmic law to Paul. The other people hadn't seen Holy Spirit as he worked out, the logical implications of the resurrection. And so he says, if Jesus is Alive, then Israel sins must be dealt with. And what did he do to deal with him when he died on the cross? And so Paul can then say something like that Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us for his written. Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole?

The curse that Israel deserve because they broke the Covenant. That was part of the Covenant. They sign. It must have been dealt with or Jesus wouldn't be alive. It's all we trust that the resurrection changes are size before God and changes Israel status before God because Jesus is Alive and his life changes everything. If he's alive, then forgiveness is possible.

Plain and simple and I'm sure we'll all be amazing Dazzle. Then we get to heaven and are able to see fully exactly how and why it works that way. It'll be amazing to see the intricacies of God's plan on this side. We trust he's alive. This is what Jesus says life must mean there is forgiveness for us and that threw that forgiveness his life becomes available to us.

That is one last part of the plan that of all of this, that must be true. If Jesus is Alive. And this is where for me, I get really excited about telling the story because this is what we find out that the story. To be weird way of saying it. I didn't practice it this way. The story is about the story is what I mean. If Jesus is Alive in the planets with filled, then Jesus must have to fill the mission to bring light to the Gentiles. Does the job isn't done for Israel and tell they have made it possible for the world to look at them and see who God is and see what he wants for his people. And the problem is that Israel has been Bailey this over and over in a matter what they do, no matter what path, they tried my hardest fight. They do when they cannot seem to get it to where people can look at them and see, God is really powerful, scription Isaiah that describes the struggle that they have. It says as a pregnant woman about to give birth rise and cries out in her pain. So are we in your presence? Lord? We were with child, We rise in labor, we gave birth to wind. We have not brought salvation to the earth and the people in the world have not come to life. Their mission was to represent God to the world end and they couldn't do it. But here's the amazing thing that happens. Jesus comes along towards the close of their story, and he goes to these people and he tells them exactly what it looks like. If I love God, and exactly what God wants for his people, and he lives in their presents to the letter and he dies on their behalf, and then he's raised to life. And now, what we find out is that Jesus has completed that story because instead of looking just at Israel and their struggles. We looked at Jesus and his victory and we look at him to see who got it is and what he wants for his people. In the person of Jesus. The mission of Israel's for Phil. And this was always the plan. In Romans. Paul says, Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteous, this for everyone who believes this is where a really important shift happens in the Bible. Instead of talking about the law. We start talking about faith.

Because for the Jews, the mission was follow the law to reveal God, to the world. And when Jesus was resurrected the mission changes, it becomes trust in Jesus. And what he did to reveal the nature of God and the mission of humanity to the world. Instead of being the people who reveal God's plan to the world. We are the people who pointed Jesus, and Jesus is the one who accomplished the mission. So if you want to know, who God is and what he wants for his people, look at the cross. Look to Jesus.

Our mission changes from being the representative of God in what we do to pointing to the representative of God and what we do.

If you versus later, Paul says, if you declare with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart, that God raised him from the dead. You will be saved. What it says, believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. That doesn't mean you just believe a historical fact that a heart that stopped pumping started pumping again. It means that you believe that Jesus came back to life and everything, but that Resurrection means to confess with your mouth, that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart, that God raised him from the dead, is to believe that he has fulfilled God's plan for the world, is to believe that he is the Messiah, is to believe that he was right about what it means to follow God's. It means to believe that he really did atone for our sins and deal with our feelings before God. And it means to believe that he is set. The example that all nations can follow.

It means a whole life engagement in the message of Jesus and what he did when he died on the cross on our behalf. Amman.

As we close, I'm going to ask you to consider what next steps. Maybe put it in front of you. We believe it's a church that every time you hear the gospel preached. You have an opportunity to respond. You seen some people already respond to the gospel by getting baptized today, and that was wonderful. And and I don't know what step daughter is put in front of you. But we have a few that we that happen a lot and we like to prepare you for number one that you haven't given your life to Jesus. Then I can tell you. I put it on your heart today. If you have not yet given your life over to Jesus. He is always putting that on your heart and we would love to have you commit your life to Jesus to respond to that message, and to take on the new life that he offers to his people. Do you like to do that today? You can come down as we sing the final song. You can talk to one of our ministers. After church. If you're online. We love you to get in touch with the church office or talk to a Christian that you know, and trust. But today is always the best day to give your life to Jesus. But given your life to Jesus isn't just a solitary thing. It's about being part of a family that Jesus makes that goes to his life together. And so, if, if you given your life to Jesus in The Next Step might be to join a small group or service team. Our small groups, our groups together together to study, and to pray for each other and 2, to get investing each other's lives and our service teams get together to serve the church or just serve our community in different ways. One of those encourage you to check the box on your connect card.

Finally, if you want to be part of a local family, this evening to live out, the design of God in this place, that is seeking to point people toward Jesus, by the way, we live, by the way. We love each other. That is who this congregation is seeking to be and we would love to have you join with us. If you'd like to find out more, you can check the box on your connect card, to attend a connect class where we get together after church. We have some food. We talked about who this church is and what we do and how you can be a part of it. No, those are just some of the things went. Maybe put it on your heart. That could be lots of other things that I know nothing about that. He's calling you to consider. I would encourage you as we stand and sing our final song to be open to a Jesus is putting on your heart. Let's Fannin St.