WEBVTT 00:00:00.540 --> 00:00:00.860 Amen. 00:00:00.860 --> 00:00:01.160 Church. 00:00:01.200 --> 00:00:02.300 Let's just try it one more time. 00:00:02.620 --> 00:00:03.320 He has risen. 00:00:04.019 --> 00:00:06.960 Oh, that sounds beautiful. 00:00:06.960 --> 00:00:10.340 It's wonderful to see your faces this morning as we gather to worship the Lord. 00:00:10.380 --> 00:00:13.700 How about a round of applause for our music team leading us in worship? 00:00:13.700 --> 00:00:17.440 Appreciate all that. 00:00:17.520 --> 00:00:19.980 Thankful for them. 00:00:20.120 --> 00:00:23.090 And I'll tell you what, this one deserves an even bigger round of applause. 00:00:23.220 --> 00:00:23.740 We had a. 00:00:24.140 --> 00:00:30.020 We had a lot of volunteers put in a tremendous amount of effort to make sure we had this opportunity to gather together. 00:00:30.080 --> 00:00:33.880 How about a round of applause for all our volunteers serving us this weekend? 00:00:33.880 --> 00:00:36.400 Appreciate them very much. 00:00:36.660 --> 00:00:40.510 How about one more for those getting baptized today we have 25 people getting baptized. 00:00:40.880 --> 00:00:41.950 Thankful for that. 00:00:42.480 --> 00:00:42.840 Yeah. 00:00:42.880 --> 00:00:43.380 It's good. 00:00:43.440 --> 00:00:45.950 Good to celebrate what the Lord's doing in our lives. 00:00:46.220 --> 00:00:53.600 And you know, I know on an Easter Sunday, we have a mixed crowd here today from younger to, we'll say, wiser in years. 00:00:53.600 --> 00:01:01.260 And so I know I'm on borrowed time depending on our ages, but I do want to just recognize for us as we gather here, 00:01:01.260 --> 00:01:04.540 my remarks, I'm going to keep them under 20 minutes for us, if you can give me your attention. 00:01:05.440 --> 00:01:12.140 And just recognizing the importance of today, what this means for us, especially not knowing where everyone's at. 00:01:12.160 --> 00:01:14.540 I mean, this is this is the anthem of our faith. 00:01:14.940 --> 00:01:22.120 This is the reason we gather, even when I look at a room like this today, and I just consider the work that God's done, 20 years ago when I moved here 00:01:22.120 --> 00:01:25.980 to Utah, when I came to know the Lord, I was a pagan, wild child. 00:01:25.980 --> 00:01:27.820 God radically transformed my life. 00:01:27.880 --> 00:01:31.030 I wanted to go to a place in this world where I felt like, God, you can just. 00:01:31.200 --> 00:01:34.800 I am just willing to lay my life down however you desire to do that. 00:01:34.840 --> 00:01:42.040 And just seeing the way that God has brought a community together, other people united and just saying the same thing to the Lord. 00:01:42.060 --> 00:01:48.420 If you'd asked me 20 years ago, like what are your expectations moving to Lehi, Utah to see what God could do? 00:01:48.600 --> 00:01:51.220 I don't know that I could have ever fathomed something like this. 00:01:51.260 --> 00:01:55.000 And just seeing a gathering and the way God has brought a community together. 00:01:55.060 --> 00:02:03.240 But here's one thing I just recognized in looking at a room like this today, man, if our hearts collectively were we're just sold out to Jesus and 00:02:03.240 --> 00:02:05.560 we could turn the world upside down for the glory of God. 00:02:06.660 --> 00:02:13.800 This is an incredible opportunity for us just to spend time in God's Word together, recognizing the significance of who he 00:02:13.800 --> 00:02:14.420 is. 00:02:14.480 --> 00:02:21.600 I mean, this today we're here to celebrate the greatest figure in all of history taking taking place in the 00:02:21.600 --> 00:02:25.620 in the greatest event of all time through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. 00:02:26.680 --> 00:02:33.740 And when I think about the different gospel writers and the way they introduce Jesus to us, the one that kind of captures 00:02:33.740 --> 00:02:40.860 my mind as I think about the significance of his identity and what this event means, is the writer 00:02:40.860 --> 00:02:46.050 of the gospel of Mark, Mark, and introducing us to the figure of Jesus. 00:02:46.440 --> 00:02:52.800 He does something rather unexpected in declaring us who Christ is. 00:02:52.980 --> 00:03:00.120 And what Mark does is it's somewhat shocking, a bit bewildering as he begins to unfold this gospel 00:03:00.120 --> 00:03:00.970 story. 00:03:01.160 --> 00:03:01.160 He. 00:03:01.280 --> 00:03:04.560 He starts to tell us not not just the things that Jesus did, but he. 00:03:04.700 --> 00:03:09.260 He spends really the first eight chapters of this gospel telling us who Christ is. 00:03:09.540 --> 00:03:09.580 But. 00:03:09.680 --> 00:03:15.380 But in every encounter, he's describing us about the Lord and the significant things that Christ is doing. 00:03:15.520 --> 00:03:21.060 He then tends to end those miracles with a common theme. 00:03:21.300 --> 00:03:26.160 And you see this addressed over and over as Jesus interacts with different people. 00:03:26.180 --> 00:03:33.660 And in Mark chapter one, when he talks to a leper, he after he heals him, he says, see that you say nothing to anyone or 00:03:33.660 --> 00:03:34.760 to the demons. 00:03:34.760 --> 00:03:41.680 He strictly ordered them not to make him known or even to raising a young girl from the dead. 00:03:41.680 --> 00:03:47.920 Jairus daughter, Jesus says he strictly charged them that no one should know this. 00:03:48.700 --> 00:03:55.980 And you just see that theme perpetuating as he heals a deaf man in Mark chapter seven, and again, a blind man in Mark chapter 00:03:55.980 --> 00:04:03.020 eight do not even enter the village, he tells them, after this miracle has taken place, which 00:04:03.020 --> 00:04:06.920 is a bit of a challenge when you think about the significance of who Jesus is. 00:04:06.980 --> 00:04:14.100 I mean, I think in this room today, if we were in charge of Jesus's life and wanting to get that message out, you might think 00:04:14.100 --> 00:04:18.339 to Jesus, Jesus, I feel like this is a little bit counterintuitive to what you're about. 00:04:19.420 --> 00:04:26.620 If you're the most critical figure in all of human history and the greatest event is going to take place through 00:04:26.620 --> 00:04:32.420 you, we should probably let people know and maybe, maybe it just might be detrimental to our cause. 00:04:32.500 --> 00:04:36.200 If you just end every one of the miracles by telling people, stop telling people. 00:04:37.600 --> 00:04:39.000 Why? 00:04:39.260 --> 00:04:42.640 Why would Jesus do such incredible things? 00:04:43.840 --> 00:04:47.710 But then go to this extent that he would tell us, but don't say anything about this. 00:04:49.000 --> 00:04:49.460 What is. 00:04:49.640 --> 00:04:53.080 What is Jesus gaining out of these miracles? 00:04:53.100 --> 00:04:55.220 But then telling us to keep quiet? 00:04:55.260 --> 00:05:02.320 Well, as you read the gospel of Mark, you find that the hinge point of this story comes right in the middle 00:05:02.320 --> 00:05:03.260 of this gospel. 00:05:03.840 --> 00:05:05.000 In fact, it. 00:05:05.080 --> 00:05:08.560 The hinge point happens three times in the gospel of Mark. 00:05:08.560 --> 00:05:15.040 It's in the second half of chapter eight, and then in the middle of chapter nine and again in chapter ten. 00:05:16.300 --> 00:05:21.740 Jesus does something significant in these portions of the gospel of Mark. 00:05:22.480 --> 00:05:29.760 And as you look at Mark chapter eight, verse 26, when he tells the blind man, do not even enter the village, he then takes this moment to turn 00:05:29.760 --> 00:05:35.070 to his disciples and give them a little bit of lesson into his own identity. 00:05:35.540 --> 00:05:42.900 And he does it this way, the way, the way that Jesus does this in verse 27, I think is paramount not only in the first century, but especially 00:05:42.900 --> 00:05:45.440 for us here in the 21st century. 00:05:46.460 --> 00:05:47.720 And Jesus does this. 00:05:48.580 --> 00:05:52.990 Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. 00:05:54.520 --> 00:06:00.920 And on the way he asked his disciples, who do people say that I am. 00:06:02.340 --> 00:06:05.120 And then as I begin to answer him, and it says. 00:06:05.120 --> 00:06:12.200 And they told him, some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others one 00:06:12.200 --> 00:06:13.250 of the prophets. 00:06:14.440 --> 00:06:21.480 And then Jesus asked him the most important question who do you say 00:06:21.480 --> 00:06:21.900 that I am? 00:06:23.200 --> 00:06:24.100 And the story goes on. 00:06:24.100 --> 00:06:26.750 Peter answered him, you are the Christ. 00:06:27.820 --> 00:06:30.960 And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. 00:06:32.300 --> 00:06:39.440 We start to discover within the context of the story why Jesus was repeating this statement over and over again. 00:06:40.180 --> 00:06:47.300 And the reason Jesus is driving to it at this particular passage is because while people are certainly seeing the things 00:06:47.300 --> 00:06:52.680 that they did, their picture of who Jesus is warped. 00:06:53.080 --> 00:06:59.590 They have this understanding or thought as to who the Messiah should be, but it's not truly who the Messiah is. 00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:07.200 Guys, can I just tell you one of the greatest theological challenges in our lives that's not just in an intellectual understanding. 00:07:07.200 --> 00:07:10.260 I understand that theology is an important thing. 00:07:10.280 --> 00:07:15.920 Who God is defining that in our lives, but our theology drives what we do. 00:07:16.040 --> 00:07:19.500 Everything you do in this world is determined by a belief. 00:07:20.540 --> 00:07:24.370 And can I tell you one of the greatest challenges we have as people? 00:07:24.520 --> 00:07:26.160 I've seen this over and over again. 00:07:26.160 --> 00:07:30.340 As a pastor, I can almost tell you, every one of us in this room struggles with this. 00:07:31.480 --> 00:07:38.700 It's that our tendency is to think too much of ourselves and too little 00:07:38.700 --> 00:07:39.320 of our God. 00:07:41.500 --> 00:07:48.620 Our struggle as human beings is to think too much of who we 00:07:48.620 --> 00:07:55.800 are, and even the battles we might face, and too little of the greatness of 00:07:55.800 --> 00:07:57.760 the glory of our God over us. 00:07:58.360 --> 00:08:05.440 Because if we really believed what scripture said, then when we leave from this place, we would live in such a way that 00:08:05.440 --> 00:08:11.180 it would not only transform the lives of the people around us, but we would see the glory of God made known through the state. 00:08:11.300 --> 00:08:14.320 And this is exactly what Jesus is saying in this passage. 00:08:15.300 --> 00:08:19.790 He's driving them to the most central question they could ask in all of their hearts. 00:08:22.150 --> 00:08:23.400 Jesus, who are you to me? 00:08:25.460 --> 00:08:26.580 Lord, who are you? 00:08:29.100 --> 00:08:36.140 Peter, in these moments gives the profound statement you are the Christ, the Messiah, the 00:08:36.200 --> 00:08:38.600 promised one, the Anointed one. 00:08:39.620 --> 00:08:43.919 And we might look at this and think, at this moment how wonderful that Peter. 00:08:44.179 --> 00:08:48.190 Peter gives this answer, and Jesus seems to be satisfied with his answer. 00:08:48.660 --> 00:08:49.680 But shortly. 00:08:49.680 --> 00:08:56.940 Right, right after this, you find in this passage that it's Peter himself who just after these moments says it like this. 00:08:57.280 --> 00:09:04.460 Jesus began to teach them, The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed. 00:09:04.620 --> 00:09:06.820 And three days later rise again. 00:09:06.880 --> 00:09:08.330 And he said this plainly. 00:09:09.460 --> 00:09:12.600 I mean, Jesus didn't want any mistake in his identity. 00:09:12.680 --> 00:09:19.740 He's trying to communicate this clearly that the way to victory for their lives is through 00:09:19.740 --> 00:09:20.520 his suffering. 00:09:22.880 --> 00:09:25.900 And the hearts of the disciples could not fathom this. 00:09:26.540 --> 00:09:28.010 I mean, Jesus, you're the king. 00:09:29.140 --> 00:09:32.100 You're the Messiah, you're the anointed one. 00:09:33.000 --> 00:09:35.380 You're the path of victory. 00:09:35.380 --> 00:09:37.300 You're the one that we've waited for. 00:09:37.300 --> 00:09:38.270 What are you talking about? 00:09:38.720 --> 00:09:39.710 The end of your life. 00:09:40.300 --> 00:09:47.210 And then, and then Peter comes to Jesus and says, he says to him, and he began to teach them that the Son of God must suffer many things. 00:09:47.280 --> 00:09:50.020 And it goes down in verse, end of verse 32. 00:09:50.080 --> 00:09:53.320 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 00:09:53.320 --> 00:10:01.400 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, get behind me, Satan, for 00:10:01.400 --> 00:10:07.060 you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man. 00:10:09.960 --> 00:10:17.020 Even though Peter had a concept of what the Christ was about, he 00:10:17.020 --> 00:10:20.540 missed the beautiful story of which Jesus came to fulfill. 00:10:22.260 --> 00:10:22.360 He. 00:10:22.680 --> 00:10:29.820 He didn't fully grasp the significance of who Christ was, and because of that, 00:10:29.880 --> 00:10:33.320 even Peter's own heart was lacking in these moments. 00:10:34.460 --> 00:10:41.640 And then Jesus says something interesting, something I think is critical for all of us to understand that unless you take this 00:10:41.640 --> 00:10:47.960 particular path Jesus is about to pronounce for us, there is no real life in Christ. 00:10:48.040 --> 00:10:52.860 There is no true understanding in what Jesus has done for you and for me. 00:10:52.900 --> 00:10:57.260 And so these very next words are significant as he's told. 00:10:57.380 --> 00:11:03.280 Peter, look, Peter, you may have said with your mouth who you think I am, but your heart hasn't truly embraced it. 00:11:03.380 --> 00:11:10.400 And then Jesus gives this statement not only not only just for his disciples in the first century, but this is a particular statement to echo 00:11:10.400 --> 00:11:15.100 throughout the centuries and understanding the significance of Christ in our life. 00:11:16.340 --> 00:11:20.740 He says this, I'm calling the crowd to him with his disciples. 00:11:20.740 --> 00:11:27.820 He said to them, if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his 00:11:27.820 --> 00:11:30.240 cross and follow me. 00:11:31.280 --> 00:11:34.060 For ever would save his life will lose it. 00:11:34.900 --> 00:11:40.810 But whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. 00:11:41.860 --> 00:11:49.260 Jesus is saying that the path to really walk with him, the path to know him, the path to find life 00:11:49.260 --> 00:11:56.460 in him, is about surrendering all that you are to all that he is, because Christ is surrendering his 00:11:56.460 --> 00:11:58.250 life for you. 00:11:58.740 --> 00:12:04.550 What Jesus is describing for us is the way to relationship with the Lord, a way to intimacy. 00:12:06.300 --> 00:12:11.280 You know, it's unique for us as human beings, the way that God has crafted us. 00:12:11.620 --> 00:12:15.440 As you know, God said in the beginning when he created you, he made you in his image. 00:12:15.440 --> 00:12:19.300 That makes you distinct than any other creature God made in this world. 00:12:20.200 --> 00:12:27.200 You alone are crafted in the image of God, which says you were created intentionally for a 00:12:27.200 --> 00:12:29.040 relationship with your creator. 00:12:30.100 --> 00:12:33.960 But the problem for all of us is that sin has separated us from the Lord. 00:12:35.220 --> 00:12:42.440 But because of what Jesus has done for us, the king has come for his people, and he has given his life so 00:12:42.440 --> 00:12:44.400 that we might find freedom in him. 00:12:44.800 --> 00:12:51.980 You know, one of the things I think is important to remember regarding this Easter celebration, Resurrection Sunday, is that when Jesus 00:12:51.980 --> 00:12:55.020 went to the cross guys, he didn't go as a victim. 00:12:57.440 --> 00:12:58.060 He went as a victor. 00:12:59.660 --> 00:13:05.730 As a substitute for your life and for mine, so that we could find freedom in him. 00:13:06.480 --> 00:13:13.820 And Jesus is inviting us into the intimacy of a relationship with the Lord because of the sufficiency of his sacrifice 00:13:13.820 --> 00:13:14.960 for our lives. 00:13:15.020 --> 00:13:22.720 And he's telling us, the only way to truly discover this is to lay your life down, vulnerable. 00:13:24.220 --> 00:13:26.740 The only way to true intimacy is through vulnerability. 00:13:28.120 --> 00:13:35.440 And I understand in life that sometimes we go through experiences where we might have entrusted ourselves to something, and 00:13:35.440 --> 00:13:39.500 in entrusting ourselves to something, it's burned us on the back end. 00:13:39.660 --> 00:13:43.640 And we try to wise up to that and say things like, well, I'm never going to entrust this again. 00:13:43.920 --> 00:13:49.560 I'm going to guard my heart and protect myself because I don't want I don't want to experience that pain. 00:13:50.700 --> 00:13:53.320 And I think rightfully so, there can be some wisdom in that. 00:13:53.320 --> 00:13:55.860 Proverbs tells us to guard our hearts because in. 00:13:55.860 --> 00:13:57.440 It is the wellspring of life. 00:13:58.880 --> 00:14:06.000 But when it comes to relationship with the Lord, there is no true relationship with Christ until you lay your life 00:14:06.000 --> 00:14:06.580 down. 00:14:07.560 --> 00:14:11.980 And sometimes we might think, well, I don't want to get burned again, and we want to, we want to guard our heart. 00:14:12.020 --> 00:14:19.140 But, in guarding your heart, what ultimately ends up happening is while you may keep your heart distant, your heart over time becomes 00:14:19.140 --> 00:14:19.700 hardened. 00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:28.980 And the only way to true intimacy is vulnerability and trusting myself and 00:14:28.980 --> 00:14:36.260 the way to find that heart will not get trampled is to find that the one you're entrusting in is worthy 00:14:36.260 --> 00:14:39.100 of the trust for which you might give him. 00:14:40.480 --> 00:14:43.560 This is why it becomes important for us to consider what is it? 00:14:44.120 --> 00:14:45.260 I think of Christ. 00:14:45.440 --> 00:14:46.220 Who is this? 00:14:46.340 --> 00:14:47.720 Jesus? 00:14:47.740 --> 00:14:50.240 Has my heart completely given over to him? 00:14:50.240 --> 00:14:54.040 Have I discovered the reason for which I was created? 00:14:54.040 --> 00:14:57.900 And have I found my life renewed in the one who gave his life for me? 00:14:57.900 --> 00:15:04.940 If I'm going to entrust myself to anything, why not entrust myself to the King of Kings who became the servant of servants, 00:15:05.000 --> 00:15:07.720 that my life might find new life in him? 00:15:09.720 --> 00:15:13.500 Peter, we find in this passage miss this moment. 00:15:15.640 --> 00:15:23.180 But, guys, having seen the resurrection of Christ, Peter then goes on to 00:15:23.280 --> 00:15:26.060 pen the letter of first and second Peter. 00:15:27.540 --> 00:15:33.080 And if you were to take the time to just read through the letters that Peter write, you would. 00:15:33.160 --> 00:15:33.540 You would. 00:15:33.560 --> 00:15:39.430 Or Peter wrote, excuse me, you would find at the beginning of first Peter chapter one, Peter says it like this. 00:15:41.180 --> 00:15:46.260 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:15:47.300 --> 00:15:54.800 According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ 00:15:54.800 --> 00:15:55.980 from the dead. 00:15:58.160 --> 00:16:03.680 Out of this moment in Peter's life where he missed that understanding of who Christ is. 00:16:03.880 --> 00:16:11.200 Now, having seen the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, he understands the significance of what Christ has accomplished for you and for me. 00:16:11.280 --> 00:16:18.320 And as he begins to pin his letter to the church in the first century, he reminds us and invites us to continue to find our 00:16:18.320 --> 00:16:25.400 souls renewed and the richness of who Christ is to stop thinking greatly of who I am and the struggles I might 00:16:25.400 --> 00:16:32.500 face and start to think about the greatness of a God who conquered it all, that my soul can rest in him as he invites me to 00:16:32.500 --> 00:16:34.600 entrust myself to his glory. 00:16:35.700 --> 00:16:37.660 And Peter says it like this blessed meaning. 00:16:39.580 --> 00:16:40.520 It's a word of worship. 00:16:42.580 --> 00:16:46.940 He's acknowledging that you as a human being, you were created for the purpose of worship. 00:16:47.120 --> 00:16:49.240 And what greater thing could you worship? 00:16:49.300 --> 00:16:51.830 But the one who has given his life for you. 00:16:52.080 --> 00:16:53.440 Blessed be this God. 00:16:54.200 --> 00:17:01.760 And then he goes on and says, according to his great mercy, Received the idea of his great mercy is this 00:17:01.760 --> 00:17:05.740 if I gave this maybe an illustration to concisely help us think through it? 00:17:05.740 --> 00:17:12.359 It's as if you were in a courtroom and that courtroom, everyone knows you're guilty. 00:17:13.300 --> 00:17:20.140 And the judge delivers the verdict and the verdict before a holy God is death. 00:17:20.980 --> 00:17:27.980 And as the judge declares your verdict, entering into the courtroom is one who comes 00:17:27.980 --> 00:17:33.470 before you and says, even though they're guilty, I'm going to stand in their place. 00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:41.800 Mercy is withholding from you what you truly deserve, and this is what Jesus accomplished for 00:17:41.800 --> 00:17:42.770 you on the cross. 00:17:43.640 --> 00:17:45.640 It is finished. 00:17:46.220 --> 00:17:48.700 Jesus is more than enough. 00:17:48.720 --> 00:17:52.920 And as Peter describes this according to his great mercy, the. 00:17:52.920 --> 00:17:56.320 That should encourage our souls to worship this great God. 00:17:56.420 --> 00:18:00.300 He says he has caused us to be born again to a living hope. 00:18:00.980 --> 00:18:08.000 You know, one of the things I think is wonderful about a day like today is we get to acknowledge 2000 years ago, there was one who hung on the 00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:11.120 cross in your place and mine, and that's wonderful. 00:18:11.200 --> 00:18:15.000 But I don't just want to stop with it as an idea that happened in history. 00:18:16.660 --> 00:18:23.580 I think it's important to recognize that this is an event that continues to happen in our hearts every day. 00:18:23.860 --> 00:18:27.910 This is why Peter chose this term a living hope. 00:18:29.380 --> 00:18:36.680 He's acknowledging for all of us that your life is renewed in Jesus every moment of every day 00:18:36.680 --> 00:18:42.340 that this promise delivers to you both now and for all of eternity. 00:18:43.120 --> 00:18:45.740 That what you have in Christ will never end. 00:18:46.360 --> 00:18:52.140 This is a hope that goes on forever because of the sufficiency of what Christ has done. 00:18:52.240 --> 00:18:56.360 And then he acknowledges it through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 00:18:58.040 --> 00:19:05.460 This is the event that helps me discover who I am because of who he is and 00:19:05.460 --> 00:19:07.480 everything that he's done for me. 00:19:08.600 --> 00:19:13.280 Theologians refer to this as the great exchange. 00:19:14.060 --> 00:19:19.500 When the King of all glory became the servant of servants, so the servant can be treated like royalty. 00:19:21.220 --> 00:19:28.320 Every one of us this morning has either received that gift or has the opportunity to receive that 00:19:28.320 --> 00:19:28.560 gift. 00:19:29.940 --> 00:19:36.810 Not because we've impressed God with who we are, but because our life has the opportunity to be impressed with who he is. 00:19:37.480 --> 00:19:44.160 Look, sometimes we may think about the significance of the cross and say to ourselves like, but doesn't God know who I am? 00:19:44.540 --> 00:19:46.880 Doesn't know the struggles I face. 00:19:47.000 --> 00:19:49.540 I've got to fix this up first before I come to Jesus. 00:19:49.580 --> 00:19:53.460 And let me let me just tell you that if you struggle in that way. 00:19:54.000 --> 00:19:59.220 Once again, you're thinking too much of yourself and not enough of your God. 00:20:01.160 --> 00:20:08.220 Don't you understand the value for which Christ has placed on you with 00:20:08.220 --> 00:20:09.150 his own life? 00:20:10.680 --> 00:20:16.420 There's nothing more that you can add to the cross of Christ than what Jesus has already done for you. 00:20:17.440 --> 00:20:21.150 This is why the Bible calls it grace that it's free. 00:20:21.760 --> 00:20:25.350 Now, don't get me wrong, it doesn't mean it's cheap because it cost God everything. 00:20:26.300 --> 00:20:28.090 But it's free for all of us. 00:20:28.260 --> 00:20:32.840 It's not just it's not just for those that may not know Jesus this morning, it's for the church. 00:20:33.040 --> 00:20:35.680 And recognizing there is a God who loves me. 00:20:35.680 --> 00:20:37.860 There is a God who's given everything for me. 00:20:38.080 --> 00:20:42.060 There is an opportunity for me to find freedom in Christ every day. 00:20:42.200 --> 00:20:45.700 This is my hope and it's a living hope that endures forever. 00:20:47.000 --> 00:20:47.300 Church. 00:20:47.320 --> 00:20:48.310 This is why we worship. 00:20:49.940 --> 00:20:51.960 This is why we gather on a day like today. 00:20:52.980 --> 00:20:56.360 This is why as people, we don't even let it stop with us. 00:20:57.180 --> 00:21:04.340 But we make sure as God's people that we proclaim it to the hilt and we share it with others because of the goodness for which Christ 00:21:04.340 --> 00:21:05.640 has given us in him. 00:21:07.140 --> 00:21:10.540 When we were unworthy, there was one who was worthy. 00:21:11.380 --> 00:21:18.760 And today he sits on his throne, ruling and reigning, giving us a living hope to rest in his promises 00:21:18.760 --> 00:21:19.260 forever. 00:21:20.220 --> 00:21:20.980 So here's what I want to do. 00:21:20.980 --> 00:21:27.530 Church, I'm going to invite you to stand with us, and in just a moment, we're going to sing a couple more songs together. 00:21:27.820 --> 00:21:33.010 But I want to invite our missions team from going to Asia to go ahead and come forward. 00:21:34.100 --> 00:21:41.680 Before our services end today and in the middle of baptisms, our team going to Asia, they're going to be taking that living hope halfway 00:21:41.680 --> 00:21:42.910 around the world. 00:21:42.920 --> 00:21:45.870 And they're going to continue to proclaim the goodness of who God is. 00:21:47.060 --> 00:21:51.840 But Lord, this becomes a demonstration for us as a as a congregation and the greatness of God. 00:21:51.900 --> 00:21:55.360 By the way, family and friends, if you want to come up with them, you can and pray. 00:21:56.100 --> 00:21:58.040 Man, if you want to go come up, you can as well. 00:22:00.900 --> 00:22:05.120 But we're going to take time together as a church, just recognizing the greatness of who God is. 00:22:06.730 --> 00:22:13.840 Thankful that we have freedom in Jesus and we even have the privilege of representing this great God as we serve this world sitting in 00:22:13.840 --> 00:22:18.900 front of us now as our team heading to heading to Asia to continue to serve the Lord. 00:22:18.900 --> 00:22:23.140 But Easter is not an event that stops after, after today. 00:22:23.840 --> 00:22:29.520 I mean, Easter is an event that happens every day because of the resurrection of Christ and the new life that we have in him. 00:22:30.140 --> 00:22:31.600 So I'm going to pray for us. 00:22:32.060 --> 00:22:34.420 We're going to sing a couple more songs in worship. 00:22:35.360 --> 00:22:38.500 And let me just encourage you as we sing these last songs together. 00:22:39.980 --> 00:22:47.060 If you would like someone to pray with you, if you would like someone to encourage you in the Lord, if 00:22:47.060 --> 00:22:49.660 you're wondering, how can I know this Jesus? 00:22:49.860 --> 00:22:52.530 In the back of the room, we're going to have prayer team leaders. 00:22:52.560 --> 00:22:56.540 They're going to have lanyards on that are blue lanyards that say prayer team on them. 00:22:56.560 --> 00:23:03.640 If you would like someone just to pray with you as we sing these last songs in worship, please feel free to go to the back of the room 00:23:03.640 --> 00:23:10.800 during our time of music and just let the our prayer team just join with you and encourage you in lifting up before 00:23:10.800 --> 00:23:11.500 the Lord. 00:23:12.020 --> 00:23:19.480 If you're getting baptized, as we get ready to sing these last couple songs, those getting baptized, I want you to go ahead and dismiss yourselves and 00:23:19.480 --> 00:23:20.200 you can get ready. 00:23:20.260 --> 00:23:26.900 And we're going to meet outside together as soon as our songs are completed and we're going to partake of baptisms and celebration. 00:23:27.100 --> 00:23:28.790 But let me lead us in a word of prayer. 00:23:31.090 --> 00:23:34.380 Lord, we love you, God. 00:23:34.380 --> 00:23:36.600 Thank you for the living hope that we have in you. 00:23:37.980 --> 00:23:45.040 The beauty of the gift of today, the opportunity it gives us as a people to know you intimately. 00:23:45.400 --> 00:23:45.500 God. 00:23:48.140 --> 00:23:51.040 To ask in our own hearts, Lord, who do we say that you are? 00:23:52.600 --> 00:23:59.320 And God, in realizing as you've given your life for us, God that we would give our life to you in response. 00:23:59.740 --> 00:24:00.980 Because there's no one worthy. 00:24:02.980 --> 00:24:04.120 Not compared to you, Lord. 00:24:05.620 --> 00:24:12.640 So Jesus, help our hearts to rest in you, to find the joy for which we are created as we find 00:24:12.640 --> 00:24:13.520 new life in you. 00:24:14.680 --> 00:24:16.340 And God, may you be glorified through your people. 00:24:16.520 --> 00:24:21.900 Today we want to pray for our team headed to Asia, or that you be with them in this journey. 00:24:23.460 --> 00:24:27.880 That they would be a light and encouragement to those that they seek to partner with. 00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:31.840 Lord, that they would minister your love around this world. 00:24:32.920 --> 00:24:34.470 And so, God, we thank you for our time together. 00:24:35.280 --> 00:24:36.600 We pray all this in Christ's name. 00:24:37.440 --> 00:24:37.820 Amen. 00:24:38.620 --> 00:24:41.120 But a round of applause for our team heading to Asia. 00:24:41.120 --> 00:24:41.860 Appreciate these guys