Easter 2018

0:00 You know, Easter used to be the most stressful day of the year for me. I hated it because I was a pastor and pastors hate Easter. It's just, it's horrible because so many people show up, you know, in the normal setting, most of you guys are regulars, but it was a day everyone visited and you felt like, if I do well enough, they might come twice a year, you know, or something like that. But you get into this mode of so many people are coming and your mind, you start thinking, I want to please all these types of people. You know, the people that come once a year, I got to do something for them. The people that came to worship Jesus for his resurrection, I got to do something for them. People like this may be their one time there. Their marriages may be falling apart. Some people are coming. They're suicidal. This is their last hope. And you're thinking everyone.

0:52 And I just remember my goal was, man, I want everyone leaving like having gotten something, like they were pleased. But then it hit me. It's like, wait a second. It really hit me this year. What is the goal of this? What is the goal of an Easter service? Is it is all the pressure on me to make you leave here happy? No. or is there another person here right here that we believe raised from the dead so he's literally here and my whole goal is God I want you to be most pleased during this time like I wonder how many of us came with that mindset we say we celebrate that Jesus Christ is risen and that Here we are having a celebration of him.

1:47 But seriously, did you come here at all with that mindset going, he's going to be there and I want to please him. I want to make this the greatest Easter ever for him. Because in my heart, I want him to be pleased. You see, I realize I don't normally think that way. And let's admit, most of us, we are very self-centered. We come here and we think, am I going to like it? And what do I want to get out of it?

2:21 Rather than really coming here and saying, what would please him most? Let me just think through what would please God, him being here right now. What would please him most? If I really believe he sent his son and his son suffered for me, God, then I want to come and I just want to please you. I want to sing in a way that pleases you. I want to pray in a way that pleases you. Even right now, God, I want to speak in such a way that you're just pleased. But I don't normally think that way. I mean. Most of us, like, when we make decisions in life, we start with us. What do I want? And then some of us who are believers will go to the scriptures and go, let me make sure I'm not doing anything that goes against the Bible.

3:18 But you see what we're doing? We're putting ourselves first and we're asking God, what would you tolerate? versus starting with the question, God, what would please you most? See, we buy the car we want to buy. We buy the house we want to, you know, buy. We get the job we want, and we go, would God be okay with that? See, that's a big difference between that and going, God, what kind of car would you want me to buy? What would please you the most? Where would I live if I cared about you most and pleasing you most. You guys, I'm not preaching like, yeah, you evil people. I'm looking at my life this week going, gosh, how many decisions do I make for the sake of Francis? Baptism was supposed to be Francis dying and rising again to what pleases the risen Christ the most. But that's not how I make decisions. That's not how we as Christians make decisions.

4:15 and I realized I wasn't even doing church in a way. And being the church in a way that pleased him most. When I started my first church like 25 years ago, I thought to my, yes, I am that old, I know. I look so, I was two. And so, you know, you gotta forgive me. I was just a toddler. But I seriously thought, what kind of church would I wanna attend? that's not a good question i thought what kind of church would i like to attend because maybe that's the type of church that other would people would like to attend and that was just a natural thing to ask and of course i wanted to be biblical but i start with me and so i ask you like here i am years later and i'm going god reading this book what would please you most it's you see again I'm not judging I'm gonna this is what we naturally do in America and I even think about when Lisa and I first got married you know how when you're first married you buy gifts for each other but you end up buying stuff that they don't like a lot of times because you don't know like like Lisa I like practical gifts like get me something I'm gonna use anyways don't get me something that I don't know if I'm really going to use. And meanwhile, she likes stuff that she would never buy for herself. And I don't know that. I'm just thinking, let me get her something practical. You know, this frying pan should last a long time. You know, like those types of things because that's what I want. Give me some like strong chopsticks. You know, like whatever is gonna last. It's practical. I can use it, you know, and so I'm giving her practical stuff. Meanwhile, she's buying me worthless things, and I'm just going, what, you know, so every birthday is like, oh, okay, thanks, honey. Another shirt I don't need, you know, like, and just kind of holding

6:21 it in, but then you get to know each other, and you realize, oh, my gosh, so you don't like that? One year, I was buying her a car, a car. A used car. I used... Of course a used car. Come on, it's not a good deal. The Asian side of me will not buy a new car.

6:46 But still, she finds out because I'm like, gosh, do I get an SUV? Do I get a me man, this or that? And she finds out and she goes, that's not a gift. Not a gift. I see all those commercials where there's a bow and they're like, yeah, but that's a Mercedes. You know, but it's like, but it was just, she goes, but that's something we need anyways. And so that's not a gift. And I remember that year being so like, I shopped, I looked, I tried to think, you know, you want something that you don't need. Okay. So I bought her a pair of sunglasses and she already had like 12 pairs from Target. And, but I thought, okay, I'll get her some nicer sunglasses and a bag of candy.

7:30 She starts crying with joy. I was going to get you a car and you were bummed and I buy you a bag of candy and glasses and it makes you cry. That is so crazy. Like, I don't get it. I don't get it. But I also realized like with birthdays, like the last thing I want is a party for me. I hate, hate parties. So she's surprising my friends over. Meanwhile, I'm like, I hate this, you know? And then on her birthday, It's like, hey, it's just you and me, baby. We're going to go to a nice dinner. And she's like, boring. You know, like, where's the party? You know? But then over the years, you realize, I don't want to give you what I want. I want to give you what you want. You want to party and a bunch of worthless stuff? You're going to get it. You know?

8:22 And she's like, you don't want to be a party? You want to be left alone? Yep. You know, just like, this is what we'll do then. Why? Because you realize this is what she wants. And so with this kind of party for him, me as a pastor for years, I was thinking what will make them happy? What would make me happy? And I never just looked at the scriptures and say, what does he want? What kind of party does he want? Does he want the type of party where we just get as many people as possible there that don't even care about him? You know, according to the scriptures, what does he want? Man, he had the big crowds and he usually just told them, look, if you're not that into me, you can go. Man, what do you want me to just do a bunch of tricks for you so you stick around, do a bunch of miracles? No, if you're not willing to die for me, look, I don't have any use for you. That's the way he would speak. And I'd be like, whoa, that's what he wanted. And so this year I thought, okay, God, if I just wanted to please you, if we all came, and I know we all came with different mindsets, but I'm saying now, from here on out, the last few minutes of the service, last few minutes of this party for him, what would he love? And I look in scripture and I look at that early church and they were devoted to the things that he loved. See, when we think church, we just think, what do I like? What do I?

9:56 No, when they started, they're like, let's devote ourselves to things that he commanded. And it says that they devoted themselves. Listen to this. It says in Acts 2.42, they devoted themselves to fellowship. Like devoted. Not they showed up for an hour a week. They devoted themselves and said, you know what? This is what God wants. He doesn't want just me talking about God. he wants everyone talking about him. That means if God had it his way, then all of us would have shown up talking about him to each other.

10:45 That's what would have pleased him the most. Not everyone show up and listen to Francis or listen to John. It's like he would have loved it, like God would have loved it. And maybe the next time you gather as a church, you think this through. And really, he wanted this every day. You know what would please him? You know the kind of party he'd want? It's like every time you run to another believer, you go, man, here's what God did for me this week. Let me tell you what he's been doing. Not just Junior getting up and telling you what he did in his life, but he would just hear us all going, talking to strangers and saying, man, I got to tell you what God did for me. this week. I just got to tell you what he's done in my life. I got to tell you how great he is. That's what their fellowship was. The other thing that they devoted themselves was prayer. They devoted themselves to it. It wasn't like, hey, let's just close your eyes and just keep it closed till I say amen. But it was like a devotion because why? He wanted them devoted to it. Not one guy up front praying, but everyone committed to prayer. Why? Because he doesn't want us just talking to each other about him. He wants all of us speaking to him. God wants to hear all of our voices. We have a tradition in our house. Every time it's someone's birthday, I don't know when we started, Lisa started it because it's kind of foofy, but it's good. It's been awesome. I mean, I just don't think, you know, I just like, just give me something I need and party's over. But And she's like, why don't we go around the table and let's say it's Rachel's birthday.

12:27 Everyone shares something that they love about Rachel. It's pretty cool. You know, and so with seven children and then the two of us, it takes some time, but it's like everyone shares something. And you know what? What our three-year-old would share and what this 50-year-old would share are completely different, right? She wants to hear everyone's voice. Doesn't she? You know, it's your birthday. It's like, okay, I want to know, what does Mercy have to say about me? What does Mom have to say about me? What does Dala have to say about me? What are they all? I want to hear the different voices from the different. You know, a lot of times in church, we try to sound like the guy up front. And we're scared to pray because I can't pray like her. I can't pray like him. Is that really what God wants you to do? Pray like me? Yeah, a joyful noise. But it's like, what does he want?

13:24 Just like, what do I want? Do I want my three-year-old trying to sound like mercy? No. Yeah, and I don't want you sounding like the three-year-old. You know, it's just, I want to hear from you. And so what pleases God is us being devoted to prayer in such a way where everyone's helping. And that's why sometimes at our prayer gatherings, it's like, man, he wants to hear from all of us. It's just two people praying all the time. This isn't a great party. Just like I would be so offended on my birthday if we line up the seven kids and Lisa and like three people shared. Okay, everyone share what you love about dad. It's like crickets. Like, we got to remember him. They were devoted to prayer. The other thing they were devoted to, and this I just learned this week, okay? not that I just learned.

14:20 Okay, never mind. Okay. Communion, the Lord's Supper. I know he wanted us to be devoted to it, but I just got a whole new picture of it this week. Because honestly, how many of us here could say, I have been devoted to the Lord's Supper? Like this is what I live for. I love it. I love it. And it hit me this week, Thursday night, my little house church, we did our Good Friday on Thursday night just because I wanted to beat all of you. So we won. We were done first. And no, it just worked out for us. But Thursday night, we were taking communion, and it hit me. The Bible says we're supposed to recognize the body of the Lord. We're supposed to recognize the body before we eat or drink.

15:19 Because he says, if you eat of this bread or drink of this cup without recognizing the body, you'll actually eat judgment upon yourself. And he says, that's why some of you, you're weak, you're sick, and some of you even died. Because you didn't recognize the body of the Lord. Now, understand. And so when we take communion, which we're going to do in a little bit, all of us should remember, okay, we're supposed to, we're doing this because we remember his body, because this would please him. Well, come God, we still remember, and we'll declare this till you return. I remember your body and blood, and I'm going to take of this bread and take of this cup like you commanded 2,000 years ago, because this pleases you. And so I'm going to remember his blood. I'm going to remember his body. This is not just a piece of bread. This is not just, you know, some juice. This is your body, your blood that I'm going to recognize.

16:15 But. What does the Bible call the body of Christ in the New Testament? The church. What does he say? 1 Corinthians 3.16, you are God's temple. You are the body of Christ. That's why he got so mad in 1 Corinthians, because he says, you guys, some of you are getting drunk. There are people that are coming getting drunk. There's other people coming to the food, which are going to have food, and they're just, you know, just eating and not even recognizing, man, some people are actually poor and don't even have food. Meanwhile, you're just stuffing yourself. You're not recognizing the body.

17:01 And right before he took that first Lord's Supper, right before he died, you know the picture of Michelangelo? The whole, was it Michelangelo? Da Vinci. Yeah, they were friends. And I'm not into art at all. Okay. I mean, we jogged through the Sistine Chapel when we went. It was like, ah, boring. Anyways, so Da Vinci, I knew he was one of the turtles.

17:30 So the whole idea was when he took of that Lord's Supper, the first one, right before he did that, he washed the disciples' feet, right, in John 13. and he says to them, a new command I give you. I want you to love one another just as, key word, just as I've loved you. He goes, I want you to love each other to that extent. And it didn't hit me till this Thursday when I was staring at the bread and the cup. I'm looking and going, man, Jesus. And on Friday, my son and I, saw the passion of the Christ again. Just heavy, right? And I'm going, this is what he went through for me.

18:25 And now I'm looking in my house like a dozen other people and going, you went through that for me. And that's what you want me, you want me to love these people in my house to that extent, to where I would go to the cross for them? you want me to love them just as you've loved me like what would please you most is that we would be that kind of body who has ever thought of that during communion who has ever thought about that for the church why because we're too busy thinking about ourselves man i am self-centered here's what i want out of a church and i'm looking god going man you want us to love each other to that extent He wanted those early believers to go, look how much I love you. Now do it to one another.

19:18 Just like when he washed their feet, he goes, I want you to do this for one another. I'm not telling you wash my feet. I'm telling you wash each other's feet. And we can easily say in the church, oh, I love you so much, God. And God's saying, prove it by the way you love each other. I want you to devote yourselves to these people. So we had to look at each other on Thursday night and go, man, are you in? Seriously. Like, you're going to love me. I know you guys care about me, but you're going to love me to that extent because that's what God wants. Are we going to pursue that? And I had to look around the room and go, oh, my gosh. Am I going to love these people to that degree? God, help me. This is what you want? You died for me. Yeah, I'll do it. I'll do it.

20:09 And just look to the people. What's mine is yours. We're family now. We're going to do this. That's the type of communion he wants. And then the last thing I'm just going to share is that it says that the last thing they committed to, devoted themselves to, was the apostles' teaching. Okay? Those were the four things the early church committed themselves to. They said it's the fellowship, the prayer, the Lord's Supper, and the apostles' teaching. And what I realized is when we think apostles, when we think teaching, we just think someone like me getting up and sharing a 20, 30 minute message. But that's not what it was about. It was about people themselves devoting themselves to learning the scriptures. And that's why he says, look, you know, Paul tells Timothy, until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture. And I realized something I've done for years is Jesus said, I'm the good shepherd.

21:15 He goes, my sheep, they hear my voice and they follow. And what happened was I was so much about. Thanks, buddy. I was so much about preaching so well and keeping everyone's attention. And then pretty soon people got addicted to a style of teaching. And it was like they committed themselves to hearing my voice, but not his.

21:49 And I realized they were devoted as long as I was giving the message. And going, wow, Jesus, my sheep will listen to my voice. They'll follow me. and so I thought, man, what would happen if I just read a chapter from the Bible today? Could it be that even if you've been tuning out a little bit and out of my message, that's fine, but now that I'm going to read from his lips, would you hang on every word? Because that's what would please him. You know, when you blow out the candles, you know, sometimes they go, speech, speech. And then when that person speaks, because it's their birthday, you just, to show honor, you just hang on every word. And so I thought it'd be so honoring to him if I read 1 Corinthians 15 about the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and you hung on every word, because it's not Francis time anymore. Jesus is speaking. 1 Corinthians 15. Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I deliver to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas and then to the 12.

23:35 Then he appeared to more than 500 brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, although some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James and then to all the apostles, last of all, to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is in me. whether then it was I or they so we preach and so you believed now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead how can some of you say that there's no resurrection of the dead if there's no resurrection of the dead then not even Christ has been raised and if Christ has not been raised then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain we are even found to be misrepresenting God because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise, if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only? We are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, for by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive, but each in his own order. Christ, the firstfruits, then at his coming, those who belong

25:45 to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father, after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For God has put all things in subjection under his feet. But when it says all things are put in subjection, it is plain that he is accepted who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the son himself will also be subjected to him who puts all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? Why are we in danger every hour? I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord. I die every day.

26:50 What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus if the dead are not raised? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. Do not be deceived. Bad company ruins good morals. Wake up from your drunken stupor, as it is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. But someone will ask, how are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come? You foolish person, what you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. for not all flesh is the same, but there's one for humans, another for animals, another for birds, another for fish. There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind and the glory of the earthly is of another. There's one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, another glory of the stars for star differs from star in glory.

28:13 So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown perishable, what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor. It is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness. It is raised in power. It is sown a natural body. It is raised a spiritual body. If there's a natural body, there's a spiritual body. Thus it is written. The first man, Adam, became a living being, and the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the natural, then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust. The second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust. And as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven.

29:11 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. I tell you this, brothers, flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead shall be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When this perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. Oh, death, where is your victory? Oh, death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord, your labor is not in vain.

30:43 Amen. It's more powerful than anything any of us could say. It's the Word of God. And the Bible says the Word of God is like the rain from heaven. It comes down and it always accomplishes what it needs to do. Like the rain doesn't fall from the sky without hitting the dirt and, you know, making the seeds do what they do. You know, it's going to accomplish. And he says, in the same way, that's what my word does. Just read it, and it'll accomplish something here. That's different from my words. I could say something, it'll go in one ear, out the other, without anything happening. But he says, my word isn't like that. It's living, active. It'll get in your heart. And that's my prayer.

31:35 Maybe some of you today, you hear that and you go, man, I have not been serious about pleasing God first. I have not been steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. I've been about me. And this is what we're going to do. Some of you, I'm not going to have John play music. Because I know sometimes we just do that in church. Because maybe that will move people to come forward. You know, I just go, you know what, God? Let me just throw it out there. If you need prayer today, because you go, you know what? I need to be changed. I'm not living for Jesus. I want someone to pray for me. And you said you were supposed to devote ourselves to prayer. I'm going to have like some of the pastors and women's leadership. Would you guys just come forward and stand up here? Maybe elders and some of the women's leaders just stand up here if you need prayer.

32:28 And let me just, I wasn't going to do this, but since it's here. Oh, here it is. Okay, I brought this with me. You know, I stay in hotels a lot, almost every week. So it's one of those do not disturb things you put on your door. I didn't steal it from it. I ordered it from Amazon. Okay, just so you know. Your pastor is not a thief.

32:58 I still have the receipt. Do not disturb. You know, you put that in the door because you're like, I don't want anyone coming in here. Just leave me alone. I got it. And I feel like a lot of people come to church like this. Like, I kind of like my life as it is. Don't come in and disrupt things. Okay, I just came to a little Easter service. Just want to come for an hour. You already surpassed that. I just want to be left alone. And sometimes we put this up in our hotel room. It's like, you don't really need to make up my room. It's not that bad. But there are times you flip it over and it says, please fix this place. It's what I pay you for. You know, right? It's like, I want you to just come in and change everything. And I guess I ask, what do you come with hanging around your neck today? Is it this do not disturb sign? Like, I kind of like the life I have right now. Or do you just go, you know what?

34:01 Jesus, I need you to come in and just change everything. Would you just clean it up? My marriage isn't where it's supposed to be. My priorities isn't where it's supposed to be. If I were to die today, I don't even know if I'd go to heaven. Like, I need you to come in. The beautiful thing is the Bible says, Jesus says, I'm knocking on the door. He literally says that, behold, I stand at the door and knock. and some of you maybe you've had this hanging around your neck forever like don't disturb me don't disturb me and maybe as I read the word of God today you go you know what I'm flipping that sign around I need someone to just pray for me right now because I need to be changed and I've been trying to do it on my own I've had this do not disturb sign thinking I can clean myself up and I'm just done.

34:57 I need what Junior was talking about. Come into me. God, fix this area in my life. And so if that's you, I'm not going to have everyone close their eyes. God just wants us devoted to prayer and saying, if you want prayer right now, why don't you stand up where you are and just come to one of these people and have them pray for you.