back to indexBerean Community Church Easter Sunday 4/20/25
00:04:00.380 |
Hallelujah that every year we are able to celebrate 00:04:03.000 |
that our Lord has risen, that he has conquered death, 00:04:05.920 |
and that he is alive, reigning today and forevermore. 00:04:12.340 |
let us sing "Come, Behold the Wondrous Mystery" 00:08:02.920 |
As you guys know, we had a very busy week this week, 00:08:10.920 |
This Friday, we had our Good Friday Communion service. 00:08:35.920 |
And so we kind of, the culture that we have created 00:08:38.920 |
in the Western church where this is something 00:08:40.920 |
that we do on Sunday, and then we kind of come, 00:08:43.920 |
and then if it's inconvenient, we don't come. 00:08:55.920 |
to me, it's a week that I look forward to every year. 00:08:59.920 |
At the end of it, there's a lot of people tired. 00:09:02.920 |
There's people who've been working all day yesterday 00:09:09.920 |
But at the end of it, ultimately, it's not simply 00:09:12.920 |
because it's a special week of us gathering together 00:09:20.920 |
and refresh us that what we celebrated this week 00:09:38.920 |
a deeper impact on you than possibly it would have 00:10:05.920 |
and they'll tell you what to do at that time. 00:10:11.920 |
is going to be starting next Sunday at 9.30 a.m. 00:10:29.920 |
there is going to be a service fair afterwards. 00:10:34.920 |
and you want to find out what's going on at church, 00:11:12.920 |
So if you came here as a guest to participate, 00:11:19.920 |
if you have other questions about your faith, 00:11:44.920 |
So please visit that table after the service. 00:11:50.920 |
You saw the chairs and tables that are set up. 00:12:55.920 |
It may be multiplied for the sake of your kingdom. 00:13:50.920 |
to greet the neighbors around us before we continue. 00:18:12.920 |
♪ How sweet the sound, saved a wretch like me ♪ 00:26:34.920 |
not just the singers, but the choir director, Ohi, 00:26:37.920 |
and then there's another brother who put the piece together, 00:26:43.920 |
I know that they have been meeting together on-- 00:26:52.920 |
the scene of heaven is described as people who are in choir, 00:26:59.920 |
and that's the scene that the Bible describes for us, 00:27:03.920 |
So when we enter heaven, I feel like that's a taste 00:27:12.920 |
and, you know, different gifts, but, you know, 00:27:19.920 |
that comes out of our hearts and through our mouths. 00:27:22.920 |
So, you know, I look forward to it every year. 00:27:25.920 |
Long time ago, before all this, you know, praise team came in, 00:27:29.920 |
the choir was kind of a regular staple at church, 00:27:32.920 |
so almost every church you went to, they sang choirs, 00:27:35.920 |
but, you know, for whatever reason, that kind of drifted out, 00:27:37.920 |
so being able to see that even once in a while 00:27:42.920 |
If you can turn your Bibles with me to 1 Corinthians 15, 00:27:47.920 |
but I'm going to be jumping around in various passages 00:27:53.920 |
1 Corinthians 15, 13-19, reading out of the NASB. 00:27:58.920 |
"But if there is no resurrection of the dead, 00:28:08.920 |
Moreover, we are even found to be false witnesses of God, 00:28:11.920 |
because we testified against God that he raised Christ, 00:28:14.920 |
whom he did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. 00:28:17.920 |
For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 00:28:20.920 |
And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless. 00:28:24.920 |
Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 00:28:27.920 |
If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, 00:28:39.920 |
We thank you, Father God, that it is your mercy that carries us, 00:28:50.920 |
upon the resurrection of Christ and what it means for us. 00:29:01.920 |
May your name be magnified. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 00:29:08.920 |
"If Christ has not been raised, our faith is futile." 00:29:12.920 |
Everything that you and I are doing every single week, 00:29:16.920 |
every single Bible study, hinges upon the truth 00:29:26.920 |
and you haven't really meditated on it for a while, 00:29:38.920 |
As a result of that, maybe your faith is weak. 00:29:44.920 |
and it doesn't make the impact that it should. 00:29:58.920 |
that even the disciples had a hard time believing this. 00:30:01.920 |
When Jesus told them that he was going to die 00:30:03.920 |
and be resurrected, and then he was actually crucified, 00:30:26.920 |
Beating a dead horse basically means his hope is gone. 00:30:36.920 |
it was done for them, and they were completely lost. 00:30:58.920 |
And only in retrospect, they look back and say, 00:31:13.920 |
And Jesus says, "I will leave you a sign of Jonah, 00:31:19.920 |
I want to give you two quotes from two non-Christians, 00:31:24.920 |
in case you say, "Of course Christians are going to say that." 00:31:30.920 |
who is a Jewish scholar, a well-known Jewish scholar, 00:31:45.920 |
we have afterward attests to their conviction 00:32:23.920 |
after Jesus' death in which Jesus appeared to them 00:32:59.920 |
They reconciled, and now they're going to be one party. 00:33:35.920 |
You notice here the text that we're looking at 00:33:40.920 |
He's not trying to argue the resurrection of Jesus. 00:33:59.920 |
saw, physically, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 00:34:05.920 |
of course people are raised, if people are not raised, 00:34:11.920 |
because there's over 500 people who are eyewitnesses. 00:34:22.920 |
that many people ended up becoming Christians 00:34:39.920 |
become poverty, who are being thrown out of synagogues, 00:34:41.920 |
in their homes, they're losing their businesses, 00:34:47.920 |
if it is for their own benefit, be doing that? 00:34:52.920 |
when they study the proof of the resurrection, 00:35:17.920 |
As ridiculous as that sounds, that's one of the theories 00:35:43.920 |
But that's exactly what we are here to celebrate, 00:35:46.920 |
and that's exactly what happened 2,000 years ago, 00:36:20.920 |
Romans 1 through 4 says, "Concerning his son, 00:36:37.920 |
"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 00:36:53.920 |
Outside of the fact that God walked among us, 00:37:34.920 |
that you're going to be able to extend your life 00:37:42.920 |
is probably going to be the richest man on earth. 00:39:02.920 |
"This commandment I receive from the Father." 00:39:56.920 |
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 00:40:02.920 |
Whether you are young or whether you are old, 00:40:45.920 |
He affects everything that happens in that kingdom. 00:40:55.920 |
In other words, everything that you and I experience 00:41:15.920 |
The central thing that affects everything that we do 00:41:23.920 |
It's not what's going to happen with the tariff. 00:41:35.920 |
All these other things are ramifications of that. 00:41:40.920 |
Jesus Christ says He came to deal with that sin. 00:41:59.920 |
We have hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, and seeing. 00:42:40.920 |
I'm assuming that kind of represented of this group, 00:42:53.920 |
I don't know if it's going to change your vocal sounds, 00:42:56.920 |
but it said no one's going to tell except you. 00:44:09.920 |
is directly related to how we relate to one another. 00:44:28.920 |
have a very difficult time connecting with people 00:44:59.920 |
how it affects the relationship that we have, 00:45:06.920 |
because we have a hard time smelling our own sins 00:45:08.920 |
but we smell other people's sins very clearly. 00:45:11.920 |
We become experts at what other people are doing. 00:45:21.920 |
it affects our relationship with our children, 00:45:23.920 |
the very things that God has given to us as a gift. 00:45:39.920 |
that despite the fact that I don't want to get married 00:45:47.920 |
They're the ones kicking and screaming to get to the altar. 00:45:50.920 |
They're the ones fighting with their parents, 00:45:55.920 |
where either of the party came kicking and screaming 00:46:13.920 |
Some of the greatest pain that you experience 00:46:37.920 |
The rebellion, raising another sinner in the home 00:46:42.920 |
and some of the greatest heartaches as parents 00:47:02.920 |
Because all mankind live under the curse of this sin. 00:47:45.920 |
and that's exactly what we want to get at this morning 00:47:55.920 |
He says, "So also the resurrection of the dead, 00:48:37.920 |
that something good is going to come out of it. 00:49:54.920 |
Again, those of you who are older may relate. 00:50:32.920 |
"and so we're going to have to shave that off." 00:50:34.920 |
So there's parts of my knees that are bone to bone. 00:50:42.920 |
"Maybe one day they'll come out with technology 00:51:01.920 |
I played probably three, four times a week at least. 00:51:07.920 |
or at least I didn't enjoy playing video games. 00:51:16.920 |
so I was constantly playing basketball or softball. 00:51:49.920 |
Some of you guys who are younger may not know, 00:52:17.920 |
I thought I was always the weird one at church 00:52:19.920 |
because I have so many things that I need to take, 00:52:25.920 |
After two hours and over the weekend came back, 00:52:27.920 |
it's like, "Huh, I fellowshiped at this church. 00:52:40.920 |
he's not just simply talking about the body itself. 00:52:45.920 |
When he says decaying, he means it's temporary. 00:52:55.920 |
I remember the first time that this struck me 00:52:58.920 |
was when my parents decided to move out to Korea 00:53:00.920 |
because they were having such a hard time paying bills here, 00:53:03.920 |
and my dad got some part-time job out in Korea, 00:53:08.920 |
and this is when I think a year into my marriage, 00:53:11.920 |
and my parents packed up their bags to go out to Korea, 00:53:14.920 |
and I knew that our life was going to be different 00:53:17.920 |
because no matter what happened, we were always together, 00:53:20.920 |
but the fact that my dad and my mom was going to go out to Korea, 00:53:23.920 |
and they were out there maybe about seven, eight years. 00:53:25.920 |
During that time, maybe we saw them maybe three or four times, 00:53:28.920 |
but I remember taking my dad to the airport thinking, "This is it." 00:53:42.920 |
Even though I was already outside the house married, 00:53:45.920 |
but this close contact with them, that stage of my life is over, 00:53:51.920 |
That's something that was so precious to me when I was younger 00:53:57.920 |
Another time I remember when this is hitting, 00:54:02.920 |
when Jeremy, my oldest son, was getting married, 00:54:10.920 |
It's a time to celebrate, and people are celebrating. 00:54:22.920 |
I remember the Thursday before he got married, 00:54:24.920 |
we're sitting there thinking, and we were all sharing with our family, 00:54:27.920 |
and the brother and sister was sharing with him, and we're praying for him. 00:54:33.920 |
even though he's going to be at the church, we're going to still see him, 00:54:36.920 |
but we're headed into a different stage of life. 00:54:40.920 |
From this point on, when he gets married on Saturday, 00:54:43.920 |
when he says his family, he's going to be talking about him and Diamond. 00:54:53.920 |
They would buy grave sites, and they would buy for them, their wife, 00:54:56.920 |
and then their children, not realizing when they get older, 00:54:58.920 |
they're going to buy it for their wives and their children. 00:55:06.920 |
and whether we are living with the sadness of just moving on, decaying, 00:55:15.920 |
I know that just in a recent period, there's a lot of you, 00:55:19.920 |
for whatever the reason, suddenly lost your mom, your dad, 00:55:24.920 |
and we had to go to more funerals in the last six months 00:55:30.920 |
But the sadness that comes from living in this perishable body, 00:55:34.920 |
the scripture tells us that we will be buried. 00:55:37.920 |
We will be sown perishable, but one day we will rise imperishable. 00:55:44.920 |
The sadness of living in a decaying world will be gone when he comes. 00:55:51.920 |
"For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, 00:55:54.920 |
with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God. 00:56:01.920 |
will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. 00:56:06.920 |
Therefore, comfort one another with these words." 00:56:10.920 |
We will be with the Lord, and we will be with one another for eternity. 00:56:15.920 |
We will be sown perishable, but we will be raised imperishable. 00:56:18.920 |
He said we will be sown in dishonor, but raised in glory. 00:56:23.920 |
The word for dishonor is also translated shame. 00:56:28.920 |
And I think if I mention shame, the first place where that is recorded is Adam and Eve. 00:56:43.920 |
God saw Adam and said it was not good for him to be alone. 00:56:46.920 |
He took the ribs from his side, his own bones and own flesh, and God created Eve. 00:56:53.920 |
So you couldn't be closer to each other than Adam and Eve. 00:56:57.920 |
But as soon as sin enters, you know what happens. 00:57:01.920 |
These two people, who were literally one person who became two, decided to hide. 00:57:11.920 |
Was it all of a sudden they were ashamed of their body parts? 00:57:15.920 |
Clearly the shame was not physical, but it was spiritual. 00:57:23.920 |
When sin comes in, automatically there's guilt and shame. 00:57:26.920 |
And when guilt and shame comes in, we end up hiding. 00:57:31.920 |
Every single one of us in this room, to some degree, to some level, we hide. 00:57:41.920 |
In isolation, we become lonely, and loneliness turns into despair. 00:57:48.920 |
So many people are struggling with depression, and at the root cause of that is isolation. 00:57:56.920 |
And the Scripture says that we will be sown in dishonor, but we will be raised in glory. 00:58:06.920 |
Colossians 3, 3-4 says, "For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 00:58:11.920 |
When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory." 00:58:20.920 |
That in His presence, all the shame, even as Christians, even as Christians, even between husband and wife, 00:58:34.920 |
We are more open because we can't hide from each other, 00:58:37.920 |
and some of the marriage problems happen because we can't hide. 00:58:40.920 |
We hid from everybody else, but all of a sudden, you have this relationship where they see everything. 00:58:45.920 |
And you're uncomfortable with the fact that they see everything. 00:58:49.920 |
So even in a very good relationship, you're never fully, 100% open. 00:58:57.920 |
And as a result of that, it causes all kinds of conflict, 00:59:00.920 |
because everything that we communicate with each other comes through a sinful filter. 00:59:13.920 |
I remember early on as a youth pastor, I was at church, and I'd say, "Oh, that's a nice dress." 00:59:17.920 |
And the first thing that I heard was, "What about last week's dress?" 00:59:32.920 |
Everything that we say, everything we hear, comes through a sinful filter 00:59:41.920 |
And as a result of that, it causes all kinds of isolation and difficulty. 00:59:46.920 |
And he says, "But when He comes, we'll be delivered from shame, and we will be in glory." 00:59:56.920 |
2 Corinthians 3.18 says, "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, 01:00:01.920 |
and being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord the Spirit." 01:00:12.920 |
Imagine the most intimate period that you had with God. 01:00:20.920 |
I mean, those of you who are believers in Christ, it's because our eyes were open. 01:00:24.920 |
Somebody preached the gospel, and we saw the glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ, 01:00:30.920 |
And so we repented, we turned from this world to follow Christ. 01:00:35.920 |
And so we come hoping that in some way, in some small way, in big way, 01:00:41.920 |
that we would have a greater glimpse of that glory. 01:00:43.920 |
And he says, "Everything that you and I experience is temporary, and it is like a child," the Bible says. 01:00:51.920 |
"But when He comes," he said, "we will see His glory as He is." 01:00:56.920 |
He says, "We are veiled because we are still in this fleshly body, 01:01:00.920 |
but when He comes and we have our resurrected body, 01:01:03.920 |
that not only are we going to see His glory as He is, that glory is going to be part of us. 01:01:16.920 |
I still remember very vividly the first time I realized that God exists, 01:01:30.920 |
It wasn't years of memorizing scripture, going to church. 01:01:33.920 |
Instantaneously, the moment I saw a glimpse of His glory, I was changed. 01:01:43.920 |
To this day, that's the greatest event that I can possibly think of. 01:02:03.920 |
Heaven is not heaven because you're going to live in mansions, 01:02:07.920 |
or you're going to have a better knee, or you're going to be taller, 01:02:10.920 |
or you're going to be dunking the basketball, 01:02:12.920 |
or whatever your wildest dreams may come true. 01:02:15.920 |
Heaven is heaven because we get to see front row seats of the glory of Christ. 01:02:24.920 |
You can have all your wildest dreams come true and not have Christ. 01:02:35.920 |
He says not only will we see God's glory as He is, 01:02:40.920 |
He said we're going to participate in that glory. 01:02:45.920 |
We're going to be sown in dishonor, but we will be raised in glory. 01:02:50.920 |
We're going to be sown in weakness, but raised in power. 01:03:01.920 |
You go to the gym, and I've been trying to go back to the gym, 01:03:04.920 |
and the gym is filled with two kinds of people. 01:03:07.920 |
You have the young people who are working out in front of the mirror. 01:03:15.920 |
Then you have the older people just trying to live a little longer, 01:03:21.920 |
We don't want to see because we don't want to be discouraged. 01:03:25.920 |
The arrogance of mankind, especially when we're young, 01:03:31.920 |
I think the pandemic, in some sense, was good for mankind 01:03:39.920 |
That tiny little virus that you can't even see with your eyes, 01:03:44.920 |
that you need to have it magnified a thousand times just to see what that was. 01:03:55.920 |
The temperature's a little bit too hot, temperature's a little bit too cold. 01:03:58.920 |
We don't have enough oxygen. You don't eat the right food. 01:04:05.920 |
Remember the first time when you started driving, how scared you were? 01:04:09.920 |
Every time you ran a green light, somebody's going to come and say, 01:04:19.920 |
Yeah, but that machine that we ride, I mean, think about it. 01:04:25.920 |
one guy just forgetting, messing around on the phone, 01:04:28.920 |
and just running the red light and T-boning us, and that's it. 01:04:35.920 |
A new term came about in our newer generation, snowflake. 01:04:44.920 |
It's beautiful, but then a little bit of sunlight and it withers. 01:04:54.920 |
It's beautiful, but then without the right sunlight and care and water, 01:05:02.920 |
The Bible says we're all a bunch of snowflakes. 01:05:11.920 |
"All flesh is like grass and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. 01:05:17.920 |
When the breath of the Lord blows upon it, surely the people are grass." 01:05:25.920 |
The arrogance of mankind is somehow we can exist on our own. 01:05:30.920 |
If we just work harder, if we get sick, we get the right medicine. 01:05:34.920 |
If we just work out and take the right medication. 01:05:36.920 |
I figured out how to live, not realizing how fragile we are. 01:05:42.920 |
James 4.14, it says, "Our life is like a mist." 01:06:02.920 |
A pansy, a snowflake, a mist, who somehow has confidence that I figured this out. 01:06:10.920 |
He said, "We will be sown in weakness, but we're going to be raised one day in power." 01:06:19.920 |
In Philippians 3.10-11, it says, "That I may know him and the power of his resurrection 01:06:23.920 |
and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, in order that I may 01:06:30.920 |
The power is a union with Christ in his resurrection. 01:06:44.920 |
We will be sown in weakness, but we will be raised in power. 01:06:47.920 |
And finally, it says, "We will be sown in natural body, but raised in spiritual body." 01:06:53.920 |
The Bible uses the term "natural body" often to refer to the fallen man and his flesh. 01:06:59.920 |
This is what it says in 1 Corinthians 2.14-15, the natural man and the spiritual man. 01:07:04.920 |
"The natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness 01:07:08.920 |
to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. 01:07:12.920 |
He who is spiritually appraised appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by 01:07:18.920 |
In other words, it says the natural man has a hard time understanding God. 01:07:24.920 |
In his sin, because of his flesh, because of his weakness, even the Word of God comes 01:07:30.920 |
through the filter of my sin and arrogance and pride. 01:07:34.920 |
So even what we think clearly is blue, isn't blue. 01:07:38.920 |
And he says the reason why that is is because our natural man is so strong, not realizing 01:07:46.920 |
1 Corinthians 13.12 says, "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. 01:07:50.920 |
Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I also have been fully known." 01:07:57.920 |
We will be sown in our natural body, but we will be raised in our spiritual body, imperishable, 01:08:12.920 |
That's why the Scripture says do not invest in temporary things. 01:08:21.920 |
You work so hard so you can have a retirement. 01:08:24.920 |
You work so hard so you can live in that house. 01:08:26.920 |
You work so hard so you can have some security. 01:08:33.920 |
He said fix your eyes upon Christ, where the true reward is. 01:08:56.920 |
And the resurrection guarantees that one day we will be united permanently with him in glory. 01:09:08.920 |
And all that we experience here is going to be a distant memory. 01:09:21.920 |
I pray that this day of resurrection is not just something that we study. 01:09:43.920 |
How did the power of the resurrection change you? 01:09:46.920 |
How did the power of the resurrection change the way you raise your kids? 01:09:49.920 |
How did the power of the resurrection change the way you saw eternity? 01:09:52.920 |
How did the power of the resurrection change the way you saw your finance? 01:10:03.920 |
And as we celebrate and remember the resurrection of Christ, 01:10:09.920 |
I pray that we will be filled with hope that one day we will be there too. 01:10:14.920 |
Let me conclude with reading Revelations 21 through to 4. 01:10:18.920 |
It says, "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 01:10:20.920 |
'Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and he will dwell among them, 01:10:24.920 |
and they shall be his people, and God himself will be among them, 01:10:27.920 |
and he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, 01:10:33.920 |
there will no longer be any mourning or crying or pain. 01:10:45.920 |
Father, we pray for a greater vision of what we have in Christ 01:10:53.920 |
as we remember and celebrate the resurrection 01:10:55.920 |
that we would reorient our thoughts toward God 01:10:59.920 |
to the day that we ourselves will be resurrected, 01:11:03.920 |
that though we are sown with the things that are temporary, 01:11:25.920 |
that we will be raised with our spiritual body. 01:11:28.920 |
Help us, Lord God, to eagerly wait for that resurrection, 01:11:32.920 |
that all our values, all our hopes, all our dreams 01:12:22.920 |
♪ Firm through the fiercest drought and storm ♪ 01:12:27.920 |
♪ What heights of love, what depths of peace ♪ 01:12:32.920 |
♪ When fears are stilled, when striving cease ♪ 01:16:06.920 |
"For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, 01:16:09.920 |
"certainly we shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection. 01:16:13.920 |
"Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with him, 01:16:16.920 |
"in order that our body of sin might be done away with, 01:16:19.920 |
"so that we would no longer be slaves to sin, 01:16:25.920 |
Father, we pray that all that we have celebrated and remembered this week 01:16:32.920 |
for the rest of this year, rest of our lives. 01:16:35.920 |
Help us, Lord God, to fix our eyes upon Christ, 01:16:38.920 |
to adore him, to love him, to follow him and obey him, 01:16:43.920 |
May Christ and Christ alone be magnified in our lives.