Easter Sunday Service -

>> Good morning, church family. Happy Easter and Resurrection Sunday. It is a privilege and joy to celebrate this day together with you all. And as we celebrate his resurrection, I am reminded of the great hope that we have in Christ. The hope of salvation from our sins. The hope of eternal life after death.

And the hope that one day we will see Jesus in full glory. It is this kind of hope that lifts me through any trial or affliction or season in life. And I pray this hope moves us to live a life of obedience and worship to him as we eagerly await the day that we will meet him.

Let's sing "I'm Forgiven." I'm forgiven because you were forsaken. I'm accepted. You were condemned. I'm alive and well. Your spirit is within me because you died and rose again. Amazing love, how can it be that you, my king, would die for me? Amazing love, I know it's true. It's my joy to honor you in all I do.

I honor you and I forgive you. I'm forgiven because you were forsaken. I'm accepted. You were condemned. I'm alive and well. Your spirit is within me because you died and rose again. Amazing love, how can it be that you, my king, would die for me? Amazing love, I know it's true.

It's my joy to honor you in all I do. I honor you. You are my king. You are my king. You are my king. Jesus, you are my king. Jesus, you are my king. Amazing love, how can it be that you, my king, would die for me? Amazing love, I know it's true.

It's my joy to honor you. Amazing love. Amazing love, how can it be that you, my king, would die for me? Amazing love, I know it's true. It's my joy to honor you in all I do. I honor you in all I do. I honor you. All right, good morning, and welcome to Bering Community Church.

Let me get a few announcements before we get started, if I can find it. All right, here it is. All right, again, happy Resurrection Sunday. It was a busy week. I know some of you guys were here early in the morning, and you were serving, and you're a little bit tired, and so am I.

I took an extra shot of caffeine so that I won't be falling asleep today. But just a few announcements before we get started. First of all, Women's Ministry Conference. That's happening on April 13th from 8 to 1230. They said today is the last day to sign up, so if you haven't signed up, so please go online and sign up as soon as you can.

FAM 245 Workshop, that's happening on April 20th at 1030. Please sign up for that as well. Members Meeting, that's coming up on April 21st. If you want to be a member of the church, membership class is beginning on April 21st until June 9th. So that's 930 to 1050. So if you're a college student, it will be finished before your quarter is over.

So that's how they fit that schedule in. And then Brein Service Auction. Those of you who are volunteering a service or you're donating something, the last day to do that will be this coming Saturday. And then the actual auction is happening on April 21st through the 27th. But if you are volunteering something, they are still taking donations or services that are happening until April 6th.

The special seminar on abortion, birth control, and IVF that's happening on May 4th, and we're going to keep pushing this because we want to have as many of our church people to come out as possible. It is not limited to members. So you can invite non-members to come to that, but that's taking place on 9 to 12.

And there's no fee involved, so please sign up for that. There will be sign-ups online if you are interested in signing up for that. Men's softball tournament, you're going to get an announcement soon. If you are interested in playing, that's happening on May 18th. And then the women's softball within church softball day is going to be happening on May 26th.

There are other things. We'll kind of leave that for another time. But today, after the service, there is lunch provided, but because of the rain and various things, they had to move it inside. So if you go into the cafe area—oh, no, no, no. A serving station is going to be outside, and they're going to give you a little name tag so that you can try to fellowship and get to know each other a little bit better while you're here.

So you can go into the cafe or that area to eat, or if you want to just grab it and take it home, you can also do that, but lunch will be provided after the service. I'm going to ask our choir team to come up, and as they are coming up— again, I heard it the first time, and I was so blessed by the choir.

All I kept thinking was, "I get to hear this three times today." So they're going to come up, and then as they set up, I'm going to pray for the offering. And as I mentioned before, today is the last day that we're going to be able to receive offerings outside of Subsplash.

Starting from next Sunday, anything outside of Subsplash is going to be shut down. So either you're going to have to bring a physical offering, or you're going to have to use Subsplash, okay? All right, let me pray for us. Father, we thank you so much for your continual blessing in our lives.

We thank you for what this day means for all of us, that you've brought hope, you've brought life, you've brought eternity, Lord God, where we can be in your presence because of what Christ has done. I pray that this Resurrection Sunday would have the deep impact on our thinking, on our lives, and how we deal with the rest of the world.

We pray that you would bless us, bless this time, that what we give to you would be an abundant gratitude of our hearts, and may this offering be multiplied for the sake of your kingdom. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. How I long to breathe the air of heaven Pain is gone and mercy fills the streets To look upon the one who bled to save me And walk with Him all eternity There will be a day when all will bow before Him There will be a day when death will be no more Standing face to face with He who died and rose again Holy, holy is the Lord And every prayer and every great desperation Songs of faith we sing through doubt and fear In the end we'll see that it was worth it When He returns to wipe away our tears There will be a day when all will bow before Him There will be a day when death will be no more Standing face to face with He who died and rose again Holy, holy is the Lord And on that day we join the resurrection And stand beside the heroes of the faith With one voice a thousand generations Sing worthy is the Lamb who was slain And on that day we join the resurrection And stand beside the heroes of the faith With one voice a thousand generations Sing worthy is the Lamb who was slain Forever He shall reign So let it be today We shout the name of heaven With angels and the saints We raise a mighty roar Glory to our God Who gave us life beyond the grave Holy, holy is the Lord So let it be today We shout the name of heaven With angels and the saints We raise a mighty roar Glory to our God Who gave us life beyond the grave Holy, holy is the Lord Let us all rise as we continue our service, and let's spend a few moments just to greet the neighbors around us.

Let us all rise as we continue our service, and let's spend a few moments just to greet the neighbors around us. Let us all rise as we continue our service, and let's spend a few moments just to greet the neighbors around us. Let us all rise as we continue our service, and let's spend a few moments just to greet the neighbors around us.

Let us all rise as we continue our service, and let's spend a few moments just to greet the neighbors around us. Let us all rise as we continue our service, and let's spend a few moments just to greet the help of man, Christ the great, and sure fulfillment of the law in Him we stand.

of the law in Him we stand. of the law in Him we stand. of the law in Him we stand. In all the wondrous mystery, Christ the Lord upon the tree, In all the wondrous mystery, Christ the Lord upon the tree, In the stead of ruined sinners, In the stead of ruined sinners, Haste, O Lamb, in victory.

Haste, O Lamb, in victory. Haste, O Lamb, in victory. See the price of all redemption, See the price of all redemption, See the Father's plan of war, See the Father's plan of war, See the Father's plan of war, Bringing many sons to glory, Bringing many sons to glory, Praise the measure of unto Him.

Praise the measure of unto Him. Come, behold. Come, behold the wondrous mystery, Come, behold the wondrous mystery, Slain by death the God of life, Slain by death the God of life, But no grave could dare restrain Him. But no grave could dare restrain Him. But no grave could dare restrain Him.

The Lord, He is alive. The Lord, He is alive. What a foretaste of deliverance, What a foretaste of deliverance, How unwavering our hope, How unwavering our hope, Christ in power resurrected, Christ in power resurrected, Christ in power resurrected, As we will be when He comes. As we will be when He comes.

What a foretaste of deliverance, What a foretaste of deliverance, How unwavering our hope, How unwavering our hope, How unwavering our hope, Christ in power resurrected, Christ in power resurrected, Christ in power resurrected, As we will be when He comes. As we will be when He comes. What a foretaste of deliverance, What a foretaste of deliverance, How unwavering our hope, How unwavering our hope, How unwavering our hope, Christ in power resurrected, Christ in power resurrected, As we will be when He comes.

As we will be when He comes. As we will be when He comes. Amen. In 1 Peter the Bible says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, "who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope "who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope "through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, "through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, "to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, "to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, "reserved in heaven for you, "are protected by the power of God through faith, "are protected by the power of God through faith, "for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." What is our hope?

What is our hope in life and death? Christ alone, Christ alone. What is our hope in life and death? Christ alone, Christ alone. What is our hope in life and death? Christ alone, Christ alone. What is our only confidence What is our only confidence that our souls to Him belong?

that our souls to Him belong? Who holds our days within His hand? Who holds our days within His hand? What comes apart from His command? What comes apart from His command? And what will keep us to the end? And what will keep us to the end? The love of Christ in which we stand.

The love of Christ in which we stand. The love of Christ in which we stand. The love of Christ in which we stand. Oh, sing Hallelujah! Oh, sing Hallelujah! Our hope springs eternal. Our hope springs eternal. Our hope springs eternal. Oh, sing Hallelujah! Oh, sing Hallelujah! Now and ever we sing.

Now and ever we confess. Now and ever we confess. Christ our hope in life and death. Christ our hope in life and death. What truth can call What truth can call the troubled soul? God is good. God is good. Where is His grace and goodness known? In our grave, Redeemer's blood.

Who holds our faith when fears arise? Who stands above the stormy trial? Who sends the waves that bring us nigh unto the shore? The rock of Christ. Oh, sing Hallelujah! Oh, sing Hallelujah! Our hope springs eternal. Oh, sing Hallelujah! Now and ever we confess. Christ our hope in life and death.

Unto the grave how will we sing? Christ He lives. Christ He lives. And what reward will heaven bring? Everlasting life within. There we will rise to meet the Lord. Then sin and death will be destroyed. And we will feast in endless joy when Christ is ours forevermore. Oh, sing Hallelujah!

Our hope springs eternal. Oh, sing Hallelujah! Now and ever we confess. Christ our hope in life and death. Oh, sing Hallelujah! Our hope springs eternal. Oh, sing Hallelujah! Now and ever we confess. Christ our hope in life and death. Now and ever we confess. Christ our hope in life and death.

Amen. You may be seated. If you can turn your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 28. Deuteronomy 28. I'll be reading from verses 1 through 7. And then verse 15 to verse 20. Now it shall be if you diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.

All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city and blessed shall you be in the country. Blessed shall you be offspring of your body and the produce of your ground and the offspring of your beast, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock.

Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in and blessed shall you be when you go out. The Lord shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you. They will come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.

Verse 15. But it shall come about if you do not obey the Lord your God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes with which I charge you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you. Cursed shall you be in the city and cursed shall you be in the country.

Cursed shall you be your basket and your kneading bowl. Cursed shall you be the offsprings of your body and the produce of your ground and increase of your herd and the young of your flock. Cursed shall you be when you come in. Cursed shall you be when you go out.

The Lord will send upon you curses, confusion and rebuke and all that you undertake to do until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly on account of the evil of your deeds because you have forsaken me. Let's pray. Father, give us understanding. Help us to know your heart, your mind, your purpose and intent.

I pray that you would help us to understand the deep, deep love of Christ. Together with all the saints, that your word would have the impact that you've intended. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. As you already know, all over the world all the people who claim Christ was crucified on the cross have gathered together to celebrate this day.

Christianity rises and falls on this particular day. Some people who don't understand may say it doesn't really matter if you have evidence, it doesn't matter if the Bible is really from God as long as it does something for you. As long as it's good for you. Now, Jesus himself said that he was going to leave a sign.

The sign of Jonah, his death and resurrection. And if the resurrection can be proven to be false, then everything that you've been doing up to this point was a waste of time. Every dollar that you've donated to the church was a waste. All that hard-earned money. Trying to love people that don't love you.

I mean, there's nothing more draining and tiresome to love people that are difficult to love. Every effort that you've put in because of what you say you believe, if the resurrection didn't happen, all of this was a waste of time. The biggest lie ever told. But if the resurrection did take place, and Jesus Christ really is the son of God, then this is the greatest blessing that mankind has ever received.

There's no single act, no single event in human history that has impacted the world than this resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some of you, whether you've been coming a long time, or whether you've just visited us today, in some sense, whether you articulate it or not, we come to church seeking some kind of blessing from God.

Maybe I'll receive a blessing from the sermon. Maybe I'll receive a blessing from our community, from people. The way we dish out blessings, you know, like, man has no authority to do that. I can say, "God bless you." Right? All I did was wave my hand. Nothing happened. There's no magic coming out of my hands.

I don't have any authority or power to bless you. Right? That's why whenever we conduct weddings, there's no power in any of the pastors to say, "God's going to bless this wedding," unless we're sure that God has already blessed this union. So we can't stand and have marriage ceremonies and oversee marriage ceremonies that we're not confident that this is going to be blessed by God.

All we're doing is representing what God has already ordained, and we're just representing and saying what He would say. But if I'm not confident that God's going to bless it, I don't have any power in and of ourselves to bless you. That power only belongs to somebody who has authority and power to do that.

And in the same way, we curse. We bless people that we like, and then we curse people we don't like. I don't have any power over that either. It's just wishful thinking. We bless people that we like, and then we curse people that we don't like. But our curses mean nothing.

It's just words. It's just an expression of how I feel. But there's no power behind any curse because in order to be able to bless or curse anybody, you have to have some sort of authority, and you have to have some sort of power to back that up. And so we know that only God has that power to bless you.

And only God has that power to curse you. The text that we're looking at in Deuteronomy 28, just to give you a background. The nation of Israel has been wandering the desert for 40 years. They're about to enter the promised land, and God is establishing the laws that will govern this land.

So up to this point, He's been laying out these are the laws. This is how it should be organized. These are how the leaders are established. These are the laws that you are to do, you are to keep on the Sabbath. And after He gives the law, He says if you do not, if you do not obey them, here's the consequences.

If you do obey them, here's the blessing. And that's what basically chapter 28 is. 28 is a promise if you obey, and it is a warning if you disobey. The condition of His blessing is clear. He doesn't just dish it out. He's just a benevolent God who no matter what you do, He's going to bless you.

Imagine living in a society where there is no consequence for your behavior. As some of you guys know, we've been having a lot of problems in particular in certain states, and this state included, that because they have, some districts have openly said we're not going to punish crime, certain kinds of crime, and so shoplifting and vandalism and theft has skyrocketed.

And as a result of that, it's created chaos. And so people are leaving certain cities. And even the state. Imagine living in a culture where there is no punishment for disobedience. It's lawlessness. Law is required in order to have peace. It is required. And so God is laying out these are the blessings that will come upon you if you obey my commandments.

Chapter 28, verse 1. If you diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. First 14 verses basically says that this is what's going to happen to you if you obey.

The first thing that He says in verse 2-6 is prosperity in everything that you do. He says, verse 2, all these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the Lord your God. The word for overtake is a really interesting, it's a rich word. It means to be consumed.

To be overpowered. Meaning, you're not going to be able to fight it. I remember when I was younger, for whatever the reason, me and my older brother, we're built the same way. We're both short and stocky. But for whatever the reason, he was way faster. So if ever I ticked him off and I tried to run away from him, I knew he was going to overtake me.

Because he's much faster than I am. So when I read this word, he's going to overtake you, I have that image that come to mind when I was younger, that when my brother is angry, I cannot escape. That's the imagery. The word in Hebrew basically means that there's such intimate connection with God's blessing and you, that even if you try to run from it, you can't.

It's going to overtake you. And so, the description that he gives us in verse 2-6, it says, "Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country." In other words, when you're a man or a woman that is blessed, it doesn't matter where you live.

You know, we think that, "Oh, if I can live in this city over that city, if I can go here or there." He says, "No. If the blessing of God has overtaken you because you are obedient to the law of God, you're not going to be escaped." It doesn't matter where you live.

It doesn't matter who surrounds you, whether you are in the city or in the country. "Blessed shall be the offspring of your body, and the produce of your ground, and the offspring of your beasts, and the increase of the herd, and your young, of your flock." He's talking about your work.

It doesn't matter what kind of job you have, how much you get paid, or what field you're in. He says, "If God blesses you, everything you touch is going to be blessed." The blessing doesn't belong in a particular area, in a particular job. He says, "No. The blessing goes upon with that person." So whatever that person does, in the city, in the country, at work, everything you touch is going to be blessed.

"Blessed shall be your basket, and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out." You won't even be able to escape it, even if you wanted to. Everything you do is going to be blessed. Even the things that other people may look at and say, "Wow, man, that must be hard." But if you're blessed, even in the hardest circumstance, you will be blessed.

That's what he says. Secondly, he says, "Your enemies will not be able to overtake you." Verse 7, "The Lord shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you. They will come out against you one way, and will flee before you seven ways." You know what I thought was interesting about this promise?

He doesn't say that you're not going to have enemies. If you're blessed, your enemies still exist, they just aren't going to be able to overpower you. Even your enemies, even the people who have intent on evil against you, you don't have to worry because God has his blessing upon you.

They won't be able to overpower you. Finally, chapter 20, verse 9, he says, "The Lord will establish you as a holy people to himself, as he swore to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and walk in his ways." In other words, the word "holy" basically means to be set apart.

That he's going to identify you, and set you apart, and possess you as his own. You know what that means? That if we belong to God, that everything that we have, everything that he has, is going to overflow to us. If I win the lottery today, the first person that's going to be a beneficiary of that is my wife.

As soon as I win, she's not going to be like, "Oh, I wish I could win." We win together, right? Because she's my wife. My children are going to celebrate, "Oh, my dad is rich!" And then my family, my brothers, my mom, we're all going to benefit. And then you will benefit, because I'll buy that building behind us and make it into a gym.

Right? Because I'm your pastor. So when God says, "You will be my people," it's an expression of his blessing. That everything you do, everything you touch, if God's blessing is upon it, you don't have to worry, "Oh, I'm afraid should I go to this school, or that school, or should I do this, or should I do that?" No, if the Lord blesses you, whatever you do, he says, you will see the blessing of God.

But, in verse 15, he says, "It shall come about, if you do not obey the Lord your God, to observe, to do all his commandments and his statutes, with which I charge you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you." Exactly the opposite. Just like you couldn't run from God's blessing, he says, you're not going to be able to run from his curse.

He says in verse 17 to 20, "Hardship will come into your life. Curse shall you be, your baskets and your kneading bowl. Curse shall be the offspring of your body, and the produce of your ground, the increase of your herd, and the young of your flock." Everything that you do, no matter what kind of job you get, no matter where you live, in the city or out of the city, he says, you're going to feel the curse in your life.

No matter who you marry, no matter what you endeavor, no matter how much money you have in the bank, he says, you're going to feel that curse in your life. It's going to overtake you. "Curse shall you be when you come in. Curse shall you be when you go out.

The Lord will send upon you curses of confusion and rebuke in all you undertake to do until you are destroyed." He said that curse isn't temporary. You don't just get a slap in the hand and you somehow pay off your curse and then you're going to move on to blessing.

He said that curse is going to be upon you until the day that you die on account of the evil deeds that you've done because you have forsaken me. And on top of that, verse 25 to 29, he says that your enemies are going to rise up and every single one of them are going to overtake you.

And then verse 38 to 42 says, "Desolation is going to come upon the land." If you read the blessings and curses in this passage, you've probably already noticed that the promise of blessing is only 14 verses. And there's 54 verses of warning about curses. In fact, if you read the rest of Deuteronomy, there's 72 verses dedicated to the warning of curses.

It's almost like the blessing, promise of blessing is kind of like something that had to be said. But the main point is so that you understand the curse. And if that's how you read it, you read it correctly. You read it correctly because the point of this is that these are the things that you're going to miss out on, but these are the things that's going to come upon you.

Some of us may look at that and say, "Well, this doesn't look like the God that I know of the New Testament. This is not the God that I was taught when I was in Sunday school." Well, if it isn't, then you weren't taught the right gospel. Because what I'm reading to you is just straight out of the Bible.

And I will show you that the God of the Old Testament is exactly the same God as the New Testament. He is just as gracious and merciful and patient in the Old Testament as the New Testament. And the God of the New Testament is just as righteous and holy and hates sin as much as the God of the Old Testament.

It's the same God. Some of us may look at this and say, "I don't want to read the Old Testament because it's just a downer. Curse upon curse upon curse." Well, let me make it very clear what the Bible says about who God is. Ezekiel 33, 11, it says, "Say to them, 'As I live,' declares the Lord God, 'I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his ways and live.

Turn back, turn back from your evil ways. Why then will you die, O house of Israel?'" The Bible makes it very clear. Even though He warns them, even though there's five times more warning about the judgment that is coming, He says His intent or His desire is not to see them punished.

In fact, in Jeremiah 29, 11, what is Jeremiah known for? What kind of prophet is he? Weeping prophet. He's called a weeping prophet not because he's sanguine or he has depression. He's just a sad guy. They call him the weeping prophet because every time he opened his mouth, he was declaring judgment upon Israel.

They hated when he talked because it depressed people. And that's why they call him the weeping prophet because all his life he wept over Israel. And God told Jeremiah to take the message that nobody wanted to hear. But in the context of this condemnation, it says in Jeremiah 29, "For I know the plans that I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans of welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope." Now, who would have gotten that from Jeremiah's message?

You would have thought if you heard and read Jeremiah, Jeremiah, that God is eager to bring punishment upon Israel. He is ticked off and He's just going to let you have it. But Jeremiah clarifies the reason why this is happening is not so that you will be punished. It's so that you will turn from your sins because God desires what's best.

And it is no different with Deuteronomy 28. As much as He warns us about the curses, the reason behind this curse is to bring us to righteousness. He tells us in chapter 29, 19-20, why there is an abundance of warning of curses. And let me just take a minute to help you to recalibrate.

If you lived all your life as a Christian, have a sunny disposition of the world because God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life, we're in spiritual Disneyland. Happiest place on earth. And so we met Christ, we have abundant life, and life is good already, but when we go to heaven, when we go to heaven, we're going to be in heaven for eternity.

Right? You have to have a paradigm shift or else the gospel doesn't make sense. Or else there's parts of the Bible that's not going to make any sense. Or else the application of what you think what God desires is going to be completely off. And let me tell you why.

He explains why He mentions more curses than blessing in verse 19. "It shall be when He hears the words of the curse that He will boast." And that word "boast" in some translations says that He blesses Himself. Even in the midst of tremendous rebellion against God, He feels blessed.

Because His bills are paid. Found a good wife. Found a good husband. Children are doing well. My business is going well. So I feel blessed. He says, He basically says, "I have peace though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart in order to destroy the watered land with the dry." In order to shake the peace of those who are under condemnation and they are not aware of it.

That they're going to meet a holy, holy, holy God when they die. And they're not aware of it. And they live the rest of their lives. God bless me. I'm so blessed. I'm so blessed. Because He blesses Himself. "The Lord shall never be willing to forgive Him, but rather the anger of the Lord and His jealousy will burn against that man and every curse which is written in this book will rest on Him and the Lord will blot out His name from under heaven." In order to humble the man.

He says. Now let me illustrate why this is so important. A man who has cancer. In order for the doctor to give the treatment, he has to first convince the patient that he has cancer. Now the patient may say, "I don't feel anything. I don't feel any symptoms." But they found that out through the MRI, through x-ray.

They did some blood tests and said it's clear. It's 100%. It's cancer. But you don't feel it. But in order to treat that cancer you need to do chemo. You need to do some harsh treatment that initially may hurt your body but in the long run it's going to save you.

But until that patient is convinced that there is a sickness and disease that's going to lead to death the doctor is not going to be able to treat him with chemotherapy. The scripture tells us that the law was given to sinners that sin would become utterly sinful. In other words, the patient will come to the conclusion that he needs a doctor.

That he needs treatment. Because the most dangerous place for a sinner to be is to be in sin and does not recognize the curse that he is under. And he is constantly thinking that if he just changes his circumstance that maybe because I met the wrong wife. Maybe because I met the wrong husband.

Maybe if I made this decision. Maybe if I had the right career that I can change my life not realizing, he says, the curse has overtaken you. That what you are experiencing in life is not just bad judgment but the curse that you are under. In fact, Apostle Paul tells us this very thing in Romans chapter 7.

Living all his life trying to obey the law as a Pharisee among Pharisees. And this is the conclusion he came to. For we know that the law is spiritual but I am of the flesh. I am sold into the bondage to sin. For what I am doing I do not understand.

For I am not practicing what I would like to do but I am doing the very thing I hate. Here is a Jew who lived all his life trying to obey the law and the end conclusion was he realized that he is a sinner. The very thing that I did.

I know that the law is good. That is why I want to do it. But the more he tried to earn righteousness the more he realizes his corruption. Verse 18 and 19. For I know that nothing good dwells in me. I know that nothing good dwells in me. How did he learn this?

Through the law. Because sin became utterly sinful. That is in my flesh for the willingness is present in me but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want I do not do but I practice the very evil that I do not want. He was a good Jew.

He was a Pharisee. He knew that the law was good. That God gave the law. God didn't give them something evil but he said through the practice or the pursuit of the law he realized nothing good is in me. And then conclusion. This is where God was trying to bring all of Israel and all of sinners to this very point in chapter 7 21 to 24.

I find then the principle that is evil is present in me. The one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man but I see a different law in the members of my body. Waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.

What a wretched man that I am. Who will set me free from the body of this death? This is where God wants to bring all sinners to this point. Oh what a wretched man that I am. Who will save me from this? Christ's death means nothing to a sinner who does not recognize the curse that he's under.

The resurrection means nothing to a man where he just well I accept Jesus and things are good and hopefully when I get to heaven that I can have a good life and have a nice mansion and it means nothing to a man who does not recognize the curse that he's under.

Because he doesn't realize his wretchedness. Because his bills are paid. Because things are good. Got a good job. Takes vacation when they want. Saving enough money for retirement. And he blesses himself even though his life is lived in rebellion. God gives us the law like a doctor to present to sinners that without the savior this is your state.

It's the curse that you're in. Well who's under this curse? Romans 3 23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. There's not a single person who's lived on this earth who tried to gain righteousness through the law who's not under the curse.

Whether you have the law or don't have the law you are cursed under the law. It's not the law Paul says in Romans. But we're all under a curse. Galatians 3 10 it says "For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written "Curse is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law to perform them." All mankind are under this curse.

I want that to really sink in. Because we're taught that if you work hard and get a good job go to the right school hopefully you'll meet a pretty girl decent looking guy who isn't too dirty and comes from a decent family has a decent job and you can get married take some vacations work hard raise up decent children and if you find the right place to live and make some right decisions invest in the right things that you will be blessed.

But the problem is the longer you live the longer you live the more you realize the effects of this curse. Whether you have a house or don't have a house whether you're married or not married whether you meet one person or not person not another person you feel the effects of the curse the longer you live on this earth.

And we think we convince ourselves that if we can just tweak our lives a little bit if we can change our circumstances if we can find the right person and invest in Bitcoin at the right time that I can be blessed. The greatest problem of mankind is that he does not understand the wrath that he is under.

Romans 1.18 says for the wrath of God is being revealed is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. That word revealed, the wrath of God revealed is in the present tense. It's happening now. It's not future. The wrath of God will be revealed or wrath of God was revealed.

It says the wrath of God is being revealed. You know what that means? Everything that we do that mankind does wherever he lives whatever he endeavors whatever he touches whatever technology he creates will see the touch of the curse. Look at our lives. Look at how many fantastic things were created just in the last 20 years.

The internet the phone but as soon as it's created what is it used for? Pornography. Identity theft. Distraction. Jealousy. Coveting. In and of itself is not evil but whatever man touches you will know the curse. And that's what he was warning. Before the doctor can be useful understand the curse that he's under.

You know I don't know if you heard yesterday the president of the United States Biden has declared this resurrection Sunday as transgender visible day. Awareness day. Don't tell me he didn't know this was his most sacred day for Christians. Don't tell me that was by accident. And I'm not just picking on Biden although that sin is particularly egregious.

It says all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The wrath of God is being revealed the Bible also says the wrath of God the curse of God is being stored up. Can you imagine thousands of years of sinners shaking their fists at God. And so the typical question that we get from non-Christians is how can a good God do this to us?

You know why they ask that question? It's because he thinks he's under the blessing. He doesn't realize there's a curse upon him. If he knew that there was a curse upon him that's not the question he would be asking. The question he would be asking is why did I wake up today?

Why does he not crush me today? If I'm under a curse why does he put up with me today? It's because he does not understand and because the church has passed out the blessing of God like it's Halloween candy that we have a world filled with people who said if God loves me unconditionally why does he allow all this evil to happen?

When the clear teaching of the Bible tells us the reason why we see all the evils in the world is because of the curse of God. Everything man touches turns into a curse. See but the story does not end there. He does all of that so that he may save us.

In Galatians 3.13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law having become a curse for us for it is written cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. He declared the curse and he didn't simply say get your act straight. You know what's really encouraging this morning our brother Sammy during the early service he gave a testimony and he used to live in LA and he moved to Orange County and he said the main reason why he moved is because his home got robbed four times.

If you've ever been robbed your home in particular you know how that feels. Our family got robbed a couple times when we were young I didn't want to go home because I didn't feel safe you know and it's a strange feeling to go home and not feel safe. You lock the door so that you can sleep in peace at night but when your home gets robbed locking the door actually is unsettling.

What if somebody's in the house? He said he got robbed four times and he said honestly he said we came to Orange County to get away from the crime. A lot of people are leaving California for the same reason thinking that if I go to Texas or if I go to Ohio or if I go to another place sorry not Ohio Idaho.

I don't know if Ohio's a place you want to go either. But what if what if it's no different over there? What if they say well maybe if I go to Europe what if you go to Europe it's the same thing? What if you go to Asia? What if it's the same thing?

There's no place to escape. But here's the real problem. Here's the real problem. The problem is not with location. Ultimately it's not the government. It's in us. So whether we live in California or Texas or in some remote part of the world the Bible says all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

And so wherever we go whatever we do we will bring the curse with us. It says Christ wanted to deliver us from this curse. Not only did he reverse the curse he said he became the curse for us. And he on the cross absorbed that curse that mankind was under and he absorbed the curse upon himself and in the resurrection of Christ he brought blessing.

But just as there was a condition for God's blessing and a warning for God's curse the scripture makes it very clear. The condition for the reversal of this curse is that if you confess your sins if we acknowledge that this is where we're at. That I recognize that I have cancer and that I am in need.

Oh what a wretched man that I am. Who will save me from this curse? Thanks be to God. It says in Hebrews chapter 13, 11, 13. I'm not going to read the text but basically it says that Christ took our curse outside the camp. Where he was crucified. Any Jew would have understood the symbolism of what it meant for Jesus to be crucified outside the camp.

Because to the Jews to be outside of the camp basically meant that you were judged by God. If you had leprosy or if you had some egregious sin your punishment was outside the camp. And if it was if it was capital punishment they would never do it inside because they thought capital punishment inside would defile the land.

So they didn't want to defile the land so they would take the criminal or whoever was the perpetrator and take him outside the camp saying you are judged you are under God's curse. Hebrews chapter 13, 11, 13 tells us Jesus Christ was crucified outside the camp. To bring upon the curse upon himself in order to reverse this curse.

Outside the camp meant that you were cursed by God. But Jesus invites us to himself to reverse this curse into a blessing. Outside the camp meant that you were rejected by society but going to Christ outside the camp meant that means now that we are adopted as his children.

Going outside the camp meant that you were considered unsalvageable but Jesus invites us outside the camp so that he may redeem us for his glory. Going outside the camp basically was a death sentence. But Jesus who absorbed our curse now says come outside the camp that you may have life and have this life abundantly.

Psalm 30, 10-12 it says hear O Lord and be gracious to me O Lord be my helper. You have turned for me my mourning into dancing. You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness that my soul may sing praise to you and not be silent. O Lord my God I will give thanks to you forever.

Let me conclude with this. Some of you have been going to church all your life and you've gotten bored with your faith. That initial excitement of knowing Christ and singing and serving and sharing the gospel that's of the past. And somehow you have resolved that that's something that you do when you're a kid.

When you're young. But it is inevitable that as you get older and you get more experience in life that you become a realist. And so you have forsaken your first love long time ago. You have forgotten what you have in Christ. So you celebrate the resurrection because it's another holiday.

We read through scripture you put up with this and then you come to church and do your part. But your heart has been hardened toward God for many years. The reason why we take our time to celebrate and remember this whole week is so that we may worship God in spirit and in truth.

To realize what it is that you have been saved from. That that curse that was upon you, upon your family, everything that you've touched. That he absorbed my curse, your curse, the world's curse upon himself. I will never understand that love. I will never be able to explain to you.

I can tell you what he did but I can never explain why. It's just, it will remain a mystery. I don't know if I'm going to understand when I get to heaven. Why? Why did he do that? What was it about me? What was it about you? I don't know.

I pray that as we celebrate this resurrection Sunday that the resurrection would have an impact in your life. That you would worship God and live your life as if you really believed. As you really believed. As you confessed to do. Live reasonably as a person who confesses and celebrates this every single Sunday.

Those of you who have been brought out here with friends because they wanted you to hear this message and maybe you've heard it before. Maybe there's some parts of it that don't make full sense to you. I want to pose this to you. Does life make sense? We came from nothing.

And we're just going to go to nothing. But that whole time we're here. We're going to study. We're going to make things. We're going to invent. And we're going to experience joy. And then we just disappear. Like magic. We appeared like magic. We're going to disappear like magic. Right?

Does it make sense to you? Does it make sense that just out of nothing. Nothing. Like nothing. Boom! And we're here. Does that make sense to you? I'll bet you if you're reasonable there's something inside of you that tells you that something's off. Something's off. What we've been told in this world just does not make sense.

And you question it inwardly but you've never pursued it. I want to encourage you. Or I want to again pose a question. Have you sensed that curse? Maybe you couldn't quite identify where this is coming from. But do you know how many people in this room if I asked them what their childhood was like would immediately tell you that there was some kind of curse in our family?

Most people have sensed that curse. They just don't know how to describe it. Well the Bible tells us. The Bible tells us that he came to deliver us from this curse. And the only way to reverse this curse is for the Son of God to take the curse upon himself.

If you confess your sins he is faithful and just to forgive you of all your unrighteousness so that you and I will be clothed with his righteousness. At the minimum I pray that you wouldn't you wouldn't just simply dismiss. You wouldn't just leave this room thinking you know yeah I'm at church and this guy is telling me all these things and it doesn't make sense.

At the minimum I encourage you. Did the resurrection happen? We have books. After we finish if you go out to the cafe to the left there is a table that has books and people there that can answer some of your questions. At the minimum at the minimum seek, ask, knock.

And at the end conclusion of that you may come out and say you know this doesn't make any sense to me. But don't dismiss it simply out of prejudice. Don't dismiss it simply because you heard things from other people. I my personal confession with all my heart this is not a made up story.

This is not a made up story. Everything made so much more sense after I met Christ. I had so much bitterness and anger in my heart. I was doing so many crazy things and my friends and people were asking me Peter if you keep doing that don't you know you're going to go to prison?

Don't you know you're going to die? And my answer to them was I don't care. I don't care. That was not a deterrent to me. If I die pain stops. All of a sudden I meet Christ my eyes are open I realize God is real. And the moment that I met him the curse was reversed.

Every pain that I had every bitterness every bitter memory that I had of my childhood all of a sudden I realized he did it to bring me here. People ask me Peter when did you decide to be a pastor? I never decided to be a pastor. But once I met Christ all I wanted to do was tell as many people as possible that God is real.

He was really crucified and he was really resurrected so that you and I may have life and have this life abundantly. Please don't stiff arm this God. They just nibble at Christ. You just say I believe and you stay your distance so that you can have both. You're not having both.

Either you come to Christ or you reject Christ. There's nothing in the middle. So my prayer my hope is that whether you're confessing Christian or whether you are up to this point confess to be unbeliever that you would come to Christ and know this reversal of this curse and to be blessed under this loving God.

Let's pray. Father I pray that the power of the cross which may seem foolish to the world would demonstrate its power that the preaching of the cross Lord God, the hearing of the cross would open our eyes to see its glory that even if everything doesn't make sense I pray that the spirit that you have given us would open our eyes to see the glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

That we may come to know and understand the depth, the width, the height, and the length of the love of Christ. That we too may surrender our lives and have this curse reversed. May Christ joy, love, and hope rest upon every soul that comes and confesses their sins and receive forgiveness for the sake of your glory.

In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Let's all stand up for the closing praise. Let's all stand up for the closing praise. Let's all stand up for the closing praise. Let's all stand up for the closing praise. Let's all stand up for the closing praise. Let's all stand up for the closing praise.

Let's all stand up for the closing praise. Let's all stand up for the closing praise. Let's all stand up for the closing praise. Let's all stand up for the closing praise. Let's all stand up for the closing praise. Let's all stand up for the closing praise. Let's all stand up for the closing praise.

Easter Sunday Service - - 3.31.24

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