1 00:00:09,890 --> 00:00:12,890 Welcome to the podcast of the White Church in Adelaide, South 2 00:00:12,890 --> 00:00:15,010 Australia. Welcome, everybody. 3 00:00:15,650 --> 00:00:17,650 Well, it's great to have you guys here this morning. 4 00:00:18,330 --> 00:00:20,890 What a wonderful day, Easter Sunday. 5 00:00:20,890 --> 00:00:23,290 It's been a good week. Love Easter. 6 00:00:24,170 --> 00:00:25,690 Hope you guys have enjoyed your week. 7 00:00:27,050 --> 00:00:29,290 It's about to get better because we're going to talk about Jesus, 8 00:00:29,290 --> 00:00:30,330 right? We're going to talk about the 9 00:00:30,330 --> 00:00:32,520 cross. We're going to talk about what 10 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:35,760 the Lord has done and I'm excited about that. 11 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:42,840 So, you know, Easter, Easter is this, it's the story about Jesus 12 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:46,560 dying on the cross and being risen again. 13 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:52,120 And the story of, you know, the, the, the picture of the cross. 14 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:58,800 It's such a brutal picture. You know, we, we, we put crosses 15 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:01,720 around our necks and wear them around as a sign of hope. 16 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:06,720 We see, you know, church buildings with a cross and, and 17 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:09,080 the, the cross is, is a picture of hope. 18 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:15,800 And so how could we draw hope out of such a, a brutal, A 19 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:18,800 brutal thing? The cross was a, a, it was an 20 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:21,960 instrument of death. You know, the, the Romans 21 00:01:21,960 --> 00:01:26,000 invented the cross as a way of punishment and cruelty. 22 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:29,040 And it was like, how could we hurt people the most? 23 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:34,160 How could we kill people in the most brutal, brutal, hurtful 24 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:35,960 way? And that's what the cross is. 25 00:01:35,960 --> 00:01:37,400 They, this is what they came up with. 26 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:40,640 And so, you know, Jesus died on that thing. 27 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:44,120 And again, we would say that this is such a sign of hope. 28 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:46,200 So I'm going to talk around some of these things this morning. 29 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:52,640 And it's such an important time to talk about hope because we 30 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:55,120 need hope in a world that we're living in right now. 31 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:59,000 You think about the things going on in our world right now. 32 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:03,160 There's there's wars going on, there's famines, there's there's 33 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:05,960 sickness, there's disease. There is like look at our own 34 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:10,520 country right now, there's cost of living and housing crisis and 35 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:13,400 all of these things. There's a lot of things that are 36 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:17,680 going on even in, in little old Adelaide, right, that are 37 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:23,600 causing people and causing us to have discomfort and losing hope, 38 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:25,800 you know, robbing us of our peace. 39 00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:29,480 And so This is why it's so important for us to talk about 40 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:33,480 the, the cross, because our world needs hope. 41 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:38,320 And I'm sure that some of us in this place need to be reminded 42 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:41,520 of, of hope and, and find something to anchor to. 43 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:47,080 That's exactly what Jesus is. Jesus is the anchor for our for 44 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:52,280 our souls. And so hope is the answer to 45 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:56,200 fear because when there's uncertainty and when there's 46 00:02:56,720 --> 00:02:58,960 hopelessness, we're, we're just full of fear. 47 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:02,880 And fear is the thing that's gripping the hearts of many 48 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:06,200 people. You go and speak to people, you 49 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:08,120 know, ask people around us how they're doing. 50 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:11,360 A lot of people are fearful. And the answer to a fearful 51 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:16,640 heart is hope. You know, hope equals living 52 00:03:16,640 --> 00:03:20,040 free. When you have hope, you're able 53 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:25,040 to live in freedom and we want to be free, and God's intention 54 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:29,440 is for us to live free. Our world system that we live in 55 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:34,720 is, it's geared towards binding people up and enslaving people 56 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:38,280 in a way that sounds really harsh to say, but the world 57 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:43,400 system enslaves people to debt, to money, it enslaves their 58 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:46,080 time. All of these things, people are 59 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:49,400 enslaved that are living outside of God's purpose and plan. 60 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:55,600 And to quote the movie Hunger Games, evil President Snow said 61 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:59,240 this of hope. He said hope, it is the only 62 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:02,880 thing stronger than fear. Sorry, it is the only thing. 63 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:05,240 Yes, that's that. Let me start again. 64 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:07,760 Hope is the only thing stronger than fear. 65 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:12,480 A little hope is effective. A lot of hope is dangerous. 66 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:16,680 Now, he was a dictator in this movie that was trying to control 67 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:19,680 the masses. And that's not really that far 68 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:23,960 from the world that we live in. You know, if you watch the news 69 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:27,200 a lot, what you're going to be put under is fear. 70 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:31,680 Quite quite often there's not a lot of good news being spoken 71 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:36,680 through social media and, and through, you know, the the news 72 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:38,840 broadcasts and stuff like that. And that's for good reason, I 73 00:04:38,840 --> 00:04:41,520 think. I think that fear is being used 74 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:48,520 to control the masses. And so This is why hope is so 75 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:51,000 important, because hope overcomes fear. 76 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:56,960 It is possible to live in the world system that we live in, 77 00:04:57,400 --> 00:05:00,560 yet be full of hope. It is possible. 78 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:06,520 And John 1633 says this. It says these things I've spoken 79 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:08,360 to you. So this is Jesus speaking. 80 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:13,400 He says these things I've spoken to you, that in me you may have 81 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:17,400 peace in the world, you will have tribulation, you will have 82 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:22,120 hardship, but be of good cheer because I have overcome the 83 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:24,480 world. Do you hear what Jesus is 84 00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:25,960 saying? He's saying you're going to go 85 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:31,480 through tribulations and trials, but in me you will overcome. 86 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:37,080 Another verse that inspires hope for us is John 1633. 87 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:40,560 It says these things. I've spoken to you. 88 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:44,000 No, that's the one I just read. Sorry. 89 00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:48,360 Psalm 62. Yes, my soul finds rest in God. 90 00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:51,360 My hope comes from Him. Truly. 91 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:53,920 He is my rock. He is my salvation. 92 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:56,720 He is my fortress. I will not be shaken. 93 00:05:57,200 --> 00:06:00,520 Time and time again in the Scripture, through the Word of 94 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:04,920 God, God is trying to reach out to humanity and tell them there 95 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:09,640 is hope, there is peace, there is joy, but it's only found in 96 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:14,000 me, in God. I am the rock, Jesus says. 97 00:06:14,840 --> 00:06:20,560 And so when we find our, our, our hope in Jesus Christ, we 98 00:06:20,560 --> 00:06:24,480 have hope for yesterday. Hope for yesterday is found in 99 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:28,480 Christ. Our past can hang over us like a 100 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:35,480 dark cloud, past mistakes and regrets, the the which the Bible 101 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:38,880 calls sin, the things that where we've fallen short, where we've 102 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:41,440 lived outside of God's plan and purpose. 103 00:06:42,840 --> 00:06:48,640 Those things can can make us can bind us up and it's present with 104 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:50,960 us now. If if you haven't been set free 105 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:54,800 from your past, sitting in this place today, you could just your 106 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:57,840 mind could run and think about all the things from your past 107 00:06:57,840 --> 00:07:00,920 and you could be bound and chained to your past. 108 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:05,600 And so in Christ, Christ offers us freedom from our past. 109 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:09,480 Hopefully yesterday. To quote CS Lewis. 110 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:14,480 CS Lewis says this as something which is directing the universe 111 00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:19,400 and which appears to me as a law urging me to do right and making 112 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:23,200 me feel responsible and uncomfortable when I do wrong. 113 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:27,400 For all of us have fallen short of of the glory of God, There's 114 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:31,680 there's something in US even when we're living outside of, 115 00:07:32,280 --> 00:07:35,480 you know, the understanding of Christ and who God is and why we 116 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:38,240 were created. There's something in us that you 117 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:42,160 just know there's got to be more and you feel like you're falling 118 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:44,720 short. There's there's a heaviness 119 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:48,400 there. There's a there's a shame, there 120 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:52,000 is a shame there guys like where you'd be in denial if you think 121 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:55,640 that living outside of the cross that you're not living with some 122 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:57,360 sort of shame. It is there. 123 00:07:57,360 --> 00:07:59,200 I've lived, I've lived in that place. 124 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:02,960 I understand I can get sucked back into that now, into my 125 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:05,360 past, into thinking about the things that I've done, but in 126 00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:08,120 Christ, I'm set free. He has set me free. 127 00:08:08,120 --> 00:08:11,680 I've been delivered, but it's in him that I find freedom from 128 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:17,120 yesterday. Jesus, he paid the price for all 129 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:20,520 of those moments, all of my shortcomings, all of my regrets, 130 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:23,840 all of my sins. Jesus paid the price for all of 131 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:26,600 those things. That's what the cross is. 132 00:08:26,880 --> 00:08:29,920 Jesus dying on the cross paid the price for all of my sins and 133 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:34,320 regrets and and shortcomings. He, the, the scripture says that 134 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:37,360 those things have been removed from my record. 135 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:40,159 God says that I'll remember your sins no more. 136 00:08:40,559 --> 00:08:44,240 This is how freedom comes from yesterday, because when you're 137 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:50,040 when God Forgives you, like if God Forgives me, I'm forgiven. 138 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:54,880 No one else can put me back in a place of of heaviness and 139 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:57,280 regret. If the Lord, the one who created 140 00:08:57,280 --> 00:09:01,200 me, the the only true God, if he can forgive me, then I don't 141 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:02,800 have to worry about what other people say. 142 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:06,040 And more than that, if God Forgives me, I can forgive 143 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:08,480 myself. And that's a very powerful 144 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:12,080 statement right there because many of us are bound by our own 145 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:17,040 expectations and and our own what we think about ourselves. 146 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:19,320 But Christ wants to set us free of that. 147 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:23,560 I will remember your sins. No more restored hope, freedom 148 00:09:23,560 --> 00:09:26,120 from yesterday. It's very powerful when you 149 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:29,360 think about that. You just go man, like living in 150 00:09:29,360 --> 00:09:33,880 the past and and the hurts and the frustrations and the sins is 151 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:37,200 such a heavy cloud. Like I said for today and it 152 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:39,160 bonds us up. It's not a great place to live. 153 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:43,560 Jesus paid the price. Jesus in Jesus we have hope for 154 00:09:43,560 --> 00:09:47,640 today. Today that's like that's today, 155 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:51,560 like we woke up today. We we rolled out of bed. 156 00:09:51,680 --> 00:09:53,920 Today is a new day in Jesus Christ. 157 00:09:53,920 --> 00:09:57,480 We have hope for today as we accept the redemption of the 158 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:00,680 cross and turn from our past. We've turned from our past. 159 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:03,440 When you turn from your past, you know where your past is 160 00:10:04,360 --> 00:10:06,280 behind you. You don't have to look at it. 161 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:07,600 You don't have to worry about it. 162 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:09,840 You're moving forward. Today is a new day. 163 00:10:10,440 --> 00:10:15,200 We receive new life in Christ, a spiritual rebirth. 164 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:19,160 The language that the that the scripture uses for salvation is 165 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:22,400 being born again. That means that the old man is 166 00:10:22,400 --> 00:10:24,280 dead. Your old life is behind you. 167 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:29,080 I have a new life ahead of me, a spiritual rebirth and and the 168 00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:32,320 cross, Jesus Christ, what is what is paid for on the cross. 169 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:36,600 It allows us to be reconnected with God, reconnected with the 170 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:40,640 Father, the one who made us our father, The relationship of a 171 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:44,200 son with a father. That's very special to me that I 172 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:48,520 could be reconnected with God, the one who made me the the one 173 00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:52,200 who knows me better than anyone else and has forgiven me and set 174 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:54,600 me free. He says to me that you are 175 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:57,920 welcome in my presence. My gosh, like I love some of you 176 00:10:57,920 --> 00:11:01,320 guys and I, I love hanging out with you guys, but I love being 177 00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:04,440 with God more. His his, you know, his 178 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:08,480 acceptance of me means more to me than anyone, more to me than 179 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:11,360 my wife, more to me than my children, saying I love you dad. 180 00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:14,680 You're such a good dad. He says you're accepted. 181 00:11:14,680 --> 00:11:19,000 In my eyes, that is the most powerful relationship a person 182 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:23,640 can have with the Lord first and then in that place with each 183 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:25,600 other. It changes your relationships 184 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:28,400 with each other. When that thing is is in place, 185 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:34,840 isn't that powerful new life So the now can be restored and in 186 00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:38,080 that place of restoration we we do have comfort. 187 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:41,480 We do have hope. We do have we we receive wisdom 188 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:44,520 from God. We can receive healing from God. 189 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:48,240 He restores us. He makes us whole freedom, true 190 00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:52,280 life, true life can only be found in in the in the source of 191 00:11:52,280 --> 00:11:58,040 life, in the one who gave life. Every provision that I need is 192 00:11:58,040 --> 00:12:02,680 found in God, Philippians 419 says and my God will supply 193 00:12:02,800 --> 00:12:07,040 every need of yours according to his riches in Christ Jesus. 194 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:10,320 Everything that I need is found in Christ Jesus. 195 00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:14,160 Everything, every need that you have, whatever it is, it could 196 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:17,680 be a physical need, it could be a spiritual need, could be a 197 00:12:17,680 --> 00:12:20,680 financial need, whatever. The Lord has proved Himself 198 00:12:20,680 --> 00:12:24,360 faithful to me and many of us in this room. 199 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:28,080 The Lord has proved Himself faithful to His word and to that 200 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:30,960 Scripture that says He will supply for all our needs. 201 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:35,880 He does this peace and joy despite circumstances. 202 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:39,800 Gosh, that's loud, isn't it? Peace and joy despite God's, 203 00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:43,480 despite the circumstances. That means that no matter what 204 00:12:43,480 --> 00:12:47,920 is going on in your life, you can have peace because your life 205 00:12:47,920 --> 00:12:52,240 is anchored to the rock and A and a strong foundation cannot 206 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:55,360 be shaken. This is how we overcome. 207 00:12:56,800 --> 00:12:59,360 The Lord has a great plan for you and I. 208 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:03,280 The Lord has a great plan. Do we believe that this morning? 209 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:05,280 He has a great plan for you and I? 210 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:10,320 He does, and that's like hope for the future, right? 211 00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:13,760 If the Lord, if you think about that, that the Lord has a plan 212 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:18,720 beyond today for you, then that gives us hope for the future. 213 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:24,480 So the Lord's plan and in Christ Jesus, our hope in Christ gives 214 00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:28,920 us hope for the future beyond, for tomorrow when we know him. 215 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:33,960 When you know the one who made you, when you know the one who 216 00:13:33,960 --> 00:13:38,520 made the reality that you live in, then you know everything 217 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:42,560 will be OK, right? Like my, my boys. 218 00:13:42,560 --> 00:13:45,720 If you take that back and scale that back to my house where I 219 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:49,920 live, my boys trust me and trust my wife. 220 00:13:49,920 --> 00:13:52,480 They trust us as parents. They know that everything will 221 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:55,040 be OK. They trust, they look to us when 222 00:13:55,040 --> 00:13:59,000 things are uncertain. That's the relationship between 223 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:02,280 US and God. It's like we know that in Him 224 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:07,240 everything will be OK. It's in his hands. 225 00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:10,720 The scripture says that He holds the palm of the world in His 226 00:14:10,720 --> 00:14:13,040 hands. He is a mighty God. 227 00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:14,800 He made it. He will see it through. 228 00:14:14,800 --> 00:14:17,800 He made you and I very special hope for the future. 229 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:23,120 Everything will be OK. If God is for us, who could be 230 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:27,240 against us? Romans 8 If God is for you, who 231 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:29,880 could be against you? It doesn't matter who would come 232 00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:34,200 against you and try to destroy you, derail you, hurt you, steal 233 00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:36,840 from you. If God is for you, who could 234 00:14:36,840 --> 00:14:39,840 touch you? The answer is no one can touch 235 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:45,880 you, no one can touch you. God says in Jeremiah, he says, 236 00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:50,080 For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the 237 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:55,120 Lord, thoughts of peace, not of evil to give you a future and a 238 00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:58,920 hope building your life on the truth of Jesus Christ. 239 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:02,080 Again, it's where the firm foundation is found, a new life 240 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:05,160 following him being transformed into his image. 241 00:15:05,800 --> 00:15:09,440 You know, I'm more like Jesus today than I was a year from 242 00:15:09,640 --> 00:15:13,480 from a year back, right? That's the process of God 243 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:16,680 forming us to be like him. It's like we come from this 244 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:20,280 place of total brokenness. We turn from our past and we 245 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:24,200 look to him and he makes us a new creation and he leads us in 246 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:26,680 the paths of righteousness for his namesake. 247 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:30,320 He transforms us to be like him. And it's such a wonderful thing 248 00:15:31,760 --> 00:15:34,240 when you see how wonderful he is and when you know that he's 249 00:15:34,240 --> 00:15:38,000 making you to be like him. There is such hope for the 250 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:40,560 future. It's like I look to, you know, a 251 00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:43,000 year's time from now. And I think, you know what? 252 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:44,720 I'm not going to be the same day for that. 253 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:48,520 That stands here today. I'm going to be more like Jesus 254 00:15:48,880 --> 00:15:52,160 and I have such hope in that because I hold him in such high 255 00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:56,160 regard, right? He is so far beyond anyone that 256 00:15:56,160 --> 00:15:58,200 I've ever met, anything that I've ever known. 257 00:15:58,680 --> 00:16:02,080 And for me to be moving closer towards him and to becoming like 258 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:04,360 him gives me such future, future hope. 259 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:07,800 It's very powerful stuff. This is the cross. 260 00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:11,960 This is what he paid for. So lastly in in Christ Jesus, we 261 00:16:11,960 --> 00:16:16,200 have hope for eternity. Hope for eternity. 262 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:20,000 What is eternity? If you think about what, what 263 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:23,000 eternity is I, when I, when I thought about that for myself, I 264 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:27,440 thought eternity is almost just like this timeless existence, 265 00:16:28,040 --> 00:16:29,840 like it will never end. It's eternal. 266 00:16:29,840 --> 00:16:32,080 It doesn't have an end point. It's just forever. 267 00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:35,400 You know, it's not, it's not just a really long time. 268 00:16:36,160 --> 00:16:39,120 You know, it's eternal. It doesn't have an end, but 269 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:42,800 eternal life is defined in the Scripture by this. 270 00:16:43,400 --> 00:16:47,960 It says this is eternal life, that we should know the Father 271 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:51,960 and Jesus Christ his Son like that was eternal. 272 00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:55,920 That is eternal life. To know God, to know Jesus 273 00:16:55,920 --> 00:17:00,720 Christ the Son, to know salvation, to be regenerated and 274 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:04,119 joined back to the Father and to have relationship with him 275 00:17:04,119 --> 00:17:06,440 forever and ever and ever and ever and ever. 276 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:10,560 That's what eternal life is. Eternal life is not something, 277 00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:14,280 it's not just a really long time having a lot of fun, it's 278 00:17:14,280 --> 00:17:17,680 knowing God and his Son forever and ever. 279 00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:23,040 That's a very powerful thing. Can we just close our eyes for a 280 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:26,480 moment? I just want us to picture 281 00:17:26,839 --> 00:17:30,600 eternity. I want us to picture what this 282 00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:35,560 might be like forever and ever. So picture things that bring you 283 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:38,040 joy. What brings you the most joy in 284 00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:40,880 your life? A lot of people will be 285 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:43,880 picturing things like their family, their children. 286 00:17:45,280 --> 00:17:47,600 I hope you're not, you know, picturing your possessions. 287 00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:49,640 But possessions can bring us joy as well. 288 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:52,200 Just something that brings you joy. 289 00:17:53,720 --> 00:18:00,000 And then, you know, picture a place where everything is made 290 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:06,760 right, where when nothing goes wrong, picture, you know, where 291 00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:10,200 time stands still. I don't think we can comprehend 292 00:18:10,360 --> 00:18:14,360 what it's going to be like not being in a rush, not running out 293 00:18:14,360 --> 00:18:17,120 of time to get the things done that we need to get done. 294 00:18:17,560 --> 00:18:20,560 That's what eternity we're like. Never running out of time, never 295 00:18:20,560 --> 00:18:24,600 having to rush, never having to worry about tomorrow, like, oh, 296 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:27,080 I'm going to bed now, I'm going to go to sleep, but I'm going to 297 00:18:27,080 --> 00:18:31,920 worry about tomorrow. Picture just peace and rest, joy 298 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:37,440 and freedom and life. This is what God created you and 299 00:18:37,440 --> 00:18:43,560 I are to experience. Peace, freedom, life, joy, 300 00:18:44,560 --> 00:18:49,040 right, Just having your heart full, you know, when you just 301 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:52,560 leave certain things that you've been been with people for a 302 00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:55,040 while, you've enjoyed their company and you leave quite 303 00:18:55,040 --> 00:18:56,640 often. Hillary and I will will leave 304 00:18:56,640 --> 00:18:58,480 someone's house and we'll just look at each other and we just 305 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:01,520 go, that was really nice. You know, just spending time 306 00:19:01,520 --> 00:19:03,640 with people. I think there's going to be a 307 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:06,480 lot of that. That was really nice Moments in 308 00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:11,240 eternity like that was so good. Like he's so good, He's so 309 00:19:11,240 --> 00:19:12,480 wonderful. Look at what he's done. 310 00:19:12,480 --> 00:19:16,000 Like Thanksgiving every day, eternity. 311 00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:22,400 And so this is what the Lord says these things are going to 312 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:24,440 be like. These are the, the true words of 313 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:28,200 God saying that eternity will be like being with me. 314 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:30,560 I will be their God and they will be my people. 315 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:33,480 You know, the word says that there will be no more tears. 316 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:36,520 Every tear will be washed away. Only joy, only freedom, only 317 00:19:36,520 --> 00:19:40,400 peace. Maybe you're hearing this for 318 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:47,360 the first time, you know, maybe your heart is, you know, wanting 319 00:19:47,360 --> 00:19:51,240 to respond to this and there's like a what now? 320 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:53,840 I don't know, you know, what's going on in your heart right 321 00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:56,840 now, but it's like a if that if the Lord's calling and wanting 322 00:19:56,840 --> 00:20:00,040 you to respond. It's like the what now? 323 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:03,000 Well, let me tell you the what? The what now is The what now is 324 00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:05,640 the Scripture says if you believe in your heart and you 325 00:20:05,640 --> 00:20:08,480 confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord. 326 00:20:08,920 --> 00:20:12,040 You will be saved. So the Lord calls in your heart, 327 00:20:12,640 --> 00:20:15,160 you respond with your mouth and you will be saved. 328 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:18,840 And it takes courage. I remember, you know, having to, 329 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:23,200 to do that, to step out and say, I, I trust you, Lord, I want to 330 00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:25,280 follow you. I'll make you my Lord and my 331 00:20:25,280 --> 00:20:26,640 Saviour. It takes courage. 332 00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:29,280 God gives you the courage. Can I say that? 333 00:20:29,640 --> 00:20:33,640 We don't, we don't turn to the Lord in our own strength. 334 00:20:33,640 --> 00:20:37,520 It's God woos our hearts and calls us to himself. 335 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:41,160 And then there's a response from us which comes out of our heart. 336 00:20:41,160 --> 00:20:44,280 And then we say with our words, we say, Lord, I trust that these 337 00:20:44,280 --> 00:20:46,400 words are true and faithful and I believe in you. 338 00:20:47,760 --> 00:20:51,280 And so I'm just going to go through, I'm going to pray for 339 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:51,640 us. Now. 340 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:54,560 If we could just close our eyes for a moment, I'm going to pray 341 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:58,280 these words. These are the words that we can 342 00:20:58,280 --> 00:21:01,800 pray to the Lord and receive salvation. 343 00:21:02,760 --> 00:21:07,720 So you can pray along with me. If that's you in this place, you 344 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:11,280 could be saved today. Let's pray together. 345 00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:15,280 Lord Jesus, I, I turn from my past sins. 346 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:19,360 I turn from my past. I've lived in this body that you 347 00:21:19,360 --> 00:21:23,920 made in this world that you created with my back to you 348 00:21:23,920 --> 00:21:26,920 until now. And I seek your forgiveness 349 00:21:26,920 --> 00:21:29,200 today. I seek you, I turn to you today. 350 00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:34,880 I thank you that you died for me on that cross, for my sins, that 351 00:21:34,880 --> 00:21:37,040 I could come to life again as you did. 352 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:39,840 You're alive today, Lord. I believe that. 353 00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:44,200 I confess today that Jesus Christ, you are my Lord and you 354 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:46,480 are my Savior. Amen. 355 00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:50,040 Amen. So we started off by talking 356 00:21:50,040 --> 00:21:54,480 about the cross. How is this such a sign of hope? 357 00:21:55,400 --> 00:22:00,520 Because Jesus laid down his life for you and I that we could be 358 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:08,120 forgiven, set free, made whole and have eternal life in him. 359 00:22:08,960 --> 00:22:11,680 That's why we could put a cross around our necks. 360 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:15,640 That's why we we have crosses on our Bibles because it is a sign 361 00:22:15,640 --> 00:22:19,000 of hope of what Jesus did. Amen. 362 00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:21,040 Amen. Excellent. 363 00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:24,360 All right, I'm just going to hand over to Justin. 364 00:22:24,360 --> 00:22:27,880 Justin is going to. Let's see what Justin does. 365 00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:31,840 Thank you guys. Awesome. 366 00:22:31,840 --> 00:22:34,960 Well done, Dave, All done. Yeah. 367 00:22:34,960 --> 00:22:38,240 It's when you think about right at the end of the Bible, there's 368 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:42,000 this book called Revelation, and it's this guy called John, and 369 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:49,160 he sees Jesus and the words that Jesus says I am I Yeah, I think 370 00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:50,120 it was right. Sorry. 371 00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:55,720 It talks about him being the one who was, the one who is and the 372 00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:59,120 one who is to come. You know, he says I'm the alpha 373 00:22:59,120 --> 00:23:01,040 in the Omega at the beginning and the end. 374 00:23:01,880 --> 00:23:04,760 And he says, you know, countless times in the Bible, it says, 375 00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:07,160 hey, Jesus is the one who was right there at the very 376 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:09,680 beginning, knowing everything that was going to happen, 377 00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:12,520 everything that I was going to do wrong, every, every failing 378 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:16,760 that I was going to do, every failing I probably am living in 379 00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:18,680 and everything I'm going to do into the future. 380 00:23:18,680 --> 00:23:23,600 And he goes, but I am and I exist and I've dealt with your 381 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:27,160 past, I've dealt with your present and I've dealt with your 382 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:29,360 future. And they're all secure in me. 383 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:31,840 That's the hope that we have in the gospel. 384 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:36,000 That's the hope that we have. This cross stands at the center 385 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:38,520 of time. We measure our time by the 386 00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:43,000 cross. In the year 2020, six, 2026 387 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:45,880 years after Christ died, He has divided time. 388 00:23:46,760 --> 00:23:49,120 And the amazing thing is that he divides my time as well. 389 00:23:49,120 --> 00:23:52,240 Because the minute I encounter the cross, my life has changed 390 00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:55,080 forever. He wipes away my past, He 391 00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:59,960 secures my future and He changes me today and I live always in 392 00:23:59,960 --> 00:24:03,400 the hope of Jesus. Isn't that amazing that all of 393 00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:05,720 us, we grab hold? This isn't just a hope that one 394 00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:08,920 day we will live with him or that something that we look back 395 00:24:08,920 --> 00:24:10,680 to and say, ah, he did that so long. 396 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:12,400 It's something actually available to us today. 397 00:24:14,040 --> 00:24:16,920 So do you mind if I just pray once more and then we'll wrap 398 00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:18,640 things up? Father, we thank you for a hope 399 00:24:18,840 --> 00:24:21,200 that we have today in this place today. 400 00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:25,480 The Bible says in Hebrews today, if you hear his voice, do not 401 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:27,720 harden your hearts. We thank you that this is a 402 00:24:27,720 --> 00:24:30,360 gospel for today. It's not just a hope that we 403 00:24:30,360 --> 00:24:33,760 have long time into the future that one day things will work 404 00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:35,840 out. Or do we look back and we say, 405 00:24:35,840 --> 00:24:39,360 well that was good for 2000 years ago, but what about today? 406 00:24:39,960 --> 00:24:43,640 This is a hope we have today. And so we reach out, no matter 407 00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:47,160 what our circumstances are, no matter what is happening around 408 00:24:47,160 --> 00:24:51,920 us or in this world, we take hold of a hope today, this 409 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:55,040 anchor for our soul, this, this cross shaped anchor. 410 00:24:55,920 --> 00:25:00,640 We thank you for it in Jesus name, Amen. 411 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:03,280 Amen. Thank you guys for joining us 412 00:25:03,320 --> 00:25:05,400 for this morning. Thank you for joining us for 413 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:07,800 today's message. For more information about The 414 00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:12,000 Way Church, please visit ourwebsite@thewaychurch.com dot 415 00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:13,400 AU. Have a blessed day.