1 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:13,960 Easter is the greatest story of the greatest life, the greatest 2 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:21,160 death, and the greatest miracle, the resurrection of Jesus of 3 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:26,080 Nazareth, who was the Son of Man and Son of God. 4 00:00:26,080 --> 00:00:31,400 He was man and he was God. You know, we, we admire 5 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:34,160 greatness. You know, we, we said that was 6 00:00:34,160 --> 00:00:36,040 really great. You know, that's awesome. 7 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:44,400 That's great. We think of great events, great 8 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:49,120 tasks. For example, are the pyramids of 9 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:51,960 Egypt, Are they man's greatest building? 10 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:59,640 Is the sinking of the Titanic 1912? 11 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:03,440 Is that the greatest catastrophe that's ever occurred at sea? 12 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:11,560 Is the first heart transplant as far back as 1967? 13 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:16,280 Was that man's greatest medical achievement? 14 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:24,560 Or is man landing on the moon man's greatest adventure? 15 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:33,800 We even today, we've invented an acronym for the greatest sports 16 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:37,680 stars. We call them the GOAT. 17 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:42,800 What a terrible name. Because I just think of a goat. 18 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:48,000 I mean greatest of all time, the GOAT. 19 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:54,680 This Easter Sunday 2006, I want us to examine four things. 20 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:58,120 Man's greatest search yours and mine. 21 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:01,600 Man's greatest fear. What is the fear? 22 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:03,760 What is it that we all fear the most? 23 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:09,320 Thirdly, man's greatest need. What is it that we need the 24 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:15,920 most? When I was a kid I thought A and 25 00:02:15,920 --> 00:02:17,720 I forgot completely what you call them now. 26 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:20,200 Maybe a memory would be good for me. 27 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:28,280 Frisbee. When I first saw the first 28 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:31,400 Frisbee on TVI thought I have to have one of those. 29 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:35,440 And in the olden days there were 4 shillings. 30 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:38,920 That was a lot of money. And then when I've actually 31 00:02:38,920 --> 00:02:43,840 bought one, it was a piece of plastic, like a lid off an ice 32 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:48,560 cream tin. But that was my greatest need. 33 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:54,360 I had to have a Frisbee. What's your greatest need? 34 00:02:56,080 --> 00:03:00,320 And lastly, man's greatest hope. Let's read our text. 35 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:05,240 Men of Israel, Peter is preaching, he's filled with the 36 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:07,400 Holy Spirit. It's Pentecost. 37 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:11,800 The Holy Spirit has fallen and the church has been birthed. 38 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:17,640 He says, hear these words, listen up, Jesus of Nazareth, so 39 00:03:17,640 --> 00:03:21,360 you know what I'm talking about. A man attested. 40 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:26,320 That means certified, verified by God to you. 41 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:30,920 How? By miracles, wonders, signs 42 00:03:30,920 --> 00:03:34,280 which God did through Him in your midst. 43 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:39,720 You saw them as you yourselves also know Him, being delivered 44 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:43,040 by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God. 45 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:45,520 In other words, what happened to him? 46 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:48,040 You're involved and actually God planned it. 47 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:52,680 You know, ether is God's plan, the death, the resurrection, the 48 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:58,040 whipping, the crucifixion, the resurrection, as I said, all 49 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:04,960 that planned by God, Palm Sunday, planned by God, him 50 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:07,080 being delivered by the determined purpose and 51 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:09,920 foreknowledge of God. We have to ask ourselves why? 52 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:15,160 Why did it all happen? He says you have taken by 53 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:19,880 lawless hands, you've crucified, you put him to death, you killed 54 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:26,280 him, you murdered him. But God raised him up, having 55 00:04:26,280 --> 00:04:31,200 loosed the pains of death, the hold of death, because it was 56 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:35,080 not possible that he should be held by it, because death holds 57 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:41,160 those who've sinned. The wages of sin is death. 58 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:44,800 In other words, if you're a Sinner and you die, death holds 59 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:51,200 you until judgement. Couldn't hold Jesus because he 60 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:54,560 was innocent. He took our sins, paid for them, 61 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:59,240 and then because he was innocent, no hold on him, the 62 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:02,200 grave had to let him go. Satan couldn't hold him. 63 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:05,760 He broke the mould, broke the chains. 64 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:11,080 Peter went on to say, therefore, because of all this, let all the 65 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:15,160 House of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus 66 00:05:15,280 --> 00:05:19,480 whom you crucified, just to remind them he is Lord and 67 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:23,880 Christ, He's the Messiah. Now when they heard this, they 68 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:26,360 were cut to the heart, said to Peter and the rest of the 69 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:30,560 apostles, men and brethren, what a what shall we do? 70 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:34,280 We're guilty, We know who he is now. 71 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:38,520 He's risen from the dead. We're responsible for his death. 72 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:45,320 What happens to us? Peter said to them, repent, ask 73 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:50,400 God to forgive you, let everyone of you then be baptised in the 74 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:52,280 name of Jesus Christ. Why? 75 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:56,120 For the remission, for the removal of yours or your sins. 76 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:00,320 And you shall then receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 77 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:06,560 Life for the promises to you and to your children and to all who 78 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:09,920 are far off. Secret Harbour is about as far 79 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:13,040 off from Jerusalem as you can get. 80 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:18,080 As many as the Lord our God would call. 4 things. 81 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:21,600 So let's look at the first one, Man's greatest search. 82 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:24,960 What is man's greatest search today? 83 00:06:24,960 --> 00:06:26,760 For some of you, it would be your wallet and your keys and 84 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:32,880 your phone. Is it to walk on the moon once 85 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:34,920 more? We've just shot off another 86 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:37,080 rocket. It's going to orbit around the 87 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:40,520 moon and come back. One of the astronauts is a 88 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:46,280 believer. Or is it then to travel to Mars? 89 00:06:46,280 --> 00:06:49,480 Now, that's not my thing. But many people, yeah, I'd love 90 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:51,400 to go to Mars. They're planning it. 91 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:56,040 Is that man's greatest search We can set up, you know, a new 92 00:06:56,040 --> 00:06:59,920 place on Mars. Or perhaps it is for you to 93 00:06:59,920 --> 00:07:02,560 search to see an end to all wars. 94 00:07:03,640 --> 00:07:06,880 Hostility. But what is it that sits at the 95 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:08,360 core of our being? You. 96 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:11,240 When you look in the mirror, what is it? 97 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:15,160 When you're by yourself? When you're alone, What sits at 98 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:18,920 the core of your being? What's your greatest search? 99 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:22,600 What are you seeking? Many would say simply to be 100 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:24,720 happy. Just want to be happy. 101 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:31,920 But our world today has more knowledge in its hands than ever 102 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:35,520 before. A recent study tells us that 103 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:42,080 human knowledge is expanding at an exponential rate, with some 104 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:48,120 estimates suggesting it doubles roughly every 12 to 13 months. 105 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:51,680 So what we have now, in 12 to 13 months time, we will have 106 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:56,760 doubled the knowledge that we have now driven by digital 107 00:07:56,920 --> 00:08:04,560 technology, the Internet of Things, AI, faster projections 108 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:10,480 suggest specialised data. Now robotics like medical or 109 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:16,040 technical knowledge, they are saying could double as fast as 110 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:24,040 every 12 to 73 hours. However, with all the knowledge 111 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:28,400 that you and I have at our fingertips, we have never been a 112 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:32,000 lonelier society since the history of man began. 113 00:08:33,799 --> 00:08:37,440 Another recent study said that our modern society is 114 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:41,200 experiencing A profound loneliness epidemic. 115 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:49,440 More than 50% of people reported feelings of loneliness, and many 116 00:08:49,440 --> 00:09:00,080 experience social isolation paradoxically rising despite 117 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:04,760 high digital connectivity. Kids come home from school, they 118 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:10,080 got a phone. But the paradox is going to a 119 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:15,760 coffee shop and seeing people come in and sit outcomes their 120 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:19,000 phones. They'll stay there an hour and 121 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:24,000 they'll not say a word, flick through their phones and go 122 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:28,720 back. We have teens now, an epidemic 123 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:32,560 of teens, including Australia, who locked themselves in the 124 00:09:32,560 --> 00:09:36,520 rooms, not in the sense literally, but close themselves 125 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:37,640 in their rooms. Why? 126 00:09:38,120 --> 00:09:42,080 Because their only world that they communicate, that they 127 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:45,960 associate with is through their social media. 128 00:09:49,160 --> 00:09:53,640 Another survey revealed that in Australia itself, loneliness is 129 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:59,880 a growing public health crisis, with roughly one in seven adults 130 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:06,760 experiencing social isolation. More than 40% of young people in 131 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:10,920 Australia report. They're lonely, they're driven. 132 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:16,120 These things that are the drivers of these situations are 133 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:20,920 high living costs, digital reliance, where everything's 134 00:10:20,920 --> 00:10:25,640 reliant on our, on our, on our social media, our phone. 135 00:10:25,640 --> 00:10:28,760 And, and we have a disease now where, where, where we're 136 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:33,200 treating kids now who are permanently bent over in their 137 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:34,680 neck. They haven't treated through 138 00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:39,200 chiropractors and surgery and, and, and now the effects of 139 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:43,960 their eyesight and their mind of being on the phone, being on, on 140 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:45,840 that. And they walk around holding it 141 00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:49,080 and you can watch they're, they're drugged by it. 142 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:55,080 Watch people when they hold the phone anywhere, you'll see as 143 00:10:55,080 --> 00:10:59,000 they got their phone, they'll, they'll look at it, check no 144 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:01,720 one's, no one's ringing them. I mean, how often do people ring 145 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:06,520 you? No one's sending you a text, but 146 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:08,680 they, they'll check it and they have to check it. 147 00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:10,280 They have to check it again. They have to. 148 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:17,400 It's, it's, it's, it's an addiction and it's making us 149 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:23,160 lonely. Billions of dollars now on our 150 00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:28,720 economy are caused by this loneliness through health, 151 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:33,960 through the physical and mental health fallouts because of our 152 00:11:33,960 --> 00:11:38,120 loneliness. You know, each of us are like a 153 00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:43,760 restless ocean. We find a little piece here, a 154 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:46,560 little pleasure there, but nothing permanent. 155 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:56,400 Society's cry back when I was a youth, horse and cart days, was 156 00:11:56,400 --> 00:11:58,640 why do I exist? And all the friends that I 157 00:11:58,640 --> 00:12:04,760 surfed with during the 70s and 70s, they all went to India or 158 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:09,640 they went to communes and I hit marijuana and LSD. 159 00:12:11,040 --> 00:12:15,000 They went to find themselves Why, Why do I exist? 160 00:12:16,520 --> 00:12:21,800 But now the ache of society has become more complex. 161 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:25,960 It's not that anymore, it's even more confused as society. 162 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:31,600 Now our society asks this question, What am I? 163 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:37,120 What am I? Am IA man? 164 00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:42,360 Am IA woman? Am I an animal? 165 00:12:43,040 --> 00:12:48,960 Italy yesterday passed laws banning all schools in Italy 166 00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:51,720 from allowing children to come and be dogs. 167 00:12:56,840 --> 00:13:01,080 They seriously come to school and that's what they are. 168 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:04,360 And Italy said, no, you're not. This is not happening anymore. 169 00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:13,200 We won't allow that in schools. Society then says, well, I'm a 170 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:15,240 pronoun. I don't know whatever that means 171 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:23,080 myself, but it's sad. Or am I one thing today and 172 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:30,680 another thing tomorrow? I'm I'm I'm here and and then 173 00:13:30,680 --> 00:13:37,960 I'm here. Governments, politicians no 174 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:45,480 longer will reply when asked the simplest of question as to what 175 00:13:45,480 --> 00:13:50,000 defines a man or what defines a woman. 176 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:56,680 They stumble and stammer. They don't want to cause hurt 177 00:13:59,280 --> 00:14:01,560 and they will not give an absolute answer. 178 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:05,240 They're more interested in the vote. 179 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:10,200 What's happened? What's changed in our world? 180 00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:14,880 I mean, seriously, all these things have just come with a 181 00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:20,160 rush. We are not, as evolutionists 182 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:26,800 have taught us, that we are the part of the animal Kingdom. 183 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:30,120 If that was so, then the and we don't need police. 184 00:14:30,120 --> 00:14:32,320 We don't need the law. It's just the law of the jungle. 185 00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:36,280 It's just that if you're strong or you rule the dead or the old, 186 00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:39,760 we just cast them aside. You know the weak ones well, 187 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:43,760 that we don't need them. And the law of the jungle is 188 00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:46,520 it's it's the survival of the fittest. 189 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:54,320 That's what evolution is. Now we as humanity, you as 190 00:14:54,320 --> 00:14:58,520 people, you need truth. You want the truth. 191 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:02,160 You hate being lied to. You hate being deceived. 192 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:09,600 And we as humanity, we're perplexed. 193 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:16,720 Apart from truth, we reject opinions on important matters or 194 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:20,480 the spin that we're given. It troubles us. 195 00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:23,400 For example, just look at the fuel crisis. 196 00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:27,080 Do we have fuel or don't we have fuel? 197 00:15:27,720 --> 00:15:32,040 Will we have diesel 30 days, 19 days, 20 days? 198 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:34,440 Will the farmers be able to farm? 199 00:15:34,880 --> 00:15:38,800 Can they get their their their fertiliser? 200 00:15:38,920 --> 00:15:42,000 Is that going to happen? And you know what the government 201 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:44,840 says we all understand how you're doing. 202 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:48,720 It's difficult. We're we're working our way 203 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:54,160 through it. We're talking you go just tell 204 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:57,480 us are we do we have diesel? Do we have petrol? 205 00:15:57,920 --> 00:16:02,040 600? By the way, on about 3-4 days 206 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:07,480 ago, 600 garages of across Australia ran out of fuel. 207 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:13,000 What happens? Well, everyone catches the bus. 208 00:16:13,520 --> 00:16:14,760 Yeah. Those of you who have brick 209 00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:19,600 layers, just get your cement mixer, you know, and the 210 00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:22,080 trainer, your Carpenter. Just get all your tools and 211 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:25,680 catch the train. That'll be interesting, wouldn't 212 00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:29,360 it? See, we want the truth. 213 00:16:29,520 --> 00:16:35,000 What's going to happen? We don't want an hypothesis, 214 00:16:35,560 --> 00:16:39,560 which is when I went to school, evolution was thought it's a 215 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:44,840 hypothesis, an educated guess. They're not good enough. 216 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:48,840 I want answers. We need the truth. 217 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:54,280 When you go to the doctor, you don't want the doctor sitting 218 00:16:54,280 --> 00:16:56,920 down with you in the small room after you've gone to the waiting 219 00:16:56,920 --> 00:16:59,480 room and then the next waiting room and you eventually get to 220 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:03,920 the third waiting room. You don't want him to say, well, 221 00:17:04,319 --> 00:17:13,520 we're kind of like, yeah, we're not so sure, you know, could be, 222 00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:19,920 maybe not. Am I going to die or not? 223 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:28,000 So we need the truth. Truth verse one or .1 is Genesis 224 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:31,640 chapter one verse one says in the beginning God created the 225 00:17:31,640 --> 00:17:34,440 heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and 226 00:17:34,440 --> 00:17:38,120 void and darkness was on the face of the deep and the Spirit 227 00:17:38,120 --> 00:17:41,160 of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 228 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:46,080 Our world, everything and everyone in it exists. 229 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:48,720 It breathes and it moves by design. 230 00:17:50,960 --> 00:17:55,120 I still wonder and, and, and amazed at the beauty of a rose, 231 00:17:55,120 --> 00:17:59,200 the beauty of a flower, the wonder of a bird, how it flies, 232 00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:03,920 how it knows where to go. Even though you know when they, 233 00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:07,640 when they migrate, they've never never been to the place and that 234 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:09,640 yet they know where they head to. 235 00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:12,600 And just in the simple, simple way. 236 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:15,600 I've spent more hours working on my swimming pool this year than 237 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:18,280 I ever have trying to get the water right. 238 00:18:18,760 --> 00:18:24,720 I go to the beach, it's perfect. I mean, where's the guy doing 239 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:27,920 the dipstick with the the PA checking the pH? 240 00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:30,920 There's no one down there with a scrubbing the sides of the 241 00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:36,000 beach, yet the water is crystal clear and God's got billions and 242 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:39,120 billions of leaders and I can't even look after a little hole in 243 00:18:39,120 --> 00:18:44,040 the backyard. And God wants to bring water. 244 00:18:44,040 --> 00:18:46,680 He wants to move water. We think, well sure, we'll put a 245 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:49,920 hook in an iceberg or we'll build a pipe from up north and 246 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:53,080 pipe it down. God says, no, what I do is I 247 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:57,040 cause it to be warm over the ocean and I suck it up salt and 248 00:18:57,040 --> 00:18:58,760 I make it pure water from the salt. 249 00:18:58,920 --> 00:19:01,720 Then I just move it, blow it over to where I want it and I 250 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:04,320 just dump it there. Millions of litres of water. 251 00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:08,160 You see, our world operates by design. 252 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:17,440 Our Earth rotates with the speed at the equator, 1670 kilometres 253 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:20,880 per hour. Now I've been to Hawaii and I 254 00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:23,760 don't see people hanging in the breeze there. 255 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:29,080 There you go. Welcome to Hawaii, doing 16170 256 00:19:29,080 --> 00:19:34,760 KS today. Yet it happens. 257 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:41,680 It's the truth. Somehow we exist without even 258 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:44,560 knowing that we are moving at such a pace. 259 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:47,680 Gravity our distance from the sun. 260 00:19:47,880 --> 00:19:53,640 If gravity changed by just 1% in force, then its present value, 261 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:56,960 our sun, would be much bigger than it presently is and close 262 00:19:56,960 --> 00:20:01,680 to us, and we'd all be incinerated if our Earth's 263 00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:05,520 current rotation speed decreased by 1 smidgen. 264 00:20:05,960 --> 00:20:09,160 Then the atmospheric wind velocities would be too great 265 00:20:09,160 --> 00:20:11,400 and all life would be instantly destroyed. 266 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:18,800 It just happens to sit right. Truth #2 and God said, let us 267 00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:21,480 make man and our image according to our likeness. 268 00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:27,000 Genesis 226. Let them have dominion notices. 269 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:29,400 I want you to note that. Let them have dominion. 270 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:32,080 What? Over the fish of the sea, over 271 00:20:32,080 --> 00:20:36,000 the birds of the air, over the cattle, over all the earth and 272 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:38,280 over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. 273 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:42,280 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God. 274 00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:47,160 He created him, male and female. He created them and God bless 275 00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:49,400 them. Man has dominion. 276 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:53,280 Man has dominion. People say, well, you when you 277 00:20:53,280 --> 00:20:55,440 go in the ocean, that's, you know, the fish is dominion. 278 00:20:58,320 --> 00:21:03,600 It says I have dominion. God has dominion over the land, 279 00:21:03,600 --> 00:21:08,520 over the sea, not the creatures, you know, and everyone says, 280 00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:09,960 well, you know, we can't build this here. 281 00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:12,880 We can't do that there because, you know, the, the birdie beetle 282 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:15,760 that's there, it's precious. We so we therefore we, we won't 283 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:18,400 run gas or have oil for thousands of people. 284 00:21:18,400 --> 00:21:21,000 We just because we've got to protect birdie, the beetle there 285 00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:26,720 and the environment. Well, you know, oh, what are we 286 00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:30,160 going to leave our children? Don't worry, your children will 287 00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:33,720 be crazy. They won't know what what, 288 00:21:33,840 --> 00:21:37,920 what's what. But our world is dominated by 289 00:21:37,920 --> 00:21:42,200 climate change. I mean, the Eagle's lost because 290 00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:46,440 of climate change. Fremantle won because of climate 291 00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:49,840 change. Erring from the environment. 292 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:52,880 Read what the Bible says. That's the truth. 293 00:21:54,160 --> 00:22:01,240 The world is selling you lies and it's causing us chaos. 294 00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:05,480 Man was created in the image of God himself. 295 00:22:06,080 --> 00:22:09,080 That's you and I today. We're created in the image of 296 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:13,160 Almighty God. We have been given an eternal 297 00:22:13,160 --> 00:22:16,560 spirit. Life in this world is not all 298 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:20,760 that there is. There is life after this world. 299 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:24,720 Where you go is on the choice that you make in this world. 300 00:22:24,720 --> 00:22:28,000 Now we have a moral consciousness. 301 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:30,720 What is that? We know when something's not 302 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:33,840 right, when something's wrong. If you see someone being pushed 303 00:22:33,840 --> 00:22:36,400 or shoved, someone being bullied, that's not right. 304 00:22:38,680 --> 00:22:41,520 That's, that's not the way to treat someone that's wrong. 305 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:46,160 Animals don't care. In the jungle, someone's getting 306 00:22:46,160 --> 00:22:48,840 eaten by someone. They keep walking or they just 307 00:22:48,840 --> 00:22:51,080 join in and start eating them as well. 308 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:56,760 We have the ability to to think abstractly. 309 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:01,120 You know, what if we did this? What if we created this? 310 00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:04,520 We have an understanding of beauty and emotion. 311 00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:07,400 I've never seen a pack of dogs down the beach at sunset gun 312 00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:16,320 look at the sunset. They're too busy digging holes, 313 00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:20,400 sniffing one another. Animals don't care. 314 00:23:23,040 --> 00:23:28,200 We look at beauty and we go the colour of the water, the sunset, 315 00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:34,000 the sunrise and above all. But we have the capacity for 316 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:38,280 worshipping and loving God. We have the capacity for 317 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:42,040 worshipping and loving God. Easter tells us that our 318 00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:46,120 greatest search is over for our identity. 319 00:23:47,480 --> 00:23:50,000 We are made in God's image. That's who you are. 320 00:23:51,120 --> 00:23:55,400 We are His unique creation. You're a child of God, created 321 00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:57,720 in His image. He breathed life into you. 322 00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:01,440 There's no one like you. You are the only one with your 323 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:07,840 fingerprint, no one like you. You may have the same DNA in the 324 00:24:07,840 --> 00:24:10,760 family, but how many you know? You have a number of children. 325 00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:14,640 They're all different, different personalities. 326 00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:19,520 You're unique, created in God's image. 327 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:29,680 We can know the truth of who we are, who we like, what our 328 00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:33,560 purpose in life is, and that we are created to have a living, 329 00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:36,720 loving relationship. That's the reason for existence 330 00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:38,800 with the very God who created us. 331 00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:42,560 And here's the problem not to live selfishly for ourselves. 332 00:24:43,360 --> 00:24:45,920 Because the moment we turned in and began to live for ourselves, 333 00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:51,920 we began to get unhappy. Though all that God had done in 334 00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:55,400 creation up to the point before the 6th day, He pronounced, 335 00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:58,560 that's good, what I've made excellent, beautiful. 336 00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:02,960 But creation was incomplete without man. 337 00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:08,080 Without you, man was no afterthought. 338 00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:12,840 You're not just an afterthought. Then God said that He had made 339 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:16,320 man in His image. And then he said, you know what? 340 00:25:17,360 --> 00:25:22,520 He said everything is very good now you, you, yeah, you're very 341 00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:24,880 good. God made you. 342 00:25:25,640 --> 00:25:29,360 Second thing is man's greatest fear in the book of Hebrews, 343 00:25:29,360 --> 00:25:32,840 chapter 2, verse 14. In as much then as the children 344 00:25:32,840 --> 00:25:37,200 have partaken of flesh and blood, Jesus himself likewise 345 00:25:37,200 --> 00:25:40,200 shared in the same. In other words, God became a man 346 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:43,640 and through death he might destroy him. 347 00:25:44,160 --> 00:25:47,440 Through his death on the cross, he might destroy him. 348 00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:50,960 Who had the power over death of death? 349 00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:54,840 That is the devil. Satan was the one who rules with 350 00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:59,880 death and release those who, through fear of death, were all 351 00:25:59,880 --> 00:26:02,800 their lifetime subject to its bondage. 352 00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:07,600 In other words, fearing death. Death is the great interruption. 353 00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:15,440 It's that which we see tearing loved ones away from us, or us 354 00:26:15,440 --> 00:26:16,760 from them. They're gone. 355 00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:22,080 Death is cruel, and it's frightening to our world. 356 00:26:22,720 --> 00:26:27,440 It's our greatest enemy more than anything else, and it makes 357 00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:30,160 its claim on each and every one of us. 358 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:37,640 None are immune from its reach. Modern medicine and science have 359 00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:42,360 relieved us of some causes of early death, but the Bible 360 00:26:42,360 --> 00:26:44,800 speaks of death greatly. Did you know? 361 00:26:45,560 --> 00:26:48,960 And it gives us a hint on how we should think about death. 362 00:26:49,160 --> 00:26:54,320 Psalm 90, verse 12 says this. So teach us to number our days 363 00:26:54,800 --> 00:26:58,560 that we may gain a heart of wisdom in the new Living 364 00:26:58,560 --> 00:27:00,160 Translation. It puts it this way. 365 00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:04,920 Teach us to realise the brevity of life so that we may grow on 366 00:27:04,920 --> 00:27:07,880 wisdom. I have spent a lot of time in 367 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:11,880 hospices because you go into the Hospice, they stop the 368 00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:15,080 treatment, you move into the Hospice, now you're there. 369 00:27:15,160 --> 00:27:18,200 The only one way you leave the Hospice is in a coffin. 370 00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:25,960 And no one in any of my discussions with the many people 371 00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:32,520 that I've dealt with and ministered to in a Hospice, no 372 00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:37,920 one there has thought, well, that's it. 373 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:41,840 It's just all over, you know, because they're thinking now I'm 374 00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:45,760 actually going to die. What happens now? 375 00:27:47,360 --> 00:27:50,680 Where will I go? Some are terrified. 376 00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:53,600 I mean, terror in their eyes again. 377 00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:57,960 There was a man ministered to and they tried to get him to 378 00:27:57,960 --> 00:28:00,400 sleep. He was a big man, strong man. 379 00:28:00,840 --> 00:28:03,480 You wouldn't go to sleep. And nurses come in, they give 380 00:28:03,480 --> 00:28:05,720 him sleep and spit him out. So what's going on? 381 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:07,240 He said, I don't want to go to sleep. 382 00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:12,520 I'm scared of never waking up. So I said, I can tell you, 383 00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:14,040 you're scared of dying. You don't know where you're 384 00:28:14,040 --> 00:28:17,240 going. He says absolutely never been to 385 00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:20,560 church in his life. So I said, well, let's settle 386 00:28:20,560 --> 00:28:22,760 that. I spoke about Christ, what he 387 00:28:22,760 --> 00:28:28,640 did, and he received Christ and he went to sleep and he died. 388 00:28:30,960 --> 00:28:37,840 He knew where he was going. Now you see, Jesus takes control 389 00:28:38,280 --> 00:28:41,040 over the power of Satan and he breaks it. 390 00:28:45,960 --> 00:28:50,840 So many people today live foolishly in denial of their 391 00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:54,160 death. We don't plan for it. 392 00:28:55,960 --> 00:28:57,800 I mean, ask, have you got a will done? 393 00:28:58,120 --> 00:29:00,720 You should have. Why? 394 00:29:00,760 --> 00:29:02,240 Well, because you're going to die. 395 00:29:02,400 --> 00:29:05,080 That's what I'm telling you. Have you got a will done? 396 00:29:05,480 --> 00:29:09,720 You need to have it. Have you planned for it? 397 00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:14,680 We don't plan for it even though it's going to happen. 398 00:29:15,160 --> 00:29:17,080 We don't live as if it's going to happen. 399 00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:20,280 We avoid doctors out of fear of bad news. 400 00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:24,960 We as a society are now more unrealistic and unprepared for 401 00:29:24,960 --> 00:29:27,840 death than any people in the history of our world. 402 00:29:28,760 --> 00:29:31,760 Modern society, therefore, because it says there is no God, 403 00:29:32,320 --> 00:29:36,440 no soul, no spirit, thinks and lives now with the attitude that 404 00:29:36,440 --> 00:29:38,840 our material world is all that there is. 405 00:29:38,960 --> 00:29:41,320 And they do that until they enter the Hospice. 406 00:29:43,280 --> 00:29:46,560 Because you can't bring your truck and your boat into the 407 00:29:46,560 --> 00:29:48,880 Hospice. It's just, it's just you. 408 00:29:50,280 --> 00:29:54,960 This is just you. Death was never part of God's 409 00:29:54,960 --> 00:30:00,240 plan, nor was sin, by the way. But Adam and Eve's disobedience 410 00:30:00,240 --> 00:30:04,640 to God opened the door. Death rushed in to our world 411 00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:08,880 along with sin, and man began to age and he began to die. 412 00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:12,720 Every seven years every cell in your body is replaced, and it 413 00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:14,440 copies and it copies and it copies. 414 00:30:14,640 --> 00:30:18,800 But the problem is, as it copies the copy of the previous cell, 415 00:30:18,960 --> 00:30:22,520 it starts to wear out. It starts to get weaker and 416 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:24,960 weaker until you just grow old and you die. 417 00:30:27,840 --> 00:30:33,760 Man's greatest search identity. Man's greatest feared death. 418 00:30:34,200 --> 00:30:36,440 Now thirdly, what's man's greatest need? 419 00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:39,360 Redemption. What is that word redemption? 420 00:30:40,160 --> 00:30:44,200 Redemption means deliverance from sin through the 421 00:30:44,200 --> 00:30:47,320 incarnation. That's God becoming a man and 422 00:30:47,320 --> 00:30:50,120 death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 423 00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:56,000 God the Father, our Creator, who made us in His image, sent His 424 00:30:56,000 --> 00:31:01,200 Son Jesus Christ to our world on a rescue mission to be our 425 00:31:01,200 --> 00:31:03,320 Saviour. He didn't come to say hello. 426 00:31:03,320 --> 00:31:06,080 He didn't come to flex his muscles. 427 00:31:06,280 --> 00:31:08,680 Now He'd do us a miracle. Show us what you can do. 428 00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:11,360 He never did that to those who asked. 429 00:31:12,600 --> 00:31:16,280 He come to seek out and save those who are lost. 430 00:31:18,680 --> 00:31:23,040 Jesus completed this mission 2000 years ago when He hung on 431 00:31:23,040 --> 00:31:26,960 the cross at Calvary. He shared His innocent blood in 432 00:31:26,960 --> 00:31:29,480 ransom. That was the the cost His death, 433 00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:36,480 the payment for yours and my debt for the souls of a lost and 434 00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:39,800 sinful humanity. You and I, whether you believe 435 00:31:39,800 --> 00:31:41,880 it or accept it, He did it for you. 436 00:31:42,120 --> 00:31:44,800 You just go to work out what you're going to do with it. 437 00:31:46,240 --> 00:31:50,000 Romans chapter 5, verse 6. For when we were still without 438 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:53,520 strength, in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. 439 00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:56,480 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die. 440 00:31:56,920 --> 00:32:00,400 Yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 441 00:32:00,560 --> 00:32:04,240 But God demonstrates His own love toward us. 442 00:32:04,640 --> 00:32:08,480 The reason why there is an Easter and why there is a cross 443 00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:12,240 is because he loves you. You can't say I won't accept it. 444 00:32:12,400 --> 00:32:14,920 Well, no one loves me. I'm going to tell you the Bible 445 00:32:14,920 --> 00:32:17,760 says God loves you. The Bible says for God so loved 446 00:32:17,760 --> 00:32:20,160 the world that he gave his only begotten Son. 447 00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:23,120 You can think you're not loved, but that's not the truth. 448 00:32:23,120 --> 00:32:26,200 I don't care what you think, doesn't matter. 449 00:32:26,680 --> 00:32:31,760 The Bible tells you the truth that says, but God demonstrates 450 00:32:31,760 --> 00:32:36,080 His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, 451 00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:40,560 Christ died for us much more than having been justified by 452 00:32:40,560 --> 00:32:43,640 His blood. We shall be saved from wrath 453 00:32:43,640 --> 00:32:47,040 through Him, judgement to come. He took the judgement of His 454 00:32:47,040 --> 00:32:51,160 Father upon Himself on the cross, so that you and I don't 455 00:32:51,160 --> 00:32:53,840 have to worry about judgement after death, even though we 456 00:32:53,840 --> 00:32:59,200 deserve it. For if when we were enemies, we 457 00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:02,960 were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, 458 00:33:02,960 --> 00:33:06,800 having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life, His 459 00:33:06,800 --> 00:33:09,600 resurrection. Not only that, but we also 460 00:33:09,600 --> 00:33:13,160 rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we 461 00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:15,600 have now received the reconciliation. 462 00:33:15,840 --> 00:33:19,720 Now as a believer, if you've received Christ, you can 463 00:33:19,720 --> 00:33:24,800 actually talk to God and God, His Holy Spirit dwells in you. 464 00:33:26,360 --> 00:33:28,280 Jesus died for your sin and mine. 465 00:33:28,400 --> 00:33:33,080 He died in our place. He was the substitute for each 466 00:33:33,080 --> 00:33:35,800 of us know we're sinners. Well, I don't know about you. 467 00:33:35,800 --> 00:33:38,680 I'm a pretty good person. I give to charity and I, you 468 00:33:38,680 --> 00:33:41,240 know, help my neighbour. No, you're a Sinner. 469 00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:49,160 Bible says you're a Sinner. It's why children don't have to 470 00:33:49,160 --> 00:33:54,680 be raised to, to, to to learn how to, to be bad. 471 00:33:56,440 --> 00:33:59,760 We have to raise them and train them to learn how to be 472 00:34:00,360 --> 00:34:05,400 unselfish, to be kind. Then when they grow, they have 473 00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:09,080 to train their children. It's the poison of sin in our in 474 00:34:09,080 --> 00:34:13,520 our system. You ever done something that 475 00:34:13,520 --> 00:34:20,480 you're embarrassed about? Of course we're sinners for all 476 00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:22,520 of sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 477 00:34:23,080 --> 00:34:26,639 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal 478 00:34:26,639 --> 00:34:29,239 life in Christ Jesus our Lord Jesus. 479 00:34:29,239 --> 00:34:33,520 Three days after his voluntary sacrifice of Himself on the 480 00:34:33,520 --> 00:34:37,400 cross of Calvary, his death was raised from the grave. 481 00:34:37,520 --> 00:34:40,400 Why? Because he could not hold him in 482 00:34:40,400 --> 00:34:43,199 its bondage. Like all others, He paid the 483 00:34:43,199 --> 00:34:49,239 debt innocent. A crim can't pay the debt for 484 00:34:49,239 --> 00:34:53,840 another crim, but the innocent died for the guilty. 485 00:34:55,159 --> 00:35:00,120 Jesus says to you today, Matthew 2232, I am the God of Abraham, 486 00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:02,240 the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. 487 00:35:03,040 --> 00:35:05,720 God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. 488 00:35:05,720 --> 00:35:10,800 We don't worship a dead God, we worship the living God. 489 00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:14,680 Muhammad, he's dead. Confucius, he doesn't know where 490 00:35:14,680 --> 00:35:17,680 he is. Buddha, they don't have God. 491 00:35:18,640 --> 00:35:21,000 India, they got a God for everything, but they just can't 492 00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:29,120 find out which one From the cross from which his beaten body 493 00:35:29,120 --> 00:35:35,240 hung, pinned with nails. Jesus offered each of us a gift. 494 00:35:35,520 --> 00:35:39,040 And you know who the first recipient of the gift was? 495 00:35:39,040 --> 00:35:47,600 A thief, a crim, a gift that God gives to you will last for 496 00:35:47,600 --> 00:35:49,360 eternity. For God so loved the world that 497 00:35:49,360 --> 00:35:53,200 he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him 498 00:35:53,360 --> 00:35:57,360 should not perish, but shall have everlasting life. 499 00:35:58,040 --> 00:36:05,440 It never fades, never perishes. His precious, innocent blood was 500 00:36:05,440 --> 00:36:09,360 applied to your sin, His life in place of yours. 501 00:36:09,360 --> 00:36:14,480 That's what we celebrated today. His innocence, He did nothing to 502 00:36:14,480 --> 00:36:16,560 your guilt. It's covered over, it's moved 503 00:36:16,600 --> 00:36:19,040 over. He's washed away your guilt and 504 00:36:19,040 --> 00:36:25,400 now he's placed in on your account, sinlessness, 505 00:36:25,480 --> 00:36:28,920 justification. Finally, we've had man's 506 00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:32,080 greatest search. We've had our greatest fear 507 00:36:32,080 --> 00:36:34,960 death. We have our greatest need, 508 00:36:35,640 --> 00:36:38,000 redemption. And now we finish with our 509 00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:41,240 greatest hope. One of the thieves who was 510 00:36:41,240 --> 00:36:47,120 crucified next to Jesus said just 9 words to Jesus. 511 00:36:47,400 --> 00:36:52,840 And Jesus gave him forgiveness, salvation and eternal life. 512 00:36:53,040 --> 00:36:56,080 And the greatest of ever hoped. 9 words. 513 00:36:59,200 --> 00:37:03,840 And a dying man, he was dying, had hope. 514 00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:08,160 Now how does that work? Can a dying man have hope? 515 00:37:09,080 --> 00:37:14,240 He can because the dying man knew this wasn't the end. 516 00:37:14,240 --> 00:37:22,800 Because Jesus said today you shall be with me in paradise. 517 00:37:24,200 --> 00:37:29,960 So a dying man is now ready to die because he knows I know 518 00:37:29,960 --> 00:37:33,200 where I'm going. I know what's happening to me, 519 00:37:33,680 --> 00:37:35,720 and it's far better than what I'm doing now. 520 00:37:37,480 --> 00:37:48,720 A dying man can have hope. Jesus said, Lord, I, he said to 521 00:37:48,920 --> 00:37:52,160 Jesus, Lord, I remember. Remember Me when you come into 522 00:37:52,160 --> 00:37:56,000 your Kingdom. There was a young fella, 15 523 00:37:56,000 --> 00:38:00,720 years old, January 6th, 1850. He's on his way to church and 524 00:38:00,720 --> 00:38:02,720 he's caught in a snowstorm in England. 525 00:38:03,760 --> 00:38:06,240 So he had to deviate and he went to this little church and he 526 00:38:06,240 --> 00:38:09,760 jumped in just a little church. And a lay preacher was teaching 527 00:38:09,760 --> 00:38:12,160 at this time out of the book of Isaiah. 528 00:38:12,640 --> 00:38:17,160 And as the young man sat down, 15 years old, the the preachers 529 00:38:17,160 --> 00:38:22,080 looked at him and he said these words out of the prophet Isaiah 530 00:38:22,760 --> 00:38:28,040 4522. Look unto me, God said, be saved 531 00:38:28,200 --> 00:38:31,240 all the ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is none less. 532 00:38:31,440 --> 00:38:35,560 And the preacher said to young Charles Haddon Spurgeon, you 533 00:38:35,560 --> 00:38:38,360 son, you can look, can't you? You're going to at least look. 534 00:38:38,880 --> 00:38:42,280 You can look. Spurgeon said, yes, that's all 535 00:38:42,320 --> 00:38:45,040 you have to do. And on that day, Charles Haddon 536 00:38:45,040 --> 00:38:47,880 Spurgeon got saved because he looked to God. 537 00:38:48,480 --> 00:38:51,720 You see, we make it so hard, so difficult. 538 00:38:52,320 --> 00:38:54,560 Jesus said, I am the way, He's the way. 539 00:38:56,240 --> 00:39:02,520 Call unto me and I'll answer. We today, 2026, we live in an 540 00:39:02,520 --> 00:39:04,880 uncertain world. The war in the Middle East 541 00:39:04,880 --> 00:39:08,000 continues. Even if this one finishes, 542 00:39:08,240 --> 00:39:11,440 there'll be another one. Those living in Israel are 543 00:39:11,440 --> 00:39:14,840 having missiles and rockets constantly, forcing them the 544 00:39:14,840 --> 00:39:18,560 latest news to spend most of their living in bomb shelters 545 00:39:18,560 --> 00:39:20,880 now. It's having such an impact upon 546 00:39:20,880 --> 00:39:24,400 the children of Israel that now it's affecting their mental 547 00:39:24,400 --> 00:39:28,280 health and mental well being as they got to rush again and stay 548 00:39:28,280 --> 00:39:33,760 in in the bomb shelters. Australia, according to the RBA, 549 00:39:36,440 --> 00:39:39,720 is most likely heading into recession. 550 00:39:39,760 --> 00:39:44,760 Oh great, that's good news along with the rest of the world. 551 00:39:46,840 --> 00:39:52,520 Today there are 40 people in WA who are alive Easter Sunday but 552 00:39:52,520 --> 00:39:58,240 won't be alive Easter Monday. They'll be dead by tomorrow. 553 00:39:59,800 --> 00:40:05,600 In Hebrews Chapter 9 verse 27, the Bible says and as it is 554 00:40:05,600 --> 00:40:08,080 appointed unto men, wants to die. 555 00:40:08,680 --> 00:40:12,960 But after this, the judgement, what happens? 556 00:40:15,040 --> 00:40:18,880 Back to our opening texts and Peter, the crowd said to Peter, 557 00:40:18,880 --> 00:40:24,560 remember, what do we do? What hope do we have? 558 00:40:26,000 --> 00:40:29,800 There is great hope. Peter said this is what you have 559 00:40:29,800 --> 00:40:34,720 to do. Repent, be serious, be serious. 560 00:40:34,720 --> 00:40:38,960 So God, I'm blown it. I know I can't survive in this 561 00:40:38,960 --> 00:40:41,000 world. I need you. 562 00:40:42,680 --> 00:40:46,520 I mean, anyone who's ever become a husband and a father, mother, 563 00:40:46,880 --> 00:40:50,760 wife should be praying. God, how do I be a husband? 564 00:40:51,160 --> 00:40:55,080 How do I be a mother? How do I be a dad? 565 00:40:55,400 --> 00:40:59,560 Because there's no school, is there on how to be a good one. 566 00:41:00,400 --> 00:41:02,440 We know a lot of bad ones, don't we? 567 00:41:04,000 --> 00:41:11,320 We need hope, we need help, but in your life now, I want to tell 568 00:41:11,320 --> 00:41:17,400 you, you are not alone. God, by his Holy Spirit today, 569 00:41:17,400 --> 00:41:20,720 right this moment, is speaking to your heart. 570 00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:24,520 God is at work right now. You've kind of gone alive 571 00:41:24,520 --> 00:41:26,400 though. I wasn't expecting this bloke to 572 00:41:26,400 --> 00:41:28,800 talk about this. I thought we just have a service 573 00:41:28,800 --> 00:41:35,200 that I can ignore. But he said some things, some 574 00:41:35,200 --> 00:41:39,360 things that affect my life, how I think, what I feel, what I'm 575 00:41:39,360 --> 00:41:41,280 scared of, what I'm searching for. 576 00:41:42,000 --> 00:41:43,360 That's God. That's not me. 577 00:41:44,520 --> 00:41:49,120 That's God speaking to you, the living God, the same God who 578 00:41:49,120 --> 00:41:53,480 died on the cross and rose from the dead last Wednesday evening. 579 00:41:53,480 --> 00:41:55,040 Let me tell you something else as well. 580 00:41:55,280 --> 00:41:59,680 Last Wednesday evening, this church gathered and we prayed 581 00:41:59,840 --> 00:42:01,920 for all of you gathered here today. 582 00:42:03,480 --> 00:42:09,200 We pray for everyone of you. We pray for God to move on you, 583 00:42:09,360 --> 00:42:12,280 for God to speak to you, for God to touch your lives. 584 00:42:13,480 --> 00:42:18,520 You see, this is God's plan for you, such as God's great love 585 00:42:18,520 --> 00:42:22,280 for you that He moved this church to bring you before him 586 00:42:22,280 --> 00:42:25,320 in prayer. So what's our greatest need? 587 00:42:25,320 --> 00:42:28,560 What are you searching for? Life is fragile. 588 00:42:31,000 --> 00:42:32,960 Today is the day of your repentance. 589 00:42:33,200 --> 00:42:37,880 You can do that, leaving your past with Christ as he hung, 590 00:42:38,480 --> 00:42:40,640 dying for you on the cross. That's why he died. 591 00:42:41,680 --> 00:42:46,000 His resurrection is God's promise that all this, that God 592 00:42:46,000 --> 00:42:50,720 says to you that we've spoken of today is true because there's no 593 00:42:50,720 --> 00:42:58,160 body, no dead Jesus Christ. The grave of the greatest man, 594 00:42:58,160 --> 00:43:03,200 the Son of God, is empty. I'm stood in what's believed to 595 00:43:03,200 --> 00:43:05,200 be that great. Nothing there. 596 00:43:06,760 --> 00:43:11,120 Easter is God's declaration of the greatest hope man could 597 00:43:11,120 --> 00:43:16,440 desire, your greatest hope that there is more besides this 598 00:43:16,440 --> 00:43:20,160 world. Romans 15 says for whatever 599 00:43:20,160 --> 00:43:23,280 things were written before were written for our learning, that 600 00:43:23,280 --> 00:43:26,800 we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might 601 00:43:26,800 --> 00:43:28,160 have hope. Do you have hope? 602 00:43:32,000 --> 00:43:34,720 We have a real, tangible, actual hope. 603 00:43:34,880 --> 00:43:37,800 Why? Because the tomb with the 604 00:43:37,800 --> 00:43:40,920 greatest man who's ever lived and walked this earth, where 605 00:43:40,920 --> 00:43:46,320 they laid the dead body, they laid the dead body of Jesus of 606 00:43:46,320 --> 00:43:51,520 Nazareth has been empty from three days after his death until 607 00:43:51,520 --> 00:43:56,480 now. It's not there because he rose 608 00:43:56,640 --> 00:43:59,200 and He's now in heaven and he's coming back soon. 609 00:44:02,720 --> 00:44:06,120 The Bible, the gospel, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ 610 00:44:06,320 --> 00:44:08,680 is true. The thing is, now what do you do 611 00:44:08,680 --> 00:44:12,160 with it? You have a choice. 612 00:44:13,520 --> 00:44:16,520 So too is Christ's offer of redemption to you today. 613 00:44:19,400 --> 00:44:24,040 For those of you who don't know who you are, who live in fear of 614 00:44:24,040 --> 00:44:30,440 death, whose greatest need is to be forgiven, Easter is the 615 00:44:30,440 --> 00:44:34,040 celebration of the greatest message of hope to all. 616 00:44:34,040 --> 00:44:38,320 Who would believe? But maybe you today think your 617 00:44:38,320 --> 00:44:43,480 life is going great at at the moment you wait till you feel 618 00:44:43,480 --> 00:44:48,440 the need of rescue. None of us know when our time on 619 00:44:48,440 --> 00:44:54,640 earth will be over. Don't this Easter 2026 take for 620 00:44:54,640 --> 00:44:57,160 granted the gift that God offers you. 621 00:44:57,160 --> 00:45:00,680 Now don't presume I'm God's favour. 622 00:45:02,320 --> 00:45:06,200 An old hymn says this. He makes me triumph over death. 623 00:45:06,680 --> 00:45:11,280 He saves me from the grave to heaven, the place of His abode. 624 00:45:11,640 --> 00:45:15,920 He brings my weary feet, shows me the glories of my God, and 625 00:45:15,920 --> 00:45:20,560 makes my joy complete, since from His bounty I receive such 626 00:45:20,560 --> 00:45:24,240 proofs of love. Divine had IA thousand hearts to 627 00:45:24,240 --> 00:45:26,640 give. Lord, they should all be.