1 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:15,360 So let me encourage you, go on your weekend. 2 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:19,200 We've just come back from Quinta had a brilliant three days 3 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:21,200 there. Food was great. 4 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:23,440 The main thing is the fellowship. 5 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:29,120 You just get to know each other so differently as a result of 6 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:35,600 being together for three days. I was sure one of my friends was 7 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:39,480 born again just because of the way he, he'd kind of been 8 00:00:39,480 --> 00:00:44,600 holding back for a long time and I just saw a bit of a 9 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:48,480 breakthrough for him. So we baptised him on Easter 10 00:00:48,480 --> 00:00:53,800 Sunday last week and it was brilliant hearing his testimony. 11 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:58,360 And yeah, so get on the weekend away. 12 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:00,640 It'll do you good, it'll move you forward. 13 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:05,519 But most of all, it's astonishing getting to know each 14 00:01:05,519 --> 00:01:09,160 other a little bit better. You can get to know each other 15 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:11,480 on Sundays. You can get to know each other 16 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:17,080 midweek, but I think it's like 10 Sundays and 10 midweeks when 17 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:21,680 you have a weekend together. So I would highly encourage you 18 00:01:21,960 --> 00:01:27,760 do go along. I want, I like that song, by the 19 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:30,280 way. We make it too complicated. 20 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:34,680 I think we can make Christianity too complicated. 21 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:38,520 We can also make it too simplistic. 22 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:41,720 So I want to kind of look at both. 23 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:46,560 And it's quite hard. If you were chained to Roman 24 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:51,720 gods, which we've heard this morning, and you know that the 25 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:56,760 apostle Peter has already been murdered by Nero, we think 26 00:01:56,760 --> 00:02:00,040 that's already happened. Peter died 1st. 27 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:07,560 And Paul in his letter says if I die, I'll be with them. 28 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:11,960 It's good for Paul, it's good for me if I die. 29 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,680 That's quite hard for us to think that way. 30 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:22,160 But this is a resurrection mindset. 31 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:26,080 So I want to look at a resurrection mindset today. 32 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:31,680 But Paul also says if I live well, that's good for the church 33 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:37,320 because I'll keep serving. But let me just remind you what 34 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:41,600 he says. If I die, it's good for me. 35 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:44,160 I'll be with the Lord. I'll see him face to face. 36 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:51,000 So I think it is easy in the Christian life to make it so 37 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:56,440 simple that, for example, some Christians say there is no 38 00:02:56,440 --> 00:03:00,600 healing. We won't pray for healing. 39 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:06,440 We'll call ourselves cessation it it is all ceased. 40 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:10,840 It's not biblical. I have held that view for eight 41 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:13,480 years. But that's quite simple. 42 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:18,320 You're never disappointed because all you say is must be 43 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:20,760 the Lord's will. Your will be done. 44 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:25,200 And you don't really cry out to God for healing at all. 45 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:29,760 God still heals people because he's the healer. 46 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:36,200 But and I remember praying and praying for my little cousin who 47 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:40,440 was very sick when I I just got saved. 48 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:45,000 But then I gradually stopped praying like that because I was 49 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:49,520 taught it's all ceased. So that's one position 1 50 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:53,800 extreme, don't pray for healing. It's all ceased. 51 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:57,080 The other extreme is always pray for healing. 52 00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:02,320 It's automatic and you know it's automatic because it's the 53 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:06,680 Lord's will to heal you always. That's the other extreme. 54 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:10,760 Paul doesn't say that. He doesn't say it's always the 55 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:13,640 Lord's will to deliver us from Nero. 56 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:18,959 He doesn't say that. He says, look, the Christian 57 00:04:18,959 --> 00:04:22,400 life is actually sometimes quite complicated. 58 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:28,440 I don't know if I'm going to live or die, both the options. 59 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:32,640 I'm with the Lord, He's, he's my saviour. 60 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:37,720 I will keep following him. So I want to look at a 61 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:42,000 resurrection mindset where we think a bit differently. 62 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:47,240 Last week we always emphasise the fact Jesus has risen. 63 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:50,560 So we preach, we've been preaching through the Book of 64 00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:54,280 Revelation. And when you look at Revelation, 65 00:04:54,280 --> 00:04:57,880 it's quite different. The gospels are all about this 66 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:06,800 amazing man who was quite weak and normal in like us in so many 67 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:09,840 ways. And yet he he's, he's murdered. 68 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:13,880 But then he rises again. But the the rising again bit is 69 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:19,800 right at the end and we usually to use that last little bit 70 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:22,560 right at the end to talk about his risen. 71 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:27,720 But I don't think reading the gospels gives you a Revelation 72 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:33,640 mindset because you don't really see him risen for very long. 73 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:37,040 It's just the end of each gospel says he's alive. 74 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:41,520 Then you have to read Acts and see what happens to the 75 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:44,000 Christians now that they realise he's alive. 76 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:46,960 They're living with a resurrection mindset. 77 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:53,280 So in Philippians chapter 3 it says this verse 8. 78 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:58,200 I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth 79 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:04,600 of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom, for whose sake I have 80 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:09,440 lost all things. I want you to I I want to know 81 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:14,400 Christ, yes, to know the power of his resurrection and 82 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:20,040 participation in his sufferings, becoming like Him in his death, 83 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:26,720 and so somehow attaining to the resurrection from the dead. 84 00:06:26,840 --> 00:06:31,440 Not that I've already obtained all this or have already arrived 85 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:36,000 at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which 86 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:41,480 Christ took hold of me. So he says, I want to know 87 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:42,840 Christ. You don't. 88 00:06:42,840 --> 00:06:46,600 You read that and think, Well, surely if anybody knew Christ, 89 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:50,360 it's this man. He met him on the road to 90 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:53,840 Damascus. He saw amazing churches planted 91 00:06:55,640 --> 00:07:01,760 in Ephesus, in Philippi. Wherever he went, he started in 92 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:05,920 the synagogue, took a few of the Jews who became believers in 93 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:09,920 Jesus and started a church with the mainly the Gentiles. 94 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:14,440 This remarkable man definitely knew Jesus. 95 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:20,680 But he says this, this is what I want to have as my mindset. 96 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:29,280 I want to have my mind set on Jesus, knowing him, living for 97 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:36,400 him, dying for him. And he says to do that, I have 98 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:42,160 to almost take all my accomplishments and push them 99 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:46,400 aside. I'm a Hebrew of Hebrews. 100 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:49,880 I'm a Pharisee. I'm a teacher of the law. 101 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:53,560 But he says I push all those accomplishments aside. 102 00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:59,560 I was zealous for the law. I persecuted Christians. 103 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:03,880 But he says, I push all that aside. 104 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:10,480 My Judaism, I'm nothing. Who am I? 105 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:14,760 I'm the least. I'm the chief of sinners, he 106 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:20,280 says at one point. And I think part of Paul's 107 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:26,800 brilliance at being able to have the right mindset is he's always 108 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:32,400 thinking, Why did you even include me, God, when I 109 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:34,720 persecuted the church, I was there. 110 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:37,960 When Stephen, the first martyr, was put to death. 111 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:42,840 Why do you even include me? King David had a similar 112 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:45,000 mindset. Who am I? 113 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:49,840 What is my house? We do not deserve to know Jesus. 114 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:54,320 We do not deserve to have his death in our place, His blood 115 00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:58,760 over our lives washing us clean. We don't deserve that. 116 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:02,720 So first of all, rather than think, well, I've accomplished a 117 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:07,000 lot, I'm really quite brilliant. You, you need me, Lord Jesus, 118 00:09:08,120 --> 00:09:11,800 which is actually how I thought when I first became a Christian. 119 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:15,000 You can be a Christian and be totally arrogant. 120 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:21,760 Paul has come to a place in his mind where he thinks I don't 121 00:09:21,760 --> 00:09:24,840 deserve anything. Everything I get is a blessing 122 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:28,600 from you. So you first of all, I've got to 123 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:33,800 think, I haven't worked my way into heaven by my genius or my 124 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:37,760 goodness or my works or by my keeping the law. 125 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:43,520 It's all by his grace. And so I consider everything 126 00:09:43,520 --> 00:09:46,600 else lost. So you probably have 127 00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:51,200 accomplished some things in your life and I think you thank God 128 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:54,960 for that. But you don't say to God, and 129 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:59,760 because I've accomplished this, you owe me. 130 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:06,280 He will reward us so overwhelmingly, but he doesn't 131 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:10,200 owe us anything. So I like the whole start of 132 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:14,920 Paul wanting to know Christ. He realises he's got to first of 133 00:10:14,920 --> 00:10:20,200 all, think, who am I? What's my house to even come to 134 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:22,320 you? But then he says this yes, to 135 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:24,760 know the power of his resurrection. 136 00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:27,760 And when you hear the power word, you tend to think 137 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:33,480 miracles, healings. And that's definitely included 138 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:35,720 in the New Testament. But here's the thing. 139 00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:44,960 We live in an age where the king has arrived and he says the 140 00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:48,880 kingdom's at hand. And so some people say, take, 141 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:54,000 you can take handfuls of the Kingdom of heaven and pray for 142 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:59,000 the sick because the king is at hand, the kingdoms at hand. 143 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:08,120 We can look for God to break in. That is true, but not yet has 144 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:11,520 the king returned. So we live in between the 145 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:15,280 Kingdom coming, but it hasn't come in all its fullness. 146 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:19,880 We're waiting for the fullness. When he returns, there's no more 147 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:23,960 death. He holds the power of death. 148 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:28,560 And Hades, he says in Revelation, he says I was dead. 149 00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:32,640 I am now alive and I hold the power. 150 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:40,600 I hold the keys of death and Hades, so we're in between these 151 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:44,160 two. The arrival of Jesus, the 152 00:11:44,160 --> 00:11:47,440 kingdom's here, the Kingdom coming in all its fullness 153 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:50,840 hasn't happened yet. When the Kingdom comes in all 154 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:54,240 its fullness, no more death, no more sickness, no more Satan, 155 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:57,400 new heaven, new earth, new resurrection body. 156 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:00,840 Only one person has a resurrection body. 157 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:05,840 That's Jesus, no one else. You might say what about 158 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:07,480 Lazarus? He rose from the dead. 159 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:09,480 He didn't have a resurrection body. 160 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:17,040 If he had a resurrection body, he'd be he'd be a main speaker 161 00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:20,440 all around the world. We don't want to hear Lazarus 162 00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:24,680 story. It's an amazing story, but he 163 00:12:24,680 --> 00:12:28,400 didn't have a resurrection body, only Jesus did. 164 00:12:28,760 --> 00:12:33,960 So when Paul says yes to no, the power of his resurrection. 165 00:12:34,720 --> 00:12:36,800 Paul has seen many mighty miracles. 166 00:12:36,920 --> 00:12:41,480 People used to take handkerchiefs from Paul and 167 00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:44,720 touch the sick with them and they'd get healed. 168 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:52,720 That's how extraordinary the anointing was on Paul's life at 169 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:56,200 certain times in his life. But then there were other times 170 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:59,200 in his life when he says I left Timothy sick. 171 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:04,840 Oh, sorry, Trotham is sick. Timothy, take some wine for your 172 00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:07,720 stomach's sake. He had frequent stomach trouble. 173 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:11,440 Paul had eye trouble. See with what big letters I 174 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:14,880 write, you would pluck out your very eyes for me if you could. 175 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:19,880 Apophoriditis nearly died, but God had mercy. 176 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:25,560 So there's 4 examples in the New Testament of not seeing healing 177 00:13:25,560 --> 00:13:33,040 despite the fact there was Paul around, Peter around, and they 178 00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:38,320 knew something of this resurrection and the power. 179 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:42,920 But Paul says I want to know Christ, yes, to know the power 180 00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:47,680 of his resurrection. What's Paul talking about? 181 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:52,200 I believe he's talking about what happens to every Christian. 182 00:13:54,760 --> 00:13:59,600 Every Christian has to be They were dead in their trespassers 183 00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:02,880 and sins. Then they were made alive. 184 00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:11,920 Something changes so dramatically that you you think, 185 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:15,880 wow, I lived for Graham. I love Graham. 186 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:20,080 Graham's awesome. And then suddenly, which all was 187 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:25,680 true in a long past age, but then suddenly you you realise 188 00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:32,040 something so dramatic has happened that you think I love 189 00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:35,920 Jesus, I want Jesus, I want to live for Jesus, I want to tell 190 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:43,120 my family about Jesus. Something happens and that is 191 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:47,880 the power of the resurrection. The resurrected Jesus has called 192 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:52,640 you, has made you alive, or some people say you're now born 193 00:14:52,920 --> 00:14:55,360 again. That's what he's talking about 194 00:14:55,360 --> 00:14:57,920 here. He's talking about I want to 195 00:14:57,920 --> 00:15:02,520 know the power of the resurrection life, Jesus living 196 00:15:02,560 --> 00:15:08,560 in me right now in prison, chained to Roman gods and I'm 197 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:10,800 still trying to share the Gospel with them. 198 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:16,840 And because of my because of my imprisonment, the whole Roman 199 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:25,120 God have heard about Jesus. He tells us in house arrest in 200 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:30,680 Rome. So yes, to know the power of his 201 00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:35,400 resurrection when Jesus puts his life in you. 202 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:45,120 This born again regeneration life in you, it stays with you, 203 00:15:45,720 --> 00:15:49,600 it changes you forever. It's like a surgeon taking out 204 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:53,520 your old heart, that loved one thing, and he puts in a 205 00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:58,160 completely new heart. It doesn't stop changing you. 206 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:01,880 You're continually wanting something of him. 207 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:07,240 I'll just give you a couple of examples of how I've been a 208 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:12,280 Christian now 46 years. And I thought when I first 209 00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:15,600 became a Christian, how can it be more dramatic than this? 210 00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:23,720 It's, it was such a change. But about 3 weeks ago, I just 211 00:16:23,720 --> 00:16:33,800 burst into tears and it was so dramatic that I thought, wow, 212 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:40,520 you have so your life is so in me that I love you. 213 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:44,440 I love being like you. I, I love seeing parts of. 214 00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:48,560 But I'll tell you what I was reading. 215 00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:53,280 I, I don't know if you saw Vinicius Junior score a goal 216 00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:58,640 against Benfica. It was a few weeks ago. 217 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:05,720 And then you suddenly see Vinicius Junior have another 218 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:10,200 player from Benfiki came up to him, covered his mouth, said 219 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:15,079 something and then you see Vinicius running to the referee 220 00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:18,440 and I'm thinking it's got to be racism. 221 00:17:18,440 --> 00:17:23,280 It's got to be something racist that he has just said, the other 222 00:17:23,280 --> 00:17:26,079 footballer has just said but we're not told. 223 00:17:26,599 --> 00:17:30,840 But I keep looking on Google and trying to find what did the 224 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:36,600 Benfica player say with his cowardly shirt over his face. 225 00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:41,080 So you because obviously people can lip read and with cameras 226 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:45,280 now there's a we know what he said, he said anyway, I'm 227 00:17:45,280 --> 00:17:50,720 reading and apparently Mbappe was on the team said I heard it 228 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:54,920 too. And the Spanish word was mono 229 00:17:56,560 --> 00:18:00,080 and I just burst into tears. Means monkey. 230 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:04,360 It was a now. And I guess that they can't 231 00:18:04,360 --> 00:18:07,840 prove because the guy I'm sure lied and said no, I never said 232 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:10,800 that. Vinicius Junior had just scored 233 00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:12,800 one of the best goals you're ever going to see. 234 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:16,560 There was no reason for him to stop. 235 00:18:16,560 --> 00:18:19,080 He was he was celebrating his goal. 236 00:18:20,120 --> 00:18:24,200 I'm sure it was racism, but this is the amazing thing. 237 00:18:24,200 --> 00:18:30,160 When Jesus comes into your life, even something like racism. 238 00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:32,400 I, I read it and I just start crying. 239 00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:36,600 I think, wow, wow, you've made me like you. 240 00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:40,960 He loves the Good Samaritan. Jesus is not racist. 241 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:44,720 Jesus talks to the Samaritan woman. 242 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:47,360 They're all surprised. What are you doing? 243 00:18:47,880 --> 00:18:51,760 It's a woman and a Samaritan. Doubly bad. 244 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:57,320 He's like, calm down guys, we need to more and more say, 245 00:18:57,520 --> 00:19:03,080 Jesus, I want your life in me. And the other thing that I just 246 00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:08,560 almost every Friday I drive home from an asylum centre in 247 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:16,520 Liverpool and I cry, Can I just think, wow, I love people from 248 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:20,480 every nation, whether they're Muslims or not Muslims. 249 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:26,320 I love just saying Chai Carver, would you like a coffee? 250 00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:28,600 Would you like tea? Would you like some cake? 251 00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:34,760 Welcome to Liverpool. And I think I, I would not be 252 00:19:34,760 --> 00:19:37,600 like this if Jesus hadn't taken hold of me. 253 00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:43,120 And I think also I am so grateful to the American 254 00:19:43,120 --> 00:19:46,840 Christians who were kind to me when I was a foreigner in 255 00:19:46,840 --> 00:19:52,280 another country that it just makes me think I want to be like 256 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:55,800 that. I saw Jesus in these American 257 00:19:55,800 --> 00:19:59,000 Christians. Now that I'm not saying you need 258 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:02,960 to go to asylum centres or you need, but what I am saying is 259 00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:07,720 you need to say, Lord, I want your life to change me from the 260 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:10,880 inside out. And Paul said, I want to know 261 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:18,360 the power of his resurrection. A resurrection mindset so that 262 00:20:18,360 --> 00:20:22,840 even if you're chained and under a death sentence, he was on 263 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:26,480 death row. He was waiting for Nero to say, 264 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:32,400 you've appealed to Caesar. I give you the thumbs up, or for 265 00:20:32,720 --> 00:20:41,360 for Caesar to say no death. And we're pretty sure that Paul 266 00:20:41,360 --> 00:20:46,360 was put to death, was beheaded. Peter had already been 267 00:20:46,360 --> 00:20:49,120 crucified. Excuse me. 268 00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:56,720 So Paul says, I want to know Christ and the power of his 269 00:20:56,720 --> 00:21:02,360 resurrection, which he's relying on Jesus, working in him. 270 00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:08,720 But here's the thing he says and participation in his sufferings. 271 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:12,920 See, when you talk about the power of the resurrection, you 272 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:18,480 tend to think of amazing things. The the Dead Rising is what it's 273 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:20,560 obviously talking about Jesus rising. 274 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:25,480 When Jesus rises and we see him in all his glory in the Book of 275 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:29,600 Revelation, it says he's holding the seven stars. 276 00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:34,600 And then he says I am the alpha and and the Omega, the beginning 277 00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:36,840 and the end. So when Jesus is speaking in 278 00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:40,120 Revelation, he's repeating what God has just said. 279 00:21:40,120 --> 00:21:42,560 At the beginning, I'm the alpha and the Omega. 280 00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:48,680 I'm holding the seven stars. But then John sees this amazing 281 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:53,720 picture of the risen Jesus, and he falls at his feet as if dead. 282 00:21:54,520 --> 00:22:02,520 And Jesus says, don't be afraid. A resurrection mindset says, I 283 00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:07,560 may be chained. I may be awaiting Nero. 284 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:11,560 I'm in the Lord's hands. I am not afraid. 285 00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:16,080 I trust him. He's the Lord of Lords, not 286 00:22:16,080 --> 00:22:18,840 Caesar. And that's what the the 287 00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:23,120 Christians would do. They would not openly always 288 00:22:23,120 --> 00:22:26,640 speak and say I'm a Christian, Jesus is Lord. 289 00:22:27,440 --> 00:22:31,840 But they always thank you. That's for my irritating cough, 290 00:22:31,840 --> 00:22:33,080 is it? Thank you. 291 00:22:34,400 --> 00:22:40,880 I will irritate you no longer. So the Christians wouldn't 292 00:22:40,880 --> 00:22:44,760 always speak openly, but they wanted to tell each other if 293 00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:47,920 they were Christians. And so Christians would do in 294 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:54,000 the sand a picture of a fish. So you sometimes stay on the 295 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:56,160 back of cars. I won't have one on my car 296 00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:58,280 because I keep getting speeding tickets. 297 00:22:58,520 --> 00:23:04,680 But some Christians who are more godly have a fish on the back of 298 00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:08,120 their car to say I belong to Jesus. 299 00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:15,600 So I I love this about Paul that he says I want to know the power 300 00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:19,240 of Jesus resurrection in me, new life in me. 301 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:26,040 But also, I want to know the fellowship of his suffering or 302 00:23:26,040 --> 00:23:30,840 participation in his suffering. You see, the Christian life is 303 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:35,360 often amazing. Stories of, wow, Jesus is 304 00:23:35,360 --> 00:23:40,400 changing me from the inside out, and I'm really going through 305 00:23:40,400 --> 00:23:44,080 some tough times right now because the King hasn't returned 306 00:23:44,080 --> 00:23:47,320 yet. It's quite tough right now. 307 00:23:48,120 --> 00:23:53,920 Now, some Christians feel like they have to pretend to be OK 308 00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:57,560 Don't pretend. Just be you. 309 00:23:57,720 --> 00:24:01,320 Be real, but with the resurrection mindset, if you 310 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:03,480 can. I'm still trusting Jesus. 311 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:06,600 Paul doesn't say they're not real chains. 312 00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:09,000 They're not real guards. It's not a real prison. 313 00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:12,680 He says I'm really in prison. They're letting me write. 314 00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:15,120 So I'm I'm writing this letter to you. 315 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:22,200 And he tells us the reality. I might live, I might die. 316 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:25,800 I've considered both. I'm trusting him. 317 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:29,320 I'm not afraid. If I die, I'm with the Lord. 318 00:24:30,320 --> 00:24:37,280 If I live, I'll serve the church as such a mindset that I, I 319 00:24:37,280 --> 00:24:40,080 haven't got it. It's so different. 320 00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:46,080 He really knows Jesus and his only desire now is to keep 321 00:24:46,080 --> 00:24:51,600 knowing Jesus. I want to know Christ, power of 322 00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:55,040 his resurrection, the participation in his sufferings. 323 00:24:55,280 --> 00:25:00,960 So I want you to, as a Christian, look at suffering 324 00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:11,600 like racism and weep. Weep with those who weep. 325 00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:15,200 I don't mean make up weeping. I I wasn't expecting to burst 326 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:17,720 into tears. But I've been looking for weeks 327 00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:21,240 to find out what had he said to Vinicius Junior. 328 00:25:24,040 --> 00:25:28,200 And I hated it when I found out what it was reported. 329 00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:32,600 I hated it. But that was the hatred of Jesus 330 00:25:32,600 --> 00:25:36,160 to racism in me. I'm sure I wouldn't have been 331 00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:37,920 like that if I wasn't a Christian. 332 00:25:41,320 --> 00:25:45,000 I didn't love other nations. I love me. 333 00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:49,800 That was it. I was all about me. 334 00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:56,200 Now Paul says be all about him. Want to know him, get to know 335 00:25:56,200 --> 00:25:59,320 him. But it will include both power 336 00:25:59,320 --> 00:26:04,440 working in you and fellowshipping with him when you 337 00:26:04,440 --> 00:26:06,280 suffer. What he's saying is you're not 338 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:11,200 alone. You're not alone in your 339 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:15,840 suffering. Your suffering is so precious to 340 00:26:15,840 --> 00:26:23,560 Jesus that he he actually carries you sometimes, but he's 341 00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:27,200 always with you, always with you. 342 00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:30,800 He'll never leave you. He'll never forsake you. 343 00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:37,720 And he says do not be afraid. There's only one way not to be 344 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:39,520 afraid. And, and I, I believe every 345 00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:42,120 Christian is afraid. I don't think I've met a 346 00:26:42,120 --> 00:26:44,760 Christian who isn't afraid. I'm afraid. 347 00:26:49,360 --> 00:26:53,560 I'm a little bit afraid about getting older, a little bit. 348 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:55,680 But it's getting worse as I get older. 349 00:26:57,360 --> 00:27:02,360 I don't like it. It's hard. 350 00:27:05,080 --> 00:27:07,440 I think. If I was chained to guards and 351 00:27:07,440 --> 00:27:11,640 in a Roman prison and waiting Nero, I think I'd be quite 352 00:27:11,640 --> 00:27:15,200 afraid. Do not fear. 353 00:27:16,200 --> 00:27:22,640 I hold the keys of life. I hold the keys of death. 354 00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:29,520 I hold the keys of Hades. I'm in control of the stars. 355 00:27:29,520 --> 00:27:35,240 I've got them in my hands. Do not be afraid. 356 00:27:37,040 --> 00:27:42,080 The resurrected Jesus is all powerful, all conquering 357 00:27:42,080 --> 00:27:46,800 already. The victor we're not waiting to 358 00:27:46,800 --> 00:27:48,040 see. Is he going to win? 359 00:27:48,040 --> 00:27:49,680 Isn't he going to win? He's won. 360 00:27:50,400 --> 00:27:55,320 He is the victor. If you know him, you're joined 361 00:27:55,320 --> 00:28:00,800 to the victor, you've won. Do not be afraid. 362 00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:05,720 Whatever's happening, Lord, I am afraid. 363 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:09,440 Help me. Keep asking him. 364 00:28:11,120 --> 00:28:18,360 Help me. Have I told you about my fear of 365 00:28:18,360 --> 00:28:21,600 rattlesnakes? Have I told that story? 366 00:28:22,320 --> 00:28:27,200 You sure? So I grew up here in England 367 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:31,120 where there's almost no I had seen one grass snake about that 368 00:28:31,120 --> 00:28:36,960 long in Horsham growing up, and I wasn't very close to it. 369 00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:39,440 But all the boys are running. There's a snake. 370 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:43,520 We hardly saw a snake. So I saw one snake in 20 years 371 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:47,920 growing up. Then I moved to Florida and 372 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:53,120 there are snakes everywhere. Some of them, the Florida 373 00:28:53,120 --> 00:28:56,400 people, the Floridians, they call them good snakes, bad 374 00:28:56,400 --> 00:29:00,360 snakes. The good snakes kill the bad 375 00:29:00,360 --> 00:29:05,880 snakes, like the black racer. This thing moves so fast, but 376 00:29:05,880 --> 00:29:09,680 it's a good snake. Like whoa and it goes by you so 377 00:29:09,680 --> 00:29:13,840 fast. Really a quick moving snake. 378 00:29:13,840 --> 00:29:17,120 But they're like, don't kill it. We love those snakes. 379 00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:18,880 They kill rattlesnakes. OK, fine. 380 00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:23,960 Thank you. So I got used to those, you 381 00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:26,320 know, I don't mean they were always right by me. 382 00:29:26,320 --> 00:29:28,640 They weren't. But I have had them right by me. 383 00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:36,920 I never quite got used to rattlesnakes and and the first 384 00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:43,200 job when I had a green card in America was hoeing roses. 385 00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:46,440 So I was meant to get the weeds from these roses. 386 00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:50,000 Here's the problem. About twice a day so I'd be in 387 00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:52,160 the hot sun for 8 hours, which I loved. 388 00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:57,000 I'd be I'd just become a Christian so I'd be kind of 389 00:29:57,000 --> 00:30:01,000 praying to God. I loved it being paid to get a 390 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:05,320 suntan. It was just except every now and 391 00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:12,600 again I would hear this noise and I would honestly be 392 00:30:12,600 --> 00:30:15,160 petrified. I'd be like I had a six foot 393 00:30:15,160 --> 00:30:18,240 hose or at least I was 6 foot away from whatever. 394 00:30:18,760 --> 00:30:22,200 I never saw a rattlesnake because the grass was so high 395 00:30:22,760 --> 00:30:29,520 around these roses. But I would hear this and I 396 00:30:29,520 --> 00:30:34,880 would feel this amazing panic just well up in me. 397 00:30:35,520 --> 00:30:38,280 And then someone showed me Isaiah 41. 398 00:30:38,440 --> 00:30:42,480 Do not fear, for I am with you in the new American standard, 399 00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:47,400 which was my first Bible. Do not anxiously look about you. 400 00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:52,280 I'm like, whoa. When the panic had gone, I'd be 401 00:30:52,280 --> 00:30:57,680 looking is there, is there? And I'd start hoeing again and 402 00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:01,760 I'd be OK. But that panic, about twice a 403 00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:04,400 day I'd get a panic, almost a panic attack. 404 00:31:05,320 --> 00:31:07,840 And every day I'd start quoting this verse. 405 00:31:07,840 --> 00:31:09,920 Do not fear. I am with you, Lord. 406 00:31:09,920 --> 00:31:11,720 I will not fear 'cause you're with me. 407 00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:15,280 I just kept praying it the same prayer over and over. 408 00:31:15,600 --> 00:31:18,560 I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 409 00:31:18,560 --> 00:31:26,400 And so I'm praying this everyday and about 10 days in, I hear and 410 00:31:26,400 --> 00:31:35,160 I think, wow, I've got such peace, such peace. 411 00:31:35,160 --> 00:31:39,520 The Prince of Peace wants us to be full of peace. 412 00:31:39,520 --> 00:31:41,400 Sometimes we have to wrestle together. 413 00:31:44,200 --> 00:31:45,600 And it may have just been the lizard. 414 00:31:45,600 --> 00:31:48,280 By the way, I never saw the lizard or the rattlesnake. 415 00:31:48,280 --> 00:31:52,760 I have had another story, a rattlesnake fall on my hand when 416 00:31:52,760 --> 00:31:58,200 I opened a mobile home door that I lived in there. 417 00:31:58,200 --> 00:32:01,680 It is hanging over the door handle, but it was hibernating. 418 00:32:01,680 --> 00:32:04,800 It was sleepy, it was groggy, but I didn't know that. 419 00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:08,480 So I've had some snake stories. I'm sure some of you've got 420 00:32:08,480 --> 00:32:15,480 snake stories. But I now can walk in a Florida 421 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:18,560 field and think, oh, there's a rattlesnake. 422 00:32:18,800 --> 00:32:21,120 I'll just, I don't get close to it. 423 00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:24,120 I'm not quite so worried about the the race of snake. 424 00:32:24,120 --> 00:32:31,320 They're good snakes, but I don't have that panic attack anymore 425 00:32:32,320 --> 00:32:37,520 because he's the one who says do not fear. 426 00:32:37,840 --> 00:32:41,120 I am with you. Do not anxiously look about you. 427 00:32:41,360 --> 00:32:47,480 He wants us to trust Him. That's a resurrection mindset. 428 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:54,000 If you've got fear today and every Christian has fear, come 429 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:58,040 to him today. Lord, I struggle in this area or 430 00:32:58,040 --> 00:33:00,720 that area. I need you to help me 431 00:33:00,720 --> 00:33:07,000 breakthrough I I don't want you to think we can't pray for the 432 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:10,160 sick today. Although I don't believe this 433 00:33:10,160 --> 00:33:13,680 passage is talking about praying for the sick, I do believe he's 434 00:33:13,680 --> 00:33:17,120 saying this is an internal resurrection. 435 00:33:17,240 --> 00:33:23,240 You're alive with Christ and his life is in you, but that doesn't 436 00:33:23,240 --> 00:33:25,040 mean he's not here. He's the healer. 437 00:33:26,520 --> 00:33:32,400 So I'll just give you one example of, of healing. 438 00:33:32,800 --> 00:33:36,760 So we, my wife and I, Charlotte and I have been praying everyday 439 00:33:36,760 --> 00:33:42,000 for several people who are quite sick with, with various things. 440 00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:47,440 And, and then one of those people went to be with the Lord. 441 00:33:47,440 --> 00:33:51,000 We get a text saying my beautiful dad has gone to be 442 00:33:51,000 --> 00:33:56,120 with the Lord and something in me went, I'm not praying 443 00:33:56,120 --> 00:34:00,200 anymore. Is that a resurrection mindset? 444 00:34:01,480 --> 00:34:06,080 No, that's a baby mindset. I have a baby mindset a lot of 445 00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:08,360 the time now I'm not praying anymore. 446 00:34:08,360 --> 00:34:12,800 God, you did not. Obviously my baby mindset's 447 00:34:12,800 --> 00:34:14,920 American. I went into an American accent. 448 00:34:14,920 --> 00:34:22,000 I apologised to all Americans. So I there's something in me 449 00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:24,960 when I get disappointed that says, right, that's it, I'm not 450 00:34:24,960 --> 00:34:27,400 praying. But now I'm praying again every 451 00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:33,320 day for various sicknesses. We had a guy in in Manchester 452 00:34:35,040 --> 00:34:40,440 who had been long term sick and had taken sickness benefit and 453 00:34:40,440 --> 00:34:47,120 was unemployed and he kept coming forward at various 454 00:34:47,120 --> 00:34:51,880 meetings about 3 * a year. So not that often, but he'd been 455 00:34:51,880 --> 00:34:56,120 sick a long time with us in our years in Manchester. 456 00:34:56,960 --> 00:34:59,720 And every now and again he'd really want prayer again. 457 00:34:59,720 --> 00:35:02,600 So if you really want prayer again, get prayer today. 458 00:35:04,480 --> 00:35:06,680 But this lovely man will come forward. 459 00:35:06,680 --> 00:35:10,880 And, and I do believe the church is meant to weep with those who 460 00:35:10,880 --> 00:35:15,360 weep and be thinking, actually, we haven't seen healing. 461 00:35:15,480 --> 00:35:17,920 Be real about it, be honest about it. 462 00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:21,240 And also rejoice with those who rejoice. 463 00:35:21,240 --> 00:35:25,960 Don't just do the rejoicing. It's easy to rejoice when you 464 00:35:25,960 --> 00:35:30,480 see something wonderful. I don't think we should only 465 00:35:30,480 --> 00:35:33,600 rejoice. Jesus says weep with those who 466 00:35:33,600 --> 00:35:38,160 weep. So we were kind of weeping with 467 00:35:38,160 --> 00:35:42,040 Ken that he hadn't been healed, He had ulcerative colitis. 468 00:35:42,040 --> 00:35:47,160 He was so tired and especially in the morning. 469 00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:51,120 But he'd come forward and say, you don't mind praying for me 470 00:35:51,120 --> 00:35:54,120 again, do you? I'm like, no, I love praying for 471 00:35:54,120 --> 00:35:56,360 you. Please keep coming whenever you 472 00:35:56,360 --> 00:36:00,280 want prayer. So he came forward 1/3 time, 473 00:36:00,320 --> 00:36:09,000 prayed, nothing happened. And we we about three more 474 00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:11,880 months goes by. So this is about the fourth time 475 00:36:11,880 --> 00:36:14,800 he comes forward. And now I've known him two 476 00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:17,280 years. I really want prayer for 477 00:36:17,280 --> 00:36:19,160 healing. Pray for him. 478 00:36:20,320 --> 00:36:22,600 Nothing happened, or so I thought. 479 00:36:24,640 --> 00:36:28,280 He goes home. The next morning he wakes up and 480 00:36:28,400 --> 00:36:30,960 said to himself, I feel different. 481 00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:36,120 I've got energy. Didn't want to tell me because 482 00:36:37,240 --> 00:36:41,800 he'd got his hopes up before. I'll just make sure I'm actually 483 00:36:41,800 --> 00:36:43,160 healed. That's OK. 484 00:36:43,160 --> 00:36:46,320 You're allowed to do that. You don't have to thank God for 485 00:36:46,320 --> 00:36:48,560 healing if it hasn't actually happened. 486 00:36:50,120 --> 00:36:52,800 But I pretend I'm healed. Lord, you'll have to heal me 487 00:36:52,800 --> 00:36:54,360 then. We don't. 488 00:36:54,360 --> 00:36:56,720 It's not, it's not a magic thing. 489 00:36:57,200 --> 00:36:59,760 So just be honest about where you are. 490 00:36:59,760 --> 00:37:03,880 Anyway, so few days go by. He feels good. 491 00:37:03,960 --> 00:37:07,480 Every morning, He's got energy. Every day he goes back to the 492 00:37:07,480 --> 00:37:10,400 doctors, which all takes quite a few weeks. 493 00:37:10,840 --> 00:37:13,920 He starts to tell me at this stage I think I might be healed. 494 00:37:14,560 --> 00:37:18,480 He goes back to the doctors. They give him a complete clean 495 00:37:18,480 --> 00:37:21,800 bill of health. So you have not got ulcerative 496 00:37:21,800 --> 00:37:27,160 colitis anymore. So he writes to the people who 497 00:37:27,160 --> 00:37:31,680 are sending him sickness benefit and says I'm completely healed. 498 00:37:31,680 --> 00:37:35,280 They stop his benefit and then he panics and gets afraid. 499 00:37:35,640 --> 00:37:38,200 He's like, what do I do now? And he got, he actually went 500 00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:43,600 back and started teaching again. He was a teacher and sadly this 501 00:37:43,600 --> 00:37:48,400 is what happens. Sadly, in one sense his job that 502 00:37:48,400 --> 00:37:51,720 he got offered was in Wales. So he moved from Manchester to 503 00:37:51,720 --> 00:37:53,960 Wales. But God does things like that. 504 00:37:54,640 --> 00:37:58,200 People do not belong to the leaders of the church, they 505 00:37:58,240 --> 00:38:03,800 belong to Jesus who is the resurrection and the life. 506 00:38:04,040 --> 00:38:07,000 And he sometimes says, Ken, I am going to heal you. 507 00:38:07,280 --> 00:38:11,320 But now I've got a new mission for you in North Wales. 508 00:38:12,280 --> 00:38:16,640 Praise God, don't be afraid. Have a resurrection mindset that 509 00:38:16,640 --> 00:38:21,600 you're looking to him. I'm going to pray and I would 510 00:38:21,600 --> 00:38:26,920 love today to pray for anyone. I would love to pray for you 511 00:38:26,920 --> 00:38:30,240 even if you haven't been healed, if you want prayer. 512 00:38:31,920 --> 00:38:35,360 But I think it's OK to testify to each other. 513 00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:36,800 Don't think I've been healed yet. 514 00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:45,360 Just be very honest. Abraham faced the fact that his 515 00:38:45,360 --> 00:38:47,920 body was as good as dead. He didn't pretend. 516 00:38:48,240 --> 00:38:51,520 Think I'm OK think I can conceive. 517 00:38:51,520 --> 00:38:54,720 I, I, I think I will be able to have a child. 518 00:38:54,720 --> 00:38:58,440 No, he faced the fact he was as good as dead. 519 00:38:58,440 --> 00:39:00,560 But he's the resurrection and the life. 520 00:39:00,720 --> 00:39:05,520 He holds the keys. Let's look to the one who holds 521 00:39:05,520 --> 00:39:07,280 the keys. We're in his hands. 522 00:39:07,520 --> 00:39:12,240 If you don't know him today, I would say, why not give your 523 00:39:12,240 --> 00:39:14,400 life to the one who holds the keys? 524 00:39:15,880 --> 00:39:22,280 It's not Trump, by the way, it's Jesus holds the keys. 525 00:39:22,840 --> 00:39:27,520 So I pray, Father, we thank you for sending your one and only 526 00:39:27,520 --> 00:39:30,440 Son. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for dying 527 00:39:30,440 --> 00:39:33,800 in our place, for rising from the dead. 528 00:39:34,080 --> 00:39:37,880 Thank you, you're alive. Thank you, you hold the keys to 529 00:39:37,880 --> 00:39:41,280 death and Hades, and we're looking for you to come back 530 00:39:41,280 --> 00:39:44,120 soon. But Lord, until that day, help 531 00:39:44,120 --> 00:39:48,560 us not to be afraid. Help us to live for you, get to 532 00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:54,280 know you better and even Lord to look for you in our sufferings 533 00:39:54,280 --> 00:40:00,480 and how you're participating with us in Jesus name, Amen.