WEBVTT 00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:09.119 Well, the Apostle Paul writes in 2 Timothy 2, verse 8 remember Jesus Christ risen from the dead. 00:00:09.119 --> 00:00:14.640 That's why Christians have gathered for over 2,000 years to celebrate on Easter morning. 00:00:14.640 --> 00:00:23.839 Today, that's why Christians all over the world are coming together to worship Jesus Christ risen from the dead, a hope that is offered to all believers. 00:00:23.839 --> 00:00:30.079 On Good Friday, Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty of our sins and make us right with God the Father. 00:00:30.079 --> 00:00:38.240 But death is not the end because on Easter Sunday, Jesus arose from the grave, the first fruit of the coming resurrection. 00:00:38.240 --> 00:00:39.039 Amen. 00:00:39.039 --> 00:00:44.320 In fact, I suspect all in this room have experienced the death of a loved one. 00:00:44.320 --> 00:00:47.600 Perhaps for some, this is the first Easter after that loss. 00:00:47.600 --> 00:00:50.880 Let me ask you something personal before I continue. 00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:56.000 Does anybody have a voicemail saved on their phone from somebody who's gone? 00:00:56.000 --> 00:00:58.399 Yeah, I see I see a few of you. 00:00:58.399 --> 00:01:01.840 Now, if you do, you know exactly what I mean. 00:01:01.840 --> 00:01:09.519 In fact, there's a phenomenon that grief counselors began documenting after the smartphone became ubiquitous when somebody dies. 00:01:09.519 --> 00:01:20.239 Loved ones cannot bring themselves to delete this voicemail greeting because it's the sound of the voice that's still there, that's still present in that small rectangle of glass. 00:01:20.239 --> 00:01:25.920 It becomes one of the most painful and precious things the grieving person owns. 00:01:25.920 --> 00:01:34.480 Some call the number just to hear it, some keep the account active for years because the voice remains even when the person is gone. 00:01:34.480 --> 00:01:38.560 In fact, this week is the anniversary of my father's passing. 00:01:38.560 --> 00:01:44.319 He died before the smartphone existed, and so there's no voicemail to save. 00:01:44.319 --> 00:01:46.560 But for years, our family would pull out this. 00:01:46.560 --> 00:01:47.760 Do you know what this is? 00:01:47.760 --> 00:01:49.120 VHS tape. 00:01:49.120 --> 00:01:50.239 We would watch him. 00:01:50.239 --> 00:01:52.000 We would just remember. 00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:55.439 Different technology, but a same desperate need. 00:01:55.439 --> 00:02:07.840 And then in recent years, AI companies have offered a service that goes even further where they'll reconstruct the voice of a deceased person so families can have simulated conversations with them. 00:02:07.840 --> 00:02:10.479 Tens of thousands of people have used it. 00:02:10.479 --> 00:02:17.599 It's simultaneously the most understandable and most haunting thing that our technology has produced. 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:20.719 We are desperate to keep the dead present. 00:02:20.719 --> 00:02:24.319 We'll do almost anything to avoid losing the voice. 00:02:24.319 --> 00:02:28.319 But Paul does not say remember the voice of Jesus Christ. 00:02:28.319 --> 00:02:32.319 He says, remember Jesus Christ raised from the dead. 00:02:32.319 --> 00:02:38.879 Not a recording, not a simulation, a body, a tomb, and a mourning that changed everything. 00:02:38.879 --> 00:02:44.000 Now, if you've lost somebody recently, I think you understand the appeal of these technologies. 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:48.560 This is where Easter confronts us in our pain, in our questions. 00:02:48.560 --> 00:02:55.840 But the question that Easter puts on the table is not, do we need our dead, do we want our deceased loved ones to return? 00:02:55.840 --> 00:02:57.280 I suspect many do. 00:02:57.280 --> 00:03:02.000 The question is actually, can somebody rise from the dead? 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:08.159 Not an AI simulation, not a voicemail, but the actual body of the person who died. 00:03:08.159 --> 00:03:16.159 See, what Paul tells us, when he tells us to remember, remember Jesus Christ, he is telling us that the resurrection is possible. 00:03:16.159 --> 00:03:17.520 Do you believe that? 00:03:17.520 --> 00:03:20.240 Can dead things be made alive? 00:03:20.240 --> 00:03:22.560 Now let me speak to the kids for just a moment. 00:03:22.560 --> 00:03:24.000 I want you to raise your hands. 00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:28.080 And when you walked in today, you should have received a seed packet that looked like this. 00:03:28.080 --> 00:03:30.639 How about you just shake it around and let us know you're there? 00:03:30.639 --> 00:03:31.520 All right, good. 00:03:31.520 --> 00:03:34.159 Lot of representation over here. 00:03:34.159 --> 00:03:36.879 We had some good shakers in the earlier services. 00:03:36.879 --> 00:03:37.280 Right? 00:03:37.280 --> 00:03:38.639 Can you hear the seeds inside? 00:03:38.639 --> 00:03:39.039 Right? 00:03:39.039 --> 00:03:39.520 Okay, good. 00:03:39.520 --> 00:03:40.400 We got seeds inside. 00:03:40.400 --> 00:03:43.520 Now, throughout the message, we're gonna come back to the seed packet. 00:03:43.520 --> 00:03:46.960 So let me just give you a piece of trivia as we begin here. 00:03:46.960 --> 00:03:54.960 In 2022, scientists successfully germinated seeds recovered from the tombs of ancient Judean date palms. 00:03:54.960 --> 00:03:59.520 They look like this seeds that had been dormant for 2,000 years. 00:03:59.520 --> 00:04:04.879 And what they did was they found them near the Dead Sea in the same region where Jesus walked. 00:04:04.879 --> 00:04:11.520 They were stored, they were buried, they were seemingly finished, and then someone planted them and they grew. 00:04:11.520 --> 00:04:17.600 Imagine that, a 2,000-year-old seed, which we thought was dead, produced new life. 00:04:17.600 --> 00:04:26.480 The oldest successfully germinated seed in recorded history came from the soil where the resurrection of Jesus happened. 00:04:26.480 --> 00:04:27.920 That's pretty cool. 00:04:27.920 --> 00:04:32.560 There's something in the created order that refused to cooperate with death. 00:04:32.560 --> 00:04:37.360 Now, passing away results from the fall, but that's not how it's supposed to be. 00:04:37.360 --> 00:04:41.759 And so these seeds don't follow the rules, they just grow. 00:04:41.759 --> 00:04:48.319 A seemingly dead seed came to life and it points to something, to someone greater than biology. 00:04:48.319 --> 00:04:52.000 Remember Jesus Christ risen from the dead. 00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:56.160 That's the central theme of 2 Timothy 2, verses 8 to 13. 00:04:56.160 --> 00:05:00.000 That's where we'll be this morning, and I invite you to join me there. 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:04.079 This is the unstoppable message of Easter. 00:05:04.079 --> 00:05:06.240 So here's my question as we begin. 00:05:06.240 --> 00:05:09.680 What if the resurrection is actually true? 00:05:09.680 --> 00:05:14.800 If you're skeptical out there today, the answer to that question can change your life. 00:05:14.800 --> 00:05:18.800 If you're a Christian out there, it is the foundation of gospel courage. 00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:24.639 In 2 Timothy 2, 8 to 13, Paul outlines three implications of the resurrection. 00:05:24.639 --> 00:05:27.360 First, there's a person worth remembering. 00:05:27.360 --> 00:05:30.720 Number two, there's preaching that cannot be chained. 00:05:30.720 --> 00:05:34.800 And then finally, there's a promise that cannot be broken. 00:05:34.800 --> 00:05:37.839 So let's let's pray and then we'll look at each of those this morning. 00:05:37.839 --> 00:05:40.959 Heavenly Father, I thank you for each person who's here today. 00:05:40.959 --> 00:05:44.800 Lord, I ask that you would come and meet us where we are. 00:05:44.800 --> 00:05:52.240 Lord, if if there's somebody here today that is without hope, I pray that you would infuse them with the hope that comes from the resurrection. 00:05:52.240 --> 00:05:58.959 If there's somebody who's questioning, Lord, I pray that you would meet them, that you would open their eyes, that you would give them ears to hear. 00:05:58.959 --> 00:06:10.240 Lord, if there's somebody here today that needs to be more bold, I pray that you would encourage them, Lord God, to share about what Jesus has done, our Savior who has changed the world. 00:06:10.240 --> 00:06:12.480 We give this time to you in his name. 00:06:12.480 --> 00:06:13.439 Amen. 00:06:13.439 --> 00:06:14.160 Amen. 00:06:14.160 --> 00:06:16.079 All right, kids, you still got those seed packets? 00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:16.639 Here they are. 00:06:16.639 --> 00:06:20.560 Again, don't lose them because when you get home, I'm gonna give you some homework. 00:06:20.560 --> 00:06:21.600 So keep shaking them. 00:06:21.600 --> 00:06:22.720 All right, shake them. 00:06:22.720 --> 00:06:24.160 Let your parents know you got them. 00:06:24.160 --> 00:06:24.480 Good. 00:06:24.480 --> 00:06:25.759 Can you hear the seeds inside still? 00:06:25.759 --> 00:06:26.079 Good. 00:06:26.079 --> 00:06:26.560 All right, good. 00:06:26.560 --> 00:06:28.079 We'll come back to those in just a second. 00:06:28.079 --> 00:06:31.600 Now, let's look at verse 8 and see if there's anything about seeds. 00:06:31.600 --> 00:06:32.399 All right, let's read it. 00:06:32.399 --> 00:06:40.800 Verse 8 says, Remember Jesus Christ risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel. 00:06:40.800 --> 00:06:45.920 So Jesus Christ, yes, is the person worth remembering because he's raised from the dead. 00:06:45.920 --> 00:06:48.639 But if you look at that third clause, what does it say? 00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:52.079 It says Jesus was the offspring of David. 00:06:52.079 --> 00:06:54.319 Is there anything about a seed there? 00:06:54.319 --> 00:06:58.480 Well, that word offspring can be translated seed. 00:06:58.480 --> 00:07:01.279 Now remember, what does a seed do? 00:07:01.279 --> 00:07:03.600 It brings new life. 00:07:03.600 --> 00:07:09.439 What Paul is saying is that Jesus Christ is a descendant of the family line of King David. 00:07:09.439 --> 00:07:11.120 Do you remember who King David is, right? 00:07:11.120 --> 00:07:13.519 Anyone seen the House of David on Amazon? 00:07:13.519 --> 00:07:23.759 He was the greatest king in the history of Israel, a man, we're told, after God's own heart, the one whom God promised would always have a descendant on his throne. 00:07:23.759 --> 00:07:27.279 And Jesus Christ is that true Savior King. 00:07:27.279 --> 00:07:31.120 Now this verse is pretty action-packed, so let's let's break it down. 00:07:31.120 --> 00:07:36.079 Remember Jesus Christ is an imperative, it is a command. 00:07:36.079 --> 00:07:38.480 Paul's not giving us a suggestion here. 00:07:38.480 --> 00:07:42.480 He is commanding his readers to remember Jesus Christ. 00:07:42.480 --> 00:07:46.079 Notice he does not say remember the message of Jesus Christ. 00:07:46.079 --> 00:07:49.360 He says remember the person of Jesus Christ. 00:07:49.360 --> 00:07:50.079 Why? 00:07:50.079 --> 00:07:53.279 Because he knows how easily we forget. 00:07:53.279 --> 00:08:04.079 In fact, this was a common refrain in the Old Testament when God or his prophets spoke to the nation of Israel, his people, he would often tell them to remember. 00:08:04.079 --> 00:08:12.240 Exodus 13, 3, Moses tells the people, Remember this day in which you came out of Egypt. 00:08:12.240 --> 00:08:18.480 The psalmist in Psalm 77, 11 says, I will remember the deeds of the Lord. 00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:20.560 Now, why do we need to remember? 00:08:20.560 --> 00:08:24.879 Because we're a people who often forget. 00:08:24.879 --> 00:08:27.600 Do I have some forgetful people out there? 00:08:27.600 --> 00:08:28.639 Say amen. 00:08:28.639 --> 00:08:29.600 All right, good. 00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:30.959 A lot of forgetful people in here. 00:08:30.959 --> 00:08:36.960 So you listen, in our distracted, busy, fast-paced world, we forget many things. 00:08:36.960 --> 00:08:39.519 Now, what are the symptoms of forgetfulness? 00:08:39.519 --> 00:08:41.759 Maybe sometimes you get frazzled, right? 00:08:41.759 --> 00:08:45.679 You got you get that brain fog, you're tired, you're overwhelmed. 00:08:45.679 --> 00:08:50.399 And while it can feel good to be busy, there's a consequence to forgetfulness. 00:08:50.399 --> 00:08:53.519 We never stop to remember the important things. 00:08:53.519 --> 00:08:59.840 In fact, we get so distracted, it's very easy to forget Jesus Christ, the reason for living. 00:08:59.840 --> 00:09:06.000 How often do you think about Jesus in between Sunday and Sunday, in between Easter and Easter? 00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:08.720 Paul says you gotta remember. 00:09:08.720 --> 00:09:10.559 Now, why should we remember Jesus? 00:09:10.559 --> 00:09:13.600 Well, he says he rose from the dead. 00:09:13.600 --> 00:09:19.120 In other words, the resurrection is the single most important event in the history of the world. 00:09:19.120 --> 00:09:22.399 And many of us think about it maybe once a year at most. 00:09:22.399 --> 00:09:25.919 Now, the resurrection changes everything. 00:09:25.919 --> 00:09:32.000 The resurrection takes the world, it turns it upside down, inside out, it reverses death itself. 00:09:32.000 --> 00:09:34.639 But how often do we think about it? 00:09:34.639 --> 00:09:39.679 Now, if you're a skeptic out there, maybe you're saying, oh, the resurrection, that's such a nice story. 00:09:39.679 --> 00:09:42.000 But it's certainly not true. 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:49.679 Well, let me remind you that the resurrection rests on a mountain of historical evidence, and you can go and study and see all the arguments. 00:09:49.679 --> 00:09:51.120 Let me just give you a couple. 00:09:51.120 --> 00:10:00.000 For example, it was not the powerful people of the day who reported the resurrection, but the powerless, the women and the poor disciples. 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:08.159 Now, if the early church was manufacturing a legend, it certainly would not have made women the messengers because of the culture of the time. 00:10:08.159 --> 00:10:12.480 They would not have reported embarrassing details like doubting Thomas. 00:10:12.480 --> 00:10:14.799 They would have made themselves look good. 00:10:14.799 --> 00:10:22.960 And why would Peter stand before thousands of people in the same city where Jesus was crucified and preached that he is God in the flesh? 00:10:22.960 --> 00:10:24.960 This could have gotten him killed. 00:10:24.960 --> 00:10:28.639 Because Jesus Christ actually rose from the dead. 00:10:28.639 --> 00:10:32.480 And because of this truth, people had gospel courage. 00:10:32.480 --> 00:10:39.440 The resurrection is not merely a historical event to remember, but a continuing reality to live by. 00:10:39.440 --> 00:10:40.559 Remember it. 00:10:40.559 --> 00:10:42.240 Because of who rose. 00:10:42.240 --> 00:10:46.000 Courage has a face, and his name is Jesus Christ. 00:10:46.000 --> 00:10:48.799 And his message is also worth remembering. 00:10:48.799 --> 00:10:54.399 It's worth passing down, it's worth planting in the hearts of every successive generation. 00:10:54.399 --> 00:11:06.399 Now, if you've been with us this year, NBC has been celebrating, or if you've not been with us, NBC has been celebrating 175 years of remembering Jesus Christ risen from the dead. 00:11:06.399 --> 00:11:11.200 This is our 175th Easter as a congregation. 00:11:11.200 --> 00:11:12.320 That's a big deal. 00:11:12.320 --> 00:11:15.759 Now the word remember is not a one-time action. 00:11:15.759 --> 00:11:21.279 It is an ongoing command to keep remembering Jesus day after day, year after year. 00:11:21.279 --> 00:11:23.039 It's a message for everybody. 00:11:23.039 --> 00:11:29.200 See, Paul names David because he's appealing to the Jews, but he's also a messenger to the Gentiles. 00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:30.559 That's everybody. 00:11:30.559 --> 00:11:33.200 Easter is not the conclusion of the story. 00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:35.919 It's the starting point for the Christian courage. 00:11:35.919 --> 00:11:39.600 And we can have courage because this world is not our home. 00:11:39.600 --> 00:11:42.639 We have the eternal hope of the resurrection. 00:11:42.639 --> 00:11:45.919 We can face anything because it's not the end. 00:11:45.919 --> 00:11:49.120 So let's think about those seeds again. 00:11:49.120 --> 00:11:50.799 Kids, again, show us the seeds. 00:11:50.799 --> 00:11:53.039 Shake them up, shake them up, shake them up. 00:11:53.039 --> 00:11:56.080 That seed represents the message of the gospel. 00:11:56.080 --> 00:11:58.320 Say it's the message of the gospel. 00:11:58.320 --> 00:12:00.159 All right, good. 00:12:00.159 --> 00:12:04.879 It can be planted in dead hearts and made alive. 00:12:04.879 --> 00:12:10.080 Some of you today, the seed has been planted in your hearts. 00:12:10.080 --> 00:12:14.240 It needs to come alive so that true eternal life begins. 00:12:14.240 --> 00:12:20.960 Now there's one final clause in this verse I want to draw your attention to, and that is the phrase, my gospel. 00:12:20.960 --> 00:12:24.080 Paul loves to use this phrase. 00:12:24.080 --> 00:12:25.919 And people criticize him for it. 00:12:25.919 --> 00:12:28.240 They say, Is Paul arrogant? 00:12:28.240 --> 00:12:29.279 Is he pompous? 00:12:29.279 --> 00:12:32.000 What does he mean by my gospel? 00:12:32.000 --> 00:12:36.559 Well, in the original language, it's not possessive, it's actually about accountability. 00:12:36.559 --> 00:12:47.759 The Apostle Paul is sitting, remember, in prison awaiting his death as he writes this letter, and he's saying, This is the gospel that I have staked my life on. 00:12:47.759 --> 00:12:50.639 This is the gospel that I am now dying for. 00:12:50.639 --> 00:12:55.279 So here is the question: Is this gospel yours? 00:12:55.279 --> 00:13:03.600 Are you staking your life on Jesus or have you been distracted by the commercialized noise of the world? 00:13:03.600 --> 00:13:05.519 Let me give you an example. 00:13:05.519 --> 00:13:07.679 How many of you out there like Costco? 00:13:07.679 --> 00:13:09.440 All right, some of you, all right. 00:13:09.440 --> 00:13:13.519 Listen, Costco, in my mind, is a little slice of heaven, okay? 00:13:13.519 --> 00:13:19.360 You get your cart, you walk around, sometimes they feed you for free, amen. 00:13:19.360 --> 00:13:19.759 Right? 00:13:19.759 --> 00:13:21.360 Everything's on sale. 00:13:21.360 --> 00:13:29.279 They greet you when you walk in, they greet you when you walk out, a big smile, hopefully, except on Saturdays when the store turns into a cage match to get out. 00:13:29.279 --> 00:13:41.120 Did you know that Costco decided this year to sell a large chocolate bunny for Easter that was advertised as 22,650 calories? 00:13:41.120 --> 00:13:44.879 If you're on a diet, this is not what you want. 00:13:44.879 --> 00:13:47.840 But they even gave this thing a name. 00:13:47.840 --> 00:13:49.840 It's Pete the Bunny, right? 00:13:49.840 --> 00:13:57.200 Pete is two feet tall, he weighs 10 pounds, and Pete can be yours for $140. 00:13:57.200 --> 00:14:00.559 Costco, come on, right? 00:14:00.559 --> 00:14:06.240 Now, as I was meditating on the message this week, songs from Veggie Tales started coming into my mind. 00:14:06.240 --> 00:14:08.799 I thought about the bunny, the bunny. 00:14:08.799 --> 00:14:11.120 Oh, I ate the bunny. 00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:12.960 Listen, if you know, you know. 00:14:12.960 --> 00:14:15.039 But the bunny is a distraction. 00:14:15.039 --> 00:14:21.200 If I stuff myself with that bunny on Easter, I'm not thinking about Jesus. 00:14:21.200 --> 00:14:23.279 I got a big old tummy ache. 00:14:23.279 --> 00:14:26.080 My goodness, who thought this was a good idea? 00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:27.840 Anyone out there buy Pete? 00:14:27.840 --> 00:14:29.360 All right, sorry, sorry if I'm shaming you. 00:14:29.360 --> 00:14:30.639 God bless you if you did. 00:14:30.639 --> 00:14:33.919 You get about a hundred people and try to eat them today. 00:14:33.919 --> 00:14:48.080 Now that's a humorous illustration, but but what I'm trying to point out point out is if we're not careful, Pete the bunny and others like him can distract us from the real message of Easter, Jesus Christ, risen from the dead. 00:14:48.080 --> 00:14:59.200 We have too many things like Pete in our lives, and the things of this world so quickly make us forget Jesus Christ risen from the dead. 00:14:59.200 --> 00:15:06.879 Remembering Jesus requires constant spiritual warfare because Pete the bunny is right around the corner. 00:15:06.879 --> 00:15:12.559 Now, if the resurrection is true, then Jesus is the person worth remembering because it's all about Jesus. 00:15:12.559 --> 00:15:17.360 And when Jesus has your heart, when you stake your life on the gospel, your message changes. 00:15:17.360 --> 00:15:18.559 That's point number two. 00:15:18.559 --> 00:15:21.440 That we have now a preaching that cannot be chained. 00:15:21.440 --> 00:15:23.759 A preaching that cannot be chained. 00:15:23.759 --> 00:15:26.639 Now, all right, let's let's get those seed packets out again. 00:15:26.639 --> 00:15:28.159 I told you we're coming back to it. 00:15:28.159 --> 00:15:30.080 I want kids, good, good job. 00:15:30.080 --> 00:15:31.039 You're catching on. 00:15:31.039 --> 00:15:31.759 Good job. 00:15:31.759 --> 00:15:36.000 Now I want you to imagine if you rip this open, don't do it though, don't do it. 00:15:36.000 --> 00:15:48.480 If you're if you ripped it open and if you put it into an airtight container, kind of like a Tupperware container, imagine you you took those seeds, you put it in there, you sealed them up, you locked them, you put a chain around the Tupperware container. 00:15:48.480 --> 00:15:49.840 Maybe you can try that this week. 00:15:49.840 --> 00:15:50.879 Ask your parents. 00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:52.480 That'd be pretty fun, right? 00:15:52.480 --> 00:15:57.039 I want you to notice that wherever you put the seeds, the seeds don't care. 00:15:57.039 --> 00:16:01.759 Life still exists in whatever container you have the seeds in. 00:16:01.759 --> 00:16:07.120 Now, if you're as you read verses nine and ten, Paul is sealed in prison. 00:16:07.120 --> 00:16:10.960 The word of God is the seed, but it's planted in his heart. 00:16:10.960 --> 00:16:13.200 It's alive, it needs to get out. 00:16:13.200 --> 00:16:17.039 You can imprison the messenger, but not the message. 00:16:17.039 --> 00:16:18.480 Look at verse 9. 00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:27.600 He says, I got this gospel for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal, but the word of God is not bound. 00:16:27.600 --> 00:16:29.679 Now, what's he suffering for? 00:16:29.679 --> 00:16:32.639 The gospel which has gripped his heart. 00:16:32.639 --> 00:16:35.600 And notice the brilliant wordplay Paul does here. 00:16:35.600 --> 00:16:39.440 Those words bound and unbound come from the same root. 00:16:39.440 --> 00:16:42.720 Paul is bound, but the word of God is unbound. 00:16:42.720 --> 00:16:44.480 In fact, it cannot be bound. 00:16:44.480 --> 00:16:46.399 It's this unstoppable message. 00:16:46.399 --> 00:16:51.679 And then he continues with the implications of the message in verse 10. 00:16:51.679 --> 00:17:03.840 He says, Therefore, I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 00:17:03.840 --> 00:17:06.720 So that's a missional statement. 00:17:06.720 --> 00:17:08.079 What is the mission? 00:17:08.079 --> 00:17:09.920 To save lives. 00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:16.799 Now that term elect refers to those people whom God knows will come to salvation in Jesus Christ. 00:17:16.799 --> 00:17:19.920 It's a biblical category that's all over the New Testament. 00:17:19.920 --> 00:17:23.119 Now, some of you out there might say, Well, what is this election? 00:17:23.119 --> 00:17:23.519 Right? 00:17:23.519 --> 00:17:26.160 Am I campaigning to get voted into heaven? 00:17:26.160 --> 00:17:31.119 Now, see, in the human mind, election is a mystery, but God knows. 00:17:31.119 --> 00:17:37.680 And he uses human vessels like Paul to bring people to saving faith out of love, Paul obeys. 00:17:37.680 --> 00:17:41.119 Why is Paul suffering for the gospel? 00:17:41.119 --> 00:17:43.759 Why is he imprisoned like a criminal? 00:17:43.759 --> 00:17:49.680 Because God's word cannot be stopped, and the eternal destiny of people is at stake. 00:17:49.680 --> 00:17:56.240 Now that word endure carries the sense of holding one's ground in the midst of suffering. 00:17:56.240 --> 00:17:58.559 Paul is on this mission from God. 00:17:58.559 --> 00:18:02.880 He's enduring prison so the word of God, the gospel, can advance. 00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:06.480 It's the same picture that's used of Jesus in the book of Hebrews. 00:18:06.480 --> 00:18:14.000 The author there challenges believers to endure amidst persecution, and then he points to the example of Jesus himself. 00:18:14.000 --> 00:18:16.240 Look at Hebrews 12, 2. 00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:30.240 It says, You gotta look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 00:18:30.240 --> 00:18:35.039 Now that verse refers to Jesus' work on the cross and his resurrection. 00:18:35.039 --> 00:18:37.759 But if you notice, there's that word endure. 00:18:37.759 --> 00:18:42.079 It's the same word that's used in 2 Timothy 2, verse 10. 00:18:42.079 --> 00:18:50.000 And the force in that text in 2 Timothy 2 is not referring to current Christians, but to the future salvation of non-believing people. 00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:59.920 So if you're not a Christian here today, there may be somebody in your life who is enduring for you in prayer, waiting for you, hoping that you will give your life to Jesus. 00:18:59.920 --> 00:19:00.319 Why? 00:19:00.319 --> 00:19:04.400 Because Jesus is the key to abundant and eternal life. 00:19:04.400 --> 00:19:12.480 Not only did Paul endure for the sake of people who need to know Jesus, but Jesus also endured on the cross. 00:19:12.480 --> 00:19:15.119 He didn't get down, he didn't leave. 00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:18.400 Because he loved you, Christian, he stayed. 00:19:18.400 --> 00:19:20.640 Where would you be if he had not? 00:19:20.640 --> 00:19:32.880 You know, during the peak of COVID-19 in New York City, some healthcare workers left high-risk environments, but others stayed in unimaginably difficult situations. 00:19:32.880 --> 00:19:50.799 In fact, one New York City emergency medical resident, Fred Milgram, described working at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, where a hastily assembled COVID-19 unit ran nonstop, and the virus's reality was frighteningly visible in the faces of the patients they saw every day. 00:19:50.799 --> 00:20:03.119 He kept suiting up for 12-hour shifts in that unit, not for abstractions or statistics, but for those specific patients in front of him, people with names and families and stories. 00:20:03.119 --> 00:20:07.599 And his account in the Atlantic parallels Paul's logic in verse 10. 00:20:07.599 --> 00:20:13.839 Paul endured for the sake of the elect, concrete people God had given him to serve. 00:20:13.839 --> 00:20:19.440 This New York City doctor endured for the concrete patients entrusted to his care. 00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:23.359 Gospel courage has the same specificity. 00:20:23.359 --> 00:20:29.039 Who are the particular people by name and face for whom you are willing to endure? 00:20:29.039 --> 00:20:33.839 Why did Paul and Jesus and this doctor endure? 00:20:33.839 --> 00:20:38.480 Because they had something to give to dying people. 00:20:38.480 --> 00:20:40.400 What does Paul say? 00:20:40.400 --> 00:20:48.000 He says, I do this, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:50.559 Now, how do you obtain salvation? 00:20:50.559 --> 00:21:00.079 You confess that you're a sinner, that you believe that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, and you place your entire trust in his saving work on the cross. 00:21:00.079 --> 00:21:04.480 You stake your life on Jesus, and the gospel becomes yours. 00:21:04.480 --> 00:21:06.319 You repent and you believe. 00:21:06.319 --> 00:21:09.279 And when you do, your relationship with God is restored. 00:21:09.279 --> 00:21:11.440 You're welcomed into the family of God. 00:21:11.440 --> 00:21:12.720 You are free. 00:21:12.720 --> 00:21:14.960 And what is eternal glory? 00:21:14.960 --> 00:21:22.079 It is the completion of salvation that awaits you in the new heavens and the new earth, the resurrected life. 00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:27.119 You live forever with Christ and his people in a perfect, unblemished world. 00:21:27.119 --> 00:21:30.640 No more sin or sickness or dying or pain. 00:21:30.640 --> 00:21:31.759 Do you want that? 00:21:31.759 --> 00:21:33.359 Do you believe that? 00:21:33.359 --> 00:21:38.720 Because of what the resurrection unleashed, the gospel has a guarantee. 00:21:38.720 --> 00:21:46.160 You know, this past week I was listening to a podcast interviewing Chris Pratt of Hollywood Fame. 00:21:46.160 --> 00:21:50.559 You know, Parks and Wreck and Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World. 00:21:50.559 --> 00:21:58.480 And uh Pratt, if you don't know, has become known for his Christian faith, which in Hollywood can be a career death sentence. 00:21:58.480 --> 00:21:59.839 But he's induced. 00:21:59.839 --> 00:22:03.519 In fact, he shared a few stories I thought were pretty insightful. 00:22:03.519 --> 00:22:14.480 He came to faith out of a life of drugs and drinking because someone saw him outside a liquor store waiting for beer and told him about Jesus and invited him to church. 00:22:14.480 --> 00:22:20.480 He also described his struggles in his Christian life, his failures and trying to live out his faith in Hollywood. 00:22:20.480 --> 00:22:26.079 And then finally he told the story about this viral moment he had on the MTV Movie Awards a few years ago. 00:22:26.079 --> 00:22:27.279 Maybe you remember this. 00:22:27.279 --> 00:22:33.200 You may remember they give they gave him a lifetime achievement award and he took the moment to share about his faith. 00:22:33.200 --> 00:22:36.880 And here's what he said: he said, You have a soul. 00:22:36.880 --> 00:22:38.559 Be careful with it. 00:22:38.559 --> 00:22:42.720 God is real, God loves you, God wants what's best for you. 00:22:42.720 --> 00:22:44.240 Nobody's perfect. 00:22:44.240 --> 00:22:47.279 People will tell you that you are perfect just the way you are. 00:22:47.279 --> 00:22:48.160 You're not. 00:22:48.160 --> 00:22:53.359 You're imperfect, you always will be, but there's a powerful force that designed you that way. 00:22:53.359 --> 00:22:56.559 And if you're willing to accept that, you will have grace. 00:22:56.559 --> 00:22:58.640 And grace is a gift. 00:22:58.640 --> 00:23:04.720 Like the freedom that we enjoy in this country, that grace was paid for with somebody else's blood. 00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:07.279 Do not forget it. 00:23:07.279 --> 00:23:14.799 In other words, remember Jesus Christ risen from the dead. 00:23:14.799 --> 00:23:21.279 Now, when Pratt shared why he said that, he said he felt like it was time to let people know what mattered in life. 00:23:21.279 --> 00:23:28.079 It was time to stand for what he believed in, because for too long he had been silent because he wanted people to like him. 00:23:28.079 --> 00:23:29.680 And everybody loved Chris Pratt. 00:23:29.680 --> 00:23:30.559 Nobody hated him. 00:23:30.559 --> 00:23:32.079 In fact, people would tell him that. 00:23:32.079 --> 00:23:35.119 And when he said this, people started to criticize him. 00:23:35.119 --> 00:23:42.799 Now that story is a challenge for us because if you're a Christian, is God calling you to be bolder about your faith? 00:23:42.799 --> 00:23:48.720 If you stop and you tell people about Jesus, who's to say you're not witnessing to the next Chris Pratt? 00:23:48.720 --> 00:23:55.920 If you're not a Christian, perhaps you're standing outside the proverbial liquor store right now and it's time to believe. 00:23:55.920 --> 00:23:58.720 Would you give your life to Jesus today? 00:23:58.720 --> 00:24:03.920 See, the word of God, the message of the gospel is unstoppable. 00:24:03.920 --> 00:24:06.319 The question is whether we will preach it. 00:24:06.319 --> 00:24:10.160 Will we tell people about the resurrection life? 00:24:10.160 --> 00:24:16.720 Because when we do, we offer people this third point, the promise that cannot be broken. 00:24:16.720 --> 00:24:23.759 Now, in the last section, Paul concludes with what most scholars think is a hymn, a creed of the early church. 00:24:23.759 --> 00:24:31.359 When we remember Jesus Christ risen from the dead, when we preach Jesus Christ risen from the dead, our life becomes this song. 00:24:31.359 --> 00:24:33.680 The saying is trustworthy. 00:24:33.680 --> 00:24:36.319 For if we died with him, we also live with him. 00:24:36.319 --> 00:24:38.720 If we endure, we also reign with him. 00:24:38.720 --> 00:24:41.599 If we deny him, he also will deny us. 00:24:41.599 --> 00:24:45.200 If we are faithless, he remains faithful. 00:24:45.200 --> 00:24:49.599 Now I want you to picture your favorite Easter hymn or song. 00:24:49.599 --> 00:24:50.880 What is it? 00:24:50.880 --> 00:24:53.519 Can you recite it by heart? 00:24:53.519 --> 00:24:55.200 Maybe we sang it today. 00:24:55.200 --> 00:24:57.440 Christ the Lord is risen today. 00:24:57.440 --> 00:25:01.039 Because he lives in Christ alone. 00:25:01.039 --> 00:25:02.799 Jesus paid it all. 00:25:02.799 --> 00:25:03.920 Others. 00:25:03.920 --> 00:25:08.319 See, these verses penned by Paul are like those songs. 00:25:08.319 --> 00:25:11.759 Something believers sang and recited together. 00:25:11.759 --> 00:25:16.079 In fact, why don't we recite these verses together right now? 00:25:16.079 --> 00:25:17.599 As a memory of it. 00:25:17.599 --> 00:25:18.559 Let's do it. 00:25:18.559 --> 00:25:20.559 One, two, three. 00:25:20.559 --> 00:25:22.960 The saying is trustworthy. 00:25:22.960 --> 00:25:27.440 For if we died with him, we will also live with him. 00:25:27.440 --> 00:25:31.039 If we endure, we will also reign with him. 00:25:31.039 --> 00:25:38.160 If we deny him, if we are faithless, we may be faithful. 00:25:38.160 --> 00:25:44.559 See, the trustworthy saying in verse 11 sets these verses off as important. 00:25:44.559 --> 00:25:51.279 In fact, this is a formula that Paul uses many times in the pastoral epistles, 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus. 00:25:51.279 --> 00:25:54.559 In other words, we should pay attention to what comes next. 00:25:54.559 --> 00:25:56.799 So now you notice the juxtapositions. 00:25:56.799 --> 00:25:59.920 First, he says, if we die, we live. 00:25:59.920 --> 00:26:01.119 You say, how? 00:26:01.119 --> 00:26:02.960 What does that mean? 00:26:02.960 --> 00:26:05.279 Isn't death the opposite of life? 00:26:05.279 --> 00:26:07.279 Well, this phrase has two meanings. 00:26:07.279 --> 00:26:11.359 First, it points to our union with Christ in his death. 00:26:11.359 --> 00:26:18.480 That when we give our life to Jesus, we are dying to our sin and ourselves, and we're covered by his blood. 00:26:18.480 --> 00:26:21.279 This is what's pictured in the waters of baptism. 00:26:21.279 --> 00:26:25.359 And in this context, it also points to the possibility of martyrdom. 00:26:25.359 --> 00:26:29.200 In both cases, death is required for new life. 00:26:29.200 --> 00:26:32.160 He says, if we endure, we will reign. 00:26:32.160 --> 00:26:34.240 There's again that word endure. 00:26:34.240 --> 00:26:38.240 It shows us there's a crown at the end of the fight. 00:26:38.240 --> 00:26:47.440 And this word refers to courageous steadfastness, that in the end there will be a crown of glory for all who endure this resurrected life. 00:26:47.440 --> 00:26:50.640 If we deny, he will deny. 00:26:50.640 --> 00:26:51.920 That's a warning. 00:26:51.920 --> 00:26:59.599 That the word for deny is the same word used to describe Peter's denial in the Gospels, the three times he denied Jesus. 00:26:59.599 --> 00:27:01.599 It carries a series of warnings. 00:27:01.599 --> 00:27:07.759 If we deliberately and repeatedly deny Christ, he will disown us at the future final judgment. 00:27:07.759 --> 00:27:12.160 And then finally, if we're faithless, he will remain faithful. 00:27:12.160 --> 00:27:16.480