Easter - The Resurrection of Jesus

Sunday, April 5th, 2026 - The Carrillo's and the Monte's reading from Matthew and John about the events surrounding the Resurrection of Jesus.

References: (NIV) Matthew 27:62-66, Matthew 28:1-15, Matthew 28:11-15, John 20:19-23, Romans 8:11

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Alright, here we go. Alright. So here we go. Last week we had so much fun. Last week we had so much fun in this room. We've kind of started well the collective name of our church is really that. It's been a new way of preaching for me, actually, and it's been quite fun. It's called interactive preaching. And so last week it was alive in this room. We were declaring Hosanna in the highest. Remember a week ago? We were welcoming King Jesus into our city fresh and anew. And as we were reading through scripture, I still got a chance to preach, you know, while we were going, but we made room for input and for people as God is showing you things or or revealing something that there's opportunity to share here in this room, like a big living room, like we're around a big table. There it is, the table. So the only the only thing I would ask is if you have something amazing to say, is that you keep it in like less than 30 minutes. No. Just just just so we can um so we can have room for other people. Well, we're gonna go through the resurrection story through scripture, and the four of us have broken it into four four parts. And so um it's gonna be quite fun. But um, so I'm gonna turn over to Rachel, who's gonna lead us in what scriptures to go to. Go ahead.

SPEAKER_04 1:39

Okay. Uh we're gonna start in Matthew 27 if you have your Bible or your phone. Um, or you can just listen. We didn't make slides for it, sorry, but that's okay. You can listen or look it up on the Google or the Bible app or the actual book, if you have that, like the olden days. I love having the actual book myself. The olden days, I'm just giving you a hard time. I'm the old guy. Uh, we we uh if you've never done this before, I actually uh haven't had never done this before, where I looked at the Easter story from each gospel, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John from all their different perspectives, and it was so fascinating to be like imagine all of us are in the room, well, right now, actually, all of us are in the same room, and if I had each of you write an essay on what you experienced this morning, each of you would point out and remember different things because of who you are, right? So it's just so fascinating as an adult. Um, I never did that when I was younger, and I never really listened to a teaching about the different perspectives, but it's so cool to see each individual um disciple like sharing what stood out to them. So we're gonna start in, we're gonna be in Matthew, and then we're gonna be in John. Um the other two are good, but uh these ones really stood out to me. So Matthew 27, 62, and I'm gonna breathe because I'm pregnant and I forget. Um okay, the guard at the tomb, and I'm reading the NIV version, whatever version you have, is wonderful. Um, the next day, the one after preparation day, this is after context, if you don't know. This is after Jesus has been crucified, he was killed brutally on the cross, and um they are they put him in the tomb. Okay, so he's dead, he's in the tomb. This is the next day, okay? The next day, the one after preparation day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. Sir, they said, We remember that while he, Jesus, was still alive, that he, the deceiver, said, After three days, I will rise again. So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception would be worse than the first. Take a guard, Pilate answered, go and make the tomb as secure as you know how. So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard. So Pilate was like, Oh, you're right. We could look really foolish if we if we don't take care of this. Um they called Jesus the deceiver, and the dis they were afraid that the disciples would come and take his body out of the tomb and pull this like punked stunt of all time. Right? So they had to convince Pilate, like, we're gonna look really stupid if this happens, so please let's let's block this off so we don't end up looking silly. So that's what they did.

SPEAKER_09 4:58

They were scared he'd actually rise. Oh, you have your own. Yeah. I'm gonna go through uh Jesus has risen, Matthew 28, 1 through 10. After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. Mind you, very first two people or women. It's very countercultural what was happening back then. He he Eve every chance he got flipped the system. I'd never ever ever want to miss that. Uh there was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the woman, Do not be afraid, for I know that you were looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here, he is risen. Just as he said, Come and see the place where he lay, then go quickly and tell his disciples. He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him. Now I have told you. So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell the disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. Could you imagine that? You just saw this man get crucified. This was horrible. In the most horrible thing. And it just hi, greetings. Just back. I'm here. Suddenly Jesus met them. Greetings, he said. They came to him, clasped his feet, and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee. There they will see me. Mary got to go look at the tomb. Again, like I said, it's an incredibly important thing. Much like the first time he reveals himself publicly. Who is it to? It was to a woman. It was to the least of these, a woman at the well. Jesus yet again flips everything upside down on its head. That's so incredible. There was a violent earthquake. Could you imagine a violent earthquake happening after at a tomb where these women, a guard was out there? Yeah, the angel of the Lord came. Yeah, he sits on the stone like it was sealed and protected the grave.

SPEAKER_04 7:23

No, the angel of the Lord is sat on the stone, kind of as a like you guys tried to seal this off, so I'm just gonna sit here. The earthquake happened, the stone moves, and the angel's sitting on the tombstone just being like, yeah. You guys tried.

SPEAKER_02 7:40

Yeah, and it was sealed with um uh the pilots had it sealed shut, like this is official. So the sealing of a tomb wasn't just that it was closed, but there was there was um the fact that he said, This is you can't break the seal, this is official. If somebody breaks the seal, that's a criminal activity, right? So God does it. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_04 8:06

And then um the next part, this was my favorite part. Yeah, I I grew up in church, but I really didn't read the Bible that much, to be totally honest with you. And now I'm just obsessed because it's like the coolest history book ever. These stories are so awesome. Um the guards report, so Matthew 28, 11. While the women were on their way, so Jesus just told them, Go tell your brothers that I'm gonna be in Galilee, there they'll see me, right? So they're they're afraid, they're excited, they're on their way. Some of the guards went to the city, the guards that were sh at the tomb, they were shocked, dead, like dead men. The guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met them, the elders wait, when the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, You are to say his disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep. If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble. So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day. So they were like, let's get this rubber mill started because again, we're gonna look really stupid. He duped us again. He's told us what he's gonna do. We tried to stop him and we can't. So they they went and told the religious leaders, he's gone. Like it happened. He he what he said was true, he did it. What do we do? We're gonna get in big trouble because they would have like they failed their job, basically. So they would have been in huge trouble. They need to come up with something so that they don't get punished. Let's start this story so that we don't look stupid again. And they paid them to start this. It's so they started like a coup. Let's start this rumor mill going. Um, and it's so fascinating that, yeah, there's all these stories that try to overtake the goodness and the truth all the time that are still circulated to this day. Fascinating.

SPEAKER_02 10:13

So, what's happening for you right now in this story? Anyone want to share? Anything? Any thoughts right now?

SPEAKER_08 10:20

Anybody with the soldiers are really soldier? Yeah, you're getting soldiers. Yeah, that is crazy. There's so much countercultural stuff happening. It's not just Jesus showing up, everything turns off its head.

SPEAKER_02 11:14

Yeah. I like to imagine when they went back, they're like, hey, we saw it. This is what happened. Well, there was an earthquake. They're telling the Jews, so we just so the context for those of you that don't know this. At the time, Jesus, uh, he's a Jew, and he's living among uh the Jews, and there's a religious uh rulership in the Jews that's that's Pharisees, Sadducees, chief priests. That's the Jewish leadership, if you will. Rome is is actually occupying the land and ruling it. So, but they're allowing the Jews still to have their religious activity. Does that make sense? So the Jews now, the religious leaders are the ones that said, crucify him. We want to crucify him. Pilate said, Why? Why should we crucify him? I find nothing guilty of a charge that would demand crucifixion. The story goes, you know how it ends. And then fast forward to today, now these Roman guards, as Sandra said, are posted at the tomb because the Jews are afraid that the disciples are gonna steal them. That's the story that they're going with. Now, the earthquake happens, we see this whole thing. We are like the angels of God. We saw something supernatural. I'm not telling Pilate, because I'll be dead. I'm not telling my ruler. I'm gonna go tell the Jewish leaders because they're the ones that put us up to this in the first place. So we're gonna go tell them, hey, I think what Jesus, what those, what those disciples and what they were saying is true. I saw this, this is what happened, and they go, no, don't tell anybody that. We'll pay you to tell this story, and we won't even let Pilate know. Right? Okay, so that's how it goes.

SPEAKER_06 13:06

I was just thinking picture of Jesus thinking something in the point. Gotcha. Gotcha.

SPEAKER_07 13:17

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 13:18

Anyone else before I move on? Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_06 13:22

So it took him while you were sleeping. That's what the best. And they were sleeping on your watch. They're still getting it. Yeah, pilot.

SPEAKER_02 13:32

Can't notice.

SPEAKER_06 13:34

Throw yourself under the bus.

SPEAKER_02 13:35

Yeah, don't look back. Because money talks to some people.

SPEAKER_04 13:39

Yeah, and so this does this doesn't get out of control because if people start hearing what actually happened, there's gonna be the uprising and they won't have the political control and the religious control like they want.

SPEAKER_01 13:51

So here's a freebie.

SPEAKER_02 13:53

Religion controls.

SPEAKER_04 13:55

Yep.

unknown 13:57

That's a good word.

SPEAKER_02 13:58

Relationship with God provides freedom.

SPEAKER_04 14:02

Real freedom. Come on. Religion starts.

SPEAKER_02 14:04

Period. That was free.

SPEAKER_04 14:07

Let's go home. That was good.

SPEAKER_02 14:09

So it's true, it was true then and it's true today.

unknown 14:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:13

Religion tries to box us in and say you have to do this behavior to attain to this result. And in the kingdom of God, as Zach had said earlier, it's upside down. It doesn't make sense. Jesus paid the price, he fulfilled all those requirements of the law. And he said, Now I'm going to give you this gift. This gift of righteousness when you don't even deserve it. And so I say, I don't deserve this, Jesus. I want you. And he goes, I give it to you. I'll take your filthy rags in exchange. It's an amazing, amazing relationship.

SPEAKER_00 14:51

Jumping over to John 20, chapter 20, starting at verse 19, where Jesus appears to his disciples. On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them. Okay, the door was locked. They're hiding away in fear, and Jesus appears in the room. That in and of itself is pretty stinking cool. So Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you. Shalom. Shalom. After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again, Jesus said, Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. And with that, he breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone's sins, their sins are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven. He breathes on them. Breath of God came and breathed on each one of us. So our sins could be forgiven, we could receive the Holy Spirit.

SPEAKER_04 16:08

Yeah, and the the who you forgive is forgiven, and who you do not forgive is not forgiven. So when Jesus was on the cross, he said, Father, which my dad pointed this out when we were talking about this. It was really interesting. Obviously, Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit are one. That's a whole other conversation for a different day. That would be really fun to have. The Trinity is really fun to learn about. But Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And Jesus here is saying, you receive the Holy Spirit, which is the gift of, it's God, it's the Spirit of God. If you forgive anyone's sins, their sins are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven. So we are called to do what Jesus did, which is to release forgiveness over people. Father, God, forgive them, for they know not what they do. We are not to hold transgressions and bitterness towards our brothers and sisters. We are called and given the authority that Jesus had after raising from the dead. He's giving it to his disciples. He's saying, You are to do this too. You are to forgive. Because you are forgiven. You are to um live in the same way, in the same principles and power that I have just showed you.

SPEAKER_02 17:36

Yeah, may I um jump in here? Because there's been some confusion on this verse. Because the other, the the flip side, someone would say, Well, if I don't forgive them, then that means they're they're not forgiven. So I want to say I want to make this clear. Who is the one that forgives sin? Yes. God. God is the one who forgives sin. So really what's that? And he has. And he has. So in this moment when Jesus was breathing on his disciples and saying, Go, he was giving them authority to preach the kingdom of God. So it's the authority we've been given to tell people that the gospel is Jesus forgives sins. That's what I'm declaring to you. I am not in the I'm not God. So I'm not the one making the decisions whether you're forgiven or not. What I am doing is I am preaching forgiveness. So you can receive the message that Jesus forgives. If I don't preach the message with my life, then I am withholding from people the ability to be forgiven. Yep. Does that make sense?

SPEAKER_09 18:45

Which changes everything.

SPEAKER_02 18:46

Doesn't that help un help us understand that I'm not like the judge and jury of your life? And you're not the judge and jury of my life. You are a messenger. We're messengers filled with the Spirit of God, right? This is pretty awesome because he breathes on us.

SPEAKER_04 18:59

Yeah. And so much of what he before even before his crucifixion, Jesus' teachings are teaching us about the kingdom culture. Like what is the what is God's design for relationship and for community? And yeah, the kingdom of God. What is the kingdom of God? How do we operate? Paul was talking about like what is the Father's house? Like what rooms are in there? What do we eat for dinner? How do we interact with each other? You know, like that visual of this is Him and giving another thing of saying, This is the kingdom culture. We we forgive, you're forgiven, we forgive. If you're withholding the kingdom, then you're what? Then you're withholding. Then you're yeah, you're withholding the kingdom of God from your brothers and sisters.

SPEAKER_09 19:45

If you see me, you see the Father, as I do. And the same people, like we talked about, I'm sure on Good Friday, we sadly were not here. The same people who were Hosanna, Hosanna and the highest, those same exact people were the same people who said crucified. We are all those people. That's us, guys. We have to recognize that at all times. And he still looks at us, every single one of us, individually, and goes, I see you and I love you. If I forgive you, you do not, you don't get it. Look how look how I do this. Watch me. For I am a representation of the Father. I will show you the way of the kingdom. And he will do it over and over and over till this day.

SPEAKER_04 20:23

Even the declaration of that when he was on the cross, like Father, forgive them, he's like declaring forgiveness over. And I think that was really applicable to me because obviously I'm a human being and not perfect. So there's power in that too, which I think is the kingdom culture of Jesus declaring in that moment of like God forgive them. They don't know what they're doing. Like I love them, like forgive them. And in life, that we have that power and authority too to just release that up and not hold on. That's not what God, the Holy Spirit, has given us the ability to just say, no, I release that, forgive them. Like whatever they're doing, whatever oppress what the oppressors that love your enemy as you love yourself, like all these things that he calls us to. This is just another layer of depth of like kind of we're all the same here. We're all children of God. It's a level playing field. There aren't like levels. You we're all forgiven. Jesus said it, so you're supposed to say it.

SPEAKER_02 21:19

Good. All right. I'm gonna take a little a little rabbit trail together, right? We're gonna come back to John, but let's go to uh Romans 8, verse 9. And this this idea, or not this idea, this this moment when Jesus actually shows up to his disciples. It's amazing to me the fact that he just shows up lovingly to them after they all abandoned him. I mean, it's it's kind of like how we do things, right? Somebody abandons us and we just come in and go, peace be with you. You're right, no, no, Jesus did that though. They were hiding. In fear, he shows up, it's okay. I'm here. Peace is in the room. And I'm commissioning you, I'm sending you to go into this world, start in your neighborhood, talk to people, let them know who I am and what I've done and what you've experienced. And I don't want it just to be intellectual. It's not just information on a page from a book. Hear me. I'm gonna breathe on you and actually cause my spirit to come inside of you and live. Wow! Wow. Romans 8 verse 9 says, You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh, but in the realm of the spirit. Notice it's a capital S referring to the Holy Spirit. Because every one of us has a spirit. But there's this merging that takes place. It's supernatural, it's a miracle. The disciples didn't like go to school to learn this, to go tell people. I did it. Okay? Now, it's different though when the Spirit of God comes in you. It doesn't matter who you are, where you are, that God will fill us up, and then we have the authority and the life and the presence of God in us. What? This is supernatural. I can't earn this, I can't, I can't wield it, I can't, what is the new term? Manifest it, I can't do that. It's the Holy Spirit of God breathing on me as I receive Him. You catch that? Alright, verse 9. You I'm gonna read it again. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh, but in the realm of the Spirit if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, did you catch that? If the spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his spirit who lives in you. Yeah, amen. That's good. That's so good. That's the word of God. So it's not that we're making this stuff up so we can have a nice message and have a big show today. It's really about what Jesus Christ has done, who he is, and what he's still doing. So there's an interesting thing here. Every human being, Rachel said it, is made in the image and the likeness of God. We all reflect him, his masterpiece, his glory. But not everybody belongs to Jesus Christ. Did you hear me? This is wonderful and scary at the same time. We're all made in his likeness, but we don't all belong to him. He wants us all to belong to him. Think about it. Are you with me? Made in his likeness, what's the difference? The difference is the ones that belong to him contain his spirit. I just read it. I'm paraphrasing it in RC language. When the Spirit comes into us, lives in us, we are now belonging. We belong. I belong to Jesus. Are you with me? Does God want us to belong? Yes. How many want to belong to Jesus? I do. I want, I belong to Jesus. Jesus, I belong to you. Right? Now you can be in the same container and not belong. I wish I brought that illustration, Sam. I had this great idea. It's a glass jar. Can you see it? I have a glass jar right here. Pitcher of water. I'm pouring it into the glass jar. I go half full. See it? You all see it? And then I grab some, let's pick some beautiful olive oil. I don't care. Oil. Put the oil in the glass jar, fill it to the top, put the lid on it. They're both in the container, but they don't belong to each other. No matter how much I turn it, that oil and that water will never come together. The illustration is only in part, okay? It just shows that you can be in the same container and go to church and not really even belong to Jesus.

SPEAKER_09 27:06

Fiercely loyal. Since the beginning of time and all the covenants he made throughout Scripture, He does not desire robots. He doesn't want people who go, Oh, I have to love you because I'm supposed to. I bow down. You're gonna keep you're king, the end of the world, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I want to go to heaven. I'm scared. I'm in fear. Mark, where's Mark? Mark, you said it. Thank you for your kindness. It's kindness that leads to repentance. His entire life, the entire Bible, the story of God throughout scripture is kindness over and over and over, and us not getting what we deserve. Truly. And we have still, we're living this out daily, all of us are. We just cannot forget that. Can't forget that.

unknown 27:51

Well, by the same token, if kindness leads to repentance, isn't it possible for non-Christians to experience that? Because it's kindness that leads to God.

SPEAKER_02 28:03

Totally. Absolutely. That's the whole point. The whole point of this is that. So the Spirit of Christ is in us. And those of us that said yes to Jesus, and when we say, Jesus, I receive you, what we're really receiving is his breath. In this very way that Jesus breathed on his disciples, his spirit filled them. And it's a common belief through scripture and through in Christianity that when you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, the Spirit of God takes up residence in your life. Are you with me? So now we also know that in Scripture, if we fast forward a few days in Acts, the disciples then are encountered with a baptism of the Holy Spirit that actually came upon them, and then they began to flow. They spoke in tongues and miracles and things started happening in their lives, right? They were empowered to witness on a greater level, right? There was this thing that took place. So I want to back up here. So the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us.

SPEAKER_09 29:10

Yeah, let that sink in.

SPEAKER_02 29:12

The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us. The power of God in us to be the carriers of his presence everywhere we go. And what does it look like when we carry the kingdom? It's been said this morning. We're loving, we're seeing people, we're listening, we're caring, we're serving, we're praying for them, we're seeing miracles. And I have some friends that just came back from Peru that I've asked if they would mind sharing what the kingdom looks like when you're praying for people in the name of Jesus. Would you guys, Mark and Shelly, be willing to share a testimony or two? Would you welcome Mark and Shelley?

unknown 29:51

Come on.

SPEAKER_02 30:00

Welcome back. We prayed them off. Now they're back. Welcome home. Yay.

SPEAKER_03 30:05

So thanks for the prayers, guys. It was definitely needed. Um it was a very different trip for us. Um we're used to kind of having someone lead, we're in the church, we're doing the thing that we're kind of trained to do, and this was kind of flipped. We're we're more than 75% on the street. We're we're ministering out of the walls of the church, not in the church. So um we did open air crusade um one night. We did um several nights of just bringing a mic and an ant down to the square, which is I would say about two times the size of Sonoma's um square. Um really big, and it's such a community draw. It's so different than what we live here. Um they go there for dates, they're just couples are there. There's kids just hanging out, there's bubbles just floating in the air. It's almost like, hey, where are we? What is happening here? But um we did worship in the square, and there was just people um around down there, and um we did that, and then we broke off into little groups and just whoever God led us to, we just prayed for them and saw quite a few cool things. Um, it was the first night, I think. We um Mark and I prayed over this man and he accepted Jesus. Um he needed healing and a shoulder, right? It's all of learning. I think it was a shoulder, but anyways, he he asked for a prayer and and we prayed over him, and then we're like, Well, do you know Jesus? He's like, No, I yeah, I was very emotional, very soft and tender, and he just he was by himself and he just um he just wanted the Lord. He asked, Can I can I have Jesus? He asked. So um, so we were able to do that with him through our interpreter, and um that even created a really cool um opportunity. We got to minister to our interpreter um in a really sweet way. He's a man that's young man that's struggling, but anyways, um the big thing for us was that we both had to, we knew going to Peru that we were gonna have to preach. And neither of us liked being here. Like, and so we everybody volunteered. They took, like, you know, volunteers. Hey, do you want to preach? I need five preachers this morning, I need six tonight. Who wants to go? We didn't volunteer. And the whole trip, I was like, um, I kept, I never understood when you guys say, Oh, I changed my message. I had this planned, and then God gave me this. And I'm like, I now get it. Because I kept having all these things that I wanted to say, I thought it was what I was gonna do, and he kept changing it. And I was unfortunately, I was really um prepared. I had this message that God I thought wanted me to give, and um I got sick, so I missed two whole days in Peru. And my wonderful husband here got to preach the last morning, and he did amazing. Um, he rocked it, um, and he was very critical of himself, but I filmed it and he got to watch it, and he's like, Oh, it wasn't as bad as I thought. So, anyways, I got to be there at least for that part, and come to find out the church that I might have been able to preach that day that he did preach in, I probably wouldn't have been able to preach because the pastor is old school and he doesn't believe in women preaching, so I got to be there in support and do all the other stuff. So I did give the testimony of the man, but um but there was one there was one night we we were in Trajillo, this town, and it was our last night in there, and um we did this open like a courtyard, they have like a stage they put on the grass outside of the building, and they uh we did ministry after worship, which was very powerful. Um, we had um just it was really amazing, but we got to minister when uh quite a few people had prayed for this one man in a wheelchair, and he's um come find out, he's 77 years old, and a lot of people on our team had prayed for him, and I was one of the last ones I got to get up there and pray for him, and he had had a um brain hemorrhage three months before and been in that wheelchair and hadn't gotten out of it, and um so I he's like, Oh, I've already been prayed for is a super sweet old man, and he um he's like, I've already been prayed for by the other team, but you can pray, and he was just so sweet and so open. So I prayed over him and our interpreter, and then I start praying over his granddaughter. She was dealing with all kinds of stuff, and um and all of a sudden one of our other teammates comes up and he's praying for this man that's in the wheelchair, and talks him into trying to stand up and pulls him kind of up, and he's a little wobbly, hasn't stood for three months. He's got very um, I don't even bow-legged is not even the word. It almost looks like his legs are like broken, they're just they're very um angular, not normal, not standing straight. And um, so anyways, so they they were doing their thing, and I was kind of nervous and because he's old and he's not moving very good. So he takes a couple shuffly, really awkward movements, and then he sits back down. And I'm like, okay, well, that was cool. And so then he tries again, and then he tries again, and he stands up. While we're starting to wrap it up, this man walked from here to like Adamite. He walked over to like where Peter is, and then he walked to where Zach is, and then he's like, Okay, I'm tired. But in that whole process, there is a boss pit happening up front because we are celebrating, and there's worship going, and it is amazing. And this 77-year-old man who had a brain hemorrhage that hadn't walked in three months, he's doing this little jiggy.

unknown 37:07

That was really awesome.

SPEAKER_03 37:08

So God used our teammate and all of us to just uh keep encouraging him to try. So that was really a cool thing to see.

SPEAKER_07 37:19

Awesome.

SPEAKER_05 37:20

Yeah, um what's that? I think the mic died. Did it die? Okay. Okay, cool. Yeah, it was a cool, stretching trip, and uh, it was different than anything we've done. And we were like in a women's prison, we went to the hospitals to pray, like Shelly said the squares, we went to the streets, we went, which is a I mean, we were doing all of this stuff, and we were doing like treasure hunts, you know, asking the Holy Spirit for clues and going out and finding people, and it was amazing. I mean, people's eyes were getting cleared up, bones were being healed, um, people were getting out of wheelchairs, headaches were going. I going, I mean, it was just a just a lot of different things. People were giving their life to Jesus in the church, you know, giving their life to Jesus. It was pretty cool. Um but one thing I want to say, I don't even know how much we have like five minutes or something. And this isn't poor decision, as we all know the scripture, for God so loved the world, right? Everybody in the world that he gave his one and only son, Jesus, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send his son, Jesus, into the world to condemn the world. That's right. To condemn the world, but to save the world through him. And uh to carry that message in your heart. Is that my heart, God, to share Jesus with everybody so that they will not perish, so that they will not go to hell? You know, when you carry that truth, I mean, I had an encounter with Jesus one day when my mom said, Mark, you gotta ask him yourself if he is real. Come on. Right? And God was setting me up with that question. She didn't try to talk me into salvation. Mark, you got Jesus is real, trust me. No. She said, ask him if he's real. I drove down the road, asked, I need to know if you exist, God, and his presence came in, his power presence came in, I started weeping. So I carry this experience. So I don't have to guess, man, is this message I carry real? No, I want people to know this message. This is the way. Jesus said, I'm the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to God the Father except through me. And that seems like a really small gate, but it's wide enough for the whole world. It seems like it's condemning, right? It seems opposed, but no, it's actually salvation. Salvation doesn't happen except through Jesus Christ who died for me and you and gave his life and shed blood. So when you're out on the streets, you carry this message, right? It's the hope of glory that's inside of you, and it's not about we know, I've gone through this, I'm scared to step out. No, actually, God said, you will step out because of your love for that person. What if I what if I don't want to offend you? That's not love. I carry a message, the truth, and I will step out because I'm in deep love with you, and I want you to know what I know. That Jesus Christ died for your sins. I actually remember the day I invited your whole family over to our house three years ago. And uh I thought we were just gonna have a nice fun pool party and eat lots of good food and have a great time. When I left the ballpark where Modi was playing, the Holy Spirit told me this. He said, I want you to ask Ad and I if he's heard of Jesus. It was so clear. It was so clear. And uh three years ago you gave your life to Jesus. Who would you know? With that little conversation that God was setting us up, and you uh um to meet him, and it's been this beautiful blossoming thing as you surrender to Jesus more and more. Yeah. Okay, okay, okay. So, yeah. Come on. I got a couple there, but I'm gonna go quick. But you guys, most of you have already heard about our our coffee shop um revival that's going on. You know, Adam and I've been to the coffee shop with me, you know, but I just I know this is local share. We can talk local too. You know what I mean? You don't have to go somewhere to share Jesus, right? This is where we live, and we have family and friends and co-workers and people around us that we frequent or wherever that needed to hear about Jesus. So we're doing this coffee shop revival, and even on Thursday, it's just more and more beautiful, right? Isn't it? It is. I asked God for revival in that place, reviving, you know, his reviving breath to be released over the people there. And uh, we get a partner with God, and I'm telling you, we're sharing Jesus, we're praying for people, and it's this beautiful thing because we carry this message, right, that leads to salvation and relationship with Jesus and the Father and the Holy Spirit. And so that's beautiful. And I want to share one that we're involved in, and it's the Chilinos Mexican restaurant. Revival that's happening. We go there almost every Sunday after church, except for today. But uh Chilinos. But it's so amazing. You know, we already shared a few stories when you know Paul and his family, and Bodie was there, and Keeley, and Josh, and you guys left early. You missed out. But I already shared a little bit, and you know, the the cook and the owner got healed. I was actually thinking of you wrong when I was sitting here. He had a frozen, I went up to him. I'm like, I know I'm slow. How much time? Keep going. We're on the edge of our seat. Go ahead. This is gonna be quick. And I went up to him, and because in church I had written in my journal, empty out Shanino's kitchen with healing prayer. So I went up to the owner and said, Hey, is there anybody here that needs healing that works for you? And uh, and he got it and he said, I do, you know, and I'm like, you know, he's pointing his filler, what's wrong? Your shoulders like I got a frozen shoulder, you know? And uh he could he can open him like this, and uh I said, can I pray for you? And he said, sure. And I said, right now he said, No, and I can put my hand on the shoulder anyway. Try it out, try it out, and it was still frozen one more time. Try it out, boom, you know, and he's like, you know what I mean? And he's like, I felt something, and I'm like, can you push it up and he goes up? I mean, he's really excited, you know? And we're excited because the kingdom of heaven showed up, right? That's right. And Jesus is the king and he touched him. And uh, is there anybody else? And the cashier came around, her name's Maria, and she's trying to figure out what's going on, and he points at her and she's got a sciatica, and Paul and Keeley prayed over her, and she takes a couple steps and she's like shocked, you know. But this is a continuing thing. So just even a couple weeks ago, right before Peru, I went up to the register and goes, Maria, is there anybody here that works here that needs healing? Send them to our table, right? This is uh an ongoing, fun revival, right? This is a place we frequent, right? We try to come to fill love and want them to experience Jesus, and the message is gonna come, right? Hey, that's Jesus, do you want to get your life done? So she has a young lady, right? And uh asked them, hey, anybody want to pray with me and Bodhi nominated Keely? And so Keely and I go pray for Grey Gordia, who has it's been a month, her hand's been in pain, she doesn't know what's going on, but whenever she serves, you know, with the tray, she feels the pain, right? And so Keely prayed over her, and Keely, you were awesome. You were you were like this, you know.

SPEAKER_02 45:54

Sundean.

SPEAKER_05 45:55

Yeah. Keely's, you know, only had you've been saved, you've had for like a month or maybe two. I don't know. But uh it was so beautiful, and so Gregoria, okay, all know, you know, if anything's happening when I come to your table with food, because I'm gonna be serving you guys. So we go sit down, she comes, and uh, and and she's like, it's a little better. So let's okay, let's thank Jesus and pray again. So she's like, okay, so we do that, she goes away, brings the rest of the food. She's like, it's all gone. And Jesus, and she's like, I think I'm gonna cry. That's what she said. I mean, it's just so cool. And then Maria needed a little more healing. So we simultaneously prayed about two different things, and I mean simultaneously held out a little bit for her back in the tank, but bless you, please. Jesus touched her and all the pain left. These two women were together going, man, you know, you could see what they were doing. They were talking about what is going on here. Alright, that was cool. So uh we need to step out because we have Jesus in us, right? And it says, hey, don't cut a little feet, right? We need to remove whatever's causing us to not step out and share. It says, how beautiful are the feet that share the good news. I want to be one with beautiful feet. And you do too. And so it's stepping out because you carry a message that'll save people for eternity. And God wants to walk with them in the end of the sea. Yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_09 47:41

Um I would say also not just for eternity, yes, that's important, but it'll give them freedom now. I know. Right now. God cares about your present experience now. Not just oh, in the future, it'll be awesome and beautiful and great. No, no, no. What's happening, what you're seeing everywhere, is because he's going, I'm here right now. Exactly. That's right.

SPEAKER_05 48:02

It's awesome. So good. It's a beautiful thing.

SPEAKER_08 48:04

So you want to go to Uganda next?

SPEAKER_05 48:07

Let's not be quiet. Right here in the marketplace is really my mission field, and I love it. This is where God plays.

SPEAKER_08 48:18

For September.

SPEAKER_05 48:19

Okay. Yes.

SPEAKER_08 48:20

My birthday, I'm leaving with come with me. Right on, thank you.

SPEAKER_05 48:26

Yeah. So I want to just share too. It's actually not about non-believers, but it's in Peru. And we saw a lot of cool things with just going out and sharing. And people were very curious. You were praying for people in the streets, others would come around. All of a sudden, you're praying for them. And uh, but uh one was just one of a friend. Well, now he's a friend, but he's a Peruvian, and uh he was helping uh interpret, and so just one day after we were done the mentor, I'm like, hey George, is there anything you you need prayer for it? You know? And so he pulls me off the side, because I think it's a secret, he's married, and uh he's like, you know, I've been dealing with a lot of pain inside here, and I'm I'm bleeding. And uh and so I was like, Do you know what it is? He's not sure what it is, and so I just laid hands on him and just invited the healing presence of Jesus to come. He felt something, didn't know, you know, that was in Trujillo, now we're in Lima. They all wanted to come with us, our Peruvian team. So we did a 10-hour bus ride to Lima, and he's there. This is like probably three, four days later. I don't know. Yeah, and so I was like, George, you know, how are you doing? And he just started crying, and he was like, I was up last night, I was just crying, thanking Jesus. You know, I've been bleeding every day, up to the point of when you pray for me, and I haven't bled since then. Come on, praying. I don't have any animals. How wonderful is that? Um, it's beautiful. Another interpreter, we went out, her name's Isabella, we went out to eat, and uh, and everybody's getting gelato, and we're out sitting on a bench, or she's sitting on a bench, and Isabella, is there anything that you know you need, you know? And she's like, I have uh a pain in my leg I've been dealing with for two years. I filled down some steps, I've got an MRI, they don't know what's going on, but I've had it for two years. And so I just offered to pray, and so I prayed, and it was like actually it was multiple prayers, and it kind of kind of went less and less and less and less and less. And um it didn't go away that day, but it was less. The next day we prayed some more, and it just and I felt like God's saying to uh just to bind a spirit of trauma too around it, so I did that, and the pain totally went away. She actually texted Shelly and she's like, I'm on this 10-hour bus ride.

SPEAKER_03 51:08

Which I normally eat dying.

SPEAKER_05 51:10

I have zero pain, you know.

SPEAKER_07 51:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 51:17

God is, and and you know, I'm just asking God, yeah, we sort of think commission. What's important to you as people? Okay? And loving people, and he sent his you know disciples out, he sends us out, and he says, you know, go heal the sick, cast out demons, share the good news, and we need to ask God, right? Jesus said, Hey, ask God to send out the harvesters, and we need to be asking God for that to go get into our heart. You know what I mean? Because we carry that message and that power and that love. Come on. That's all I want to say.

SPEAKER_02 52:00

Yeah, come on. So the very yeah, that's so good. Thank you guys. That's so good. That's awesome. It's a mini-sermon right in the middle. So the very same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives where? This very same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives where? In me. In me and in you. But I don't believe you, Mark, said Thomas. So I'm gonna wrap it up here. Back in John, Thomas, one of the disciples, was not with Jesus when he showed up the first time to his disciples. So the other disciples said to Thomas, We've seen the Lord. We actually have seen him, we saw him. Thomas says, Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my fingers where the nails were and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. A week later, I love this about Jesus. Mark asked, God, I want to know if you're real. Thomas said, I need to see it. What do you need to say to the Lord? Say it to him. Say it to him.

unknown 53:15

I need to see it.

SPEAKER_02 53:16

Say it to him. Whatever it is that you have in your life, if you're not believing, you're doubting, let's be brave to say it. God, I need to know. This is more than attending a church. Going to church on Easter. I need to know that you're real. So, Jesus, a week later, the disciples were in the house again. Thomas is with them this time, though the doors were locked. They're still a little bit afraid. Because they're afraid that the Jews are gonna get them because they stole the body of Jesus, right? Jesus comes and stands among them. The doors are locked, he stands among them. That's a supernatural miracle. It's just like the miracles that Mark and Shelley were describing that they've experienced a week ago or two weeks ago, right? He appeared to them. It's supernatural, it's a miracle. And he says, Peace be with you. I'm giving you my shalom. I'm here. And that's a whole amazing word that God's peace and what it means for humanity. It's life-changing.

SPEAKER_09 54:29

Yes, it is.

SPEAKER_02 54:30

Then he says to Thomas, the very one that said, I won't believe unless I see. He goes, Thomas, here I am. Put your fingers here. See my hands. Reach out your hand and put it right here into my side. Stop doubting and believe. Stop doubting and believe. Thomas said to him, My Lord and my God. You are who you say you are. You've done everything you have said you will do. Now I see. Jesus told his disciple, told Thomas specifically, because you've seen me, you have believed. But blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, it says in John 20, verse 30, that were not even recorded in this book right here. The apostle of John said, Jesus performed a lot of things that weren't even in this book. There were so many that we'd be writing forever. Because it's still happening. I love that. And he said, These were written in this book so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Isn't that good? Jesus did more than was written here, and he's continuing to do things today. Right here, right now in our city, in Santa Rosa today, people are saying, Jesus, I want to know you, I want to follow you, I want to receive your spirit into my life. I conclude with this, do you believe? Do you believe? Yeah, do you believe? Do we believe that Jesus is who he says he is? Yeah, yeah, come on.

SPEAKER_04 56:45

And or do you want to believe?

unknown 56:48

Who is it that said we're not unbelievable?

SPEAKER_02 56:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 56:51

That we can ask God to give us things to believe when we don't have it. That's right. And he will help us and he will show up.

SPEAKER_02 57:02

That's right. That's right.

SPEAKER_04 57:08

I don't know what you're all doing. After the work, after the working, after that one, after you have to do all our responsibilities today.

unknown 58:20

That's right. That's right.

SPEAKER_03 58:40

Reveal it. Say yes to the need and help fill the given. That's right. That's right. That's so good.

SPEAKER_02 58:50

That's so good.

unknown 58:51

I I like that a lot.

SPEAKER_02 58:52

Yeah, I do too. We are disciples of Jesus Christ. That means we're learners, disciplined learners, following him as we go. And that's it. So who is my mission field? The person right in front of me. Who needs the love of Jesus? The person right in front of me. Right? Doesn't matter where we are, where we go. Sometimes it's a word, sometimes it's just listening. Sometimes it's like, oh, they have a need. Can I pray for you? Right? What's the message? It's Jesus. He's a person who loves. Right? And we're followers of him. It's that simple. Isn't that good? Let's stand and let's pray together. Jesus, we thank you that you came, that you gave your life, that you showed us what love looks like. You showed us what it means to live your life on this earth and to love humans and love people. Thank you that you are continuing to love people. Thank you that your spirit is here among us right now in this room. Thank you that the cry of this house is we believe. We believe. And we are yours, and we want to continue everywhere we go to be your disciples, to love like you, to live like you, to walk in the joy and the authority and the life and the spirit of your kingdom. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Maybe with every eye closed, head bowed, maybe you've never, ever in your life said, Jesus, I want you. I want to receive you. I want you to come in and fill me with your spirit. I want to walk with you. Maybe today is your day. And if that is, I would love to pray with you. We would love to pray with you. Would you put your hand up, just hold it up high for a second? If there's anyone in this room, we don't want to go home. If there's somebody here that goes, I want to pray, and I haven't done it yet. Anybody in this room? Okay. Go in once. All right, good.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:07

All right.

unknown 1:01:07

All right.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:08

Now, how many of us would say, God, I want more of you? Hopefully that's all of us.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:12

Here we are.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:12

So, God, see our hands. Lift them up high. Here we are. We're yours, God. Use us, spend us. We want to be a coin in your pocket that you can spend anywhere you want. Help us to be aware of the people around us, to love well, to live like you, and to bring your kingdom in this city. Thank you for all the things you're doing in Santa Rosa today. We say more, Lord. You love this city and we love this city. We love this region. In Jesus' name, everybody shouted. Amen. Have a great Easter. No blessed.