1 00:00:11,875 --> 00:00:13,250 Welcome to Mars Hill church. 2 00:00:13,333 --> 00:00:16,208 Jesus is using Mars Hill to make disciples 3 00:00:16,292 --> 00:00:18,625 and plant churches all over the world 4 00:00:18,667 --> 00:00:21,292 and this wouldn't be happening without your help. 5 00:00:21,333 --> 00:00:24,042 Your gifts enable what you're watching right now 6 00:00:24,125 --> 00:00:26,750 and help plant churches, equip evangelists, 7 00:00:26,833 --> 00:00:29,458 and translate resources and study materials 8 00:00:29,500 --> 00:00:33,375 for people who have never had access to them before. 9 00:00:33,458 --> 00:00:36,667 Whether you're a part of a local Mars Hill church 10 00:00:36,708 --> 00:00:40,292 or you're one of hundreds of thousands of people 11 00:00:40,333 --> 00:00:43,333 listening and watching sermons each and every week, 12 00:00:43,417 --> 00:00:47,083 you're a part of our global family and I want to thank you. 13 00:00:47,167 --> 00:00:50,417 I encourage you to pray about giving to Mars Hill. 14 00:00:50,500 --> 00:00:54,167 You make this content available for free to anyone in the world, 15 00:00:54,208 --> 00:00:57,583 send out more pastors, plant more churches, 16 00:00:57,667 --> 00:01:02,417 and bring the kingdom of Jesus Christ to our world today. 17 00:01:02,500 --> 00:01:04,000 Thank you. 18 00:01:16,875 --> 00:01:20,625 You will receive power! 19 00:01:34,625 --> 00:01:38,417 You will receive power! 20 00:01:58,417 --> 00:02:03,000 You will receive power! 21 00:02:13,208 --> 00:02:16,167 All right, if you've got a Bible, go to Acts 9:32. 22 00:02:16,208 --> 00:02:18,333 We like to go through books of the Bible, 23 00:02:18,417 --> 00:02:20,542 and we find ourselves in the book of Acts. 24 00:02:20,625 --> 00:02:22,083 And as you're finding your place, 25 00:02:22,167 --> 00:02:23,583 I'm gonna ask you some questions, 26 00:02:23,667 --> 00:02:26,667 and this is the audience congregation participation 27 00:02:26,750 --> 00:02:28,083 part of our service. 28 00:02:28,167 --> 00:02:30,792 You're going to need to raise your hand if this question 29 00:02:30,833 --> 00:02:32,167 applies to you. 30 00:02:32,250 --> 00:02:33,792 It'll feel awkward, but you're welcome. 31 00:02:33,833 --> 00:02:35,542 All right, so first question. 32 00:02:35,625 --> 00:02:40,042 In the last year or two, if you have lost someone, 33 00:02:40,125 --> 00:02:42,167 someone you know, someone you loved died, 34 00:02:42,250 --> 00:02:43,875 raise your hand and keep it up. 35 00:02:43,958 --> 00:02:46,375 Okay, that would include me as well, all right? 36 00:02:46,458 --> 00:02:47,792 Keep your hand up. 37 00:02:47,833 --> 00:02:51,875 Number two, if you're sick— injury, illness, chronic pain, 38 00:02:51,958 --> 00:02:54,583 infertility—raise your hand. 39 00:02:54,667 --> 00:02:56,000 Okay, keep it up. 40 00:02:56,042 --> 00:02:58,000 So, the first group, keep your hand up. 41 00:02:58,042 --> 00:02:59,500 Second group, keep your hand up. 42 00:02:59,542 --> 00:03:02,333 Third group, if you haven't raised your hand yet and this 43 00:03:02,375 --> 00:03:04,833 applies to you, we want you to raise your hand. 44 00:03:04,875 --> 00:03:07,500 Somebody you know, somebody you love, somebody you care about, 45 00:03:07,542 --> 00:03:10,667 they're sick—injury, illness, infertility, 46 00:03:10,750 --> 00:03:12,667 it's a difficult season for them physically. 47 00:03:12,750 --> 00:03:14,083 Raise your hand. 48 00:03:14,167 --> 00:03:16,833 All right, if you said yes to any of those questions, 49 00:03:16,917 --> 00:03:18,250 raise your hand. 50 00:03:18,333 --> 00:03:20,250 Okay, look around the room for a second. 51 00:03:20,333 --> 00:03:21,667 You know what that is? 52 00:03:21,708 --> 00:03:23,042 That's everybody. 53 00:03:23,125 --> 00:03:24,542 You can put your hand down. 54 00:03:24,625 --> 00:03:27,083 Or almost everybody. 55 00:03:27,167 --> 00:03:32,167 What this tells us is that something has gone wrong. 56 00:03:32,208 --> 00:03:35,792 Something has gone terribly wrong. 57 00:03:35,833 --> 00:03:39,333 Something has gone fatally wrong. 58 00:03:39,417 --> 00:03:42,667 And it's not like we're not trying to fix this problem 59 00:03:42,708 --> 00:03:46,292 of sickness and this other problem of death, amen? 60 00:03:46,333 --> 00:03:48,375 Health insurance, doctors, 61 00:03:48,458 --> 00:03:51,667 God bless all in the medical industry. 62 00:03:51,750 --> 00:03:53,542 We're trying to extend our life. 63 00:03:53,625 --> 00:03:57,292 People are doing everything they can to have health and wellness 64 00:03:57,333 --> 00:03:59,542 and to extend their days. 65 00:03:59,625 --> 00:04:02,750 Yet here we are with sickness and with death, 66 00:04:02,833 --> 00:04:06,458 and it's been this way, and there's seemingly nothing 67 00:04:06,500 --> 00:04:11,958 we can do to ultimately prevent sickness and death. 68 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:16,000 Something has gone terribly wrong, and that is, 69 00:04:16,083 --> 00:04:18,167 according to the storyline of the Bible, 70 00:04:18,208 --> 00:04:20,958 that sin has entered the world. 71 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:24,625 It affects our soul and causes us to be separated from God; 72 00:04:24,667 --> 00:04:28,667 it affects our body, causes us to be sick, and ultimately die; 73 00:04:28,708 --> 00:04:32,458 and it affects our emotions, that we grieve, and lament, 74 00:04:32,500 --> 00:04:35,542 and mourn the fact that sickness and death are ever-present 75 00:04:35,625 --> 00:04:37,333 and seem to be overwhelming, 76 00:04:37,375 --> 00:04:40,250 especially in particular seasons. 77 00:04:40,333 --> 00:04:42,958 Well, knowing this, God made a promise way back 78 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:44,417 in the book of Isaiah. 79 00:04:44,500 --> 00:04:45,833 I'll share it with you. 80 00:04:45,917 --> 00:04:48,542 It was that Jesus was coming and that he would 81 00:04:48,625 --> 00:04:52,333 ultimately be our hope, that he would conquer sin, 82 00:04:52,375 --> 00:04:54,417 and sickness, and death. 83 00:04:54,500 --> 00:04:58,542 And this was written 700 years before Jesus was ever even born. 84 00:04:58,625 --> 00:05:03,208 "Surely he has borne our griefs," Isaiah 53:4-5 says. 85 00:05:03,292 --> 00:05:06,542 "And carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, 86 00:05:06,625 --> 00:05:08,458 "smitten by God, and afflicted. 87 00:05:08,500 --> 00:05:10,458 But he was pierced," there's the cross, 88 00:05:10,500 --> 00:05:11,833 "for our transgressions; 89 00:05:11,917 --> 00:05:13,458 he was crushed for our iniquities;" 90 00:05:13,500 --> 00:05:15,958 there's his flogging and beating, 91 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:18,708 "upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace," 92 00:05:18,792 --> 00:05:21,542 or shalom and wholeness, "and with his wounds," 93 00:05:21,625 --> 00:05:24,167 his broken body, "we are healed." 94 00:05:24,208 --> 00:05:27,542 The promise is given to a world filled with sickness 95 00:05:27,625 --> 00:05:31,917 and suffering, a world filled with destruction and death, 96 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:35,333 that hope was coming, that Jesus was coming, 97 00:05:35,375 --> 00:05:39,833 that he would physically suffer for us, that he would be beaten, 98 00:05:39,875 --> 00:05:42,833 that he would be pierced, that he ultimately would be crucified 99 00:05:42,917 --> 00:05:46,708 and he would die in our place for our sins so that our soul 100 00:05:46,792 --> 00:05:49,750 could be healed, we could be forgiven. 101 00:05:49,833 --> 00:05:52,750 That additionally, he would heal our bodies, 102 00:05:52,833 --> 00:05:55,625 that he would bring physical healing, 103 00:05:55,667 --> 00:06:00,667 and that ultimately he would empathize with us emotionally, 104 00:06:00,750 --> 00:06:03,208 that he would understand our sorrow and our grief, 105 00:06:03,292 --> 00:06:05,750 that he would be a man of sorrows. 106 00:06:05,833 --> 00:06:08,125 And so from this promise, for 700 years, 107 00:06:08,167 --> 00:06:09,667 God's people were waiting. 108 00:06:09,708 --> 00:06:13,042 "Where is this Savior? Where's this hope? 109 00:06:13,125 --> 00:06:15,750 "Where's this one who can deal with sin and its effects 110 00:06:15,833 --> 00:06:18,667 of sickness and death?" 111 00:06:18,708 --> 00:06:23,125 Well, then Jesus arrives and Jesus does die for our sin 112 00:06:23,167 --> 00:06:25,542 and he does acquaint himself with our sufferings 113 00:06:25,625 --> 00:06:27,833 and with our grief. 114 00:06:27,875 --> 00:06:29,958 And Jesus heals people. 115 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:32,333 This is an amazing part of Jesus' ministry. 116 00:06:32,417 --> 00:06:36,250 He heals at least 27 different people that we read 117 00:06:36,333 --> 00:06:39,833 of in the gospels that are the accounts of his life. 118 00:06:39,917 --> 00:06:43,167 He heals 10 different groups of people, 119 00:06:43,208 --> 00:06:45,250 and we don't know the exact numbers. 120 00:06:45,333 --> 00:06:47,917 And so healing is part of Jesus' ministry. 121 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:49,833 Spiritual healing, yeah. 122 00:06:49,917 --> 00:06:52,208 Emotional healing, yes. 123 00:06:52,292 --> 00:06:54,167 Physical healing in addition. 124 00:06:54,208 --> 00:06:57,333 And so people come to him, and they gather around him, 125 00:06:57,417 --> 00:07:01,583 and they receive supernatural, miraculous health from him. 126 00:07:01,667 --> 00:07:03,583 And then Jesus dies on the cross, 127 00:07:03,667 --> 00:07:05,750 and he dies in our place for our sin, 128 00:07:05,833 --> 00:07:07,750 and he's dealing with our sin problem, 129 00:07:07,833 --> 00:07:10,250 which ultimately is the root of all of our sickness 130 00:07:10,333 --> 00:07:11,667 and all of our death. 131 00:07:11,708 --> 00:07:15,333 And then he rises from death, and he conquers sin and death, 132 00:07:15,417 --> 00:07:17,042 and then he ascends into heaven. 133 00:07:17,125 --> 00:07:21,208 And then the question is, do we still have access to his power? 134 00:07:21,292 --> 00:07:24,167 Will he still forgive our sins if he's not here with us? 135 00:07:24,208 --> 00:07:27,833 Will he still hear our prayers if he's not here with us? 136 00:07:27,917 --> 00:07:32,458 Will he still heal our bodies if he's not here with us? 137 00:07:32,500 --> 00:07:34,125 That's the question. 138 00:07:34,167 --> 00:07:37,167 Once Jesus has gone, has the hope departed? 139 00:07:37,208 --> 00:07:38,750 Are we abandoned? 140 00:07:38,833 --> 00:07:42,167 Have we been left unto our own devices and God is no longer 141 00:07:42,208 --> 00:07:46,958 here to help us, especially when we're sick and dying? 142 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:50,000 And then the story picks up in Acts. 143 00:07:50,083 --> 00:07:53,667 And we'll pick it up in Acts 9:32 today, 144 00:07:53,708 --> 00:07:56,833 with a case study of how, because he's still alive in 145 00:07:56,917 --> 00:08:02,375 heaven, Jesus hears prayer, Jesus heals people, 146 00:08:02,458 --> 00:08:06,250 Jesus still empathizes and sympathizes, and he, 147 00:08:06,333 --> 00:08:09,667 as Lord ruling over all, is still involved in our lives, 148 00:08:09,708 --> 00:08:12,458 which is really good news for us. 149 00:08:12,500 --> 00:08:16,167 That Jesus is just as accessible to you and to me as he was to 150 00:08:16,208 --> 00:08:19,167 the people who surrounded him when he walked on the earth 151 00:08:19,208 --> 00:08:24,167 a few thousand years ago, that he's still that available to us. 152 00:08:24,208 --> 00:08:27,542 And so what we're going to read today is a case study of Jesus 153 00:08:27,625 --> 00:08:31,833 still doing ministry from his heavenly kingdom, 154 00:08:31,875 --> 00:08:33,750 and it's going to be recorded by Luke. 155 00:08:33,833 --> 00:08:35,958 The author here is a medical doctor, 156 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:39,333 and he is going to give us a few case studies of how Jesus 157 00:08:39,417 --> 00:08:43,208 deals with sickness and how Jesus deals with death. 158 00:08:43,292 --> 00:08:48,750 The first one is in Isaiah--excuse me--Acts 9:32-35. 159 00:08:48,833 --> 00:08:51,542 And there we learn that Jesus heals. 160 00:08:51,625 --> 00:08:54,042 "Now as Peter went here and there among them all," 161 00:08:54,125 --> 00:08:57,042 so he's traveling, visiting the Christians in the churches, 162 00:08:57,125 --> 00:08:59,833 "he came down also to the saints." 163 00:08:59,917 --> 00:09:02,000 If you're a Christian, you're a saint. 164 00:09:02,083 --> 00:09:03,833 You're holy in God's sight. 165 00:09:03,875 --> 00:09:05,958 Because of Jesus, he sees you 166 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:08,625 with the righteousness of Christ. 167 00:09:08,667 --> 00:09:10,250 "Who lived at Lydda. 168 00:09:10,333 --> 00:09:12,458 "There he found a man named Aeneas, 169 00:09:12,500 --> 00:09:14,500 bedridden for eight years." 170 00:09:14,583 --> 00:09:17,167 Okay, emotionally, I need you to connect with this guy. 171 00:09:17,208 --> 00:09:21,333 How many of you know someone who's bedridden, right? 172 00:09:21,417 --> 00:09:28,333 Their life is contained in and constrained by a bed. 173 00:09:28,417 --> 00:09:32,625 That's their whole life. 174 00:09:32,667 --> 00:09:34,458 Now, go back a few thousand years 175 00:09:34,500 --> 00:09:38,750 before all of modern-day technology and medicine. 176 00:09:38,833 --> 00:09:41,458 This is someone who can't provide for themselves, 177 00:09:41,500 --> 00:09:43,833 they can't travel, they don't have any of the freedoms 178 00:09:43,917 --> 00:09:45,667 or luxuries. 179 00:09:45,708 --> 00:09:48,333 Their life is really reduced. 180 00:09:48,417 --> 00:09:49,750 Do you see that? 181 00:09:49,833 --> 00:09:51,417 For 8 years. 182 00:09:51,500 --> 00:09:53,417 How many of you men--just think of that. 183 00:09:53,500 --> 00:09:58,417 Here's a man, for 8 years, has not been able to leave his bed. 184 00:09:58,500 --> 00:10:00,042 Imagine men, you wake up tomorrow, 185 00:10:00,125 --> 00:10:02,833 and you go to get out of bed, and you're like, 186 00:10:02,875 --> 00:10:05,042 "I can't get out of bed." 187 00:10:05,125 --> 00:10:11,000 And you're there for 8 years. 188 00:10:11,042 --> 00:10:13,667 "Who was paralyzed." 189 00:10:13,708 --> 00:10:15,375 Here's Luke, the medical doctor. 190 00:10:15,458 --> 00:10:18,375 He's giving us lots of details on the case study. 191 00:10:18,458 --> 00:10:20,083 Not only is he bedridden, he's paralyzed. 192 00:10:20,167 --> 00:10:22,958 He can't move, okay? 193 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:26,292 How many of you, this would put you in such a depressive state 194 00:10:26,333 --> 00:10:30,875 that you would consider taking your own life? 195 00:10:30,958 --> 00:10:35,000 This would be too much to bear. 196 00:10:35,042 --> 00:10:40,750 "And Peter said to him, 'Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you.'" 197 00:10:40,833 --> 00:10:42,292 Who heals him? 198 00:10:42,333 --> 00:10:44,458 Jesus Christ. 199 00:10:44,500 --> 00:10:46,833 Peter doesn't say, "I've got the gift of healing 200 00:10:46,917 --> 00:10:49,500 "for a gift of $9.95. 201 00:10:49,542 --> 00:10:54,000 "For a love offering to this ministry we'll send you 202 00:10:54,042 --> 00:10:56,667 "the hanky, and if you wave the hanky three times, 203 00:10:56,750 --> 00:10:59,500 "then shazam, you're all better. 204 00:10:59,542 --> 00:11:02,250 "We have this oil we got from Jerusalem, 205 00:11:02,333 --> 00:11:06,458 "and for a billion dollars a thimble, 206 00:11:06,500 --> 00:11:10,167 you can put it on your injury and the Holy Spirit will--" 207 00:11:10,208 --> 00:11:11,792 nothing. 208 00:11:11,833 --> 00:11:14,167 Peter's not taking any credit for this. 209 00:11:14,250 --> 00:11:16,583 Peter knows that if anyone is healed, 210 00:11:16,667 --> 00:11:19,167 it's ultimately who who heals them? 211 00:11:19,208 --> 00:11:20,667 It's Jesus. 212 00:11:20,750 --> 00:11:23,000 Right, it's Jesus. 213 00:11:23,042 --> 00:11:25,333 "Jesus Christ heals you." 214 00:11:25,417 --> 00:11:27,542 And then he tells him something, "Rise." 215 00:11:27,625 --> 00:11:28,958 Get up. 216 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:31,750 And to get up is an act of faith, right? 217 00:11:31,833 --> 00:11:33,458 Some of you know you're forgiven, 218 00:11:33,500 --> 00:11:35,083 you don't walk in the forgiveness. 219 00:11:35,167 --> 00:11:37,792 Walking in your forgiveness, that's faith. 220 00:11:37,833 --> 00:11:42,583 When God heals this man, walking in that healing, that's faith. 221 00:11:42,667 --> 00:11:44,250 "And make your bed." 222 00:11:44,333 --> 00:11:46,958 How many of you ladies are really glad he said that? 223 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:48,458 You're like, "I appreciate that detail. 224 00:11:48,500 --> 00:11:51,458 "I was looking for a verse where I could tell my husband 225 00:11:51,500 --> 00:11:54,083 and my sons, 'Make your bed,' and there I have one." 226 00:11:54,167 --> 00:11:55,500 Okay? 227 00:11:55,542 --> 00:11:58,000 How many of you don't like to make your bed? 228 00:11:58,042 --> 00:12:00,042 How many of you don't like your bed? 229 00:12:00,125 --> 00:12:02,250 How many of you, like me as a freshman, 230 00:12:02,333 --> 00:12:05,000 I actually had a sleeping bag because I didn't want to 231 00:12:05,083 --> 00:12:06,500 make my bed in college, okay? 232 00:12:06,542 --> 00:12:07,875 Right, right? 233 00:12:07,958 --> 00:12:10,792 Then I got saved and married, and sheets. 234 00:12:10,833 --> 00:12:13,792 And so, "Make your bed." 235 00:12:13,833 --> 00:12:16,500 Now how many of you don't like making your bed? 236 00:12:16,542 --> 00:12:19,500 I don't like making my bed, but this guy was really happy 237 00:12:19,542 --> 00:12:22,500 to make his bed because it's the first time in 8 years 238 00:12:22,542 --> 00:12:23,875 he could make his bed. 239 00:12:23,958 --> 00:12:26,375 Next time you make your bed, think of this guy. 240 00:12:26,458 --> 00:12:29,042 "Thank you Lord that I can get out of my bed 241 00:12:29,125 --> 00:12:30,542 and I can make my bed." 242 00:12:30,625 --> 00:12:32,750 So, he gets up and he makes his bed. 243 00:12:32,833 --> 00:12:34,167 "And immediately he rose. 244 00:12:34,208 --> 00:12:36,167 And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon," 245 00:12:36,208 --> 00:12:37,542 the surrounding towns, 246 00:12:37,625 --> 00:12:39,542 "saw him, and they turned to the Lord." 247 00:12:39,625 --> 00:12:41,250 Lots of people became Christians, all right? 248 00:12:41,333 --> 00:12:44,583 They wanted to meet this Jesus who healed this man. 249 00:12:44,667 --> 00:12:47,083 Well again, here's the medical doctor. 250 00:12:47,167 --> 00:12:49,583 And let me tell you this, that God works through 251 00:12:49,667 --> 00:12:51,958 the natural means of medicine 252 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:54,792 and the supernatural means of miracle. 253 00:12:54,833 --> 00:12:56,542 We're not against medicine. 254 00:12:56,625 --> 00:12:59,583 The medical doctor writes this, okay? 255 00:12:59,667 --> 00:13:03,250 We believe that you should go to the doctor and go to Jesus, 256 00:13:03,333 --> 00:13:04,667 the Great Physician. 257 00:13:04,708 --> 00:13:08,750 We believe that you should seek wellness in medicinal ways 258 00:13:08,833 --> 00:13:13,292 and also be praying for God to do the supernatural, amen? 259 00:13:13,333 --> 00:13:15,042 We believe in both. 260 00:13:15,125 --> 00:13:19,083 And so here, we have the medical doctor giving the medical report 261 00:13:19,167 --> 00:13:22,083 of the supernatural, miraculous healing, okay? 262 00:13:22,167 --> 00:13:24,583 My question to you is, can God still do this? 263 00:13:24,667 --> 00:13:26,792 Can he still heal people, yes or no? 264 00:13:26,833 --> 00:13:28,167 He can, okay? 265 00:13:28,250 --> 00:13:29,583 He can. 266 00:13:29,667 --> 00:13:32,083 And some theologies would say he doesn't do that anymore. 267 00:13:32,167 --> 00:13:33,875 Yes he does. 268 00:13:33,958 --> 00:13:36,333 Yes he does and yes he can. 269 00:13:36,417 --> 00:13:38,583 Other theologies would say he has to do this 270 00:13:38,667 --> 00:13:40,500 and he does this all the time. 271 00:13:40,542 --> 00:13:42,792 He doesn't have to do anything, he's God, 272 00:13:42,833 --> 00:13:45,875 and it's not like supernatural, miraculous healing is something 273 00:13:45,958 --> 00:13:50,167 that is as frequent as maybe we would like, 274 00:13:50,250 --> 00:13:52,750 but it's according to God's decree. 275 00:13:52,833 --> 00:13:55,833 And the miraculous, supernatural healing power of Jesus from 276 00:13:55,917 --> 00:13:58,500 heaven is really on display through the book of Acts. 277 00:13:58,542 --> 00:14:02,208 So I wrote it down, but there are 14 different miraculous healings 278 00:14:02,292 --> 00:14:03,667 in the book of Acts. 279 00:14:03,708 --> 00:14:07,333 Furthermore, 12 of the 28 chapters in this book 280 00:14:07,375 --> 00:14:10,167 have a supernatural, miraculous healing. 281 00:14:10,208 --> 00:14:13,042 So we do see that Jesus can and does heal. 282 00:14:13,125 --> 00:14:15,667 And he doesn't do it every chapter for every person, 283 00:14:15,708 --> 00:14:20,125 but he does it sometimes according to his sovereign will. 284 00:14:20,167 --> 00:14:23,333 Well, here the case study is--it's actually in a location 285 00:14:23,417 --> 00:14:26,042 that's basically the modern day Tel Aviv Airport. 286 00:14:26,125 --> 00:14:29,417 That's basically where it's at if you're looking on a map. 287 00:14:29,500 --> 00:14:33,542 And you see this man, bedridden, paralyzed 8 years. 288 00:14:33,625 --> 00:14:35,000 Do you think he's prayed? 289 00:14:35,083 --> 00:14:37,250 Yeah. 290 00:14:37,333 --> 00:14:38,750 Yeah. 291 00:14:38,833 --> 00:14:40,542 Do you think others have prayed? 292 00:14:40,625 --> 00:14:42,125 I'm sure they have. 293 00:14:42,167 --> 00:14:44,833 Do you think he's stopped praying? 294 00:14:44,875 --> 00:14:46,458 Maybe so. 295 00:14:46,500 --> 00:14:48,958 Do you think others have stopped praying after 8 years? 296 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:53,917 I'm sure at least some have stopped praying. 297 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:57,208 And Peter knows that that is the day that Jesus 298 00:14:57,292 --> 00:15:02,667 has chosen to heal that man. 299 00:15:02,750 --> 00:15:06,542 And two miracles happen here, did you catch the second one? 300 00:15:06,625 --> 00:15:08,000 The first one's pretty obvious. 301 00:15:08,083 --> 00:15:11,500 What was the first supernatural, miraculous healing? 302 00:15:11,583 --> 00:15:14,500 The physical healing of the paralyzed man. 303 00:15:14,583 --> 00:15:18,250 What's the second supernatural, miraculous healing? 304 00:15:18,333 --> 00:15:22,333 The healing of the souls of the people who turned to the Lord. 305 00:15:22,417 --> 00:15:26,333 They "saw him, and they turned to the Lord." 306 00:15:26,417 --> 00:15:28,333 This is the healing of the soul. 307 00:15:28,375 --> 00:15:30,333 This is the depth of who you are, 308 00:15:30,417 --> 00:15:34,667 that sin has infected and affected our soul so that 309 00:15:34,708 --> 00:15:37,000 we experience spiritual death. 310 00:15:37,083 --> 00:15:42,042 It's affected our body so that we experience physical death. 311 00:15:42,125 --> 00:15:47,333 And Jesus comes and heals this man's physical body, 312 00:15:47,417 --> 00:15:50,750 and the result is that others turn to Jesus and they 313 00:15:50,833 --> 00:15:55,250 experience a spiritual healing of their soul. 314 00:15:55,333 --> 00:15:59,833 And let me tell you this, God saving someone is at least 315 00:15:59,875 --> 00:16:04,417 as much a supernatural miracle as God healing someone, okay? 316 00:16:04,500 --> 00:16:07,250 If you're a Christian, you've experienced a healing miracle 317 00:16:07,333 --> 00:16:08,833 from Jesus. 318 00:16:08,917 --> 00:16:11,167 He's healed your soul, he's forgiven your sins, 319 00:16:11,208 --> 00:16:15,875 he's changed you at the deepest level, the core of who you are. 320 00:16:18,333 --> 00:16:22,833 Here's the miracle, that God saves all of you, 321 00:16:22,917 --> 00:16:26,833 that God saves your soul, your immaterial, 322 00:16:26,917 --> 00:16:30,833 spiritual aspect of your being, that God saves your body, 323 00:16:30,875 --> 00:16:34,458 your physical flesh that you indwell. 324 00:16:34,500 --> 00:16:38,208 God also saves and heals your emotional life, 325 00:16:38,292 --> 00:16:41,125 and your well-being, and your mental state. 326 00:16:41,167 --> 00:16:45,042 When God saves someone, he saves the whole person. 327 00:16:45,125 --> 00:16:49,333 And we're seeing here various aspects of Jesus' supernatural, 328 00:16:49,417 --> 00:16:51,958 miraculous healing work. 329 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:55,708 And one man's body is saved and many souls are saved. 330 00:16:55,792 --> 00:16:58,208 Now, what this leads to is a question, 331 00:16:58,292 --> 00:17:01,000 and we hit it last year when we were in Acts 332 00:17:01,083 --> 00:17:04,000 and I want to revisit it again today. 333 00:17:04,042 --> 00:17:09,000 How many of you hope that God still heals people, right? 334 00:17:09,083 --> 00:17:11,167 You need healing, right? 335 00:17:11,208 --> 00:17:14,542 As a pastor, there's not a week that goes by that I don't get 336 00:17:14,625 --> 00:17:19,250 a request to pray for someone who's sick and/or dying. 337 00:17:19,333 --> 00:17:23,250 We hope that God hears and answers prayer. 338 00:17:23,333 --> 00:17:28,333 We hope that God heals and restores souls and bodies, 339 00:17:28,375 --> 00:17:30,917 whole people to whole health. 340 00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:33,833 And when we see things like this in the Bible, 341 00:17:33,875 --> 00:17:37,958 God awakens in us some hope, like, "Maybe I could be healed. 342 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:39,625 "Maybe they could be healed. 343 00:17:39,667 --> 00:17:42,208 "Maybe their life could be extended. 344 00:17:42,292 --> 00:17:44,750 "Maybe my life could be extended. 345 00:17:44,833 --> 00:17:46,333 "Maybe their life could be improved. 346 00:17:46,375 --> 00:17:49,042 Maybe my life could be improved." 347 00:17:49,125 --> 00:17:53,458 And then this question arises often: 348 00:17:53,500 --> 00:17:56,667 can everyone receive healing in this life? 349 00:17:56,708 --> 00:18:00,292 Jesus can heal. 350 00:18:00,333 --> 00:18:02,208 Even from heaven, Jesus can heal. 351 00:18:02,292 --> 00:18:04,708 Jesus does heal. 352 00:18:04,792 --> 00:18:09,667 The question is, can we make him heal? 353 00:18:09,708 --> 00:18:12,750 And this is where--and I want to be pastorally sensitive here. 354 00:18:12,833 --> 00:18:15,833 Sometimes when you're suffering or someone you really love is 355 00:18:15,917 --> 00:18:20,667 suffering, you just want it to be better, amen? 356 00:18:20,708 --> 00:18:24,750 Like Grace and I right now, we've got a dear friend of ours 357 00:18:24,833 --> 00:18:28,458 that we're praying for, and it's a mother with young children 358 00:18:28,500 --> 00:18:33,208 who's been diagnosed with a life-threatening condition. 359 00:18:33,292 --> 00:18:37,458 And we love these people very much, we care for them, 360 00:18:37,500 --> 00:18:41,917 and the thought of their children not having their mother 361 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:48,208 and this husband not having his wife, we want them healed. 362 00:18:48,292 --> 00:18:50,208 We're praying for healing. 363 00:18:50,292 --> 00:18:54,167 But is there anything we can do to make that happen? 364 00:18:54,208 --> 00:18:56,833 See, because when you're hurting, 365 00:18:56,875 --> 00:18:59,958 you can become a little desperate. 366 00:19:00,083 --> 00:19:02,000 When someone you really love is suffering, 367 00:19:02,042 --> 00:19:04,083 you can become a little desperate. 368 00:19:04,167 --> 00:19:08,500 This is where people start to do things that are maybe 369 00:19:08,583 --> 00:19:11,458 out of character for them. 370 00:19:11,500 --> 00:19:15,167 They're anxious, they're fearful, they're frightful. 371 00:19:15,208 --> 00:19:17,917 They're just--they're trying to make it better. 372 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:20,625 And when they hear that Jesus can heal, 373 00:19:20,667 --> 00:19:24,208 then sometimes the question that comes is, 374 00:19:24,292 --> 00:19:26,667 "Well, how do we make him do that?" 375 00:19:26,708 --> 00:19:28,708 Let me tell you this. 376 00:19:28,792 --> 00:19:31,458 You can't make Jesus heal. 377 00:19:31,500 --> 00:19:33,458 You can't make him heal. 378 00:19:33,500 --> 00:19:35,042 And this is the difference, friends, 379 00:19:35,125 --> 00:19:37,833 between Christianity and Paganism. 380 00:19:37,917 --> 00:19:40,333 In Christianity, Jesus is sovereign. 381 00:19:40,417 --> 00:19:42,958 He lived, he died, he rose, he ascended into heaven, 382 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:45,458 he's seated on a throne, he's ruling and reigning 383 00:19:45,500 --> 00:19:47,458 as King of kings and Lord of lords, 384 00:19:47,500 --> 00:19:49,458 and you can't make him do anything. 385 00:19:49,500 --> 00:19:52,333 He's in control, he's in charge, he's the Sovereign, 386 00:19:52,375 --> 00:19:54,125 he's the King. 387 00:19:54,167 --> 00:19:56,167 You can't make him do what you want, 388 00:19:56,208 --> 00:19:58,833 otherwise you'd be in authority over him, 389 00:19:58,875 --> 00:20:00,542 and your throne would be above his, 390 00:20:00,625 --> 00:20:03,750 and then you could command him, and then he would have to do 391 00:20:03,833 --> 00:20:06,042 what you tell him, which means you're the Lord. 392 00:20:06,125 --> 00:20:08,833 But we're not the Lord, he's the Lord. 393 00:20:08,917 --> 00:20:12,292 We can humbly make requests to the Lord and he could say yes 394 00:20:12,333 --> 00:20:16,542 and heal, he could say no, or he could say later. 395 00:20:16,625 --> 00:20:18,792 Those are his options. 396 00:20:18,833 --> 00:20:20,583 And sometimes people want to know, 397 00:20:20,667 --> 00:20:22,583 "Well, how do I make the Lord heal?" 398 00:20:22,667 --> 00:20:26,458 And then sometimes hurting people in difficult, 399 00:20:26,500 --> 00:20:29,292 devastating, even desperate places, 400 00:20:29,333 --> 00:20:32,792 they then pursue teaching where the teacher will tell them, 401 00:20:32,833 --> 00:20:36,375 "Here's how God will be forced to heal you. 402 00:20:36,458 --> 00:20:40,333 "Here's how you can make Jesus say yes to the prayer 403 00:20:40,417 --> 00:20:42,375 and heal you." 404 00:20:42,458 --> 00:20:44,750 And you can't. 405 00:20:44,833 --> 00:20:48,167 I don't tell you that to discourage you. 406 00:20:48,250 --> 00:20:50,875 This guy had been waiting 8 years. 407 00:20:50,958 --> 00:20:52,875 Maybe the answer for you is later. 408 00:20:52,958 --> 00:20:54,583 Maybe the answer for them is later. 409 00:20:54,667 --> 00:20:56,000 Maybe the answer is no. 410 00:20:56,042 --> 00:20:58,500 Maybe the answer is yes. 411 00:20:58,542 --> 00:21:01,542 One of the guys in the Bible, in addition to Peter in 412 00:21:01,625 --> 00:21:04,167 the New Testament, who is associated with healings, 413 00:21:04,208 --> 00:21:07,583 and the supernatural, and the miraculous, is Paul. 414 00:21:07,667 --> 00:21:09,292 We've studied him in the previous weeks, 415 00:21:09,333 --> 00:21:11,833 and here's what he says. 416 00:21:11,917 --> 00:21:15,042 In 2 Timothy 4:20, he says, "I left Trophimus," 417 00:21:15,125 --> 00:21:17,667 this is a godly guy who's helping in ministry, 418 00:21:17,708 --> 00:21:19,542 "who was ill, at Miletus." 419 00:21:19,625 --> 00:21:23,667 What he's saying is, "This godly guy was traveling with me, 420 00:21:23,750 --> 00:21:26,375 "but I had to leave him behind because he got sick 421 00:21:26,458 --> 00:21:28,667 and couldn't travel." 422 00:21:28,708 --> 00:21:31,167 Paul's a guy who, at other points in his ministry, 423 00:21:31,250 --> 00:21:34,167 you see God using him to pray for sick people 424 00:21:34,208 --> 00:21:35,875 and sick people are healed. 425 00:21:35,958 --> 00:21:37,833 Can he heal this guy? 426 00:21:37,917 --> 00:21:39,583 No. 427 00:21:39,667 --> 00:21:43,292 So even in the Bible, when somebody is used of God to pray 428 00:21:43,333 --> 00:21:46,292 in faith, and God hears and answers the prayer and heals 429 00:21:46,333 --> 00:21:50,000 someone, sometimes there are people that the answer is no 430 00:21:50,042 --> 00:21:54,167 and God chooses not to heal them. 431 00:21:54,250 --> 00:21:57,167 And it's not--it doesn't say, "Because they lacked faith." 432 00:21:57,250 --> 00:21:59,833 It doesn't say, "Because they didn't trust the Lord." 433 00:21:59,917 --> 00:22:02,042 It doesn't say anything was wrong. 434 00:22:02,125 --> 00:22:05,042 It doesn't say that they did anything wrong. 435 00:22:05,125 --> 00:22:07,583 And I need you to know, especially when you're hurting 436 00:22:07,667 --> 00:22:10,500 and you're suffering, it may not be that you've done 437 00:22:10,542 --> 00:22:12,167 anything wrong. 438 00:22:12,208 --> 00:22:15,167 That sin has entered the world, that the curse is in effect, 439 00:22:15,208 --> 00:22:17,667 that it has infected and affected our emotional, 440 00:22:17,750 --> 00:22:20,000 our physical, our spiritual well-being. 441 00:22:20,042 --> 00:22:23,875 This is a godly man who is doing a godly thing 442 00:22:23,958 --> 00:22:27,292 and he's not healed by God. 443 00:22:27,333 --> 00:22:29,458 Do you understand that? 444 00:22:29,500 --> 00:22:33,292 But it doesn't mean he's any less godly. 445 00:22:33,333 --> 00:22:39,458 In addition, Paul has this to say 446 00:22:39,500 --> 00:22:41,500 in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9. 447 00:22:41,542 --> 00:22:43,667 Paul's talking about himself. 448 00:22:43,750 --> 00:22:48,083 Here's a guy who prayed, and God answered, and healed people, 449 00:22:48,167 --> 00:22:52,250 and he can't heal himself. 450 00:22:52,333 --> 00:22:55,292 "A thorn was given me in the flesh." 451 00:22:55,333 --> 00:22:58,167 Theologians have debated this for 2,000 years. 452 00:22:58,208 --> 00:22:59,875 Nobody knows exactly what this is. 453 00:22:59,958 --> 00:23:04,250 Some sort of physical pain, malady, injury, illness, 454 00:23:04,333 --> 00:23:06,875 something of that sort or kind. 455 00:23:06,958 --> 00:23:09,333 "A messenger of Satan to harass me." 456 00:23:09,417 --> 00:23:12,667 This is an ungodly suffering. 457 00:23:12,750 --> 00:23:14,458 He's being attacked. 458 00:23:14,500 --> 00:23:16,792 All right, he's not done anything wrong. 459 00:23:16,833 --> 00:23:18,333 Satan is opposing him. 460 00:23:18,417 --> 00:23:22,292 Just like Satan opposed Job and just like Satan opposed Jesus, 461 00:23:22,333 --> 00:23:27,333 here Satan is opposing Paul through his physical body. 462 00:23:27,417 --> 00:23:29,250 "To keep me from becoming conceited." 463 00:23:29,333 --> 00:23:31,250 God's using it. 464 00:23:31,333 --> 00:23:34,583 I want you to see this, that even when you're hurting and 465 00:23:34,667 --> 00:23:39,667 suffering, it may even be evil, it may be Satan attacking you, 466 00:23:39,750 --> 00:23:43,042 but God can use it to grow you, and to keep you humble, 467 00:23:43,125 --> 00:23:46,042 and to make you more like Jesus. 468 00:23:46,125 --> 00:23:48,458 "Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this." 469 00:23:48,500 --> 00:23:50,667 Did he pray about it? Yeah. 470 00:23:50,708 --> 00:23:53,083 Did he pray loud? Yeah. 471 00:23:53,167 --> 00:23:56,375 Did he pray earnestly? Yeah. 472 00:23:56,458 --> 00:24:00,542 "Pleaded with the Lord" is an extended period of time, 473 00:24:00,625 --> 00:24:04,667 very honestly crying out, talking to the Lord. 474 00:24:04,708 --> 00:24:06,125 "It hurts. I'm suffering. 475 00:24:06,167 --> 00:24:08,125 "It's difficult. It's Satan. 476 00:24:08,167 --> 00:24:09,958 "I don't like it. This is wrong. 477 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:11,833 "I don't deserve it. I love you. 478 00:24:11,917 --> 00:24:14,333 "I'm trying to serve you. Why is it like this? 479 00:24:14,417 --> 00:24:16,000 "Why does it feel like this? 480 00:24:16,083 --> 00:24:17,500 "Why does it hurt so much? 481 00:24:17,583 --> 00:24:19,042 "Why does it not go away? 482 00:24:19,125 --> 00:24:20,917 Why don't you just take it away?" 483 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:22,333 That's pleading with the Lord. 484 00:24:22,375 --> 00:24:27,042 You ever done that? 485 00:24:27,125 --> 00:24:30,458 He said, "Three times I got there." 486 00:24:30,500 --> 00:24:34,750 This is where you've prayed about it and then you've reached 487 00:24:34,833 --> 00:24:38,917 a point where your praying has turned into pleading. 488 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:41,167 This is like begging. 489 00:24:41,208 --> 00:24:44,667 "Please God, no more. Please God, make it stop. 490 00:24:44,708 --> 00:24:46,833 "Please God, take it away. 491 00:24:46,917 --> 00:24:51,125 Please God, I can't endure anymore." 492 00:24:51,167 --> 00:24:56,542 That's pleading. 493 00:24:56,625 --> 00:24:59,708 "But he said to me, 494 00:24:59,792 --> 00:25:05,208 "'My grace is sufficient for you, 495 00:25:05,292 --> 00:25:09,167 for my power is made perfect in weakness.'" 496 00:25:09,208 --> 00:25:14,250 "You will get through this, but not by your own wisdom, 497 00:25:14,333 --> 00:25:17,708 "not by your own power, not by your fortitude. 498 00:25:17,792 --> 00:25:21,333 "You're going to have to lean into my empowering grace. 499 00:25:21,417 --> 00:25:24,542 "You're going to need me in a way that you've not needed me. 500 00:25:24,625 --> 00:25:26,542 "You're going to need me in a way 501 00:25:26,625 --> 00:25:28,167 "that many people don't need me. 502 00:25:28,208 --> 00:25:31,042 "And you're going to see that my grace is sufficient for you. 503 00:25:31,125 --> 00:25:34,000 "I'm going to walk with you through this. 504 00:25:34,083 --> 00:25:37,708 "And you are very weak, but I am very powerful and my power can 505 00:25:37,792 --> 00:25:42,667 "work more heartily through your weakness than your strength, 506 00:25:42,708 --> 00:25:47,250 because when you're strong, sometimes you get in my way." 507 00:25:47,333 --> 00:25:51,333 Did Paul want to be healed, yes or no? 508 00:25:51,417 --> 00:25:53,000 Yeah. 509 00:25:53,083 --> 00:25:56,208 Did Paul ask to be healed? 510 00:25:56,292 --> 00:25:57,625 Yes. 511 00:25:57,667 --> 00:26:00,417 Was Paul used of God in the healing of other people? 512 00:26:00,500 --> 00:26:01,833 Yes. 513 00:26:01,875 --> 00:26:03,208 Did Paul get healed? 514 00:26:03,292 --> 00:26:09,958 No, no, no. 515 00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:12,667 I tell you this not to discourage you. 516 00:26:12,708 --> 00:26:18,250 I want you to have hope, but I also want you to see 517 00:26:18,333 --> 00:26:22,417 that Jesus cannot be controlled or manipulated, 518 00:26:22,500 --> 00:26:26,542 that there's nothing I can teach you that would cause you to have 519 00:26:26,625 --> 00:26:32,042 the spiritual authority to control him, okay? 520 00:26:32,125 --> 00:26:34,833 And sometimes, again, like I said, people who are hurting, 521 00:26:34,917 --> 00:26:38,333 people who are suffering, people who are dying or love people 522 00:26:38,417 --> 00:26:42,417 who are hurting, suffering, and dying, they get desperate. 523 00:26:42,500 --> 00:26:46,042 And this is when, because of fatigue, or suffering, 524 00:26:46,125 --> 00:26:49,667 or emotional weakness, or mental anguish, 525 00:26:49,708 --> 00:26:53,167 we can open ourselves up to really bad teaching. 526 00:26:53,208 --> 00:26:56,042 And bad teaching would say, "God doesn't heal anymore." 527 00:26:56,125 --> 00:26:57,542 That's bad teaching. 528 00:26:57,625 --> 00:27:01,333 Or, "God has to heal, and here's what you need to do to get him 529 00:27:01,375 --> 00:27:03,000 to heal," that's bad teaching. 530 00:27:03,042 --> 00:27:06,333 Good teaching is, "I'm going to ask him, 531 00:27:06,375 --> 00:27:08,542 "and I'm going to keep asking him, 532 00:27:08,625 --> 00:27:11,500 "and I might even plead with him a few times, 533 00:27:11,583 --> 00:27:15,500 "and I'm going to accept his answer for me or for them. 534 00:27:15,583 --> 00:27:19,042 But I'm certainly going to let my requests be known to God." 535 00:27:19,125 --> 00:27:23,417 If he heals you, worship him. 536 00:27:23,500 --> 00:27:26,042 If he doesn't heal you, worship him because his grace 537 00:27:26,125 --> 00:27:30,917 is sufficient for you. 538 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:34,833 I'm just going to--let me just pray right now. 539 00:27:34,917 --> 00:27:37,542 Father God, I pray for those who are hearing this. 540 00:27:37,625 --> 00:27:40,500 God, there are people who are hearing this that they woke up 541 00:27:40,583 --> 00:27:43,167 today with chronic pain in their body. 542 00:27:43,208 --> 00:27:45,917 There are people who are hearing this and they are taking 543 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:51,542 supplements and medication to try and correct injury, 544 00:27:51,625 --> 00:27:54,500 or illness, or sickness in their body. 545 00:27:54,583 --> 00:27:57,042 God, there are people who can't be with us today 546 00:27:57,125 --> 00:27:59,833 because they are bedridden. 547 00:27:59,917 --> 00:28:02,917 There are people, Lord God, who went in for their 548 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:06,250 chemotherapy treatments this week. 549 00:28:06,333 --> 00:28:10,667 Lord God, there are people here who know and love people who are 550 00:28:10,708 --> 00:28:13,708 hurting and suffering. 551 00:28:13,792 --> 00:28:16,625 Lord God, as we hear of you healing, 552 00:28:16,667 --> 00:28:21,000 so many of us see the face of someone that we love, 553 00:28:21,083 --> 00:28:24,833 and we're asking, Lord Jesus, could it be them? 554 00:28:24,875 --> 00:28:27,250 Could you please, right now, touch them? 555 00:28:27,333 --> 00:28:29,167 Could you heal them? 556 00:28:29,208 --> 00:28:32,500 Could you make them whole and bring them back to 557 00:28:32,583 --> 00:28:34,750 fullness of life? 558 00:28:34,833 --> 00:28:39,417 Lord Jesus, we want to pray and plead as people who have hope, 559 00:28:39,500 --> 00:28:42,042 but we don't want to pretend that we can manipulate 560 00:28:42,125 --> 00:28:44,042 or control you. 561 00:28:44,125 --> 00:28:47,333 And Lord God, I pray for us that we would believe and experience 562 00:28:47,417 --> 00:28:50,333 the truth that your grace is sufficient for us and that your 563 00:28:50,375 --> 00:28:54,958 power is made perfect in our weakness. 564 00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:59,625 And Lord Jesus, when we see sickness and when we see death, 565 00:28:59,667 --> 00:29:03,625 it just causes us to long for the coming of the kingdom 566 00:29:03,667 --> 00:29:07,458 when these things are no more and they're gone. 567 00:29:07,500 --> 00:29:11,333 Until then, Lord, let us walk by faith, even if we're limping, 568 00:29:11,417 --> 00:29:13,833 even if we're rolling in a wheelchair, 569 00:29:13,875 --> 00:29:16,333 even if we're being pushed along in a hospital bed 570 00:29:16,417 --> 00:29:19,208 to the kingdom. 571 00:29:19,292 --> 00:29:22,417 Lord God, sin has infected and affected everyone 572 00:29:22,500 --> 00:29:23,917 and everything. 573 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:26,667 And Lord Jesus, we thank you that you deal with our 574 00:29:26,708 --> 00:29:29,042 sin problem, and that you heal our soul, 575 00:29:29,125 --> 00:29:32,167 and that you heal our body, and that you heal our emotions. 576 00:29:32,208 --> 00:29:34,500 And so Lord Jesus, as I continue to teach, 577 00:29:34,583 --> 00:29:37,708 please send the Holy Spirit to help us to learn how to think 578 00:29:37,792 --> 00:29:41,042 biblically so that we can hope eternally in Jesus' good name, 579 00:29:41,125 --> 00:29:43,417 amen. 580 00:29:43,500 --> 00:29:46,750 Jesus can heal. 581 00:29:46,833 --> 00:29:49,458 And then we see another miraculous, 582 00:29:49,500 --> 00:29:52,833 supernatural invasion of the kingdom of God, 583 00:29:52,917 --> 00:29:56,208 and that is that Jesus raises the dead. 584 00:29:56,292 --> 00:30:00,333 And we read of this in Acts 9:36-43. 585 00:30:00,375 --> 00:30:03,333 "Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha." 586 00:30:03,417 --> 00:30:05,417 Anybody here named Tabitha? 587 00:30:05,500 --> 00:30:07,667 It's a nice name. 588 00:30:07,708 --> 00:30:09,167 Anybody know anybody named Tabitha? 589 00:30:09,208 --> 00:30:10,542 It's a nice name. 590 00:30:10,625 --> 00:30:11,958 "Which, translated, means Dorcas." 591 00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:13,667 You probably don't go by that. 592 00:30:13,750 --> 00:30:15,167 You probably go with Tabitha. 593 00:30:15,250 --> 00:30:16,667 "Yeah, I'm gonna go with Tabitha." 594 00:30:16,750 --> 00:30:18,375 Here's what we know about Tabitha. 595 00:30:18,458 --> 00:30:20,667 And you ladies, I want you to see this. 596 00:30:20,708 --> 00:30:24,292 I want you to see that God here takes a woman and puts her front 597 00:30:24,333 --> 00:30:30,000 and center as an example of exceeding godliness, okay? 598 00:30:30,042 --> 00:30:36,000 He lifts her up as a wonderful woman of God. 599 00:30:36,042 --> 00:30:40,000 "She was full of good works"-- this means she helps people, 600 00:30:40,042 --> 00:30:43,792 she loves people, she serves people--"and acts of charity." 601 00:30:43,833 --> 00:30:45,583 She's very generous. 602 00:30:45,667 --> 00:30:47,875 She may have even been a wealthy woman. 603 00:30:47,958 --> 00:30:50,500 We don't hear anything about her husband. 604 00:30:50,542 --> 00:30:52,750 She may have been single or a widow. 605 00:30:52,833 --> 00:30:55,792 "In those days she became"--what? 606 00:30:55,833 --> 00:30:57,250 "Ill." 607 00:30:57,333 --> 00:31:00,250 So she had a battle with some sort of ailment or illness, 608 00:31:00,333 --> 00:31:02,417 and eventually she lost. 609 00:31:02,500 --> 00:31:05,167 It says that she died. 610 00:31:05,208 --> 00:31:07,792 "When they had washed her," prepared her for burial, 611 00:31:07,833 --> 00:31:11,167 "they laid her in an upper room. 612 00:31:11,208 --> 00:31:16,792 "Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, 613 00:31:16,833 --> 00:31:19,958 "hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, 614 00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:22,167 'Please come to us without delay.'" 615 00:31:22,250 --> 00:31:24,375 "Pastor Peter, she's died. 616 00:31:24,458 --> 00:31:28,375 We need you to come, and pray, and be with us." 617 00:31:28,458 --> 00:31:30,250 "So Peter rose and went with them. 618 00:31:30,333 --> 00:31:33,000 "And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. 619 00:31:33,042 --> 00:31:39,583 All the widows stood beside him weeping," mourning, lamenting. 620 00:31:39,667 --> 00:31:42,500 When's the last time you went to a funeral? 621 00:31:42,542 --> 00:31:45,542 Just emotionally, do you remember what that was like? 622 00:31:45,625 --> 00:31:47,000 People are awkward. 623 00:31:47,042 --> 00:31:50,000 They don't know what to say, they don't know what to do. 624 00:31:50,042 --> 00:31:52,667 Some people are crying, some people are trying not to cry, 625 00:31:52,750 --> 00:31:55,667 some people are out of control, some people just want to leave 626 00:31:55,750 --> 00:31:57,542 because they're emotionally unsure how to respond. 627 00:31:57,625 --> 00:32:00,333 It's like that. 628 00:32:00,417 --> 00:32:04,000 "The widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics 629 00:32:04,083 --> 00:32:07,583 "and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them. 630 00:32:07,667 --> 00:32:09,875 But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down," 631 00:32:09,958 --> 00:32:13,458 really pastoral here, "and prayed; 632 00:32:13,500 --> 00:32:17,167 "and turning to the body he said, 'Tabitha, arise.' 633 00:32:17,250 --> 00:32:21,292 "And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. 634 00:32:21,333 --> 00:32:24,292 "And he gave her his hand and raised her up. 635 00:32:24,333 --> 00:32:26,792 "Then calling the saints and widows, 636 00:32:26,833 --> 00:32:28,792 he presented her alive." 637 00:32:28,833 --> 00:32:30,458 Can you imagine that? 638 00:32:30,500 --> 00:32:33,958 You show up for the funeral, and the guy comes out and is like, 639 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:37,583 "The funeral's going to be short and Tabitha 640 00:32:37,667 --> 00:32:39,792 would like the cookies." 641 00:32:39,833 --> 00:32:42,333 Wow, that's amazing. 642 00:32:42,417 --> 00:32:45,750 "And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many"--what? 643 00:32:45,833 --> 00:32:47,375 "Believed in the Lord." 644 00:32:47,458 --> 00:32:51,375 God does the supernatural to encourage the saints but also 645 00:32:51,458 --> 00:32:55,083 to evangelize the non-Christians to consider Jesus. 646 00:32:55,167 --> 00:32:58,875 "And he stayed in Joppa for many days with one Simon, a tanner." 647 00:32:58,958 --> 00:33:01,333 That wasn't a really respected profession, 648 00:33:01,417 --> 00:33:05,125 but here's an honored man and he serves Peter. 649 00:33:05,167 --> 00:33:08,167 Well, here's what we know about this woman. 650 00:33:08,250 --> 00:33:11,792 She's godly, full of good works. 651 00:33:11,833 --> 00:33:16,375 Ladies, it's a great thing to aspire to be full of good works. 652 00:33:16,458 --> 00:33:18,667 She's also very generous. 653 00:33:18,750 --> 00:33:22,333 She's given gifts, even gifts she's made with her own hands. 654 00:33:22,417 --> 00:33:24,667 Any of you ladies have a friend like that? 655 00:33:24,750 --> 00:33:27,083 You can't go see that friend without walking away 656 00:33:27,167 --> 00:33:28,500 with a gift. 657 00:33:28,542 --> 00:33:29,958 They're a giver. 658 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:32,583 And a lot of what they give--maybe some of you have 659 00:33:32,667 --> 00:33:34,000 friends like this. 660 00:33:34,042 --> 00:33:36,000 Whatever they give you, it's something they made. 661 00:33:36,042 --> 00:33:39,083 You know, "Here's food I cooked, or here's a photo I took, 662 00:33:39,167 --> 00:33:45,000 "or here's a painting I made, or here's a craft that I created 663 00:33:45,042 --> 00:33:47,500 and I made it for you." 664 00:33:47,542 --> 00:33:53,167 It shows that real, considerate, hand, touch--right? 665 00:33:53,208 --> 00:33:55,667 This is that kind of wonderful woman. 666 00:33:55,708 --> 00:33:58,375 She doesn't just give things, she gives things that are very 667 00:33:58,458 --> 00:34:01,458 personal, very intimate, that she made just for you 668 00:34:01,500 --> 00:34:03,042 out of love in her heart. 669 00:34:03,125 --> 00:34:05,125 Do you know anybody like that? 670 00:34:05,167 --> 00:34:07,667 All right, she's a godly woman, she's a generous woman. 671 00:34:07,708 --> 00:34:10,125 As a result, she's very loved. 672 00:34:10,167 --> 00:34:12,000 She's very loved. 673 00:34:12,083 --> 00:34:15,250 And when she dies, the widows that she has loved, and served, 674 00:34:15,333 --> 00:34:18,000 and been generous toward--these are older women who have lost 675 00:34:18,083 --> 00:34:20,708 their husbands, and as a result, maybe they're in 676 00:34:20,792 --> 00:34:23,708 a difficult position financially. 677 00:34:23,792 --> 00:34:25,958 She's helped them, she's supported them, 678 00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:27,833 she's loved them, she's encouraged them, 679 00:34:27,917 --> 00:34:32,333 and so they are mourning the loss of this wonderful woman. 680 00:34:32,417 --> 00:34:35,333 Man, even as I think about it, there's one woman in particular 681 00:34:35,417 --> 00:34:38,958 that I know who's like this, one of the most godly, 682 00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:44,333 generous women I've ever known, right? 683 00:34:44,417 --> 00:34:49,000 And so this group comes together to mourn the loss of their 684 00:34:49,083 --> 00:34:54,667 friend because she's battled an illness for awhile. 685 00:34:54,708 --> 00:34:56,250 Do you know somebody like that, 686 00:34:56,333 --> 00:34:58,333 they've battled an illness for awhile? 687 00:34:58,375 --> 00:35:00,417 And it's a roller coaster, isn't it? 688 00:35:00,500 --> 00:35:02,833 Hey, we got good news. We got bad news. 689 00:35:02,875 --> 00:35:05,917 We got more good news. We got more bad news. 690 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:11,042 And then you see them take a turn. 691 00:35:11,125 --> 00:35:16,042 You're like, "No, it's downhill now. 692 00:35:16,125 --> 00:35:20,500 It's bad news, and bad news, and bad news, and bad news." 693 00:35:20,583 --> 00:35:23,833 And then she died. 694 00:35:23,917 --> 00:35:28,833 And I want you to see that hope doesn't end when life does, 695 00:35:28,917 --> 00:35:30,542 okay? 696 00:35:30,625 --> 00:35:32,833 Hope doesn't end when life does. 697 00:35:32,917 --> 00:35:36,125 They take her body, prepare it, but what's interesting is 698 00:35:36,167 --> 00:35:37,958 they put it in the upper room. 699 00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:41,542 It's almost as if, just in case. 700 00:35:41,625 --> 00:35:44,833 All right, this kind of thing happens in the Old Testament as 701 00:35:44,917 --> 00:35:48,042 well with prophets like Elijah, and things like this happen. 702 00:35:48,125 --> 00:35:50,458 So maybe these godly gals know the Bible and say, 703 00:35:50,500 --> 00:35:52,667 "He did it before, he could do it again. 704 00:35:52,708 --> 00:35:54,667 "Let's not put her in the ground yet. 705 00:35:54,708 --> 00:35:56,042 Let's just wait and see." 706 00:35:56,125 --> 00:35:58,042 So then the call is made for Peter, 707 00:35:58,125 --> 00:36:00,792 and here's a pastoral call. 708 00:36:00,833 --> 00:36:03,708 I'll tell you as a pastor, these are sacred moments that it's 709 00:36:03,792 --> 00:36:05,750 a great honor to be invited in. 710 00:36:05,833 --> 00:36:08,042 They're also very difficult. 711 00:36:08,125 --> 00:36:10,542 I can still remember one of the first hospital visits 712 00:36:10,625 --> 00:36:12,958 I got called on as a young pastor. 713 00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:15,333 It was a wonderful, sweet couple. 714 00:36:15,417 --> 00:36:18,542 They'd gotten married. 715 00:36:18,625 --> 00:36:21,417 She went to work, he went to work. 716 00:36:21,500 --> 00:36:24,250 They were hoping to have kids and start their family soon. 717 00:36:24,333 --> 00:36:28,458 Newly married, kind of in that real joyful, blissful season. 718 00:36:28,500 --> 00:36:31,250 She got home from work first, he came home from work, 719 00:36:31,333 --> 00:36:34,333 and she was laying dead in the living room. 720 00:36:34,417 --> 00:36:36,750 Young, just gone. 721 00:36:36,833 --> 00:36:42,958 No time to prepare, no category for this, no preparation at all. 722 00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:47,667 She was essentially not having vital signs, 723 00:36:47,708 --> 00:36:51,542 they rushed her to the hospital, they put her on a ventilator. 724 00:36:51,625 --> 00:36:54,458 They were trying to resuscitate her, 725 00:36:54,500 --> 00:36:57,542 and I remember just sitting, literally on the floor 726 00:36:57,625 --> 00:37:01,583 in the hospital for almost the entire night, 727 00:37:01,667 --> 00:37:04,917 just praying that God would heal her, bring her back, 728 00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:07,333 that he would do the supernatural 729 00:37:07,375 --> 00:37:09,250 and it never happened. 730 00:37:09,333 --> 00:37:11,958 And I remember with this man, we were praying together, 731 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:13,958 and I remember just giving him a hug. 732 00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:16,708 We were both crying in the hospital and I was like, 733 00:37:16,792 --> 00:37:18,708 "I am so sorry." 734 00:37:18,792 --> 00:37:20,458 And he said, "I think it's time. 735 00:37:20,500 --> 00:37:23,542 "We have to unplug. She's not responding. 736 00:37:23,625 --> 00:37:27,125 She's gone." 737 00:37:27,167 --> 00:37:31,333 When you're invited into these sacred moments in people's lives 738 00:37:31,417 --> 00:37:34,167 where they're saying, you know, "We're hurting because someone 739 00:37:34,208 --> 00:37:38,833 we love has died," and you're invited in as a pastor, 740 00:37:38,875 --> 00:37:41,167 it's a great honor. 741 00:37:41,208 --> 00:37:45,042 It's also incredibly difficult because everyone's processing, 742 00:37:45,125 --> 00:37:48,458 and responding, and feeling in different ways. 743 00:37:48,500 --> 00:37:51,958 So, Pastor Peter's invited into that. 744 00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:55,458 And I love how Luke tells the story. 745 00:37:55,500 --> 00:37:57,750 It says that he clears the room, right, 746 00:37:57,833 --> 00:38:01,125 partially because there's a lot of emotions, 747 00:38:01,167 --> 00:38:04,125 and it's hard to get any clarity. 748 00:38:04,167 --> 00:38:07,333 And then I love the fact that it says that he knelt down 749 00:38:07,375 --> 00:38:08,708 and he prayed. 750 00:38:08,792 --> 00:38:11,208 And in the Bible, friends, you can pray standing up. 751 00:38:11,292 --> 00:38:13,958 A lot of times in the Bible people pray standing up. 752 00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:15,667 Sometimes they pray laying in their bed, 753 00:38:15,708 --> 00:38:17,667 so the psalmist will talk about, you know, 754 00:38:17,708 --> 00:38:19,833 praying to the Lord while laying on your bed. 755 00:38:19,917 --> 00:38:21,958 You can pray to God sitting down. 756 00:38:22,000 --> 00:38:25,917 But sometimes, when we kneel, our body is really saying a lot. 757 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:27,750 We're saying a lot physically. 758 00:38:27,833 --> 00:38:32,667 This is a theological statement, right? 759 00:38:32,708 --> 00:38:36,208 This is what happens when someone surrenders, 760 00:38:36,292 --> 00:38:42,000 and that's a good posture to be in in the presence of God. 761 00:38:42,083 --> 00:38:45,750 So Pastor Peter, even though he's a great man 762 00:38:45,833 --> 00:38:48,667 and a great leader, he has great humility. 763 00:38:48,708 --> 00:38:51,750 He kneels down, and he prays for Tabitha, 764 00:38:51,833 --> 00:38:56,542 and he prays that God would bring her back from the dead. 765 00:38:56,625 --> 00:38:59,833 And then he commands, with the authority of Jesus, 766 00:38:59,875 --> 00:39:02,708 that her life would be restored, and it is. 767 00:39:02,792 --> 00:39:05,708 And I love the way that Luke tells the story, 768 00:39:05,792 --> 00:39:08,708 because then it says that he gave her his hand. 769 00:39:08,792 --> 00:39:10,125 Don't you love that? 770 00:39:10,167 --> 00:39:13,625 Can you see an older woman, perhaps, who's been sick, 771 00:39:13,667 --> 00:39:15,958 and ill, and dying, and she's in her bed? 772 00:39:16,000 --> 00:39:20,042 Have you been there when your grandma died? 773 00:39:20,125 --> 00:39:26,125 All right, Peter takes her hand and he helps her out of bed. 774 00:39:29,500 --> 00:39:33,917 She's alive. 775 00:39:34,000 --> 00:39:36,542 And it says that people heard about this 776 00:39:36,625 --> 00:39:37,958 and they became Christians. 777 00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:40,458 So, her--again, you see that her body was healed, 778 00:39:40,500 --> 00:39:42,667 and a lot of people hear about Jesus, 779 00:39:42,708 --> 00:39:45,833 and then their soul is healed and their sins are forgiven. 780 00:39:45,917 --> 00:39:52,833 There's two miracles that happen here. 781 00:39:52,917 --> 00:39:57,333 How many of you have prayed a prayer like this 782 00:39:57,375 --> 00:40:00,333 and the answer was later? 783 00:40:00,375 --> 00:40:03,208 Because any time you pray this prayer for a Christian-- 784 00:40:03,292 --> 00:40:06,167 God answers prayer yes, no, and later, 785 00:40:06,250 --> 00:40:08,667 but if you pray this prayer for a Christian, "God, 786 00:40:08,750 --> 00:40:12,167 bring them back from the dead," the answer is always yes 787 00:40:12,250 --> 00:40:15,458 or later, it's never no. 788 00:40:15,500 --> 00:40:21,000 But how many of you have prayed this prayer and the answer was 789 00:40:21,042 --> 00:40:27,375 later, someday, in the kingdom, at the resurrection of the dead? 790 00:40:27,458 --> 00:40:30,792 First time I ever prayed this prayer, 791 00:40:30,833 --> 00:40:34,750 I was 10. 792 00:40:34,833 --> 00:40:38,792 And I've told you about Him--my Grandpa George died. 793 00:40:38,833 --> 00:40:41,958 I remember praying, "Jesus, bring him back so we can 794 00:40:42,000 --> 00:40:44,000 eat tomato soup and watch wrestling." 795 00:40:44,042 --> 00:40:47,333 I mean, that was literally kind of how I prayed. 796 00:40:47,417 --> 00:40:48,750 I loved my grandpa. 797 00:40:48,833 --> 00:40:51,667 I missed my grandpa. 798 00:40:51,750 --> 00:40:53,833 I remember praying that prayer as a little boy. 799 00:40:53,917 --> 00:40:55,250 "Jesus?" 800 00:40:55,333 --> 00:40:58,458 I didn't know a lot of Bible and I wasn't a Christian yet, 801 00:40:58,500 --> 00:41:01,708 but I grew up in a home that went to church on occasion. 802 00:41:01,792 --> 00:41:04,708 And I was like, "Jesus, I know you can bring people back. 803 00:41:04,792 --> 00:41:06,083 Bring him back." 804 00:41:06,167 --> 00:41:08,792 Now I understand the answer was later. 805 00:41:08,833 --> 00:41:14,667 But in this instance, the answer was today. 806 00:41:14,750 --> 00:41:16,833 Today. 807 00:41:16,917 --> 00:41:22,833 And the reason that Jesus brings Tabitha back from the dead is 808 00:41:22,917 --> 00:41:27,083 to show everybody else what the future holds. 809 00:41:27,167 --> 00:41:29,792 As they see Tabitha come back from death, 810 00:41:29,833 --> 00:41:31,792 they know that if their hope, and faith, 811 00:41:31,833 --> 00:41:34,167 and trust is in Jesus, one day, like Tabitha, 812 00:41:34,250 --> 00:41:36,500 they're going to rise from the dead. 813 00:41:36,542 --> 00:41:41,333 And let me theologically sort of clarify this for you if I can. 814 00:41:41,417 --> 00:41:45,375 She was revived, not resurrected. 815 00:41:45,458 --> 00:41:47,833 Revive meaning she was dead, brought back to life, 816 00:41:47,917 --> 00:41:51,375 and she'd live for awhile, but eventually she'd die again, 817 00:41:51,458 --> 00:41:57,167 and then she'd be resurrected eternally, never to die again. 818 00:41:57,250 --> 00:42:02,333 So, she was revived to show that God can conquer death. 819 00:42:02,417 --> 00:42:07,167 But ultimately, there was a greater rising that was 820 00:42:07,250 --> 00:42:10,167 awaiting her, and that was the resurrection from death 821 00:42:10,208 --> 00:42:16,500 in the presence of Jesus. 822 00:42:16,542 --> 00:42:21,292 Are you a Christian? 823 00:42:21,333 --> 00:42:26,292 Okay, if you're not a Christian, you may not be thinking about 824 00:42:26,333 --> 00:42:28,792 this, but I want you to be thinking about this. 825 00:42:28,833 --> 00:42:30,792 What happens when you die? 826 00:42:30,833 --> 00:42:33,292 I was talking to someone who's not a Christian recently 827 00:42:33,333 --> 00:42:35,792 and he said, "I don't need to be a Christian. 828 00:42:35,833 --> 00:42:37,167 "My life's going fine. 829 00:42:37,250 --> 00:42:38,583 It's working." 830 00:42:38,667 --> 00:42:41,792 And it might until you die, and then it doesn't work at all. 831 00:42:41,833 --> 00:42:43,542 And I'm not even sure it's working, 832 00:42:43,625 --> 00:42:45,542 but according to whatever you think working is, 833 00:42:45,625 --> 00:42:47,667 maybe it's working according to your understanding of working. 834 00:42:47,750 --> 00:42:50,000 What happens when you die? 835 00:42:50,042 --> 00:42:53,083 What happens when you die? 836 00:42:53,167 --> 00:42:54,792 And some of you have opinions, 837 00:42:54,833 --> 00:42:58,250 but really all they are are hopes. 838 00:42:58,333 --> 00:43:00,333 They're not assurances. 839 00:43:00,417 --> 00:43:05,125 Only Jesus has gone through death and back with 840 00:43:05,167 --> 00:43:11,083 a resurrection to tell us that he awaits us on the other side 841 00:43:11,167 --> 00:43:14,500 and that the only way to pass through death into eternal life 842 00:43:14,542 --> 00:43:16,500 is with him. 843 00:43:16,542 --> 00:43:20,000 And so if you're here, I don't want this to be just for you, 844 00:43:20,042 --> 00:43:24,667 you know, an emotional examination of death 845 00:43:24,750 --> 00:43:29,958 and sickness, but also a consideration of Jesus, 846 00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:33,458 the one who conquers sin, and as a result, 847 00:43:33,500 --> 00:43:36,667 has victory over sickness and death. 848 00:43:36,750 --> 00:43:39,792 And all of this is a foreshadowing, 849 00:43:39,833 --> 00:43:41,833 it's a foretaste of the kingdom of God. 850 00:43:41,917 --> 00:43:44,833 And what you need to know is that Jesus is a King, 851 00:43:44,917 --> 00:43:46,833 and he's seated on a throne right now, 852 00:43:46,917 --> 00:43:49,500 and he's ruling and reigning over a kingdom that never ends. 853 00:43:49,542 --> 00:43:51,667 And we're on our way to the kingdom, 854 00:43:51,750 --> 00:43:54,667 and some of us are limping, and some of us are walking, 855 00:43:54,750 --> 00:43:57,667 and some of us are running, and some of us are wheeling 856 00:43:57,750 --> 00:44:02,125 ourselves there in a hospital, and hobbling along on crutches. 857 00:44:02,167 --> 00:44:05,708 That we're not--we're citizens of the kingdom, 858 00:44:05,792 --> 00:44:07,917 but we're not home yet. 859 00:44:08,000 --> 00:44:10,958 We haven't gotten home yet. 860 00:44:11,000 --> 00:44:14,208 We're pilgrims, we're aliens, we're sojourners. 861 00:44:14,292 --> 00:44:17,833 We're on our way, but we're not there yet. 862 00:44:17,917 --> 00:44:20,542 And so the theologians will talk about the fact that we're 863 00:44:20,625 --> 00:44:24,833 already citizens of the kingdom, but we're not yet there. 864 00:44:24,917 --> 00:44:29,042 And occasionally, the kingdom invades this world and it 865 00:44:29,125 --> 00:44:34,125 shows up in supernatural, miraculous, inexplicable ways. 866 00:44:34,167 --> 00:44:37,750 And the reason that God does that is he drops glimpses, 867 00:44:37,833 --> 00:44:40,917 and hints, and vignettes, and foreshadowings, 868 00:44:41,000 --> 00:44:42,917 and sneak previews of the kingdom. 869 00:44:43,000 --> 00:44:44,917 "Oh, that's what it's going to be like. 870 00:44:45,000 --> 00:44:46,917 "Oh, that's what it's going to be like. 871 00:44:47,000 --> 00:44:49,917 "Oh, that's what it's going to be like when the world comes 872 00:44:50,000 --> 00:44:52,417 "to an end, and the resurrection of the dead happens, 873 00:44:52,500 --> 00:44:56,125 and God's people are in God's presence forever." 874 00:44:56,167 --> 00:44:59,625 And so our hope is not just that something better awaits us 875 00:44:59,667 --> 00:45:01,125 on the other side. 876 00:45:01,167 --> 00:45:04,333 And my fear is that many of you might have the same prevailing 877 00:45:04,375 --> 00:45:06,333 myth that the culture does, and that is, 878 00:45:06,375 --> 00:45:08,500 "Oh, they died and went to a better place." 879 00:45:08,583 --> 00:45:10,042 It's not that easy. 880 00:45:10,125 --> 00:45:13,042 Just because you die doesn't mean you go to a better place. 881 00:45:13,125 --> 00:45:15,833 Jesus talks of hell more than anyone in the whole Bible, 882 00:45:15,875 --> 00:45:18,625 and Jesus alone is the way into God's kingdom. 883 00:45:18,667 --> 00:45:22,542 I want to share with you two things about Jesus' kingdom, 884 00:45:22,625 --> 00:45:26,667 and really, that's what we're seeing here with the healing 885 00:45:26,708 --> 00:45:29,458 of this man and the raising of this woman. 886 00:45:29,500 --> 00:45:31,500 Jesus is the King of the kingdom. 887 00:45:31,583 --> 00:45:34,333 In John 11:25, "Jesus said to her"--this is Martha, 888 00:45:34,417 --> 00:45:37,167 another woman-- "I am the"--what? 889 00:45:37,208 --> 00:45:41,042 "I am the resurrection and the life." 890 00:45:41,125 --> 00:45:42,708 You say, "What happens after death?" 891 00:45:42,792 --> 00:45:46,042 If you know Jesus, he's the resurrection and the life. 892 00:45:46,125 --> 00:45:50,500 "Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live." 893 00:45:50,583 --> 00:45:51,958 Here's what Jesus says. 894 00:45:52,000 --> 00:45:53,958 "You're going to die. 895 00:45:54,000 --> 00:45:55,750 "Sin causes death. 896 00:45:55,833 --> 00:45:57,833 You're a sinner, you're going to die." 897 00:45:57,917 --> 00:45:59,750 What happens then? 898 00:45:59,833 --> 00:46:04,833 If you believe in Jesus, even though you die physically, 899 00:46:04,875 --> 00:46:07,167 you will not die spiritually. 900 00:46:07,208 --> 00:46:12,333 Even though you die temporarily, you do not die eternally. 901 00:46:12,417 --> 00:46:17,333 If you believe in Jesus, he is your life. 902 00:46:17,417 --> 00:46:21,708 He's your eternal life and he is your resurrection. 903 00:46:21,792 --> 00:46:26,333 Just as Jesus rose from death, conquering sin, 904 00:46:26,375 --> 00:46:32,042 overtaking sickness, triumphing over death, 905 00:46:32,125 --> 00:46:34,333 so he's your resurrection. 906 00:46:34,375 --> 00:46:37,167 He goes before you and you trail behind him. 907 00:46:37,208 --> 00:46:38,917 You see that? 908 00:46:39,000 --> 00:46:43,542 And so when Tabitha is raised out of her death, 909 00:46:43,625 --> 00:46:47,750 it is showing that she belongs to Jesus and this is 910 00:46:47,833 --> 00:46:52,333 what happens to those who die believing in Jesus, 911 00:46:52,417 --> 00:46:55,250 that death does not have a victory over them because 912 00:46:55,333 --> 00:46:58,333 Jesus has already forgiven them. 913 00:46:58,375 --> 00:47:02,375 I really need you to believe this. 914 00:47:02,458 --> 00:47:05,333 And some of you are young and you don't think about death, 915 00:47:05,375 --> 00:47:09,833 and sometimes death comes very quickly and suddenly. 916 00:47:09,917 --> 00:47:12,250 And if you don't understand what happens when you die 917 00:47:12,333 --> 00:47:15,542 and you don't know how to die rightly and to die well, 918 00:47:15,625 --> 00:47:20,667 you'll either die with no assurance of what happens to you 919 00:47:20,708 --> 00:47:23,750 or you'll live in absolute panic, and terror, 920 00:47:23,833 --> 00:47:25,708 and fear of death. 921 00:47:25,792 --> 00:47:29,625 And let me tell you, friends, the worst thing is not dying. 922 00:47:29,667 --> 00:47:33,708 The worst thing is dying without believing in Jesus. 923 00:47:33,792 --> 00:47:36,250 Because if you believe in Jesus, even though you die, 924 00:47:36,333 --> 00:47:40,458 he says you'll live and you'll enter into God's kingdom. 925 00:47:40,500 --> 00:47:42,458 And I need you to know that there's 926 00:47:42,500 --> 00:47:45,125 a day of resurrection coming. 927 00:47:45,167 --> 00:47:46,958 And oftentimes we don't think about this, 928 00:47:47,000 --> 00:47:49,042 but Jesus' resurrection was the first resurrection, 929 00:47:49,125 --> 00:47:51,958 and your resurrection if you belong to Jesus, 930 00:47:52,000 --> 00:47:54,125 it's in the future. 931 00:47:54,167 --> 00:47:56,958 We read of this in the last book of the Bible, 932 00:47:57,000 --> 00:48:00,667 one of the last chapters in the Bible, Revelation 21:4, 933 00:48:00,750 --> 00:48:02,125 and I love this. 934 00:48:02,167 --> 00:48:06,000 "He will wipe away"--what? 935 00:48:06,083 --> 00:48:08,417 "Every tear from their eyes." 936 00:48:08,500 --> 00:48:12,417 How many of you, this life has included some tears? 937 00:48:12,500 --> 00:48:19,125 Physical pain, spiritual pain, emotional pain, 938 00:48:19,167 --> 00:48:23,625 you've shed some tears. 939 00:48:23,667 --> 00:48:29,750 Tears are what happen as we hobble toward the kingdom, 940 00:48:29,833 --> 00:48:32,333 and once we get to the king, 941 00:48:32,375 --> 00:48:36,167 it says that he wipes every tear from our eyes. 942 00:48:36,208 --> 00:48:42,333 One of the most precious, sacred moments that I am given 943 00:48:42,417 --> 00:48:45,625 in my life is to wipe the tears from my wife's eyes 944 00:48:45,667 --> 00:48:50,750 and my kids' eyes, right? 945 00:48:50,833 --> 00:48:53,458 When my kids are hurt, they run. "Dad I got hurt," 946 00:48:53,500 --> 00:48:54,833 and they're crying. 947 00:48:54,917 --> 00:48:56,333 "Okay, let me wipe your tears." 948 00:48:56,417 --> 00:48:58,042 I just--I always think of this verse. 949 00:48:58,125 --> 00:49:01,792 Jesus is going to do this for all of his people 950 00:49:01,833 --> 00:49:03,667 with nail-scarred hands. 951 00:49:03,750 --> 00:49:05,958 I mean, can you see that? 952 00:49:06,000 --> 00:49:08,458 The Bible says that if you die in faith, 953 00:49:08,500 --> 00:49:11,042 you'll see Jesus face to face. 954 00:49:11,125 --> 00:49:13,250 I can't even imagine that. 955 00:49:13,333 --> 00:49:17,167 And that there might be tears in your eyes as you look back 956 00:49:17,208 --> 00:49:20,625 on life, and sin, and sickness, and death. 957 00:49:20,667 --> 00:49:24,625 And then you see Jesus' nail-scarred hands, 958 00:49:24,667 --> 00:49:27,625 and he puts them on your face, and he wipes the tears 959 00:49:27,667 --> 00:49:29,417 from your eyes. 960 00:49:29,500 --> 00:49:35,667 And you never, never shed another tear 961 00:49:35,708 --> 00:49:39,667 because sin will be gone, 962 00:49:39,708 --> 00:49:41,708 and as a result sickness will be gone, 963 00:49:41,792 --> 00:49:43,750 and as a result death will be gone, 964 00:49:43,833 --> 00:49:46,958 and all of God's enemies will be gone, 965 00:49:47,000 --> 00:49:49,625 and the enemies of all of God's people will be gone, 966 00:49:49,667 --> 00:49:55,542 and you won't need to wipe any more tears from your eyes. 967 00:49:55,625 --> 00:49:58,542 And the last time that tears are ever in your eyes, 968 00:49:58,625 --> 00:50:03,667 they will be forever removed by Jesus wiping away your tears. 969 00:50:03,708 --> 00:50:06,000 That's the kingdom of God. 970 00:50:06,042 --> 00:50:08,458 "And death shall be"--what? 971 00:50:08,500 --> 00:50:09,833 "No more." 972 00:50:09,917 --> 00:50:13,292 Can you even fathom a world like that? 973 00:50:13,333 --> 00:50:19,500 No death, no sickness because there's no sin. 974 00:50:19,542 --> 00:50:24,000 You need to know that something has gone terribly, frightfully, 975 00:50:24,042 --> 00:50:26,292 fatally wrong in the world. 976 00:50:26,333 --> 00:50:27,875 People aren't supposed to get sick, 977 00:50:27,958 --> 00:50:31,667 people aren't supposed to die. 978 00:50:31,750 --> 00:50:34,792 That's not the way that the world was when God concluded it 979 00:50:34,833 --> 00:50:37,667 and declared it to be very good. 980 00:50:37,708 --> 00:50:40,292 Something has gone very wrong. 981 00:50:40,333 --> 00:50:42,792 And there's a day when death is no more. 982 00:50:42,833 --> 00:50:45,542 Parents, can you even imagine that day when you're in 983 00:50:45,625 --> 00:50:48,667 the kingdom and you don't worry about the people that you love 984 00:50:48,750 --> 00:50:51,583 and the children that you have getting sick, or getting hurt, 985 00:50:51,667 --> 00:50:54,750 or getting sinned against, or getting victimized, 986 00:50:54,833 --> 00:50:58,333 or getting killed, or getting injured, or nothing. 987 00:50:58,417 --> 00:51:01,667 All of those fears, all of those anxieties, 988 00:51:01,708 --> 00:51:06,333 all of those considerations gone, 989 00:51:06,417 --> 00:51:12,083 gone in the kingdom. 990 00:51:12,167 --> 00:51:15,250 "Neither shall there be mourning." 991 00:51:15,333 --> 00:51:21,333 There'll be nothing to complain about, nothing to cry about. 992 00:51:21,417 --> 00:51:24,583 "Nor crying, nor pain." 993 00:51:24,667 --> 00:51:27,292 Can you imagine that? 994 00:51:27,333 --> 00:51:28,667 No pain. 995 00:51:28,750 --> 00:51:31,667 How many of you, it's been a long time since you had 996 00:51:31,750 --> 00:51:34,667 a day free of pain? 997 00:51:34,750 --> 00:51:36,167 Free of pain. 998 00:51:36,208 --> 00:51:38,875 Some of you have chronic pain. 999 00:51:38,958 --> 00:51:42,000 No more, gone. 1000 00:51:42,042 --> 00:51:44,250 "For the former things have passed away." 1001 00:51:44,333 --> 00:51:47,000 Sin, and the world as we know it, and the curse, 1002 00:51:47,042 --> 00:51:50,250 and all of its effects, gone forever. 1003 00:51:50,333 --> 00:51:54,042 All of this kingdom truth is illustrated 1004 00:51:54,125 --> 00:51:56,250 in these two miracles. 1005 00:51:56,333 --> 00:52:02,458 God can heal and God can rise from death, amen? 1006 00:52:02,500 --> 00:52:06,542 And what I need this to be for you is an anchor for your soul 1007 00:52:06,625 --> 00:52:09,083 and a hope for your future. 1008 00:52:09,167 --> 00:52:12,292 I need you to think biblically, I need you to think 1009 00:52:12,333 --> 00:52:18,375 theologically, I need you to think practically. 1010 00:52:18,458 --> 00:52:20,667 I need you to understand that when you're suffering, 1011 00:52:20,708 --> 00:52:23,167 you worship a God who has suffered. 1012 00:52:23,208 --> 00:52:26,333 When you're dying, I need you to know that you've worshiped a God 1013 00:52:26,417 --> 00:52:29,500 who died and he awaits you on the other side. 1014 00:52:29,542 --> 00:52:32,333 And any pastor that doesn't prepare you for the day of 1015 00:52:32,417 --> 00:52:35,333 your death has not really done a good job in preparing you 1016 00:52:35,417 --> 00:52:37,292 for anything. 1017 00:52:37,333 --> 00:52:40,875 And I want you to spend some time, even this week, thinking, 1018 00:52:40,958 --> 00:52:44,292 praying, considering, studying the kingdom of God 1019 00:52:44,333 --> 00:52:47,167 and what it will be like, because what that will do, 1020 00:52:47,208 --> 00:52:50,083 that will give you hope to continue marching forward 1021 00:52:50,167 --> 00:52:53,042 to the presence of Jesus. 1022 00:52:53,125 --> 00:52:56,250 For the Christian, this life is as bad as it gets. 1023 00:52:56,333 --> 00:52:59,000 For the non-Christian, this life is as good as it gets. 1024 00:52:59,042 --> 00:53:02,042 That's why I want you to know Jesus, and if you don't, 1025 00:53:02,125 --> 00:53:04,958 I want you to come to know him today. 1026 00:53:05,000 --> 00:53:08,458 And I had this opportunity-- 1027 00:53:08,500 --> 00:53:12,542 about 18 months ago, Grace's dad died. 1028 00:53:12,625 --> 00:53:15,667 He was in his mid-80s, he was a pastor for many years, 1029 00:53:15,750 --> 00:53:20,792 and as he was getting older he started having various medical, 1030 00:53:20,833 --> 00:53:24,500 health, illness, problems and issues. 1031 00:53:24,542 --> 00:53:27,083 We could see that his life energy was winding down 1032 00:53:27,167 --> 00:53:30,167 and he was having a lot of complexity physically. 1033 00:53:30,250 --> 00:53:32,667 He was very good to my kids. He loved them. 1034 00:53:32,750 --> 00:53:34,083 He was a good grandpa. 1035 00:53:34,167 --> 00:53:36,792 They have tons of good memories with him and I rejoice 1036 00:53:36,833 --> 00:53:39,000 that he invested that time. 1037 00:53:39,042 --> 00:53:43,292 Well, it came time to where he was on his death bed, 1038 00:53:43,333 --> 00:53:46,167 and everyone was pretty sure that he was near the end. 1039 00:53:46,250 --> 00:53:48,958 And so we were out of town and made the trip. 1040 00:53:49,000 --> 00:53:52,167 And he happened to be out of town on vacation when he got 1041 00:53:52,208 --> 00:53:55,542 sick, so we had to get to him in the middle of the winter 1042 00:53:55,625 --> 00:53:56,958 about 18 months ago. 1043 00:53:57,000 --> 00:53:59,458 And I remember it was an opportunity for me 1044 00:53:59,500 --> 00:54:02,625 to process with the kids, our five kids. 1045 00:54:02,667 --> 00:54:04,333 They're like, "Okay, what's happening? 1046 00:54:04,375 --> 00:54:07,042 "Is Grandpa going to die? If he dies, what happens?" 1047 00:54:07,125 --> 00:54:11,333 And for some reason, it really awakened a curiosity 1048 00:54:11,375 --> 00:54:14,333 in my 8-year-old son Gideon. 1049 00:54:14,375 --> 00:54:17,167 And all of the sudden, Gideon had all these questions about 1050 00:54:17,208 --> 00:54:19,833 the resurrection, and the kingdom of God. 1051 00:54:19,917 --> 00:54:21,750 And he had all of these questions 1052 00:54:21,833 --> 00:54:23,167 and he was asking them. 1053 00:54:23,208 --> 00:54:25,958 You could tell his little mind was going because just during 1054 00:54:26,000 --> 00:54:29,167 the course of the day or driving in the car, he'd be like, 1055 00:54:29,208 --> 00:54:30,542 "I've got another question." 1056 00:54:30,625 --> 00:54:32,542 "Okay, little buddy," and he'd ask his question. 1057 00:54:32,625 --> 00:54:37,208 And Grandpa died, we were all at his death bed, 1058 00:54:37,292 --> 00:54:40,458 and got to pray over him, and sing, and worship Jesus, 1059 00:54:40,500 --> 00:54:45,000 and then we had the funeral and I had the honor of preaching. 1060 00:54:45,083 --> 00:54:47,958 And following that, Gideon has had so many questions 1061 00:54:48,000 --> 00:54:49,833 in the last 18 months. 1062 00:54:49,917 --> 00:54:52,208 He actually asked one last week. 1063 00:54:52,292 --> 00:54:54,542 I'm driving him to a little league game 1064 00:54:54,625 --> 00:54:56,542 and he says, "Dad?" 1065 00:54:56,625 --> 00:54:57,958 I said, "Yeah, little buddy?" 1066 00:54:58,000 --> 00:54:59,333 He's in the back seat. 1067 00:54:59,417 --> 00:55:02,625 "What do you think Grandpa's doing today?" 1068 00:55:02,667 --> 00:55:05,417 I was like, "I don't know, but I'm sure it's awesome." 1069 00:55:05,500 --> 00:55:07,458 You know, whatever it is, it's good. 1070 00:55:07,500 --> 00:55:10,125 Like, a bad day in heaven's still a really good day, 1071 00:55:10,167 --> 00:55:11,500 you know? 1072 00:55:11,583 --> 00:55:13,250 I said, "I don't know, little buddy. 1073 00:55:13,333 --> 00:55:14,667 What do you think?" 1074 00:55:14,708 --> 00:55:16,833 He said, "I wonder if he's riding his bike. 1075 00:55:16,875 --> 00:55:20,042 "He was too sick in the last years to ride his bike. 1076 00:55:20,125 --> 00:55:22,042 I wonder if he's riding his bike today," 1077 00:55:22,125 --> 00:55:23,750 because Grandpa liked to ride his bike, 1078 00:55:23,833 --> 00:55:26,750 but as his health wore down, he couldn't ride his bike anymore. 1079 00:55:26,833 --> 00:55:29,125 So, Gideon's thinking about this all the time. 1080 00:55:29,167 --> 00:55:33,542 And it was fairly recently, there was a high school student 1081 00:55:33,625 --> 00:55:36,833 that tutors the little kids, helps the younger grades 1082 00:55:36,875 --> 00:55:39,667 in the classroom, and her grandpa died. 1083 00:55:39,708 --> 00:55:41,833 And Gideon found out, and he found her. 1084 00:55:41,917 --> 00:55:43,333 She told me the story. 1085 00:55:43,417 --> 00:55:46,042 She said, "He sat me down and talked to me about 1086 00:55:46,125 --> 00:55:49,042 "the kingdom of God, and what it's like on the other side, 1087 00:55:49,125 --> 00:55:51,833 "and how my grandpa loved Jesus and so he's with Jesus. 1088 00:55:51,917 --> 00:55:53,833 "And Gideon explained how his grandpa died 1089 00:55:53,917 --> 00:55:56,000 "and my grandpa died, and maybe they're hanging out 1090 00:55:56,083 --> 00:55:58,333 and maybe they're friends now." 1091 00:55:58,417 --> 00:56:00,292 Right? 1092 00:56:00,333 --> 00:56:03,333 And she said, "Then Gideon laid hands and prayed over me 1093 00:56:03,375 --> 00:56:05,500 "because I was sad that I lost my grandpa, 1094 00:56:05,583 --> 00:56:08,208 "and he explained to me how he had lost his grandpa, 1095 00:56:08,292 --> 00:56:10,417 "but knowing that his grandpa's with Jesus, 1096 00:56:10,500 --> 00:56:12,958 "it's more like he just moved somewhere. 1097 00:56:13,000 --> 00:56:15,958 "And one day, Gideon was going to see his grandpa again 1098 00:56:16,000 --> 00:56:17,958 and I'd see my grandpa too." 1099 00:56:18,000 --> 00:56:22,167 And I'm thinking, it's amazing how, even at 8 years of age, 1100 00:56:22,208 --> 00:56:25,958 the kingdom of God gives perspective and hope 1101 00:56:26,000 --> 00:56:30,500 that no one and nothing else gives, amen? 1102 00:56:30,583 --> 00:56:32,583 I want that for you. 1103 00:56:33,083 --> 00:56:34,708 I want that for you. 1104 00:56:34,792 --> 00:56:36,708 I wonder if right now my grandpa George, 1105 00:56:36,792 --> 00:56:39,167 and Gideon's grandpa Gib, and this gal's grandpa, 1106 00:56:39,208 --> 00:56:40,542 I wonder if they're having 1107 00:56:40,625 --> 00:56:45,542 a little grandpa day in heaven, you know? 1108 00:56:45,625 --> 00:56:49,833 If you are sick, be praying for healing. 1109 00:56:49,917 --> 00:56:53,167 If someone is sick, be praying for their healing. 1110 00:56:53,208 --> 00:56:57,667 If someone dies, it's okay to pray for their resurrection, 1111 00:56:57,708 --> 00:57:04,625 and the answer might be today or it might be on that day. 1112 00:57:04,667 --> 00:57:07,458 And I can't wait. 1113 00:57:07,500 --> 00:57:12,250 I think about this every time we take Communion and I see all of 1114 00:57:12,333 --> 00:57:15,667 God's people get out of their seats and come forward 1115 00:57:15,708 --> 00:57:18,542 to partake of Communion, that there's going to be a day when 1116 00:57:18,625 --> 00:57:21,750 we all get out of our graves and we go to see Jesus 1117 00:57:21,833 --> 00:57:24,042 face to face together. 1118 00:57:24,125 --> 00:57:26,542 And that's the hope of the believer. 1119 00:57:26,625 --> 00:57:29,750 An eternal life begins the moment you meet Jesus, 1120 00:57:29,833 --> 00:57:32,958 and it continues forever, even through the grave. 1121 00:57:33,000 --> 00:57:36,000 And so at this point, we're going to respond to Jesus. 1122 00:57:36,083 --> 00:57:38,250 We're going to collect our tithes and offerings. 1123 00:57:38,333 --> 00:57:40,250 We're going to prepare our hearts for Communion, 1124 00:57:40,333 --> 00:57:43,250 thinking about, "Yeah, one day, as I get out of my seat, 1125 00:57:43,333 --> 00:57:45,250 "I'm going to get out of my grave. 1126 00:57:45,333 --> 00:57:48,000 "And as I'm going to partake and remember the broken body 1127 00:57:48,083 --> 00:57:49,417 "and shed blood of Jesus, 1128 00:57:49,500 --> 00:57:52,458 "one day I will see the resurrected body 1129 00:57:52,500 --> 00:57:54,833 of Jesus face to face." 1130 00:57:54,917 --> 00:57:57,917 And then we're going to sing and we're going to celebrate because 1131 00:57:58,000 --> 00:58:03,000 our hope is beyond the grave and our hope is in Christ. 1132 00:58:03,083 --> 00:58:06,417 And for the community groups this week--and if you're not 1133 00:58:06,500 --> 00:58:09,167 in one, we'd love to connect you to one. 1134 00:58:09,208 --> 00:58:12,917 Just a couple things I want you to be discussing this week. 1135 00:58:13,000 --> 00:58:15,667 Do you know anyone that God has healed? 1136 00:58:15,708 --> 00:58:19,458 Part of my story is that God healed my mom, 1137 00:58:19,500 --> 00:58:22,000 and that was the beginning of really my family 1138 00:58:22,083 --> 00:58:23,917 turning to Jesus. 1139 00:58:24,000 --> 00:58:26,750 And my mom got saved, and she started praying for me, 1140 00:58:26,833 --> 00:58:29,250 and my siblings, and my dad, and over time, 1141 00:58:29,333 --> 00:58:30,958 Jesus answered those prayers. 1142 00:58:31,000 --> 00:58:34,042 And it was really a supernatural healing in my mom's life that 1143 00:58:34,125 --> 00:58:38,333 really kick-started a bit of a little revival in our family. 1144 00:58:38,417 --> 00:58:41,208 Number two, who is sick that you can be praying for, 1145 00:58:41,292 --> 00:58:44,667 in the group or people that are connected to those in the group? 1146 00:58:44,708 --> 00:58:46,333 Number three, how does an understanding 1147 00:58:46,375 --> 00:58:48,458 of the resurrection and the kingdom of God 1148 00:58:48,500 --> 00:58:50,458 change your view of death? 1149 00:58:50,500 --> 00:58:54,333 How does it emotionally help you to process sometimes the hardest 1150 00:58:54,417 --> 00:58:56,750 and worst moments of life? 1151 00:58:56,833 --> 00:58:59,417 And number four, what questions do you have about what 1152 00:58:59,500 --> 00:59:01,333 the kingdom of God will be like? 1153 00:59:01,375 --> 00:59:04,625 My little buddy Gideon, he's like, "How old will we be?" 1154 00:59:04,667 --> 00:59:06,750 "I don't know, buddy. That's a good question." 1155 00:59:06,833 --> 00:59:08,833 And he said, "I thought you would know." 1156 00:59:08,917 --> 00:59:11,917 "Sorry," you know, like, "there are some questions, 1157 00:59:12,000 --> 00:59:14,958 "little buddy, that I'm still looking forward to because 1158 00:59:15,000 --> 00:59:16,750 "I don't know all the answers yet, 1159 00:59:16,833 --> 00:59:18,750 but I know it's going to be awesome." 1160 00:59:18,833 --> 00:59:21,458 He asked recently, he's like, "Can we go swimming in heaven?" 1161 00:59:21,500 --> 00:59:23,458 I was like, "I'm pretty sure you can. 1162 00:59:23,500 --> 00:59:24,833 "It's not a sin. 1163 00:59:24,917 --> 00:59:26,250 Yeah, I think you can." 1164 00:59:26,333 --> 00:59:27,667 "Can we play ball?" 1165 00:59:27,708 --> 00:59:29,333 "Yeah, I think you can play ball." 1166 00:59:29,417 --> 00:59:30,750 "Will Jesus play ball?" 1167 00:59:30,833 --> 00:59:32,167 "I'm--okay. 1168 00:59:32,208 --> 00:59:34,750 "If we're picking teams, I'd pick him first. 1169 00:59:34,833 --> 00:59:36,417 I'm sure he'd be good." 1170 00:59:36,500 --> 00:59:39,542 You know, so just start to think about what does it look like 1171 00:59:39,625 --> 00:59:41,042 in the kingdom of God. 1172 00:59:41,125 --> 00:59:43,542 And Father God, thank you for an opportunity as always 1173 00:59:43,625 --> 00:59:46,000 to teach the Bible at Mars Hill Church. 1174 00:59:46,083 --> 00:59:48,833 And Lord God, that the kingdom is something that we get 1175 00:59:48,917 --> 00:59:52,750 glimpses of, and hints of, and intimations toward, 1176 00:59:52,833 --> 00:59:58,833 and hopes regarding, but the Bible says that we see in part. 1177 00:59:58,875 --> 01:00:03,125 But in that day, the day that we see Jesus face to face, 1178 01:00:03,167 --> 01:00:05,792 we'll know as we're fully known. 1179 01:00:05,833 --> 01:00:10,333 Lord God, I thank you so much 1180 01:00:10,417 --> 01:00:14,958 for the forgiveness of sin 1181 01:00:15,000 --> 01:00:17,042 and the healing of the whole person. 1182 01:00:17,125 --> 01:00:20,583 Those who are mentally and emotionally not well, 1183 01:00:20,667 --> 01:00:23,667 there will be full healing for them. 1184 01:00:23,708 --> 01:00:27,583 For those who are physically not well, 1185 01:00:27,667 --> 01:00:30,500 there will be full healing for them. 1186 01:00:30,542 --> 01:00:33,250 For those who are spiritually not well, 1187 01:00:33,333 --> 01:00:36,667 there will be full healing for them. 1188 01:00:36,750 --> 01:00:40,375 Lord Jesus, we thank you that we have these in-breakings 1189 01:00:40,458 --> 01:00:44,792 of the kingdom where we see that you forgive sin, 1190 01:00:44,833 --> 01:00:47,375 where we see that you heal bodies, 1191 01:00:47,458 --> 01:00:50,875 where we see that you raise the dead. 1192 01:00:50,958 --> 01:00:53,083 And Lord Jesus, thank you that, as a result, 1193 01:00:53,167 --> 01:00:58,750 we have hope and assurance that whatever awaits us on 1194 01:00:58,833 --> 01:01:02,250 the other side ultimately, it will be glorious 1195 01:01:02,333 --> 01:01:06,875 because it will be entirely ruled over by you. 1196 01:01:06,958 --> 01:01:10,750 And I pray for my friends and I pray for our church, Lord God, 1197 01:01:10,833 --> 01:01:14,167 that we would be people who live in light of the kingdom 1198 01:01:14,208 --> 01:01:17,917 and the face of Jesus in whose name we pray, amen. 1199 01:01:20,000 --> 01:01:21,458 Pastor Sutton Turner here. 1200 01:01:21,500 --> 01:01:22,875 The sermon just finished 1201 01:01:22,958 --> 01:01:25,833 and you can still play a role at Mars Hill church. 1202 01:01:25,875 --> 01:01:29,833 Whether you're part of one of our local Mars Hill churches, 1203 01:01:29,875 --> 01:01:33,000 or part of our global Mars Hill community, 1204 01:01:33,083 --> 01:01:36,875 if you value this sermon, please consider making a donation 1205 01:01:36,958 --> 01:01:41,333 by visiting marshill.com/give. 1206 01:01:41,417 --> 01:01:44,500 Sermons like this are recorded and streamed for free 1207 01:01:44,542 --> 01:01:47,667 to anyone interested in learning more about Jesus 1208 01:01:47,708 --> 01:01:49,208 and living their faith. 1209 01:01:49,292 --> 01:01:52,667 And I'd like to ask you to support making that happen 1210 01:01:52,708 --> 01:01:56,042 by making a gift, even a small one, to Mars Hill, 1211 01:01:56,125 --> 01:02:00,458 you will help a global family of brothers and sisters in Christ 1212 01:02:00,500 --> 01:02:05,667 that download sermons like this one over 10 million times. 1213 01:02:05,750 --> 01:02:09,792 Your gift also helps plant churches, equip evangelists, 1214 01:02:09,833 --> 01:02:14,167 distribute bibles and study materials all over the world. 1215 01:02:14,250 --> 01:02:17,000 Let's see more materials translated, 1216 01:02:17,083 --> 01:02:20,167 more pastors sent out, more churches planted, 1217 01:02:20,208 --> 01:02:22,667 and more people saved by Jesus Christ.