My Own Resurrection by Francis Chan

father thank you so much for raising our lives up from the dead for giving us life God forgiving us for all of that junk all the sin all the garbage all the things we did that were offensive to you God you you wiped it all out on the cross and he gave us power through the resurrection of Jesus Christ thank you it's in his name we pray amen I said have a seat man it's been a crazy morning just all the energy I love Easter just everyone coming ready to celebrate and I love celebrating his power I don't think we do it enough in church thinking about power it's it's weird how many people don't like this thought of the power of God and in fact it's even offensive to some people how powerful God is but for me I love Easter because we're talking about he has power over the grave I mean the thought of Jesus walking around the earth and making a statement like destroy this temple and I'll raise it up again in three days I guess that's awesome that's just POW words walking around going I'm not scared of anything what he gonna do kill me I'll just come back to life like there's nothing you can do about it and I love that I love the thought of worshiping someone who is that bold that's strong that powerful you guys ever heard of Krav Maga yeah it's like it's like a Israeli you know I don't know what you call it martial arts self to cage fighting type of thing it's basically how to beat people up and Jim and I and worship leader Jim and I we went to the Krav Maga studio here because one of our friends teaches over there he goes just come in come work out with us it's like all right you know and so we're it's weird after just one class it's amazing the confidence you have after one class I seriously believe that I could defend myself against anyone in slow motion seriously seriously if you after service try it just come up to me like this the greatest move for that one but but we're in this in this class right and there's this one point where he's just telling us to punch the bag you know it's just Joe and I he's just punched for 30 seconds straight and I don't know if you ever done that just for 30 seconds straight like you know you feel like you're gonna pass out and and so or buddy you know comes up because no no here let me show you how to do it and he goes you gotta breathe after every hit and he starts punching this bag right I've never seen anyone hit something that hard like it was just you know Jim or a look at Jim and I were looking at you like no way it was just intense cos you know sometimes I've been in different classes before you know like a little you know kung-fu things and and and in my arrogance I always think to myself I think I could take him down you know like you know he's a little but this guy he's twice my size punching this thing so quick and honestly when I left I was depressed no seriously I was just like wow what could I ever do against him like if someone like is just like I'm just gonna buy a gun this is dumb you know but but it's just there's there's nothing I can do just the power and we're driving away and Jim goes he goes hey if we both jumped him no because he goes how long do you think before he'd knock us out and hide Chuck you don't whirly picture if I got his neck and you grab this like I bet you we could last like a minute and Jen and Jim goes I don't think so because I think 15 seconds and so I saw him the next week and I asked him I go hey Jim and I were wondering if we both attacked you and this is the most humble guy you know so I'm thinking is he you know go if we both attacked you like surprised you attacked you how long before both of us would be knocked out and you're just most humble guy goes honestly it would be less than ten seconds man that's so cool and if you saw the way this guy hit you go it would you know was i thinking a minute you know but but he is seriously there was just a point where it was so depressing cuz I just thought there's no chance there's no chance I could train every single day for the rest of my life and he would still kill me it just it's just wouldn't it'll never happen and and I was thinking about that feeling I had of oh man there's nothing I can do and and I realized that is a that is one of the biggest turn offs to Jesus for some people some people hate the thought of someone being able to someone so far beyond them so powerful who can tell you what is right or wrong it doesn't matter and your opinion doesn't matter like it really doesn't there's nothing you can say nothing you can do you hate the thought of Jesus having the gall to say I'm gonna return one day and I will judge everyone on the planet you don't like that you think what gives him the right to judge me what gives him the right to tell me what's right or wrong you're telling me he can create an eternity in heaven and an eternity in hell and he decides that bugs you so much and so you try to recreate and come up with your own God who doesn't have that much power but there's others of us who find great security in his power it's like that was the one saving grace of leaving that studio going yeah but he's my friend you know come on with me beat him up for me you know it's just this whole there's you know why you recognize the power there's this tremendous on fear but then you go away but he's my friend that's a thing with Jesus it's this whole thought of this god of the universe and once you understand that he loves you and you can actually what he tells his disciples he goes I don't call you my slaves I call you my friends and the thought of walking around with a Jesus who says go ahead destroy this body I'll raise it up in three days he says now you have nothing to fear in fact in in John in Revelation 1 remember John the one who one of the disciples who was so in love with Jesus John gets to see Jesus after he rose from the grave after he ascends back into heaven after he's in his glorified form John sees Jesus in Revelation 1 and it says the moment he saw him he goes fires whole face was glowing there's just he says I fell over like a dead man he just took one look at him and he just collapses because he had never seen so much power before and the amazing thing is that Jesus then walks over to John after John collapses and he just touches him and he says this he says fear not because fear not I'm the first and the last on the living one he goes I died and behold I am Alive for evermore and I have the keys of death and Hades he goes John he goes over as John's passed out and he just goes John it's ok it's me Jesus fear not you have nothing to be afraid of remember I'm the one who loves you and I was dead and yea I rose from the grave and it's always freaky to see someone who's come back to life and all of this power he goes but I have power over death over Hades and I love you you have nothing to be afraid of it's such a powerful thought see that's the security that we're supposed to have in Jesus it's not you know it's it always starts with this fear but then you recognize and I can have relationship with him and you guys my prayers that we would all get that see I walk around I love celebrating the power of God it's the power of God that saves me is the power of God that keeps me secure you know and I am NOT here saying you know what I think Jesus rose from the grave because of this fact this fact you guys I I I've been a Christian for about thirty years now and I know that jesus is alive I'm sure of it because every time I talk to him and I ask him for things you should see the answers to prayer no one can tell me that this is coincidence I mean I could I could go through the week and tell you the things I asked for and the way it comes true and you go there's no way this is coincidental you do I tell you thirty years of this where I ask for things and it doesn't just happen but it's it's like gonna blow your mind type of way happening I know that Jesus rose from the grave because I experience him everyday and there's a security I'm just i I there's a side of me is like man I wish I could stick what I believe in you so that you could just understand like like I want to take my mind my heart all of my experience and just throw it in your body as you go so you would just go oh yeah I know I know I know uh it's it's it's so good and some of you guys know what I'm talking about you came here you're ready to worship and celebrate but there's others of you it doesn't matter what I say today it you know sometimes back in the day I used to get so stressed out over Easter thinking well if I say it just right maybe those once-a-year people or you know maybe all the visitors they'll get it and they'll fall in love with him and you realize over the years it's there's nothing you can say you know like some of you have come to me and said hey you know my brother he doesn't have anything to do with God what do I say to him I don't know man I wish I knew I wish you can't change someone's heart so just one verse one wants to look at today it's first Corinthians one verse eighteen which says this it says the word of the Cross is folly to those who are perishing but to us who are being saved it's the power of God the Bible says the word of the Cross there's this whole thing about the cross and Jesus dying on the cross for you for some of you think that is that's ridiculous you're telling me everything I've ever done all the stuff do you know the garbage I've done you're telling me that all of that can be wiped away just by believing that Jesus died on the cross oh just go that's that's ridiculous others of you you'll think it's ridiculous cuz you go you know what I don't need to be forgiven I'm a good person I've done more good than bad I don't think there's you know that God's gonna punish me at then in my life as is dumb that I need someone else to pay for my sins it's foolishness to you but he says to those who are are being safe to those of us who are being saved because it's the power of God see others of you I go man isn't it awesome that God sent his son he died on that cross for you and he paid for all of your sins and you're totally cleansed right now and some of your just going yes you know I remember I remember that day when I got it I remember the day when it clicked and I finally let go when it's a minute I really am forgiven and I really do want to follow this Jesus I do believe he rose from the grave and you really believe that his Holy Spirit will come into you then he does and your life changes and you go man this is the greatest thing that ever happened in my life see the Bible says that this is just gonna happen there'll be people that walk in this room thinking this is the most foolish thing in the world and others that go no this is the greatest thing in the world and this has changed my life and I'm not the one to change it now there is a sense in which God can change they and that's what we pray for in fact some of you who are believers in this room I encourage you to be praying the whole time I'm talking for the people who still think the cross is foolish because guess what there have been people all morning who have come in here thinking that the cross was folly and they walked out believing as the power of God there in people who got baptized you know that walked in here with no thought of it rejecting Jesus rejecting Jesus rejecting Jesus than getting in that water and go no I want Jesus and walking out of here and living in new life it happened to most of us in this room and I'm just praying that it continues to happen today but the truth is is it's weird this one thing the cross people think it's the greatest power on earth and others think it's foolishness it's very little in between it's on Tuesday and my wife my wife leaves you know Lisa the one that's not pregnant over there and and it feels good to say that she is the one that's pregnant but my wife Lisa on Tuesday she made soup for the first time in her life you know and let me say this before I get into her soup I've made fun of her cooking for 16 years and she's actually really good now she's changed so if you don't believe in the power of God just you know it's just it really I mean it's it's a 180 and she's like three four four now like on average but but when when she says she's gonna try something you just don't know and she this first time in life making soup but here's the crazy thing it was really good it was really good like like wow I'm gonna have another Bowl you know like I I really like this you know I've been baking it which always helps you know and everything else is all this stuff but but what was weird was I'm sitting the table going honey you nailed it this is so good my kids however hated it like like they couldn't stand like they just thought like why are you doing this to us and and you know my five-year-old Ellie is looking at my four year olds econ Z do this and she blows her head back you know and so it just drips to the back of her mouth and then drinks her punch and was explaining how to choke it down and it was just such a you know it's weird you're at the one table and here's you know that we're eating the same food I'm loving it they're choking it down and and to me that's exactly what this verse is saying you know it's it's Easter Sunday and some of you couldn't wait to get in this room because you just want to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ yo this is the greatest thing I've been experiencing his power all week all year he saved me he rose from the grave his spirits in me and you just want to come in here and celebrate this and others you were forced to come here and you're choking it down and you're just going when's this thing gonna get over this church thing you guys do every week and and it's like wow it's it's exactly like this passage says the word of the Cross is gonna be foolishness to some of you and then to us who are being saved we're going this is the greatest thing ever we're forgiven and one day Jesus is gonna come back and he's taking us with him to be with him forever and the security of singing songs like if my god is for us then who could ever stop us you know if our God is for us who who can stand against there's nothing anyone can do to me it's like okay big deal you're gonna kill me yeah you know it's like he'll just raise me up again there's there's nothing to fear that's it's an amazing power and it's real it's not make-believe it's not wishful thinking it's not some self-help thing I'm telling you there's a real power that changes you the power of the Holy Spirit as it comes into your life some of you guys were addicted for two things for years and then God came into you and the power you had to overcome whether it's anger hatred some sort of a addiction whatever it was amazing what God can do and I and we all we just want everyone to get that yet the reality is is some won't and and I think part of it too is this idea of surrender see Jesus says deny yourself pick up your cross and follow me this this foolishness is because Jesus says look here's what I want you to do you want to follow me he says then deny yourself some of you guys here that you command that's foolishness that's folly are you kidding deny myself okay so I have all these desires I have all of these dreams of all these ones and you're saying deny all of that I mean and even to the point where you'd pick up a cross and get crucified next to him deny yourself pick up your cross and just to get Jesus I mean do you know the girl I'm with and you're telling me to let go of that for Jesus do you know that thrill I get out of this drug or or this money or this or and you know all of these things and you're saying okay just deny yourself of all of that for Jesus you think that's so dumb because how is he worth it and then there's other of us to go yeah that's the power of God that's the greatest that's a great opportunity in my life the Bible says you know that those who that who get the kingdom of heaven it's like a guy who found this treasure in a field that's so valuable it says that with great joy he goes and sells everything he has so he can get that field he goes man I found a treasure so great you can have everything I own I'd gladly give you everything I own if I can have that and the Bible says that those who get it will see Jesus is so valuable they'll go take everything I own I gotta have him that is the greatest deal on earth and yet others will say that's foolishness I would never deny him I would never deny myself I should say what I mean by this power saw him get a little ahead of myself but okay two weeks ago two weeks ago I was in Brooklyn okay I have I've been gone the last couple weeks two weeks ago I was speaking of this church in Brooklyn downtown Brooklyn it's just great right in the middle of a city about 10,000 people in this in this church just going nuts right and but right before I spoke this couple got up that was from the church and they were missionaries in the Middle East and they were just coming back for a visit and they start telling this story about how two years ago someone sent a package to their house that smiley faces it was like some sort of celebration package but it was a bomb and by the grace of God this couple was not home but their 16-year old was and the 16 year old open up this package and just blew him clear cloth across the room just broke all these bones in his bodies his face everything just scarred burned they thought for sure he was gonna die somehow lives through it somehow survives it and he's still undergoing a bunch of plastic surgeries it's been two years but now he's walking again he can see and hear and and he's moving around he's still got a lot of plastic surgery to go but three months ago they caught the guy they found the guy who sent the bomb and arrested him and the dad's up there talking about it and out of his Bible he pulls out a picture he goes this is the guy he sticks it back in his Bible because I keep that picture in my Bible because I pray for him every day I love this man Wow because it just reminds me to pray for him every day he goes my son my son after this guy got arrested did some research on this guy and found out that he had four kids he says that broke his heart he came to me as a dad is there any way we can support his kids see that's a type of power I'm talking about the power of Jesus who standing who was nailed to a cross and saying Father forgive them they don't they don't get it they need to know you it's a power that causes this man to be praying for the guy that almost killed him and his kids you know and then then I get this email this week from another guy who was at that church in Brooklyn when I was speaking and this is actually from his pastor because he ran into his pastor in the subway this one day and so he typed his email to his pastor it's right after I spoke and and something weird happened after he saw his pastor he goes that night I met you in the subway and then I got mugged by three guys at gunpoint they stole my money Metro cards phone laptop my wallet was actually empty but when searching through it they found my debit cards and made me pull money off of it from an ATM as we were heading there I was hoping for a chance to share the gospel with them and so one of the muggers came in with me by himself and we were at the ATM machine I got a chance to share a little bit of the gospel with him I told him that whatever the turnout for me was that night that I do forgive him and his friends for what they've done I wanted to make sure he knew that I then asked him if he believed there was an even greater forgiveness in Jesus Christ but he was rather unresponsive he seemed to be taken back by what I was saying nevertheless he hasn't hesitatingly responded that he did but we were interrupted at that point by his friend the main aggressor who came in to make sure I was getting as much money out of the account as I could I didn't get to continue the conversation with him but one thing I did notice while I was being held-up was a sense of peace and calm I'd been mugged before in high school and each time I was terrified but not that night I also had a sense of regret that I didn't get to share more of the gospel with all of them but I was reminded by Francis Chan's message from that chronicles passage that the intention of the heart is what God sees not necessarily whether or not we think we have succeeded in any case I do hope they go through my laptop as there's a lot of Christian material on there and I hope it'll change their lives you know that that's man that's the power I'm talking about okay it's it's just this what are you gonna do you know you're a mugging me and just a total piece going look I don't know if you guys are gonna kill me or what I just want you know I forgive you that's power that's serious power to say that and I want you guys to know that you can be forgiven of by someone greater than me who cares if I forgive you God could forgive you of this okay when you get home read my laptop open it up you know and it's just it's it's that same piece of Jesus walking around going kill me well I don't care let's raise myself up from the dead then I can walk around and go on and go ahead do what you want I mean I'm with Jesus the Spirit is in me and all of those things that I've done they've been washed clean cuz I know I've offended God I've know I know I've done things that he absolutely hates and I know he can punish me as severely as he wants to and I'm no saying that he's God then when you recognize that he'll forgive you it's just a turning point in your life there's tremendous power there and I just want everyone to have that that's one throw one more thought at you last couple weeks it just seems like I've been running all sorts of people total strangers I just engage in conversation with them and it's weird people just breaking down and crying they don't even know that I'm a pastor they just start talkin about their lives and they're just losing it and I feel almost like a broken record because I've been saying almost the same thing to each person and I believe it's the message of the Lord's given me for them I I I tell them about the rich young ruler I remember the story of the rich young ruler that's the guy that had everything he comes to Jesus goes hey I wanna go I'm going to heaven right I obeyed all these comin and Jesus says you know what sell everything you have and give it to the poor you talkin about he goes away sad and then Jesus looks at his disciples and he says it's so hard for those who are rich to enter Heaven he said it'd be easier to get a camel to enter through the eye of a needle than to get a rich person to go to heaven because you know with with with men it's impossible with God it's possible it's possible for rich person to go to but but there's something about the riches that's why the song in Proverbs um's I proverbs 30 you know he says you know what God don't let me get too rich because when I get too rich I just forget about you everything's easy and I've been telling people I go you know you may look back at this point in your life because for many people this last year has been the most miserable of your life some of it is like the financial strain causes tension and relationships and and and it's weird things that are already on edge you're already vulnerable and this just makes everything explode you say things you regret you do things you regret you know some of you you know just out of like frustration you just pursue pleasure in other ways you just feel like you're going nuts and then there's regular life and then there's just things that go on where people you lose people you love people that you just can't imagine going on life with that and and then people are telling me there's stories left and right and I'm just going you know but there could it could be it could be that one day you'll look back at this miserable time and understand that it was the grace of God because the truth is is you were not thinking about God at all when everything's going well it's very easy to just continue on in life oh I'm rich I'm taking care of everyone healthy you go on and on and then you die one day never really thinking about God and then you'll regret that but it could be the grace of God they let you go through some trials this year so do you recognize I've got no control I can't fix this and you start wondering what really matters and you start going if this is all life is this makes no sense because things happen that don't seem fair and you start going okay wait if this is all there is nothing makes sense and something in you tells you you're not just some random accident but you know there's something more and you start searching it's it's almost like that weakness that pain that many of us it was during those difficult times that suddenly you thought you know what there's got to be more to life and it's when you found God and it changed you and now going back many of us would say I'd never want to go through that again the pain but you also go and that was the best time of my life because that's when I found God I've talked to guys in prison who say man I'm glad I'm in there because I would never have thought of God till I came down here and I started thinking now that I'm here I this is all that matters to me and I'm just wondering if some of you it's not the grace of God that he's brought you to this point of this pain this lack of control Navion towards the end of your life that one day you'll look back at this and you'll be thanking God in heaven thank you for taking me through that pain because normally I didn't think of you and when life was easy I just forgot about you look I don't know what's going on in your life I just know for a lot of people they have not been serious about God they haven't thought about him they haven't lived for him and I know Easter too is one of those times where and this for somebody that's the only time you show up and and some of you may claim you know I had this this one kid in my eyes and my teaching my teach his preaching class at the college and he started off his message this week he goes man this morning I got hit a semi-truck I went flying like 20 feet and we're looking at him what like it doesn't make sense because no I'm just kidding well what's your point and and he goes he goes it's because there's so many people his point was this a really good point because there's so many people who say I'm a Christian the Holy Spirit came into me and you're looking at them going but you're no different how could you have been hit by the Holy Spirit how could you have really come to a relationship with Jesus you know people like that it's like know if you were hit by a truck you would look a lot different okay and in the same way his point was know if God was really in your life and you decide to follow him your life would be a lot different and I think we fall and some of you have seen people like that and it's turned you off to the church you go oh if this person calls himself a Christian I don't see anything different in him in fact I think he's worse and living a life worse than me and you're right there are a lot of people like that but that doesn't discount the truth that there are those of us who have experienced God and he has changed everything I'm telling you yeah there's a side of me that just wants to beg you to just surrender to Jesus I know some of you came in this room you thought I would never follow that Jesus because maybe someone was a Christian really hurt you badly or called themselves a Christian hurts you really badly I'm telling you we're gonna screw up and there are many people who claim the name of Christ and don't follow him but I'm telling you there are those of us who have experienced him for real and there is nothing like being associated with that kind of power there's nothing like the security we have of walking around going it's nothing you can do to me I don't care if I lose everything there's nothing I fear anymore take it all away I know what life is all about and I've experienced him enough and no one can take that faith away from me and if that's you maybe God brought you here for a reason and and we're gonna we're gonna have the worship team come up and they're gonna sing a song called Almighty Jesus it's a song that talks about bowing before Jesus which I know again some of you hate that thought of bowing to anyone because you want to believe that it's all about you and there's no one that can tell you right from wrong and no one that can judge you and I'm saying no when you bow to him changes everything and during this time this may be crazy but maybe God is calling some of you to give your life to Him now and decide to follow him now to be forgiving of everything from the past to have a spirit come into you and live a whole different life and if that's you Jesus says you repent you turn from that old life get baptized and be filled with the spirit getting baptized it means making a fool of yourself it means walking into this this whenever you call it tub of water immersing yourself and saying I am done with that old life I'm done just like Jesus died I'm done and I want to rise again just like he rose from the grave and I want that resurrected Christ I want his spirit to come into me and I want to start living for him now I want this security before God and if that's you we would love to baptize you this morning and so anytime during this song were or the next song there'll be some pastors and leaders up here by the prayer room just to pray with you you may have some questions you may have all sorts of things just come pray with someone but it also could be the day you're supposed to get baptized and give your life to Jesus in front of all of us and maybe you came in here with no intention of that and you're thinking in your mind just get in that whole tub of water and yeah go home wet get your car wet make a fool of yourself but have it be a turning point your life going you know I don't really care what anyone else thinks any more I want this relationship with Jesus I have not been right with him my whole life and I want that peace that you have the peace that John had the peace where Jesus says fear not you're my friend now I love you and I'm gonna spend eternity with you so during any time just come up and pray with you

Channel: SermonIndex.net

Views: 45,244

Rating: 4.8811879 out of 5

Keywords: Francis, Chan, Revival, Repent, God, Sermons, Jesus, SermonIndex

Id: VNu_gc8eEiQ

Length: 33min 18sec (1998 seconds)

Published: Sat May 22 2010