This sermon emphasizes the power of God, particularly focusing on the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the transformative impact it can have on individuals. It delves into the concept of surrendering to Jesus, highlighting the contrast between those who find the power of God compelling and those who struggle with the idea of surrender and judgment. The speaker shares personal stories and biblical references to illustrate the profound change that comes with accepting Jesus and experiencing His forgiveness and love.

Father, thank you so much For raising our lives up from the dead For giving us life god forgiving us all of that junk All the sin all the garbage all the things we did that were offensive to you god You wiped it all out on the cross And you gave us power through the resurrection of jesus christ Thank you. It's in his name. We pray amen Let's have a seat All right Man it's been a crazy morning just all the energy. I love easter just uh, everyone coming ready to celebrate and I love celebrating his power. I don't think we do it enough in church Uh 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 Like that's that's awesome. That's his power. It's walking around going. I'm not scared of anything. What are you 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 strong that powerful? um You guys ever heard of krav maga? Yeah, it's like uh, it's like a Israeli, you know, I don't know what you call it martial arts self-cage fighting type of thing. It's basically how to beat people up and um Jim and I worship lady jim and I we went uh to the krav maga studio out here because one of our friends Uh 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 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. Um, 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 jim 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 uh, and so our buddy, you know comes up he goes No, 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 jim and I are looking at each other like no way it was just intense because you know sometimes i've been in different classes before, you know, like little you know kung fu things and uh, 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 what could I ever do against him? Like if someone like I didn't 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 uh And I go well if I jump, you know, we're like picturing if I got his neck and you grab this Like I bet you we could last like a minute and jim jim goes. I see. I don't think so because I think 15 seconds and uh, so I saw him the next week and I asked him I go hey, uh Jim and I were wondering If If we both attacked you and this is the most humble guy, you know, so i'm thinking is he you know I'll go if we both attacked you like surprised you and 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 10 seconds Like man, that's so cool And and if you saw the way this guy hits you go it would be you know, what was I thinking a minute, you know but but you I I seriously there was just a point where it was so depressing because 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 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 turnoffs 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 he? 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 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 then 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, hey, come on with me beat him up for me. You know, it's just this whole There's you know while you recognize the power there's this tremendous awe and fear but then you go wait, but he's my friend That's the thing with jesus. It's this whole thought of this god of the universe once you understand that he loves you And you can actually what he he tells his disciples he goes I don't call you my slaves I call you my friends In 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 uh in john in in a revelation one remember john the one who one of the disciples 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 one and it says the moment he saw him he goes man His eyes were like fire. His whole face was glowing. It's just he says I fell over like a dead man He just took one look at him and he just collapses because he'd 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 He goes fear not i'm the first and the last i'm the living one He goes I died and behold. I am alive forever more and I have the keys of death and hades He goes john He goes over as john's passed out and he just says john It's okay. 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 yeah I rose from the grave and it's always freaky to see someone who's come back to life In 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 And 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 prayer is 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 It's the power of god that keeps me secure And I am not here saying, you know, I think jesus rose from the grave because of this fact this fact you guys I've been a christian for about 30 years now And I know that jesus is alive I'm sure of it Because every time I talk to him When I ask him for things You should see the answers to prayer No one can tell me that this is coincidence man, I could I could go through the week and tell you the things I ask for and the way it comes true and you go There is no way this is coincidental and you I tell you 30 years of this Where I ask for things and it doesn't just happen, but it's it's like in a blow your mind type of way happening I know that jesus rose from the grave because I experience him every day and there's a security. I'm just I I There's a sign of me. It's 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 So 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's it 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 I wish I knew I wish you can't change someone's heart So there's just one verse I want us to look at today. It's first corinthians 1 verse 18, 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 So 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 So you're telling me everything i've ever done all this 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 You just go that's that's ridiculous Others of you you'll think it's ridiculous because 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 the end of my life I was just 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 saved to those of us who are being saved he goes 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 you're just going yes You know, I remember I remember that day when I got it I remember the day when it clicked and and I finally let go and said man 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 and 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 going to 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 that now. There is a a sense in which god can change that 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 are people who got baptized, you know that walked in here with no thought of it Rejecting jesus rejecting jesus rejecting jesus then getting in that water and go. No I want jesus and walking out of here and living a 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 a on tuesday my wife, uh, my wife lisa, you know, lisa the one that's not pregnant over there and uh, And it feels good to say that she is the one that's pregnant. But um, My wife lisa on tuesday. She made soup for the first time in her life um You know and let me say this before I get into her soup. Um, 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 for four now like on on average but uh, 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 I I really like this You know, I'd be bacon in it, which always helps, you know, and everything else is all this stuff But but what was weird was i'm sitting at 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 my five-year-old ellie is looking at my four-year-old zeke going Zeke do this and she pulls her head back and goes You know, and so it just drips to the back of her mouth and then drinks her punch And uh 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, we're eating the same food. I'm loving it They're choking it down and uh, 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 wanted to celebrate the resurrection Of jesus christ, you know, this is the greatest thing. I've been experiencing his power all week all year He saved me He rose from the grave his spirit's in me and you just want to come in here and celebrate this And others you're forced to come here and you're choking it down And uh, you're just going when's this thing going to 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 going to 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 going to come back And he's taking us with him to be with him forever In 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 It'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 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 uh, yet the reality is is some won't and and uh, 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 And some of you guys hear that you go man, that's foolishness that's folly are you kidding me deny myself Okay, so I have all these desires. I have all of these dreams. I have all of these wants and you're saying deny all of that And and even to the point where you pick up a cross and get crucified next to him Deny yourself pick up your cross and just to get jesus I 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 the 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 that go, you know That's the power of god. That's the greatest. That's the greatest opportunity in my life The bible says, you know 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 as 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 Sorry, i'm getting a little ahead of myself, but Okay, two weeks ago Two weeks ago. I was in brooklyn. Okay. Remember i've been gone the last couple weeks two weeks ago I was speaking at this church in brooklyn downtown brooklyn. It's just great right in the middle of 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 Had 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 opened up this package And just blew them clear across the room Just broke all these bones in his body his face everything just scarred burned they thought for sure he was going to 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 He goes I keep that picture in my bible because I pray for him every day I love this man. It's like 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 And he says that broke his heart. He came to me and said dad. Is there any way we can support his kids? See that's the type of power i'm talking about The power of Jesus who's standing who's nailed to a cross And saying father forgive them. They don't they don't get it. They need to know you It's the 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 uh This is actually from his pastor because he ran into his pastor in the subway this one day And so he types his email to his pastor. It's right after I spoke and uh, 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 Uh 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 but 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 mugging me and just a total peace 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 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 No, I don't care. I just raised myself up from the dead That I can walk around and go on go ahead Do what you want. I mean I'm with jesus His spirit is in me And all of those things that i've done They've been washed clean because I know i've offended god I've no 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've no say in that. He's god But then when you recognize that he'll forgive you It's just a turning point in your life And there's tremendous power there and I just want everyone to have that I just want to 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 talking 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 that 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 He goes. Hey, I want to i'm going to heaven, right? I obeyed all these commit and jesus says, you know what sell everything you have and give it to the poor And the guy's like what are you talking 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 says 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 And he says, you know with with with men it's impossible with god it's possible It's possible for rich person to go to heaven, but but there's something about the riches Yeah, that's why the psalm in proverbs. I'm sorry 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 in 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 taken care of everyone's 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 that he let you go through some trials this year so that 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 Man, 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 And even 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 it's for somebody that's the only time you show up and and some of you may claim, you know I had this uh, this one kid in my uh, my teaching my my teacher's preaching class at the college And he started off his message this week he goes man this morning I got hit by a semi truck I went flying like 20 feet And we're looking at him What? Like it doesn't make sense. He goes no i'm just kidding Well, what's your point and and he goes he goes it's He goes there's so many people his point was this is 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 no if you were hit by a truck you would look a lot different. Okay And in the same way his point was no If god was really in your life and you decide to follow him your life would be a lot different And I think we've all and some of you have seen people like that and it's turned you off to the church You go 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've experienced god and he has changed everything I'm telling you You know, 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 who was a christian really hurt you badly or call themselves a christian Hurt 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's nothing like being associated with that kind of power. There's nothing like the security. We have of walking around going There's nothing you can do to me I don't care if I lose everything There's nothing my 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 uh, 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's calling some of you to give your life to him now and decide to follow him now To be forgiven 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 whatever 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 the security before god and if that's you we would love to baptize you this morning and uh, so anytime during this song or 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 I'm, 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 in your life going, you know, I don't really care what anyone else thinks anymore 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 fear not You're my friend now. I love you, and i'm going to spend eternity with you So during any time just come up and pray with someone