Michael Koulianos emphasizes the centrality of the crucified Christ in the Christian faith, urging believers to focus solely on Jesus and His sacrifice rather than on personal ambitions or cultural influences. He discusses the importance of humility and the necessity of carrying one's cross daily, highlighting that true revival comes from a deep relationship with Jesus rather than from seeking influence or popularity. Koulianos also reflects on the significance of understanding the Scriptures through the lens of the crucifixion, asserting that the narrative of the Bible is ultimately about the Lamb who was slain. He calls for a return to the core of the gospel, which is the death and resurrection of Jesus, and encourages believers to live a life of yieldedness to Him.

I want you to take your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 2. I want you to mark, I want to just keep verses 1 and 2 there before your eyes. And before I start, I want to give a... I'm sitting because it actually keeps me from pushing my voice. Court, you probably didn't know that. Miss Musical Theory, you didn't know that. Part of the challenge of... I think I'm good for now, Joel. Part of the challenge of leading or pastoring, serving God's people today, leadership on any level is walking the tightrope between calling out sin and not missing the plank in your own eye and allowing the Lord to minister through you with grace and truth which only comes through the person of Jesus. But I feel like to not address certain things would just cause them to fester and grow. And there are certain giants that need their head cut off. And when the Lord starts to decapitate giants through your life, you're signing up to be misunderstood which is part of the cross. Misunderstanding is possibly one of the most painful things you can walk through when your intentions are pure and people you love don't see it that way. That's a very difficult journey. You sign up for that when you become a believer. The celebrity thing is being pulverized now by the Lord, not principalities. By the Lord. Building church for the sake of people alone is being pulverized by the Lord. The only way to really reach people is to get Jesus into the room and keep him. Martha brought him in, but only Mary kept him. And interestingly enough, when Jesus has his first conversation to raise Lazarus from the dead, in some ways it turns into a theological conversation with Martha. She's first to meet him. And she wants to talk about the resurrection. Her heart seemed to be a bit more topical, but she certainly understood what it meant to volunteer in church. There's an old saying, when Jesus wants your love, don't bring him a sandwich. Just love him. But for the resurrection power to flow, Jesus turns the page. He has this convo with Martha, and they discuss the resurrection to come. And then he says, where's Mary? In other words, I need to get this man out of the grave. Find me somebody who loves me. So, all of these things, these idols, I love the choir piece last Sunday night, if you didn't watch it. It had this verse. Cast down every idol. We're desperate for revival. We throw our crowns in the dust. And I think that part of the reason that there's been such a mixture, and a diluting of who and what the church should be, is because in many cases we've removed the slug, as my friend Dave Papavisi says, the slug in the shell that we call the gospel. And that slug would be the crucified life. I'm sure there are people here from multiple backgrounds. I'm not going to sit the whole time. I cannot do it. I did good for six minutes. I'm sure many of you are here from multiple backgrounds. Many of you come from what I guess you would call revival culture, whatever that means. I'm not sure we even know anymore. But I've said this many times to our team. We just came off a prayer retreat for three days. It was wonderful. The Lord moved so powerfully the last night. But the emblem, the centerpiece of our faith, is not a portal or a feather. I've seen them. So don't misunderstand what I'm saying. The crux of our faith is not activation, though I believe in activation. And what I need you to do today is sit maturely and actually hear what I'm saying. Don't, on my behalf, throw the baby out with the bathwater. The crux of our faith is not mobilizing. Here's another one that has to die. This idol of influence. Influence has been deified in certain circles. So we raise the people who can influence Gen Z, for instance, but not influence the throne room. Or move the heart of the Father. But we can move people on social media. Unto what? What are we moving them toward and to? Attendance? Budget? I don't know. But remember this. If it's not about Jesus, listen to me clearly. If you're going to get one thing this morning. If it's not about Jesus, it must be about something else. Has to be. By default, if it's not about Him, it must be about something else. The temptation to include Him into something else is proof we don't see Him rightly. Because He who is all cannot be part of. Does that make sense? I wasn't in advanced math, but that one I understand. If He's all, He cannot be part of. Make sense? So, that being the case, He doesn't need any help from us to make Him famous. He's really famous. Already. The date bears witness to His life. He's famous. Right? He has Christmas. He's doing fine. So He doesn't need our compromise in an attempt to supposedly make Him famous. What He wants is us. Yieldedness is much more holy to Him than fleshly ambition in His name. I swear I love you. I'm not trying to slap you around. But I'm going to see you at the throne one day and give an account. And it's a very sobering thought to me. So I want to read Paul's words here. And I want you to listen to the language. We are entering Holy Week. And one of the things I like to do over these next few days is meditate on the Passion. And to meditate on the Scriptures, it's the combination of adoration and prayer mingled with the beautiful, holy reading of Scripture. Until the eyes of your heart open. Until it becomes yours. The prophet said in the Old Covenant, I will wait and see what the Lord has to say. And Jesus said, Blessed are the pure in heart. They will see the Lord. It's almost a forgotten, holy art form in the church to meditate on the Scriptures in an atmosphere of prayer and worship. I want you to, with the eyes of your heart, receive Paul's words here. Because they are loaded and life-changing. 1 Corinthians 2 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom, declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined. I want you to underline that, circle it, and highlight it with your Christian bookstore utensil there. I determined. Another word there is purposed. The Amplified says, made the decision. So the will is involved here. I purposed. I have determined. Have you ever met a determined person? For those of you who haven't, let me help you. Let me say that another way. Have you ever argued with your spouse? Okay. You have discovered the power of determination. One is right and the other is wrong. Typically they're wrong, right? Okay. That's what determination looks like. I have determined. Listen to the language. Not to know anything. Anything among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. This is coming from a man who memorized the Torah. Trained by Gamaliel. An amazing, Paul in and of himself, an amazing philosopher. A very cultured man. A Pharisee. Understood the Feast of Israel. As I said, memorized the text. Where did all of that lead him? To kill the beloved of God. Paul says here, I don't just know Jesus. I have determined to know nothing but Jesus. That means he has allowed the Holy Spirit to take the scalpel of addition. To his life and heart. Until all that is left is this. I have nothing to say to you. But Christ and him crucified. We want the Lord to add to us and he does. But oftentimes the Lord is reducing. Until we're left with one thing. Some of you in that season now. The Lord is just reducing, reducing, reducing, reducing. Until you're left with a pearl. Because he's all. But Paul doesn't say, I preach Jesus to you alone. He says, I purpose to know nothing among you. But Christ and him crucified. That means that a Jesus who has not been crucified is New Age philosophy. And a cross with no Jesus is dead religion. It's got to be both. I've heard people say, I preach the cross, I preach the cross. And I don't hear the name of Jesus. I say, you're missing the point. You're creating culture that's based on what not to do. And it doesn't work. Try it. Try getting free by trying not to be in sin. It doesn't work. You get free by rejecting the sin and turning to Jesus. That's biblical repentance. So in the early church when they had a vision of the Lord. One of the fathers would see the Lord. Or somebody in the church, in the patristic era of the church would see the Lord. The first question they would ask is, did he have holes? Did you see the wounds? No, it wasn't him. Listen clearly. In other words, if he's not crucified, we're not interested. We don't know that one. We don't recognize him. That's an angel of light. The cross, listen, the crucified Christ, the cross is not so much something he did. Though it is. It's who he is. It's got to go deeper than this mere emergency ascension on a tree to set you free. Because if it's not, listen carefully. If he did something that he is not internally, he is not true. I'm going to say that again. If he does stuff that he is not on the inside, he is not completely true. Jesus only does what he really is. Is this making sense? Too much on a Sunday morning? Alright. I'm trying. I'm trying. I'm not allowed to preach. I can only teach. Doctor's orders. The crucified life is not a chapter in the life and nature of Jesus. Now some of you from a kingdom background, which too has been blurred by the way, because the way to further the kingdom is not to talk about kingdom topics. The way to further the kingdom is to preach the king and live in yieldedness to the king. And then he takes domain. But the way to spread the kingdom is not by starting all these conversations about, I don't know how free I can be because we are live. You don't further the kingdom by spending your whole life talking about this ethereal kingdom and never mentioning Jesus. That's how you get swirly and wonky and it ruins songwriting. It destroys songwriting. It crushes the heart of priestly ministry. Because it leaves him out of it. And we start writing songs about how we're doing. And God goes, I know how you're doing. I'm well aware of how you're doing. Sing to me. Another thing that's being revealed now under the light of God is there's a big difference between a professing Christian artist and a worship leader. A big difference. Because the Christian world is a massive genre. And even unbelievers are figuring that out. I won't go any further. And the missing hub in the wheel is Christ crucified. There's a woman, Madame Guillaume, she said this. The cross gives me God and then I discovered God gives me a cross. And so what we've done is we've said the cross is part of the journey. And this is the only time you carry it. When you come down to the altar and repeat a prayer. So you run down, you repeat the prayer, you get through that cross thing. And then you just shoot through into resurrected life and now you can do whatever you want to do. In the name of Jesus, of course, who still has wounds. Which is proof the cross matters today. Why do you think when he ascended and lifted his hands in Acts chapter 1. And blessed the company of God, the newborn church. Why did he do that? He was reminding them, I am flying and I'm glorified. Yes, amen. But don't forget, there are holes in my body. Never forget the tree. Does this make sense to you? What I want to submit to you today. Is that the cross is not a one-stop shop. But the wooden cross is the very uniform of the believer. That qualifies you to even join the procession of the Christ our King who is walking ahead of us. He said, if any man desire to come after me. That's the Christian life by the way. We call that next level intense Christianity. But Jesus is calling it in that context. This is step one. You can't even join this thing that I have birthed called the church. If you don't first deny yourself and take up your cross. So if you were to picture this massive parade. That we would call the agenda of God. That is set on glorifying King Jesus. The father is obsessed with his son. And the son is such a yielded son that one day everything will be under his feet. And out of his yieldedness, imagine this, he will give it back to the father. That used to bother me a lot. Like why would you go through all that and just give it away. Because that's what yielded sons do. It's his nature. He's always been the one who gives his life away. Remember the scripture says Jesus was crucified before the foundations of the world. Where? In the heart of God. Therefore that's who he is. Are you getting it? So Christ Jesus out front carrying the tree. He says to his disciples, if any man desire to come after me. If you want to follow me. You have to wear what I'm wearing. Wood. I know this is heavy, but this is Christianity. And I think that's part of what I want to push back against. The other stuff is not our faith. It might sound good. But it is not the hub and the wheel. The centerpiece of our faith is this wounded one nailed to a tree. Risen? Of course risen. Of course he's risen. But you don't get to be raised unless you die. So to follow Jesus. You say no to Michael. I have to say no Michael. Yes Jesus. Daily. That's the whole pulse of the cross. The entirety of the pulse of the cross is no Michael. Yes Jesus. No Michael. Yes Jesus. But all that will be left at the end will be Jesus. That's the point. It's the point of this whole thing. In a Christian wedding. The wife loses her name. And gains the name of the husband. Paul compared the Christian wedding experience. The marriage experience. To the great mystery of Jesus and his bride. The whole point is to lose you. And gain him. And if what I'm saying. It sounds a little foreign. It's not the gospel's fault. It's culture's fault. In the house of God. Okay. So take your Bibles to Luke 24. Is this alright? Luke 24, 13. We call this the road to Emmaus account. Before we read it. I have to build this foundation in your heart. You have the apostle who writes half of the New Testament. Over half. Saying this. I purpose to know nothing among you but Christ. And I'm crucified. He's writing that to the Corinthian church. Who is doused with spiritual gifts. That is proof. That if you walk in the crucified life. You will have no lack of spiritual activity. The activity of the spirit. But to hear those words from a man like Paul. Who could have talked about so much. Because he had so much in him. That is very telling. Like we actually. The set list comes my way. Every service from the worship team. Because I'm invested in their personal lives and lives. But also I want to know that we are singing Bible. Because it matters. To us they are just a song. But listen. Don't miss this. There is something glorious. That is much deeper than just choosing a song. Jesus said if we touch anything. He would do it. Songs are prayers to heavenly melodies. That is what they should be. Choosing the right song in the right moment. Is to get the entire room to touch one thing. And God starts moving. Does that make sense? And God is not afraid of repetitious songs. Worthy is the lamb is on repeat in the throne room. Does that make sense to you? So you want to have this without being controlling in your own heart. You want to begin. Listen. As God's people begin stewarding what you are listening to. Change the game. Change the taste buds. Push back on this Leviathan. Don't choose with your eyes. Don't choose because it is a good savvy video. Close your eyes and choose based on the moisture it brings to your heart. Is there rain on it? Is the Lord carrying it? Is the Holy Spirit endorsing it? Is it about Jesus? Is it Christ exalting? If not. If not. Look. You are powerful people. Who God has given a free will to. Push back. Determine what the church will listen to and receive. Is this making sense? Okay. Luke 24. Verse 13. Now behold, two of them were traveling the same day to a village called Emmaus. And the word Emmaus means, it can mean hot spring or place of salvation. So if you bring the two together, you could say hot spring of salvation. Say this out loud. I am on the road to Emmaus. We all are. We are all continually, daily seeing our salvation worked out. Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. Not too far. Like Lake Mary to Longwood. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was while they conversed and reasoned that Jesus himself drew near and went with them. Listen to me. He hears your conversations. And our conversations can draw him close or reject him. Choose wisely. Choose wisely. Choose who you spend your time with and what you talk about. Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, they were blinded, so that they did not know him. And he said to them, What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad? Okay. How many of you believe that Jesus asked that question because he didn't know the answer? Okay. This is a great tip. When the Lord asks you a question, it's never because he doesn't know. It's because he wants you to know. And here we see his sense of humor. I love this about him actually. Verse 18. Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to him, Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem? Have you not known the things which happened here these days? Okay. Side note. Without the indwelling of the Spirit, humanity actually has the audacity to ask Jesus if he knows a man named Jesus. That's basically what they're doing. Like, where have you been? There was a guy named Jesus. They're telling this to Jesus. There was a guy named Jesus who died on a cross. You'll see in a moment. But that's how dumb we are outside the presence. The presence of Jesus, the presence of the Spirit is not a side issue. You would be shocked. Maybe some of you are not so shocked now. At how stupid humanity can be outside the presence of the Lord. Look at Adam and Eve. That caused a big problem. Let's keep reading. Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem? And have you not known the things which happened there these days? And he said to them, What things? Don't you love him? I love everything about him. I love that he messes with us like that. I just think it's beautiful. So they said to him, The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth. They're saying this to Jesus of Nazareth. Who was a prophet. Mighty indeed. Is that true or not? Yeah, it's true. And word before God and people. Is that true? Was he powerful in word? Yeah, great preacher, great prophet. For sure. Verse 20. And how the chief priests and rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we were hoping that it was he who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. Hmm. And certain women of our company who arrived at the tomb early astonished us. I'm breaking a church growth rule here by reading you more than six scriptures in a row. And when they did not find his body, They came saying that they who had also seen a vision of angels said he was alive. And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said. But him they did not see. Oh, here it comes. Then he said to them, Oh, foolish ones. In other words, you're a fool. That's what it says. And slow of heart to believe. And all the prophets have spoken. Let me stop there. What they said to him wasn't untrue. It was just incomplete. There's this Jesus, a mighty prophet. And mighty in word. And he's like, yeah. True, but you're missing the point. To see Jesus rightly, You have to see him more fully. The Shulamites said, rightly do they love you. There is a right way to walk in intimacy with Jesus. Does this make sense to you? An incomplete teaching of Christ Jesus, where we cherry pick his nature, And leave out the crux of the issue, Is to preach a different Jesus. So now I want you to see how Jesus responds. Don't miss this. And where he starts. This is vital. Because if it's his starting point, it must be the church's starting point. Would you say amen to that? Do you believe that? Okay. Okay. Oh foolish ones, verse 25. And slow of heart to believe in all the prophets have spoken. Ought not the Christ who have suffered these things and enter into his glory. Let's look at verse 27. And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded to them in all the scriptures, The things concerning himself. Are you getting this? They are dead and blind walking. They can't even recognize there isn't Christ before them. Walking with them. Jesus puts up with their blindness and messes with them a little. Oh tell me a little more. It's only three days out. This is fresh on his heart. But he lets them keep going. Oh really? There's a prophet named Jesus. And he's mighty in word. Tell me more. What things? What's going on over there? Where have you been Jesus? Finally he has in his mercy enough. He's had enough with their blindness. And he goes okay. Let's open their eyes. Which is one of the great privileges of the Christian life. To have your eyes open. Okay. How does he do it? Look back down at your Bible. He starts in the scriptures. This may not sound as sexy. Or as alluring. But it's his way. So if you were going to have a Bible study with Jesus. And you were blind. This is how he'd do it. He took them to Old Testament text. And showed them who he is. And Moses and all the prophets. One of the great tragedies that swept the church over the last 12 years. Was this teaching. That all Old Testament text is mere law. That even the gospels are law. That words in red are law. Because we have new life in Christ. And Paul wrote this. And this is our inheritance. They didn't even know they were reading something called the Old Testament at that time. Just called the scriptures. If the resurrected God man. Found it necessary. To show who he is in the scriptures. We should do the same. But what's his starting point in the scriptures? Look back down. You got to catch this. It's in verse 25. Oh foolish ones, slow of heart to believe in all the prophets have spoken. Ought not the Christ to have suffered. That's the cross. And entered into his glory. What's he saying? The starting point. Is Jesus Christ. Crucified and risen. Not part of the story. He's saying you start here. And the entire Bible begins to make sense. The cross. Is not. A piece. Of this massive story. But Christ crucified. Is the story. I don't mean. I don't want to. I'm not trying to be like. Annoying. But. The narrative of the scriptures is not. There's a big lion coming. I don't know. Maybe you have a lion on your arm. That's fine. I don't know. But the lion. Jesus is mentioned as lion a couple times. The narrative of the scriptures. Is a lamb is coming to bleed. What the world needs. Are lamb like lovers of Jesus. Listen. If you want God to roar like a lion through you. Become like a lamb. If you miss this lamb likeness. You begin to self-exalt. And glory in flesh. And glory in your own ability. But there's something beautiful. About those who come to die. Daily. And this has been. Can I have ten extra minutes this morning? Eight of you said yes. Okay. This will do you much better than a visitor's bag. Or a little lunch box. Whatever you get today. I don't know. But. This will sustain you. At the throne. This is the gospel. In Genesis 3.15. Don't turn there. The Lord is the first one to preach the gospel. Adam and Eve sin. And the Lord announces to them. There's a man coming. He tells the serpent I should say. There's a man coming. Don't you love the fact? The first gospel preacher was the Lord himself. That word is called. That passage. The fathers of the church called the proto first. Where we get prototype. Evangelion. The first gospel. The first preaching of the gospel. So we get the word evangelist. The first evangelism. The first declaration. Right there in Genesis 3.15. The Lord says. A seed will come. There will be enmity between your seed and her seed. In other words a man will come out of the woman. And he will crush your head. Listen to how the head is crushed. Through the bruising of a heel. That's the wisdom of our God. That he brings life through death. That he brings glory in weakness. In my weakness he has made. You got it. That's all. Right there. One will crush. Through his bruising. Listen. Death will die. Through his death. That's wisdom. It's so lowly. See Jesus took the trap door of humility. And lowliness. To destroy the one who always exalted himself. Is this making sense? Okay. So right now church listen. Right now God. Satan is up to stuff no doubt. Just open your eyes. But on the other hand. God is swinging his axe. At the root. This is a bridal paradigm. As the age comes to an end. As Jesus' return approaches. There will be a great revealing between Babylon and the bride. That will intensify. And there will be a great revealing between wheat and tares. It will ultimately be revealed at his coming. According to the Lord's word. Where the angels will separate. But I believe we are seeing it now. Where you are almost starting to see this great separation take place. Okay. So the Lord is swinging his axe. The winnowing fan is being used. Chaff and wheat are being separated. By the way. The baptism of fire is not meant for excitement. In John's gospel. Or any. Anything that John the Baptist talks about. He said he will baptize in the Holy Spirit. And fire. The Spirit is the blessing. The fire is judgment and purification. That is the whole point of a winnowing fan. It is not so you can jump and freak out. Sometimes there is time for that. There is room for that. But that is not the purpose. The purpose is bridal. It is a wheat and tares narrative. It is a purification. It is purging. So when God starts swinging the axe at the root. Listen to me. At the root. The only way you survive is if you go lower than the root. You don't want your head cut off when God is swinging an axe. This is not the time to judge. This is the time. Listen. To be sober and hide your heart. The scripture says. A wise man foresees danger and hides himself. And hides there means prayer. Get lower than the roots right now. Because even the roots are being revealed. If you go low at the foot of the cross. The devil will have no pedestal to throw you off of. So Psalm 22 says. I am but a worm. Jesus said that. I am but a worm. That is as low as you can go. And therefore he could say. He has no room in me. He has no place in me. I am coming down. Getting excited. This stuff gets me going. Are you all awake or are you bored? Okay. I just want to make sure. I need to make sure you are chewing on it. We don't need you throwing up. Okay. So. Jesus multiplies bread and fish. It is a wonderful thing. Amen. Right? If you are hungry. He healed the sick for three days. What a loving savior. And after three days. The disciples are like. Hey we don't have any food. If you read the text properly. The narrative the right way. He is out there three days. It is a long healing service. He multiplies bread and fish twice. And they want to make him king. Because we all want a king who gives us stuff. We like him. For sure. There is the king. He is Messiah. And Jesus responds. Listen. You are going to have to listen right now. In the spirit. Jesus responds. To this false coronation. By retreating. To be alone with the father. And there is always a counterfeit coronation. That short circuits Calvary. It is a shortcut. Remember. He didn't just come to die. It is who he is. Is this making sense? He trades Israel's crown. Because he is not going to wear Saul's crown. He doesn't need Saul's crown. And he trades heaven's diadem. For a crown of thorns. And he knows if he takes that route. He becomes king of a kingdom. That cannot be shaken. And the devil is still offering kingdoms today. Still wanting to trade with you. In the name of Jesus. And this hour. Listen carefully. You have to make covenants within covenants. With God. You have to tighten the garden gates. The beloved says to the Shulamite. A garden enclosed is my sister. She is shut in. She is not just in the right country. Not just in the right city. She is not just in the right property. She is not just in the right acreage. She is hemmed in a garden. She is not just in the garden. She let me put the gate around her. And I have locked it. And I am going to protect that gate. And nobody comes in. But me. That is called union with the Lord. These covenants within covenants. Listen carefully. Protect you from the bartering nature of Satan himself. Who is the one who says. Worship me and I will give you the kingdoms of the world. That is what he does. He offers good deals. That are not God deals. And so some of these covenants within covenants in your life. I have news for you. Will be misinterpreted as legalism. Religion. Obsession. Fanaticism. No, no. They are love. They are love. And so we make up. We came up with these covenants here. That we felt the Lord said to us. And I can't project them on everybody. But I can tell you. He was right. We have never promoted a speaker in this church. Never once. Not because that's sinful or wrong. But I dreamt in my prayer closet. Of a people who would enter his house for him. And how can I blow up every bridge and every idol. How can I get the people to come and adore him. Whether it's a famous guy preaching or a Jesus school student. It's not the point. It's that he is present among us. Those are covenants within covenants. We have never told you a worship leader is coming. Have we? Have we ever told you? What has that birthed in your family? It means you wake up Sunday morning going. I am not here for a man. I am breaking. I am crossing those doorsteps. I am crossing that threshold in the name of Jesus. Not in the name of my favorite worship leader. That's a game changer. And let me tell you how it changes the game. Is that without you knowing over the last year and a half. You have gathered in his name. Because of covenants within covenants. Costly? Yeah, of course. Slower growth? I guess. But who cares. Is this making sense? You take this out of the Christian life. And the Christian life becomes about us. And I guess achievement. Only to give him stuff on that day that he never asked for. That he didn't do. I heard a teacher say the other day. A Bible teacher. He said, yeah, some say the gospel of Thomas. Should have made the canon of scripture. Because it is the most historically accurate. I don't know if you noticed. Every Easter there is a new historical Jesus. At every register. At every grocery store. Barnes and Noble. There is this new Jesus. Right? Who fell in love with Mary Magdalene. That was one year. And then it was something else. But the fathers of the church said, no. The gospel of Thomas doesn't make it. And here is why. I see no mention of the crucified and risen one. I am really not interested in what he did when he was seven. Because the one we know. Is the one who comes to die. And offer his body. And births forth from the ground. And by death he conquers death. And offers us new life. That is the one we know. Talk to me about another Jesus. We are not interested. And I don't know him. Neither do I want him. You have heard me say this a million times. But at this point. When you get this. The whole Bible makes perfect sense. There is such wisdom in it. You see Jesus in the life of David. You see Jesus in the life of Joseph. Who has a coat of many colors. Highly favored by his father. Betrayed by his brethren. Thrown into a pit. Or the underworld. Right? Is raised up again. And sits at the right hand of the Pharaoh. And gets us a ring. It is all Jesus. The tabernacle is about Jesus. Not lifestyle in the desert. It is all about Jesus. The temple is about Jesus. The Holy Spirit is coming. You take Jesus. Out of your relationship with the Holy Spirit. You are going to get weird in a day. Noah's Ark. Made of wood. Made of wood. Window on the side. From the side came a dove. Looking for a resting place. Floating on the waters of judgment. Or the waters of baptism. That destroyed the old life. Come out of the Ark. And build an altar. And make a new covenant with God. And God blesses the earth. That is called the Christian life. The whole thing is about the Lord. Isn't he wonderful? Help me Joel. The Christian life. Is an all in. Life. All in. It is a. A life of the cross. For too long we have said. Altars save people. They don't save. This is just wood. This is just pipe and drapes. Or drape. These are just speakers. This is black carpet. Altar calls do not save. Only Jesus saves. Prayers don't save. No. On that Christmas night. A prayer card did not land in the manger. One came who was fully God and fully man. And he came to die. Die to what? Everything but the will of his father. And this is the Christian life. To die. To die daily. To die to our own. Plans. Our own. Bondage. Our own. Thrills. Whatever it might be. Anything that is ours. The Christian life. Is to hand. Over. The heart. To the father. And trust him. And to follow. The pattern son Jesus. Who carries a cross. And when that death sets in. Resurrection is promised. Preachers shouldn't. Merely. Encourage you. Preachers are called. To raise the dead. And this is the gospel. That he who is dead. Comes alive. If you never heard the gospel like this. I would. I would challenge as to whether or not you've ever heard it. If you didn't hear about the cross. You did not hear the gospel.