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Hey there. And welcome to the city Lights. Podcast City Lights is a church located in the northwestern part of Richmond, Virginia. For more information about city lights you can visit us at we are city lights now. Enjoy today's message. Welcome to City Lights online. Happy Easter to you. Isn't it great to know that Jesus has the victory? The victory does belong to him. Well, like I said, Happy Easter to you. I'm so glad that you have joined us today. My name is Jacob, and I'm on the team here at City Lights. Now I have a couple of city highlights that I want to say before we jump into the message in the 1st 1 is Easter best contests. And now, Now you go ahead and poster picture Thio our Facebook, our instagram tag at Sea Lights via And we will announce the winner tonight. Okay? It's so whoever is the best dress, you know, we'll win a gift card that's actually going to go to war, supporting a local of restaurant in the area. So we want to support our local businesses in this in this crazy time. OK, so make sure you do that and we will announce our winner tonight. And in the second thing I'm very excited about this started next week we're kicking off a two part series called You Ready for my Quarantine? Tiger King, Is this really life now? Jesus tells us in the Bible that he came to bring life in life to the fullest. So how did we experience that full life in these conditions and what's going on in our world? I believe Jesus has an answer for us and some I am excited for that. Okay, now we have been in a Siri's leading up to Easter called. This looks uncertain. This looks uncertain where we've been looking at how life has uncertainties and they come and they come at us when we least expect it. But we also see in the Easter story that Jesus experienced on certainties as well. And he gives us some help with that. Okay, so now today, if you're taking notes, you can title this message life after life after death. Yes, I said that right. Life after life after death. Now here. Here's the scene in the first century Easter. Check this out. Jesus, who had a thriving three year ministry we saw in his ministry. The Bible tells us that people were healed and there was racial reconciliation among people that Jesus ushered in the kingdom of God. He did incredible a miracle's incredible works. But we then see that he's betrayed it by his best friend, Judas. These arrested, abandoned by his followers, condemned by religious people handed over to the Roman Empire, flogged and mocked Nell, two across, dies on the cross and then is buried. And a two. This looks by certain this looks uncertain, especially if you are Jesus follower, especially if you're Jesus forward. Everything that you have bet your life on is gone. It looks like it's gone, you know? Isn't this out? Life can feel for us to like, Like everything that we thought was sure isn't sure, like especially what the Vince now going on. You know, one week we're going with our normal routines, and the next week we have to be quarantined in our houses. You know, one week you're working in the next week, you're out of it. Job. This looks on certain, but Easter tells us the story of the greatest and the most. I witnessed documented first century event in human history That Jesus, who said he was going to die and come back to life, actually did it. He did it in this reservoir. Action defeated death, defeated the grave and now launches God's kingdom. Plan for you. For us. We're now a part of what God's plan is for the world. See, Easter looks at certain death and reveals to us certain life after life after death. Which leads me to my starting point. My starting point today is this This looks like certain death. This looks like certain death. Now, this is how the Jesus followers felt on Easter morning. This is that this is definitely how they felt. This did not look good at all. And this may be how you feel. You may be facing this right now. You may be looking at your life circumstances, and you're saying, man, this is a certain death like this. See, this is nothing good is gonna come from this situation. Like I said, maybe you lost your job. Maybe you're a small business owner and you get all that stress going on. Maybe during this time of social distance and you've been around your family mourn, and that's actually caused some stressors that cause some problems. Maybe you feel isolated and lonely. Maybe Carol Baskins is trying to take down your zoo. I don't know what's going on right now, but but you'll say this looks like certain death. But my destination point today is this Easter says this is certain new life. This is certain new life. There is life after life after death. Now, I remember a time when I felt like I was facing certain death. Okay, maybe not maybe being a little dramatic, But But here you go. So I remember a time when I felt this way you need was so when when we lived in Virginia Beach, Aaron and I, we were driving the church on a winter Sunday morning. Now it was snowing. It was snowing. And it was one of those snows that, you know, you almost canceled church. They cancel everything else. You almost cancer church because it was snowing so bad. So we're coming down the world and we go to take a turn. And as you think the turn we see, we see a car in a ditch and the car is kind of like hanging, elevating the ditch, me see this man standing outside of his car just, you know, dazed and confused that know what doesn't know what to do. So we started a drive past the scene, and I look at Aaron and I say, You know, maybe maybe God wants us to help that guy, and then we thought about it for a while. In a room is like, we can't stop to help that guy won our way to church. And then we both thought about Okay, maybe we should go back and help the guy way drove that and we got our car. We helped the guy and I walked about two off, and I didn't really know to say so. I was like, Oh, shoo, your car's in a ditch. You know, I didn't really know how else to say but that So So he didn't really know how to get the car out, did she is having some trouble. He was pretty distressed. You needed to say he's pretty panic. So I said, um, how about we just, you know, trying to push the car out of the ditch like that? That's a good start. So he was like, Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's a good there. How about you to push the car and, uh, and I'll steer it inverse, I'll get it out. And I said, um, how about you help me push the car and my wife will steer, you know, out what the heck is wrong with this guy? So so then we go to the ditch, and somehow I still know how this happened. Somehow I go to the far left side of the car to the front of the car is in the dish. I go to the far left side, where the car is like elevate is his hanging like this car is hanging. I don't have much ground thio the cars on ground. That much is hanging and the he's on the right side, which he has plenty of of. Ah, good grip that pushed the car down. Official car out. So something. Okay, this this is not looking get so far. So Aaron gets in the in the driver seat, she turns on the car, and then I say, All right, I'm gonna count to three. I'm counting down with three and all one push. So I say three, 21 and I can't make this part up. As soon as I say one and I start the push, this dude leaves me and he says, Oh, I hope you turn the steering wheel and he goes to the front seat that help Erin turns there. So I'm literally pushing this car by my self like, like, talk about feeling like certain death was coming at you at this moment. So So I'm in this ditch, this car's elevated over me. It's snowing and I'm trying to push this thing, and I'm thinking to myself, This is why you don't stop going to church to help people. But yeah, that's what I'm thinking in that moment. But but then I'm literally in a matter of seconds. I'm thinking to myself like like Jacob, if you don't push as hard as you can, If you don't give it all that you got, you're gonna get smashed by a car. I don't know how many times you thought that to yourself that if you don't do something, you'll get smashed. My car is not a very comforting feeling, so so So I do everything that I might push as hard as I can are pushing this car and I mean my arms or her. And you know, the cars up against my chest and I don't got a big chest. I don't gotta doing Johnson size chest. I got a little chest, and I'm pushing this thing as hard as I can with everything inside of me. And then, by the grace of God, we are. I get the car out of the ditch and a bet on to the road. So I have to redo that like I'm I'm so I'm in pain. I look at the guy and I say, Hey, yeah, you're welcome, man. Come to church. It probably wasn't almost friendly. Invite to church, you know? But I wasn't at that point. I didn't really care about where he spent eternity, you know, just between me and you. But anyways, you know, So I was I was super sore, and it felt like I was facing certain death. No, how? Maybe that's how you feel. Maybe it's like you feel emotionally physically. Maybe that's how you feel spiritually like there's something empty, like there's something that's not right, like like you're there like there's a car pressing against you and you want. So if you can get it out of a ditch Now I want you to see so I want you to see this. I want you to see something here. This is so important. In first, Corinthians five tells us this. This means anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. Said this is the good news off the gospel that you have a new life. You're not. You're not held back by your own mistakes and the things that she wants that but Jesus offers us Grace. It continues and says the old life is gone. A new life has begun. Now, I don't know where you are on your faith journey today, but I know as Jesus followers there is a promise of new life. But this is also important. And this is what I really want you to catch today. This new life is not life after death. This new life is not life at their death. Jesus, through his resurrection, shows us that there is a life after life after death. So So what am I trying to say here? What I'm trying to say is this? It's not like because you have a relationship with Jesus. What we do now doesn't matter. Your life now doesn't matter because you have a relationship with Jesus. Your life is of of most importance. Your life has value. So this Christian life, this following Jesus life is not about. Someday I'll get to heaven and escape Earth. That is not what this thing is about. Easter is not about snatching people from Earth to populate heaven. One day Easter is about is about that you have new life. You have new life and you, through Jesus can make Earth look a little bit more like heaven. This is the Lord's Prayer. This is when he says this when he says, May your kingdom come on Earth as it is in heaven. See, friends, we are in on certain times. We're in a certain times, you know, we don't know what tomorrow is going to bring, but but there's a big but there's always a big butt butt. And Jesus, you have new life. Took us out, Roman. 64 says this just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, We too may live a new life collages. 31 says, Since you have been raised to a new life with Christ, see you have a new life. The question today is this. What are you gonna do with it? What are you gonna do with it? Are you gonna make your life count? Are you gonna make your life count? Are you just gonna keep going through the motions? Keep going. See that every day. Keep complaining. Keep getting upset. Are you going to say Hey, I got this life. What am I going to do with it? See, I got three ways for you to activate new life in the face of uncertainty in the face of troubles in the face of heartache, we have victory and Jesus because of this. Check this out. Point number one. Activate new life by shock in your world. Activate new life by shocking your world. See? Don't give up yet. Don't quit yet. Don't count yourself out yet. Check this out. Check this out. Look. 21 1st one. It says this on Easter Day. This is what it says on the first day of the week. Very early in the morning the woman took the spices they have prepared and went to the tomb. So here is the scene. The women come to the tomb and they had these spices. And I guess you can say they were the spice girls. Okay. Okay. And the spices were meant to anoint the dead body. So here you go. Want you to see this? They went to a grave to anoint something that was dead. But they did not find something dead in the tomb. It continues that says they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. But when they entered, they did not find the body of Jesus. They found an empty tomb they found in the tomb. It continues. It says, While they were wondering about this suddenly two men and closed that gleam like lightning stood beside them and their fright. The women bowed down with her face to the ground. But the men said to them Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here. He has risen. He's risen. Remember how he told you while he was still with you? And Galilee? The son of man must be delivered over to the hands of center be crucified and on the third day to be raised again, then check this out. Then they remembered his words. They were shocked. They were shocked. And I think God wants to shock you. I think God wants to shock you with his goodness. With this favor, I think God must have shocked you and say what you're dealing with. It may feel dead, but he brings new life. He brings new life to you. See, You may be coming to the tune expecting to see something dead and and again, I want you to get this pitching ahead. They're coming to Jesus and they're full of disappointment, full of discouragement, full of agony, full of pain, full of a letdown full of. They got all this problems and they come and they said, I'll bring some spices. I'll bring a little bit of spices. I'll bring Jesus a little, but I'm still depressed. I'll bring Jesus a little bit of me, but I'm still insecure. All brain disease is a little, but I'm still full of shame. See, we come to God often, yet we still expect to see dead results. But Jesus Jesus shocked the women when he came because when they came, even other expectations were low. Jesus and his faithfulness was good to surpass their expectations. And I'm gonna tell you this today, Jesus wants to surpassed your expectations. Jesus wants to give you more than you can ever think of. Dream of our Imagine he has a new life for you. See And the angel said Remember his words And I want you to remember his word that you have new life. The old you is gone. That old habit the old way of thinking that always you thought that you could never get rid of that old you is gone and there is new life. I love John's telling of the story. Mary Magdalene was standing outside the tomb says this now. Mary stood outside the tomb crying as she wept, actually were actually bitten over and looked into the tomb at this. She turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she didn't realize it was Jesus. He asked her woman, Why are you crying? Who is it that you're looking for? Thinking he was a gardener? She said, Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him and I will get him, Jesus said to her Mary. Then she turned around and cried out. Rabbi, I love that I love. When Jesus calls her by name, she recognizes friends. Jesus is calling you by name. Today. He's calling you by name. He wants you to recognize the sound of his voice. Jesus said, Do not hold on to me, for I have yet to send it to the father. See, in that culture, the testimony of women did not have very much weight. The testimony of women did not have very much waiting in that day. So for each gospel writer to document that it was women, that it was a woman who was the first witness of the resurrection that was shocking. That was shocking news, and not only women but Mary Magdalene, who was a horrific center yet Yet it is by the words of women that God communicates his plan for new creation, injustice, say then, he says, Don't hold on too tight and I like this. He's like, don't hold on too tight and the reason was it wasn't because he didn't want to give her a hug, he said. no hold on too tight because there's still more to be done. See, there's still more to be done with your life. God is not done with you. Second thing is this. Activate new life by breaking through closed doors. Activate new life by breaking through closed doors. Now the disciples, they've locked themselves in a room. They were afraid and they were hiding. They were afraid, and they were hiding fear in hiding. I think nothing more can disrupt the Colin of God in your life than fear in hiding. When you're afraid, we hide. And when we hide, we hold on to our old Selves. Old habits, old routines, the old things that God doesn't want for us. But check this out. Jesus is not intimidated by our fears and doubts and worries. John, 2019 says this. On the evening of the first day of the week, when the disciples were together with doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you. Not now. This part's funny to me. This part's funny cause because I can picture the disciples sitting in a circle playing monopoly. You know, having a pity party, even though the women already told them that they saw the resurrected Jesus. But they didn't believe the women and as a whole. Another message I could preach right there. How the Kingdom of God is filled with fully empowered women who have who can, who will change the world. But that's a whole another message. I preach another day. But But here they are in their defeat and fear and doubt him worry and confusion. And on announced to them Jesus appears. I love it. I love how you could be afraid. You can have heartbreak. You could be trouble. You can feel like you're defeated, but Jesus will appear and stand in your room even when you close the door on him. See, you may have closed the door, but Jesus appears with new life. You may have said to yourself I can't beat this addiction. My marriage won't make it. I don't see my purpose. I closed the door on this opportunity or that thing. But Jesus stands in your room and says Peace. I bring you peace. I am resurrected. I have defeated the power of hell Death in the grave The Bible says the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in You don't stay stuck behind closed doors of fear because you have a new life. And my third in my final point today is this. Activate new life Here you go by going all out for Jesus because he went all out for you. He gave it all for you. He laid down his life for you. He he went to the cross and defeated Death on the cross rose from the grave for you Not so you can stay in a okay. Just making it barely kind of life but that you can have life in life. Overflow as you can live life to the fullest. This is what Jesus did. But here you go. Here you go. Living life to the fullest doesn't mean just being our vacation all the time. That's not what it means. Jesus comes back to his followers and he tells him this and he tells this to us today in Matthew 28 18 it says then Jesus came to them said all authority in heaven and on Earth has been given to me Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything. I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age. Resurrection means with this life that we have, we could make a difference. Like friends, you can make a difference with your life. You're not an accident. You're not here just cause. But God has a plan for your life. And his plan is found in this Passions of Scripture is to go to the world, to change the world, to set things right again. Because Jesus, through his resurrection, defeated death and ushers in the Kingdom of God. And then he invites us. He advice us to be apart of bringing in this new creation of bringing in justice to the world. See, friends. You have a life after life after death. What are you gonna do with it? What are you gonna do with this new life? Give your fears to go. Your doubts to God, your worries to God. Bring your whole self to God and watch what he does with your life. it will be out early. Amazing value has in me God become right now. He's a holy spirit. Come have your way, wherever you are. Wherever you're watching this right now come Holy Spirit in that room Jesus appears in Europe needs this piece. Peace to you. God, I pray then you was shocked. People which are left that you're not mad, are angry or disappointed at at us with your full of compassion. Full of left, full of grace. God protect people would experience this new life. Candy will make the most of it. I don't think those people were closed doors. Yeah, you have closed doors and you're locked in a room with fear. And Jesus says I come in. I'll come in. I locked the door. God, I pray that people will go all out for you. That the best life possible is found in a relationship with you guys. So if you're watching today and maybe he just jumped nine are a news feed because you saw it on Facebook. Or maybe someone invited you. Tow watch. And this Jesus that I talk about, You know of Jesus, But you don't know Jesus. You know him intellectually was. You don't know him intimately personally, But you're saying I want to know I want to find Jesus If that she if you wanna make it This isn't a trust Jesus with your life That's my legion A simple prayer this other magical or are crazy about this prayer This is a prayer. When said with faith, the Bible says by faith, through grace you are safe If you say I believe God will save you Maybe you want the guy before But she kind of fell away. But you want to make this isn't a trust God again. And I want you to repeat this prayer with me wherever you are to say Jesus, forgive me for my mistakes. Make me new today I trust you with my life in Jesus name. Hey, man, Thanks for checking out the city lights podcast. If you'd like to partner with us financially, you can go toe. We're city lights dot com slash give or you can text any dollar amount to 84321 Thanks for joining us today.