Come and See then Go and Tell

Truly truly I say to you the son can do nothing of his own accord. But only what he sees the father doing whatever the father does the sun does likewise for the father loves the son and shows him all that. He himself is doing and Greater Works than these will he show him so that you may Marvel for as the father raises the dead and gives them life. So also the sun gives life to whom he will the father judges. No one but has given all judgement to the son that only honor the son just as they honor the father. Whoever does not honor the son does not honor the father who sent him truly truly. I say to you whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but he has passed from Death To Life truly truly. I say to you an hour is coming and now it's here and the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live Fresno father has life in himself. So he has granted The Sun Also to have life in himself. He has given him authority to execute judgment because he is the son of man do not Marvel at this for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear the voice and come out those who have done good to the resurrection of life and those who've done evil to the resurrection of judgement. You know, there's a handful of stories that if you stick around here long enough you hear them repeated and they're so applicable and certain times and seasons and I want to share with you this morning one that some of you may have heard before but I use it because I often think about this story and dwell on these events that took place in my life. About 12-14 years ago. I was working on my associate's degree from cocc and I had this. History class it was a hybrid history class were part of it was done online and part of it was done in class time, which meant I never went. I just did not enjoy going to this class. I could have thought of a million other things. I'd rather be doing I typically watching paint dry was more entertaining than this particular class. It just I mean the teachers is one of those teachers where you weren't engaged. And so as we were making our way through history, we got to this point where she announced the next week. We were actually going to be talking about Jesus. Now, I had taken some church history classes in Bible College years before and I thought you know what I'm going to show up to this class and I'm going to see what's going on in here and I pop in and there's probably 12 maybe 14 students who showed up that day and as my teacher begin to talk, she said how many you guys have heard of Jesus? Hands went up in the room. How many of you know that he actually lived that people actually said he did Miracles and that he actually was crucified. And people thoughts and they talked about this in the group and they said well. We've always thought of him maybe as more about mythological person. He's no more than the Flying Spaghetti Monster. So to speak right hands would happen to your weight. You're telling me Jesus really live Jesus really lived. So she said you're telling us Jesus really died. Yeah, Jesus really died and I sat there dumbfounded because I was a church kids and how do you not at least understand. I've heard that this person Jesus existed and then they said there's really people that wrote these things about him. Absolutely and this is not you know, this is the age of the internet. You can look this stuff up and this class begin to talk about these things and she said I'll never forget these words. You can believe that Jesus lived you can believe that he even Did some of the things that people wrote about him and you can believe that Jesus even died. What makes you a Christian is if you believe he was resurrected. And at that point I'm like amen good theology. Wonderful teacher. I can check out of this class. You got it Down For What crossed my mind in that moment? What's this idea that there are so many people who can articulate the gospel. They can understand the story of the Gospel. They can spit it back to you but the events and the reality of it has made no impact on their lives they come and see and they leave unchanged what are reflect on the story. It reminds me of what it's probably like when we sit in Gatherings. We also share the gospel with other people we're reviewing and talking about who this Jesus is and there are those who say come and see and they go. No, thank you. others were going to see Jesus and everything changes and there's a real reality out there, but there are so many who have not truly heard the gospel this morning as we look at our texts fully from Matthew some things here from John. It's an invitation to all this morning to come and see. I need to go and tell. Come and see go and tell because my teacher's comments were correct about the life death and the Resurrection being the very hinge on which the gospel hangs upon. A Jesus he's making this very Point himself as he's pointing all things to himself. If you were with us last week, we talked about how Jesus had revealed himself on the Transfiguration and then he goes down and he's met there in the Valley area some serious trousers. He's making his way to Jerusalem and is the people that were following him. They line the streets and they're crying Hosanna Hosanna save us now. And they're waving those palm branches and we made the comment last week what Jesus is doing is he's forcing the hand of every single person in that dick and forward to Cheney me or to kill me that is what we're faced with in the person of Jesus. There's no neutral position that anybody can take your either on one side or the other when it comes to what you believe about Jesus. He drives a Line in the Sand and what we see their from that week where he comes into town is the response of humanity humans begin to say we don't want this King to Reign Over us though. There were some on the outskirts you were hopeful that the Messiah was going to bring them the keys at the house so long desired and prayed in their hearts. But at this point the religious leaders and rulers. But you can bring a hard stance against Jesus. They did not want him to be their King. And there if you went to a good Friday celebration our know the story you have a very passive Pontius Pilate who really doesn't want to deal with it. But guess what even passive people have to come face-to-face with Jesus and make a decision on what they believe about this Jesus and he found out very quickly that even having troubles with Herod. Karen was reeling in the Galleria area and he said Jesus you're a Galilee and I'll send you over there your hair. It's problem and Herod have been wanting to see him and Herod mocked him and sent him back and were told at that point that Pontius Pilate and Herod they became friends have been mocked and used Jesus. Punches pilot already been in trouble once before for Insurrection in Jerusalem, and it was his job to keep the peace and if he saw the uproars of the crowd that had gathered crying crucify him. He thought Jesus Is Life For Mine. I will enhance my life by going along with crucifying and whatever makes my life easier. You see this is the position that Humanity faces when they look at Jesus. King him or kill him Pilot he was participating in this he said your life to enhance my life. The religious leaders of Jesus's day participated in this. Jesus you are a threat to what we are doing your life to enhance our life. Peter claims in Acts chapter 2 to the crowd that had gathered as he's preaching on the day of Pentecost and he tells everybody there this Jesus whom you crucified you participated in it. You killed. No, they did not put the spear in the side or nail those Nails into his hand but he's making a very Vivid point that the Messiah coming to dies in his teeth because of what has transpired in our hearts and Life As We rebelled against this King and said our lives over your life. The same thing Adam and Eve said in the garden. Guess we will be like God. so trample over his Commandments in order to take something for themselves. That is what Christians talk about Instead This mentality and this idea of my life my dependents my selfishness me and my dependents over you. It was a declaration that God is not good and he cannot be trusted. So we are going to do things our way this morning. Just want to tell you what you're getting yourself into when we talk about these things. This Christian belief in this Christian idea. Is that very early on when man was given the choice to either come underneath the rule of the king in to live in the garden with community and Union with him, but they made that choice to rebell against God and in that moment saying we went to discern what is good. What is that? What is right what is wrong and rebelled against God and that is sending his entry into them with the decision to decide. What is good. What is evil? Because this separation between them and God. Let me see the outpouring early on in Murder.

depression tyrants who rise up their oppressive understand Justice in the world. In Genesis. We also learned early on to just brought about physical death.

Can we see that there will be a judgment in the end. Christianity is a narrative as to why the world is the way that it is. Why things are broken? Are the shirts why there's pain where there's death and destruction where there's Injustice and the need for wanting Justice because things have gone off the rails. Turn off Humanity knows this we've all experienced it firsthand. We've had others hurt and harm us and bring pain to our lives. We've all tried to sit on the judgement seat and judge others. I felt that judgment this week. My wife went out Monday with some friends. And as she was as she was out with her friends NBA playoff season, it's a good time to leave me at home by myself. I put on the game. I busted on a book. I'm sitting there reading and about two and a half hours go by and she comes home.

The kids were awesome here upstairs the whole time. They didn't bother me once it's like I don't know what the big deal is. This is so easy. We have four little ones between 8 and 3 if you're new here right now as I'm finishing my sentence our little one Adeline watch downstairs and she goes mommy. I have a bead in my nose. I just looked at me and goes I leave you at home for two hours and we have beads in our noses. We have to go to the ER you probably right but we Weekender down straight jacket at her and pulled the thing out with some tweezers and all is well that ends. Well, alright, but I I found the condemnation because she would never let a kid get a bead stuck in their nose. By the way, the other times I've had kids with cars that go like their wheels like this stuck in their hair and I've done some sizzurp jobs, so I'm probably not the best babysitter. However, With a great time how Eleanor when you guys hang out with me?

judgements

she had a talks about in the end. There's going to be a judgment understand. You cannot have Justice. We are judgements. If there's been an injustice, what do we do? We turn out some kind of judgment or penalty that has to be paid. The world is not cyclical. We do not celebrate Easter because all things are becoming new and everything is budding in the flowers are coming out and we're just going through another cycle in the Earth. That's what all those who works at mother nature and everything else would have you and desire for you to believe the idea is in the resurrection. There is brand new life with the world is making its way towards something if Jesus says in John that there is going to be judgement not judgment is an incredibly intriguing word, especially when it's used in religious contexts. We all have a very interesting relationship with the word judgments. We all know what it feels like to be judged at some point or another we've all felt people hurling Judgment at us, but I would also argue for as much as me cringe at the word judgement. We're also are participants in judging. At least on a small scale. How often when you walk into a room do you size people up? Maybe you are in the business world and you go to some kind of networking meeting. What do you want to do at a networking meeting? You want to find the person that's going to benefit you the most which also means you can exclude those who bring no value to you. Is just small-scale. We make judgments constantly. We judge the value. Somebody would bring to us. We judge the actions that have been done. We are constantly judging the actions of our leaders and when I talk about judgment as a pastor, everybody gets real uptight me like shoot I shouldn't have brought you today. It's going to be awful now, but listen, I'm going to make an argument today that you need judgment you need this idea of a God who judges to really even live exist in have any purpose or meaning in this life? No the Christian context you think how reports about oppressive II I talked about judgments you begin to think that's a primitive thought that you would have this angry upset gone. It is simply mad and bringing out his wrath and exacting his revenge on all those who offended him or that is a scare tactic to get people to believe to come and be a part of what you are. doing I got a judgement to not be a god of love Kenny. Certainly not but in Christianity God is both a god of love and of justice, and I know many people struggle with this they believe in a loving God cannot be a judge in God and I've been asked this multiple times. How can a god of love also be filled with wrath and anger he is loving and perfect shouldn't he just forgive and accept everyone and not be angry. all loving persons Are sometimes filled with Ralph? I want you to think about this not just because they want to have a reason to be upset and angry. but because of their love if you are a loving person and you see somebody ruining themselves,

See somebody hurting somebody else what happens you get angry angry. If you are a parent and you seen somebody hurt your kid, right, so I got little ones I go down to the playground and my middle child comes crying. Nobody wants to play with him and show me those girls. I'ma get them. All right, we're talking about kindness today because you better be sure. You're not exclude my little baby. You don't know how wonderful she we get filled.

This because why not because I'm an angry mad dad walking around with a scowl on my face all the time seeing you I can also get on my tea and get angry. No, because when we see Injustice, we want to see Justice happen Becky pippert puts it in her book of Hope Has Its reasons this way. They can we feel when we see someone we love ravaged by unwise actions are relationships you respond with a 9 tolerance as we might towards strangers far from an anger isn't the opposite of love hate is in the final form of hate is indifference God's Wrath is not a cranky explosion, but it's settled opposition to the cancer which is eating out the inside of the human race. He love with his whole being

I know it was eating at in hurting us and he's upset about this and the Bible says that his wrath flows from his love and his Delight in creation. He's angry at evil and Injustice because it's destroying peace and goodness. And here is the reality because if you're a thinker and you're probably going to go through really how does a towing side. How does this flow? You need a judging God as Society even shows us this what we're seeing today in the wave of secularism is we want the rule of righteousness, but we don't want a righteous ruler. We want fairness we want peace. We want justice, but we certainly don't want anybody to tell us how to get there. Do we let me have my own truth my own way. We want justice, but we don't want to judge or is March say or says we want the fruits of Christianity, but not the king of Christianity. We want beef good and what does produces but we don't want some authority over us telling us how to do it. And right now we live in a society that is trying to build a culture on the ideas of Christianity. Love your neighbor. But without the rule of the king, so what are we trying to do a society were trying to Define sexuality trying to find how to treat our neighbor but we have no Authority telling us how to do this which honestly means there's no consequences if we succeed or fail at accomplishing any kind of Utopia that is Promised by any ruler meter up. You do not believe in a God who brings judgments life is meaningless. There's no purpose. There's no judgment and justice has been if you live as there's no God, no Authority. No, right no wrong. And you come to the conclusion that you can do. Whatever you please whatever you want. The ultimate meaning of life is pleasure. And nothing should get in the way with that. But here's a problem. You live in a contrary manner because why is it when you know selfishness will help you achieve pleasure. You feel dirty and rotten about when you're selfish. Why is it that when lying will get you a head you choose not to do that. You have this in word talk with yourself. You constantly put yourself under rules that prohibit you from doing whatever you desire to get the good life there for betraying your own belief or you need a God that judges. Let me give you another reason why Arthur Miller. He's a playwright Death of a Salesman I think is his big one. He wrote something called after the fall and there's this character Quinton who's talking in it. And he says for many years. I looked at life like a case at law a series of proofs. When you're young you prove How brave you are or smart then what a good lover you are. Then what a good father finally how wise are powerful or whatever the hell ever but underlying it all I see now there was a presumption that I was moving on the upward path towards an elevation where God knows what I would be justified or even condemned a verdict. Anyway, I think now that my disaster really began. When I looked up one day and saw the bench was empty, no judging site and all that remain with the endless argument with oneself the pointless litigation of existence before an empty bench which of course is another way of saying despair.

Arthur Miller is seen in a very poetic way. You tell me how I ought to behave lip or a couch and it felt great but it led to Despair and here is why when I looked up and saw there was no judge cheated on the bench life lost its me there was no reason to do any of the things that I was doing and leads to to spare this litigation. Is that argue with oneself and with other people This is argument over saying it's better to be unselfish and selfish. It's wrong to trample down the week and exclude them from Power. It's better to keep yourself and your promises than just stab people in the back and it's Humanity. We're always saying it's better. It's better. It's better to do this then is to do that and we're making the Judgment calls, but he says when I saw there is no judge. No one sitting on the bench seat of the universe. That means there's no one that can say my actions are right or wrong. Besides that everything will burn up in the end and it makes me depressed. when might feel liberating on an individual level that we can live and do as we please. There's no God, but at the end of the day all of this is in meaning this and believe it or you want me to take abuse you can mistreat others and you can do all of those things as long as it enhances your life. Unless unless there is a Chach.

This morning. I want to make that logical point if you're a doubter in here. You live that contradictory fashion every single day of your life. How could God judge you charge on a daily basis? You're constantly determining for yourself and Society. What you believe is right or wrong based on your feelings your emotions and where you're at right now. You're actually having to look back and determine whether or not we're on the right side of History who could really know because maybe at that point they really were on the right side of history mean. We've gone off The Rocker. We're constantly living in a place of confusion. Not only that he come to me and say do not indoctrinate me with this idea of Christianity and Jesus in the resurrection. I would say you have no basis for actually making that statement. How dare you judge me for my beliefs. Do you live in a contradiction that leads to despair? Assembly deconstruct culture and its beliefs concerning these things. We not do justice to this morning. And how does the bible frame this the Bible says we read and John there's a day of judgment and it is terrifying. There's a day tell me when it's going to right all wrongs and not you actually excite us to some degree but it should also terrifies why because we are on the wrong and the wrong side of things aren't we we've all been wrong and we say justice get them do that, but then we have to quickly turn around and push ourselves into that fire because we have hurt and condemn others and the question isn't asked. How are we going to stand? Martin Luther and reading Romans said I greatly long to understand Paul's Epistles to the Romans. Amen with her and nothing stood in the way that one expression the justice of God because I took it to mean that Justice swear by God is just and Deals justly and punishing the unjust my situation was that although an impeccable monk. I stood before God is a sinner troubled and conscious and I had no confidence in my merit with a swage hand. Therefore. I did not love a just an Angry God but rather hated in murmured against him why because he was trying to earn this dogs respect you was trying to do right. He was trying to live a certain way and he could not do it dear friend. If you think that's what Christianity as you've no idea what the gospel is. You've no idea what the good news of Jesus means and he lived the life. We could not live. He died the death that we deserved. Why is it that we might have life in him? It's not because I stack America pain Merit upon marriage. And now I'm finally accepted by God know that would never happen in Luther came to grips with that. James. What does he say? Set night and day. I pondered until I saw the connection between the justice of God and the statement that the just shall live by faith. Then I dress that through a gift and ship mercy God justifies us through faith there pain. I felt myself to be reborn into have gone through open doors into Paradise. When I saw that the LA meant one thing and the gospel another I broke. drill If it gives us the hope, he says I saw Jesus come and see what are we going to come and see Matthew 28? It says in first one now after the Sabbath for the dawn of the first day of the week Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb. Behold there was a great earthquake for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and roll back the stone and set on it as a parrot was like lightning as clothing white as snow and for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men, but the angel said to the women do not be afraid for I know that you see Jesus was crucified. He is not here he is risen. As he said come see the place where he lay, then go and quickly and tell the disciples that he was risen from the dead and behold he is going to be for you to Galilee. Therefore you will see him. See I told you so The Departed quickly from the chain with fear and great joy and ran to tell his disciples and behold Jesus met them and said greetings that came up and took all the speed and worship him. Then Jesus said to them do not be afraid go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee and they will see me. This is the good news of the Gospel every story every movie I've ever grab your attention has this moment we called the climax in which Everything Changes upon it all of the story is building towards this and this is the story of the Bible building towards this moment of Jesus and the story than hinges upon him going to the cross and it looking like death looking like the enemy has one and there's no hope for man. Time within what happens Jesus resurrects and it changes everything. What does it actually mean? It talks about like what Martin Luther said there's a breakthrough when you come and see Jesus when you actually see him and see what he's done. I'm not talking about some physical manifestation of him popping up in your bedroom this week. I'm talking about hearing the good news and receiving what he has done and it does something in a person what when we see that he stood in our place our church believes in substitutionary atonement this idea that Jesus Took should have been ours. Our guilt or shame it's cheat upon him and we believe that our sin was that bad that God himself had to die in our place. She we have a judge and it's terrifying. But the judge was judged and so now we stand he was judged for us. He's the he is the object of our judgments. He came to dispense it, but he also came to absorb it. This means you do not have to stand on your own redeemers. This means that you're not trying to Define and make a name for yourself. And when we see that the kind of breakthrough. That Luther is talking about seeing Jesus. If you see in this story when that break your comes through we begin to worship and come before him. It changes every single thing about us. There's a few more things. I'd love to talk with you all about but we don't have time for it here this morning. And what I need this group to know. Can you say like Luther? How to break through? Oh I tried on my own. I wanted to be good and do the right thing and live the right way. I tried to be a good kind person can just come to the end of yourself and you realized once I cannot do that. So maybe I'll just go live. However, I want I will be my own judge that's going to lead to despair. depression and if you say well I'm going to work my way to the this God Holiness that is going to lead to frustration and despair. There's a middle right wing and that is Jesus the judge that is Judge who stood in your place and he says and see me. As a result of that when you know me go and tell all about me. That is the good news of Jesus Christ. You do not know that about him. This is not a workspace system on how to be a better person and mixed Society far greater. We're failing at that and culture today. There was not a Utopia that were working towards with a human ways. There needs to be a king at Seated on the throne and it begins with the Throne of your heart and the Throne of your life and he changes you and moves in you it doesn't work in each and every person in here and we go forth and we represent this King and we boldly Proclaim and talk about who this king is as Prime. Father. Thank you so much for the gift of your son Jesus Christ. Thank you that you stood in our place and that you love and care for us that you that you are a judge and we don't have to be ashamed to say that. But you that we know that when a horrible awful atrocities happen that people can either come under the blood of Jesus Christ and be forgiven or they give an account for all that they have done. We can rest in that never ends a piece and a hope. It doesn't make it some more brutal angry kind of people but a softer loving knowing that we can actually trust you the hard things in our lives. Change Hearts working our lives in Jesus name. Amen.

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