The Death of Death - I

The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God, to find out how to know God personally go to know God.org KNOW know God.org he would you do me a favor sure this message was someone who needs to hear it.

When Jesus rose from the good that defeat wasn't a one time Pastor Greg Laurie explained all the way into the present. Something significant would Jesus rose again from the grave something. You don't have to be afraid of Christ rose with Jesus is nothing compared to what Jesus did to saying there were only two sure things in this one death and what we can't do much about her tax, but will see is the sure thing old grandfather was Roger long today for a new beginning. Greg Laurie brings a study to help prepare our hearts for the Sunday. Easter is a celebration of Christ's resurrection also celebration the death no longer hasn't told my messages that of the good job of the earliest of the schoolteacher is been telling the class about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. How he was brought back from the grave again and then she has three kids what you think. The first words of Jesus were when he rose again from the little girl start her hand up and the teacher said okay what were the first words of Jesus after he was resurrected and she said Jesus came out and said to get it or not that's in the Bible, but I like it. Listen to this one.

Jesus died on the cross he conquered sin when Jesus rose again from the dead. He defeated death, let me say that again when we dined on the cross he conquered sin, but when he rose again from the dead, he dipped needed death, that is not a topic were usually comfortable discussing death we don't want to deal with that. We don't think about it, but we need to think about it.

I read an interview that was done with actor Bradley Cooper a while ago your course, directed and starred in the film star is born and he was reflecting on his own father's death and Cooper said it caused him to address his own mortality. He was quoted to say alright I'm going to die to. So here it is a side of the book. It's not in the movie is not a destroy that was told to me as I'm driving by an accident or watching it on TV it someone you love dying in front of you and then I said okay this is death and it's going to happen to me one day."

The stroke your brother Cooper will die. Every man will die. Every woman will die this death on death are very impressive one out of every one person will die okay so we have to deal with that head on, but having said that something significant happened when Jesus rose again from the grave that something is, we don't have to be up afraid of death so that we look forward to it. A Christian doesn't get up in the morning and in say I hope I die today that would just be so awesome.

No numbing.

I think a Christian loves life more than anybody else but we don't have to be afraid of death and I'll tell you what time passes so quickly.

You know you get older, especially if you and I talked to a girl the other day. She's a barista she's making me coffee and she said oh I'm getting so old. I said multiunit.

She said I'm in my 20s.

And like I Jesus time is passing so quickly. I think you just wait a minute seems to going to turbo speed when you get a little bit older and you know my generation, the baby boomers, the eternally young generation we've gone from acid rock to acid reflux, you know, here's the thing. If you're 66 you're no longer allowed to shop at forever 21. Can we just just let's agree on this thing together.

I was filling out something the other day and you have to put your birthdate on it and so you start scrolling. I got a cramp in my finger from scrolling to can I just type in my break I just scroll. It's almost like an active humiliation is scroll scroll scroll but that's what happens in you know it's I think it's something that we need to recognize that time is passing quickly and we want to be ready for that day.

When it comes anything you know you can't. I mean, maybe you can improve the quality of your life, but the quantity of your life is up to God. Jesus said love you by worrying can add one moment to your life so you can eat all the kale you want in all the tofu you want and maybe you'll feel a little bit better and maybe you won't. I'm not really sure but I read about a lady who actually lived to be 105 years old. Her name is Pearl Cantrell.

She lived in Texas. She had seven children.

So they asked Pearl Cantrell what is the secret of your longevity lived 105.

He said it's very simple everyday i.e. break-in while they can. I like Pearl Cantrell might give a conversation he had with my granddaughter Allie the other day she announced that she is now a vegan while she was eating eggs and sausage. I said all you can be a vegan if you eat eggs and sausage.

He said will pop up. I just like the meat from the pig.

I understand she'll probably live to be 105 as well, but today is Easter and we come to the topic of death head on and I have an announcement to make. Just died when Christ rose. In fact, Easter was the day that death died because Jesus died I is a Christian one. Never thought because Jesus said I am the resurrection them alive. He that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live in is whoever lives and believes in me shall never die this in a Greg are you delusional. We may never die, people.all I know, I know it well. My mother is gone on to heaven. My father who adopted me. My son is been in heaven now 10 years that yesterday we put flowers on his grave. I'm very familiar with death. I've had a friend of mine died this last weekend. You know, I see it all the time but when I see death. I don't mean that I'm denying the fact that our body stops functioning and we go into the grounds of what I am saying is simply this is that our soul lives on in another place and one day are bodies to be resurrected from the grave.

That's all because of Jesus dying on the cross and rising again from the dead.

That is why I say just died when Christ rose listen with death into Jesus is nothing compared to what Jesus did to death salutes go back to her imaginations for a moment 2000 years.

Let's try to put ourselves in the shoes of those first century disciples because they were devastated. There were discouraged they were downhearted their world as they knew it ended overnight when their Lord, their master Jesus Christ started talking about being betrayed and crucified and then right there in front of their eyes. They watch them murdered in cold blood. They couldn't believe this was actually happening there. Hope was defeated. Their dreams were destroyed their faith was demolished. I don't know if that's all some of you feel this Easter you come here to church today. Discouraged or disappointed maybe or disappointed with friends you disappointed with family.

Some of you are even disappointed with God.

New York magazine published an article called the science of disappointment and it pointed out that the feeling of being let down is one of life's toughest emotional experience. There's a lot of things that can happen to cause us to feel that way maybe it's a betrayal of by a spouse maybe your boyfriend or girlfriend breaks up with you.

Maybe something else happens at somewhat traumatizing. Some of you even feel that God himself has let you down on this article states quote the feeling that disappointment is linked to your levels of dopamine.

Dopamine is the brain's pleasure. Chemical release during positive like experiences.

For some people it shopping that's for the colored retail therapy.

You know how you get almost an emotional Russ or maybe something exciting is coming. Maybe it's your birthday and you know it's coming and you're so excited that everybody's going to come to your birthday party and you posted on social media and no one acknowledges it, you get the double dopamine. Russ and then you of the double downer afterwards an actual chemical reaction and this brings the disappointment I meant in the disappointment that the disciples felt when Jesus was murdered and taken away from them, but he promised he would rise again from the dead master Greg Laurie will have the second half of this message just a moment. We love hearing stories about how God's Word touches lives. I've always believed in God, but I guess I never understood or was a skeptic my life was pretty good but something inside was telling me that there is more stagnant struggle with stress and anxiety just started reading the Bible for the first time in 40 years is finally starting to make sense and anxiety since last I realize my problems were connected to the lack of purpose in my life no more. I surrendered my heart to the Lord.

What an encouragement is God's word impacted your life would you let us know tell us your story by emailing gray and gray@harvest.org again, that's great that harvest.org Pastor Greg is helping prepare us for the Easter celebration this weekend's message today is called the death of death was continue and so the women went to the tomb together to anoint his dead body.

They were not expecting to see a risen Lord.

There expecting to find a dead body to anoint. They all went together.

And of course, that's all women roll right women do everything together. Guys were mystified by this.

Are you girls communicate how tendrils can be at a table all talking at the same time you can understand each other or how when one grosses him to go to the restroom. Three others go with her. What is not all about money. When a guy goes to a restroom and runs into someone he knows he's actually embarrassed. Oh sorry Medicaid get around each other.

If you're like me you walk out more than one time I flipped the light of the restroom officer walked out I'm a bad person.

I just have to tell you that the girls do things together. The communicate so these ladies said let's go anoint his dead body and they get to the tomb and it's empty and an angel tells them you go tell the disciples and Peter is risen, and he'll meet you in Galilee.

So Peter and John come to the tomb. They see that it's empty. That's another wondering what this is all about Jesus makes an appearance to Thomas who heard that he had appeared earlier and didn't believe it, hence the title for life doubting Thomas. But Thomas said if I can put my can of the wound in his side, or touch the wound in his hand all believe in Jesus it here I am in go for it. Thomas is not good my lord my God. I believe in Jesus appeared to do disciples on the road to Emmaus and they didn't know what was Jesus. He was incognito. I did a high pull that off. I don't think it was a Jedi mind trick. It was it was something he did. Were they didn't know who he was in there walking along and he says hey guys loose paraphrase, what's going on what's going on. They said that what you heard about Jesus of Nazareth and he said no. Tell me about and so they told Jesus about Jesus and then he revealed himself a little bit later I was in the Sunglass hut the other day and asking some questions about some sunglasses. The lady said to me, is anyone ever told you you sound like Greg Laurie I said yes yes I've heard that before I send it by the way, I've met Greg Laurie. She said really.

I said he's a total jerk which is true because I turn off lights in the restroom when I walk out. I said, he's so rude and you know what I I met him in the end we got into an argument. It was weird because he has his voice and not my voice and we stomach the same voice so were having an argument in the same voice.

He's like now and then I said that I slept and she slapped him. I said no I'm sorry I'm Greg Laurie I'm just messing around and she slapped me she showed up. I deserved it. Despite all this I invited her to church and she still showed up.

I was amazed, but I Jesus was not rude like that. He revealed who he was, to those two disciples and he said I'll meet you in Galilee. So we come to that scene now in John 21, where they encounter Jesus at the Sea of Galilee first.

Three Simon Peter said I'm going fishing will come to the all said and they went out of the boat and they caught nothing all night. At dawn, Jesus was standing on the beach with the disciples couldn't see who he was and he called out fellows.

Do you have any fish know they replied. Then he said throw your net on the right side of the boat and you'll get some and they did and they couldn't haul in the net because there were so many fish in it. Then the disciple that Jesus loved said to Peter, it's the Lord when Simon Peter heard was the Lord.

He put on his tunic and jumped into the water and headed to the shore. The other save of the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore. There were only 100 yards from the shore when they got there they found breakfast waiting for them fish cooking over a charcoal fire with some bread. Jesus said, bring some of the fish that you just caught on.

Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore and Jesus said, come now, and have some breakfast than this a great scene. I love breakfast. How many of you love breakfast Outlook practice.

My favorite meal of the day, second only to lunch and dinner was seriously getting up in the morning. The smell of coffee eggs, bacon, and toast them. That's very inviting. Maybe some pancakes to be a good breakfast okay so there were no pancakes there. No bacon for sure they were kosher, but that there was some fish and there was some bread that Jesus himself was making for them on the shore here now are teak away truths on the resurrection of Jesus that apply to you directly why Easter matters. Point number one because of Jesus resurrection I will one day receive a new body solicit death does not have the final say.

Even over our body. Easter has the final say this picture of Jesus coming out of the tomb as a preview of things to come, because we too will one day be resurrected. First Corinthians 1520 says the truth as Christ has been raised up. The first of the long legacy of those were going to leave the cemeteries but will have to wait our turn crisis first and then those with him will rise at his coming. So Jesus rose in a real body in a real world in a real way he spoke with the real voices was a real physical bodily resurrection number two because of Jesus resurrection are resurrection bodies will be much like kids our new bodies will be much like to first John three says, beloved, now with the children of God is not been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when he's revealed. We will be like him, for we will see him as he is so okay what was the resurrection body of Jesus like what it was physical, Artie pointed out he borne his body. The marks of the crucifixion. He spoke with a real voice in a real fish with real hands so it was a physical body but at the same time it did not have the normal limitations that a human body has he could appear in a room without using the door but another trait of this resurrection body of Christ as he ate food which means when we get to heaven and we come back again to the new words were going to eat food and I'm very thankful for that. How many of you like to eat food yes I do to you know some people don't like to eat that much and I don't understand those people. I look forward to eating and I know that will beget the glory were getting eat together. Matthew 11 says people will come from the East and West and take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

Can you imagine sitting down at a table with the great men and women of the Bible you could turn to Moses and say buddy. Could you pass me the manna I've always wanted to try that get turned.

Well, I didn't say Elijah my needs a little undercooked. Could you give me a little more fire.

Bridget got the miracle down a lot. Could you pass the salt all lots are so sensitive.

Imagine asking David what it was like to fight Goliath asking Noah what it was like to live in the ark asked Moses about parting the Red Sea as John what it was like to receive the book of Revelation on the island of Patmos asked Mary what it was like to carry Jesus in her womb and then later carry him in her heart and not only will you meet these great saints of old, you will be reunited with your loved ones that are preceded you who have died in faith. Heaven is going to be an incredible reunion and you're going to know one another. Sometimes the questions asked what we know one another in heaven.

You think you can to be more stupid in heaven then you are in earth.

The Bible says in first Corinthians 13, we will know fully, as we are no you going to know more in heaven. Nonetheless, and not only that you're going to learn in heaven more revelation about God is going to be revealed to you over the passing of time when I can just sit around and sing worship songs are going to be serving the Lord to be working for the Lord to be learning from the Lord is going to be amazing great glory.

Glimpses of life everlasting from today's message called the death of death and there's more to come as this study continues here on a new beginning dear a replay of anything you've missed today just go online to harvest.org or listen.

By way of our free harvest mobile app find out more@harvest.org. What were talking with Kathy Lori she's her in studio guest today, so it's a privilege to have you with us or Kathy nothing today and we want to talk about a two books set for children by our friend Sally Lloyd Jones, who was also with us if you would. Kathy Ed describe how you will often read to your grandkids and what a truly special time that is for both of you.

It is one of my favorite things to do and I am so blessed to have incredible good books to read to them and pretty cheesy that and when I have the opportunity and we see the grandkids at least a couple times a week at the house.

I always grab a buck and say hey, let's read this together and it is the greatest joy and I want to tell you that when I speak about children's books on the top of my shelf and I cannot just say it in words simply enough. You have to get these books by Sally Lloyd Johns and this one in particular sirens and live Psalm 23 and the Lord's prayer. I was just speaking with one of the young moms here and she was saying how the page Sally on the Psalm 23 where it says even when I walk to the dark scary lonely places and the illustrations are amazing.

It says I won't be afraid because my shepherd knows where I am and he is here with me. See you. You can imagine how gorgeous the illustrations are put the word smart and they will take the familiar Psalm 23 and the familiar Lord's prayer and put them in ways that for adults. Suggest you read feast emotionally as an adult as a parent first are so beautiful. Thank you so much Sally for biting me silly.

You do well thank you and thank you so much for the lovely things he sent an eye. It's my great honor to serve children and that particular picture that you mention which is hot because when doing radio so no one can see the pictures and I'll just have to use their imaginations like the Saints children that am it's very interesting. Even the youngest child will go to that spread that particular spread, which centers on just described. It's a little tiny lamb and setting a big landscape with rain in a storm and a lab mix cat and even the tiniest child's thinking straight to that.

And then they want to catch the next spread which is panning out, he see the shepherd running to the littlest lamb and I think it's because even the smallest child they know the crux of the matter, and they have serious fans and consigns, even if that very tiny and we are responsibilities to address them.

Not trying, rather than moving them up as a place for them that in the lap of the grandmother or grandfather, or parent, nor announce when uncle are teaching to look at something scary and then gets the next pregnancy, but there were shepherds running to him and said the shepherd spiraled along, so I left pointing that out because I think we sometimes think we have to protect children and we did but we also have to acquit them so good you're listening to Sally Johnson, you can probably understand now why her writings connected children and that's why we're so excited to be offering this series of two books in a box set that are called found in loved. Beautifully illustrated by an artist named Iago and there's also a special art print that's included, and were offering this to you for your gift of any size to help us continue in this radio broadcast to teach God's word in the proclaim the gospel. Yeah that's right your investments. Help us bring the studies each day. We have no other way to cover the costs of making these programs available other than the donations of listeners and those resources touched so many lives that we heard from a listener who said Greg, I'm 57 I got saved. Listening to you on the radio.

Driving to work in downtown LA when I was in my 20s. Thank you for your loyalty to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It was investments of listeners that help us touch lives. And if you can make an investment right now would like to send you this outstanding picture books set from Sally Lloyd Jones found and love. Just try to set a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org. Easter is the most hopeful time of year and Pastor Greg Laurie points on the pathway to eternal life. Jesus Christ came out of it empty to fill our info on who do you know who needs hope this Easter season bring them to hear the good news Pastor Greg special music asked to leave is the perfect opportunity to bring someone picture does not get to know the Lord.

82% of the uninsured are likely to attend church have a friend or coworker, neighbor or family member invites and here's the big difference this year to do it all online.

That's right, Easter is coming to you dear how is your tablet to your phone wherever you want to view it. Just go to harvest.org to find out more, let's work together to reach the largest group of people we have ever been able to make contact with this coming Easter if harvest Easter on line when it's time more insights on the price Jesus willingly paid at Calvary and how that change history forever. Join us for a Good Friday program next time on the new beginning. Pastor Greg before we close you know we are all talking about covert, 19, and the impact it's had on our country.

Could we take just a moment before go and pray. We all need to be taking this crisis to the Lord.

Yes, let's all pray father I pray right now for anyone who's lost a loved one due to the coronavirus Lord I'm asking for your comfort to be extended to them because you are the God of all comfort. If that person was a believer. We rejoice that we will see him again and then not only a part of our past, but there also a part of our future comfort.

The broken hearted. I pray for protection for anybody here who's been exposed to the coronavirus Lord let them not get sick.

And if they are sick. Lord healed and quickly quicken the healing process.

Lord I pray that you will use this moment in American history to wake up the church to share the gospel as Billy Graham did so faithfully in his day, we would share the gospel with our generation. We pray that you will send a spiritual awakening to America were overwhelmed by this pandemic and we don't know what to do were reminded of the story of Jehoshaphat the king of Israel, who was overwhelmed by his enemy and he said we don't know what to do better eyes are upon you, Lord and father are eyes are upon you now intervene, hear our prayer. We ask this all in Jesus name and possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for pastor grades free daily email devotions and harvest.org