31st March 2024 - Easter Celebration Service - Dave Food - The Way of the Cross

When we do wrong, there is a price to be paid. In the

Old Testament about that, because there were sacrifices that were made saying, sorry,

God, we bring a sacrifice to you. And so as we gather

and as we celebrate reserretions, Jesus died. He paid the price for you

and me. But we have perfect hindsight here because we can look back and

go because he lives. I can face tomorrow because he lives. And that

comes from the reality that he died and rose again. Just imagine if I

just saw Jesus has died. Oh sorry, so you know that brilliant time

we were how sorry. I know he raised people from the dead, and

I know he turned water into wine, but sorry, he's died. That

was the state the disciples were in yesterday. That was the state the disciples.

And they'd spent time following Jesus. They followed him, they'd loved him,

they'd shared with him. They'd seen him do miracles, lots of miracles.

And then they'd seen him cursed and spat upon and a crown of thorns

put on his head. They've seen him hung on a cross, they saw

him die. So yesterday for them was exactly where I just took you.

But we with hindsight can look back now and say, because he lives,

because today he rose again, we're resurrection people. And being resurrection people means

we need to think of resurrection, and resurrection means something that was dead comes

to life again. And please don't limit it, don't limit it just to

a body dying. If we believe in resurrection, God can take that which

was dead and bring it to life again. I mean, if you want

a visual picture of resurrection, just look at a butterfly. I mean,

I know, a butterfly doesn't officially die. It goes into a cocoon.

It goes into a state. And Jesus didn't go into a state. He

died. But then there comes this blossoming as the butterfly comes out of the

cocoon, and there is something even more beautiful. Jesus is even more beautiful

as a resurrected savior. And so let's dive in. As Juliet said,

we're finishing off march on walk this way. There is a way. Jesus

said, I Am the Way, the Truth and the Life. We know

he's the truth because we read that in his word. We know that there's

life because of God's Holy Spirit. But he says, I am the way.

No one comes to the Father except through me, and so I really

want to speak upon this way on this resurrection day, the way of the

Cross. In Matthew chapter twenty eight, verses five to seven, it says

this. The Angel said to the women, do not be afraid, for

I know that you are looking for Geesus, who was crucified. He is

not here. He has risen, just as he said, Come and see

the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples. He

has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There

you will see him. Now I have told you so. The Angel already

sets a frame here. He already sets the frame to say, Okay,

you were looking for the body of your savior. You were looking for the

body of Christ. But he is not here. He's gone. He's risen.

And what does it say? Then? It then says, go quickly

and tell others that there's one thing that today ought to propel us into.

It's have you heard I wonder whether your neighbor knows you're a Christian, not

because you put tracks through their door or not because you blast them once in

a while or you're a nice person and say nice things. I mean,

have you told them? Have you told them that Jesus Christ not only died

for you and me, but died for each one of us? Because you

know, if we walk the way of the cross, then we can say,

just as Paul said, for to me to live is Christ, and

to die is Gain says that in Philippians one twenty one, for me to

live is Christ. I've heard that there's a thing called shopping therapy. Notice

I say I've heard. I actually go. I go shopping now less than

I ever did when before. COVID. Don't know about you, but I

have heard and I've seen. I guess people when they feel low they go

out and buy themselves. So we probably do this in some way or other.

Do you treat yourself when you're feeling low. Oh, I've had a

tough week. I'm going to buy myself a bar of chocolate. Do you

do that? Or maybe you go out and you say, do you know

what, this shirt's looking a bit tired. I'm going to treat myself and

buy another shirt. Do you do that? Yeah? Because we do do

that because we're kind of saying, well, we're not quite where we should

be, and we can make ourselvesselves better by buying things. Yeah, I'm

not anti shops, I'm not anti retail. Please don't get me wrong.

Yeah, I'm just saying that it's not the answer because one of the realities

is often the cycle that we get into, or we can get into,

is I haven't got enough money to pay the bills this week. Oh I

feel a bit sad. Oh let me go and buy a shirt or a

dress or something. Let me buy something to treat myself. Okay, but

now your deaths have just got bigger and you didn't really need the shirt.

And so these cycles can come and we try and feed ourselves by saying,

do you know I only better tomorrow? I believe it could be better today,

because because he lives, I can face tomorrow. In John chapter sixteen,

it says this, when he comes, he will prove the world to

be in wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment about sin because people do not

believe in me. About righteousness because I am going to the Father where you

can see me no longer. And about judgment, because the prince of this

world now stands condemned John ten ten This isn't In the slides, cherry In

says, the enemy comes only to steal, kill and destroy. Now,

if you find yourself in a place where stuff is getting stolen, maybe your

peace, I'm not just talking about physical things now, maybe your peace gets

stolen. Maybe your joy gets stolen only to steal killing. Maybe something gets

killed. You think you're having a brilliant day, and then something comes,

and suddenly a moodhoover walks into the and suddenly, oh, isn't life hard?

The enemy comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. And what

does Jesus do? But I come that you might have life and have it

a little bit abundantly, or to the full, to the full, now

to the fall. For me, abundantly doesn't mean to the I don't know

whether you ever, don't know whether you drink pints of lemonade or pints of

beer or whatever it is. But there's a pint glass and there's a measure

mark on the glass that says this is a pint. Do you know what?

It doesn't mean? Just to the mark, and that's it. Abundantly

overflowing means to the mark, and a bit more in an excess, so

that we can have something to give away, something of God's love to give

away, something of God's life to give away. And how shall we reflect

this well? In Philippians two five, it says in our relationships with one

another, have the same mindset as Christ. Christ loves all of us.

Christ loves those who are at home. Christ loves others who are listening later.

Christ loves each one of us, even if we don't love ourselves.

I don't know whether you look in the mirror some mornings and think, oh,

there's a few more wrinkles. Oh, Dave, you look David,

you're looking a bit tired this morning. God still loves us even if we

don't, and I would encourage you. It's a good habit to be in

to love ourselves, to feel good about ourselves, to have godly contentments about

who we are and where we're at. Not that we shouldn't strive for more.

Please don't get me wrong. Let's press in and believe for more.

But in our relationships have the same mindset as Christ, because what he did

is rather he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant.

He came to serve us, being made in human likeness and being a found

in appearances a man he humbled himself, becoming obedient even to death, even

death on a cross. But we know that to be true because as we

remember Good Friday, he says to his father, he cries out and says,

if it be your will, take this cup from me. In that

moment of suffering, he says, is there another way? And the father

says no, and he completes the time on the cross as he says,

it is finished. That's a great phrase to carry. If there's one scripture

to remember, it is finished. There are times when the enemy will whisper

in your ear and say, see, it's not over yet. It's not

over till the lady sings. But do you know what we can declare?

It is finished? And every tongue sorry that at the name of Jesus,

every niche should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and

every tongue acknowledged, confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the

Father. I just sense this Easter we want to find more joy. Dore

we not? Who'd like some more joy? We're going to pray for that.

In a moment who'd likes some more peace. I'd like a bit more

peace, like a bit less stress. Do you know what? Peace is

not always about taking away the stress. There are times in our lives.

I hope this is to be true for you. I know be true for

me when I've been in the middle of a very stressful situation and peace just

comes. I pray and peace comes, I guess, Cherry And we were

like that this morning. We had to ring the help desk in India this

morning Jonathan bless him, moves out in India for a Jonathan and Sama.

He's our technical guy and it's the first time he's been away since we've upgraded

a lot of stuff. And we had to ring him at five o'clock in

the morning. Yeah, and so he was on the only having had four

hours sleep. I think so so well, thank you, Jonathan if you're

listening, because I think he was. But do you know what, in

the midst of stress we can find peace John fourteen twenty seven. Peace I

leave with you. So he doesn't just give it to us, He leaves

it with us. He doesn't just kind of say here's a bit of peace.

By peace I leave with you. That means there's something that comes from

Christ that remains. Leaving is different to giving. Giving. You can take

back. I'm going to give you something, Oh can I have it back

now? If I leave it with you, it remains with you. That's

the purpose of leaving it with you. Think about the last time somebody said

I'm going to leave you with something. Peace. I leave with you my

peace I give you. I do not give as the world gives. That's

why he said leave first. He didn't say I give it to He said

I leave it with you, and not as the world because the world wants

to take back the world wants to take backs. Do not let your hearts

be troubled. Do you know what? If our hearts are less troubled,

we maybe need a little less peace. And so part of the strength of

going through stuff is just knowing we're on God's path. Sometimes I sense the

Father says to me, and maybe this is true for you. As you

pray God, get me out of here. You've probably been in a difficult

meeting. You've probably been in a difficult conversation. I had one this week

actually, and I had one last week when I was just about to go

on stage and do a presentation, and I was thinking, I don't need

this right now. God get me out of here. That was almost a

little prayer that I prayed, and God take you. Can somebody else do

this? I don't want to do this, And I just felt him say,

no, Dave, this is your moment. I am with you.

I am with you. I am with you. Well, if God's with

me, that's okay. It doesn't matter what's coming, It does not matter

what's happening. If God's with me, I've got the best mate in the

room. And so actually, one of the simple things that we can do

is just take our hand and put our hand in the hand of the man

who stealed the water. You know that famous song, a classic song.

But put our hand in the hand of the man who stilled the seats.

Peace I leave with you. I don't know why I'm emphasizing this so much,

but I sense maybe for a few people online, maybe for some people

in the room, you need a bundle of peace right now. You need

a bucket full of peace, not just a drop. When you're thirsty.

Can you imagine you haven't drunk for three days, You're incredibly thirsty, and

somebody says, come along. I've got some water for you, gets out

of pipet and drops one drop of water in your tongue. Do you know

what it would feel? Fantastic? It would feel fantastic just one drop off,

but more, one more drop. You know, our God is not

a god of a drip and a drip at a time. Our God has

got a god of more than enough. My peace I leave with you.

I'm going to stop and pray for him at the moment, because I send

this is something that's important, and I just going to ask you. Firstly,

I'm going to just take your little journey as I pray. I want

you to firstly, imagine yourself sitting down. Most of you are, and

if you're we remember the way through the cross to eternal life. And Lord,

we choose to take up our cross and follow Jesus, and we receive

peace afresh. There's peace on the way, there's peace in the way.

Receive not just not I'm not just placing a little drop of water in your

hand, not just a drop of peace. For some of you, you've

now got a bucket in it ends you're saying, phill this up. For

some of us were saying, it's not big enough, Lord, I need

it's something bigger. Maybe you're holding a bath now, some people saying the

bus not big enough. Lord, hold a swimming for Because God's reservoir of

peace is not limited. So whatever that you need, he has more than

enough. And so Father, we choose to take hold of the peace that

you're passing in our direction. We pray that you'd leave it with us.

And so, Father, when you leave it with us, we've got to

hold onto it, not because you won't give us more, but because you've

left it with us. We're responsible for our walking in peace and walking in

safety and walking in security. Leave it with us, Lord, we receive

and allow that to soak in. Allow that peace to soak to every part

of your being. For people who are struggling with health issues, allow the

peace to dwell in you, that those muscles that are trying to protect where

you've been injured would relax, and healing can come where stress has brought you

digestive issues. I speak peace, I bring peace. I proclaim peace over

your stomach. But the acid reflux might go in Jesus' name, the digestion

might be readjusted. There. I even say for those whose digestive systems are

not working as they should do. I speak peace, I bring peace.

I proclaim peace to guts and small intestings, to bladders. Lord, where

there is trouble, let there be peace. Frather. Where there are minds

that are worrying, running on overdrive. Where sleep has disappeared, we're going

to sleep is a struggle. We're waking up in the middle of the night.

Is persistent challenge. Father. I speak peace to minds, I speak

peace to brains. I proclaim peace in Jesus' name. And for troubled hearts

too, where relationships have got broken because of arguments, because of disagreements,

because of misunderstandings, because of scars from the past. I speak his peace,

I proclaim his peace. I declare His peace for peace. I leave

with you. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Do not be afraid.

And Father, we say thank you. We say thank you for the

Prince of Peace, your son, our savior, Jesus, in which salvation

is found in no one else. For there is no under name under heaven

given to mankind by which we can be or must be saved, the name

of Jesus. And why am I so confident of all this. When I

talk about the way of the Cross, and when I talk about the way

through the empty tomb, the way through the cross, because you can't get

to the empty tomb without going through the cross. If Jesus didn't die,

and then we didn't need an empty tomb, we didn't even need a tomb.

So Jesus died. That's the way of the Cross that leads us to

death, that leads us to ending and new beginnings. That's what resurrection is.

And so we get from the cross to the tomb, and we get

to the tomb, and this day the disciples ran, and the Mary and

others ran to go and dress the body. And what happens. They meet

an angel who says he's not here, he's risen. Indeed, he's going

before you. And my final scripture for today is this in Romans ten thirteen.

For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved,

will be saved. The way of the Cross is the way that we can

follow. Do not be afraid, do not let your hearts be child,

do not be afraid. I just read that from John fourteen twenty seven.

But let's declare the truth that Jesus Christ died for you and for me.

He went to the cross for you and for me. He rose again that

we might know fullness and forgiveness and peace and joy in Jesus' name. And

so Father, this Easter Lord, we celebrate all that you've done for us.

We thank you Jesus for being our savior, not just our teacher,

not just our friend, but our savior. You save us from our sin.

You save us from the fear of sin and death, the impacts of

sin and death. And so, Father God, we thank you for your

son Jesus. Jesus, we thank you for going to the cross for us

and paying the price that we might know freedom as we accept you as our

savior and friend. And we'll come to this later on in the year.

But he didn't just leave us. He rose again, and he ascended to

the Father's side. That's yet to come in the story, and we'll explore

that some more. As we declare that Jesus is sitting at the right hand

of the Father, and he sends his comforter, the Holy Spirit to remain

with us always. Amen. So let's come back to worship now. Our

team's going to work now