Consider Him | Easter Sunday | Pastor Kami Palmer | Faith Church

I am so excited. I love Easter morning. I love

Resurrection Sunday. It is what we are all about,

right? It is what we are all about. And about

a month ago, I preached a sermon on considering

Him. Do you remember that? When we were talking

about running our race, out of Hebrews 12, what

did it say? To run our race well, we must consider

him, right? And so I want to revisit for a moment

that verse, because as we were considering him,

we were considering him and his sacrifice of

the cross. But I want for a moment to look at

Hebrews 12, 2 again, and 3. And at the end of

verse 2, it says he endured the cross, he scorned

the shame, and he sat down at the right hand

of God. He sat down at the right hand of God.

So it then goes on to verse 3. Consider him who

endured opposition. And so this morning, I want

us to take a moment to consider him, the one

that is right now seated at the right hand of

the Father. In Matthew 27, we have the account

of the resurrection. Let's read it. So if you

have your Bible, take it out. We're going to

start at the end of 27 and go into chapter 28.

Starting in verse 65, it says, Take a guard,

Pilate said. Go, make the tomb. as secure as

you know how. They are wanting this sealed. They

didn't want anybody trying to steal the body.

They wanted this to be a sealed tomb. So set

a guard and secure it. So they went and made

the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone

and posting the guard. After the Sabbath at dawn

on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene

and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

There was a violent earthquake for an angel of

the Lord came down from heaven and going to the

tomb, rolled back the stone. And I love this.

He sat on it. This is what I think about this

stone. His appearance was like lightning and

his clothes were white as snow. The guards were

so afraid of him that they shook and became like

dead men. The angel said to the women, do not

be afraid for I know that you are looking for

Jesus who was crucified. He is not here. Can

you imagine? They've come looking for the body

of Jesus. And the angel says, he is not here.

He has risen just as he said. Come and see the

place where he lay. Come check it out for yourself.

See where he was lay. He's not there. And so

just as we considered him a month ago upon the

cross, today we're just going to walk quickly

through three considerations from this passage.

We're going to move through the first two fairly

quickly because I want to focus on the third.

But our first consideration of the risen Jesus

comes out of verse 2. There was a violent earthquake

for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven

and going to the tomb, rolled back the stone

and sat on it. Our first consideration today

brings hope to us. Because how many of us have

ever felt like in our life that certain situations

or certain relationships are just sealed up good?

There's no breakthrough in sight. There's no

resurrection in sight. That thing is dead and

sealed up in a tomb. Anybody ever felt like that

in your life? Some of you today maybe are currently

feeling that way. God, this situation seems like

it will never ever change. It seems dead. It

seems sealed up shut. But I have good news for

you today. I have good news for your situation

today. Heaven can shake things up a bit. When

God says it's time to move the stone, I'm sorry,

there's no guard that can stop that. There's

no death that can stop that. It matters not what

it appears in the natural. When heaven says it

is time, the earth begins to shake. Those things

in your life begin to shake. And nothing can

withstand when God says it's time. It's time.

It's time that those things, those places, those

relationships be unsealed. It's time for what

has been blockaged to be rolled away. It is time

for dead things to come alive again. That's what

happens when God says it's time. God has a way

of shaking things up and opening things up. And

man can't stop that. Man can, the enemy can come

against you strong. He can try, he can try. But

we know that he cannot prevail against God. Amen?

And so take hope today and consider his resurrection.

Consider that it wasn't just that he was close

to death, it's that he had already died. It's

that he had already been sealed up in a tomb.

And in the natural, we would say, well, that's

done and over. It's time. We're going to be like

the disciples and we're going to go back to our

old lifestyle and we're going to start fishing

again. What appears in the natural isn't always

the truth. And we got to begin to ask heaven

for truth over our situation. Over that thing

that feels sealed up. We got to begin to ask

God for his truth. Right? And so we consider

the shaking of heaven and its ability to unseal

things. So take hope today. Our second consideration.

This is so good and this should Build such trust

in you in verse 6. He is not here. He has risen.

Catch this phrase, just as he said. Just as he

said. Jesus had already spoken when he was walking

the earth of his death and resurrection. And

here we see the fulfillment of what he said.

Jesus is true to his word. And some of you have

had even, not even recently, but I would say

5, 10, 15, 20 years ago, Jesus say something

to you. And you haven't seen it come to pass

yet. But can I say to you today that when Jesus

says something, when he says something, you can

take that as done. You can take that as done.

Just as he said. And so, whatever your... relationship

issues whatever your struggles that you're believing

for can I just say this to you whatever Jesus

has said about it is what you should say about

it whatever he has said about your marriage and

the promise you've received maybe that's what

you should say over your marriage whatever God

has said over your children Maybe you should

quit talking about how much trouble they're causing

you right now and begin to talk about what Jesus

has said about your children. Maybe it's your

job. You should ask Jesus, Jesus, what do you

say about this job? And maybe you should start

saying that. And so today, when we consider the

resurrection, we do it. Because just as he said,

so he says over you. And so this leads us to

the heart of this, consideration number three.

I've been preaching myself happy for a couple

of weeks over consideration number three. He

is risen. He is risen. In Hebrews 12, what did

we just read? He sat down at the right hand of

the throne of God. Consider him. The risen Jesus

is not a meek Jesus that shed his glory to walk

the earth. Darren read it a few moments ago,

didn't he? He made himself of no reputation to

walk this earth. Jesus is not that right now.

Isaiah 53 says that there was no beauty about

him. There was nothing that would attract you

to Jesus. Can I say today, he is risen and that

is not who he is today at the right hand of God.

And so for a few moments, I want us to consider

him the one seated at the right hand of God.

In Revelation chapter 1, starting in verse 10.

Revelation 1 · chapter mention

On the Lord's day, there's something that happens

about on the Lord's day, right? Something that

happens. That's why church is so good. I was

in the spirit, John said, and I heard behind

me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said, write

on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven

churches. Listen, the disciples hadn't seen the

risen Jesus. A few of them had seen Jesus when

he appeared at his transfiguration with Moses

and Elijah. So they'd had a taste of it. But

they had not seen Jesus risen and seated at the

right hand. And so Jesus is wanting now to reveal

himself to the church. saying, you knew me as

this meek, unappealing man, but I want you to

know me now as the risen one. Here is what I

look like. So send it out to the churches. I

turned around in verse 12 to see the voice that

was speaking to me. And when I turned, I saw

seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands

was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe

reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash

around his chest. The hair on his head was white

like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were

like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze

glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like

the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand

he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth

was a sharp double -edged sword. His face was

like the sun shining in all its brilliance. This

is the risen Savior. This is the one whom we

now consider at the right hand of the Father.

And so let's just take for a moment time to consider

him. He's dressed in a robe to his feet with

a golden sash that speaks of royalty. and priestliness.

His hair was white as wool, as snow, as seen

as the Ancient of Days. His eyes were blazing

fire, filled with divine knowledge and insight,

piercing the hearts of man. The risen Savior

looks at you. There's no hiding anything. We

may think we're hiding, but he sees. He sees.

His feet like bronze in a furnace. Strong and

steadfast, able to subdue his enemy and your

enemy. His voice. was like the sound of rushing

waters full of divine authority. Just as he said,

when he speaks, authority is released. He held

the seven stars, which were the ministers of

the seven churches he was writing to. Isn't that

good to know, though? He is able to hold you.

This risen Savior is able to hold you. Out of

his mouth, a two -edged sword that wounds and

heals. And his face like the shining sun. This

is the radiance of Jesus that will one day light

the new creation. He's the source of the light

of the new creation. This is our risen Savior

today. This is the one that even now is looking

down upon us from heaven. This is the one even

now that lives within you. Can you imagine? This

risen one lives within you. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

And so I think John's response is interesting

because John's response to this revelation is

the same as the guards at the tomb. And it says

that John, in verse 17, when he saw him, he fell

at his feet as though dead. I mean, can you imagine

if we were able to see Jesus? This is the Jesus

that Gary can see right now. Here's Jesus' then

response to John falling at his feet as though

dead. Jesus places his right hand on him and

says, do not be afraid, John. Do not be afraid.

I am the first and the last. I am the living

one. I was dead and now look. I am alive forever

and ever and ever and ever. I am alive and I

hold the keys of death and Hades. Consider him

today. Consider him today. This is not the meek

and mild Jesus we saw on earth. He's got blazing

eyes. He's got a sword coming out of his mouth.

He was the first and the last. He was dead and

he's alive. Consider him. You say, okay, I consider

that. But what does that mean now for my life?

I can't imagine considering this Jesus and it

not affecting my life. When Jesus was walking

on earth, when he had chosen to have no reputation,

when he had chosen to put off all of his rights

in heaven and glory and became man, and he walked

this earth, What he was doing was teaching us

what life on this earth looks like. We walk in

meekness and humility. That's what the word calls

us to. We walk in forgiveness and love of our

betrayers, even as Jesus did his betrayer. We

walk. preferring one another. We walk in the

gentleness that Darren preached about last week.

He's a gentle God, even in all of his glory.

We walk allowing God to be our defender. And

so even as we live, as Jesus lived on this earth,

We are able to live it knowing this truth, okay?

Because I think this was the key. Jesus was able

to do it knowing his truth. We are able to walk

in that same likeness of Jesus because we know

this, according to Ephesians 2, verse 6. God

Ephesians 2:6

raised us up with Christ. and seated us with

him in the heavenly realms within Christ Jesus.

In order that in the coming ages he might show

the incomparable riches of his grace expressed

in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Listen,

we are able to walk the life that Jesus walked

in meekness, in humility, in forgiving, in living

unoffended, in preferring one another, in that

deep humility. Why are we able to do that? Because

we know who we are. We know where we're seated.

And just as Jesus is currently seated with the

Father, God has raised you and I up to be seated

even now with him in those heavenly places. I

can walk in humility because I know where I am

seated. And I don't need to tell you about it.

I don't need to tell you how great I am. No,

because my greatness would only come because

of Jesus anyway. So there's nothing in me. It

is all this glorious Savior that lives in me

and that I am allowed to be seated with. And

so I can walk in humility. I can walk forgiving

because I saw Jesus do it. And I know where I'm

seated with him even now. It brings freedom.

It allows us to walk in freedom. I don't have

to prove anything. I'm already seated with Christ

in the heavenly places. I don't have to earn

anything. Because of the cross, I'm seated in

heavenly places. It is by his grace. It is by

his grace that we are seated with Christ in heavenly

places. One day we will see the fullness of that

face to face. Today we see through the glass

darkly, right? We see with a veil. There will

come a day when that veil will no longer be there.

We will see face to face. We will see in all

the fullness, in all of the glory. And until

that day, as long as we tread this earth, we

tread it as Jesus, exalted, glorious one walked

it. Today, we're considering who the risen Christ

is. The one with the blazing eyes and the sword

coming from his mouth, who at his own accusation

said not a word. He didn't say a word, did he?

In fact, Isaiah 53 says that. He came as a lamb

to the slaughter and he didn't utter a word.

Today, as the risen one, his word is like rushing

water. There is nothing quiet about his words

today. Today his voice can be sounding throughout.

When he sounds his voice, things begin to shake.

He is quiet no longer. This is your Jesus. You

may not understand everything about him. or what

this thing we call Christianity is all about.

But all you really need to know is that Jesus

put all of that gloriousness aside in heaven,

came down to a cross to take our punishment that

we deserved for our sin, to die a horrible, horrible

death. And then days later to overcome that death.

And the good news is that this same Jesus wants

a relationship with you. He wants a relationship

with me. He wanted himself made known. He wants

us to choose him. To choose to answer his call.

So the choice is ours, isn't it, though? He doesn't

force any of us. He gives us all free will to

make the choice. But he's calling to us, come.

Come to me. I'm just waiting. I'm just waiting

for you. And so the choice is ours. The choice

is ours if we're going to live with a sense of

being defeated in life when it gets difficult.

Or we can remember the one who lives. Things

got a little difficult for Jesus, didn't they?

When we stopped, this is why I love Holy Week,

because we stopped to consider the beating that

he took, the thorns that went in. In fact, they

said the beating was so strong, it probably,

and so long, his spine would actually be exposed.

For like 10 hours, he was mocked. Jesus knows

what it is to have a difficult life. The good

news is, though, is that no matter how difficult,

and I think that the martyred church has the

sense that we have not experienced before, because

even in their own pain and suffering and martyrdom,

They experience the risen Savior in a way that

we haven't experienced. They have walked in a

very real way the journey that Jesus walked.

And they do it with a joy that is unexplainable.

Why? Because they are now, they're walking the

path of the risen Savior. They're walking, they

know what this is that Jesus has walked. The

pain and the suffering. And on the other side

of it, the glory of having done it with the risen

Savior. And so you, in your difficulties, listen,

the risen Savior wants to come alongside. of

you, in your difficult, hard places, in your

woundedness, in your betrayal, and you're feeling

as though you're shut up and dead and sealed

up. Jesus, the risen Savior, knows what that

is, and he's shown us, hey, there's another side

to this. There's the resurrected side. You're

going to make it to the resurrected side. So

hang on. Don't give up. Don't give up. Keep choosing.

Keep choosing. Keep choosing every day. Yes to

Jesus. Yes to the risen Savior. The choice is

ours. The truth is that we are his bride. And

I know that doesn't make a lot of sense. But

he is the bridegroom. We are the bride. And what

Jesus desires is a people that reflect some of

that fire in his eyes. He desires a people who

speak the words that he speaks. He desires a

people that carry the wisdom of the ancient of

days. He desires a people that knows whatever's

going on in this earth. We are a people in the

spirit realm who are seated with Jesus. Hallelujah.

And so today, the worship team is going to come,

and I wanted to leave some space here for us

to respond. Because for some of you, you've never

maybe heard this call to become that follower

of Christ, to say, I hear him calling to me,

saying, I want to do this life with you. I want

you to receive and accept the sacrifice that

I made on your behalf. And I want to raise you

up to be seated with me. Some of you, you've

never made that choice. And today is the day

to answer the call, to say yes to the risen one.

And some of you in this room today, you're in

consideration number one. You need breakthrough.

You need the sealed tombs of your situations

to be opened. And you need resurrection power

to come forth in those places. He wants to do

that for you today. Some of you need to just

hear what he's saying. In the most difficult

places of our life, there is one thing in every

situation that has been my guarantee. And in

some of those situations, I've seen the other

side. Some of them I'm still walking through

and I haven't seen the other side. And in every

one of them, here's my guarantee. I have heard

what Jesus has spoken. over it. And it has produced

faith that makes me immovable. And it's not how

great I am walking through it. The immovableness

comes because I have heard what Jesus has said.

And when you hear the voice of Jesus, you become

immovable, just as he said. Some of you need

to hear his voice today. You've been feeling

like you've been tossed and turned. And I'll

tell you what will solve that problem is to hear

what Jesus is saying over you. To hear his word.

And so in a moment, as the team leads us in worship,

our elders are going to come. And they're going

to pray with you. That happens when we pray with

one another. There's an agreement that comes

as we pray with one another. And today we want

you to have that opportunity. And so if you need

to hear a word from God, if you need breakthrough

to happen, if you need God to shake things up,

we want to pray with you today. And if you need

to become a Christ follower for the first time

today, our elders would love to pray with you

that you might receive the great gift of salvation

that is the working of the cross and the resurrection

of Christ. Allowing you, just as Gary did so

many years ago. Man, does anybody know how long

Gary was a follower of Christ? It had to have

been like 50 years, I think. 47? 47 years he

followed Jesus. I want that kind of legacy. And

for some of you, this will be day one of your...

Gary had a day one. And some of you today need

a day one. Maybe... You've been kind of halfway

deciding. Today, the risen one is calling. Man,

get all in with him. This earth is so fleeting.

This time is so fleeting. The resurrected one

is waiting for us. He's preparing heaven for

us, for you. This 70, 80, 90 years on earth is

like this. Come on, we got to get all in. Our

Savior's awaiting us. Our Savior's preparing

a place for us. Our Savior's saying, come on,

come on. I know what it's like. I've walked that.

I've been there. I've been tempted by that. Come

on, I'm waiting for you. I've got good things

I'm planning for you. Let's get all in. Let's

get all in. And so will you stand with me this

morning? And I'm going to ask if our elders would

just kind of come and make their way across the

front. And as the team leads us in a moment of

worship, some of you, I'm going to be preaching

a sermon soon on what is found in the throne

room of God, in the presence of God. But one

of the things found there is bravery, is courage.

And some of you need to step out in courage.

and get to one of the elders can we kind of move

around some of you are all crowded down there

come on over here there we go but you may take

a courageous moment of stepping out but i guarantee

you the risen savior will meet you as you take

that first step and so father right now we thank

you that in your great plan and purpose you sent

your son to this earth. You sent your son to

take on the death and punishment that our own

sin deserved. And then you resurrected him and

you caused him to be seated next to you even

now. And so Jesus, we turn our gaze, our consideration

upon you, the risen Something that you know not

of, that you can't even imagine for your life.

So come on, son. Come on, daughter. Run to me.

Run to me. I'm going to help you. I'm going to

help you. I'm going to help you. And so, Father,

I ask that even now your Holy Spirit would begin

to instill courage and bravery for people to

begin to step out and make that step toward the

resurrected Savior. Thank you, Lord. Thank you,

Lord. All right, the team's going to begin to

lead. And as we begin to sing and begin to worship,

I want to encourage you to find your way down

here to some of the elders to begin to pray for

you. Do not leave. Do not leave like you came

in. The wonderful resurrected Savior. His eyes

are upon you and he's just longing for you to

move toward him. His heart's longing for you.

And so don't leave and not take that step toward

him. He's so good. He's so kind and so loving.

Thank you, Lord. Let's just begin to worship.

If you're not coming forward, let's just begin

to worship here. Let's just begin to worship

this risen one that is seated at the right hand

of the Father. Let's begin to lift up that heart

of worship to him. Thank you, Lord.