There's More to the Story | Pillar Series

good morning how's everyone doing

it's been a great morning eh eh

hahaha

all right

you guys ready

Happy Easter

he has risen he has risen indeed

he has risen indeed

uh I'm excited to uh

bring this message this morning

um

we're gonna we're gonna dive right into it

um

you know

just I'm not real traditional

if you haven't noticed this it

what I I yeah

someone asked me this week

well what do you mean by that

I'm like wow

I actually don't know I don't know how to explain that

but so I don't

I don't wouldn't typically preach like a

the message of the holiday that's on

and uh I it's

but what I felt in today's message was

we are in our go pillar of our series

and it actually is the message of the gospel

it actually is the Easter message

and I wanna talk today about

there's more to the story

he's risen

but why

but why so we can get to heaven

everyone's like I'm not answering

I can tell we're getting set up

is it is it so that

is it so that our sins can be paid for

yes yes

yes is the answer Jesus is the answer

if you're ever wondering it's always the right answer

if you're new welcome

we are in the middle of a four month series

where we have been

going through the pillars of our house and uh

you know the heartbeat behind these pillars

is that every person in the room

is thriving in every single one of them

amen that we're thriving in every one of them

we don't understand that we're supernatural

but we're thriving in being a supernatural people

we don't just understand that we're a family

but we're thriving

in the midst of a community and a family

and we're not doing life alone

we don't just understand that we're growing

but we're thriving in the fact that we are growing

into the maturity of the sonship of the father

and looking more and more like Jesus

and that we're thriving

in the concept that we're actually meant to go

therefore

and Paul Manring was here a few months ago and

and he made this little comment about Easter

he says

we always talk about him being risen in the morning

but we don't talk about what he said in the evening

amen and it just resonated with me

and if you know me

my heart's passion is that the cities are transformed

that is my biggest heartbeat

and when when

when I heard that it just resonated

and I'm like well

let tell me more about this

so I just dug around and I'm like

you know I think we're gonna go after this today

that there's more to the story

if I was to use a metaphor of a play

I'd say

the resurrection was just an one act

of a very large story being told

the most important act

but it was one act in a larger story

and I think what happens sometimes

and I remember uh

having this experience where uh

uh uh

I'm I'm really

the message of the gospel was

that my sins would get paid for

and I would could wait till Jesus comes back

and I think it's short sighted

it's not not true it's just not complete

there's more to the story

it's just a piece of a bigger story being told

I want to talk about what that is this morning

if you want to turn to Genesis 1 today

we're going to be going from Genesis to revelation

so you you hold on to your seats

I got 20 minutes we'll see how we go

ah Holy Spirit

we just say come yes

come in the room yes

hmm

yeah just take a second invite him

Holy Spirit come

come in the room

father we only want to be where you are

we thank you that we get to be where you are

Lord we just invite you to rest on us

that we would make a resting place for you in our lives

in our house

thank you Jesus

in the beginning

god had a dream

the start to the story begins in Genesis 1

where god had a dream he had an idea

he's the creator

and he had a dream let's create something

he says

let's create something Father Son

Holy Spirit dreaming

let's create something there was nothing

and he's and he had an idea

he had a dream

and in the beginning

god created

the heavens and the earth

this was his dream

this was his idea

the earth was formless and void

and darkness covered the surface of the deep

and the spirit of god

was moving over the surface of the waters

and then god said let there be light

and there was light

god saw the light was good

his idea was good

he had a dream

god called the light day

and the darkness he called night

and there was evening and there was morning one day

and then god said

let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters

and that separate the waters from the waters

and he made the expanse

and separated the waters which were below the expanse

from the waters which were the expanse

and it was so

god called the expanse heaven

there was evening there was morning

a second day

and god said let the water below at the heavens

to be gathered into one place

let the dry land appear and it was so

god called the dry land earth

and the gathering of the waters he called seas

and god saw that it was good

he had a dream he had an idea

like you gotta imagine

he's like almost like when you're a kid and you're like

your just imagination was wild

and you could just create and dream anything

there was no limitations

can you imagine can you go back there for a second

let's just think about where he's coming from

there was nothing and he's dreaming

and he's creating the sea and the oceans separating it

the land and he's like

you know what this is a good idea

this is good

he had a dream

11 then god said let the earth sprout vegetation

plants yielding seed and fruit

trees of the earth bearing fruit after their kind

with seed in them and it was so

the earth brought forth vegetation

plants yielding seed after their kind

and trees bearing fruit with seed in them

after their kind and god saw that it was good

this was a good idea

this dream was a good idea

there was evening and there was morning the third day

and god said let there be uh

lights in the expanse of the heavens

to separate the day from the night

and let them be for signs and for seasons

and for days and years

let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens

to give light on the earth

and it was so he created the stars and said

you know what this is a good idea

this is a dream

this was God's dream

this was his idea

do we know this

we get caught up in the mess

and then we think we just need to wait and escape

but I want us to start from the starting point

which was god thought this was a good idea

god created this

he created the trees the waters

the stars the skies

the land

this was his dream

this was his idea

oh I don't know

okay let's keep going

16 God made two lights

the greater light to govern the day

the lesser light to govern the night

he made the stars also

god placed them in the expanse of the heavens

to give light on the earth

to govern the day and the night

and to separate the light from the darkness

god saw that it was good

there was evening there was morning

a fourth day then god said

let the waters team with swarms of living creatures

and let birds fly above the earth

in the open expanse of heavens

god created the great sea monsters

and every living creature that moves

with which the waters swarmed after their kind

and every winged bird after its kind

and god saw that it was good

god blessed them saying

be fruitful and multiply

and fill the waters in the seas

and let the birds multiply on the earth

there was evening there was morning

a fifth day

this is his idea

he's like a kid in a sandbox

let's let's create something

yeah yes

Whoo

24 then god said

let the earth bring forth living creatures

after their kind cattle

creeping things

and beasts in the earth after their kind

and it was so

god made the beasts of the earth after their kind

cattle after the uh

and the cattle at the cattle after their kind

and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind

and god saw that it was good

creation is good

what we see is good

this was his idea

this was his dream

god said let us make man in our image

there's more

now let us make man

and let's make him like us

that they would according to our likeness

and let them rule over the fish

and over the sea and over the birds and the sky

and over the cattle and over all the earth

and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth

god created man in his own image

the image of god he created him

male and female he created them

god blessed them god said to them

be fruitful and multiply fill the earth

subdue it rule over the fish

and over the sea and over the birds

and over the sky

and every other living creature that moves on the earth

and behold god said

behold I have given you every plant yielding seed

uh uh

seed that is on the surface of the earth

and every tree which is fruit yielding

it shall be good for you

and to every beast of the earth

and to every bird of the sky

to everything that moves on the earth

which has life I have given every green plant for food

and it was so god saw all that he made

and behold it was good

there we are

there was evening morning

and then the sixth day

so god created he had an idea

he had a dream he's like let's

let's do something let's do something

let's let's make a thing

a world an earth

separate heavens let's do some waters

let's put some land let's do some trees

let's do some animals they never existed

this is him creating

you know what else we should have a man

and they should be like us

according to our likeness

and we'll give it to them to govern

they can govern the earth

rule over it all the animals

all the sea

be fruitful and multiply make more

we got that here at Bath Atlanta

Box checked we know how to be fruitful

multiply hahaha

be fruitful multiply

make more make more after your own kind

let's give it to them to govern now

now we know the story

the enemy was already in the earth

he was already here

amen

the enemy was already here

so when it says take dominion of or subdue

cause the rest of the world

to come under your influence

there's a reason they were meant to conquer something

what was it

the enemy was already in the earth

so they had a job

they had a job and this was his dream

and then they they got deceived and forfeited it all

what did they forfeit

I would propose to you they forfeited the dream

that he created a world with all the animals

all the beauty all the nature

all the the uh

uh uh

uh uh

humans and

and and said here

now you go create why are they gonna go create

well'cause they're in his likeness

in his image

they're gonna rule and reign like he rules and reigns

they're gonna govern like he governs

they're gonna create and build like he creates

like a little kid

I would propose what was forfeited was the dream

when they bought into the lie that

you know the enemy says hey

he doesn't want you to eat from the tree of knowledge

of good and evil cause in that day you will be like him

the biggest lie because they were already like him

and now they're saying yes to something that forfeited

the dream their authority

their communion with the god

their their mission their mandate

they forfeited it all

they began to serve another master

death entered the world

what we see that we're trying to escape

is the fruit of that choice

that destruction devastation

steal kill

destroy is unleashed into the earth with authority

because the enemy took the authority that man had

that was given to Adam and Eve by god

the enemy stole it with a lie

and now he now he has authority to rule

and reign devastation

steal kill destroy

I want to propose to you

the bigger part of the story is

from this point god goes on a mission to reconcile

not just that we would go to heaven to reconcile

the dream

that we would be reconciled back to the father

before the fall there was no separation between the the

the heavenly realm and the natural realm

it was all one we walked and talked in the

in the cool of the day with the father

as Blake would say

not so any different than the way I'm seeing you today

but once the enemy came in and lied

it began to create a separation between the two realms

the third heaven as we would say

or the first heaven in the natural realm

and we no longer could have communion with the Lord

q the whole Old Testament

now he chooses man he chooses prophets to speak through

and intercessors to intercede on behalf of

to interact with the people

but his heart's desire is

I wanna be with the people

I would propose

what we see happening is a mission to restore

to redeem and to reconcile what was lost in the garden

his dream

it was good

it was his dream

if god had an idea to do something

I think it's pretty good

if he had a plan and a mission and a mandate

and something he wanted to do with a people

I would think it's pretty good

so what does he do now

we're gonna go quickly

I propose he sends

he goes on this mission throughout the Old Testament

until we get to Jesus and Jesus

one of the acts in the whole play

but throughout the whole Old Testament

you can go through

and just see the heartbeat of the father

in his nature

in his desire for restoration and reconciliation

that his desire is to be reconciled with his people

his desire is to be to save what was lost

so how does he do it he sends a man

he has always sent someone

he sent Abraham to create a nation

holy unto himself

he sent Joseph to save a nation

that nation was preparing for potential famine

and to be wiped out and Joseph shows up on the scene

and brings wisdom from another realm

that saved a gentile nation that was evil

and it saved his nation the nation of Israel

his heart is to save

his heart is to reconcile and restore what was lost

we go through and you have Nehemiah

Nehemiah is sent to Jerusalem

upon discovering its walls are broken

and the gates are burned and he sent to

and when he sent

he ends up repenting on behalf of Israel

that wasn't even his mess

he repents on behalf of Israel and ends up bringing the

the restoration of the gates

the restoration of the walls

and we know the story in 52 days

they couldn't do it in 70 some years

and he does it in 52 days

but that's just the first part of even that story

he spends another 12 years restoring it

restoring Israel back to it being a

a sustaining country that follows the Lord

he restores their statutes

Jonah

Jonah was sent to prophesy God's judgment on the city

god said I'm done with these guys

they're evil they're wicked

go send them

give them the prophetic word

that this is coming upon them

Jonah doesn't want to go

because he knows the nature of this father

because he knows if I give them this word

they're gonna repent and you're gonna relent

but he actually wanted them to pay

hmm

so he sends a man

he sends Jonah Jonah prophesies the judgment

they repented and he relented

do we know the nature of this father

do we know the nature of this creator

he sends Daniel into Babylon

who serves multiple kings

over the course of 70 some years

who Daniel brings about wisdom

governance and blessing to a wicked nation

look I won't get into all of this

but if this was to happen today

we would ostracize him

the church would ostracize someone

that was doing something like this

cause it we have a short sighted view

the heart of the father is for restoration

it's actually to reconcile mankind back to him yes

to close the gap of the difference

the separation between the his

his kingdom realm and our earthly realm

this is actually his heartbeat

we know it through Matthew 6

when he says hey

pray like this that your kingdom would come

your will would be done where

on the earth his idea his dream

just as it is in heaven hey

just like it is in this realm I want it in this one

I propose he's on a mission to restore the dream

now Q Jesus

Jesus shows up on the scene again

he's sending a man haha

Luke 19:10

Luke 19:10

for the son of man has come

to seek and save that which was lost what was lost

we've been taught this verse to say

he comes to seek and save the lost

but it's not actually what it says

we're short sighted again

there's a bigger story at play

he's inviting us into something much larger

and I

and I think we short side it by sitting at the cross

waiting for him to come back come on

when he's no longer there

he's actually inviting us in

to the larger part of the story

and he's saying

can you see that I restored what was lost

Jesus came to restore that which was lost

the communion to remove the veil

Christ in you the hope of glory

as Paul would say two different realms

you see when we got saved

the spirit inside of us came alive

it says in Ephesians and Galatians

it says the spirit inside of us was made alive

it came to life

Luke uh uh uh

Luke 17 says the kingdom of heaven is

within you

a lot of us are waiting to go to heaven

we don't realize heaven is in us

this is the message of the cross

this is the why is to restore the communion

that you used to walk and talk in the cool of the day

and then cue the fall and then the restoration

Jesus brought the reconcile

what did he reconcile

but for us to be able to walk and talk

in the cool of the day with him

all day anytime anywhere

any place your spirit and his spirit

says in 1st Corinthians 6

has been made one

who

your spirit and his spirit

he who has joined himself with the Lord

has become one spirit with him

there is no separation between you if you are in Christ

there is no separation between you and him whoo

come on Dan

do we know what we're saying

do we know what we believe

do we know what we said yes to

do we know the whole story

come on the veil was torn yes

it symbolized there is no longer a veil

where you have to have a priest go in on your behalf

but now you are the priest that can go in

this is what the cross this is what happened

what he restored communion

the two realms garden was restored

it says in Romans 8 all creation is waiting

his dream

his good idea is waiting

what was restored

the garden

his dream that we would be in the garden

creating and building

governing and ruling over the earth

ooh

the mission that we would be fruitful and multiply

that you would live your life

oh

that we would govern the earth

rule and reign over it from heaven

that we would fill the earth

humanity civilizations expanding key

key Eden

the earth on heaven as it is on heaven on earth

heaven as it is on earth

that you would let what's inside come out

hey the kingdom of heaven is where inside

it's within you come on

this is what was reconciled

you were reconciled to the father

there's no separation between you and him

I don't think we hear this

there is no separation between you and him

zero oh yeah

but what if when I sin then I get separated

no you get blinded to what's already happening

well when I sin

he withdraws he can't be near sin

no you're just clouded

that's right you start living out of the soul

you're gonna expect nothing less than the soul

but you were meant to live for more

the spirit the spirit

there's no separation between you and him in Christ

this is the this is what Paul says in somewhere

he says that it's Christ in you

the hope of glory the idea

idea that you could have Christ in you

that you could have heaven inside of you

that your spirit could even come alive

was absolutely foreign for thousands of years

but it was the dream come on

can't get into too much

I'll touch on this in Romans 8 for a second

and we start with 14

for all who are being LED by the spirit of god

these are the sons of god

for you've not received a spirit of slavery

leading to fear again

but you've received a spirit of adoption as sons

by which we cry out Abba Father

the spirit himself testifies with our spirit

that we are children of god

and if children heirs

also heirs of god and not follow heirs with Christ in

if indeed

we suffer with him so that we may be glorified with him

for I consider that the sufferings of this present time

are not worthy to be compared

with the glory that is to be revealed in us

I won't get into all of that

suffice it to say you

you are sons of god

because the spirit of god is within you

yes and then we're LED by that spirit

and if that is the case

why

I can't get into all this

Romans 6 starts out with you're dead

you're dead you're dead

you're dead the old man is dead

if in the likeness of his burial

you've been buried in the likeness of his resurrection

you've been lifted up that's the Easter message

but why within

it goes through seven and explains

oh yeah

you still have a natural man

and a soul that you're still working through

and it still has ways that aren't complete

they don't function in the likeness of Christ

even though your spirit man has been made alive

yes and here's the wrestle

can you subdue the spirit the

the soul

and cause it to come under your influence as a spirit

and be LED by the spirit

because those who are LED by the spirit

are the sons of god

Romans 8 now

Romans 8 says your sons of god

and now that you're set now you're set free

do not it's

he talks about this in 6 don't

don't submit yourself back into the slavery

now that you have the option

to not be LED by the spirit

lead yourself

lead your soul your soul's broken

it's it's it's

it's it's ah

this is the message sanctification

you're like it's in the process of becoming

that's our grow pillar

but now that your spirit

if you're LED by the spirit and your sons of god

then what's the what's the why for it

Romans 8:19

Romans 8:19

for the anxious longing of creation

waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of god

this is after all

that I just described

this is why because creation itself

is waiting eagerly

for the revealing of the sons of god

for creation was subjected to futility

not willingly but because of him who subjected it

when

back in the beginning

when we lost and forfeited the dream

it was subjected into death

death entered the world it didn't exist before

come on do we know what was

do we know our why

do we know what was restored and reconciled

do we know what was

what we gained

by walking through the cross

creation itself is in futility

and then he says that creation also will be in oh not

not subjected subjected to futility

not willingly but because of him who subjected it

in hope that the creation itself would also be set free

from its slavery to corruption

and into the freedom

of the glory of the children of god

what what what

what's part of the whole story

he's restoring a dream

creation is supposed to get set free

from its slavery to death by us

it says all creations

waiting for the revealing of the sons of god

I say it this way it's waiting for us to figure it out

it's waiting for us to wake up

it's waiting for us to catch the rest of the story

because it's still destruction

it's still rampant in our world

death is rampant in our world

and if I can poke I'd say we believed a lie

saying we're here to wait to escape it

and the result is we've give forfeited once again

the authority that was restored to the enemy

by buying into a lie and giving him permission

to still run rampant in the earth

and who has the authority to stop it

ah

telling you

let's go to

let's go to Matthew 28

let's let's land

Matthew 28 and 5 his angel came to the women and said

don't be afraid for I know who you are looking for

you're looking for Jesus who's been crucified

he's not here

can we just say this out loud he's not here

for he has risen

just as he said

now come see the place where he was lying

look a handful of verses later

he shows up on the scene come on

the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee

to the mountain which Jesus was designated

had designated

when they saw him they worshipped him

but some were doubtful

and Jesus came up and spoke to them

and he said this look

in the morning he rose but in the evening

he said something different

all authority has been given to me on heaven and earth

go therefore

make disciples of all nations

baptizing them in the name of the father

and the son and the Holy Spirit

teaching them to observe all I commanded you

and lo I am with you even to the end of the age

come on he sends a man

now he has sent you

he now he has sent me

now he has sent all who are in Christ

he sends you and I

to go with the mandate of restoration reconciliation

2nd Corinthians 5:17

we know this one really huge

therefore if anyone is in Christ

he's a new creation the old has passed away

the new has come why

why is the old passed away and the new has come

now all of these things are from god

who reconciled to himself

us to himself through Christ

and gave us the ministry of reconciliation

namely that god was in Christ

reconciling the world to himself

how not counting their trespasses against them

hey oh

he's giving us some keys here

he's giving us gold

not counting their trespasses against them

and he has committed to us the word

or the mandate is be another word for it

of reconciliation

therefore we are ambassadors for Christ

as through as though through god

as though god were making an appeal through us

we beg you on behalf of Christ

be reconciled to god do we know the rest of the story

we have a mission and a mandate now

to restore what was lost

and Jesus made it possible through the cross

but he didn't restore it all

he's given us the assignment to do it

we get to go therefore

make more of us

we get to go therefore

teach the ways we have Learned in Jesus

we get to go therefore

he has risen

now go therefore

I would propose that's the saying we say

cause it says the rest of the story he's risen

go therefore

now let's go

let's go make disciples of the nations

let's go be a part he's invited us into this journey

to restore the dream that was lost

and he says now can you

in Christ now you've redeemed and restored the spirit

and the heaven and the natural

and now can you go therefore

make more of you build cities

have a life create dream

oh can we get back to the playground

yes

can we at least

step into the authority we actually have

come on cause the enemy doesn't have it

it says all authority has been given to me

now go therefore he's given it to us

he took it away from the enemy

we give it back every day

the moment we believe a lie

that says we're anything less than what he said we are

the moment we think we're anything less

than what he said we can do

I don't know I don't know my

my family of origin and it's all real

but let's just be real

do we believe we are who he says we are

do we believe we can do what he says we can do

cause his heart was to restore the dream

it was his idea

he created it he called it good

he went on a mission to make it possible

that it can be restored and reconciled

now will we pick up the same mandate and finish it

and say on earth as it is in heaven

that's what you said so that's what we'll do

would you stand

Happy Easter there's your gospel message hahaha

come on come on

Lord yes

Lord we just

like Nehemiah repent

on behalf of a church that has forfeited its identity

and its calling

to the enemy

by believing anything other than what you have said

Lord we repent

we change our ways we change our thoughts

change our mind

we accept that we we know so little

your ways are not our ways

your thoughts are not our thoughts

we know so little Lord help us

Lord give us eyes to see and ears to hear

what it even looks like to

to walk beyond and through the cross

and into the kingdom that you have invited us in

Lord I just pray and I just even declare prophetically

just people are gonna

some of you guys are gonna hear dreams

some of you guys are gonna get dreams

some of you guys are gonna get ideas

some of you guys are gonna get

like thoughts dropped in your spirit of

like what it look

could look like for you to be free

now I know I hear it well

I am free in Christ yep

so we're not

till we're not so Lord

help us see what what is it that we would be a part of

in releasing what's inside of us

freely we received freely we give

what would it look like first to

be free in the world

creating and building and dreaming and hoping yes

causing the enemy to come under our heel

crushing him

what it look like for us to step into our authority

as sons and daughters

and rule and reign over the earth

that you thought was a good idea

Lord give us eyes to see and ears to hear

Holy Spirit come yes

fall on us yes

Lord invite us into a new level of intimacy

where we can search and explore your heart

it says in Corinthians that eyes not seen

ears not heard in fact

it hasn't entered the heart of man

the things I have planned for you next verse

yet it can be revealed to you

because the same spirit that is in god is in you

we have access to the heart of the father

but it's through intimacy

so Lord

bring us into a place of revelation understanding

vision

in Jesus name amen amen

thanks guys