ERC Leftovers - Easter 2026

Happy Monday, the happiest of Mondays.

It is. I mean, it's great.

Yeah, it's great coming off a big weekend.

Gosh, we just had so many things.

The the Hillcrest Choir concert on Thursday, that was great and

well attended too. You all came out and supported

the kids and enjoyed that Good Friday.

That service packed out as well Friday night and I personally

had a fifth grade birthday party on Saturday.

Not all of you had that. I don't think or hope I don't.

I wouldn't wish that upon you. But then, yeah, Easter Sunday

gangbusters, Pastor Chris bringing the word, bringing the

the resurrection logic. I liked it.

Well, I just, I'll give you a little peek into my prep

typically, like if I'm looking for Pete, like scholars and, and

commentators who I respect, I'll just, I'll go seek out what they

say about any given text. And I was kind of synthesizing

Augustine and Jonathan Edwards and Tim Keller.

And as I was synthesizing their ideas down into like kind of 1

cohesive place, I was like, they're all just very rational

about this. There's, there's this, there's a

certain level of like logic to everything that they're saying.

And it's not, it's not that it lacks emotion or it lacks joy,

but they're just looking at it from a very scholarly

perspective. And I was like, man, the three

of these people are telling me that there's a clear

resurrection logic to everything that's happening.

And so I once I grabbed that phrase, I just, I just ran and

there, there it was. No, it's great.

What do you, if that's so, that's what you do with the

scholars that you respect. What do you do with the ones

that you don't respect? Well, I avoid them like the

plague, I suppose. And you know, I, I don't know, I

think like, you know, when I'm, when I'm combing and researching

and stuff, AI knows me well enough to keep out the gospel or

the prosperity gospel people out of, out of my purview because I

would just lose my mind. It would not go well.

Did you know, did you know that like biblical date scholars

would on in like our current 12 month calendar, they would date

the original Good Friday and Easter Sunday to April 3rd and

April 5th like it was this year, Like this was the the true

Easter this year, Yeah. Well, because Easter, like

that's, that's based on like moon cycles and stuff, right?

Well, isn't it's technically based on Passover, right?

Which I. Think is.

Which is dictated by the lunar cycle, right?

Yeah. So that's why it changes.

And it usually falls between like the third Sunday of March

and the third Sunday of April. Like it's never earlier, later

than that. But it's a strange moving

holiday. But I, I mean, if you if you do,

yeah, that little bit of background research on the

Passover and all that kind of stuff in the lunar cycles, like

you can pick up on like the rhythm of it and it makes sense

so. Yeah, so no, I loved the loved

the resurrection logic and even just where you took it.

So then like So what now like that because because that's

really the Easter Monday question, right like hat.

So, so then how how shall we live?

Is is kind of where you left us. And and Joby Martin actually has

I have I have each of his books here actually that are something

he says every single almost every single time I I hear him

is if the tomb is empty, anything is possible.

Those are two different books that he's read.

But that's that's resurrection and logic too, right.

Like that, That's exactly that. If this then who shall stand

against us? What what can stand against us?

And I, I in my life, I think I've shared this story before,

but I had AI had a Bible study group of guys in college that it

was more it was, it was an accountability.

Group. Too, Like there, there was,

there was some heavy stuff shared and there were a couple

weeks in a row where I was just like, I don't know, rough patch

at at work or or something. Maybe we had just, I don't know,

maybe his new, new father. I don't remember exactly what

time it was, but like I remember one of the guys after group

being like, man, I just feel like you're, you're just like

constantly negative. And I and I was on I was on

staff at church. So that like that's always,

that's always an awkward thing to, to have a group of guys that

like you're, you're working at the church and they see you as

this spiritual leader that they're supposed to look to and,

and glean from. And he's like, man, he's just

like, you just been like, you just been like a constant

hopeless downer lately. And like, and and he's like, and

I like, it's, it's hard for me to look to you as a leader with

all this. So like, man is it is like,

what's what's going on? Why are you so defeated?

Like, is the tomb still empty? Yeah, OK.

Is, is Jesus still on the throne?

Yeah, then like, then why are you letting these things destroy

your life? Like, yeah.

And and that was again, not, not a new believer.

I I like, I just, I was just losing sight of that.

I was letting my current life circumstance just overwhelm that

if the tomb is empty, anything is possible sort of reality.

And, and I think, I mean, I know it's not just me and I know

that's the the nature of of us as humanity that just, yeah, we

forget and and need to be reminded.

Yeah, you know, so I want to give a big shout out to, again,

I I don't think I mentioned her name last time we did OK Mirror

Mortal Monday. Yes, but Ashley Paulson has this

brilliant idea. So love the shout.

Out yes, well, I, I hope so, but but but you know, So what what's

the what's the simple take away right what's what's the very

easy thing that anybody be should be able to walk away

from? Well, I think it comes down to

just a simple statement or maybe a question, but it it kind of

sounds like Jesus is alive. Therefore, OK, insert whatever

makes sense after that. Therefore Jesus is alive.

Therefore I don't have to worry about death.

OK, that's one. Jesus is alive, therefore I know

God loves me. OK, you could stick a million

different things after that, therefore, but what is the thing

that you need to put in there after that?

Jesus is alive, therefore that actually allows you to move

through this life with freedom and joy beyond circumstances and

stuff like that. I think if we hold true to that,

Jesus is alive. Therefore insert whatever I

think if you can keep that kind of centered in your brain at all

times, you'll you'll live a a more joyful life.

Yeah, and if you even the word, the words to because he lives

that we sent said yesterday, like even every one of those.

But like it's also if you reverse engineer the

resurrection logic like that. I mean that song is also regular

because he lives. I can face tomorrow because he

lives. All fear is gone because I know

he holds my future. Like just just do the inverse of

that. Is it because he lives?

I can't face tomorrow or or like if if he doesn't like if you

just reverse engineer that because he lives.

My fear is still here like that. That doesn't follow through

right? No, it doesn't work.

Yeah. So.

So I think that's the most simple way to look at

yesterday's sermon. Sure, Jesus is alive, therefore,

and insert whatever you need to be able to push through the

hardships that are mentioned throughout the end of Romans 8.

And personalize it to your circumstance.

And whatever, whatever life giving outcome, you can put

after the word, the word therefore I'm sure is true based

on the fact that Jesus is alive, because that is far and away the

greatest miracle this world has ever seen.

And you know, and so I didn't get into any of the like

historical evidence that he's alive.

I just took the assumption, you know, and not, not an

assumption. I just took the word of God at

its core truth and just threw it out there.

But I mean, if you wanted to do some researches to the

historosity of the resurrection, there are so many things out

there that are super helpful. So many really, really well

written books. And I don't have a couple of

them. Couple of them I, I think I have

in my in my bookshelf. So if you want stuff like that,

I have it. But but yeah, there's just

plenty of historical evidence for that, including, you know,

he showed himself alive to 500 people at once at 1 moment and

all this other kind of stuff. And it's just like.

Well, I the one I think of it, I think it's Lee Strobel wrote the

case for the resurrection, right.

I mean, he wrote the first one was the case for Christ, but

then he wrote a case for the resurrection, laying out the

historical verifiable accounts and examples of of the

resurrection. So yeah.

Another excellent resource, yeah.

Yep. So no, that's that's all, that's

all there. But you yeah, I thought you

summed up and and just reasoned, which is it's so funny.

Like, yes, it is by grace through faith.

Like there's, there's still a measure of belief in this, but

so much of the word of God, of the story of Jesus is also

rooted not not only logic, but just tangible fact.

Like tangible, tangible, historical.

Yeah, it it happened. He was, he was a person.

There isn't, I can't think of a religion that is out there

saying there there was not a Jesus of Nazareth.

Like it's just a total spoof. This guy didn't exist on the

face of the earth. Like I've never, I've never

heard that take. There's not even a good secular

argument for that because there's just too many outside

sources beyond Christianity that talked about him within, you

know, 30 to 70 years of his life that spoke about that.

And there's and there's archaeology and stuff.

And I love the, I think you showed it one Sunday.

It's the basically Greek graffiti where it says they're

making fun of some kid. And it's like, oh, so and so

worships is God and it's got Jesus on the cross.

And it's just like, yeah, I mean, there's too much

historical evidence to have an intelligent conversation that

Jesus wasn't alive. Of course he was.

You can't make that argument. So then you have to deal with,

OK, is he? Is he who he says he is?

And did he really come back from the dead?

And so I think those are also answers that are verifiable.

Yeah. So.

Yes, Sir. Well, we mopped up Romans 8 this

week. Wow, 10 weeks you put a bow.

On it and that. Was a big one.

Yeah, it is a big one. And we we've been wanting to do

something in the vein of like adult confirmation for a while.

And that was that was kind of the series that was a lot of the

basic doctrinal things laid out, laid out in Romans 8.

That's a good place for that. But Next up, if you didn't catch

the the video on Sunday, we're going to do a just a short

three-week series on maiden his image and God's design for for

men, for women. And then all of us like as God's

children. What does that mean?

How, how then do we live as God's children?

So, yeah, we're, we're coming up on that the next couple weeks

and on our minds obviously out of that, out of that video, we

took one really cliche example of how men and women are

different in, in just using public restrooms.

But something else that came up at the, at the Easter gathering

we were at yesterday, I don't even remember who asked who

asked the question, but it was we literally went around the

room asking, I think there's Rory.

Oh, OK. Asking if asking if deodorant

gets put on before or after the shirt goes on And almost I think

there I think, I think it was universally a dude thing that

the deodorant goes on before. There was one guy.

And there was one guy who said no.

And then for the women it was all deodorant after the shirt is

on except for one. There was save one.

There was an exception to both sides, but like.

But we're still talking like 10 people in the room having this

conversation about deodorant. Right.

It was not a Yeah, it was not a small number, so that was funny.

If there are other other ways that you'd like us to to bring

up or highlight how men and women are different, we're open

to these. I'm not done with this this

whole deodorant thing. I am not really.

Here's why. So this morning I woke up and of

course this stupid thing is still in my brain because that's

how I am. And so I decided to put on my

shirt before putting on deodorant.

I'm like, you know what, I'm going to give this a try.

You know, I'm, I'm not a good researcher if I'm not willing to

go to the other side and find out.

So I put on my shirt and then like, I'm like, I am just like

just stretching my shirt out so much to not try to run up the

side of it or run up like my rib cage.

And I'm just like, this is mad. Who who does this?

Like who's stretching out their shirt every single morning to do

this? Oh, that's right.

Apparently the majority of women who were around that circle and

it and I just I don't, I don't know, man, doesn't feel right.

It'd be like it'd be like, OK, so I don't I don't put on like

my shirt or whatever I'm going to wear before I put on my

pants. That feels weird.

I don't know. I wouldn't do it.

No, got to go pants first. Yeah, put on the pants first,

man. So I just typed it into typed it

in the Grok AI quick to just give me the give me the proper

steps to apply solid deodorant and and it Grok is on the side

of putting the deodorant on first before a shirt and it has

a step in there of like waiting 30 to 90 seconds before putting

on clothes. Sure.

But the AI overlords believe that deodorant, deodorant first

is. Is the correct way.

I have not heard that as a phrase.

It's not my. It's not my phrase.

But it feels accurate. Yeah, it feels pretty accurate,

so. Take that for what it's for what

it's worth. If you have strong feelings on

deodorant before or after the shirt on, because I will contend

and we're both on the same side, we're both before the shirt and

I hear and receive the argument that you could then get

deodorant on your shirt. I would just respond you're

you're putting on your shirt wrong.

Like you, you can. Adulting with Matt, how do you

put on a shirt? Can we can we get like a video

step by step of how to put on a shirt for adulting with Matt

people, you just got to say you want that and we can make it

happen. I can't be the only. 10 my

goodness. So I'll receive that, but I

would I would just argue you can you can put on your shirt

without without smearing it. I walk around with deodorant

marks all over my shirts man. Like come on, just put on your

shirt, right? There it is.

There it is. It's not that hard.

Yeah, OK. So anyway, more, more to hear

from God's word on his design for men, for women, their roles

individually, but also but also together, and his overall design

for us as his as his children. Yeah, that's what's coming up in

the next three weeks. Then we've got a couple, couple

big Sundays after that. We have we have confirmation

Sunday and Mother's Day and Graduation Sunday.

We're getting into a short series in Philippians and then

summer in the Psalms. Are we?

No, the Creed. I'm sorry.

The Creed? Yeah, We're going to go hard.

Yep. Through the Apostles Creed and

the different how many stand, we're going to be like 9 weeks I

think it is on the creed. Oh my gosh, I put that series

together and now I can't even remember it's.

OK, I don't have our that's fine prep document in front of me,

but it's through. Yes, it's through the.

June through August will be in the Apostles Creed.

Which I'm super looking forward to, by the way.

Sometimes things on the surface can sign, can sound a bit dry.

But again, if we're talking about what did you say, adult

confirmation, like there is no, perhaps no better way to really

learn the tenants of our faith than going through the creed

line by line. And where does the Bible support

this statement? How does it prove it blah blah

blah. Why do Why do we profess this?

Yeah, you do that for a summer, and man, everybody should be

like theological Wizards by the end of the summer.

And if we're not all Wizards wearing robes and hats by the

end of the summer, I'm going to be very upset.

Plus, wouldn't it be great? Church, just hear me out.

You're listening to me in your car.

Whatever right now, but hear me out.

Wouldn't it be great if the first Sunday that Matt was back,

we were just wearing robes and pointy hats and we're like,

we're all theological Wizards now, Matt, wouldn't that be

great? Come on, you wouldn't want to

walk into. That I will turn around and

leave. I won't come back.

But who knows? I left them alone with Chris for

12 weeks and this is what happened.

Who knows what matters are realized?

Yeah. Who knows what madness will

occur when the adult leaves the building?

I have no idea what's going to happen, Matt.

Going to be really funny. Also brought up yesterday.

I really don't think I had heard this story before.

Did you? Did you get yourself stuck in a

belt in your office? How?

Who brought that up? Who?

Brought that up like everyone knew this story and I somehow

was. Like brought that up, no?

I don't. I honestly don't remember, it

was one of a couple individuals. Oh wow, I like I like threw that

out there is like AI mean it really happened but as like a

joke. I can't believe.

That it gave me a little fear though of like we're we need to

have over the summer, we're going to have someone check in

on Chris and make sure hide himself up in his office.

He's going to starve. To death.

I can't believe. That.

The story came up. Oh my gosh.

Oh my gosh. OK, so I I don't feel like I can

leave all of you hanging who don't know what we're talking.

About Here we go. We were in the Revelation series

over a year ago and I there was something about being tied up.

I can't remember what verse or whatever it was, but it's

something basically about being tied up or something.

And I was just like, huh, I wonder if that's like an

illustration I can like pull off on stage by myself.

Was it the binding of Satan for 1000 years to prevent him from

deceiving the nations? I don't think I was.

That wasn't it, I. Don't think I was going to

illustrate myself as Satan. OK.

But anyway, so I took like my belt off my waist and I'm like

wrapping around. I'm like bent over my chair in

my office. And granted, nobody is in the

building. And so I'm like bent over my

chair and stuff in the office and like I get it cinched up

real tight. And I'm like, oh, no, I don't

know if I can get out. And so like I'm bent over in

half in my chair behind my desk in my office, just going, I got,

I got to find a way out. So like I did eventually Houdini

my way out of how I locked myself up.

But I was like, what if somebody had walked in and just found me?

Like they'd have been like Pastor Chris, like, did the

place get robbed? Why did they do this to you?

And I've been like, yes, they. Were about 6 or.

Four, they were wearing a mask. I have no idea what they looked

like. I don't know if they took

anything, but I would have not, like, allowed them to think that

I did that to myself. You know, I'd have been like,

yeah, they were violent and they were way stronger than me.

I I tried to fight back. I just couldn't, you know, But I

gave a valiant effort. I would have given some grand

story. So I can't believe that came up

again though. Yeah, well, people are concerned

about you with me being gone for the summer, as they should,

trying to get out ahead of all possibilities.

Revelation 9 released the four angels who are bound at the

great river Euphrates. Maybe.

Maybe you were going to personify an Angel.

I can't remember the illustrated point, but I thought about it

though, of being up on that stage like it was worth it.

I'd even, I even thought like, oh, I could have a chair up

there and that's not a big deal. Nobody will probably notice

until I sit down to like bind myself.

And I'm pretty glad I didn't do it.

But the fact that everybody knows that I tried it is

actually, I don't know if that's worse or not, but it's not on

video. See, if I'd done that during a

sermon, it would have been on video.

That was the solution that was brought up that we probably need

to get a camera on your like like a, a toddler Cam in your

office. Then you'd have like a playpen

just to make sure. All right, Chris is still

breathing. He's still.

Is there like, is there like a code word I can yell out if I'm

like immobilized and somebody will come to my rescue?

Yeah, we can rig that out. OK, just make sure it's like a 2

syllable word or less because I I may not be able to say bigger

words than that. Oh my.

OK, it took us a little longer than usual to get completely off

the rails, but here we are. Yeah.

Oh man. So anyway, wrapping up Romans 8,

a couple couple closing thoughts.

I loved, I loved your opening line of I don't think it was

even your first point of resurrection logic, but it but

it was the. If the if the resurrection

happened, you need to neither fear the future nor regret your

past, and that kind of set up I would hope that that should.

Have landed with everyone that it it it should have, because

those are things that we all universally do.

We we both fear things in our future and we regret.

Things in our past and and we don't always live in that light

of the resurrection in those things.

Sometimes that regret and sometimes that fear wins out.

So I I loved how you set the table with that for us.

Romans 8 How far how far back do you want to go?

I went. Back to 31.

I went 31 through 39 because I thought it again, talking about

resurrection logic. It all built up to this one

thing with all the rhetorical questions and the answers and

stuff like that. I just thought it was just a

beautiful little section of man, you got to lay this whole thing

out. Yeah, so, so let's just recap

that really quick. 31 through 39 in Romans 8.

What then shall we say in response to these things?

If God is for us, who can be against us?

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave Him up for us all,

How will He not also along with Him, graciously give us all

things? Who will bring any charge

against those whom God has chosen?

It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who

condemns? No one Christ Jesus who died

more than that who was raised to life, is at the right hand of

God, and is also interceding for us.

Who then shall separate us from the love of Christ?

Shall trouble, or hardship, or persecution, or famine, or

nakedness, or danger, or sword? For as it is written for your

sake, we face death all day long.

We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

But no. And all these things we are more

than conquerors through Him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor

demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,

neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,

will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in

Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Indeed, what again, just what amazing text.

I One of the things that I just did this week, which I found

super helpful was just listen to Romans 8 on repeat.

Just to just to again, since we're wrapping up the whole

thing, it's like, all right, let me remind myself like where the

conversation starts and where it ends and the movement in the

middle to help make the case. One of the things that I think

is true for me, and it's, it's not true every Sunday, but a lot

of Sundays it is. I kind of go in with an

argumentative attitude. I think that's why I get so

fired up. Like, you know, if you, if you

drag me into an argument that I'm passionate about, my, my

level of voice will probably raise and all these kinds of

things. And it's not because I'm mad,

it's because I'm passionate. And so like, but The thing is

like, I think, I think one of the things that it's powerful to

do is to just make the case you, you had this beautiful

illustration in a, in a courtroom 2 weeks ago.

And we often fall back on illustrations like that, not

because we don't have better ideas, because maybe there isn't

a better idea when it comes to, you know, judgment and freedom

and being found innocent and all that kind of stuff.

There may not be a better illustration for that.

And so I don't know, I just, I look at a lot of these texts,

especially a lot of Romans and a lot of Paul's writings.

And it's like, all right, when I go into a Sunday, it's like I'm

going to make the case, I'm going to, I'm going to prove

through various logical conclusions that this is true.

And therefore this is how we ought to live based on that

truth. And so that's just kind of like

mine, how my brain works on a lot of these things.

Now, if you're talking more of like, again, this is preacher

talk, but if you're talking more of like a narrative, like we're

going through a gospel or something like that, I'm

probably less likely to look at that as like a court case that I

need to prove. And more so just like, how do

we, how do we make sure that this story is as is as impactful

as God means it to be? So what do we need to draw out

of there? The details that make sure that

people really get it. So anyway, that's just preacher

brain talking and and how I logic through things and how I

present things most of the time. Yeah.

And that's I kind of brought that up last week too of the

Paul's like, do you get it? Do you?

Let me, well, let me say it this way.

Do you get it? Let me try to prove it this way.

Do you get that? Do you?

So, and sometimes, yeah, we do need to be reasoned and and

proven into these things, which is it's really interesting just

how we're how we're different as people in general too, and how

we respond to truth or how we respond there.

There are some and you know who you are is that like immediately

you hear, you hear the thing and you're just, you're bought in

now. That's the that's it.

I, I, I believe that I'm all in. Some of you a little more.

Trepidatious of like. Like I could, I could poke some

holes in that. Like let me let me play devil's

advocate here and let me let me now.

You're a good hole poker, by the way, which I think, well, I'm

just going to use the phrase used just poking holes and

things. All right.

But in our conversations like on any.

Ecology Man in the hole poker Worst superhero duo ever.

Sorry. How can I get AI to use your

face with that as like a superhero title?

The whole like what does that guy even do besides make

everybody miserable like. Debunk arguments constantly.

Yeah, I'm sorry I interrupted you midstream for that.

I just couldn't keep that in my stream of consciousness.

That's. Really good though, I could just

imagine like an evil version of the hole poker.

Just go into kids pools punching holes in the sides of their

pools just ruining their summer like hole poker has stroke.

Again, like, Oh my. Gosh, like what?

Showing up a birthday party is popping balloons.

Yeah, yeah. Oh my God, this is the.

Best there's no what is there a good good use of poking holes

and things like we always use that in a negative connotation,

right? There's not a good pole poke.

Only if you're a paper puncher. Like, that's it.

That's the only useful. But then those little those

little tiny chads. Are everywhere.

That's terrible. Well, OK, OK.

What were you saying? I don't know.

I don't know. Oh no, I know what I was saying.

OK, here we go back on track back.

You can tell. You can tell it's Monday after a

big. A little bit of.

Easter. Yeah.

Fog Brain. Easter fog brain.

Here we go. No, but what I was saying is I,

I so my brother, my older brother who I grew up with,

John, he was infuriating to me because as a kid, like I just

had all the feels all the time and he would just debunk

everything I was feeling. And I did not have modern

language to say you can't disagree with my feelings.

I did not have that as like A7 or an 8 year old.

And so it was just wildly frustrating to grow up with him

until I learned to play that game until I learned to like,

OK, so instead of like my feelings dictating how I'm going

to respond to you, how do I just destroy your argument?

Like, how do I, how do I become the destroyer of your world?

Right. And so like he taught me how to

do that and a lot of he suddenly taught me how to do that.

But then like, you know, I meet people like yourself and you are

also excellent at just like finding logical conclusions to

things outside of like, well, I feel this way that Nope, that

yes, your feelings matter, but no, this is the way it is

because boom, boom, boom. And you logic through these

things really, really well. And so like I've taken a lot of

that and I've just applied it to biblical theology.

And because of that I just argue and that's fine.

Love it. Glad, glad that my hole poking

superpower has benefited you in that way.

So much, so much. Oh my goodness.

And it'll probably keep this church together while you're

gone because I'll be like, I just, you know what I need.

Oh. Matt, I need a what would Matt

do? Bracelet.

All right, WWMD What would Matt do?

I need to wear that all summer. It's going to be great and we're

just going to get him for the staff.

Perfect. What would Matt do?

He would do the adult thing. So let's do the adult thing

while he's gone. Let's not take whatever mad idea

that Chris has and run with it. We could.

We could figure that out. I think that could be a thing.

Sweet. Love that.

So no resurrection logic and the the rhetorical questions.

And again, you, you brought that up and kind of the, the song

we've been closed with is even how great is the love of God?

They're not even, they're not even really answering the

question in that song. They're giving lots of examples

as to how great it is. But like it's kind of a

rhetorical, actually unanswerable question.

But the conclusion that Paul has to this, that nothing, nothing

can separate us from the love of God, death or life, angels or

demons, present or future, nor any powers, height or depth,

nor. And then he runs out of the list

and he's just like nor anything else in all creation, just like

all the things. He doesn't forgot anything, just

all of everything else. But there's so the the Greek

word for the phrase it is finished that Jesus said on the

cross. Maybe, and maybe some of you

know this, but to tell us that is, is that phrase and yes, does

mean it is finished, but it's used contextually in Greek in in

a few different ways. And I I mean, we hear it as a

statement of finality, but what was what was finished in that

moment? What was Jesus specifically

talking about his, his work, his, his calling, What?

And So what was it? There's three main sort of

contextual things it and immediately applicable to Jesus

on the cross. It's it's in a monetary payment

debt being satisfied sort of sort of context When when you

settled up, you got your payoff amount and and went to your

creditor and paid it off. Boom to tell us die it is

finished. The debt is gone right It's it's

it's over. There were there were also in

the like judicial sort of court proceedings as as as that would

go when when the judgment of verdict was rendered.

That was also to telesty like it the the the proceedings, the

judgment handed to it's it's finished, it's done, it's

satisfied that the the penalty or the sentence has been served

right. And then the the other way, it

was kind of an ultimate like military victory phrase like

when we we have in the in the all these things, we're more

than conquerors sort of way. It was, it was like the ultimate

victory. It was it is finished.

They can't come back from that. It's it's over.

We have won and the the so and in all those ways Jesus

satisfied that like that's that's what I think through the

Holy Spirit like almost inspired Paul to kind of cover all that.

No, like it, it was it was Jesus was all those things he was he

was saying it is finished to all of those things that would that

would threaten you. He's he's satisfied it in all of

these ways and he said none of that is to be feared and and

done so. I like that if you take those

three parts of it is finished or at least those three areas that

that phrase applies to and you and you just put it on the cross

and then you make it really personal.

OK, so let's be very practical. So the judgment, OK, God's

judgment finished, paid for. OK, so the economic sentence of

you'll never be able to pay this back, but good luck trying.

So our performance, OK, that's paid for.

And then the third one. The sword military, Yeah.

The military like death yes I mean it's it's so complete, it's

so perfect and again, you know I mining out the depths of the

gospel is like a lifetime activity and that's just one

tiny example of that of like me. I've heard it's finished before,

but look how much further you were able to take that just

through a little bit of research.

And I think that's really amazing.

That deepens the IT deepens the appreciation the Christian

should have for even a, a singular statement like that.

And it should again, pull that reality of the resurrection ever

deeper into our souls so that we walk around free.

And that's really, that's pretty awesome.

Yeah, yeah. So just wanted to wanted to

share that we here and and even like to tell us that is a pretty

popular tattoo for people I know too and just wanted to.

You have got what do I Darius knew a guy who had that tattooed

across his Dome. Wow.

Like across his head. That's bold.

It is his forehead. The top back of his head, like

Ronnie said, I can't remember well 'cause he showed he showed

up to seminary with a shaved head to Telesty across his Dome.

And you should have seen the looks on the professor's.

Face they're. About outside of their skin.

Like pretty pretty amazing moment.

After that, that guy just grew his hair back out.

Oh my goodness. So that's that was my next.

How do you? Yeah.

Yeah. How do you go about getting a

tattoo on your head if you're not like, committed bald?

Well, I, I think he saw the writing on the wall, or rather

on his head, and he saw how professors reacted to that and

was like, Oh no, like this is not what?

But that's what I'm saying, if you're not at the point in your

life where like there isn't hair growing in, how do you even

decide if if you if you still have the ability to grow hair,

why are you getting tattooed like on the back of your head?

That seems silly to me, but I don't have any tattoos.

Yeah, well, he actually made me feel way better because I was

the only one in the seminary who had any at all, and I had

several, and he took all. His was way worse.

He took all of the attention off of me and I was like, sweet, it

is finished, nobody's going to think about mine anymore.

It is finished. Chris wins.

Chris wins. Oh man.

That's a that's just a fun little anecdote from seminary.

So great. There you go.

Oh man, anything else that you wish we could have spent time on

yesterday in the message from? Or just, I don't know.

Is there anything in the chapter itself that you feel like we

just need to be reminded of or loop back to?

Yeah, I, I, I can't remember if we talked about this, but if, if

we did, you can stop me and we'll move on to something else.

But you know, you look at how this chapter is structurally

built. So let's just kind of look at

the bookends Romans 81. There is therefore now no

condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

So Paul comes out of the gate just swinging for the fence.

And then when he ends this chapter, you know, it starts

with there is no condemnation and then he's going to end with

what can separate, you know, and all these things.

We are more than conquerors right in verse 37, going into

the logic of 38 and 39. And so I just think it's really,

it's just an incredibly powerful chapter that again, I know we're

done with it in terms of a sermon series, but when you need

when you need like a it is finished or the tomb is empty

kind of boost, like just take 4 minutes and listen to Romans

Romans 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8. I and, and let me, let me go

really far backwards and give you a lot of credit for

suggesting the sermon series. Yeah, yeah.

It was you who just kind of said, hey, you know what we

could do. And I was like, this chapter,

should we? And then you, you read into it a

little bit and you're like, oh, this dude's right.

We should totally do this. And so I big shout out to you,

Pastor Matt, for suggesting the sermon series and, and having us

walk through it. And I'm super grateful for that.

Thanks, man. Well, yeah, you're agreeable to

it and I do as as much as we could like philosophize and and

educator. Yeah, I'm not, I'm not here to

drag academia through the mud or any of these things.

But like it really is pretty simple.

The things that happened, the work that God did are pretty

simple. The hardest part probably is

getting your mind wrapped around the self doubt of why he would

do it for you for for us undeserving.

Like that's that's really the hardest part of it.

But you can't always really be logic out of that either because

it doesn't it doesn't make sense.

I heard, I heard something else this week that like if you, if

you want, if you want fair, the only, the only, the only place

in the cosmos that is fair is hell because because everyone

there is getting what they deserved even like that.

And that's. Wow.

I like that. Wow, that's impressive.

Which which is? Great, like that means heaven

also isn't quote UN quote fair. It's not we we don't deserve to

be saved. So there there is that part of

it. But beyond that, if you can wrap

your head around being OK with a God loving you in a way that you

didn't deserve and can never earn or keep or or all of that

of your of your own power, that it is in His power, his desire

for you. Sealed by the Holy Spirit like.

After that, it's, it's really pretty simple.

It's a bit to to remain rooted and reminded in his word.

And yes, we're not going to perfectly faithfully obey it,

but it's also there so that we can't just throw up our hands

and be like, this is completely. I'm I'm so surprised that my sin

got me here. Like there's warnings all over

the place. Like OK if, if this then that.

Yeah. You know, actually, it's

interesting, One of the things that kind of struck me this

week, beyond the fact that, yeah, like we should walk around

as people who believe there's a dead guy who's alive, we should

walk around like that. Like we should.

That's just what our attitude should be.

But another thing that kind of struck me this week along

similar lines is I I've kind of really been into this show for a

while, and I can't actually recommend it because it's fairly

violent. It's a cartoon called Invincible

and I know. It's.

I don't know what that is. Superheroes and you know,

whatever, it's right up my alley.

So I can't actually recommend it because of the level of

violence. But anyway, the whole idea

behind that, it's very Supermanish.

So here is this being of amazing power from a from a different

place. He is not he is not a human from

earth. And so like he always feels like

this kind of separated sense to him, but he also knows that he

wields an incredible amount of power because he is not from

earth. I couldn't help but think about

this week because again, you see everything theologically at some

point, but I couldn't help but think this week that like man,

we're we're kind of like that. Let me explain.

So if I am the son of a king who is otherworldly, who is beyond

time, who's beyond space, who is beyond anything that we can

grasp, if I am a son of that king, I am therefore part of who

he is. And because of that, I ought to

walk around this place humble because I know what kind of

power my my king has given me, but also like with a ridiculous

amount of confidence and joy, also knowing that this is not

the end game for me. Like I am.

I am built for something different than this.

And so between that and like the resurrection logic I was laying

out like I seriously, it was weird.

I was like walking around this week, like I'm not from here.

I'm going home someday. And whatever happens in between

is fine by me. And so it just, it just created

like this again, it created a joy, it created a freedom for

me. And to the extent that I can

live in that headspace, you know, I can live with

resurrection logic. And I am a son of the king

logic. Dude, what are you going to do

to me? What are you going to do to me?

Yeah, good luck. Good luck.

And so I, I just think there it creates, it does create kind of

a, a weird personality in some ways, because you're not going

to be like everybody else, but it also creates a joy and a

freedom that nobody else can really touch.

Yeah. And I think that's really the

day-to-day trick for the Christian is to live in that

headspace. And it sounds, it sounds silly

and cheap to compare it to like sports victories, but but think

of think of that, think of that Easter Monday feeling like the

day after maybe just he hadn't quite he hadn't revealed himself

in the upper room to to the disciples yet, but like word had

spread, obviously, that like they had heard that he was alive

and. Like what is that?

If, if that's true. Again, if that's true, that

means if the tomb is empty, anything is possible, right?

Like if if he'd. Really is back from the dead.

What can't we do you brought up before we started recording like

their expectation of OK well obviously if he conquered the

grave we're dumb. He's going to conquer the Roman

Empire and restore Israel to to its place like that.

That's what was they had this revolutionary unthinkably

achievable victory like in their minds of what was happening

right. So all all I can rightly and

again I it's kind of a cheap comparison, but like have it has

your favorite sports. The chiefs fans have gotten to

experience it lately with some Super Bowl victories.

I, I remember so the Packers fan we, we know that, but Packers

won a Super Bowl when I was 6, Brett Favre and won again in in

2011. And I, I don't remember the six

year old won as much, but I remember I was 21 and 2020

eleven. I remember that feeling of we

are the greatest. We are, we are invincible.

The Packers went I think 15 and won the year after the year

after like off a Super Bowl victory.

And I remember that football season every every Sunday.

There's no chance we're going to lose.

Like like like. I I remember that feeling.

So how do we, why don't we walk around that way as as sons and

daughters of the king? Like, why are we assaulted by

and disheartened by these day-to-day circumstances?

Why, why aren't we? Why, why are we so easily with

the sports teams or whatever or whatever.

That's just what resonates with me.

I'm sorry I can't think of a better example for others.

But like Cubs fans too. I'm, I'm a Cubs fan as well, but

like breaking the curse 11 years ago now, like that was, that was

Goliath, that was the giant, that was the untouchable thing,

right? And yeah, walking around like

anything's like anything's possible.

That is the attitude that I think you're trying to draw out

of us with this resurrection logic.

So the truths that Chris preached yesterday, the truths

that we've tried to draw out in this Romans 8 series, hold them

tightly. Remind that even if it is gosh,

4 or 5 minutes, I think it takes you to to listen to or read

through Romans 8. Even if you read the same, that

same 1 chapter of the Bible everyday, are you going to get

bored of it? I honestly don't think so.

You could try tell me if you do tell me if you get bored of

hearing what God has to say to you in Romans 8.

Like I will be shocked if if you get sick of hearing those words

in Romans 8. That's what we that's what we

have to do to to sharpen ourselves to to insulate

ourselves in the promises of God.

And I'm not don't hear me. I'm not saying throw out the

rest of the Bible and just read Romans 8.

That's not what I'm saying. But if that's helpful to you,

marinate in these truths, just yeah, get get to a point where

it's victory on Easter. Every day is Easter Monday.

Every day is the day after death was conquered in the tomb is

empty and you're living in the light of that.

That's that's how we have to go about this life.

Amen. Amen.

By the way, I like what you did there with what if you just only

did that all the time? I mean, honestly, like I like

that because here's the thing, sometimes we go a mile wide and

an inch deep in the Bible, you know, and I, I love the like

Bible in a year plans. Those are great.

But at the same time, what if it was Romans 8IN a year?

What if you just did Romans 8 for a year and by the end of

that years you were so saturated with the with the resurrection

truth of God's Word that you couldn't think of anything else?

Like you couldn't possibly live any other way but through that

victory because you were so saturated by it?

I think that's a wonderful idea, actually.

So well done. Cool, cool.

If you have any other ideas of ways that men and women are

different, feel free to send them our way over the next

couple weeks and we may illustrate them in in video

form. Please don't give me another

concussion math. You didn't get a concussion.

You threw me under the bus so hard.

That whole thing was your idea. That whole thing was your idea.

I wondered. I wondered if anybody.

Came up to me like, hey Matt, would you throw me over this

counter? I wondered if anybody, like, I

hope nobody actually believed me.

No, I was not concussed. But yes, Matt will put you over

the counter. See, now you can't tell which

one I'm telling the truth on. Which one I'm lying on, it's

hard to say. Hard to say.

We got to get out of here. I can't let you say any more

words. Thanks for hanging out with this

church. Happy Easter.

He is risen. The tomb is empty.

And that means anything's possible.

So he can work resurrection, reconciliation.

He can work healing in your life.

We're happy to be a part of this community to encourage you in

that truth and in his word. There's been ERC.

Leftovers have blessed.