Do You Know Him – Easter

• Today is Easter (and Pastor Aubrey Birthday) Do you know him
• The day we gather as Christians, all over the globe to celebrate the resurrection of our Savior
• Thousands of years we’ve been celebrating. I would say millions if not billions of people who make it a point to come to church on Easter and never let it get past the day
• I welcome you- I welcome you to celebrate with us the resurrection of our lord. Great day
• But this wasn’t just a day for celebration- This was the beginning of the changing of the world
• Christians have influenced society in many ways, education, healthcare, slavery, civil rights, medicine, science, orphans. Christians have been the greatest source of good planet earth has ever seen
• None of that would have happened if Jesus didn’t resurrect from the dead. None of it. 
• So today we celebrate it. We get excited about it. It’s the source of our hope. The reason for our strength. The passion in our lungs.  Our hope for eternal life
• So people come to church on Easter- They sing the songs. Maybe see a play or something. They understand they should be here, but they don’t understand why they should be here
• And so you listen, maybe half heartedly, maybe a funny joke or story. A warm fuzzy to satisfy
• But then you just leave- go back to your life and continue to live the way that you have been living. You come to church on Easter and it doesn’t leave the parking lot
• We use the Bible here. Its what we do. Its what guides us. We go through it every week
• 1 Corinthians 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
• If Jesus didn’t raise from the dead- our own bible says to pity us- but he did! No need to pity us!
• And so today we find ourselves here on Easter- In the book of Matthew. Going through it
• If you’re here wondering who we are- we worship God, we learn the Bible, fellowship, serve
• Matt 7:21-29READ
• How is this an Easter scripture?
• Because none of it makes sense or matters if Jesus didn’t raise from the dead
• But your eternity rests on this- this is a very important thing to grasp. If Jesus is raised from the dead-  and if he didn’t you cant know him, and you shouldn’t follow him- but he DID

1. You need to know him – Easter

• Like I said, we go through the Bible here and this is where we’re at in the scriptures today, so we’re going to go with it- it says-
• 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
• What is Jesus saying here? Just because you call Jesus Lord, but don’t do what God wants, Jesus says you’re a law breaker and he is going to tell you that he doesn’t know you and send you away from him- and you don’t want to be sent away from him. Its not good
• Now some would say that this is harsh- but its not really- its just honest- Its Jesus saying- I don’t want you to give me lip service- I want you to actually know me and do what I say. 
• Who actually likes lip service? Does it work in marriage? Parenting? Careers? Friendship?
• No one likes lip service- “come visit- we’ll take care of ya’ll- ‘yalll wanna get dinner stuff”
• No- it doesn’t. and it doesn’t work in a spiritual sense either- God doesn’t want lip service
• Why would God want followers that didn’t follow him that he didn’t know? He wouldnt
• Jeremiah 9:23-24 Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; 24 But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord.
• The prophet Jeremiah, speaking on behalf of God says, I don’t want you to want riches. I want you to want me. I want you do know my love and be in a right relationship with me
• God’s heart has always been that we would have a robust intimate relationship with him
• Not just lip service. Not just doing the external actions- but internalizing and fellowship with him
• Jesus said-  John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
• We experience and gain eternal life by knowing Jesus- and its so much more than church on Sunday. Its more than bible reading, service, fellowship. It’s a reflective constant communication
• Let me give you an earthly example. Who hasn’t talked about covid this year?

• Lockdowns, immunizations, transmission. I learned more about virus than all of school
• Some people have talked about and thought about covid more than God. Read more than bible
• God wants us to have a reflective mental awareness of his constant presence in our day
• Acts 17:27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
• And he’s not far from us! He’s not! He’s right here right now in front of you God
• I love Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord your God in your midst,The Mighty One, will save;He will rejoice over you with gladness,He will quiet you with His love,He will rejoice over you with singing.”
• Isn’t that a beautiful picture of a relationship with God? And people say “how can God do that for everyone” because he’s God!
• When I pray, worship, or communicate with God- I never think he’s like a short order cook trying to make a bunch of food for a bunch of people- I always picture him giving me his full attention- because  he is!
• How can he simultaneously do that for 7 billion people? Because He is God. There are no other. It is outside our comprehension and intellect to be able to fathom it, but that’s how it is
• How can we fathom that God would come in human form, die on a cross for our sins and raise himself from the dead? We cant! That’s why we serve him!
• I don’t want to serve an easy George burns morgan freeman I can fathom you God
• I want the mystery of a God who formed the earth from nothing, parted the red sea, saved noah, took down the walls of Jericho, defeated the prophets of baal, made the donkey talk, walked on water, healed the sick, raise the dead kind of God. One that I can’t fathom!
• Paul said- Philippians 3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection,
• I want to know that power! I want to know what resurrection power is like!
• When Jesus said “many will say to me” it means there’s a lot of people who claim to know God- but God doesn’t know them! Because they haven’t fully submitted to him in their life
• Proverbs 8:17 I love those who love me,And those who seek me diligently will find me.
• If you’re anything like me, I really am tired of this world. It is so non-sensical. Makes no sense
• I was tired of this world in 2019 but now I’m real tired of it. I am leaning into God more now than even. I want what he wants. I want him, his ways, his people, I don’t want what the world wants- I want what he wants. I want to live for him. 
• Isaiah 55:6 Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.
• He can be found right now! He can be experienced right now! I’m not living in fear, worry, doubt or disbelief. 
• You can have this assurance this easter- Right now- You can live for him only. Know him
• Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
• He died on a cross for you, and your sins so that you can know him. He is not far from you

2. You need to do what Jesus said to do

• The question Jesus is really asking is- what have you built your life on?
• READ V 24-29
• Jesus says- you hear what I say. If you do what I say, its like you built a house on rock instead of sand.  Rains come. Build on a rock, not on sand. 
• It’s a very easy word picture. Rock good- sand bad. Follow Jesus good- don’t follow bad
• A few years ago we went to SD and Gabe and I tried to surf. He got up. He did it. Me, not so much. I have this surf dream. Maybe I can try again sometime, but I just wasn’t in shape
• SD Great- great beach- houses on cliffs. A year or so ago that cliff of sand gave way and people were buried alive right where we were sitting.  Sand is not a great thing to build on. 
• 1 Corinthians 3:10-11 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
• If you are not building your life on Jesus Christ, it will come out from underneath you eventually
• The basic American life is, Go to public school, maybe go to college or military. Get a job, get married, get a house, have kids, do stuff, retire and die
• And these are the things people build their life on- “Get good grades’ “Go to college” 
• Get a good job, get a spouse and a house. And then- buy stuff, do stuff, and die
• Intermittently during this- the Media will fan the flames of fear and discontent to make sure that whatever you have or enjoy cant be enjoyed because youre racked with fear and despair – Easter
• This last year- pandemic, shutdowns, food shortages, riots, political riots, storming of capital
• Any foundation you had on money, freedom, activities, govt, job, family, was affected
• Hopefully at some point you asked “what am I actually building my life on?”
• Because either you’re building on the rock of Jesus Christ or something else
• Jesus is a rock- everything else is sand- easter
• JESUS SAID John 13:17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
• Lu 11:28 But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
• If you want to build your life on the foundation of Jesus Christ- you have to do what he says
• That’s the rock  you build your life on. Whatever he says- you do- you just do it
• Psalm 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;  A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.
• When Jesus says, he never knew you- he says you can know me and the way to know me is to do what I said to do. 
• 1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 
• And they aren’t!  Love is the way to go- Love people. Serve them. Forgive them. Live in harmony with other people. 
• The God life is the best life. I love living under the precepts of God- 
• Many don’t. Because they love their sin. Mostly drunkenness, porn, gossip, anger, lust
• In many peoples mind, the joy of following God’s commands will not be as satisfying as sin
• But in the end- they just aren’t. people think they are- but they aren’t. always fall short
• Sin never satisfies. It destroys your life on this side of heaven. It just does. Seen it many times
• So if you want to know him- and you want to love him- you keep his commandments

• John 14:15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. – Easter
• Simple command- do not steal- Buying ice cream- rang up wrong two free- no hell for ice cream
• No one knew- but I knew and I want to honor god. I don’t want to be eating ice cream to hell
• 1 John 1:6-7 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
• The Blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin as we walk in the light- just walk in the light
• That’s how you build the life on the rock. Now, maybe buying ice cream seems like it would connect you with God- it might seem trivial but aren’t relationships built in the small stuff?
• Aren’t your closest relationships built on the small details, not the big ones?
• Its not that you say you’re friends- its that they take care of the details of your life
• John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
• That’s the life I want to live. The generous, loving serving and living for God kind of life. 
• And the lord promises that if we do that- he will take care of us as well. 
• Psalm 91:14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
• I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
• Ecc 12: 13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.
• That’s all he wants from us
• This is how you celebrate Easter
• Know Jesus- Do what he said to do

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