WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:05.320 Hope is not a product. Hope is not a program. 2 00:00:05.639 --> 00:00:10.759 Hope is not a pills. Hope is a person. And 3 00:00:10.759 --> 00:00:12.679 there's only one person that you can put that hope in, 4 00:00:13.000 --> 00:00:17.120 Jesus Christ. He is the hope of the world. Because 5 00:00:17.199 --> 00:00:22.199 Jesus Christ came back to life on Easter Sunday about 6 00:00:22.199 --> 00:00:25.079 twenty and seventeen years ago, it split history into AD 7 00:00:25.160 --> 00:00:29.359 and BC. We know three things for certain. Number one, 8 00:00:29.480 --> 00:00:33.039 you might write this down because he rose from the dead. 9 00:00:33.079 --> 00:00:37.079 I know that Jesus has a great purpose for my life. 10 00:00:39.000 --> 00:00:44.799 Jesus has a great purpose for my life. Now. One 11 00:00:44.840 --> 00:00:46.320 of the most important things you have to know in 12 00:00:46.359 --> 00:00:48.880 life is what's your purpose. If you don't ever figure 13 00:00:48.880 --> 00:00:52.920 out why you're here, you're gonna waste your life. You 14 00:00:52.920 --> 00:00:55.759 don't know why a lot of people confuse purpose with 15 00:00:55.799 --> 00:00:58.560 other things. Purpose is not success. You can be incredibly 16 00:00:58.560 --> 00:01:02.159 successful and not know your purpose. You make a whole 17 00:01:02.200 --> 00:01:05.280 lot of money and not know your purpose. You me 18 00:01:05.400 --> 00:01:09.120 incredibly famous and talented and very productive in your life 19 00:01:09.200 --> 00:01:12.599 and still miss the purpose for which you were made. 20 00:01:14.079 --> 00:01:15.640 I was talking to a guy one time and he said, 21 00:01:15.680 --> 00:01:18.640 you know, Rick, my life has a great cast. I 22 00:01:18.719 --> 00:01:22.400 just don't know the plot, and I said, I think 23 00:01:22.400 --> 00:01:25.120 a lot of people feel that way. And another guy said, 24 00:01:25.120 --> 00:01:28.400 you know, somebody said, I hope my life isn't a 25 00:01:28.480 --> 00:01:32.920 joke because I don't get it. I don't get it. Now. 26 00:01:32.959 --> 00:01:35.319 When it comes to knowing your purpose in life, you 27 00:01:35.400 --> 00:01:39.799 really only have four choices. Only four choices. The first 28 00:01:39.799 --> 00:01:41.680 way is to try to figure out your purpose in 29 00:01:41.719 --> 00:01:45.319 life by speculation. What I mean of that is you 30 00:01:45.359 --> 00:01:48.400 just guess at it. You could go to some university 31 00:01:48.680 --> 00:01:52.159 and enroll in a philosophy course and ask all of 32 00:01:52.200 --> 00:01:55.760 the great questions of life, who am I? Why am 33 00:01:55.799 --> 00:01:59.920 I here? What is my purpose? Does my life have meaning? 34 00:02:00.480 --> 00:02:03.359 Is there any significance to my life? Where am I 35 00:02:03.439 --> 00:02:09.039 headed in life? Why am I here? And you can 36 00:02:09.080 --> 00:02:11.199 take lots of philosophy courses, but the bottom line is 37 00:02:11.240 --> 00:02:15.280 you're just guessing, and your guess is as good as mine. 38 00:02:15.360 --> 00:02:19.280 It's just speculation. You're never going to find your true 39 00:02:19.280 --> 00:02:21.719 purpose in life by just guessing about it. It's much 40 00:02:21.759 --> 00:02:27.919 more important than that. Another way is imagination, not speculation 41 00:02:27.960 --> 00:02:30.479 of an imagination, which just basically says, make up your 42 00:02:30.479 --> 00:02:34.840 own purpose. You don't know your purse, Just pick one anyone. 43 00:02:35.000 --> 00:02:37.520 There are probably one hundred thousand self help books that 44 00:02:37.560 --> 00:02:41.439 teach that. And as they said, they confuse success with purpose, 45 00:02:42.400 --> 00:02:44.159 and they say, you know, you know, set your goals 46 00:02:44.199 --> 00:02:46.759 and have your dream and clarify your values and know 47 00:02:46.840 --> 00:02:49.080 your vision. That's all good stuff, but it's not about 48 00:02:49.080 --> 00:02:53.400 your purpose. It's about success in life. And you never 49 00:02:53.439 --> 00:02:56.120 need to confuse those two. Just make up a purpose. 50 00:02:56.159 --> 00:03:01.039 That's imagination. And then there's the other way that people 51 00:03:01.080 --> 00:03:04.120 often try to find a purpose, and I would call 52 00:03:04.159 --> 00:03:07.800 it introspection. And what I mean by that is it's 53 00:03:07.919 --> 00:03:11.719 look within. They you hear this all the time in 54 00:03:12.199 --> 00:03:15.759 Eastern philosophies, you hear it in movies, and particularly hear 55 00:03:15.800 --> 00:03:18.319 it on talk shows, and they basically say, if you 56 00:03:18.439 --> 00:03:24.360 want to know your purpose, trust the force. Luke. Yeah, 57 00:03:24.520 --> 00:03:28.360 look look within, and if you look within long enough, 58 00:03:28.479 --> 00:03:31.120 then you'll know your purpose. Now there's one problem with that. 59 00:03:31.360 --> 00:03:35.960 It doesn't work. If it did, we'd all know our 60 00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:38.840 purpose because you've looked inside you, and I've looked inside 61 00:03:38.840 --> 00:03:41.080 of me. I looked inside of me. I just saw mess. 62 00:03:42.639 --> 00:03:45.360 I didn't get any clarity at all. Now follow me 63 00:03:45.360 --> 00:03:49.280 on the logic of this. You can't tell yourself what 64 00:03:49.360 --> 00:03:55.759 your purpose is because you didn't create you. Because you 65 00:03:55.800 --> 00:03:59.360 didn't make you, you don't know your purpose. If I 66 00:03:59.400 --> 00:04:03.960 were to hold up a object of some kind of 67 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:06.120 air mechanical object, you've never seen it, I said, what 68 00:04:06.159 --> 00:04:09.840 do you think the purpose of this is? Uh, we 69 00:04:09.919 --> 00:04:14.479 could guess, we could speculate, we could look within you know, 70 00:04:14.520 --> 00:04:17.800 we could pretend we know. But really, the only way 71 00:04:17.879 --> 00:04:19.639 you wouldn't have any idea what the purpose of this 72 00:04:19.680 --> 00:04:22.639 object was unless either A you talk to the inventor 73 00:04:22.680 --> 00:04:26.639 who created it, or b you read the owner's manual. 74 00:04:27.439 --> 00:04:29.040 And if you do those two things, then you can 75 00:04:29.079 --> 00:04:32.240 find the purpose of what I was holding up. Now, 76 00:04:32.240 --> 00:04:35.720 the same is true for your life. The only way 77 00:04:35.720 --> 00:04:37.480 you're ever going to know your purpose in life is 78 00:04:37.759 --> 00:04:42.600 talk to the creator and read the owner's manual. If 79 00:04:42.600 --> 00:04:45.279 you don't do that, you're never going to know the 80 00:04:45.319 --> 00:04:47.399 purpose for which you were created. You could make up 81 00:04:47.399 --> 00:04:51.639 a purpose, but it's not the one you were created for. Now. 82 00:04:51.680 --> 00:04:54.839 The truth is, you are not an accident. You've heard 83 00:04:54.839 --> 00:05:00.839 me say this many times. There are accidental parents, acidental children, 84 00:05:01.839 --> 00:05:07.279 they're illegitimate parents, but there are no illegitimate children. Your 85 00:05:07.319 --> 00:05:11.120 parents may not planned you, but God did. And if 86 00:05:11.120 --> 00:05:14.560 God had not wanted you to exist. You would not 87 00:05:14.639 --> 00:05:18.160 be alive right now, he said, why did God give 88 00:05:18.199 --> 00:05:21.319 me the parents? He gave me? God was not so 89 00:05:21.399 --> 00:05:24.120 much interested in their parenting skills as he was interested 90 00:05:24.160 --> 00:05:27.480 in their DNA, because God knew that they had just 91 00:05:27.600 --> 00:05:31.680 the right DNA to create you. And whether your parents 92 00:05:31.720 --> 00:05:34.079 were good or bad, or indifferent or maybe you even 93 00:05:34.120 --> 00:05:37.360 never even knew them, he knew that they would create you. 94 00:05:37.399 --> 00:05:40.240 And God was much more interested in creating you than 95 00:05:40.240 --> 00:05:45.199 he was in their parenting skills. God's plan and purpose 96 00:05:45.279 --> 00:05:48.399 is bigger than your parent's plan and purpose. He wanted 97 00:05:48.639 --> 00:05:51.959 you alive. You are not an accident, and He has 98 00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:54.839 a plan and purpose for your life. And so God says, 99 00:05:54.879 --> 00:05:56.360 I want you to know this now. He said, Rick, 100 00:05:56.560 --> 00:05:58.800 what does all this have to do with Easter? Well, 101 00:05:58.920 --> 00:06:01.959 let me show you. Look at these verses on your outline. 102 00:06:02.079 --> 00:06:06.240 The Bible says in the Two Corinthians, Chapter five, Jesus 103 00:06:06.240 --> 00:06:10.959 included everyone in his death so that everyone could also 104 00:06:11.040 --> 00:06:16.160 be included in his life, a resurrection life, a far 105 00:06:16.680 --> 00:06:21.360 better life than people ever lived on their own. Now, 106 00:06:21.399 --> 00:06:24.720 if you're taking notes, you might circle that phrase better life. 107 00:06:24.800 --> 00:06:27.399 God says, I have a purpose for your life, and 108 00:06:27.480 --> 00:06:30.519 it is a better life than you would ever live 109 00:06:30.759 --> 00:06:34.000 on your own. Now, that's not a term we talk 110 00:06:34.040 --> 00:06:36.680 about a lot better life. The term we talk about 111 00:06:36.720 --> 00:06:40.000 a lot is the good life. And in California we're 112 00:06:40.040 --> 00:06:44.639 supposed to be authorities on the good life. And in California, 113 00:06:44.879 --> 00:06:49.160 the good life basically means looking good, feeling good, and 114 00:06:49.199 --> 00:06:52.560 having the goods. If you look good and you feel 115 00:06:52.600 --> 00:06:54.879 good and you have the goods, you got the good life. 116 00:06:54.959 --> 00:06:57.480 There's only one problem with the good life. It's not 117 00:06:57.560 --> 00:07:01.680 good enough. You were made for more than just the 118 00:07:01.720 --> 00:07:05.519 good life. You were made for more than success. You 119 00:07:05.560 --> 00:07:09.839 were made for more than survival. You were made for significance. 120 00:07:10.279 --> 00:07:13.079 And the only way you will know your significance is 121 00:07:13.360 --> 00:07:18.079 by discovering God's purpose for your life. You look good, 122 00:07:18.120 --> 00:07:21.120 feel good, have the goods, but you need the better life. 123 00:07:21.240 --> 00:07:23.079 And I've talked to people who had all of those 124 00:07:23.120 --> 00:07:28.560 things and still felt frustrated or empty, or the nagging 125 00:07:28.600 --> 00:07:33.439 feeling there's got to be more. Well, of course, there's more. 126 00:07:34.519 --> 00:07:36.439 You weren't made just to get up in the morning, 127 00:07:36.480 --> 00:07:38.319 go to work, come on and watch TV, go to bed, 128 00:07:38.480 --> 00:07:42.439 go to party on weekend, retire and die that's not living, 129 00:07:43.079 --> 00:07:46.839 that's existing. Jesus said, I came that you might have life, 130 00:07:46.879 --> 00:07:51.240 and life to its fullest, the better life. Now where 131 00:07:51.279 --> 00:07:53.079 do we get that purpose? We'll look at the next verse. 132 00:07:53.120 --> 00:08:00.519 The Bible says, everything, absolutely, everything got started in Christ. 133 00:08:00.600 --> 00:08:04.439 He's the creator of the universe and finds his purpose 134 00:08:04.560 --> 00:08:08.399 its purpose in him. The only way you're going to 135 00:08:08.439 --> 00:08:13.199 find your purpose is in Christ, and the way Christ 136 00:08:13.319 --> 00:08:16.720 came back to life says I do have a purpose 137 00:08:17.160 --> 00:08:20.000 for your life. Look at the next verse. The Bible 138 00:08:20.040 --> 00:08:24.639 says this Ephesians chapter one. It is in Christ that 139 00:08:24.720 --> 00:08:27.800 we find out who we are and what we are 140 00:08:27.839 --> 00:08:31.319 living for. Who we are, what we're living for part 141 00:08:31.360 --> 00:08:35.000 of the overall purpose He is working. God is working 142 00:08:35.080 --> 00:08:40.720 out in everything and everyone. Until you get to know Christ, 143 00:08:41.519 --> 00:08:44.320 you're not going to know your purpose because He is 144 00:08:44.360 --> 00:08:47.840 the one who made you. He's the one who created you. 145 00:08:47.919 --> 00:08:50.600 He's the one that when he rose again, split history 146 00:08:50.600 --> 00:08:54.440 into AD and BC. Now you know here at saddleback, 147 00:08:54.440 --> 00:08:59.360 of course, we're committed to helping everybody discover and develop 148 00:08:59.480 --> 00:09:02.240 their purpose. We're a purpose driven church. I wrote a 149 00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:06.399 book about it. It is a big best seller, and 150 00:09:07.080 --> 00:09:08.799 I think that the reason it's sold. You know, it's 151 00:09:08.840 --> 00:09:11.000 the best selling book in American history, sold thirty two 152 00:09:11.039 --> 00:09:13.919 million copies in hardback and then we became the most 153 00:09:13.960 --> 00:09:16.759 translated book in the world. It's in Guinness Book of Records. 154 00:09:17.320 --> 00:09:20.000 Why not because I'm a good author. I'm not an author, 155 00:09:20.039 --> 00:09:22.320 I'm a pastor. But because it happens to be the 156 00:09:22.399 --> 00:09:25.559 number one need that people want to know about. Why 157 00:09:25.559 --> 00:09:31.159 am I here? What's my purpose? Without that? Without purpose, 158 00:09:31.240 --> 00:09:35.159 life is petty and pointless. And God says we find 159 00:09:35.200 --> 00:09:38.799 it through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now, let me 160 00:09:38.840 --> 00:09:41.960 give you a second thing. Second bit, I'm only covering three. 161 00:09:42.120 --> 00:09:44.799 The second benefit we get from Jesus Christ rising from 162 00:09:44.840 --> 00:09:47.080 the dead is he not only says I've got a 163 00:09:47.120 --> 00:09:49.919 great purpose for your life. He says I have a 164 00:09:49.960 --> 00:09:55.000 great power for your problems. I have a great power 165 00:09:55.120 --> 00:09:57.960 for your problems. And Easter demonstrated the power of God. 166 00:09:57.960 --> 00:10:00.720 There's not much greater power than raising your yourself back 167 00:10:00.759 --> 00:10:03.840 to life. It is the most powerful event in history. 168 00:10:04.320 --> 00:10:07.759 And here's the cool thing about it, it's available to you. 169 00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:12.000 The same power that raised Jesus from the dead a 170 00:10:12.080 --> 00:10:15.759 couple millennia ago, two thousand years ago is available to 171 00:10:15.799 --> 00:10:19.080 you today. Let me show you some verses. This may 172 00:10:19.120 --> 00:10:20.919 be a benefit you didn't know about. And if you 173 00:10:21.000 --> 00:10:24.559 don't know about it, you can't depend on it. Fhesians 174 00:10:24.639 --> 00:10:29.080 chapter one the Bible says, I pray that you will 175 00:10:29.120 --> 00:10:37.000 begin to understand how incredibly great God's power really is, 176 00:10:37.960 --> 00:10:41.480 how incredibly great God's power really is to help those 177 00:10:41.720 --> 00:10:46.879 who believe him. It is the same mighty power that 178 00:10:47.000 --> 00:10:49.679 raised Christ from the dead. Say wait a minute, time 179 00:10:49.720 --> 00:10:53.360 out here, Rick, you're telling me that the same power 180 00:10:53.480 --> 00:10:56.120 that brought Jesus back to life is available to me 181 00:10:56.200 --> 00:10:59.799 in my daily life. That's exactly what I'm saying. That's 182 00:10:59.799 --> 00:11:03.720 a benefit you may have not known about. The resurrection 183 00:11:03.799 --> 00:11:06.120 of Jesus comes with a promise. Look at the next verse. 184 00:11:06.720 --> 00:11:10.720 By his power, God's by his power, God raised the 185 00:11:10.759 --> 00:11:13.440 Lord from the dead. And read this aloud on me, 186 00:11:13.799 --> 00:11:20.679 he will also raise Oh, now we're talking. The only 187 00:11:20.720 --> 00:11:23.200 reason you're going to be raised from the dead and 188 00:11:23.279 --> 00:11:26.480 have life after death is because Jesus did it. That's 189 00:11:26.519 --> 00:11:28.759 the reason. If Jesus doesn't raise you from the dead, 190 00:11:28.759 --> 00:11:31.639 you're not getting raised from the dead. By his power, 191 00:11:31.720 --> 00:11:33.399 God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will 192 00:11:33.440 --> 00:11:36.720 also raise us so you can have resurrection power in 193 00:11:36.759 --> 00:11:39.519 your life. Now, let me ask you a very personal question. 194 00:11:41.639 --> 00:11:44.080 Where do you need a resurrection in your life? I'm 195 00:11:44.080 --> 00:11:48.159 talking about right now. Let me phrase it another way. 196 00:11:48.639 --> 00:11:54.440 What's dying in your life or is dead and you 197 00:11:54.519 --> 00:11:58.480 know it and you need God's power to bring it 198 00:11:58.519 --> 00:12:03.120 back to life. Where do you need a resurrection this year? 199 00:12:03.399 --> 00:12:08.000 Where do you need God's resurrection power? See? The truth is, 200 00:12:10.200 --> 00:12:12.919 and I'm sorry about this, but some of you are 201 00:12:12.919 --> 00:12:17.240 in marriages that are dying. They're going south real fast, 202 00:12:18.159 --> 00:12:21.639 or maybe they already have died and you're just still 203 00:12:21.679 --> 00:12:27.120 living together. You need a resurrection in your marriage. The 204 00:12:27.200 --> 00:12:29.039 key to a long marriage can I've been married forty 205 00:12:29.080 --> 00:12:30.480 two years, is you have to learn how to fall 206 00:12:30.519 --> 00:12:33.679 in love over and over again. You know, fall in 207 00:12:33.679 --> 00:12:37.120 love just one time. You have to have resurrections in 208 00:12:37.159 --> 00:12:40.200 your marriage, in your life. Some of you need a 209 00:12:40.240 --> 00:12:43.799 resurrection in your marriage because it's dying. Some of you 210 00:12:43.840 --> 00:12:49.120 need a resurrection in your career. And you think, Man, 211 00:12:49.279 --> 00:12:51.039 I thought I'd be a whole lot further along the 212 00:12:51.039 --> 00:12:52.879 line than I am right now at this stage of 213 00:12:52.919 --> 00:12:55.360 the game. At this point in my life, I expect 214 00:12:55.399 --> 00:12:58.879 to be further down the road, but I'm not, and 215 00:12:58.919 --> 00:13:03.480 that's disappointing. And you need a resurrection in your career. 216 00:13:05.519 --> 00:13:09.120 Some of you need some resurrection and your energy. You say, 217 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:12.000 you know, I'm just tired all the time. I dragged 218 00:13:12.000 --> 00:13:15.360 through the day. I'm fatigued all of the time. I 219 00:13:15.399 --> 00:13:18.120 don't have any energy because you're living it on your 220 00:13:18.200 --> 00:13:21.759 power instead of God's power. God never intended for you 221 00:13:21.799 --> 00:13:24.320 to go through life just on your power. You don't 222 00:13:24.360 --> 00:13:30.000 have enough. Human power runs out, human love runs out, 223 00:13:30.120 --> 00:13:34.039 which is why there's divorce. You need supernatural love and 224 00:13:34.080 --> 00:13:36.639 you need supernatural power in your life to make it 225 00:13:36.679 --> 00:13:41.440 to the finish line. Some of you need a resurrection 226 00:13:41.519 --> 00:13:45.120 of your dream. You've had a dream in your past 227 00:13:45.159 --> 00:13:47.360 about something you've always wanted to be. You're always wanted 228 00:13:47.399 --> 00:13:50.559 to do, a talent, you wanted to develop, a goal 229 00:13:50.600 --> 00:13:55.120 you wanted to go after, and the dreams died. And 230 00:13:55.240 --> 00:13:58.799 this Eastern Resurrection Day, Jesus in the power that I 231 00:13:58.879 --> 00:14:01.480 raised myself back to life with. It's available to you 232 00:14:01.559 --> 00:14:05.240 if you plug into me. Some of you need a 233 00:14:05.279 --> 00:14:09.080 resurrection in your health. You're not going in the right direction. 234 00:14:10.639 --> 00:14:13.960 Some of you need a resurrection in your motivation. You know, 235 00:14:13.960 --> 00:14:17.200 I just you know, I'm just not motivated anymore. I'm 236 00:14:17.240 --> 00:14:20.320 just kind of putting in the time and waiting for 237 00:14:20.399 --> 00:14:26.320 the payday, checking the clock. I'm not motivated. Nothing motivates 238 00:14:26.360 --> 00:14:28.559 to me anymore. You need a resurrection of motivation. Some 239 00:14:28.600 --> 00:14:32.320 of you have had a split in a friendship with 240 00:14:32.440 --> 00:14:34.600 a dear friend, a boyfriend, a girlfriend, or just a 241 00:14:34.679 --> 00:14:38.240 good friend. And there's been a rift, there's been a break, 242 00:14:38.279 --> 00:14:44.120 a tear, conflict. You need a resurrection in your friendship. 243 00:14:45.519 --> 00:14:48.440 So I'm just saying that in so many different areas. 244 00:14:49.600 --> 00:14:55.240 Some of you have had your heart broken recently, and 245 00:14:55.279 --> 00:14:59.320 as your pastor, I'm sorry, I really am, and I 246 00:14:59.360 --> 00:15:03.080 pray for people in our family that have a broken heart, 247 00:15:04.159 --> 00:15:06.000 and you need to have your heart repaired, and you 248 00:15:06.120 --> 00:15:11.000 need a resurrection in that area of your life. You see, 249 00:15:11.000 --> 00:15:14.639 this is the difference between human beings and God. God 250 00:15:14.720 --> 00:15:19.759 is God and we're not. Human beings can resuscitate. Only 251 00:15:19.840 --> 00:15:23.919 God can resurrect. If you know CPR, you know how 252 00:15:23.919 --> 00:15:27.840 to resuscitate somebody their heart stops, you can resuscitate them 253 00:15:27.879 --> 00:15:31.919 with CPR. If you're a paramedic, you've probably resuscitated hundreds 254 00:15:31.919 --> 00:15:35.600 of people with mouth and mouth or CPR, whatever you 255 00:15:35.679 --> 00:15:39.320 needed to do. Resuscitation happens when they've been dead for 256 00:15:39.360 --> 00:15:42.840 a minute or two or three minutes. But when you've 257 00:15:42.840 --> 00:15:45.200 been dead for three days and buried in the ground, 258 00:15:45.279 --> 00:15:51.080 you don't need resuscitation. You need resurrection. And God says, 259 00:15:51.200 --> 00:15:54.799 I want to have that kind of power, not resuscitation power, 260 00:15:54.960 --> 00:15:58.000 but resurrection power in the area of youth. Like of 261 00:15:58.039 --> 00:16:01.440 your life that are dying are already dead. They're already dead. 262 00:16:03.320 --> 00:16:05.639 And God has not only a purpose for your life 263 00:16:06.200 --> 00:16:09.279 because of the Cross and the resurrection, but God has 264 00:16:09.360 --> 00:16:10.960 a power for your life which is bigger than the 265 00:16:10.960 --> 00:16:15.320 problem you're going through out right now. Let me show 266 00:16:15.320 --> 00:16:20.080 you a couple verses First Corinthians, Chapter one. Paul gives 267 00:16:20.080 --> 00:16:23.440 a testimony of how God helps us when we think 268 00:16:23.720 --> 00:16:27.320 it is hopeless. You see, some of you are on 269 00:16:27.360 --> 00:16:30.279 the edge of giving up right now, and if we 270 00:16:30.320 --> 00:16:33.080 could put an X ray to your mind, it would 271 00:16:33.120 --> 00:16:39.360 show you're pretty desperate. I'm glad you came because God 272 00:16:39.399 --> 00:16:41.480 wanted you here a thousand years before you were born. 273 00:16:41.480 --> 00:16:43.159 He knew you would be here at saddleback on this 274 00:16:43.279 --> 00:16:49.519 day so he could say this to you. Don't don't 275 00:16:49.559 --> 00:16:52.120 give up you. Maybe you feel like giving up on 276 00:16:52.159 --> 00:16:53.960 your dream, or giving up on your marriage, or giving 277 00:16:54.039 --> 00:16:56.320 up on your health. Maybe you even feel like giving 278 00:16:56.399 --> 00:17:03.320 up on your life. Don't. God brought you here today 279 00:17:04.200 --> 00:17:06.119 so he could say this to you. You're ready for it. 280 00:17:06.160 --> 00:17:09.160 Here's what he wants to say to you. Don't give up. 281 00:17:11.680 --> 00:17:19.279 Look up, don't give up. Look up. The answer is 282 00:17:19.319 --> 00:17:24.079 not to quit. The answer is to get connected, find 283 00:17:24.200 --> 00:17:28.160 God's purpose, and get God's power in your life, and 284 00:17:28.200 --> 00:17:31.720 you'll have a new resurrection in your life now. Paul 285 00:17:31.799 --> 00:17:34.079 says it like this. He tells his own story of 286 00:17:34.119 --> 00:17:36.200 when he was ready to kick the bucket. This is 287 00:17:36.200 --> 00:17:38.799 probably the greatest Christian who ever lived, next to Jesus Christ. 288 00:17:40.400 --> 00:17:42.839 And Paul says, there were times when I was so depressed. 289 00:17:43.640 --> 00:17:47.000 I was readister, throw in the towel. And he says 290 00:17:47.039 --> 00:17:52.200 this in Second Corinthians, we were really crushed, and he says, 291 00:17:52.240 --> 00:17:56.480 we were overwhelmed and we feared we would never live 292 00:17:56.519 --> 00:18:03.119 through it. Ever felt like that he crushed, overwhelmed, filled 293 00:18:03.160 --> 00:18:07.440 with fear. He says, we didn't think we'd live through it. 294 00:18:07.559 --> 00:18:12.599 We saw how powerless we were to help ourselves, and 295 00:18:12.640 --> 00:18:15.119 you just go Okay, this is not working. I do 296 00:18:15.240 --> 00:18:17.599 not have the power to get done what I need 297 00:18:17.640 --> 00:18:20.039 to get done in my life. I just don't have it. 298 00:18:20.119 --> 00:18:23.680 I got an energy shortage, I got energy crisis. I 299 00:18:23.720 --> 00:18:26.400 don't have the power to do what I need to do. 300 00:18:27.440 --> 00:18:30.400 And then Paul says, we realized that we were powerless 301 00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:35.960 to help ourselves. But that was good. Huh, How in 302 00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:40.799 the world could you feel in crushed, overwhelmed, fearful, and 303 00:18:40.880 --> 00:18:43.519 powerless to help yourself. How in the world is that good? 304 00:18:43.799 --> 00:18:48.200 He says, Because then we put everything into the hands 305 00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:52.200 of God, who alone could save us. For he can 306 00:18:52.319 --> 00:18:56.759 even raise the dead. That's what we're talking about at Easter. 307 00:18:57.519 --> 00:19:00.839 He can even raise the dead, said, and God did 308 00:19:00.880 --> 00:19:03.279 help us, and he saved us, and we expect him 309 00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:06.839 to do it again and again and again. If God 310 00:19:06.880 --> 00:19:09.519 can raise the dead, Jesus, he can raise a dead marriage. 311 00:19:09.559 --> 00:19:11.759 If God can raise the dead Jesus, he can raise 312 00:19:11.759 --> 00:19:14.119 a dead friendship. He can raise a dead career, he 313 00:19:14.160 --> 00:19:17.039 can raise a dead dream. He can raise a part 314 00:19:17.079 --> 00:19:20.599 of your life that's just dying on the vine. That's 315 00:19:20.640 --> 00:19:23.400 the kind of God we serve. That is a benefit 316 00:19:23.440 --> 00:19:26.640 that was paid for you by Jesus Christ. But you 317 00:19:26.680 --> 00:19:29.839 can go all through life totally unplugged. If you are 318 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:33.839 unplugged from God's power, you will never know God's purpose. 319 00:19:35.599 --> 00:19:40.480 A toaster that is never plugged in is worthless. It 320 00:19:40.519 --> 00:19:43.519 has no intrinsic value unless it's plugged into the power. 321 00:19:43.839 --> 00:19:47.640 It cannot fulfill its purpose unless it's plugged in the power. 322 00:19:47.680 --> 00:19:50.839 A vacuum cleaner cannot fulfill its purpose as a vacuum 323 00:19:50.839 --> 00:19:54.000 cleaner unless it's plugged into the power. A microwave cannot 324 00:19:54.039 --> 00:19:56.920 fulfill its purpose as a microwave unless it's plugged into 325 00:19:56.920 --> 00:20:00.359 the power. You cannot fulfill your purpose in life unless 326 00:20:00.359 --> 00:20:04.400 you're plugged into the power, the power of the Resurrection. 327 00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:08.759 And he says, you know, we got the point. We 328 00:20:08.799 --> 00:20:11.720 were ready to just cash it all in and we 329 00:20:11.720 --> 00:20:14.319 were powerless. But that was good because then we put 330 00:20:14.319 --> 00:20:15.720 it all in the hands of God. And God goes, well, 331 00:20:15.759 --> 00:20:18.799 thank God, you finally did it. I've been waiting for 332 00:20:18.839 --> 00:20:21.759 you to get to the end of your rope so 333 00:20:21.799 --> 00:20:24.680 I could take over. How about you let me have 334 00:20:24.720 --> 00:20:30.440 a try and empowering and guiding your life now, Just 335 00:20:30.519 --> 00:20:36.680 be honest, are you sick and tired of being sick? 336 00:20:36.720 --> 00:20:41.759 And tired. Here's what the Bible says Isaiah forty. God 337 00:20:41.799 --> 00:20:46.079 gives power to those who are tired and worn out, 338 00:20:46.920 --> 00:20:49.920 and he offers strength to the weak. He said, Wait 339 00:20:49.920 --> 00:20:52.480 a minute, I'm tired, I'm worn out, I'm weak. I 340 00:20:52.480 --> 00:20:54.920 don't feel any power. Well, let me explain how you 341 00:20:55.079 --> 00:20:58.880 get that power. You get it through faith. You get 342 00:20:58.880 --> 00:21:02.160 it through trust. You get it through believing in the 343 00:21:02.200 --> 00:21:04.240 Son of God, who died on the cross for you 344 00:21:04.440 --> 00:21:08.720 and rose again to give you that power. You can 345 00:21:08.759 --> 00:21:10.799 complain to God all you want. God is not moved 346 00:21:10.839 --> 00:21:14.599 by your complaints. You can whine all you want. God 347 00:21:14.680 --> 00:21:18.759 is not moved by your whining. You can gripe all 348 00:21:18.799 --> 00:21:21.119 you want. God is not moved by griping. But the 349 00:21:21.200 --> 00:21:25.799 moment you put trust in him, Bam, God moves according 350 00:21:25.839 --> 00:21:27.839 to your faith. It will be done unto you. God 351 00:21:28.160 --> 00:21:32.359 honors faith, not griping, not whining, not all these other things. 352 00:21:33.519 --> 00:21:35.519 He says, I'll give you that power. He said, But Rick, 353 00:21:35.839 --> 00:21:40.480 you just don't know what I'm facing right now. Yeah, 354 00:21:40.559 --> 00:21:45.880 you're right, you're right. I don't. I don't know what 355 00:21:45.920 --> 00:21:50.480 you're facing, but I do know Luke eighteen twenty seven, 356 00:21:50.519 --> 00:21:54.119 which says this what is impossible with men is possible 357 00:21:54.279 --> 00:21:59.839 with God. What looks like a dead end, what looks 358 00:21:59.880 --> 00:22:05.640 like a death is prime time for a resurrection and 359 00:22:05.680 --> 00:22:09.440 a miracle. What looks like you're never going to overcome, 360 00:22:09.759 --> 00:22:12.079 God can overcome like that. And God can do more 361 00:22:12.119 --> 00:22:14.200 in five seconds in your life than you can do 362 00:22:14.279 --> 00:22:18.599 in five years, but you've got to trust him. A 363 00:22:18.720 --> 00:22:21.039 number of years ago, I was in China. You know, 364 00:22:21.079 --> 00:22:23.359 we've been doing the Peace plan in China for years 365 00:22:23.359 --> 00:22:27.200 and years now, and one time I was in Beijing. Actually, 366 00:22:27.200 --> 00:22:30.480 they were doing a state dinner in my honor in 367 00:22:30.799 --> 00:22:34.359 People's Hall in Tieneman Square, and the government officials were there, 368 00:22:34.400 --> 00:22:37.000 and I was very honored to be honored by the 369 00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:41.839 government in China. And while I was there, the professors 370 00:22:41.880 --> 00:22:44.559 over at Peking University heard that I was there, and 371 00:22:44.599 --> 00:22:47.279 they said, let's invite Rick Warren and his team over 372 00:22:47.319 --> 00:22:52.000 to talk with us. Peiking University is the only university 373 00:22:52.119 --> 00:22:55.920 in Beijing's still called Peiking. It's the Harvard of China. 374 00:22:56.039 --> 00:22:59.960 Fifty thousand students. Every communist leader in China is trained 375 00:23:00.200 --> 00:23:03.359 at the Harvard at China Peking University. So we went 376 00:23:03.400 --> 00:23:06.640 and we had a wonderful time with these professors, had 377 00:23:06.640 --> 00:23:09.680 a good discussion with him, was very friendly. One of 378 00:23:09.720 --> 00:23:11.079 the men that I met there was with a man 379 00:23:11.160 --> 00:23:14.920 named Professor Joe. Professor Joe was an older man. He'd 380 00:23:14.960 --> 00:23:18.960 been a professor there for fifty years and now was 381 00:23:19.000 --> 00:23:24.960 the provost of Peking University, highest level. When we finished 382 00:23:24.960 --> 00:23:27.440 our little discussion, I said, hey, let's just go out 383 00:23:27.720 --> 00:23:32.680 to dinner. You find the best Chinese food. I mean, 384 00:23:32.680 --> 00:23:36.039 what expect tacos. You know it's Beijing. You find the 385 00:23:36.039 --> 00:23:39.200 best Chinese food and I'm paying, So you pick your 386 00:23:39.200 --> 00:23:42.119 favorite place. So we go and we sit down. We're 387 00:23:42.119 --> 00:23:44.839 having this wonderful dinner with some of these Chinese officials, 388 00:23:46.200 --> 00:23:49.200 and all of a sudden, Professor Joe opens up and 389 00:23:49.240 --> 00:23:53.839 he says, I'm dying. I have a brain tumor and 390 00:23:53.880 --> 00:23:59.240 it's inoperable and I'm terminal. And he was scared to death. 391 00:23:59.480 --> 00:24:02.839 This is a man facing an impossible problem. He's at 392 00:24:02.839 --> 00:24:04.759 the end of his rope. We don't know what to do. 393 00:24:06.160 --> 00:24:09.319 We see no way out of this. He had no 394 00:24:09.400 --> 00:24:12.720 hope in Jesus Christ. He had no hope in God's grace. 395 00:24:13.240 --> 00:24:15.880 He had no hope even in an after life. He 396 00:24:16.039 --> 00:24:18.000 was the way it looked to him is I've got 397 00:24:18.039 --> 00:24:23.160 an incurable problem. There's no power to help me, and 398 00:24:23.160 --> 00:24:28.759 when I die, that's it. It's over. He was hopeless, 399 00:24:29.680 --> 00:24:31.799 and as he began to share that with me, I 400 00:24:31.799 --> 00:24:35.119 looked at him and said, you know, Professor Joe, my 401 00:24:35.200 --> 00:24:37.599