WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.120 --> 00:00:02.759 Hi, this is Rick Warren, Bible teacher of the Daily 2 00:00:02.799 --> 00:00:05.719 Hope Broadcast. Did you know that because of Easter, your 3 00:00:05.759 --> 00:00:08.320 past can be forgiven, you get a purpose for living, 4 00:00:08.599 --> 00:00:11.160 and you can have a home in heaven. That's good news. 5 00:00:11.160 --> 00:00:14.039 Where else can you get that kind of news? Nowhere else? 6 00:00:14.320 --> 00:00:17.079 And did you know that at Easter, studies have shown 7 00:00:17.199 --> 00:00:19.679 people are more open to an invitation to go to 8 00:00:19.800 --> 00:00:22.719 church than at any other time of the year. Don't 9 00:00:22.760 --> 00:00:25.760 go to church by yourself, but bring somebody who doesn't 10 00:00:25.800 --> 00:00:29.600 know Jesus Christ, a family member, a friend, a coworker, 11 00:00:29.679 --> 00:00:32.600 a neighbor, a relative. And if you bring them to 12 00:00:32.640 --> 00:00:35.079 that church service and they come to know Christ, You're 13 00:00:35.119 --> 00:00:37.560 going to be making a friend for eternity. It'll be 14 00:00:37.640 --> 00:00:41.399 the most important investment you can ever make in their lives. 15 00:00:41.560 --> 00:00:43.520 And by the way, if they come to Christ, would 16 00:00:43.520 --> 00:00:45.200 you let me know about it. I'd love to hear 17 00:00:45.240 --> 00:00:47.840 that story that you brought somebody to Easter and they 18 00:00:47.880 --> 00:00:51.600 found Jesus. You can write to me Rick at Pastorrick 19 00:00:51.679 --> 00:00:55.920 dot com. That's rickat Pastorrick dot com. I would love 20 00:00:56.000 --> 00:00:58.479 to hear from you. God bless you and Happy Easter. 21 00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:05.480 Hello and thanks for joining us. Today on Pastor Rick's 22 00:01:05.560 --> 00:01:06.280 Daily Hope. 23 00:01:06.319 --> 00:01:09.400 This is the Bible teaching ministry of Rick Warren, and 24 00:01:09.480 --> 00:01:12.519 today we are continuing in a series called the. 25 00:01:12.560 --> 00:01:13.640 Miracle of Mercy. 26 00:01:14.040 --> 00:01:17.200 Rick will show us how God's mercy can lift your guilt, 27 00:01:17.480 --> 00:01:21.239 heal your wounds, and transform the way you live. And 28 00:01:21.319 --> 00:01:24.519 here's the final part of a message called Easter Means 29 00:01:24.680 --> 00:01:27.239 It's a new day of mercy. 30 00:01:27.560 --> 00:01:31.959 We know that on earth, not everybody gets healed, not 31 00:01:32.120 --> 00:01:37.159 every prayer gets answered. That's on my list of questions 32 00:01:37.159 --> 00:01:39.239 to ask Jesus when I get to heaven. I don't 33 00:01:39.239 --> 00:01:41.640 know that. Sometimes what I've prayed for people, they got better. 34 00:01:42.719 --> 00:01:44.640 And I've prayed for some people and they died. 35 00:01:45.480 --> 00:01:45.920 I don't know. 36 00:01:46.040 --> 00:01:48.200 I don't know why. All I do know is this. 37 00:01:48.200 --> 00:01:52.879 This is Earth, not Heaven. In heaven, everything is perfect 38 00:01:53.040 --> 00:01:57.840 on earth. Nothing is perfect in heaven. There's no sadness, sorrow, sickness, 39 00:01:57.879 --> 00:01:59.040 sin suffering. 40 00:02:00.120 --> 00:02:00.560 On earth. 41 00:02:00.680 --> 00:02:04.359 We got all of that. And that's why we're to 42 00:02:04.359 --> 00:02:06.519 pray that I will be done on earth as it 43 00:02:06.560 --> 00:02:10.080 is in heaven. Because in Heaven God's will is always done, 44 00:02:10.439 --> 00:02:15.159 and on earth it's almost never done. Somebody goes if 45 00:02:15.159 --> 00:02:16.639 I go out here and I got drunk and I 46 00:02:16.680 --> 00:02:18.080 had an accident and killed somebody. 47 00:02:18.199 --> 00:02:19.479 And people say that must. 48 00:02:19.240 --> 00:02:21.960 Be God's will. That's not God's will, that's my will. 49 00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:26.680 I made a stupid choice. I mean, people all the 50 00:02:26.719 --> 00:02:28.759 times say, how why doesn't God just get rid of 51 00:02:28.800 --> 00:02:33.840 all the evil in the world? Fine, kill us, who 52 00:02:33.840 --> 00:02:38.199 do you think does evil? It'd be very easy for 53 00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:39.800 God to get rid of all the evil in the world, 54 00:02:39.879 --> 00:02:42.240 take away our freedom of choice. Because the fact is 55 00:02:42.520 --> 00:02:45.439 a lot of times I'm selfish a lot of times, 56 00:02:45.520 --> 00:02:48.280 I'm mean a lot of times, I'm only thinking to me. 57 00:02:48.639 --> 00:02:50.560 A lot of times I couldn't care less about you, 58 00:02:50.599 --> 00:02:52.520 and you do the same thing too, and we hurt 59 00:02:52.520 --> 00:02:55.960 each other intentionally and unintentionally. And God can easily get 60 00:02:56.039 --> 00:02:57.879 rid of all the evil in the world by taking 61 00:02:57.919 --> 00:03:00.599 away our freedom to choice and making us all puppets. 62 00:03:01.800 --> 00:03:03.719 But he wants us to choose to love him, a 63 00:03:03.800 --> 00:03:10.000 voluntary choice, not be a puppet. And so I know 64 00:03:10.080 --> 00:03:12.639 that we live with imperfection. I know that many godly 65 00:03:12.759 --> 00:03:17.680 people live with chronic pain, live with chronic pain. But 66 00:03:17.800 --> 00:03:20.520 I do know this, and I want you to write 67 00:03:20.520 --> 00:03:23.960 this down. And I've seen it in hundreds of thousands 68 00:03:23.960 --> 00:03:26.439 of cases. I do know this that when I ask 69 00:03:26.560 --> 00:03:32.759 for God's help, God's mercy makes the impossible possible. He 70 00:03:32.800 --> 00:03:36.039 can do things that I cannot do. He has power 71 00:03:36.280 --> 00:03:39.280 I don't have. He has resources I have never even 72 00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:45.479 thought of, and he makes the impossible seem possible. He 73 00:03:45.520 --> 00:03:49.000 makes it possible. What's the impossible problem. 74 00:03:48.639 --> 00:03:51.199 In your life? You know, man, that one's never going 75 00:03:51.280 --> 00:03:51.680 to happen. 76 00:03:52.520 --> 00:03:55.159 I've been waiting by the pool for thirty eight years 77 00:03:55.199 --> 00:04:01.159 and still don't have a husband double meaning in pool 78 00:04:01.240 --> 00:04:06.840 right there. Well, hey, you know hadn't happened by now, 79 00:04:06.919 --> 00:04:11.120 it ain't gonna happen. Anytime you use the word impossible, 80 00:04:11.199 --> 00:04:15.520 listen for laughter from heaven, because it's not in God's book. 81 00:04:15.879 --> 00:04:19.720 The Bible says this, Luke eighteen, what is impossible with men? 82 00:04:19.839 --> 00:04:23.000 This is Jesus talking. What is impossible with men is 83 00:04:23.120 --> 00:04:27.639 possible with God. Now that problem you think is impossible 84 00:04:27.680 --> 00:04:31.319 in your life, sometimes God doesn't remove it, but he 85 00:04:31.439 --> 00:04:37.079 gives you supernatural power to handle it. Some problems in 86 00:04:37.120 --> 00:04:38.439 life you're going to have the rest of your life. 87 00:04:38.480 --> 00:04:41.240 They're just not gonna go away, and you're just gonna 88 00:04:41.240 --> 00:04:43.240 have to learn to manage them. But God will give 89 00:04:43.279 --> 00:04:47.360 you the power to make the impossible possible and you'll 90 00:04:47.360 --> 00:04:50.040 be able to handle it. Well, why didn't God just 91 00:04:50.120 --> 00:04:52.639 take away all of our problems? Because God's more interested 92 00:04:52.639 --> 00:04:55.920 in your character than he is in your comfort. The 93 00:04:55.959 --> 00:04:59.079 comfort comes in heaven. But right now you're in school 94 00:04:59.600 --> 00:05:02.000 and wants you to grow up. And some things you 95 00:05:02.079 --> 00:05:07.600 only learn through tough times, like persistence, determination, diligence, patience, 96 00:05:08.319 --> 00:05:10.240 things like that if you always got your way, you'd 97 00:05:10.240 --> 00:05:14.639 never learned patience. God wants to grow character in your life. 98 00:05:15.319 --> 00:05:19.240 But what's impossible with men is possible with God. Now, 99 00:05:19.279 --> 00:05:22.920 I want to be clear. As a pastor, I love you, 100 00:05:23.000 --> 00:05:25.120 I care about you. My job as a pastor's like 101 00:05:25.160 --> 00:05:27.839 to be your spiritual coach, help you make smart decisions, 102 00:05:28.360 --> 00:05:30.519 help you think through the decisions of your life. 103 00:05:31.040 --> 00:05:32.040 And I want to be clear with you. 104 00:05:32.560 --> 00:05:35.040 Some of you you haven't yet stepped across the line 105 00:05:35.160 --> 00:05:37.199 and opened your life, committed your life to Christ. 106 00:05:37.519 --> 00:05:38.319 You're thinking about it. 107 00:05:38.360 --> 00:05:40.959 That's okay, you know, take the time to make the 108 00:05:41.000 --> 00:05:41.800 smart decision. 109 00:05:43.480 --> 00:05:46.560 But I will tell you this. If you open your. 110 00:05:46.439 --> 00:05:49.040 Life to Jesus Christ, you give your life to God. 111 00:05:49.120 --> 00:05:51.040 So God, I want to go with your plan from 112 00:05:51.040 --> 00:05:54.680 now on instead of my plan, you're not going to 113 00:05:54.720 --> 00:05:58.199 have a problem free life. And anybody who tells you 114 00:05:58.240 --> 00:06:02.680 that is lying to you. A follower of Jesus has 115 00:06:02.720 --> 00:06:07.600 the exact same problems as a non believer, the exact 116 00:06:07.600 --> 00:06:08.199 same problem. 117 00:06:08.279 --> 00:06:09.120 The difference is. 118 00:06:09.279 --> 00:06:12.160 We have a power that comes from God to handle 119 00:06:12.199 --> 00:06:14.160 it in ways that we can never handle on our own. 120 00:06:14.639 --> 00:06:17.439 And you don't get that power until you accept. 121 00:06:17.079 --> 00:06:20.600 The mercy of God in your life. So I have 122 00:06:20.639 --> 00:06:21.240 the same problem. 123 00:06:21.319 --> 00:06:24.439 I just have a power and an energy that allows 124 00:06:24.480 --> 00:06:29.920 me to handle stuff in far greater ways, and that's 125 00:06:29.959 --> 00:06:31.680 what He wants to do in your life. 126 00:06:32.160 --> 00:06:34.720 But God does promise you this. Look at this next verse. 127 00:06:35.240 --> 00:06:38.040 It's from the book of Second Peter, and here's a 128 00:06:38.079 --> 00:06:39.319 promise from God to you. 129 00:06:40.759 --> 00:06:42.839 As you get to know Jesus. 130 00:06:42.399 --> 00:06:48.480 Better, he will give you, through his great power, everything 131 00:06:48.879 --> 00:06:54.120 you need for living a truly good life. Now circle 132 00:06:54.240 --> 00:06:57.920 everything you need. Notice it says if you trust Jesus 133 00:06:58.000 --> 00:07:00.879 Christ with your life, he will give you everything you 134 00:07:01.120 --> 00:07:04.279 need for a good life. It doesn't say everything you greed, 135 00:07:06.279 --> 00:07:08.000 It doesn't say everything you want. 136 00:07:08.920 --> 00:07:10.680 I mean, you might want to go play it, Bentley. 137 00:07:10.680 --> 00:07:12.920 God's not gonna give that to you, you're gonna have 138 00:07:12.920 --> 00:07:15.879 to buy that one on your own. But he says, 139 00:07:15.920 --> 00:07:18.480 I will give you everything you need for living a 140 00:07:18.519 --> 00:07:19.240 truly good life. 141 00:07:19.279 --> 00:07:20.560 And that is a promise of God. 142 00:07:21.000 --> 00:07:23.199 And when I don't have what I need, when I 143 00:07:23.600 --> 00:07:25.480 give myself for the mercy of God, he makes the 144 00:07:25.519 --> 00:07:29.040 impossible possible. Now, let's look at a third way real quick. 145 00:07:30.040 --> 00:07:31.759 And this is a problem that all of us have, 146 00:07:32.839 --> 00:07:37.399 and it is the problem of fear. Everybody has secret fears. 147 00:07:37.480 --> 00:07:39.560 You have secret fears, and you know anybody else to 148 00:07:39.560 --> 00:07:43.959 know about them. Now, my fears are perfectly reasonable, logical 149 00:07:44.040 --> 00:07:44.600 and rational. 150 00:07:44.800 --> 00:07:49.120 Your fears are dumb. That's always what we feel. 151 00:07:49.319 --> 00:07:51.560 And we always try to talk our spouse out of 152 00:07:51.600 --> 00:07:55.839 their fears because we don't have them. But our fears 153 00:07:55.879 --> 00:07:58.279 are perfectly normal, make a lot of sense. And you 154 00:07:58.319 --> 00:08:01.360 ought to be fearful about this too. Now, there is 155 00:08:01.399 --> 00:08:04.399 one fear that is universal among everybody, men and women, 156 00:08:04.399 --> 00:08:07.560 in all ages, and it is the fear of death. 157 00:08:08.199 --> 00:08:11.040 And so write this third thing down. I need God's 158 00:08:11.079 --> 00:08:15.839 mercy when facing death. Now, only a fool would go 159 00:08:15.879 --> 00:08:18.519 all the way through life unprepared for what you. 160 00:08:18.560 --> 00:08:22.399 Know is inevitable. Death is universal. 161 00:08:22.920 --> 00:08:25.199 Last time I checked, the mortality rate in the world 162 00:08:25.360 --> 00:08:29.120 is still one hundred percent. We're all going to die 163 00:08:29.240 --> 00:08:33.000 at some point. Death is inevitable, death is unpredictable. You 164 00:08:33.039 --> 00:08:37.120 don't know what's going to happen, and without faith, it's fearful. 165 00:08:37.799 --> 00:08:39.480 I'm not afraid to die, and I haven't been afraid 166 00:08:39.480 --> 00:08:41.080 of dying for decades. 167 00:08:41.919 --> 00:08:42.840 But if you. 168 00:08:42.799 --> 00:08:45.559 Don't know God, and you don't have made peace with God, 169 00:08:45.600 --> 00:08:47.159 and you don't have the mercy of God your own, 170 00:08:47.240 --> 00:08:50.279 you're going to be fearful about death. You probably don't 171 00:08:50.320 --> 00:08:53.200 even like to talk about it. In Luke, chapter twenty three, 172 00:08:53.279 --> 00:08:55.840 we have the story of a dying man, and it's 173 00:08:55.879 --> 00:08:59.440 actually the story of a thief dying on the cross. 174 00:08:59.480 --> 00:09:03.000 Besides you, Jesus, you remember that when Jesus was nailed 175 00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:06.120 to across, they nailed them between two criminals. 176 00:09:06.399 --> 00:09:07.720 We don't know anything about. 177 00:09:07.480 --> 00:09:10.320 Their lives, except that they were evident that lifelong criminals 178 00:09:10.440 --> 00:09:13.000 had committed the capital offence and were given the death penalty. 179 00:09:13.440 --> 00:09:16.480 So Jesus is dying between two criminals. One of these 180 00:09:16.480 --> 00:09:19.559 criminals turns to Jesus and ridicules him and puts him 181 00:09:19.600 --> 00:09:22.200 down and blasphems him and the other guy turns to 182 00:09:22.279 --> 00:09:23.679 Jesus and asked for mercy. 183 00:09:24.279 --> 00:09:25.039 Here's the story. 184 00:09:27.480 --> 00:09:30.639 One of the criminals being executed on the cross besides Jesus, 185 00:09:31.720 --> 00:09:35.879 ridiculed him, saying, if you're supposed to be the Messiah, 186 00:09:36.080 --> 00:09:38.039 you know, the savior of the world, why don't you 187 00:09:38.080 --> 00:09:41.639 save yourself and by the way, us two. Now, by 188 00:09:41.679 --> 00:09:44.440 the way, Jesus is not going to save himself because 189 00:09:44.440 --> 00:09:46.480 he didn't come to Earth to save himself. He came 190 00:09:46.480 --> 00:09:50.399 to save us, and so he's not going to save himself. 191 00:09:50.480 --> 00:09:52.360 He's going to hang there and pay and died for 192 00:09:52.480 --> 00:09:54.720 my sins and for your sins. He didn't come to 193 00:09:54.720 --> 00:09:58.360 save himself. Certainly, Jesus could have taken himself off the cross. 194 00:09:58.399 --> 00:10:01.240 He created the universe, he could have done that. But 195 00:10:01.279 --> 00:10:03.519 he's it was not nails that held him to cross. 196 00:10:03.559 --> 00:10:08.279 It was love, love for you. And he said, if 197 00:10:08.279 --> 00:10:11.080 you're supposing the Messiah, save yourself and us too. But 198 00:10:11.200 --> 00:10:13.480 the second criminal, this is a guy on the other side, 199 00:10:13.759 --> 00:10:16.639 rebuked the first guy and said, man, don't you even 200 00:10:16.679 --> 00:10:20.759 fear God when you're dying. We deserve to die for 201 00:10:20.840 --> 00:10:24.639 our evil deeds. But this man hadn't done anything wrong. Now, 202 00:10:24.720 --> 00:10:27.879 he says buddy, don't you realize the series of your situation. 203 00:10:28.200 --> 00:10:30.440 You are about to go face to face with God 204 00:10:30.480 --> 00:10:34.039 in a matter of seconds. You're in your dying minutes, 205 00:10:34.240 --> 00:10:40.519 and you're gonna Blasphema. You're gonna put down Jesus Christ. Buddy, 206 00:10:41.559 --> 00:10:44.080 do you not realize what's about to happen? The reason 207 00:10:44.159 --> 00:10:48.279 why a lot of people disc God, make fun of God, 208 00:10:49.000 --> 00:10:52.639 reject God, or just live their life ignoring God is 209 00:10:52.679 --> 00:10:55.559 because in their heart of hearts, they think death is 210 00:10:55.600 --> 00:10:58.799 the end. That's it, it's over it, there's nothing to it, 211 00:11:00.279 --> 00:11:04.519 and that's it. But they're wrong. There is life after death. 212 00:11:05.399 --> 00:11:07.519 You say, how do you know that? Because Jesus proved it? 213 00:11:08.279 --> 00:11:10.720 He said, Rick, how do you know? Why do you 214 00:11:10.759 --> 00:11:13.120 believe in life after that? Because I'm betting my life 215 00:11:13.159 --> 00:11:15.480 that Jesus Christ wasn't a liar? What are you betting 216 00:11:15.519 --> 00:11:20.039 your life on? Well, I just think it just ends. 217 00:11:20.159 --> 00:11:23.200 Oh you're just betting your life on a supposition. That's 218 00:11:23.240 --> 00:11:27.679 a pretty big gamble, buddy, to be wrong for all 219 00:11:27.720 --> 00:11:31.279 of eternity, to think it just ends at death and 220 00:11:31.279 --> 00:11:37.080 then realize, uh, it was, it didn't end. Oh, can 221 00:11:37.120 --> 00:11:40.799 I have a mulligan? Can we do a do over 222 00:11:40.840 --> 00:11:44.600 here a little late now, Bud. Sorry, one day you're 223 00:11:44.639 --> 00:11:47.000 going to stand face to face before God and you're 224 00:11:47.000 --> 00:11:48.759 going to give an account of your life. You can 225 00:11:48.840 --> 00:11:50.639 run from God the rest of your life, but you 226 00:11:50.639 --> 00:11:55.120 can't run from him anymore. You can ignore him all 227 00:11:55.120 --> 00:11:57.519 your life, but one day you're going to see him 228 00:11:57.960 --> 00:11:58.679 face to face. 229 00:11:59.159 --> 00:12:00.519 Death is the start of eternity. 230 00:12:00.559 --> 00:12:02.320 You're not gonna spend more time on that side of 231 00:12:02.360 --> 00:12:04.480 death than you do on this line. You get sixty years, 232 00:12:04.559 --> 00:12:06.240 eighty years, maybe at the most one hundred years. 233 00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:07.000 That's not very much. 234 00:12:07.559 --> 00:12:10.000 On this side of eternity, you're gonna spend trillions and 235 00:12:10.039 --> 00:12:13.600 trillions and trillions of years in eternity. Now, this guy 236 00:12:13.639 --> 00:12:17.279 says we deserve to die for what we've done. There's 237 00:12:17.279 --> 00:12:21.440 a word for that. It's called confession. You know, he's 238 00:12:21.480 --> 00:12:24.200 not saying, hey, you got the wrong guy here, you're killed. 239 00:12:24.279 --> 00:12:27.159 You know you're killing the wrong guy. I'm innocent. He's 240 00:12:27.200 --> 00:12:30.840 saying he's saying we deserve to die. But he says, 241 00:12:30.879 --> 00:12:34.720 this man between us, this Jesus Christ, he has never 242 00:12:34.919 --> 00:12:38.879 done anything wrong. Now, I looked up that word anything. 243 00:12:38.960 --> 00:12:44.000 It means we dace in Greek, not nothing zero's zip, 244 00:12:44.159 --> 00:12:48.519 no way, never, ever, nothing. Have you ever met anybody 245 00:12:48.600 --> 00:12:52.240 in your life that you could say that about She's 246 00:12:52.279 --> 00:12:56.960 never done anything wrong in her life. No, you can't 247 00:12:56.960 --> 00:12:58.679 say that, But your mom or dad, or your brother's 248 00:12:58.720 --> 00:13:01.080 sister you can't say about yourself. Why Because there's only 249 00:13:01.120 --> 00:13:02.639 one perfect person in the universe. 250 00:13:03.360 --> 00:13:03.879 It's God. 251 00:13:04.519 --> 00:13:06.639 He's the only perfect one, Which is why you need 252 00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:08.919 Jesus Christ to get to heaven, because you need a 253 00:13:08.960 --> 00:13:12.720 perfect savior to get into a perfect place. Heaven is perfect, 254 00:13:12.759 --> 00:13:16.159 and I'm not. There's no way I can get to 255 00:13:16.200 --> 00:13:19.200 Heaven on my own effort. I'm never going to be perfect. 256 00:13:19.519 --> 00:13:22.120 And if God let him perfect people into a perfect heaven, 257 00:13:22.759 --> 00:13:25.320 it wouldn't be perfect anymore. So somehow I got to 258 00:13:25.360 --> 00:13:28.399 get in on somebody's perfect ticket. That's why Jesus came 259 00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:32.320 to earth to be the savior. And so this guy turns, 260 00:13:32.399 --> 00:13:35.720 this criminal turns to Jesus. He's dying on the cross 261 00:13:35.759 --> 00:13:38.960 in his last few seconds, and in verse forty two, 262 00:13:39.039 --> 00:13:45.120 then he said to Jesus, Jesus, remember me when you 263 00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:50.639 come into your kingdom. That's all he says. And Jesus replied, 264 00:13:51.519 --> 00:13:55.720 I guarantee you that today you will be with me 265 00:13:56.559 --> 00:14:04.360 in paradise. Hello, friend, that's last minute mercy. That's getting 266 00:14:04.399 --> 00:14:06.600 in by the skin of your teeth, in the last 267 00:14:06.679 --> 00:14:11.679 few seconds of your life. He simply says, Jesus, remember me. 268 00:14:11.919 --> 00:14:14.720 Two words mimnisako and Greek. 269 00:14:15.159 --> 00:14:15.840 Remember me. 270 00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:18.879 Now, what's implied in these words? I can't save myself. 271 00:14:19.200 --> 00:14:21.480 I've made a mess of my life. I've wasted a 272 00:14:21.480 --> 00:14:24.279 lot of time. It's getting pretty late. I'm not going 273 00:14:24.360 --> 00:14:27.320 to blame anybody else. I can't say I'm better than 274 00:14:27.360 --> 00:14:30.600 so and so because I'm not perfect. A lot of 275 00:14:30.600 --> 00:14:33.600 things I've messed up in He's hanging there on the 276 00:14:33.639 --> 00:14:37.480 cross with no hope, and he throws himself on the 277 00:14:37.519 --> 00:14:38.639 mercy of God and he. 278 00:14:38.759 --> 00:14:45.440 Says, Lord, remember me, remember me. That's it. That's all 279 00:14:45.480 --> 00:14:46.240 he's going to say. 280 00:14:47.000 --> 00:14:50.200 That's the shortest salvation prayer in history. 281 00:14:51.159 --> 00:14:53.679 Two words remember me. Now. 282 00:14:53.759 --> 00:14:55.759 Now, let me tell you something, you guys, there are 283 00:14:55.799 --> 00:14:57.759 some churches you can go to and they're going to 284 00:14:57.799 --> 00:15:00.000 tell you that you have to have a certain script 285 00:15:00.320 --> 00:15:03.960 and say certain words and recite certain things in order 286 00:15:04.039 --> 00:15:05.120 to get into heaven. 287 00:15:05.399 --> 00:15:06.240 And they've got their. 288 00:15:06.120 --> 00:15:08.559 Theological terms, and you've got to pray a certain prayer 289 00:15:08.559 --> 00:15:12.240 a certain way. This guy just goes, Lord, remember me, 290 00:15:12.480 --> 00:15:13.200 and Jesus goes. 291 00:15:13.240 --> 00:15:14.759 That's good enough. See in heaven. 292 00:15:17.120 --> 00:15:22.639 That's called mercy because it's not about what you say. 293 00:15:22.840 --> 00:15:24.639 It's about humility. 294 00:15:25.039 --> 00:15:27.519 There's only one thing that will keep you out of 295 00:15:27.559 --> 00:15:33.840 heaven your pride. Your pride, Your pride will keep you 296 00:15:33.879 --> 00:15:37.679 out of heaven. Your will unwillingness to accept the mercy 297 00:15:37.679 --> 00:15:39.559 of God, because that's the only way you're going. 298 00:15:39.559 --> 00:15:40.120 To get there. 299 00:15:40.799 --> 00:15:43.159 You're never going to get there by being good enough. 300 00:15:43.399 --> 00:15:45.879 It's only by the mercy of If you could get 301 00:15:45.919 --> 00:15:49.039 to heaven without Jesus dying for you, God wasted a 302 00:15:49.039 --> 00:15:49.759 lot of energy. 303 00:15:52.080 --> 00:15:53.000 There was no other way. 304 00:15:54.159 --> 00:15:57.960 There was no other way, and so he believes he's God. 305 00:15:58.000 --> 00:15:59.919 He says, remember me, when you come to your kingdom. 306 00:16:00.039 --> 00:16:00.720 He said this. 307 00:16:00.759 --> 00:16:03.480 This guy's he's not a poser. This guy is not 308 00:16:03.519 --> 00:16:07.159 a fake. This guy is not an impostor. He's the 309 00:16:07.200 --> 00:16:07.639 real deal. 310 00:16:07.720 --> 00:16:08.320 This is God. 311 00:16:08.360 --> 00:16:10.840 This is the Son of God dying here between us. 312 00:16:12.399 --> 00:16:15.120 That's interesting to me. Everybody in Jerusalem by this time 313 00:16:15.320 --> 00:16:16.799 knows Jesus can do miracles. 314 00:16:16.799 --> 00:16:19.159 He's been doing them for years, raising. 315 00:16:18.799 --> 00:16:21.960 People from dead, healing the sick, blind, and here's the 316 00:16:21.960 --> 00:16:24.440 guy on the cross. He doesn't ask Jesus to take 317 00:16:24.440 --> 00:16:27.720 away his pain, which he could have. He doesn't ask 318 00:16:27.799 --> 00:16:29.759 Jesus to keep him from dying, which you could have. 319 00:16:30.360 --> 00:16:33.279 He just says, remember me when you get new your king. 320 00:16:33.440 --> 00:16:36.519 He realized his greatest need was forgiveness for his sins, 321 00:16:37.799 --> 00:16:41.960 not relief of his pain. Now I know some of 322 00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:44.080 you here this goes. This is a great idea. You 323 00:16:44.120 --> 00:16:47.840 can do it the last second. That's what I'm gonna do. Okay, 324 00:16:48.080 --> 00:16:50.879 I'm gonna go out and live for myself, make a 325 00:16:50.879 --> 00:16:54.799 ton of money, be a selfish and self centered and 326 00:16:54.960 --> 00:16:57.799 sow my wild oats, and in the last second of 327 00:16:57.840 --> 00:17:03.200 my life, I'm gonna go remember me. That's a really 328 00:17:03.320 --> 00:17:06.319 dumb idea. I mean, in the first place, what if 329 00:17:06.359 --> 00:17:08.480 you get Alzheimer's for ten years. 330 00:17:08.200 --> 00:17:09.799 And you can't remember anything? 331 00:17:11.880 --> 00:17:16.079 Okay, a little too late then buddy or or you 332 00:17:16.119 --> 00:17:17.839 go out and you know, you get hit by a 333 00:17:17.880 --> 00:17:20.960 semi mac truck on the train, and you go, oh, 334 00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:25.680 I was gonna say it next Thursday, But really, it 335 00:17:25.720 --> 00:17:28.960 doesn't even It's not even rational. When the God who 336 00:17:29.000 --> 00:17:31.519 created you and loves you and has a plan for 337 00:17:31.559 --> 00:17:34.119 your life offers you mercy. Now, why would you say, 338 00:17:34.359 --> 00:17:39.079 I think next week? What's the logic in that one. 339 00:17:39.319 --> 00:17:43.960 There's only one thing that's that's called pride. It's arrogance, 340 00:17:44.000 --> 00:17:46.400 it's ego, and that's the thing that will keep you 341 00:17:46.400 --> 00:17:52.000 out of heaven rejecting the mercy of God. What happens 342 00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:54.200 when I accept God's mercy? When I say, God, I 343 00:17:54.559 --> 00:17:58.000 admit it, I've messed up and I've missed out on 344 00:17:58.079 --> 00:18:02.359 a lot of stuff. Well, God's mercy will save me 345 00:18:02.519 --> 00:18:05.640 for eternity. You might write that down when I come 346 00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:08.359 to God humbly and said God, I need your mercy. 347 00:18:08.519 --> 00:18:11.680 God's mercy will save me for eternity. This is what 348 00:18:11.799 --> 00:18:16.279 Jesus promised. Jesus replied, I guarantee you that today you're 349 00:18:16.319 --> 00:18:20.559 going to be with me in paradise. He said, it's immediate. 350 00:18:20.759 --> 00:18:23.400 Today you go straight to heaven. If you accepted the 351 00:18:23.440 --> 00:18:26.880 mercy of God, he said, you will, it's certain be 352 00:18:27.039 --> 00:18:30.000 with me. It's a relationship in paradise. It's a place forever. 353 00:18:30.200 --> 00:18:33.160 Here's the good news. Let me wrap it up. You're 354 00:18:33.160 --> 00:18:35.440 made by God to last forever, and he wants you 355 00:18:35.519 --> 00:18:40.839 in his forever family. But you have to ask, look 356 00:18:40.880 --> 00:18:42.680 at this verse. This is what Easter is all about. 357 00:18:42.799 --> 00:18:46.279 This is why we're celebrating it. Jesus said, I am 358 00:18:46.519 --> 00:18:51.799 the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, even 359 00:18:51.839 --> 00:18:57.359 though he dies, will live again. I'm betting my life 360 00:18:57.359 --> 00:19:00.400 that Jesus Christ is not a liar. What are you 361 00:19:00.440 --> 00:19:01.319 betting your life on? 362 00:19:02.319 --> 00:19:02.559 Now? 363 00:19:02.799 --> 00:19:06.799 If Jesus had not risen from the dead, I would 364 00:19:06.799 --> 00:19:10.400 have no reason, no valid logical reason to believe that 365 00:19:10.440 --> 00:19:12.440 I would be raising from the dead one day, that 366 00:19:12.480 --> 00:19:14.960 there would be life after death. But because he did it, 367 00:19:15.200 --> 00:19:17.920 if he raised himself, then I believe he can raise me. 368 00:19:20.920 --> 00:19:24.240 What's the condition? What's the condition for receiving the mercy 369 00:19:24.240 --> 00:19:24.599 of God? 370 00:19:24.759 --> 00:19:28.640 You just ask? Look at the next verse, Acts two. 371 00:19:28.960 --> 00:19:33.680 Anyone who asks for mercy from the Lord shall have 372 00:19:33.839 --> 00:19:37.319 it and shall be saved. You want to be saved, 373 00:19:37.640 --> 00:19:40.640 You ask for the mercy from the Lord. Now circle 374 00:19:40.680 --> 00:19:43.839 the word anyone. Doesn't matter what your background is, what 375 00:19:43.960 --> 00:19:46.599 your racist what your ethnic group is, doesn't matter what 376 00:19:46.640 --> 00:19:48.000 you've done, who you've done it with, or. 377 00:19:47.920 --> 00:19:48.920 How long you've done it. 378 00:19:48.920 --> 00:19:51.039 Doesn't matter what your religious background is. You may be 379 00:19:51.079 --> 00:19:53.920 Baptist or Buddhist, or Methodist or Mormon or Muslim, or 380 00:19:54.000 --> 00:19:57.880 Hindu or Jewish or atheist or agnostic, or no religion 381 00:19:58.000 --> 00:19:58.880 background at all. 382 00:19:58.960 --> 00:20:00.799 It really doesn't matter, he says. 383 00:20:01.000 --> 00:20:04.480 Anybody who asked for mercy from the Lord shall have 384 00:20:04.519 --> 00:20:10.599 it and shall be saved. Do you realize, Do you 385 00:20:10.680 --> 00:20:16.279 realize that for your entire life, God has been preparing 386 00:20:16.279 --> 00:20:21.759 you for this very moment, this moment, right now. Before 387 00:20:21.799 --> 00:20:24.640 you were born, he knew that on Easter you'd be 388 00:20:24.680 --> 00:20:27.599 sitting in Saddleback Church, just long enough that he could 389 00:20:27.599 --> 00:20:31.240 say this to you. I have loved you all your life. 390 00:20:31.400 --> 00:20:33.319 I made you, I have a plan for your life. 391 00:20:33.839 --> 00:20:36.119 I created you, and I want to show you mercy 392 00:20:36.119 --> 00:20:38.880 and kindness, even the places where you've missed out and 393 00:20:38.920 --> 00:20:44.319 you've messed up. And I've been waiting waiting to do 394 00:20:44.400 --> 00:20:48.119 this in your life. God's message to you this Easter 395 00:20:48.519 --> 00:20:53.279 is the last verse on your outline. The Lord is 396 00:20:53.440 --> 00:20:56.759 waiting to show you some of you who's been waiting 397 00:20:56.759 --> 00:20:59.519 a long time. The Lord is waiting to show you 398 00:20:59.720 --> 00:21:05.279 how he is and to have mercy on you. The 399 00:21:05.319 --> 00:21:11.119 Lord always does what's right, and he blesses those who 400 00:21:11.160 --> 00:21:15.079 trust him. So I want us to close with a 401 00:21:15.160 --> 00:21:18.079