WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:05.280 Hope is not a product. Hope is not a program. 2 00:00:05.639 --> 00:00:10.759 Hope is not a pill. 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 00:00:33.039 --> 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 --> 00:01:12.560 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 --> 00:03:11.680 look within. Hey, 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 00:04:09.879 --> 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, accidental 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 --> 00:05:58.839 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 --> 00:06:44.600 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 --> 00:07:13.120 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 --> 00:09:44.840 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 --> 00:10:20.960 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 --> 00:12:55.399 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 --> 00:14:13.919 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 I'm 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 --> 00:14:25.600 the payday, checking the clock. I'm not going to motivate. 238 00:14:25.720 --> 00:14:28.120 Nothing motivates to me anymore. You need a resurrection of motivation. 239 00:14:28.399 --> 00:14:31.159 Some of you have had a split in a friendship 240 00:14:32.240 --> 00:14:34.559 with a dear friend, a boyfriend, a girlfriend, or just 241 00:14:34.559 --> 00:14:37.799 a good friend, and there's been a rift, there's been 242 00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:42.200 a break, a tear, conflict. You need a resurrection in 243 00:14:43.480 --> 00:14:47.399 your friendship. So I'm just saying that in so many 244 00:14:47.519 --> 00:14:52.799 different areas. Some of you have had your heart broken recently, 245 00:14:55.159 --> 00:14:59.120 and as your pastor, I'm sorry, I really am, and 246 00:14:59.240 --> 00:15:02.360 I pray for people in our family that have a 247 00:15:02.399 --> 00:15:05.799 broken heart, and you need to have your heart repaired, 248 00:15:05.840 --> 00:15:09.200 and you need a resurrection in that area of your life. 249 00:15:10.639 --> 00:15:14.159 You see, this is the difference between human beings and God. 250 00:15:14.399 --> 00:15:18.879 God is God and we're not. Human beings can resuscitate. 251 00:15:19.440 --> 00:15:23.720 Only God can resurrect. If you know CPR, you know 252 00:15:23.799 --> 00:15:27.679 how to resuscitate somebody their heart stops, you can resuscitate 253 00:15:27.720 --> 00:15:31.480 them with CPR. If you're a paramedic, you've probably resuscitated 254 00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:35.480 hundreds of people with mouth and mouth or CPR, whatever 255 00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:39.200 you needed to do. Resuscitation happens when they've been dead 256 00:15:39.240 --> 00:15:42.639 for a minute or two or three minutes. But when 257 00:15:42.679 --> 00:15:44.840 you've been been dead for three days and buried in 258 00:15:44.879 --> 00:15:50.240 the ground, you don't need resuscitation. You need resurrection. And 259 00:15:50.360 --> 00:15:53.240 God says, I want to have that kind of power, 260 00:15:53.399 --> 00:15:57.399 not resuscitation power, but resurrection power. In the areas youth 261 00:15:57.559 --> 00:16:00.559 like of your life that are dying are already dead. 262 00:16:00.679 --> 00:16:04.960 They're already dead. And God has not only a purpose 263 00:16:05.000 --> 00:16:07.720 for your life because of the Cross and the resurrection, 264 00:16:08.120 --> 00:16:10.440 but God has a power for your life which is 265 00:16:10.440 --> 00:16:12.799 bigger than the problem you're going through out right now. 266 00:16:14.840 --> 00:16:19.480 Let me show you a couple verses First Corinthians, chapter one. 267 00:16:19.559 --> 00:16:22.960 Paul gives a testimony of how God helps us when 268 00:16:23.000 --> 00:16:26.759 we think it is hopeless. You see, some of you 269 00:16:27.039 --> 00:16:29.960 are on the edge of giving up right now, and 270 00:16:30.039 --> 00:16:32.240 if we could put an X ray to your mind, 271 00:16:32.799 --> 00:16:37.399 it would show you're pretty desperate. I'm glad you came 272 00:16:38.759 --> 00:16:41.120 because God wanted you here a thousand years before you 273 00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:42.919 were born. He knew you would be here at saddleback 274 00:16:42.960 --> 00:16:45.080 on this day so he could say this to you, 275 00:16:46.879 --> 00:16:51.879 don't don't give up you. Maybe you feel like giving 276 00:16:51.960 --> 00:16:53.600 up on your dream, or giving up on your marriage, 277 00:16:53.679 --> 00:16:55.919 or giving up on your health. Maybe you even feel 278 00:16:55.960 --> 00:17:02.320 like giving up on your life. Don't. God brought you 279 00:17:02.519 --> 00:17:05.680 here today so he could say this to you. You're 280 00:17:05.720 --> 00:17:07.240 ready for it. Here's what he wants to say to you. 281 00:17:08.440 --> 00:17:17.599 Don't give up. Look up, don't give up. Look up. 282 00:17:18.559 --> 00:17:22.000 The answer is not to quit. The answer is to 283 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:27.000 get connected, find God's purpose, and get God's power in 284 00:17:27.079 --> 00:17:30.119 your life, and you'll have a new resurrection in your 285 00:17:30.160 --> 00:17:33.200 life now. Paul says it like this. He tells his 286 00:17:33.240 --> 00:17:35.839 own story of when he was ready to kick the bucket. 287 00:17:35.960 --> 00:17:38.000 This is probably the greatest Christian who ever lived, next 288 00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:41.920 to Jesus Christ. And Paul says, there were times when 289 00:17:41.960 --> 00:17:45.480 I was so depressed, I was readistered, throw in the 290 00:17:45.480 --> 00:17:49.799 towel and he says this in Second Corinthians, we were 291 00:17:49.799 --> 00:17:54.720 really crushed, and he says, we were overwhelmed, and we 292 00:17:54.839 --> 00:17:57.359 feared we would never live through it. Ever felt like 293 00:17:57.400 --> 00:18:06.359 that he crushed, overwhelmed, filled with fear. He says, we 294 00:18:06.400 --> 00:18:09.119 didn't think we'd live through it. We saw how powerless 295 00:18:09.200 --> 00:18:13.400 we were to help ourselves and you just go, Okay, 296 00:18:13.720 --> 00:18:16.279 this is not working. I do not have the power 297 00:18:16.440 --> 00:18:18.119 to get done what I need to get done in 298 00:18:18.160 --> 00:18:20.480 my life. I just don't have it. I got an 299 00:18:20.599 --> 00:18:24.160 energy shortage, I got energy crisis. I don't have the 300 00:18:24.240 --> 00:18:27.720 power to do what I need to do. And then 301 00:18:27.799 --> 00:18:31.440 Paul says, we realized we were powerless to help ourselves. 302 00:18:31.599 --> 00:18:36.559 But that was good. Huh, How in the world could 303 00:18:36.559 --> 00:18:42.079 you feel in crushed, overwhelmed, fearful and powerless to help yourself. 304 00:18:42.240 --> 00:18:45.359 How in the world is that good? He says, Because 305 00:18:45.400 --> 00:18:49.200 then we put everything into the hands of God, who 306 00:18:49.240 --> 00:18:54.079 alone could save us. For he can even raise the dead. 307 00:18:54.559 --> 00:18:58.079 That's what we're talking about at Easter. He can even 308 00:18:58.160 --> 00:19:01.279 raise the dead, said and God did help us, and 309 00:19:01.400 --> 00:19:03.640 he saved us, and we expect him to do it 310 00:19:03.720 --> 00:19:07.440 again and again and again. If God can raise a 311 00:19:07.480 --> 00:19:09.920 dead Jesus, he can raise a dead marriage. If God 312 00:19:09.960 --> 00:19:12.599 can raise the dead Jesus, he can raise a dead friendship. 313 00:19:12.680 --> 00:19:14.680 He can raise a dead career. He can raise a 314 00:19:14.720 --> 00:19:17.519 dead dream. He can raise a part of your life 315 00:19:17.559 --> 00:19:21.000 that's just dying on the vine. That's the kind of 316 00:19:21.000 --> 00:19:24.000 God we serve. That is a benefit that was paid 317 00:19:24.039 --> 00:19:27.079 for you by Jesus Christ. But you can go all 318 00:19:27.160 --> 00:19:31.599 through life totally unplugged. If you are unplugged from God's power, 319 00:19:31.880 --> 00:19:37.279 you will never know God's purpose. A toaster that is 320 00:19:37.359 --> 00:19:42.000 never plugged in is worthless. It has no intrinsic value 321 00:19:42.119 --> 00:19:45.240 unless it's plugged into the power. It cannot fulfill its 322 00:19:45.279 --> 00:19:48.599 purpose unless it's plugged in the power. A vacuum cleaner 323 00:19:48.720 --> 00:19:51.799 cannot fulfill its purpose as a vacuum cleaner unless it's 324 00:19:51.799 --> 00:19:54.920 plugged into the power. A microwave cannot fulfill its purpose 325 00:19:54.960 --> 00:19:57.799 as a microwave unless it's plugged into the power. You 326 00:19:57.880 --> 00:20:01.079 cannot fulfill your purpose in life unless you're plugged into 327 00:20:01.079 --> 00:20:06.599 the power, the power of the Resurrection. And he says, 328 00:20:06.960 --> 00:20:09.240 you know, we got the point. We were ready to 329 00:20:09.279 --> 00:20:12.519 just cash it all in and we were powerless. But 330 00:20:12.559 --> 00:20:14.559 that was good because then we put it all in 331 00:20:14.559 --> 00:20:16.200 the hands of God. And God goes, well, thank God, 332 00:20:16.240 --> 00:20:19.079 you finally did it. I've been waiting for you to 333 00:20:19.119 --> 00:20:22.119 get to the end of your rope so I could 334 00:20:22.160 --> 00:20:25.160 take over. How about you let me have a try 335 00:20:26.640 --> 00:20:31.000 and empowering and guiding your life now, Just be honest, 336 00:20:33.680 --> 00:20:37.200 are you sick and tired of being sick? And tired. 337 00:20:39.319 --> 00:20:42.559 Here's what the Bible says Isaiah forty. God gives power 338 00:20:43.359 --> 00:20:47.160 to those who are tired and worn out, and he 339 00:20:47.279 --> 00:20:50.200 offers strength to the weak. He said, Wait a minute, 340 00:20:50.240 --> 00:20:52.920 I'm tired, I'm worn out, I'm weak. I don't feel 341 00:20:52.920 --> 00:20:55.920 any power. Well, let me explain how you get that power. 342 00:20:56.039 --> 00:20:59.920 You get it through faith. You get it through trust. 343 00:21:00.319 --> 00:21:02.880 You get it through believing in the Son of God, 344 00:21:02.960 --> 00:21:05.160 who died on the cross for you and rose again 345 00:21:05.440 --> 00:21:09.400 to give you that power. You can complain to God 346 00:21:09.440 --> 00:21:12.319 all you want. God is not moved by your complaints. 347 00:21:13.200 --> 00:21:15.240 You can whine all you want. God is not moved 348 00:21:15.279 --> 00:21:19.480 by your whining. You can gripe all you want. God 349 00:21:19.519 --> 00:21:22.039 is not moved by griping. But the moment you put 350 00:21:22.039 --> 00:21:26.359 trust in him, Bam, God moves according to your faith. 351 00:21:26.400 --> 00:21:29.759 It will be done unto you. God honors faith, not griping, 352 00:21:29.839 --> 00:21:34.039 not whining, not all these other things. He says, I'll 353 00:21:34.079 --> 00:21:36.160 give you that power. He said, But Rick, you just 354 00:21:36.200 --> 00:21:40.960 don't know what I'm facing right now. Yeah, you're right, 355 00:21:42.079 --> 00:21:46.400 you're right. I don't. I don't know what you're facing, 356 00:21:47.519 --> 00:21:50.960 but I do know Luke eighteen twenty seven, which says 357 00:21:51.000 --> 00:21:56.079 this what is impossible with men is possible with God. 358 00:21:57.039 --> 00:22:00.440 What looks like a dead end, what looks like a 359 00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:06.279 death is prime time for a resurrection and a miracle. 360 00:22:07.319 --> 00:22:10.200 What looks like you're never going to overcome, God can 361 00:22:10.279 --> 00:22:12.480 overcome like that. And God can do more in five 362 00:22:12.559 --> 00:22:15.440 seconds in your life than you can do in five years, 363 00:22:15.839 --> 00:22:19.519 but you've got to trust him. A number of years ago, 364 00:22:19.599 --> 00:22:21.720 I was in China. You know, we've been doing the 365 00:22:21.720 --> 00:22:25.319 Peace plan in China for years and years now, and 366 00:22:25.359 --> 00:22:27.640 one time I was in Beijing. Actually, they were doing 367 00:22:27.720 --> 00:22:31.640 a state dinner in my honor in People's Hall in 368 00:22:31.759 --> 00:22:34.920 Tieneman Square, and the government officials were there, and I 369 00:22:34.960 --> 00:22:38.039 was very honored to be honored by the government in China. 370 00:22:39.519 --> 00:22:42.599 And while I was there, the professors over at Peking 371 00:22:42.759 --> 00:22:45.400 University heard that I was there, and they said, let's 372 00:22:45.440 --> 00:22:49.279 invite Rick Warren and his team over to talk with us. 373 00:22:49.920 --> 00:22:54.480 Peiking University is the only university in Beijing's still called Peiking. 374 00:22:54.759 --> 00:22:58.279 It's the Harvard of China. Fifty thousand students. Every communist 375 00:22:58.359 --> 00:23:01.160 leader in China is trained at the Harvard at China 376 00:23:01.240 --> 00:23:04.079 Peking University. So we went and we had a wonderful 377 00:23:04.119 --> 00:23:07.920 time with these professors, had a good discussion with him, 378 00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:10.480 was very friendly. One of the men that I met 379 00:23:10.480 --> 00:23:13.960 there was with a man named Professor Joe. Professor Joe 380 00:23:14.079 --> 00:23:15.960 was an older man. He'd been a professor there for 381 00:23:16.000 --> 00:23:21.920 fifty years and now was the provost of Peking University 382 00:23:22.359 --> 00:23:26.720 highest level. When we finished our little discussion, I said, hey, 383 00:23:26.799 --> 00:23:29.960 let's just go out to dinner. You find the best 384 00:23:30.039 --> 00:23:35.160 Chinese food. I mean, what expect tacos. You know it's Beijing. 385 00:23:35.519 --> 00:23:38.440 You find the best Chinese food and I'm paying, So 386 00:23:38.559 --> 00:23:41.559 you pick your favorite place. So we go and we 387 00:23:41.599 --> 00:23:43.319 sit down. We're having this wonderful dinner with some of 388 00:23:43.359 --> 00:23:47.640 these Chinese officials, and all of a sudden, Professor Joe 389 00:23:47.640 --> 00:23:51.960 opens up and he says, I'm dying. I have a 390 00:23:51.960 --> 00:23:58.359 brain tumor and it's inoperable and I'm terminal. And he 391 00:23:58.440 --> 00:24:01.160 was scared to death. This is a man facing an 392 00:24:01.160 --> 00:24:03.920 impossible problem. He's at the end of his rope. We 393 00:24:03.960 --> 00:24:07.559 don't know what to do. We see no way out 394 00:24:07.559 --> 00:24:10.519 of this. He had no hope in Jesus Christ. He 395 00:24:10.559 --> 00:24:14.000 had no hope in God's grace. He had no hope 396 00:24:14.000 --> 00:24:17.200 even in an after life. The way it looked to him, 397 00:24:17.240 --> 00:24:20.039 is I've got an incurable problem. There's no power to 398 00:24:20.079 --> 00:24:24.839 help me, and when I die, that's it. It's over. 399 00:24:27.960 --> 00:24:31.000 He was hopeless, and as he began to share that 400 00:24:31.039 --> 00:24:32.680 with me, I looked at him and said, you know, 401 00:24:32.720 --> 00:24:36.720