Unedited Life: So what I was saying is you're going to have to stay with me. we just kind of go on a journey together? Because I want to look at some details that maybe we've not considered before in terms of what was happening ⁓ ⁓ Saturday. So to remind you, ⁓ did we talk about last week? Who remembers? What did we talk about last week? Good Friday. Good Friday, right? It is finished moment. We talked about all that happened. Kevin was like, why'd you have to give the details? That was hard. Because we need the details. We need the details. Yes. And so now we are at Holy Saturday. And we can read just the parts of the gospel that tell us where his body went, but there are so many more details in scripture that tell us what was actually happening Saturday in that in-between moment. Have you ever heard people say the now the not yet in terms the gospel, in terms of ⁓ what has offered us as children of God? It's the now and the not yet. ⁓ think the only now and not yet was Saturday. Thank you. going to. I that we get so caught up in our escapism eschatology thinking that, I'm just biding time until Jesus comes back and I get lifted up into the air. Did you know the rapture isn't in the Bible? We made that up. It's not in there. But we believe that this is what we're doing. We're biding time until Jesus comes back. But that's actually not what scripture tells us. Scripture tells us way back in the very beginning that we were made to have dominion over the earth. not to escape it. You were given a body to have dominion over the earth. Without your body, you can't have dominion. And if you really want to investigate this, make a side note. Start asking questions about why did the angel have to come back and fight for Moses's body? Why didn't it just stay on the earth decomposing? Why did Moses need his body? He'd already died. Why did he need his body? not gonna get into it today. I'm just saying, ⁓ a side note and begin to investigate. Why is it important for us to have a body? Do you know who else has a body in heaven? Jesus. Us a body is not something to escape. I know that sometimes we experience hurt and pain, sometimes disease, sometimes injury. But it is not ours to escape. It's a gift has been crafted for us to have dominion on the earth. So let's look at, first we're gonna go to the side of the cross and see what happens. So we're in John 19. And we're going to kind of jump around because I've got a lot of scripture to get through or I will not do a good job at showing you some of the things that I want you to see today. John 19 starting in verse 30, therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, does anybody want to shout this? It is finished. Yes. Therefore, when Jesus had received the sire wine, he said, it is finished. Come on, we've got to be interactive here. I'm tired, you're tired. Let's just get loud. It is finished. guys, these are the most remarkable three words that we have ever heard in our life. What is finished? Have you ever even asked? What did he finish? so much wrapped up in these three words, and this is what we're going to investigate. And he bowed his head and he gave up his spirit. Now in the place where he was crucified, there was a garden and the garden, a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. Therefore, because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. I skipped a whole bunch to get to the end. We know that it Joseph of Arimathea? I think so, yes. ⁓ a rich man, so he owns a tomb. And he goes and he has Jesus brought down ⁓ he wants to make sure that he has a proper burial. That's not what happened to people who were crucified. Their bodies were just burned. They wanted to make sure that Jesus had a proper burial. ⁓ this is what we can see is happening ⁓ Scripture. But what's going on Scripture inside of Scripture? However you want to look at that. What's happening? What is he doing? But before we get there, we need to go back to Genesis. We're going to go back to the beginning. We know on day six, God made man. Male and female, He made them. He looked and he said, it is very good. It is very good. And he also commissioned humanity to have dominion over the earth. Okay. We are made in whose image? God's image. So what does all of creation respond to? The image of God. We're made in whose image? God's. What does creation respond to? the image of God and we are the image bearers. This is really important. have to hold on to this. So then we have Eve, Adam is made from the dirt, know, God's forming him like he would form clay. He's creating Adam out of the dirt. And then the only time that God is like, oh, this is no good, is when he's like, Adam doesn't, he shouldn't be alone. And God actually says, this actually is, this isn't good. It's not good for man to be alone. So he puts Adam into a sleep. which by the way is what Jesus says about everybody that was dead. He puts, he's like, stop, she's just sleeping. When he goes to heal the daughter of Jairus, he's like, no, she's just sleeping. So he puts Adam into his sleep and what does he do? He pulls a rib out and he forms woman around it and gives him. Ezer is actually the proper name. We're not getting into that right now. That's now come. We'll get into that. So these two are just in the garden and they are just existing as the image bearers of God. They're enjoying communing with God. It says that in the cool of the day, God came walking to be with Adam and Eve, the only image they have ever seen. is him. As in a mirror. The only thing that these two know is life upon life upon life upon life. God life. But then there's that one fateful day when the serpent slinks its way into the wrong tree. God tells them there are two trees in the garden, a void at all costs. Don't eat of it. The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. So serpent goes up into the tree of the knowledge of good and evil ⁓ and comes walking by like she did every day. And the serpent's like, hey, psst. Are you sure, God said? Are you sure God said not to eat of the fruit? Yes, God said don't eat those. And then he goes further and he says, are you sure? It's not because he doesn't want you to be like him. This is twisted, you guys. Whose image are we made in? We are like Him. The greatest lie that ever hit the earth was, you sure He doesn't want you to become like Him? Why, ⁓ why would she've questioned this moment? She already is, you don't become any more like God than being His image bearer. But she's like, wait, this fruit must be good for me if I'm going to become my god. So she eats of the fruit. And what happens? She discovers she's and then she offers some to Adam, and Adam eats of it, and they're both all of a sudden naked, and they're shamed, ⁓ they're experiencing things they've never experienced before, because for the first time, they turned and looked for themselves in another image all together. and instantly they're brought into a delusion that has held humanity ever since. And the delusion is this, I must become like God. The problem is is that we were already spoken. And I don't know about you, but I don't really wanna argue with the word. He already spoke us in to existence on day six, male and female, he made them. You were spoken and he declared that it was very good. I'm not going to argue with that. am profoundly good. And if you cannot stand and make that statement about yourself, throw shame off and try again. Because you are profoundly good as an image bearer of the most high God. Don't argue with the Word of God. To think any lesser of yourself is to be in a disagreement God. Anybody wanna be in a disagreement with God? What? Right. So we see this delusion carried out throughout history and man came up with all kinds of ways to attempt to climb into the likeness of God. John and I were talking about this the other day, but we were like, why on earth were Cain and Abel bringing a sacrifice to God in the first place? He never asked for it. Go back and look for yourself. He didn't ask for it. It's weird, but God never set this structure up. This is what we do when we believe that there is any kind of distance and separation between us and God, is we try to climb into His goodness. but he's already declared us as the bearers of his goodness. It's so simple, yet it's so twisted. And so we've lived with this delusion. And I'm sorry, but unfortunately, Christianity has perpetuated this delusion by telling us that we have to try harder, that we have to do, do, do, do to gain God's affection. that we have to say the prayer, we have to live the life, we have to do this, we have to do that. My Bible actually just tells me I have to believe. Okay, so why am I going here? Why am I setting this foundation? It's important because all of creation responds to image bearers, to those who know they are in the likeness of God. What was it that Lucifer was after? What was God's? He's pompous and arrogant, but it's gonna work. It's a delusion, but it's gonna work. Creation begins to respond to Lucifer because Adam has abdicated dominion. Stop me if I need to go slower. Is this working? He has given up what was given to him to reign and have dominion on the earth. Creation is supposed to respond to the Christ essence inside of us. And here's the thing, is that you and I are all spoken matter. spoken matter. So what happens? The couple are removed from the garden and they're told you're going to toil now and it's not a punishment from God. Can we please reframe this? We need to re-see this. We think that God is bringing down punishment on the heads of Adam and Eve, but he's just actually being prophetic and saying because you've abdicated, what is yours, what I have gifted you, this is what's going to happen here as the consequence, not brought about by God because God is good. but they gave up their rights as rulers. And so now the land is going to force them to toil. They were going to have to work like they never worked before. Are you tired of toiling? Yeah, me too. What? not suggesting we don't work. Hear me, please ⁓ me. There's a difference between toiling and working. I can work under the delight of a father and get much accomplished, but when I'm striving to produce something because I think there's a gap between where God is and where I am, that makes all the difference in the world. Okay, let's go on. I'm belaboring this point. It's fine. So they're living under the delusion of the knowledge of good and evil. Do you know that we were not supposed to be capable of weighing that because the only thing we needed to know was life and life more abundant. That's it. That was our portion. But now they're having to weigh everything through this knowledge of good and evil and it has disrupted everything. They are creating systems that man must live by. in order to try and reach God. Tower of Babel, anyone? Yes, yes, ⁓ of those things. Okay, so, yesterday had a Bible study, ⁓ we in John 9 and 10, and it was, ⁓ I our Saturday morning Bible studies, if you're not here, you're welcome to be, but we were talking about the man who was born blind. And the reason I'm bringing this up because it's really fascinating to me that we think that everything happened on the backside of the cross and it didn't because all that was necessary was the man that came from God. that was necessary was Jesus to hit the earth in flesh like me. Because look what happens. ⁓ have a man born blind. Some Early patristic fathers actually believed that he was born without eyeballs. And for those of you that were here yesterday, you're probably going to be like, what? Because what does Jesus do to heal him? He spits in the dirt, makes mud. am going to suggest that he is forming actual eyeballs. Exactly, Philip, that's exactly it. And we have to hold on to this because this is profound because we think that new creation only came by way of Christ dying. But the whole point was he was just coming to take back what was his. Yes, he's telling people that, but he makes Exactly. So what do we see? Okay, we love the miracle part, but what do we see happening behind the scenes? The earth creation is responding to to He is an example of ⁓ all sons and daughters of what actually looked like. ⁓ you're missing a knee. have an E. This is what Jesus came to do. Now here is what he was willing to do, is to go all the way and let us kill him. Right, do I think that Jesus had to do that? actually don't. I actually, listen, hold on. I actually don't think that he ⁓ to. I just think that he was ⁓ to. ⁓ He's God! What Jerry? Okay, let's go there for just a second. So a lot of our atonement theories, atonement just meaning paying the price for something, but a lot of our atonement theories paint the Father ⁓ angry and needing to be satisfied. This couldn't be further from the truth. They are a Trinity. They are co-mingled together. And what Jesus is putting on display is exactly what is in the heart of the Father. The heart of the Father has goodness flowing from him. ⁓ we go back into the Old Testament and see signs of like, whoa, wait a minute, he doesn't look good there. But here is the issue. Jesus actually says and we've read about this in our John Bible study on Saturday mornings. Have I plug that enough? It's at 10 o'clock Jesus actually says in the book of John that nobody has seen the Father except for he who has come from him. Which is a problem because then you have the Pharisees going like, well, we are disciples of Moses. And you know, got all kinds of high claims of Moses communing with God, but I'm just not certain that all of them were God. I know, it sounds heretical, it's fine. I'm okay with you thinking I'm a heretic, it's fine. Okay, okay, now we're gonna get into the fun stuff. I mean, that was already fun, but let's go deeper. Are you with me? Can we go deeper? Okay. So turn to Daniel or don't, just listen. In Daniel chapter seven, there is a prophetic picture, a revelation laid out that God revealed to him and this is, I don't even know ballpark, somebody ballpark it for me. Are we talking thousands of years before or are we talking hundreds of years before? I don't know, but before Christ. And this is what Daniel says, I kept looking until thrones were set up and the ancient of days took his seat. I don't know about you, but when the Ancient of Days is said, it's kind of like Mufasa. A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before him. The court sat and the books were opened. I kept looking and behold, with the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man was coming and to him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve him. Daniel seven. The books open. Daniel sees books that open. What do you think these books could have possibly been? record accounts. Yes. So listen to this one, this is Revelation 20. Then I saw a great white throne and him who sat upon it. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. And books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Now, we have been taught that Revelation is a book of things that are to come. But can I propose for your thinking, your deep thinking, Revelation is actually a fifth gospel. a fifth gospel that is like the x-ray version of what Jesus was doing on the earth, on the cross, in the ground. So the books were open would have been an account of all the wrongs. ⁓ all the wrongs weighed by the tree of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. What things got thrown into the fire? Did anybody catch that? The books were opened and death and Hades are all thrown into the lake of fire. You this is good news. The account you. ⁓ was thrown into the lake of fire. Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. Yes, do you remember the scriptures that says all of your sin would be from you as far as the east is from the west? ⁓ that he also threw your sin and your iniquities into the sea of forgetfulness. Do you guys remember these things? It's in there! Yes! I promise you it's in there. He's removed it all as far as the east is from the west. ⁓ yeah, he threw it into the lake of forgetfulness. Maybe perhaps lake of fire. And I just think that Jesus says it is finished. is way more complete than we've ever offered at Credit. I really do think that these books are not a thing to come. They have already been dealt with. Because listen, let's look at Anybody love Romans? I love Romans. Romans 6 verses 3 through 6, for Christ also died for sins ⁓ ⁓ for ⁓ Say it with me, ⁓ and all. Once for what? So. once and for all. Why have we missed this? It's once and for all. Jesus. The just for the unjust so that he might bring us to God having been put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit in which also he went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison. I'm gonna read it again. For Christ also died for sins once and for all, the just for the unjust so that he might bring us to God having been put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit. in which also he went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison. This is also good news. 1 Peter 3, 18 and 19. Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into his death? Therefore, we have been buried with him through baptism into death, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with him. in order that our body of sin might be done away with. Also, good news, we were co-crucified with Jesus, co-buried while he's doing all of this work. This is not just some kind of restful Sabbath day, which if the Pharisees had a problem with him healing the blind dude on a Saturday or on Sabbath, what do you think they're thinking now? Look at all this work that he is undoing on the Sabbath. Jesus is a rebel. Revelations chapter five says this, I saw a lamb standing as if slain and they sang a new song saying worthy are you to take the book and to break its seals for you were slain and purchased for God with your blood. So in the book of Revelations, you have John taking a tour of all of these things that are taking place. He comes to the throne room and somebody and an angel announces like, Who's worthy to break the seal and open the scroll? And John falls to the ground weeping. an angel's like, what are you doing? He's like, there's no one worthy. And the angels like, look. And looked and he a lamb in the center of the throne room that looked as if it were slain. And he is the only one found worthy to break the seal and open the scroll. So what is Jesus doing? What is Jesus undoing? He goes into the depths, the belly of creation, and he takes back ⁓ keys. ⁓ and freeze all of us from the sin had us bound, from delusion of Adam that kept us thinking that there's distance and separation between us and God. He gives dominion of the to humanity, all of the heavens ⁓ all of the earth. belong to Jesus who is the Christ, who is both God and man. Dominion has been given back to us. we have to be certain that we aren't abdicating. that we aren't playing small because we're like, well, no, will take care of that. I was thinking about the amount of times that we have used this phrase, well, God is sovereign. to pin calamity, disaster on God. to make him responsible, but he's sovereign. You get a phone call, your friend's got cancer, well, God has sovereign sister. as if it were in the makeup of God to create and release disease of any kind that's not in his nature. So we don't have a problem pinning calamity on God because of his sovereignty, but we do have a problem with pinning the total reclamation of the heavens and the earth and all that is within it to the sovereignty of God. We love to limit what it is that Jesus actually accomplished. We love to limit the fullness of it is finished. to it, well, brother, must say the prayer. I think I just read in Romans 6 that it was ⁓ We busy ourselves thinking that we supposed to go out and make disciples of people, but do you know that the Great Commission doesn't say anything about making disciples of people? Because Jesus already did! He already did, he did his part. Do you know what your part is? Do you know what the Great Commission is all about? Going out and making disciples of the nations. Creation will respond to those who know they are the image bearer of God. The nations the ones we are supposed to be discipling. The trees, the the birds, Junction City, Riley, Manhattan, what am I forgetting? Hockton. disciples of the nations because Jesus did his part in reclaiming what is his. That's us. He said all he just finished. ⁓ reclaimed ⁓ that is mine. I have brought them all into me. You were co crucified, co buried, co raised and co seeded. and he didn't ask you to ask for it. He applied it. So you think your job is to go out and make disciples and possibly save souls. Guess what? That job, check mark. Here is your responsibility awaken people to the reality of life within Christ. That's it. I can come near Beth and there could be a part of her that isn't awakened to the reality of Christ ⁓ I can just, just because I'm me, I'm an image bearer. I know the truth of the son who has set me free and I can come near Beth and suddenly she's like, something's happening inside of me. ⁓ Yes. And then we can get, we can co-celebrate because she's awakening to the reality that is hers in Christ. And then we can go out as image bearers of God and change the nations. We do have some things that we have to get right. We need to go back to the Sermon on the Mount. If we're going to live as image bearers, we might as well know what that looks like. Jesus breaks it down perfectly. We don't have time today. Go back and read it. It starts in Matthew 5 with the B attitudes, but read the whole thing. You've heard it said, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, but I say, turn the other cheek, give away your cloth. He's not a god of retribution, he's a god of restoration. We've got to get the justice part right. God not in the business of smiting people. to strike down, to do away with, to kill. Yes, and he's not. His justice restorative. He's interested in restoration. Do want to know ⁓ why have, as humans, why we have hangups, like addictions different kind? And I'm not just talking about drugs and alcohol. We have food addictions. We've got clothing addictions. We've got possession addictions. We've got my needs, my wants, rights. ⁓ Okay. My gosh. So my point though is the reason why we have these things in us that are reaching for something, something, we're always reaching for something is because there's a God void inside of us because we haven't rightly believed that Jesus did what He did to reclaim us, to bring us back into Himself so that we might truly have life more abundant. He did his job, let us do ours. ⁓ for all, What he did was complete. Please, please, please don't diminish it. Don't diminish it. While he's in the belly of the earth, he's working. He's taking those open books feeding them to the fire because it doesn't matter anymore. What we have done as humanity under the delusion of Adam doesn't ⁓ anymore because you have been raised ⁓ new life. You are a new creation. ⁓ when you walk on earth, the earth will begin to respond. Romans 8 says that all of creation is groaning in eager anticipation for the sons and daughters of glory to take their rightful place. is our to take our rightful place, to make a difference in creation. Yes. ⁓ We can awaken those around us to the reality of their unfolding in Christ, but we were commissioned to make disciples of the nations. That's our job. Jesus did his. Can we pray? Jesus, look what you've done. Just look what you've done. Can you just admire his work for a minute? Just settle yourself on the inside and begin to peer into what Jesus has done. You did away with works. You did away with striving. You did away with us trying to do anything to get into your presence. We have been brought in. We are one. We are the It Is Finished. new creation filled with life. teeming with life, filled to the brim with the Spirit of God. taking our rightful place. We are the sons and daughters of glory. Grow no more creation. We are here. And we are rising up. beginning to understand who we are. The lies and the delusion are falling off. We are the expression of God on the earth. Jesus, thank you. Thank you for what you've done. Thank you for the example you've given. Thank you that you've laid down your life. Thank you that you've forgiven us. That you've removed our transgressions as far as the east is from the west. thank you that you are not a deep sea diver. That leave the sin where it belongs. We absolutely love being yours. Amen. If you've never told him that before.