Beyond the Cross

[Speaker 1] My eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored. He has loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword. His truth is marching on. [Speaker 2] Church and fellowship cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. The Lord greatly desires godly homes. These are words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Tent Ministry. Be blessed as you listen. [Speaker 1] Between Jesus and the disciples, when He said, "You will meet me at Galilee," and so we are here this Monday, which is normally called the Easter Monday evening, for our discipleship class. For that reason, I want us to sing one or two choruses in line with the resurrection. Not only that, we would breathe on our series, which is "Experiencing God." We would consider "Beyond the Cross." Something around the Easter, something for us as disciples to know, to understand, because the resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of our Christian faith. It will be good to say something about the resurrection. It will be good to say something about the ascension and the glorification of Jesus. It is good to say something around it this very day. So we want to just take a look at that as disciples and see how God can help us and what lesson we can learn from that. So let’s take about two choruses together all around the resurrection. Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Oh yes. Oh yes. Hallelujah, He arose. Oh yes. Oh yes. Hallelujah, Hallelujah, He arose, the King of Kings arose. Hallelujah, He arose. Oh yes. Oh yes. Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Oh yes. Oh yes. Hallelujah, He arose. Oh yes. Oh yes. Hallelujah, Hallelujah, He arose, the King of Kings arose. Hallelujah, He arose. Oh yes. Oh yes. Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Oh yes. Oh yes. Hallelujah, He arose. Oh yes. Oh yes. Hallelujah, Hallelujah, He arose, the King of Kings arose. Oh, Hallelujah, He arose. Oh yes. Oh yes. Let’s take another one. He is Lord. He is Lord. Amen. He has risen from the dead, He is Lord. Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. One more time. He is Lord. He is Lord. Amen. He has risen from the dead, He is Lord. Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Hallelujah. Amen. Our Father, we are grateful. We thank You for the suffering, the death, the resurrection, and the ascension of Jesus. We are really very grateful. We thank You that He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement for our peace is upon Him, by His stripes we were healed. Lord our God, we praise You. We thank You for justification. We thank You for salvation. We thank You for adoption. We thank You, Lord our God Almighty, that we are sons and daughters of God. The Bible says what manner of love is this that we should be called sons of God. Lord, we are really very grateful. As we come together this evening to look at the topic, "Beyond the Cross," just looking at something about the Easter, something about the death, the suffering, the death, and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus. Lord, we praise You. Meet with us where we need You most. Grant us encounter. Grant us, O Lord our God, that we will be changed into Your likeness. Thank You, Eternal Father. Blessed be Your holy name, our God. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. So we are looking at a very important topic today, this special day that we refer to as Easter Monday. Yesterday was Easter Sunday, that was the resurrection, and today is Easter Monday when the disciples met with Jesus. "Come, I will meet with you at Galilee." Easter Monday. We want to look at the topic, "Beyond the Cross." I said just now that the resurrection marked a very significant issue, significant teaching for the Christian faith. And in moving this evening, I want us to just look at what Paul said by the power of the Holy Spirit about the resurrection in the book of 1 Corinthians. Let’s look at something there. 1 Corinthians 15, something about the resurrection that the Bible made reference to. 1 Corinthians 15. The Holy Spirit by Apostle Paul was making the believers to realize something very important which is very foundational to our Christian faith. I read 1 Corinthians 15 from verse 12. I want you to take the reading. I will just be taking the reading. I may not make a lot of comment because we still have a lot of things to look at, but just trying to look at something about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:12-28. "Now if Christ be preached that He rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ: whom He raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His coming. Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For He hath put all things under His feet. But when He saith all things are put under Him, it is manifest that He is excepted, which did put all things under Him. And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be all in all." Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. So we have seen something very foundational about the resurrection. The first thing that is foundational about the resurrection is that the Bible says if there is no resurrection of the dead, it means Christ has not also experienced resurrection. If Christ did not experience resurrection, then there's a fundamental problem. Number one, every preaching about Christ is useless. Everybody who believed that preaching to be saved, that faith becomes useless. Every hope that is built on that becomes useless. So something is very foundational. What is foundational is that the resurrection of Jesus is actually the gospel. Hallelujah. The resurrection of Jesus is the gospel. It is the resurrection of Jesus that is the hope of eternal life. When the Bible says for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life, what the Bible actually meant is that He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement for our peace is upon Him, by His stripes we were healed. However, all those things that happened by all that He did, when Jesus said "It is finished," which means He completed everything, the sacrifice was sufficient. However, if He had not resurrected, the implication is that the death of Jesus would have amounted to nothing. It was the resurrection. You noticed that He said when He came back after the resurrection, He said, "All powers in heaven and on earth had been given to me." So the resurrection is the completion of that work. The resurrection marked the completion. If He had not resurrected, what was finished would not have been completed. You notice that when He just got up from the dead, after His resurrection, what did He do? He went to meet the Father. And when He went to meet the Father, what was He told? He said, "Sit down on my right hand. Today have I begotten Thee." So He is seated at the right hand of power. So the resurrection actually is the completion of what was finished. So if there was no resurrection, the implication is that everybody who died in Christ, that is also the end. They will not experience the resurrection. They will not experience the resurrection. Why we are sure, look at that thing that was said in 1 Thessalonians 4. Let's see that scripture. 1 Thessalonians 4. Let's see. 1 Thessalonians 4. I read from verse 13. It says, "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again..." Are you seeing that? What is our belief? Christ died and rose again. For if we believe that Christ died and rose again, "even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him." Verse 15, "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, and with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first." Hallelujah. Do you know what that means? Any time I read this scripture, a joy comes into my heart. You know the joy that comes to my heart? That when the Bible talks about Jesus, the Bible said Jesus is the first fruit of those that rose from dead. You see it in 1 Corinthians 15 that we first read? That Jesus became the first fruit, then there will be the second fruit, the third fruit, the fourth fruit, the fifth fruit, the sixth fruit. Are you getting it? Now, you know what the Bible is saying? When it said we should not sorrow concerning those who die? Those who died, they have reduced chances? No. In the matter of eternity, those who died before us, they will rise first before us. Are you getting that? If Christ is the first fruit, the person who died again following Christ is the second fruit. I’m just giving an example. Again the third fruit, the fifth fruit, the sixth fruit. So those who are coming behind, are you getting it? What the Bible is trying to say is that that some brethren went before us does not in any way reduce their chances. No. It doesn't make them less blessed. In fact, in the matter of eternity, they came earlier than us. They are the elders. We are the juniors. You know when you begin to understand these things, there is a joy eternity gives you. There's a picture here. Oh what a picture. Why we don't sorrow like those who have no hope. I'm talking about the resurrection. I’m talking about Easter. I’m talking about things to take out of Easter. That death is not final. Rather, death is an enemy to be conquered. And that in Christ, what has happened to us? We have conquered death. Death cannot kill us. Hallelujah. That is a message of Easter. We have conquered death. Yes, we sorrow when loved ones die, but we must not sorrow as those who don't have hope. As we cry on one part, we also rejoice on another part. Say, wow, so this brother has become my elder? He has become my elder in eternal matters. Just the way the thing comes to me. You know there's what we talk about seniority? When we are looking at civil service, they'll be looking at your service number. Number 54, they'll say is senior to number 55, number 56. When you look at lawyers that are called to bar, they'll say what is your call to bar number? Then you look at your number, I'm your senior. Even when people go to the university, if they graduated the same year, but I was called to bar before you, we are no more—even though we are age-mate in university, when they come to the bar, I have become your elder. Hallelujah. In this thing with eternity, when it comes to resurrection, people who have gone ahead, they have become our elders. Hallelujah. Let us rejoice over death. Let us have joy that we have conquered death. Death is not our finality. Death is not our end. There is hope of resurrection. Hallelujah. There is hope of resurrection. And that is why even though I don't know that song very well, I only know the first line, I wish I am going to try and learn that song because it's a Yoruba song. They will say "Apade lese Jesu," who knows that song very well? "Apade lese Jesu, nibiti akoni yarawa. Ariyarawa, ayomarawa, Jesu ni yio je alagawa." Am I correct? Oh, I like the song. Apade lese Jesu, nibiti akoni yarawa. Ariyarawa, ayomarawa, Jesu ni yio je alagawa. So when we see death, when you look at death, what should you do? We should mock at death. We should laugh at death. And we should tell death, you are not our finality. That's a message of Easter. It’s a message of Easter. That death is not final. Rather death is an enemy to be conquered. And that in Christ, what has happened to us? We have conquered death. Yes, we sorrow when loved ones die, but we must not sorrow as those who don't have hope. As we cry on one part, we also rejoice on another part. That wow, so this brother has become my elder? He has become my elder in eternal matters. Just like the way the thing comes to me. You know the thing occurred to me some about four or five years ago, this matter of civil service number and the brethren who have gone ahead of us, just as I was sharing with you now. And it just occurred to me, said "Wole, don't you understand that those who went earlier than you? Why I’m saying that you should not sorrow about them like those who are hopeless. They have become your elders. They have become your elders." And you know what came to my spirit that day? He said, "Do you notice that everybody likes to be elder? Everybody likes to be the Oga. Did you notice it?" In the civil service, you like to be the Oga, you don't want to be down. In call to bar, you want to be the Oga, you want to talk about Oga, Oga. Look at those your brethren that you are sorrowing about. For them now, you know what they are saying? "Wole, we have become your Ogas. We have become your Ogas." That is how they are looking at us. So don't sorrow as those who have no hope. Don't sorrow like them. They are looking at you like, "I'm older than you, earlier than you." If you look at it for example, which one do you want? When they say people get job in a juicy place, who want to go there earlier than the other? Everybody want to go first. You see that is the way it is with eternity. It took some years as I stayed in the sorrow. By the time you cross, it's a different thing entirely. You have become "Awon Oga, awon aburo n bo leyin," they are coming. "Awon aburo," and when you come, you say, "Oh you're welcome, awon aburo," they'll be joining them. So that is the picture. Don't sorrow like those who have no hope. That is a message of Easter. It's a message of Easter. It's a message you should lay to heart constantly. It's a message that we should have before our eyes. It’s something that make us different from those who don't have Jesus. Don't let us be like those who don't have Jesus. Don't let us think like them. Do you know brethren that this is what Apostle Paul saw from the other side of eternity and remember what he said? You remember what he said? "For me to live is Christ." Thank you my brother. He said for us to live is Christ. That's the second message we'll be looking at, I’m taking the first message now. The first one, he said but to die is gain. It's because he has been able to see it from the other side of eternity. You see, when you're looking at it only from this side, you will not see gain in death. You will only see the loss. That is the problem of those who have no hope. That's their problem. For us who has hope, we should be able to also see it. And if you are not seeing it, I want you to pray God to open your eyes better. Pray God to give you deeper understanding of your faith. So what this means is that if there is no resurrection, if everything about Jesus is that He suffered and died, and that is the end about Jesus, then we are miserable people. Everything we believe is nonsense. That's one way to look at it. But we know Christ actually resurrected. So our faith, our belief is not useless, it's true. However, let me tell you this other one now. You see, if you don't see that eternity of Christ, if you are not seeing that resurrection, and you are living for that hope of resurrection, you will be a very miserable person here. You will not be a fulfilled Christian. You will not be fulfilled. Because you will be living as men who have no hope. You will be talking, you will be acting, you will not live the life you are supposed to live, which is the second thing that we are going. "To live is Christ," that's where we are going. The reason why many of us cannot live for Christ is because we don't have the hope of resurrection. Not that we don't—please understand me. Not that we don't believe in resurrection. Please understand me. Look at 1 John 3. It’s simpler in 1 John 3. 1 John 3:1-3. "Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God. Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure." So if you cannot live a pure life, what is your problem? You are a hopeless person. You don't have the hope of resurrection. You don't have it. You don't have it. If you don't have it, you don't have it. I gave a good example, I gave the example to my children when I was teaching a foundation class. I was at a place to buy bread. I wanted to buy bread. I didn't know that I had five thousand cash inside my bag. I didn't know. When I got to the woman selling the bread, I wanted to transfer because I did not have cash. But actually I have cash, I didn't know. I said let me transfer. The woman said, "Lai-lai," she doesn't have an account, I should give her cash. And I did not want to leave the bread, I want to buy the bread. I now pressurized, she said she doesn't collect transfer, that there is POS over there, I should go and collect and then bring cash. So I now crossed the road, went to the POS people, collected five thousand with two hundred, now came back, gave her one thousand, the bread was one thousand, bought the bread, then went home. When I got home, as I was unpacking my bag, I saw five thousand inside an envelope. So the person who have money in his bag and did not know that he have money in his bag, and the person who does not have money, are they different? With eternity, the way we live will not be different. That's why you notice that the Bible says, and everywhere I go, that's what I tell people. That's why I look at it some of us we seem to be committed to just one kind of mission. Trying to make people come to the knowledge of the truth. There are two aspects to mission, we must understand it. One aspect of mission, which we cannot overemphasize because Jesus focused on both, and that is why one is not more important than the other. They march into one and we must take the two seriously. When the Bible says this is the will of God—I’m quoting 1 Timothy 2 now—it said this is the will of God, that all men be saved. That is the first aspect of the matter. But it did not stop there. What’s the second thing? And that they should come to the knowledge of the truth. I am telling you, whatever God has given that you don't know can never be profitable in your life. So God wants us to come to be saved, because anybody who is saved—are you understanding me?—but does not know the truth, where will the person be? Still be in bondage. On one hand, the person is not for the devil. On the other hand, you didn't give the person enough—it's like—oh, you know what I just remembered now? I remembered something that happened when I was in Form 1. It was a terrible experience. It was me and my younger brother. Me and my younger brother, we were attending—then our school in Delta State, that’s St. Malachy, that was the school I attended for my Form 1 before I was moved again to Lagos, to Ekosi High School where I started from Form 2. But my Form 1 was in St. Malachy. Then I was—me and my brother. So what happened was that my brother, that my younger brother, happens to be a friend—we were in Form 1. He now happened to be a friend of somebody in Form 5, you know that's the final class. So that person in Form 5 that he was his friend, if I can remember the name then, one Okoro, he was his friend. Then along the line, I don't know what happened between that Okoro and one other senior in Form 5. So but I can't remember the story too well, it's a very long story. But the place that never left my memory was the suffering part. That afternoon we closed and Okoro told my brother, you know they were his friend, that he should come along to come and do something. But that second senior said he should not do it. So my brother stopped. Okoro said, "Are you stupid? I said go and get that thing done." As he wants to go, that other one said if you do it, I will deal with you and you will hate it all your life. So I was powerless, I was in Form 1. If I was in Form 5, I would have saved my brother. So I was just watching the scenario. So Okoro now faced that other senior and said, "You know me oh. If my madness starts now, I will finish you oh. I will finish you oh." That one said he can't do anything. So Okoro went and took my brother, pull him, "Do that thing!" and he did it, and then he took my brother and was going with my brother. So me too I was following my brother, we were going towards home. You know we have closed. That’s how the whole thing ended that day. We thought it has ended. I’m talking about being saved and not coming to the knowledge of the truth. The following morning, we normally come to school very early. We normally trek a distance of almost seven kilometers to go to school, if I can still remember very well, from our house to school. So very early in the morning we'll be trekking and we'll be running because you must not be late in St. Malachy. We’ll be running, when we got to school that very early in the morning around seven, we met that other senior at the gate. He has been waiting for my brother to come. Immediately he saw him, just called him, "Come here. I told you not to do that thing yesterday, you went to do it." Please, who asked him to do it? Is it not the other senior? Who should he go and fight? But he could not face that senior. That is the devil and Jesus. When you get people saved and don't take them to the knowledge of the truth, the person to be tormented will be the saved person. He cannot torment Jesus. But the person who is saved, that's why you see some Christians struggling all their lives. Christian life has become a struggle because they don't know the truth about themselves. He said, "Yesterday I told you not to do that thing, you went to do it. From where you are, start walking towards where I am on your knees." So I took my bag for my brother. I quickly just, you know the way a dog when he sees what can kill it will run away, I collected his bag and I went to stand in one corner. I was already fidgeting as a small boy. And he has brought his belt. He said, "Oya." So he knelt from that distance. He moved towards him. When he got to the point where he was, he said, "Oya, be rolling on the floor." And as he was rolling, they were using koboko. They were whipping it and he was crying. "If I tell you something you don't do it." He was crying. They were whipping it. But you know I wish I was a Superman and I could save my brother because I saw the injustice. You suffer from the person who intimidated you. You know this person but the person is defenseless. And the person who did it was not available to save him. But I tell people, anybody that comes into Jesus, Jesus is available to save them. But what you are not aware of cannot be profitable for you. That's why he said God wants all men to be saved and then what? Come to the knowledge of the truth. That is why you notice that Paul said the same thing, look at it in Galatians. Look at what he said in Galatians 4, from verse 1. "Now I say, that the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;" Do you see? So an heir is no different from a slave as long as he is a child. That's why you noticed that he said in evil, be children, but in understanding, don't be children. Because once you are a child, what happened? You'll not be different from a slave. Not different from a slave. Very, very, very important. So I want to beg us, Easter is telling us that do you really have hope of resurrection? This way you are living your life, are you sure you have this hope? People who have this hope, they purify themselves. They don't need close monitoring. They don't need to be forced to fellowship. They don't need a police, you don't need a monitor if you understand the hope of resurrection. You don't need it. You have become miserable. Your life will not be different from the slave. You will speak in tongues in fellowship, you will tell lie in the office. You will praise God in church, you will beat your wife at home. You will preach on evangelism, you will fight in your neighborhood. Your life will not be consistent because something is not guiding your life. What is it? The hope of resurrection. It's very important. So don't let us live miserable life, life of compromises. You are not here, you are not there. Your happiness is the happiness of sinners. When you steal money you will say, "Ah, I made it today." You rejoice in what they are rejoicing in. You dance at what they dance at. You enjoy what they enjoy. You forgot that the Bible says that what is glorified among men is abomination to God. That which men carry and they are dancing around, is that which God is abominable to God. He said the way of the upright is abominable to the sinner, and the way of the wicked is also abominable to—that's what the Bible says. They are ways, what they rejoice in, what take their delight, what take their joy. Looking for example what the Bible said, oh but his delight is in the law of the Lord, in it he meditate day and night. When the righteous obey God, there is a way they are dancing. What is the joy now? What is making you happy that you told the truth? See you have missed a contract, you have missed ten thousand. Look at what you are losing. Look at you won't get the promotion. You didn't get promotion just because you chose to—your joy is not their joy. Your ways is not their ways. May we understand Easter. May we live in the spirit of Easter. And I want to close with this because it is rounding up time. I’ve told myself that I want to be rounding off our meeting by ten minutes past six. I have just five minutes to say this. Paul put the other side, he said to live is Christ. And I want us to see something in 2 Corinthians 5 quickly. 2 Corinthians 5:13-15. "For whether we be beside ourselves, it is for God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause. For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again." Hallelujah. The spirit of Easter. 2 Corinthians 5:13-15. It said for whether we be beside ourselves, do you know what that means? Paul is saying that whether we live like madmen, it is for God. If you go and take simpler translation, you will see it there. If we are out of our mind, as some say, it is for God. You get it now? If we are out of our mind, it looks like, ah, why some people go? Don't you want to make it in this life? Don't you want to make progress? Aren't you a Nigerian? So you mean you cannot just change, you cannot just add figure to change hundred to one thousand? You are a stupid Nigerian. Don't you know you can't make it? These are the mad people that we are talking about. If we are out of our mind, that's what he's trying to say. They are telling you, "Ah bro, you are now 28 years old, 28 years old, when you get there tell them that you are 24. If you tell them you are 28, they will not give you the job." "Then the job is not meant for me." Oh, these are the mad people that we are talking about. If we are out of our mind. Are you getting what he's trying to say? If we never see what is your problem? Don't you want to make it? Don't you want to enjoy life? Don't you want to be rich? Don't you want to get married? Don't you want to live fine? Don't you want to live big? Don't you want all these things? If we look at it we are not living for these things. That's what he's saying. "For Christ's love compels us." So what is the one that is directing their life? Christ, the love of Christ. It's the one that is controlling their life. They want to live their own life but they could not live it. Something is compelling them, that is the spirit of Easter. May the spirit of Easter compel you. That is the resurrection. That is the spirit. It compels them not to live for themselves. Not to live for themselves. May you be compelled. May the spirit of God lay hold on you that you can no more live for yourself. Talk to the Lord. "Lord, let Your spirit compel me that I no more live for myself. I have died." He said the love of God, that is the spirit of Easter, it compels us so that we now judge that if one died, then He died for all. He died for all so that those who live should no more live for themselves, but they should live for Him who died for them and resurrected. The spirit of Easter. Who died for them and resurrected. You are no more living for yourself. You want to live for Him who died and resurrected. You want to live for Him who died and resurrected. Oh God, let me be compelled by Your spirit. Let Your spirit lay hold on me. Oh, let Your word burn like fire in my bones. Let Your word burn like fire in my bones. Thank You, Lord. And I want you to pray that God Almighty, oh I will not be ignorant of the truth. An heir is not different from a slave if you don't know the truth. You will not be different from a slave. An heir not different from a slave. Even though you own all things, you will still be living like those you are a slave. You will not be able to come boldly. That is actually what we are trying to look at in "Experiencing God." Some people cannot just experience God. It’s not because they don't have this but they don't know it. Ah. What you are not aware of cannot be profitable for you. That is why he said God wants all men to be saved and then what? Come to the knowledge of the truth. May the Lord grant us revelation. May the Lord grant us revelation. May the Lord grant us revelation in the name of Jesus. May every covering cast of the devil, every veil covering our eyes from seeing the eternity of Jesus, let every veil by the power of God, let every veil be torn into two in the name of Jesus. May veil be taken away. May veil be taken away. May veil be taken away because they are taken away in Christ in the name of Jesus. There is no difference. That's why you notice that the Bible says, and everywhere I go, that's what I tell people. That's why I look at it some of us we seem to be committed to just one kind of mission. Trying to make people come to the knowledge of the truth. There are two aspects to mission, we must understand it. One aspect of mission, which we cannot overemphasize because Jesus focused on both, and that is why one is not more important than the other. They march into one and we must take the two seriously. When the Bible says this is the will of God—this is 1 Timothy 2—this is the will of God, that all men be saved. That is the first aspect. But it didn't stop there. And then what? Come to the knowledge of the truth. May we understand Easter. May we live in the spirit of Easter. Almighty God, two things we pray for today. Number one, we are asking, open our eyes to the truth, the truth in which Christ has set us free. Lord open our eyes into this truth that we may walk in the fullness of this truth, that we may walk in the liberty that this truth brings. Oh God, that we may live in view of eternity, that we may walk through the valley of the shadow of death and yet fear no evil in the name of Jesus Christ. And Lord I pray, let the fire of Your spirit burn in our bones, constraining us that we who live will no more live for ourselves, but we live for Him who died and rose again in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank You, Eternal Father. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. Let's share the grace together in fellowship, brethren. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and forever more. Amen.