Hope restored (Resurrection Hope)

But I just want this one to thank you for today. Thank you for your way that is coming forth. Lord, I pray, the father God, you would open our hearts and our minds to receive from you in Jesus name, amen. Thank you, Rob. send me tell me so I can see the scriptures that you'll say

Winning touch. Are you good? Is the person next to you? Good. You know, so sure. Now how are you?

I'm excited today Palm Sunday. You might, you might think it's summer cuz I'm wearing this summer so I just thought I wanted to buy something that symbolized, Palm Sunday. What's the greenery lots of things growing in the garden? The days that I have hope the day is today a purpose to Daisy a day of joy. So that's ready to live in. Let's come to the first scripture. Yeah, we read the story, as we had a little bit from Rob. It says, in Matthew 21 verses 1 through 11. Now, when they drew near Jerusalem, I came to Best Buy at the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus sent two disciples signs of them going to the Village opposite you and immediately, you will find a donkey tied on a couch with a loose them and bring them to me. And if anyone says anything to you, you should say, the Lord has need of them and immediately he will send them all. This was done that, it might be fulfilled, which is spoken by the prophet saying, tell the daughter of Zion behold, your king is coming to you lowly and sitting on the donkey. I called the fall of a donkey. So the disciples when Jesus commanded them, they bought the donkey and the coat laid that close on them and set him on them. And a very, very great multitude spread that closed on the road. I was cutting down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multi choose who went before and those who cried out saying, Hosanna to the son of David blessed. Is he who comes in the name of the Lord hosanna in the highest? And Wendy are coming to Jerusalem. All the city was moved saying, who is this? So the multitude said this is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee. The people of the time, we're hoping for a king hoping for a warrior king quietly with glorious roads, probably on a stallion riding into town sign.

Jesus comes in on a donkey and you're sitting there on something somebody walks in and says the Lord has need of this. I don't know where this ever happened to you, whether you had to grab hold of something. I just need this right now. You see on FBI programs, that kind of think that kind of authority that says I have the authority to type this donkey right now. If you were one of the disciples and without going to the CO2, when you see the donkey, and when they ask you say the Lord has need of this. Well, you know what, when you know what, you know what, you know, you will do it. When do you really know there's an instruction from the Throne of heaven, then we'll do it. If we told me, but I think we need a donkey. Now he heard from Jesus, I heard from Jesus. They went in with confidence and boldness in church as we head towards Easter that have confidence and boldness today. Now we know the beginning from the end on like the disciples unlike those who were there on the Holy Week who will kind of celebration of Jesus being the crowds gathered. You know, where the heading, we know the rest of the story. Just imagine you didn't know that, and then you arrived on Monday, Thursday, and he's in the garden and he's crying and then he gets betrayed and then he gets crucified, we know that. So coming, but that means we can walk with confidence into Easter. We can walk with boldness in to Easter week. Impress him with boldness and with purpose because Jesus has gone before us. He's paid the price for you and me. He set us free and he set us free with his prophecies and with his power in Jesus name. Is a survey that came out this week called The Silent Revival Revival by this kind of thing and I'll send you some of the things and there's also a full piece of research behind this. Look around the room and look at the age of the people in the room. The Beautiful People.

Who's in the trash? Why did a piece of research in 2018? All styles of people often you went to church in 2018, you could just look at the difference between 2018 and 2025 Church attendance is on the app. Church attendance your bottom number there for make per cent to 12 per cent of the population said they would like to check the number time, it's on the out. But what I really want you to know if this is the second bottom line under under 35 There is a silent Revival. Quiet. Revival going on in the younger generation gen Z, they are hungry for something, the hungry for something, more Church attendance in the area has more than doubled. Fascinating stuff as fast as I can stop by. The respondents who lost in the Seventh Adventist Church goes. By the way, you responded to Austin, the church side with 11 and a half times more likely to go to church. Then they felt back in 2018,

What can we say about just click on the impact of going to church? What can we say about the impact? You're going to judge respondents. Who said they went to church while one and a half times more likely to have meaning in their life. 50, another 50% more, this heart in the church. Because people to go to church one and a half times more likely to be hopeful about the future. I mean, I don't know what he thought. I go. That's my response to the news mostly cuz the news he somehow we like bad news you want, but if it's all for the good news, we went by there and pick you up. That's I think you something about how we feel. Yeah, we could also I saw you that there's a greater sense of community people are twice as likely who go to church to feel connected to the local community and their local area mental health is a big issue today. Loneliness is an issue today. And he said, he's a really interesting. One church-going respondents are more engaged in activities. Such as giving volunteering and Community projects acts of kindness. So she's doing good. Well done Church, good church. Well done, pressing price on, but you know what? If this is true, then that means there's a big hobby stuff that there are people who are hungry for something more, the hungry for something more. Hear some statistics about people who Ross to one's going to church and wanting to race, that they would be willing to go to church. One-in-three, think about your neighbors on either side. Neither I one of those potentially would be interested in going to church.

And that's a third of people who don't go to church, should be willing to go. If some of the reasons why they don't go to college in lots of places, you'll see more signs appearing up outside. Now is recombinant to be other set is Olaf and run this world. But you know that typically being the best way to invite someone is a friend or family member cuz they know you and they trust you. Bingo supplies, stranger things. Thank you. And you'll put it in your pocket and woke up. Friendship evangelism is K in this time in this season. What about the word of God that book? So we think you're so precious to us one in four respondents said, they would consider giving the Bible a try. These are people who don't read the Bible, one in four people and especially in eighteen to twenty-four year-old, it got up to Nidia 3rd, you said they'd be willing to return looking for purpose that looking for meaning that looking for a framework to lie.

A taste of it that I find fascinating to the people who responded said they appreciate.

That means the majority of people you come across who doesn't know, Jesus would be willing to have you pray for them. So what are we risk? What do we Risk by asking? I'd love you to test some of these statistics. Why not invite some of the church one? I bought two or three or four and then then you can come back to me. So if I invited people and nobody said, yes, the three Outback might say, yes, two-thirds of people responded, they would appreciate pry. And we need to get better witnessing Church. These are amazing statistics. This wasn't a small sample. This was thousands and thousands of people. Some questions arose from the survey.

Did you know, FriXion for the over 5 million people go to church and believe is here in the UK. More traditional churches, maybe not growing in the same way. Some cheddar cheese, a dying. But those who have a strong faith in a strong belief who are declaring what they believe and sharing about the cross. And Jesus Christ are growing with passion, with purpose, and with energy and an answer one.

One of the challenges that we do a Bible as well as the Bible speaks to a height. With knowledge but it also speaks to her.

Nothing speaks to a heart, but it speaks to our hands. He calls us to service. The news, the thing, it's speaking to a younger generation. Some people might say that the UK is a post-christian society and maybe that is true, if you ever watch that I'm showing my age. Now, if you've ever watched Monty Python Life of Brian, what are the Romans done for us? And then they listed as a whole lot of things done for the UK. And then we got what about schools? What about hospitals? What about universities? And I could keep on going and going. What about the abolition of slavery? I like to keep on going and going and going to revival going on in the church. Is it quite revival going on? In the marketplace, is a clot Revival and we need to catch. Hold of this. Let's go. When I pay, if it's okay to come back to another scripture.

You'll be cool to be different with cool to be different in Romans 12:12 is of God that you present, your bodies, a Living Sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

I do not know if you do not be conformed to this world but be transformed. Our hearts are mines. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is good and acceptable and the perfect will of God.

Or I say that three grace given to me to everyone who's amongst. You not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think. But to think soberly as God has dealt to each one of us a Measure of Faith.

Go to school. Des. Go to school this week. Papas go to school. This with passion. The people are not just looking for Content, not just looking for a book that gives them wisdom, they looking for other slaves, they looking for community. You asked me to 83 Kelly read, lots of people jumped online. We went to church online, we still doing Church online but you know, it's more than just content with access to so much stuff today. You can find, if you can find a better, sermon somewhere else, you can find someone who's got more phds than me, preaching somewhere else. You can find someone who's passionate, but you know what? It's not just about comes in. It's about Community, it's about being church together and I don't just want to limit to that in the room. We have a bunch of people who do not live anywhere near us, some towns in South Africa, sometimes Scotland, sometimes Carlisle, sometimes. Bashir, and I know that we had messages back from those folks saying this is important to me. This is my highlight of the week, not to go to church but this is the highlight of community. A community means looking out for one another look around at the other people in the room that special people that precious people, God loves them. Way cool to 70. Going to have Fellowship mail today, where we going to eat together? Take, let me, let me turn today's luncheon. A bit different. I want to make it musical chairs. This afternoon. I want to encourage you. It will play some music. What I want. On couch, YouTube. There is no seats at the same table all the time. Sweet. One table have a small helping of something, go back and get some more now than sit at a different table and talk to somebody else. Yeah, we got stuck in the same chair, you sat in last week and the week before and the week before, when I was a student long time ago, I went to a particular church and they had pews and I went to this church for the first time Sunday evening service. I sat down in the Pew and the lady came along and she looked at me and she stood there and she looked at me

I meant you look top and she looked around that she has other people that she looks at me again.

I said I'm terribly. Sorry I got off but I moved but you know what? That make me feel. Make me feel like, please go away. Please leave church. If every chair in this room was full today on the floor. I sit on the floor because I want to make room for the cast is coming. If it's not going to be enough food and I'm sure that will be always more than enough food for a fellowship mail. But, you know what, if it looked like, the first thing I would do is pray and the second thing I would do is because I want you to be blessed, and so Community. Message, people are looking for more than content. They looking for community in community, that was relationship communities, built off of families. And people connect to, I want to see my family. Pay me right here. I'm not just talking about blood relatives. I'm talking about households Springs. People who live in his house with him to church, welcome his suit in the same house. Then

I'm so pleased to know. So when I saw you in families, I mean families and households. Are we have people who believed in our house? You are in this room who are not blood relatives, But as you say, they seen me casa su casa. Mi casa is your Council. I love. I love to Spanish translate. My house is your house. My castle is your Castle.

The Hope restored, hope, hope renewed Community is family in the midst of family.

In the midst of family is relationship. I'm relationships matter.

No wonder you haven't spoken to a member of your family for a while. You kind of get a little anxious all day okay? You pick up the phone, pick up the phone.

the Apollo about relationship is the strength of that relationship and I gunga come to my most important see today, Covenant, Covenant is important in today's world, Covenant relationship. Yeah, we're really good at making promises you and I can make promises. I promise to do this. I promise to do that, you know, if you look at the money that we have, if I go to a 10 lb load, on most days, I promise to pay the bearer.

Yep, I promise to fight them inside value in this. That's where the value comes from the the value of the promise. But you know what, anybody in the room really good at keeping promises.

I did my best but I didn't run from time to time.

I want to remember going to be like coach John who I call the taxi driver, he's retired and I'm here at the airport and he would be that he picked them up in one particular situation. I need to be pick them up at 6 in the morning, but he delivered them to our house, let them in, cuz we weren't there and show them to that bedroom and then left them to it. You know, he was going to taxi driver for me. It really stepped up in a times. I remember One bank holiday Monday. We're heading to go to bank holiday Easter. I'm in one bike holiday Monday that I don't want to see you. About 11. Lots of things in my dog about 11:45. I said I'm sorry John. I'm sorry I'm late. They said well that's why I expect that's what you normally do and I will. Okay. That's not good. That's not good. When people expect you to be late, that means my word is no longer valid. I'm saying I'm going to be there at 11 or 10. 12.

Reputation is reality reputation, is reality. Doesn't matter what you say, you can say to your children, do what I say, not what I do, but they will see you again and again and again. And again repeating things I just want you to think about, but I want you to think about this. When did you make a covenant relationship, made a covenant relationship with Noah? You put a rainbow in the sky and said, never will I ever do this again? He made promise after promise after bars. And if we know cuz we say this, he who promised a spiteful, the Covenant relationship is important to Covenant relationship goes Way Beyond how you feel. Covenant relationship is king. Covenant relationship is foundational.

Let me, let me talk about some important promises. Some of you probably both got something pretty big largest amount of money you never saw him before you see. It's a big thing. But you know what? House is a house in if you run out of money and had to move in because you couldn't pay the mortgage. I know we have people who've been through that kind of stuff, but you know, what, if that happens, it's just the house. I don't want to break Covenant relationship.

I made a promise when I became a Christian. I said, Lord Jesus take your place in my life. Take your place in my life Rule and reign in me. That means sometimes I have to yield to him and to his spirits like Jesus. What is it? You want me to do here? I know he lost me. I could think of a number of times when he's asked me to do the thing. I don't want it to We said, please do it live. It simple, and because of that Covenant relationship with Jesus, I'll do then.

How many come in a relationship on our wedding day on the 14th of May? To my wife Julia. Julia throws well, he's made a covenant relationship. For Better or Worse for richer or poorer in sickness and in health.

My wife is an inch and a half taller than when I married her. Don't cuz she grows cuz she had to have surgery to straighten it.

I'm in the house putting half iced coffee cup of tea cup down to drink steak. Teacup down and she dropped it because it was an inch and a half lower than she expected it to be.

Covenant relationship matters.

I'm a covenant relationship with the church 30 plus years ago when I said I'm going to leave this place. And that means I'm here till it's over until I'm through until I get permission to put my feet up. That's a covenant relationship has every year in the last 30, plus years, being easy. No. But I am very, very, very excited by what God is doing. That was another gentleman who came and checked this morning from another Nation, your time, and join us, and help us load. Stuff this morning, I have to get another flag. Another flag for the Sudan.

Yeah absolutely. Yes relationship. Covenant relationship with me is with him for the long-term. What about you are? You made a covenant relationship with Jesus? Have you made a covenant relationship with your community? The church? Have you made a covenant relationship with other people. You said I'm with you until it's over.

It's like the next scripture, please. I think that's okay.

And Hebrews 10:24, it says this and let us consider one another in order to stir up. Love and Goodwill. Let's consider paying attention to another. Let's look at one another's. Be aware of one another, that's considered why and how in order that we might stir up, love and pay attention.

To stir up, love and good works.

Julia. So we have round, don't break on the regular basis on a Wednesday. When we call our grandson Edison, and Julia often bikes with her now, So he has a great fun at biking some cakes and making some icing and the fond of doing that. But hey, is this thing, he's learnt to share. So when it comes to the Wednesday evening mail, he says Nana this one is for you Grande. This one is for you, mommy is one is for you that he's learned to share in the midst of family and community.

They learn exactly as in the scripture Hebrews 10:24, let us consider how many might consider one another in order to stir up, love and good works.

That's all I want to bring this war to a close cuz I want to ask some questions about you and God as we look to old Easter, as we walk through the celebration of Palm, Sunday, play, Hosanna, Hosanna to the son of David.

I want to encourage you. Are you in this for the long long? How are you in this and still owe you already saved? Are you in this until all your families? Are you in this until some of the people? See what we get saved? Are you in this until the Hall of agema wherever you live in slave? And for those online, take that for wherever you live. We can reach far beyond the natural world, because of what we do, and how we do it. We church, I'll reaching all nations. That's why you put flags up every Sunday and see if your flight is not represented on a Sunday, please let us know. We got it out. There are plenty of flags for plenty of Nations, where I am multicolored multinational church and we doing what God is calling us to do. I'm not Covenant. Relationship will cause you to pray for your neighbor that Covenant relationship will cause us to pray for one another that Covenant relationship after stepping with boldness and pythons, I do whatever it is. You want me to do, I will do it and I will do it with confidence in fight because you went to the cross for me. You rose again from the dead for me and you Reign Victorious.

That survey said people are looking for prior, two out of three people need price would be willing to would love to be pray for 1 hour. For would love to read the Bible. Sorry 1 hour forward we love to be invited if she has one and three would be willing to remove the Bible that some statistics

What are we risk?

I'm going to encourage you wherever you are to choose this Easter to invite someone to something that's going on this Friday. Good Friday will have a walker witness will start outside the Everyman Cinema and I can buy straight and we'll walk down the High Street together and we'll sing some. Hymns will read some scriptures on but will fellowship and declare together what Christ has done on the cross for us all men? Okay, just before just before we are going to video. It's a little bit cheesy.

Welcome everyone to my seminar, how to invite your neighbors to Easter services. Let's get gone. Number one, pray for your neighbor be doing this. Number two, Tell me where your neighbor's house is for this one. I'm second thought, let's back up. If you haven't met, your neighbor should meet your neighbor or this is going to be. There we go.

Let's do a little switching real. A neighbor Waconia, neighbor's house you with me. So far number for Resist. The urge to do a little dance and make a facing front door. Doorbell camera, a normal type of adult, invite them here, let me illustrate. Hello. Would you like to go to church with me? It's that easy.

Everybody, it's time for a quiz.

Are you guys? I said it was a little cheesy. I'm sure. You know someone like her. But you know what? I get to know you. If you remember what did she say, what was the first thing?

Yep. Right then get to know your neighbor.

I got milk and inviting to church that we go. Thank you.