Matt Chandler - The Power of the Resurrection

If you have your Bibles, go ahead and open them up; we’re going to be in John chapter 11. We will look at seven verses there, starting in verse 20 and ending in verse 27. Before we get there, I wanted to take a couple of moments to address us in these unprecedented times. I know you might be frustrated with that little phrase «unprecedented times.» In fact, that phrase might have triggered you this morning. But let me share a bit of my heart with you. Over the last three weeks in particular, I have felt extremely what I would describe as provoked in spirit. What I mean by «provoked in spirit» is that I have felt this mixture of emotions. I think everyone feels it differently, but the way I have felt it is that it’s been building and landed about three weeks ago as a deep sadness in the core of me that rolls up into rage. So maybe you are wired differently; perhaps it’s deep sadness and you just stay there, or maybe it’s deep anger and you just stay there, or maybe it’s deep frustration and you just stay there. For me, I’ll feel sad, I’ll feel heartbroken—I’m emotive anyway—and so I’ll feel this deep sadness, and then I’ll get angry. Here’s what I want to talk аbout: being provoked at the state of our world, but more directly, at the state of our nation right now. As I look out on the landscape of our great nation, I love the United States. As I observe her unraveling and the limited options we have, I see the continuing rioting, another police shooting that leads to a series of riots, followed by more shootings that lead to other riots. On top of that, we are in the middle of a global pandemic with all these realities at play, and I have finally felt provoked and sad, which has moved into anger.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we have this unique opportunity in an environment filled with anger, distrust, division, rage, and loss of hope. We have the chance to shine like lights in the darkness. Please hear my heart: I have a growing concern that rather than seeing all this through the lenses of the kingdom of God, we are operating from the wrong playbook. Hear me, brother, sister, friend: I have to do something with my sadness; I have to do something with my rage. You have to do something with your sadness; you have to do something with your rage. You must address your loss of heart and your frustration. I wonder if we are looking at our country right now through the lenses of the kingdom of God, because the kingdom of God will address the issues here far beyond what I see many of us addressing.

Let me read you a passage and then talk a little about what I think the way forward is. Ephesians 6:12 says this: «For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.» The lenses of the kingdom of God, as Christians, enable us to bring light into darkness and order into chaos—not by participating in the world’s playbook, which includes partisan politics and memes that will not change the trajectory of our nation. No, it’s about understanding that there are principalities and powers that are hell-bent on destroying everything we, as Christians, lift high and say, «Blessed be the name of the Lord.» I want to invite you into the fight; I want to encourage you to engage with the chaos around us. The real fight is happening behind all the partisan politics and false ideologies, amid all the demonic activity. The invitation is for you to actually make war—to do something with your anger, your sadness, and your frustration. It’s not about targeting a particular people group or what’s going on in the school system; it’s not just about education or one political party versus another. I see faults in both platforms; neither of them is the solution. I know some of you may think I’m part of a conspiracy funded by some left-wing agenda to undermine the Constitution. However, neither of these options will solve our issues; they are merely options we are doomed to choose. But they are not our only options. We have the kingdom of God option, and the kingdom of God option says: «You want to fight? Here it is. You want to fight? Pray, fast, lament, worship.» You might think that sounds like an oversimplification, but it is not. You can move heaven.