Christ is Risen

April 20, 2025 Gateway Church of the Nazarene (gwnaz.org), Pastor Rod Marion

Christ is Risen.

He is risen indeed!

"Then he said to them, 'My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.' Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.' Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. 'Couldn't you men keep watch with me for one hour?' he asked Peter." Matthew 26:38-40 (New International Version)

A. The Illusion of Control

1. The cognitive bias that leads us to believe we have control over the outcome when in reality, we don't.

2. "He went away a second time and prayed, 'My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.'" Matthew 26:42 (NIV)

3. The more we try to control, the more we lose control.

4. The more we lose control, the more we try to control.

5. You don't always have the power to control, but you always have the power to surrender.

B. Moralistic Therapeutic Deism

1. Moralistic: equates religion with being good, moral, and nice.

2. Therapeutic: faith is a means to improve your life.

3. Deism: God is real, but not involved unless you really need Him.

4. God's will is rarely easy, but it is always good.

C. What are you trying to control that you need to surrender?

1. Real faith starts between the if and the yet.

2. "Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it." Matthew 10:39 (NIV)

God can do way more with your surrender than you can do with your control.