Pastor Matt Hagee: "Living in the Triumph of the Resurrection"

Hello and welcome to this Sunday conversation. We're discussing pastor Hegy's recent devotional from tomb to triumph and the victory that the resurrection gives each of us in our daily lives. I want to begin by reading from Luke 24 verse 45. The Bible says, "And he opened their understanding that they might comprehend the scriptures."

Today I start with this text because it helps gives it it helps give us a clear picture of one of the reasons that bibleelving Christians do not fully live in the triumph of his resurrection. In Luke 24, Jesus is meeting in Jerusalem with the disciples after he has risen from the grave.

They're astonished. In verse 37, it says, "They were terrified." Why? They simply couldn't believe their eyes. They had seen so much in the last several days and weeks. They were having trouble reconciling reality with their experiences. Sometimes our experience distorts reality. And in order to understand what's really going on, we need the truth of God's word and the gift of understanding to help us see things in the right perspective.

Here's the disciples reality. They had just come through the triumphal entry. They thought they were going to rule and reign right away. This was the time of the Passover. In Israel's history, that is a time of deliverance from oppression. When you read in the Bible about people waving palm branches and shouting hosana, that was a messianic symbol.

And it was also a political statement to Rome. You see, in the Roman culture, whenever Rome printed money, they put the face of their leaders on their coins. Now, the face of a man would be considered a graven image. So, Bible and Torah practicing Jews would have never used such a thing.

When they were waving palm branches, palm branches and figs and pomegranates were the things that were printed on shekels and Jewish money. Independent people have their own currency. What they were saying to Rome with the palm branches is, "It's the 4th of July. We're going to win our independence.

You're going to be kicked out. Hosanna, the Messiah has come." Then the disciples go to the upper room, still expecting a victory over Rome and the establishment of a new kingdom. Shortly after the upper room, they're in Gethsemane. They see the arrest of Jesus. He's taken to Caiaphas's house, falsely convicted, and then to Pilate's porch. more convictions, torture, crucifixion, burial.

It's overwhelming. They saw it all as it happened. And it was not at all what they expected. And the reality was overwhelming. Why? Because they did not understand the words that Jesus spoke to them. They heard it, but they couldn't comprehend it. And because they couldn't comprehend it, they were not able to experience the power of his truth.

Now, before we judge the disciples and what we might think is their foolish behavior, let's ask ourselves, how many times in our lives do we do the same thing? We allow our experiences and the challenges that we face in the moment to distort the reality of God's word and his love and his promises in our lives.

We want to be critical of Peter and James and John because they ran and hid rather than rejoiced between the cross on Friday and the resurrection on Sunday. But we often do the same thing when our expectations go unmet in our everyday lives. We read God's word, whatever you do will prosper.

That promise is found in Psalms chapter 1:3. And then suddenly our reality in business takes a downturn or we go through an unexpected struggle in our personal lives. And the struggle that we experience is real, but God's promise hasn't changed. He's still working to fulfill it. He promised prosperity.

He didn't promise prosperity without struggle. So, you can't praise the Lord for the sunshine and then begin to blame him when it rains. You have to have faith in him no matter the circumstances you're experiencing because his word is much greater than the reality that you currently face.

In these moments, you have one of two choices. And the choice you make will determine the reality that you experience. The two choices are faith or fear. If you choose faith in God, then you experience the reality of his promise in your life. If you choose fear, then you experience the constant barrage of the overwhelming and unexpected troubles and trials of life.

You don't live in the victory and triumph of the resurrection. you become a victim to fear and circumstance. This is what the disciples were doing after the resurrection. And it's something that people who go to church each and every week still do today. That's why I want you to get this devotional from tomb to triumph so that you can experience the victory of the resurrection in your everyday life.

This is a devotion that has been taken from Pastor Hegy's sermons and teachings and it's packed with the word of God and how it applies to your life. The Bible tells us in Romans chapter 10 and 17, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

Look at the process that equips you as a believer to build faith that gives you the victory. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. The more of the word of God you hear, the more faith that you build. The more of the word of God that you read, the more faith that you build.

The more of the word of God that you speak, the more faith that you build. The more faith that you build, the more victory and triumph you experience in your life. 1 John 5 and verse4 says, "And this is the victory that overcomes the world." Our faith, simply said, no faith, no victory.

No word, no faith. If you don't have the word and you don't have faith, then all you have to believe in is your experience. And that's when you become terrified and fearful because you can't reconcile what's happening against what you thought would happen. That's why here at Hegy Ministries, we have so many of these resources based on God's word available to you.

That's why we post it on YouTube so you can go get it any day that you want. That's why we have a podcast so you can listen to it as you're driving down the road. That's why we live stream services so if you can't get to church, you can still get the word.

That's why we pay the expense of television networks so that we can broadcast this message to those who desperately need to hear it. So you can have access to the word and that your faith can be built stronger and stronger. So that when life happens, you don't give up on God, but you do what Jesus said and have faith in God.

That you live in the triumph and the victory of his resurrection each and every day. That's why it's important for you to get this devotion that you are continually reminded that the resurrection of Jesus Christ isn't a biblical and historical fact. It's an everyday, all day reality that has given you victory over the world, over the flesh, over the devil, and the grave.

Let's consider the world. The world is real, but God's word is greater than the world that we live in. In John 16 and33, we read, "In this world, you will have tribulations." That's real. But here's the truth. But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. Consider the victory we have over the flesh.

Our flesh is real. It's a struggle that we endure and will endure until we see Jesus face to face. But look at second Corinthians 12 and verse 9. This is what the Apostle Paul said. He said, "He said to me, that's Paul saying what Jesus said to him.

He said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, most gladly I will rejoice and boast in my infirmities that the power of God may rest upon me. Paul is telling us that he's struggling. He's struggling in his flesh.

But in spite of his struggle, God can use it for his glory. And God's glory was Paul's purpose. so he could celebrate even in struggle because God won't let one thing go to waste. Not only is our flesh real, but the devil is real. But look at what the Bible says about the devil.

Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. That's in James 4:7. Or another verse in Romans 16 and 20. and the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet. Here's another one. Revelations 12 and 11. They overcame him, that's the devil, by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony.

Not only is the devil real, but death and the grave are real. Here's a very valid statistic. One out of one dies. No one escapes life. Get used to the idea. Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 27 says, "It is appointed for men to die once and after this the judgment, but there is a reality that is greater than death." 1 Corinthians chapter 15:es 54- 57 we read these words death is swallowed up in victory remember faith is the victory so faith in this word swallows up death and we have victory verse 55 oh death where is your sting oh grave and hell Where is your victory?

Verse 57, thanks be to God who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. For every real struggle you experience in your life, the world, the flesh, the devil, death, and hell, there is a promise in God's word that gives you and I the victory over it. But if you don't hear the promise of his word, if you don't read the promise of his word, if you don't remember the promise of his word, and if you don't believe in the promise of his word, then you're going to struggle.

You won't build the faith that brings you the victory. And that's exactly where the disciples were after the resurrection. In spite of the years that they had spent listening to Jesus, the word made flesh, they were afraid of the reality of the situation. They were terrified by what they had seen.

They had put their belief in doubt instead of what God was doing. Christ told them he would do it and now it was done. But according to Luke 24 37 and 38, they were terrified and frightened and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he Jesus said to them, "Why are you troubled?

And why do doubts arise in your heart?" When we choose fear, we allow doubt to cancel the reality of God's work that is right before our eyes. Think about it. Jesus is standing in front of them talking to them and they still don't believe it's him. So in verse 39 he tells them, "Behold my hands and my feet that it it is I myself."

He tells them, "Handle me. See for yourself." And then he says, "Spirits don't have flesh and bones as you have seen." He was telling them very clearly, "I'm not a ghost. I'm me. The same me that you saw crucified. I'm back." Verse 41. But they still did not believe for joy.

Even though they saw him, even though they heard him, even though they touched him, they still had doubts. So Jesus ate in front of them. Here's a question. How much does he have to prove himself to us before we believe? They don't start to gain the faith factor until verse 45, the verse that I read to you at the beginning of this conversation.

And then he opened them to understanding that they might comprehend the scriptures. When their minds were able to understand the word that he had told them, that's when the reality of his truth became more powerful than their experience. And that's my prayer for you today. that the Holy Spirit would open your understanding, not just to hear the words of Jesus, but to believe them and to live by them and to experience the fullness of their power in your life.

Because when you do, you'll begin to experience the triumph of Christ and the power of his resurrection in your everyday life. That's the focus of this devotional that we've been discussing. From tomb to triumph. I know it will encourage you. I know it will build your faith. And that's why I want you to get your copy today.

Join me next week as we continue a Sunday conversation about the victory of the resurrection in your everyday life. If Jesus didn't rise from the dead, faith would have no meaning and hope would have no future. But Jesus did rise. And the same power that raised Christ from the dead now lives in every believer.

Because Jesus lives, you can walk in victory today. >> With your gift of any amount, you'll receive an encouragement greeting card, eight pack, and a vial of anointing oil, tools to strengthen your prayer life. And with your gift of $150 or more, you'll also receive two copies of Pastor Hegy's brand new book, From Tomb to Triumph, One to Keep and One to Share, plus a fruit of the spirit tumbler along with the cards and anointing oil. >> This Leatherbound book contains that power that you need to experience. >> Call the number on screen, use the QR code, or go to jhm.org. org/vvictory. >> Hi, I'm Kendall Haggy.

Thank you for connecting with us today. God bless you and we pray that you'll join us again next week.