1 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:11,000 He is risen. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. 2 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:12,720 Give the Lord some praise in this place. 3 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:18,840 He is a great, glorious God and he is for 4 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:22,520 you, not against you. He is with us and he is here 5 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:26,240 today. Amen. Amen. Well, as we continue in our 6 00:00:26,240 --> 00:00:30,080 flow today, before I get into what I believe the Lord has me 7 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:32,940 share. I am Pastor Kevin. I'm the lead pastor pastor here. I'm glad that you 8 00:00:32,940 --> 00:00:36,740 are here this morning. Welcome on this very beautiful day. I'm glad the rain 9 00:00:36,740 --> 00:00:40,300 came yesterday and the sun is out today. But more than that, I'm glad 10 00:00:40,540 --> 00:00:44,220 to celebrate a resurrected king today. And so, 11 00:00:44,380 --> 00:00:47,700 hey, listen, next week we have something special happening here at 12 00:00:47,700 --> 00:00:50,540 Springhouse and we want you to know about it. Mike Goodwin is going to be 13 00:00:50,540 --> 00:00:54,300 with us. He is a comedian and he is going to come and he's going 14 00:00:54,300 --> 00:00:57,980 to. He's really. It's going to be a special service. Okay, so here's the deal. 15 00:00:57,980 --> 00:01:01,620 If you're new with us, we'd like you to come back and be a part 16 00:01:01,620 --> 00:01:04,820 of this. And if you're home folk and family, I want you to invite a 17 00:01:04,820 --> 00:01:08,540 friend and come. He's going to be with us both gatherings 9am and 11am 18 00:01:08,540 --> 00:01:12,340 and amen. It's going to be a treat. So come. Also, if you 19 00:01:12,340 --> 00:01:15,540 are new to Springhouse or newer to Springhouse, 20 00:01:15,940 --> 00:01:19,260 we have a newcomer's luncheon. Maybe you're here and you're saying, I want to know 21 00:01:19,260 --> 00:01:22,620 a little bit about that church. If you think we're weird, we'll tell you all 22 00:01:22,620 --> 00:01:26,180 about it at this luncheon on the 19th. 23 00:01:26,420 --> 00:01:30,220 Just come at 12:30 after the gathering on the 19th. We 24 00:01:30,220 --> 00:01:32,780 would like for you to come. We're going to feed you, you're going to meet 25 00:01:32,780 --> 00:01:36,320 the pastors and we're going to love on you for a little bit and tell 26 00:01:36,320 --> 00:01:40,160 you about Springhouse. Does that sound good? All right, well, let's get into what God 27 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:43,280 has for us today. We're going to stand here at Springhouse. We have a tradition 28 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:46,640 where we stand and read the word together. So if you'll stand with me, we'll 29 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:49,320 put the words on the screen. And if you are home folk, let's do this 30 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:52,960 with gusto. Okay, here we go. Let's read. We're reading about Jesus 31 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:56,240 appearing to Mary Magdalene after the 32 00:01:56,640 --> 00:02:00,440 death and the burial. This is the resurrection. All right, here we go. Let's 33 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:03,940 read together now. Mary stood outside the 34 00:02:03,940 --> 00:02:07,620 tomb crying as she wept, she bent over 35 00:02:07,700 --> 00:02:11,420 to look into the tomb and saw two angels in 36 00:02:11,420 --> 00:02:14,980 white seated where Jesus body had been. 37 00:02:15,460 --> 00:02:18,340 One at the head and the other at the foot. 38 00:02:19,460 --> 00:02:22,980 They asked her, woman, why are you crying? 39 00:02:23,620 --> 00:02:27,380 They have taken my Lord away, she said, and I 40 00:02:27,380 --> 00:02:31,130 don't know where they have put him. At this, she 41 00:02:31,130 --> 00:02:34,850 turned around and saw Jesus standing there. But 42 00:02:34,850 --> 00:02:38,410 she did not realize that it was Jesus. He 43 00:02:38,410 --> 00:02:42,250 asked her, woman, why are you crying? Who 44 00:02:42,250 --> 00:02:45,889 is it you are looking for? Thinking he was 45 00:02:45,889 --> 00:02:49,730 the gardener, she said, sir, if you have carried him 46 00:02:49,730 --> 00:02:53,530 away, tell me where you have put him and I will 47 00:02:53,530 --> 00:02:57,310 get him. Jesus said to her, mary. 48 00:02:58,910 --> 00:03:02,190 She turned to him and cried out in Aramaic, 49 00:03:02,430 --> 00:03:05,550 rabboni, which means teacher. 50 00:03:06,670 --> 00:03:10,510 Jesus said, do not hold on to me, for I have 51 00:03:10,510 --> 00:03:14,030 not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead 52 00:03:14,110 --> 00:03:17,910 to my brothers and tell them I am ascending to my 53 00:03:17,910 --> 00:03:21,510 Father and your Father, to my God and your 54 00:03:21,510 --> 00:03:25,090 God. Mary Magdalene went to the disciples 55 00:03:25,090 --> 00:03:28,290 with the news. I have seen the Lord. 56 00:03:28,690 --> 00:03:32,410 And she told them that he had said these things to 57 00:03:32,410 --> 00:03:35,810 her. Father, I thank you for your amazing, powerful, 58 00:03:36,050 --> 00:03:39,730 transformative word. Let it do a work in our hearts today. 59 00:03:40,050 --> 00:03:43,730 In Jesus name, amen. Before you sit, hug 60 00:03:43,730 --> 00:03:47,090 the neck of someone you don't like this morning, 61 00:03:54,190 --> 00:04:02,430 Sam. 62 00:04:28,260 --> 00:04:31,940 Mary Magdalene is one of three Marys we learn about in Scripture. 63 00:04:32,820 --> 00:04:36,460 And in the first century Jewish culture, women were valued, 64 00:04:36,460 --> 00:04:40,300 but they were socially limited. It would be 65 00:04:40,300 --> 00:04:43,700 out of the ordinary for a woman to be a formal disciple 66 00:04:44,020 --> 00:04:47,700 of a rabbi. And they had lesser public voice than 67 00:04:47,700 --> 00:04:51,460 the influence of the men that were around them. So right off the b. 68 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:55,400 This Mary that we're talking about, Mary Magdalene, she had 69 00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:59,040 an uphill battle. She had an uphill battle in her life. Has anybody been a 70 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:02,640 part of something where you start out and it already seems like an uphill 71 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:06,440 climb to get there? Well, this Mary, she has this uphill 72 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:09,880 battle. And not only does she have an uphill battle because she was a woman 73 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:13,440 in a culture that didn't really value a woman's 74 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:17,120 voice. But she had a problem. And the problem was, is the word tells us 75 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:20,410 that she had these demons in her life. She had sex. Seven 76 00:05:20,570 --> 00:05:23,970 demons. Seven demons. Now, I know I don't know about you, but, you know, we 77 00:05:23,970 --> 00:05:27,650 tend to contend with some things from our past. And we'll look at our 78 00:05:27,650 --> 00:05:30,810 lives and it will kind of like. If you're anything like me, Jeanne, I'm like 79 00:05:30,810 --> 00:05:34,090 an onion, okay? I've got layers, you know, to me, and there's just layer at 80 00:05:34,090 --> 00:05:37,850 the layer. This woman is dealing with seven demons. 81 00:05:37,850 --> 00:05:41,330 Seven demons. And in the culture of that day, 82 00:05:41,330 --> 00:05:44,970 demon possession was not just a spiritual issue. 83 00:05:44,970 --> 00:05:48,410 It carried with it fear and judgment and 84 00:05:48,490 --> 00:05:52,270 isolation, social isolation. And because of this marriage, Mary 85 00:05:52,270 --> 00:05:55,470 would have been avoided. She would have been 86 00:05:55,470 --> 00:05:59,230 labeled and she would have been excluded. Can anybody relate 87 00:05:59,230 --> 00:06:02,790 to this? Avoided, labeled and 88 00:06:02,950 --> 00:06:06,470 excluded. So Mary here, she wasn't just struggling, 89 00:06:07,190 --> 00:06:10,390 she was feared. She was misunderstood, 90 00:06:10,870 --> 00:06:14,310 she was marginalized, and she was marked in order to be 91 00:06:14,390 --> 00:06:17,030 avoided. She didn't just have a past, 92 00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:21,640 she had a reputation. You ever met somebody with a 93 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:25,360 reputation? A reputation? She had a reputation. 94 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:29,760 Mary was a woman that in the culture would sideline her 95 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:33,280 because every room she entered, the verdict was 96 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:36,920 already rendered. In other words, they judged her before she 97 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:39,760 even said a word. And then something 98 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:43,840 miraculous happens. Jesus steps into her 99 00:06:43,840 --> 00:06:47,630 life. Oh, aren't you glad for the day that Jesus stepped into your 100 00:06:47,630 --> 00:06:51,470 life? Jesus steps into Mary's life. And 101 00:06:51,470 --> 00:06:55,230 when Jesus arrives on the scene In Luke chapter 8, the Word tells 102 00:06:55,230 --> 00:06:58,590 us that he delivers Mary from these 103 00:06:58,590 --> 00:07:02,430 demons. But not only does he deliver her spiritually, he 104 00:07:02,430 --> 00:07:06,070 does something totally radical here. He doesn't just manage 105 00:07:06,470 --> 00:07:10,320 her symptoms or slightly improve her 106 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:13,640 condition. See, we like to kind of rub up to 107 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:17,360 Jesus just enough to get those symptoms to 108 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:21,120 kind of settle down. But see, Jesus isn't in the business of just 109 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:24,800 catering to symptoms. Jesus is looking to get to root issues 110 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:28,240 and to uproot those issues so that we can actually be free. 111 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:32,040 Somebody say amen. And so he 112 00:07:32,040 --> 00:07:35,600 restores her dignity, her identity 113 00:07:36,890 --> 00:07:40,610 and belonging, and then allows her the freedom 114 00:07:40,610 --> 00:07:44,450 and the privilege to follow him. Do you know 115 00:07:44,450 --> 00:07:48,290 that it is a privilege to follow the Lord Jesus Christ? It is 116 00:07:48,290 --> 00:07:51,970 a privilege to follow Jesus. Jesus is in the business of setting 117 00:07:51,970 --> 00:07:55,530 people free. And Jesus set Mary free. So 118 00:07:55,530 --> 00:07:58,810 now what was once avoided, labeled and 119 00:07:58,810 --> 00:08:02,530 excluded was transformed into something that someone who was 120 00:08:02,530 --> 00:08:06,150 pursued, redeemed, and, and belonged. And I believe, 121 00:08:06,230 --> 00:08:10,070 Hallelujah. That this is a lot of our stories today. Amen. 122 00:08:10,550 --> 00:08:14,230 Some of you here carry a similar story to 123 00:08:14,230 --> 00:08:18,070 Mary. And you can point back to a moment where Jesus arrived on the 124 00:08:18,070 --> 00:08:20,950 scene and he changed your life. 125 00:08:21,830 --> 00:08:25,270 When someone has been radically touched the way that 126 00:08:25,270 --> 00:08:28,470 Mary has been touched, when you've been radically 127 00:08:28,790 --> 00:08:31,910 changed, you don't just love casually. 128 00:08:33,070 --> 00:08:36,190 Those types of people stay close and they stay near. 129 00:08:36,990 --> 00:08:40,710 So Mary didn't just know about Jesus, she had 130 00:08:40,710 --> 00:08:44,310 a life changing encounter with him. And 131 00:08:44,310 --> 00:08:47,990 the God who changed Mary's life is the very same 132 00:08:47,990 --> 00:08:51,750 God who can change your life today. Same 133 00:08:51,750 --> 00:08:55,070 God. And this is the delineation between 134 00:08:55,310 --> 00:08:59,150 spectators and participants in the Kingdom of 135 00:08:59,150 --> 00:09:02,860 God. Those often impressed with Jesus 136 00:09:02,860 --> 00:09:06,460 will leave. But those changed by Jesus, they'll stay. 137 00:09:07,740 --> 00:09:11,580 If you've been changed by Jesus, you'll stay. 138 00:09:12,140 --> 00:09:15,420 You'll stay around. You know, I grew up in a tradition 139 00:09:15,660 --> 00:09:19,300 where I was scared into salvation. I was told 140 00:09:19,300 --> 00:09:22,860 that there is a fire awaiting for me when I don't let Jesus come into 141 00:09:22,860 --> 00:09:26,340 my heart. And so I was given a candle to put my hand in. And 142 00:09:26,340 --> 00:09:29,660 I had to hold my hand over that flame for as long as I could. 143 00:09:30,210 --> 00:09:34,050 Ouch. As a little third grader. And they said, kevin, your soul's 144 00:09:34,050 --> 00:09:37,730 gonna burn in hell just like that if you don't get saved. And 145 00:09:37,730 --> 00:09:41,410 let me tell you something. I got saved that day. I was 146 00:09:41,410 --> 00:09:44,650 so scared. I was so scared to go burn in hell like the way they 147 00:09:44,650 --> 00:09:48,450 were telling me about. Here's the thing. I don't know what hell is like because 148 00:09:48,450 --> 00:09:52,050 I've never been there. But I'm gonna tell you right now, 149 00:09:52,050 --> 00:09:55,740 hell is a place where Jesus is not. And 150 00:09:55,740 --> 00:09:59,020 any place that Jesus is not is not a place that I want to be. 151 00:09:59,180 --> 00:10:02,620 It's not a place that I want to be. I 152 00:10:02,620 --> 00:10:06,380 remember the moment when I was introduced 153 00:10:06,380 --> 00:10:10,100 to the Meek family here at Springhouse, which was then Smyrna 154 00:10:10,100 --> 00:10:13,660 assembly. And they introduced me to a Jesus 155 00:10:13,740 --> 00:10:17,060 connected to love and relationship, to this great 156 00:10:17,060 --> 00:10:20,460 glorious God who saw Kevin o', Day, knew my 157 00:10:20,540 --> 00:10:23,780 name, knew my story, and wanted to have a 158 00:10:23,780 --> 00:10:27,600 relationship with me. Can I tell you that same very God is 159 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:31,440 available to you today? This God who knows you, who sees you. 160 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:34,920 Guess what? He even knows that thing that's back in that dark corner of your 161 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:38,480 life, that thing that you haven't let out in the open, that dark 162 00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:42,280 crevice of your life. He knows all about that. And friends, today I'm telling you 163 00:10:42,280 --> 00:10:45,920 that he is a redeemer and he is a Savior. 164 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:49,320 And despite the choices and the things that you've done, he is here 165 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:52,960 giving an invitation for you to come and be with him. For 166 00:10:52,960 --> 00:10:56,740 eternity. For eternity. And this invitation 167 00:10:57,140 --> 00:10:59,700 is for everyone? Would you say everyone? 168 00:11:00,740 --> 00:11:04,540 So Luke chapter eight tells us that Mary traveled with 169 00:11:04,540 --> 00:11:08,180 Jesus and she supported his ministry. 170 00:11:09,140 --> 00:11:12,100 Now, Jesus did not come to attract fanfare. 171 00:11:12,740 --> 00:11:16,420 The Word tells us that Jesus, his reason that he came. He said, 172 00:11:16,420 --> 00:11:20,160 I've come to seek and to save that which 173 00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:23,880 was lost. Now, here's the thing. The only way that something 174 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:27,640 is lost is when it's truly lost. And the only way that can 175 00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:31,400 be found is going into a lost situation and finding 176 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:35,160 it, illuminating the lost thing. Jesus comes in and wants to illuminate 177 00:11:35,160 --> 00:11:39,000 lost things. Jesus came to radically change our lives 178 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:42,840 in a way that no one else can. Mary was 179 00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:46,450 delivered and it changed her life. This is why 180 00:11:46,450 --> 00:11:50,250 she traveled with Jesus. This is why she 181 00:11:50,250 --> 00:11:53,850 supported his ministry. And that's why we find 182 00:11:53,850 --> 00:11:57,530 her at the tomb. We find her at the 183 00:11:57,530 --> 00:12:01,330 empty tomb. Peter, John, and Mary there at 184 00:12:01,330 --> 00:12:04,450 the tomb. Now, here's the thing. Peter and John left. 185 00:12:05,570 --> 00:12:09,410 She went and told them, hey, the tomb's empty. Peter comes, John comes. 186 00:12:09,570 --> 00:12:12,610 And here's the thing. I think there's a delineation here. See, 187 00:12:12,850 --> 00:12:14,920 Peter knew Jesus as a teacher. 188 00:12:16,830 --> 00:12:20,390 John knew Jesus as beloved. And this doesn't devalue or 189 00:12:20,390 --> 00:12:24,230 diminish Peter and John's importance. But I have to ask the question, why 190 00:12:24,230 --> 00:12:27,550 did Mary linger? Why did Mary choose to stay? 191 00:12:28,110 --> 00:12:31,790 Well, while one knew him as a teacher, the other knew him as beloved. 192 00:12:31,790 --> 00:12:35,470 Mary knew him as a deliverer. And when God 193 00:12:35,470 --> 00:12:38,950 delivers you out of something and you have a history and a 194 00:12:38,950 --> 00:12:42,670 connect with him in that way, powerful, extraordinary 195 00:12:42,670 --> 00:12:46,150 things happen in your life. Mary stayed. 196 00:12:46,390 --> 00:12:49,950 And the people who stay get to witness extraordinary 197 00:12:49,950 --> 00:12:53,670 things over in Acts. If you're a believer and you know the word over 198 00:12:53,670 --> 00:12:57,430 in Acts. After Jesus ascended to heaven, the Bible 199 00:12:57,430 --> 00:13:01,190 tells us 500 witnesses were there. They were watching this ascension. 200 00:13:01,190 --> 00:13:04,630 Glory to God. And do you know what happens 10 days later? That 201 00:13:04,710 --> 00:13:08,360 500 decreases to 120. What happened to the 202 00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:11,080 other 380 people? Did they get bored? 203 00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:16,680 Was it not exciting enough to wait around? See, 204 00:13:16,680 --> 00:13:20,280 here's the. Let me, let me paint this picture. They literally saw 205 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:23,160 the Son of God ascend into heaven. 206 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:28,280 And Jesus said, I'm going to promise to give you a gift. These 207 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:32,000 people were waiting around on the gift. And so 120 people stay. And 208 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:35,760 guess what happens when they stay? They get to experience the power of the Holy 209 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:39,550 Spirit. The day of Pentecost. Let me tell you something. If you will 210 00:13:39,550 --> 00:13:43,310 stay, if you will stay, you will 211 00:13:43,310 --> 00:13:46,830 witness miraculous things. If you stay, you will 212 00:13:46,830 --> 00:13:50,110 witness extraordinary things. This is my daughter, 213 00:13:50,110 --> 00:13:53,950 Hadassah. And she, 214 00:13:54,110 --> 00:13:57,710 like all of my daughters, has birthdays every year. And every other year, 215 00:13:57,790 --> 00:14:01,590 every other year, we allow our daughters to choose a place that 216 00:14:01,590 --> 00:14:04,630 they would like to go for their birthday. And I do a daddy daughter date 217 00:14:04,630 --> 00:14:08,180 with them, and we go to that place. And on this particular year, she decides 218 00:14:08,570 --> 00:14:12,290 that she wanted to go see a tiger, a real live tiger. She 219 00:14:12,290 --> 00:14:15,810 likes tigers, favorite animal. And so we decided to go to the 220 00:14:15,810 --> 00:14:19,570 Cincinnati Zoo because we hear that the Cincinnati Zoo has a great 221 00:14:19,570 --> 00:14:23,330 display of tigers. And so we get on the plane and we go to 222 00:14:23,330 --> 00:14:26,890 the Cincinnati Zoo. And we went there and we saw giraffe, we saw 223 00:14:26,890 --> 00:14:30,010 elephants, we saw goats, we saw 224 00:14:30,410 --> 00:14:34,010 hippo, we saw everything. We went to the tiger exhibit. 225 00:14:34,430 --> 00:14:38,190 And the tigers were not there. What is going 226 00:14:38,190 --> 00:14:41,030 on? Where are the tigers? Well, they were there. They were just in the cave 227 00:14:41,030 --> 00:14:44,870 and not coming out. And so we were there and I could just 228 00:14:44,870 --> 00:14:47,910 see the disappointment on our eyes. The whole reason for the trip was to see 229 00:14:47,910 --> 00:14:51,630 this tiger. And so we left and I said, well, let's go to the other 230 00:14:51,630 --> 00:14:54,870 exhibits. And so we went and saw other animals. And then we would make our 231 00:14:54,870 --> 00:14:58,430 way back to the tiger exhibit. And we stood there and we just waited and 232 00:14:58,430 --> 00:15:01,630 kind of looked a little foolish waiting there. Cause everybody was just knowing that 233 00:15:02,110 --> 00:15:05,350 the tigers were not there. But we were there hopeful that the tiger would come 234 00:15:05,350 --> 00:15:09,130 out. And so I did what every great dad would do. 235 00:15:09,130 --> 00:15:12,370 I thought I could fake her out by getting her one of these. And so 236 00:15:12,370 --> 00:15:16,010 I went into the zoo store and paid an 237 00:15:16,010 --> 00:15:19,770 abnormally an outrageous price for a plushed animal. And I 238 00:15:19,770 --> 00:15:23,250 gave it to her. And I said, here's a tiger. And she said, well, 239 00:15:23,250 --> 00:15:27,010 daddy, I wanna see a real tiger. And I'm like, well, I know, dear, but 240 00:15:27,010 --> 00:15:30,690 the real tigers are not out today. And so we circle 241 00:15:30,690 --> 00:15:34,530 again, and the zoo is about to close. We circle again. We go. And we 242 00:15:34,530 --> 00:15:38,270 stand there by the pexiglass. And people are kinda looking at us. What are 243 00:15:38,270 --> 00:15:41,790 you looking at? There's nothing there but trees and grass. And there's a 244 00:15:41,790 --> 00:15:45,550 tiger. And I'm like, baby, it's time to go. They're about to close. And 245 00:15:45,550 --> 00:15:48,950 she says, daddy, the tigers will come if we pray. 246 00:15:54,870 --> 00:15:58,510 You're right, dear. And so she prays for the 247 00:15:58,510 --> 00:16:02,150 tiger. And at the same time, I'm praying the Lord to give me words to 248 00:16:02,150 --> 00:16:05,990 comfort her in her disappointment. And so I'm there and I'm praying, and 249 00:16:05,990 --> 00:16:09,750 she's praying for the tigers. And we're looking and. And it's time to go. 250 00:16:10,870 --> 00:16:14,510 The people who work in the zoo, they are pushing. They are now all in 251 00:16:14,510 --> 00:16:18,270 a line moving the crowds out the door. And so I grab 252 00:16:18,270 --> 00:16:22,110 Adas hand and we go through the bookstore in the 253 00:16:22,110 --> 00:16:25,070 area where you're exiting or whatever. And she says, daddy, can we go back one 254 00:16:25,070 --> 00:16:28,750 more time? And I'm like, baby, like the whole line of people are 255 00:16:28,750 --> 00:16:32,430 here. And so I say, okay. And so we go, and we sneak 256 00:16:32,430 --> 00:16:35,710 around the side and kind of avert the eyes of the 257 00:16:35,710 --> 00:16:39,410 zookeepers. And we go there, and here we are once. And I'm like, oh, Lord, 258 00:16:39,410 --> 00:16:43,090 please. And so we stand there and there's 259 00:16:43,090 --> 00:16:46,410 nothing. And so I grab her hand and we go to 260 00:16:46,650 --> 00:16:50,490 turn away. And as soon as we turn away, the tiger comes 261 00:16:50,490 --> 00:16:54,169 out. And this is Hadassah with her, 262 00:16:55,530 --> 00:16:56,410 with her tiger. 263 00:16:59,690 --> 00:17:03,250 One of the largest issues we have is that we expect something to change, but 264 00:17:03,250 --> 00:17:07,030 we don't see long enough for it to happen. This 265 00:17:07,030 --> 00:17:10,870 is where faith is really tested. Will you stay to 266 00:17:10,870 --> 00:17:14,550 see God do something, or will you leave the minute it gets 267 00:17:14,550 --> 00:17:18,350 hard? Mary didn't understand what happened. 268 00:17:18,590 --> 00:17:22,150 She couldn't explain it. She couldn't fix it. She stayed because 269 00:17:22,150 --> 00:17:25,590 her experience and her relationship with Jesus carried a 270 00:17:25,590 --> 00:17:29,070 matchless depth that no one else could 271 00:17:29,070 --> 00:17:32,840 rival. We sang a song on Friday night where the line 272 00:17:32,840 --> 00:17:36,600 in the song said, this. My one life's endeavor is to 273 00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:40,280 match your surrender, and so I surrender all. This 274 00:17:40,280 --> 00:17:44,120 was the heart posture with which Mary lived her life. 275 00:17:45,320 --> 00:17:48,920 I want you to understand today, church, that casual 276 00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:51,400 encounters create seasonal followers. 277 00:17:52,440 --> 00:17:55,540 Casual encounters create seasonality 278 00:17:55,850 --> 00:17:59,570 followers. If all you have is a casual encounter, then you 279 00:17:59,570 --> 00:18:03,290 have very little motivation to actually show up and stick around. There 280 00:18:03,290 --> 00:18:07,010 was a boy, and he was with his father. And he said to his father, 281 00:18:07,010 --> 00:18:10,850 how big is God? And the father said, well, look 282 00:18:10,850 --> 00:18:14,050 up at the sky. Do you see that airplane? And he sees this airplane up 283 00:18:14,050 --> 00:18:17,330 in the sky. And the father says, how big is that airplane? And the son 284 00:18:17,330 --> 00:18:20,730 says, well, it's really small. It's a really small plane. He said, you're right. 285 00:18:20,970 --> 00:18:23,290 So he gets his son and puts him in the car and they drive over 286 00:18:23,290 --> 00:18:26,490 to the airport, drives right up onto the tarmac, gets out of the car, and 287 00:18:26,490 --> 00:18:30,150 brings his son right up to a Boeing 7700 series. 288 00:18:30,230 --> 00:18:34,030 And he looks up at the Boeing plane and he says, son, how big is 289 00:18:34,030 --> 00:18:37,510 this plane? And the son said, this plane is huge. 290 00:18:39,510 --> 00:18:42,950 And he said, God is as big as your perspective 291 00:18:43,110 --> 00:18:45,110 based on your proximity to him. 292 00:18:46,870 --> 00:18:50,590 Guys, how much time and how close you get to God is how big he 293 00:18:50,590 --> 00:18:54,350 will be in your life. And if you're settling for a casual 294 00:18:54,350 --> 00:18:58,110 encounter, you'll only be a seasonal follower. That means we'll 295 00:18:58,110 --> 00:18:59,790 see you today and we'll see you at Christmas. 296 00:19:02,030 --> 00:19:05,790 But God invites you on a journey full of life, 297 00:19:06,990 --> 00:19:10,830 full of longevity, full of joy, full of radical 298 00:19:10,830 --> 00:19:14,670 transformation and change if you'll just allow him the privilege 299 00:19:14,670 --> 00:19:17,150 of coming in to your life. 300 00:19:18,430 --> 00:19:22,190 Mary's encounter with Jesus was not casual. She had a history. 301 00:19:22,670 --> 00:19:26,390 And some of you are here right now. You walked in this morning, you put 302 00:19:26,390 --> 00:19:30,100 on your pastel stuff, you put on your bright dress, you walked 303 00:19:30,100 --> 00:19:33,220 into the door and you put on a smile. But can I tell you the 304 00:19:33,220 --> 00:19:36,820 truth behind that smile this morning? You are tired, you are 305 00:19:36,820 --> 00:19:40,500 confused, you are worn down. You're carrying Things that you 306 00:19:40,500 --> 00:19:44,340 haven't said out loud. You don't have clarity. You don't even know what God is 307 00:19:44,340 --> 00:19:48,140 really doing in your life. Some came in seeking the validation 308 00:19:48,220 --> 00:19:51,900 of others. Let me tell you about getting your validation from others. The same 309 00:19:51,900 --> 00:19:55,660 people who cried out hosanna to Jesus are the exact same people 310 00:19:55,660 --> 00:19:59,320 that said, crucify him. But praise be to 311 00:19:59,320 --> 00:20:03,000 God that the same people that said, crucify him are the same people he died 312 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:06,600 and rose again for. We don't get 313 00:20:06,600 --> 00:20:10,200 validation for people. We need our validation from a king who 314 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:13,760 actually knows us in our story. But despite any of the 315 00:20:13,760 --> 00:20:17,600 darkness that you have experienced or the darkness that you're walking in, 316 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:21,240 I want you to know that I recognize, and we recognize that you 317 00:20:21,240 --> 00:20:24,750 chose to show up this morning. And that matters, because 318 00:20:24,750 --> 00:20:28,430 here's the reason. No depth of darkness disqualifies you 319 00:20:28,430 --> 00:20:32,110 from an encounter with Jesus. No depth of darkness 320 00:20:32,270 --> 00:20:35,710 disqualifies you from an encounter with Jesus. 321 00:20:35,710 --> 00:20:39,390 Yes, that thing that popped up in your mind right then, that 322 00:20:39,390 --> 00:20:42,750 did not disqualify you. He was the perfect 323 00:20:43,070 --> 00:20:46,830 price on Calvary for our sin. He was the 324 00:20:46,910 --> 00:20:50,570 perfect price. We couldn't pay the price. He was the one who did it. 325 00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:54,800 And so there is no darkness that disqualifies you. This Mary, 326 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:58,640 she looks into the tomb, looking right 327 00:20:58,640 --> 00:21:02,080 at what represents death. And she sees something 328 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:06,240 miraculous. She sees two angels sitting there, this 329 00:21:06,240 --> 00:21:10,000 Mary who lingered around and stayed. And they ask her 330 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:13,280 this question. They say, woman, why are you 331 00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:17,360 weeping? Now, I don't think that they were saying that in the 332 00:21:17,360 --> 00:21:21,060 way of pity. Woman, why are you. Why are you 333 00:21:21,060 --> 00:21:24,900 weeping? They're 334 00:21:24,900 --> 00:21:28,540 asking the question with foreknowledge, that Jesus has come back to life. 335 00:21:29,340 --> 00:21:32,940 Why are you weeping? This 336 00:21:32,940 --> 00:21:36,220 is the wrong emotion to be moating at this moment. 337 00:21:38,540 --> 00:21:40,620 Clearly, there's a disconnect here. 338 00:21:43,260 --> 00:21:47,100 And she answers them through her perspective in her 339 00:21:47,100 --> 00:21:49,500 lens. And she says, they have taken. 340 00:21:51,750 --> 00:21:55,390 They have taken, my Lord. She's not 341 00:21:55,390 --> 00:21:59,110 just looking into a tomb. She's looking through everything 342 00:21:59,350 --> 00:22:02,630 she's just been through. She saw 343 00:22:02,710 --> 00:22:05,909 Jesus beaten. She saw Jesus 344 00:22:05,909 --> 00:22:09,270 crucified. She saw him buried. 345 00:22:10,470 --> 00:22:14,070 So when she looks in, she's not looking with faith. 346 00:22:14,790 --> 00:22:18,160 She's looking through the lens of a painful 347 00:22:18,560 --> 00:22:22,000 memory. In other words, her past 348 00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:25,720 is shaping her expectation. Her pain 349 00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:28,560 is shaping her perception. 350 00:22:29,520 --> 00:22:33,120 Mary is looking for confirmation of loss. She's literally 351 00:22:33,120 --> 00:22:36,720 staring at something she cannot explain. But she filters it 352 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:40,080 through what she already believes to be true. 353 00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:43,600 Friends, may I suggest to you this morning that your 354 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:47,360 pain will preach louder to you than the truth 355 00:22:47,360 --> 00:22:51,020 if you allow it. To your hurt will speak 356 00:22:51,100 --> 00:22:54,860 volumes louder than the actual truth if you 357 00:22:54,860 --> 00:22:57,500 give it ear in that way. 358 00:22:58,780 --> 00:23:01,980 And so she says, they have taken my 359 00:23:02,460 --> 00:23:05,580 Lord. That means that she still claims him. 360 00:23:06,540 --> 00:23:09,980 She still belongs to him. But she's 361 00:23:09,980 --> 00:23:13,740 walking in this expectation that he's gone. You 362 00:23:13,740 --> 00:23:17,020 know what that tells me? That tells me that we can call Him Lord all 363 00:23:17,020 --> 00:23:20,820 day long and not expect him to do a thing in our lives. He 364 00:23:20,820 --> 00:23:23,940 is a God that will exceed our 365 00:23:23,940 --> 00:23:27,580 expectations. You can trust this great glorious 366 00:23:27,580 --> 00:23:31,300 God to move on your life. 367 00:23:32,580 --> 00:23:36,180 So let me ask you, have you ever been in a place where you 368 00:23:36,180 --> 00:23:39,620 prayed and it didn't happen? You 369 00:23:39,620 --> 00:23:43,370 trusted and it didn't work out. You believed and it 370 00:23:43,370 --> 00:23:46,730 didn't look like you thought it would. You asked God to fix it, but it 371 00:23:46,730 --> 00:23:49,890 got worse. You waited and nothing 372 00:23:49,890 --> 00:23:53,570 changed. You stepped out in faith and it fell apart. 373 00:23:54,530 --> 00:23:58,370 You forgave and they still walked away. You 374 00:23:58,370 --> 00:24:02,050 stayed faithful and you got overlooked. You 375 00:24:02,050 --> 00:24:04,690 gave your best, but it wasn't enough. 376 00:24:05,890 --> 00:24:09,690 You thought that door was God, but it slams shut in 377 00:24:09,690 --> 00:24:13,410 your face. You thought that relationship was it, 378 00:24:13,410 --> 00:24:17,210 but it ended. You thought the healing would come and it didn't. You thought the 379 00:24:17,210 --> 00:24:20,650 season would be different and it wasn't. You thought God would show up in a 380 00:24:20,650 --> 00:24:24,450 certain way, and he didn't show up like that. And now, based on 381 00:24:24,450 --> 00:24:28,050 these momentary disappointments, hear me, church. Without 382 00:24:28,050 --> 00:24:31,650 even realizing it, you don't expect him to act 383 00:24:31,650 --> 00:24:35,330 like the God you say you believe he is. Over. 384 00:24:35,330 --> 00:24:38,890 In second Timothy there is this scripture and it talks about the end times. And 385 00:24:38,890 --> 00:24:41,690 this is going to be disastrous things in the end times. But there's a section 386 00:24:41,690 --> 00:24:45,310 of that scripture, scripture that talks about having a form 387 00:24:45,390 --> 00:24:48,910 of godliness, but denying its power. 388 00:24:49,470 --> 00:24:53,270 In the end times it will be, I know the Lord Jesus Christ, 389 00:24:53,270 --> 00:24:56,190 but I deny he can actually do anything in my life. 390 00:24:57,310 --> 00:25:00,990 That is a lie. That is a lie from the Father of 391 00:25:00,990 --> 00:25:04,830 lies. The power of Jesus has the power 392 00:25:04,830 --> 00:25:08,630 to eradicate anything you're going through. The power 393 00:25:08,630 --> 00:25:12,350 of Jesus Christ can infiltrate any situation, any 394 00:25:12,350 --> 00:25:16,050 hurt, any pain. And he. He can bring peace and comfort that nobody 395 00:25:16,050 --> 00:25:19,770 else can. He is so super 396 00:25:20,090 --> 00:25:23,770 faithful. And so now you show up to church on Easter Sunday, 397 00:25:23,850 --> 00:25:27,650 but you're not looking for life. It seems as if you're 398 00:25:27,650 --> 00:25:31,130 just bracing for loss because you're looking at God through the lens 399 00:25:31,210 --> 00:25:34,690 of what or who hurt you. And so you 400 00:25:34,690 --> 00:25:38,290 cope. You numb it. You 401 00:25:38,290 --> 00:25:41,900 pour another drink. You stay busy so you don't have to think about 402 00:25:41,900 --> 00:25:45,620 it. You scroll until your mind goes quiet. You chase another 403 00:25:45,620 --> 00:25:49,300 relationship so that you don't feel alone. You throw yourself 404 00:25:49,300 --> 00:25:52,900 into work so you don't have to deal with what's underneath. You. Binge, 405 00:25:52,900 --> 00:25:56,660 distract, perform, achieve. Anything that will take the edge off. 406 00:25:56,740 --> 00:26:00,420 And guys, if we're honest for just a moment, it works. 407 00:26:02,340 --> 00:26:06,060 For just a moment, for just a second, it feels just a little 408 00:26:06,060 --> 00:26:09,720 bit better. It helps you breathe for just a second. 409 00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:14,360 But it never heals it, does it? Someone 410 00:26:14,440 --> 00:26:18,080 once said you can't get rid of your demons if you're still 411 00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:21,920 enjoying their company. For some of 412 00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:24,840 you, your experiences didn't just hurt you, 413 00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:29,000 they trained you. So, like Mary, you 414 00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:32,360 keep looking, but you're only expecting to find 415 00:26:32,760 --> 00:26:35,160 what you've already determined. 416 00:26:36,570 --> 00:26:40,170 True. Here's the deal. If you 417 00:26:40,170 --> 00:26:42,650 expect death, you will miss life. 418 00:26:43,850 --> 00:26:47,410 If you're walking around expecting death, you 419 00:26:47,410 --> 00:26:50,770 will miss life. And some of you have 420 00:26:50,770 --> 00:26:54,250 chosen to be miserable because you've trained 421 00:26:54,250 --> 00:26:57,890 yourself to look for a dead outcome. Can I tell you this morning 422 00:26:57,890 --> 00:27:01,450 that Jesus wants to change your perspective? 423 00:27:01,850 --> 00:27:05,490 Jesus wants to open your eyes to see in a way that you 424 00:27:05,490 --> 00:27:09,110 have never seen him before. The Word says that she turned with 425 00:27:09,110 --> 00:27:12,790 her body and Jesus is standing right 426 00:27:12,790 --> 00:27:16,590 in front of her. Jesus is not playing a glorified game 427 00:27:16,590 --> 00:27:20,390 of hide and seek with you. He is right there 428 00:27:20,390 --> 00:27:23,670 in front of you. We're gonna have an Easter egg hunt at my house a 429 00:27:23,670 --> 00:27:27,310 little bit later today. My kids are gonna go look for Easter eggs. But do 430 00:27:27,310 --> 00:27:30,550 you know that I'm not gonna take these eggs? And I'm not gonna go dig 431 00:27:30,550 --> 00:27:34,350 up my sewage tank and dig it in so deep that they don't find 432 00:27:34,350 --> 00:27:38,170 it. I'm not hiding the eggs from 433 00:27:38,170 --> 00:27:41,370 my kids. I'm hiding the eggs for my kids. 434 00:27:42,170 --> 00:27:45,970 And Christ is hidden right in front of you in plain sight. If 435 00:27:45,970 --> 00:27:49,370 you'll just acknowledge him, he will reveal himself 436 00:27:49,610 --> 00:27:50,170 to you. 437 00:27:54,410 --> 00:27:58,090 He's not hiding from you. Truth can be standing 438 00:27:58,090 --> 00:28:01,860 right in front of you and you still miss it. Church I want you to 439 00:28:01,860 --> 00:28:05,460 know today, Friends, I want you to know today. If you need a way, 440 00:28:05,780 --> 00:28:09,540 Jesus is the way. If you need 441 00:28:09,620 --> 00:28:12,420 truth today, Jesus is truth. 442 00:28:13,540 --> 00:28:16,580 If you are needing a source of life, 443 00:28:16,900 --> 00:28:20,660 Jesus is life. The Word says that 444 00:28:20,980 --> 00:28:24,100 she saw Jesus but did not 445 00:28:24,180 --> 00:28:27,860 recognize Him. So Jesus asked her this 446 00:28:27,860 --> 00:28:31,650 question. Who is it you are looking for? 447 00:28:32,690 --> 00:28:36,370 Who is it that you're looking for? And I'm asking you this morning 448 00:28:36,450 --> 00:28:40,050 the same question. Who is it that you're looking for? Everyone's looking 449 00:28:40,050 --> 00:28:43,810 for something. Peace, relief. Identity, 450 00:28:44,850 --> 00:28:47,890 control. Mary 451 00:28:47,890 --> 00:28:50,850 responds to Jesus with a distant 452 00:28:51,090 --> 00:28:54,930 response. She calls him sir and treats him like 453 00:28:54,930 --> 00:28:55,730 a gardener. 454 00:28:58,930 --> 00:29:02,370 Because of her pain because of what she witnessed, 455 00:29:03,410 --> 00:29:06,930 she could not bring herself to the reality of seeing 456 00:29:07,250 --> 00:29:10,930 the God who was right in front of her. When I was real little, I 457 00:29:10,930 --> 00:29:14,610 was Catholic, and I remember going 458 00:29:14,610 --> 00:29:18,170 to my first confessional and I walked into that 459 00:29:18,170 --> 00:29:20,970 room. And what you do is you go and you sit with the priest. And 460 00:29:20,970 --> 00:29:23,950 I went into his little. I guess it was a little house. And we went 461 00:29:23,950 --> 00:29:27,190 in there and I sat on the couch with him. And he said, kevin, I 462 00:29:27,190 --> 00:29:30,790 want you to tell me all your sin. Tell me everything you've done 463 00:29:30,790 --> 00:29:34,310 wrong. So I started to tell him, well, 464 00:29:35,190 --> 00:29:38,950 I stole a toy from my brother once. He said, 465 00:29:38,950 --> 00:29:41,830 good, tell me more. Well, 466 00:29:42,550 --> 00:29:46,270 I think I didn't do what my mama asked me to do once. And he 467 00:29:46,270 --> 00:29:50,030 said, good, tell me more. I think I stole. I'm pretty sure I 468 00:29:50,030 --> 00:29:53,790 stole a cookie or two a time. And he said, good, 469 00:29:53,790 --> 00:29:57,510 tell me more, and I'll tell you. This priest was so encouraging. I started making 470 00:29:57,510 --> 00:30:01,150 up sin. I started making. I want. If I was going to be a sinner, 471 00:30:01,150 --> 00:30:02,510 I wanted to be the best one. 472 00:30:06,830 --> 00:30:10,550 But here's the thing. You don't have to hide behind a 473 00:30:10,550 --> 00:30:13,920 person to get to Jesus. The book of 474 00:30:13,920 --> 00:30:17,640 Hebrews tells us, because of Jesus and what he did, we can come, right? 475 00:30:17,800 --> 00:30:20,840 You know what? It doesn't just say, you can just go to his throne. He 476 00:30:20,840 --> 00:30:24,680 actually uses this word boldly, Boldly, 477 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:28,800 confidently. Listen, my girls, I'm literally sleeping with 478 00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:32,280 my underwear in the bed. And the girls just belt into the room asking me, 479 00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:34,640 can I have a snack? Can I have a drink of water? They don't knock. 480 00:30:34,640 --> 00:30:38,120 They just come confidently and boldly and joyfully right into my presence. 481 00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:42,310 You can go to your phone, Father, that way, because 482 00:30:42,310 --> 00:30:45,790 of Jesus, boldly and 483 00:30:45,790 --> 00:30:48,310 confidently before his throne. 484 00:30:49,510 --> 00:30:53,230 But let me ask you this question honestly. Have you ever gotten to 485 00:30:53,230 --> 00:30:57,030 the point of pain and grief that you don't 486 00:30:57,030 --> 00:31:00,630 even recognize what's right in front of you? Or more than 487 00:31:00,630 --> 00:31:02,790 that, who is right in front of you? 488 00:31:04,870 --> 00:31:08,650 Listen to this. Mary. Mary was looking. Listen to me. This was 489 00:31:08,650 --> 00:31:11,690 her frame of mind. Mary was looking for evidence 490 00:31:12,410 --> 00:31:16,250 to validate the reality she created in her mind. 491 00:31:16,410 --> 00:31:20,090 Guys, so often we are looking for the evidence to validate 492 00:31:20,090 --> 00:31:23,850 the reality we've created. When the reality we've created 493 00:31:23,850 --> 00:31:27,530 is based on a lie, it's based on fiction, or it's based on 494 00:31:27,530 --> 00:31:31,250 maybe an experience that happened that God's wanting to pull you out of. You've 495 00:31:31,250 --> 00:31:35,040 assigned your identity to this place. And God said, but that's not who you 496 00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:38,480 are. That's not the name I gave you. 497 00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:41,520 That's not the destiny I've placed in front of you. 498 00:31:42,800 --> 00:31:46,360 And so if we're not careful, we'll assign false evidence to the 499 00:31:46,360 --> 00:31:50,040 deception in front of us. And we'll live our life based on something 500 00:31:50,040 --> 00:31:53,280 that's not true. Your 501 00:31:53,520 --> 00:31:57,200 past does not define you. Your 502 00:31:57,280 --> 00:32:00,360 pain does not get the final word. 503 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:04,800 Your failure is not your identity. What 504 00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:08,200 happened to you is not who you are. 505 00:32:08,680 --> 00:32:11,960 Your worst moment is not your permanent name. 506 00:32:12,200 --> 00:32:15,960 Your history may explain you, but it does not own you. 507 00:32:16,120 --> 00:32:19,960 Your mistakes may mark you, but they do not master you. 508 00:32:20,120 --> 00:32:23,600 What broke you does not get to build you. The lie you 509 00:32:23,600 --> 00:32:27,310 believed is not the truth that you have to live. Just 510 00:32:27,310 --> 00:32:30,990 because it felt real doesn't mean that it's true. Listen. 511 00:32:30,990 --> 00:32:34,710 Everything Mary thought she had lost was standing right in 512 00:32:34,710 --> 00:32:38,350 front of her. And his response was not shame, 513 00:32:38,990 --> 00:32:42,310 not judgment, not disappointment, not 514 00:32:42,310 --> 00:32:46,110 correction, not frustration, not pull it together, 515 00:32:46,430 --> 00:32:49,790 not be stronger. His response was this, 516 00:32:50,510 --> 00:32:54,310 Mary, as if to say, 517 00:32:55,190 --> 00:32:58,910 it's me. And some of 518 00:32:58,910 --> 00:33:01,990 you this morning need a it's me 519 00:33:02,230 --> 00:33:05,910 moment with the creator of the universe. And can I tell 520 00:33:05,910 --> 00:33:09,550 you, you came on the right Sunday because he decided to show up this 521 00:33:09,550 --> 00:33:13,110 morning and you can have an it's 522 00:33:13,110 --> 00:33:16,790 me moment with the Lord. And in that 523 00:33:16,790 --> 00:33:20,420 moment. Here's the thing. In that moment, I believe it was this 524 00:33:20,420 --> 00:33:24,020 moment when he said Mary that she 525 00:33:24,020 --> 00:33:27,580 was transformed. See, before she was delivered. She was 526 00:33:27,580 --> 00:33:31,060 delivered from those demons. But this moment 527 00:33:31,460 --> 00:33:35,180 caused transformation. See, deliverance is 528 00:33:35,180 --> 00:33:38,860 what God does to you. Deliverance is what God 529 00:33:38,860 --> 00:33:42,500 does for you. Transformation is what God does 530 00:33:42,580 --> 00:33:46,340 within you. And this is the moment for Mary that 531 00:33:46,340 --> 00:33:49,770 everything came full circle. This is where 532 00:33:49,770 --> 00:33:53,490 Mary got her song. This is where the Jesus that 533 00:33:53,490 --> 00:33:57,090 she had intimate connection with, it all came to 534 00:33:57,090 --> 00:34:00,610 life at this moment. And I believe that it was at this 535 00:34:00,610 --> 00:34:04,290 moment that she realized with every fiber of her 536 00:34:04,290 --> 00:34:07,770 being that Jesus was everything she ever 537 00:34:07,770 --> 00:34:11,450 needed. I've asked Garner to play this song over us. 538 00:34:11,450 --> 00:34:14,520 Let it sink in your spirit as he sings. Sings as Lyrics 539 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:20,840 Jesus says Mary. He says, 540 00:34:20,840 --> 00:34:24,280 mary. And she for that 541 00:34:24,280 --> 00:34:27,960 moment in time, everything stops. And 542 00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:31,320 she sees the Jesus that she knows. 543 00:34:31,640 --> 00:34:35,160 It's revealed to her. In that moment, everything 544 00:34:35,480 --> 00:34:39,230 comes together and I just see her because he says in the next 545 00:34:40,179 --> 00:34:43,499 beat, don't cling to me. I don't think it was like a get away from 546 00:34:43,499 --> 00:34:47,139 me. I think she was so in the moment that she just grasped him 547 00:34:47,139 --> 00:34:50,979 and didn't want to let him go. But here's the thing. 548 00:34:51,059 --> 00:34:54,539 Here's the thing. Listen. The same woman, Remember the woman we 549 00:34:54,539 --> 00:34:58,379 introduced at the beginning of this, who didn't have a voice, who did. Who had 550 00:34:58,379 --> 00:35:02,179 a past, who had a reputation, who had demons. Now, 551 00:35:02,179 --> 00:35:05,339 let me think about it. If God. I'm thinking God, Jesus is sitting up in 552 00:35:05,339 --> 00:35:09,070 heaven. They're planting. This whole master plan is being put together. Now. 553 00:35:09,070 --> 00:35:12,590 If I'm up there and I'm a part of the conversation, I'm saying, hey, let's 554 00:35:12,590 --> 00:35:16,310 get Peter. Let's get Peter there on the scene. Let's make sure. Or let's. What 555 00:35:16,310 --> 00:35:20,110 about John? You know, maybe John. Maybe Thomas doesn't need a doubt. Maybe let's get 556 00:35:20,110 --> 00:35:23,070 him, like, really there. He needs to see it firsthand. No, 557 00:35:25,150 --> 00:35:28,830 the God of the universe, the God who breathes 558 00:35:28,830 --> 00:35:32,310 stars, chose the last rung on the 559 00:35:32,310 --> 00:35:36,120 totem pole. The one who didn't have a voice, the 560 00:35:36,120 --> 00:35:39,880 one who had demons, the one who had a reputation, the one the culture 561 00:35:39,880 --> 00:35:43,440 would have gone, no, we don't want to hear from you. Guess what? I 562 00:35:43,440 --> 00:35:47,280 want that one to be the first one to receive the gospel 563 00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:50,480 news and go share the revelation of the risen Christ. 564 00:35:51,840 --> 00:35:55,640 Guys, don't tell me that you don't have a 565 00:35:55,640 --> 00:35:59,280 purpose. Don't tell me that he doesn't have a plan 566 00:35:59,600 --> 00:36:03,040 for your life. The king of kings knows your name. 567 00:36:03,200 --> 00:36:07,040 He knows your story. And you have not gone so far down south 568 00:36:07,120 --> 00:36:10,480 that he can't come and save you. Stand with me this morning, church. 569 00:36:11,440 --> 00:36:15,280 So I ask you, this morning, who 570 00:36:15,440 --> 00:36:17,440 are you looking for? 571 00:36:19,680 --> 00:36:23,040 This can be the day of real change. 572 00:36:23,760 --> 00:36:27,360 I was walking at my house, and I saw one of those 573 00:36:27,360 --> 00:36:31,060 goldfish crackers on the floor. And 574 00:36:31,060 --> 00:36:34,700 you know what I did? I didn't pick it up. I walked right by it, 575 00:36:35,660 --> 00:36:39,180 came back around, saw the goldfish on the floor, and I walked by it again 576 00:36:39,580 --> 00:36:43,260 in the carpet. The third time I walked by, 577 00:36:43,260 --> 00:36:46,580 guess what? Somebody had come by and they had stepped on the 578 00:36:46,580 --> 00:36:50,380 goldfish cracker. You know what that does? It means all those 579 00:36:50,380 --> 00:36:53,660 little crumbs were all in the floor. Here's my point. 580 00:36:54,060 --> 00:36:57,770 Had I dealt with with the cracker initially, it wouldn't 581 00:36:57,770 --> 00:37:01,570 have gotten worse. And, guys, some of you need to deal with some things 582 00:37:01,570 --> 00:37:05,290 today before it gets smushed and gets worse. And you have 583 00:37:05,290 --> 00:37:08,970 a king that wants to meet with you today. If 584 00:37:08,970 --> 00:37:11,970 you're gonna pray with people, would you come forward? Listen to this. 585 00:37:14,610 --> 00:37:17,810 He is not too far to be found. This is what Jeremiah says. You will 586 00:37:17,810 --> 00:37:21,450 seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart. Have 587 00:37:21,450 --> 00:37:25,150 you come into this house mourning or crying? This is what the word says. Weeping 588 00:37:25,150 --> 00:37:28,950 may endure for a Night. But guess what comes in the morning? Joy. A 589 00:37:28,950 --> 00:37:32,630 joy unexplainable. A joy everlasting. Because here's the 590 00:37:32,630 --> 00:37:35,350 thing. When Jesus shows up, everything 591 00:37:36,230 --> 00:37:39,830 changes. When Jesus is introduced in the situation, 592 00:37:40,310 --> 00:37:44,110 everything changes. So listen to this. Whatever you walked in with, it's not 593 00:37:44,110 --> 00:37:47,670 final. It's not done. It does not 594 00:37:47,670 --> 00:37:51,370 win. If he got up, hope gets up. If 595 00:37:51,370 --> 00:37:54,730 he got up, freedom gets up. If he got up, your 596 00:37:54,730 --> 00:37:58,490 story's not over. Mary thought he was gone, but he was standing right there. 597 00:37:58,490 --> 00:38:02,330 And he is standing here today. He's not in the grave. He's 598 00:38:02,330 --> 00:38:06,090 not in the tomb. He's not in your past. He's not confined to history. 599 00:38:06,250 --> 00:38:10,010 He's not limited to a story. He's not distant from your reality. 600 00:38:10,250 --> 00:38:13,610 He's not waiting for you to move. He's not unsure of your 601 00:38:13,850 --> 00:38:17,530 future. He's not overwhelmed by your situation. He's not 602 00:38:17,530 --> 00:38:21,270 intimidated by your struggle. He's not defeated by your past. 603 00:38:21,430 --> 00:38:25,110 He's not finished with your life. He is alive. He is 604 00:38:25,110 --> 00:38:28,950 present. He is moving. He is speaking. He is calling. 605 00:38:29,110 --> 00:38:32,710 He is drawing. He is restoring. He is healing. 606 00:38:32,710 --> 00:38:36,510 He is drawing. He is restoring. He is standing. He 607 00:38:36,510 --> 00:38:40,190 is reigning. He is returning. And everything that feels dead, 608 00:38:40,190 --> 00:38:43,790 he has power to raise it. Everything that feels lost, he has the 609 00:38:43,790 --> 00:38:47,420 authority to restore it. Everything that feels finished, he 610 00:38:47,500 --> 00:38:51,340 will rewrite it. Because he didn't stay in the grave. He didn't stay in 611 00:38:51,340 --> 00:38:55,100 the tomb. He's not staying away. He is alive. He is here. And, 612 00:38:55,100 --> 00:38:58,900 guys, he's going to come back again. We have 613 00:38:58,900 --> 00:39:00,700 a hope in Christ Jesus. 614 00:39:08,220 --> 00:39:11,900 And so there are three groups of people here today. First 615 00:39:11,900 --> 00:39:15,400 group is the this. You can't 616 00:39:15,400 --> 00:39:19,200 honestly say with authenticity that there was ever a moment in your 617 00:39:19,200 --> 00:39:22,920 life that you said, I need Jesus in my 618 00:39:22,920 --> 00:39:26,080 life. Well, I've been a Christian all my life because I grew up in a 619 00:39:26,080 --> 00:39:29,720 Christian home. No, there. There is an appointed time because 620 00:39:29,720 --> 00:39:33,360 you have to declare with your mouth, I am a sinner. I need 621 00:39:33,360 --> 00:39:34,000 Jesus. 622 00:39:37,440 --> 00:39:41,190 If that is you today, there's 623 00:39:41,190 --> 00:39:44,870 no greater gift that you can walk out of here than 624 00:39:44,870 --> 00:39:48,230 to have eternal life that starts right now, today. 625 00:39:48,630 --> 00:39:52,230 This Jesus can radically change your life. And these people 626 00:39:52,230 --> 00:39:55,750 down here, they are not perfect. They are tore up from the floor. 627 00:39:55,830 --> 00:39:59,630 I know their stories, but they know this great glorious 628 00:39:59,630 --> 00:40:03,310 God and they would love to introduce you to him today. If that's you, 629 00:40:03,310 --> 00:40:06,190 number two, there's a group of people in here, and let me tell you, this 630 00:40:06,190 --> 00:40:08,870 is the vast majority of you. You ready? Are you ready for this? You got 631 00:40:08,870 --> 00:40:12,510 up this morning and you thought church was gonna be cute today. You got your 632 00:40:12,510 --> 00:40:16,190 pastels on. You're ready for the egg hunt. You're ready for a good Easter lunch. 633 00:40:16,190 --> 00:40:19,990 But here's the thing. The God that breathes stars said, 634 00:40:19,990 --> 00:40:23,549 no. I wanna deal with something in you today. I 635 00:40:23,549 --> 00:40:27,270 wanna remind you that your hurt and your brokenness does not define 636 00:40:27,270 --> 00:40:30,910 who you are. You have been living beneath the calling 637 00:40:30,910 --> 00:40:34,590 I've given you. Because I am a great, glorious God. Do not 638 00:40:34,590 --> 00:40:38,320 diminish the power of my resurrection, says the Lord God. And 639 00:40:38,320 --> 00:40:42,000 if that is you today, come down here and allow somebody to 640 00:40:42,000 --> 00:40:45,720 agree with you that today everything changes. And the third 641 00:40:45,720 --> 00:40:49,520 group of people here I talked about Hebrews saying, go boldly before the throne of 642 00:40:49,520 --> 00:40:53,240 grace. You are in a time of need, and you have just decided that 643 00:40:53,240 --> 00:40:56,280 you're gonna saddle up and carry that need all by yourself. But let me tell 644 00:40:56,280 --> 00:40:59,760 you something. You can't do it alone. You're not strong enough to do it alone. 645 00:40:59,760 --> 00:41:03,540 And the God of the universe wants to shoulder that for you. Come 646 00:41:03,540 --> 00:41:06,980 down here, release it so that you can walk out free today. 647 00:41:07,220 --> 00:41:11,060 Amen. The altars are open. Let's worship you. Come and let the Holy Spirit 648 00:41:11,060 --> 00:41:11,940 do something in your life. 649 00:41:14,660 --> 00:41:17,980 Hey, Church. There are people whose 650 00:41:17,980 --> 00:41:21,460 eternity changed in this moment. Can you give God some praise? 651 00:41:22,740 --> 00:41:26,300 Come on. Hallelujah. Bless the Lord. Bless the 652 00:41:26,300 --> 00:41:26,660 Lord. 653 00:41:32,250 --> 00:41:35,930 If you gave your life to Jesus today, the next step is water 654 00:41:36,010 --> 00:41:39,850 baptism so that we can celebrate with you. And we would be so 655 00:41:40,090 --> 00:41:43,930 happy and privileged to baptize you in the name of the Father, Son 656 00:41:43,930 --> 00:41:47,649 and Holy Spirit. Come and see us. Guys, I hope that you enjoy the 657 00:41:47,649 --> 00:41:51,450 rest of your Easter Sunday. Come back next week. Guys, listen. 658 00:41:51,450 --> 00:41:55,090 We don't just have this gift inside of us. It's not a selfish thing. 659 00:41:55,090 --> 00:41:58,610 We actually have a world that's dying out there that needs to know the good 660 00:41:58,610 --> 00:42:02,450 news of Jesus. Let's not forget that this week, okay? Let's not forget the 661 00:42:02,450 --> 00:42:06,210 gift that we've been given, the power of the resurrection. Let's share that with this 662 00:42:06,210 --> 00:42:09,650 dying world. I'm not going to give you a blessing. We're going to go out 663 00:42:09,650 --> 00:42:12,890 on this song as the benediction, y'. All. Let's sing it. Here we go. Come 664 00:42:12,890 --> 00:42:13,210 on.