WEBVTT 00:00:01.201 --> 00:00:02.101 Good morning, Church. 00:00:02.101 --> 00:00:05.105 How are we doing? 00:00:05.504 --> 00:00:07.440 Well, it's good to be with you this morning. 00:00:07.440 --> 00:00:09.708 If you would turn in your scriptures. 00:00:09.708 --> 00:00:12.478 If you have them with you this morning, turn in. 00:00:12.478 --> 00:00:18.785 John Chapter 20, We're be looking through verses one through 18. 00:00:18.785 --> 00:00:21.788 We have Easter coming next week. 00:00:21.788 --> 00:00:23.722 We're so excited. 00:00:23.722 --> 00:00:26.725 I certainly want to make a plug for our Easter service. 00:00:26.792 --> 00:00:29.728 Don't be afraid to invite somebody to Easter. 00:00:29.728 --> 00:00:41.607 In fact, Easter is the most attended service for those who don't know Jesus, bring someone, bring a friend, bring a coworker, bring a neighbor, bring them to Easter service. 00:00:41.875 --> 00:00:48.747 And we're so excited to share with you for these next two weeks this morning and the next about the resurrection of Christ. 00:00:49.649 --> 00:00:52.918 And so this morning we're being John chapter 20 verses one through 18. 00:00:52.918 --> 00:01:02.561 But I want to ask before we jump in here, have you ever lost something that you were almost positive that you left it in a certain place? 00:01:02.762 --> 00:01:03.729 Anybody done that? 00:01:05.063 --> 00:01:09.468 You might say the phrase I don't I didn't want I didn't lose it. 00:01:09.668 --> 00:01:12.671 I just don't know where I left it right. 00:01:12.838 --> 00:01:15.240 Well, I tend to do this a lot. 00:01:15.240 --> 00:01:22.781 And my wife finds a lot of enjoyment in finding it for me, even though it's staring me right in the face. 00:01:22.781 --> 00:01:24.751 Right. 00:01:24.751 --> 00:01:27.186 We sometimes I'll sometimes do this with my sunglasses. 00:01:27.186 --> 00:01:29.822 Well, they're sitting right on top of my head. 00:01:29.822 --> 00:01:31.090 I'll say, Where's my keys? 00:01:31.090 --> 00:01:32.659 And they'll be in my hand. 00:01:32.659 --> 00:01:35.561 I'll be looking for my phone and it be right in my pocket. 00:01:35.561 --> 00:01:39.364 I don't know if you've ever done this, but I think sometimes I do this. 00:01:40.165 --> 00:01:47.906 I think sometimes we do this is be is we become so fixated on where something should be instead of where it is. 00:01:49.242 --> 00:01:55.048 And so we're going to see this idea played out this morning with the disciples and a person named Mary Magdalene. 00:01:55.447 --> 00:02:10.663 And this is the point I want us to see this morning throughout the scriptures that we're going to see is that when we become blindly fixated on what seems obvious, we can miss out on the miraculous. 00:02:11.197 --> 00:02:15.001 I see that again for us when we become blindly fixated. 00:02:15.001 --> 00:02:16.468 That's important. 00:02:16.468 --> 00:02:22.207 On what seems obvious now, we can actually miss out on the miraculous. 00:02:22.675 --> 00:02:31.250 We turn something that God is done into, something that may and has done, and we see it maybe from a surface level perspective. 00:02:32.117 --> 00:02:34.787 And so we're going to see this played out with the disciples in Mary Magdalene. 00:02:34.787 --> 00:02:40.258 But before we jump in, Mary Magdalene herself, as as we're going to see, is a main part of this story. 00:02:40.725 --> 00:02:42.461 But she's sometimes mis identified. 00:02:42.461 --> 00:02:48.300 So before we jump into her text, I want to explain to who Mary Magdalene is that and who she's not really. 00:02:49.168 --> 00:03:01.646 So Mary Magdalene was a follower of Jesus and she is not the person in Luke seven who the prostitute in Luke seven, who gets down on her knees and washes the feet of Jesus with her tears and ointment. 00:03:01.646 --> 00:03:03.649 That's not Mary Magdalene. 00:03:03.649 --> 00:03:11.890 And we've read in this this gospel series so far in the Gospel of John about Mary and Martha, who are the sisters of Lazarus. 00:03:11.890 --> 00:03:13.925 This also was not the same Mary. 00:03:13.925 --> 00:03:14.961 That's Mary of Bethany. 00:03:14.961 --> 00:03:17.862 So this is Mary Magdalene. 00:03:17.862 --> 00:03:24.469 In fact, she was likely born in from a city called Magdala near Galilee. 00:03:24.736 --> 00:03:25.638 And look at this here. 00:03:25.638 --> 00:03:27.939 I got some scripture for us so we can understand a little bit more. 00:03:27.939 --> 00:03:33.878 But look at this, Luke two and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities. 00:03:33.878 --> 00:03:38.883 But here she is, Mary called Magdalene, from whom Seven Demons had gone out. 00:03:39.685 --> 00:03:41.653 This gives us a little idea of who she is. 00:03:41.653 --> 00:03:44.556 She experienced this miraculous salvation experience. 00:03:44.556 --> 00:03:50.295 Jesus casts out seven demons just kind of displaying how great of a salvation this was. 00:03:50.496 --> 00:03:52.897 And she begins following Jesus. 00:03:52.897 --> 00:04:02.207 What's interesting, as we're going to see in the text this morning in John John story here is that Mary Magdalene was likely a source for John. 00:04:02.741 --> 00:04:05.544 John would ask other people, Hey, what did you see in the life of Jesus? 00:04:05.544 --> 00:04:06.377 What did you see here? 00:04:06.377 --> 00:04:07.145 What did you see there? 00:04:07.145 --> 00:04:14.719 It I believe the passage that we're going to see this morning is a testimony from Mary Magdalene that John records by God, spirit. 00:04:15.387 --> 00:04:23.329 And so we have the opportunity to hear from the person who saw Jesus first raised from the dead. 00:04:24.295 --> 00:04:27.266 So we're going to be here, John, Chapter 20, verse one. 00:04:27.266 --> 00:04:29.235 And this is what it says. 00:04:29.235 --> 00:04:41.146 Now, on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early while it was still dark and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 00:04:41.279 --> 00:04:54.959 So Mary goes At the first day of the week, this detail is actually recorded in every gospel by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all say that the resurrection of Jesus and this account happened on the first day of the week. 00:04:55.360 --> 00:04:57.562 Now for the Jews, that was Sunday. 00:04:57.562 --> 00:05:00.966 So Saturday was their Sabbath Sundays, the first day of the week. 00:05:00.966 --> 00:05:06.738 And this culminated and completed the Passover Festival for for Israel. 00:05:07.473 --> 00:05:12.211 And so we also learn from the other gospels that Mary wasn't the only person that went. 00:05:12.211 --> 00:05:20.185 In fact, four of the women likely went with Mary to the tomb because they wanted to prepare the body of Jesus for burial. 00:05:20.786 --> 00:05:23.187 They couldn't do it the day before because of the Sabbath. 00:05:23.187 --> 00:05:24.956 They didn't want to break the Sabbath. 00:05:24.956 --> 00:05:33.564 So instead they go on Sunday after Jesus had been buried to go and prepare the body of Jesus for burial with ointments and with oils. 00:05:34.466 --> 00:05:39.303 But it's important that we ask this question Why does John not mention the four? 00:05:39.303 --> 00:05:42.074 Why does he only mention Mary Magdalene here? 00:05:42.074 --> 00:05:49.648 This is an important point, I believe, because each gospel approaches the same facts from a different point of view. 00:05:50.449 --> 00:05:59.824 Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are written by four different people who have the same facts in front of them, but they like to go at it from a different angle to give us a different perspective. 00:06:00.057 --> 00:06:08.634 Just like you and I, looking at it at a picture, we look at it differently and so we don't get the the four women that go to the tomb. 00:06:08.867 --> 00:06:10.302 We just get Mary Magdalene. 00:06:10.302 --> 00:06:19.978 And this is important, I think, too, because John's gospel is going to focus on Mary Magdalene, the other gospels focus on the other women. 00:06:20.778 --> 00:06:24.449 And so we're going to get the eyewitness testimony and account of Mary Magdalene. 00:06:24.682 --> 00:06:26.851 And you see this played out in verse two. Look at this. 00:06:28.187 --> 00:06:34.725 So when Mary saw the saw the stone rolled away, she didn't go to the tomb and go in, did she? 00:06:35.961 --> 00:06:38.863 It says that she ran. 00:06:38.863 --> 00:06:41.233 So the other gospels stick with this story. 00:06:41.233 --> 00:06:44.235 They stick with the women at the tomb who encounter the angels. 00:06:44.435 --> 00:06:50.074 But they but John says Mary Magdalene ran and this is going to be the important. 00:06:50.074 --> 00:06:57.516 Later she runs and goes and went to Simon, Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. 00:06:57.749 --> 00:06:59.451 This is John the apostle. 00:06:59.451 --> 00:07:02.821 John refers to himself elsewhere in the Gospel like this. 00:07:03.221 --> 00:07:05.223 And this is what she says to them. 00:07:05.223 --> 00:07:11.997 They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid him. 00:07:12.697 --> 00:07:15.266 This is interesting here. 00:07:15.266 --> 00:07:18.235 So she goes and has this theory already. 00:07:18.737 --> 00:07:27.612 Peter, John, Jesus has been robbed and stolen from the tomb and the day here is kind of implied. 00:07:27.612 --> 00:07:30.982 This is she likely means these are the religious leaders. 00:07:31.249 --> 00:07:34.052 These are the people who crucified Jesus in the first place. 00:07:34.052 --> 00:07:41.093 And so she goes and says, listen, the religious leaders, the enemies of Christ listen, they came and stole the body and I don't know where they have put them. 00:07:42.194 --> 00:07:47.565 So she already has this in her mind that this was a work of man and not a work of God. 00:07:47.565 --> 00:08:03.781 Do you see that it is easy to assume the obvious without considering the miraculous, to look at something and begin to look at it through man's point of view instead of for something that maybe God did? 00:08:04.915 --> 00:08:14.793 Do you see that this is important to see this morning that we can miss out on a work of God because we view it instead as a work of man. 00:08:16.060 --> 00:08:17.995 And I'm not just talking about the empty tomb. 00:08:17.995 --> 00:08:20.966 I'm talking about your daily life. 00:08:20.966 --> 00:08:27.906 As worries as we're going to talk in just a minute, it could be the small details in your life that you see as a work of man, but really, it was a work of God. 00:08:30.040 --> 00:08:32.744 So it goes on here in the passage verse three. 00:08:32.744 --> 00:08:35.279 So Peter hears this. 00:08:35.279 --> 00:08:38.015 He went out with the other disciples, that's John. 00:08:38.015 --> 00:08:39.551 And they were going toward the tomb. 00:08:39.551 --> 00:08:41.385 Both of them were running together. 00:08:41.385 --> 00:08:55.933 But the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first, so we could probably, you know, estimate that John and Peter were likely teenagers because even getting to the tomb was a competition, right? 00:08:57.735 --> 00:09:00.071 John brags a little bit about him getting here first. 00:09:00.071 --> 00:09:01.706 Now, I say that kind of funny. 00:09:01.706 --> 00:09:04.408 I don't think that's why John brings this up. 00:09:04.408 --> 00:09:09.947 Instead, I think John includes this detail because he wanted the people to know that he was there first. 00:09:09.947 --> 00:09:12.984 He looked with his own eyes and look what verse five says. 00:09:13.784 --> 00:09:22.226 It says that he's stooped and stooping to look, and he saw the linen clause lying there, but he did not go in. 00:09:23.260 --> 00:09:24.596 So John gets there first. 00:09:24.596 --> 00:09:27.164 Stoops looks down inside the garden tomb. 00:09:27.164 --> 00:09:28.700 The stones been thrown away. 00:09:28.700 --> 00:09:31.870 He sees the linens and then backs up and doesn't go into the tomb. Yet. 00:09:33.071 --> 00:09:35.639 This is interesting. 00:09:35.639 --> 00:09:45.182 I, I think maybe he does this because maybe Peter's the de facto leader of the disciples and he wanted Peter to go in first, possibly. 00:09:45.450 --> 00:09:47.785 But I think there might be a better reason. 00:09:47.785 --> 00:09:54.725 See, according to Jewish law, for you to establish a fact, you need how many witnesses to. 00:09:55.994 --> 00:10:09.173 And I think John, out of safety, did not want to go in and possibly contaminate or or maybe ruin the moment and ruin a built opportunity for two people to see the empty tomb instead of just one. 00:10:09.941 --> 00:10:15.879 So John hesitates and waits for Peter to come in behind him, which is what we get in verse six. 00:10:15.879 --> 00:10:17.215 Look at this. 00:10:17.215 --> 00:10:23.221 Then SIMON Peter came following him, and he went into the tomb. 00:10:23.221 --> 00:10:26.224 He saw the linen clause lying there. 00:10:26.957 --> 00:10:45.176 So Peter here sees exactly what John sees, sees the linen clause there, but he goes into the tomb, sees what John sees, but then look over seven says and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus's head, not lying with the linen clause, but folded up in a place by itself. 00:10:46.711 --> 00:10:54.018 Now, this little detail we can very easily overlook because we want to get to what happens when we see Jesus for the first time resurrect it. 00:10:54.217 --> 00:10:57.788 But this piece of evidence right here is so crucial. 00:10:58.722 --> 00:11:00.957 So I want you to think about it. 00:11:00.957 --> 00:11:03.927 Why were these linen claws thrown off in this face? 00:11:03.927 --> 00:11:07.664 Cloth was lying folded in, placed? 00:11:10.534 --> 00:11:14.672 You see, I think the reason why is because God's trying to send a little message. 00:11:14.672 --> 00:11:17.674 Jesus is trying to communicate a message to the disciples. 00:11:17.741 --> 00:11:20.043 If only they would see and look. 00:11:21.546 --> 00:11:28.619 See. The evidence from the tomb, I think suggests that this process was not rushed or hurried, but deliberate and intentional. 00:11:28.619 --> 00:11:31.556 Do you hear me? 00:11:31.556 --> 00:11:42.466 I don't think Jesus bodies somehow not being in the tomb, that that was hurried and rushed, but intentional and deliberate and specifically placed for a specific reason. 00:11:43.234 --> 00:11:52.876 Because if you think about it, if Jesus was robbed from the tomb, why would they remove the linens and carry around a naked body? 00:11:53.043 --> 00:12:02.452 And if Jesus was robbed from the tomb, why would they take the face cloth off, fold it up neatly and place it separate from the linen cloths? 00:12:04.721 --> 00:12:15.533 See, I don't think this is by accident, but this is deliberate and intentional because I think what Jesus is trying to communicate is this is not by accident. 00:12:15.533 --> 00:12:17.701 This is not was not rushed or hurried. 00:12:17.701 --> 00:12:20.605 This is here for a reason for you to see, you know, what else. 00:12:20.605 --> 00:12:32.817 I think it also proves that men can do laundry right now. Y'all better go home and do a couple loads. Now. 00:12:33.884 --> 00:12:37.288 But do we kind of treat our bedrooms this way? 00:12:37.288 --> 00:12:39.123 Do we not? 00:12:39.123 --> 00:12:46.596 You know, we may not make our bed every day or pick up and fold up all of our clothes and place it on our bed every day. 00:12:46.596 --> 00:12:52.870 Unless someone comes over, right, Someone comes over. 00:12:52.870 --> 00:12:53.803 It changes the perspective. 00:12:53.803 --> 00:12:57.307 Now, I got to get the room ready because if they come in and see this mess, it's not good. 00:12:57.307 --> 00:13:00.543 But I want them to see that this was deliberate and intentional. 00:13:00.711 --> 00:13:06.850 And I'm telling you, Jesus folded up this linen cloth and threw out these all these other clause in this face cloth. 00:13:06.850 --> 00:13:11.554 He all this is put together so that the disciples would see and believe. 00:13:13.624 --> 00:13:14.958 So listen to me this morning. 00:13:14.958 --> 00:13:19.663 God is intentional and deliberate with the details of your life. 00:13:21.365 --> 00:13:24.268 Your life is by accident. 00:13:24.268 --> 00:13:26.736 In fact, God is not surprised. 00:13:26.736 --> 00:13:29.472 God is sovereign. 00:13:29.472 --> 00:13:31.375 God doesn't work accidentally. 00:13:31.375 --> 00:13:39.716 He works providentially God knows what's going on in your life and not only knows it, he's working it out for your good. 00:13:39.716 --> 00:13:53.931 If you would only see it in these little details God likes to put into her life so that He can show us and that we would believe you've probably heard the phrase The devil's in the details. 00:13:54.831 --> 00:14:01.038 You know, the devil may be in the details, but God ultimately sovereign over all of them. Amen. 00:14:01.371 --> 00:14:06.309 The devil may be focused on the particular details of our life, but God is sovereign over both. 00:14:08.479 --> 00:14:13.850 So we can always lean on the fact that God's in control and he's intentional, deliberate, he's not removed. 00:14:13.850 --> 00:14:16.720 He's revealed. 00:14:16.720 --> 00:14:23.460 So this morning know that God can establish and strengthen our faith in the details. 00:14:23.961 --> 00:14:35.538 If we would look, and I think we're often become so blindly fixated on what's what seems obvious that we miss out on God doing the miraculous, even in the details. 00:14:37.573 --> 00:14:43.647 So look what this says in verse eight and the other disciple, Peter walks in the tomb, John comes in behind him. 00:14:43.647 --> 00:14:45.749 It says, Who had reached the tomb first. 00:14:45.749 --> 00:14:52.923 He also went in and he saw and believed two things John experiences here. 00:14:53.157 --> 00:15:00.630 He sees it with his physical eyes, but believes it in his heart that Jesus has been raised from the dead. 00:15:04.467 --> 00:15:13.277 Now, we're going to get to a moment here in just a second that this faith is lacking, but it's still genuine. 00:15:15.011 --> 00:15:20.149 In fact, Peter had some type of similar reaction in Luke 24. 00:15:21.418 --> 00:15:28.859 But listen me this morning, Faith in Jesus does not require seeing a resurrected Jesus. 00:15:29.426 --> 00:15:32.428 Do you hear me? 00:15:32.995 --> 00:15:47.644 The disciples would later see the resurrected Jesus, but John saw the empty tomb and believed Jesus was raised from the dead without ever setting his physical eyes on him, which is a blessing for us today, because the likelihood we're not going to see the resurrected Jesus in our lifetime. 00:15:48.879 --> 00:15:54.551 But we can have faith and believe and know that Jesus has been raised because the evidence suggests that. 00:15:54.551 --> 00:16:06.730 And we have faith that we have a God who overcame the great faith in Jesus does not require seeing a resurrected Jesus. 00:16:07.264 --> 00:16:13.102 It requires faith, belief or a heart transformation. 00:16:13.636 --> 00:16:19.643 So here's verse nine, because this is where it gets interesting, because then it says right after this John saw and he believed. 00:16:19.743 --> 00:16:22.745 But now John shares a little bit of a confession with us. 00:16:23.379 --> 00:16:32.489 He shows a little bit of a weakness of faith because he says for as yet, they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead. 00:16:32.489 --> 00:16:35.258 Now, why would John put this here? 00:16:35.258 --> 00:16:37.259 Why would John include this? 00:16:37.259 --> 00:16:38.528 John saw and you believe. 00:16:38.528 --> 00:16:50.807 But then he pauses and adds this comment and says, The disciples witnessed this, and yet they did not fully understand the scriptures yet. 00:16:50.907 --> 00:16:53.342 And there's a perfect example for the disciples. 00:16:53.342 --> 00:16:58.682 In Mark Chapter eight, Jesus asked the disciples, Who do the people say that I am? 00:16:58.682 --> 00:17:01.451 Will say the Prophet Jesus. They say this, they say that. 00:17:01.451 --> 00:17:04.755 Then He says, Jesus asked, Who do you say that I am? 00:17:05.122 --> 00:17:07.891 You know a Peter, I got this one. 00:17:07.891 --> 00:17:10.894 Jesus, you're the Christ, the Son of God. 00:17:10.961 --> 00:17:13.963 I'm in faith. 00:17:14.096 --> 00:17:17.067 But then Jesus says, I've got to go die. 00:17:18.000 --> 00:17:21.904 I've got to go be hung on a cross, die and be raised again. 00:17:21.904 --> 00:17:33.682 And then Peter says, Paul, now, Jesus, let me rebuke you real quick, because it's not supposed to work out that way. Jesus, I believe you're the Christ, but you're not supposed to die. 00:17:34.651 --> 00:17:39.422 I can imagine Jesus thinking in his head, Have you read the Bible. 00:17:40.423 --> 00:17:52.167 Because Peter, if he knew the Old Testament and understood the Scriptures, it has been prophesied step by step that a Christ would come and He would need to die in place for our sins and be raised on the third day. 00:17:52.167 --> 00:17:54.938 It's been said already, but Peter didn't understand it. 00:17:54.938 --> 00:18:03.012 So understand John is making a point here that the reason that we lack faith is because we lack an understanding of Scripture. 00:18:06.016 --> 00:18:08.018 I'm not trying to step on toes. 00:18:08.018 --> 00:18:09.853 Most of my toes have already been stepped on. 00:18:09.853 --> 00:18:20.029 Mother's preparing for this message, but this is a this is a reminder, a challenge to us that John had the same struggle we do as well. 00:18:20.096 --> 00:18:24.067 But it is a challenge for us to say, if I like faith, I need to get in his word. 00:18:26.001 --> 00:18:35.679 If I'm lacking faith in this area in my life, I need to get into scriptures because the scriptures will help inform my faith that what I see is not just man made, it's God made. 00:18:37.113 --> 00:18:38.480 God can do this work. 00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:40.349 It's not just surface level faith. 00:18:40.349 --> 00:18:47.656 It is a deep, abiding faith that our Scripture, the God's Word and Scriptures can inform our faith to see and belief. 00:18:49.959 --> 00:18:51.661 But look what happens to the disciples. 00:18:51.661 --> 00:18:53.328 Verse ten. 00:18:53.328 --> 00:18:58.134 Then the disciples, when they do, went back to their homes. 00:18:58.134 --> 00:19:00.403 I want to be careful because I attended. 00:19:00.403 --> 00:19:02.571 I started to lean towards this understanding of it. 00:19:02.571 --> 00:19:03.539 But I don't think this is true. 00:19:03.539 --> 00:19:07.309 What I think it means is, is that they were a little scared and perplexed. 00:19:08.178 --> 00:19:10.446 They were afraid. 00:19:10.446 --> 00:19:16.451 I don't think this verse says, Well, John and Peter and the disciples, they didn't believe, they just went back to their life. 00:19:17.019 --> 00:19:23.992 What I think it is, is as we're going to see next week, Pastor John is going to cover this is they go back to their homes and lock the door because they're scared. 00:19:25.127 --> 00:19:30.833 The religious leaders at this point, they're looking for whatever happened to the body of Jesus because they don't want this conspiracy going around. 00:19:31.300 --> 00:19:34.671 They don't want a conspiracy going around that this man died and was raised from the dead. 00:19:34.671 --> 00:19:36.239 And everything that he said is true. 00:19:36.239 --> 00:19:38.740 We got to figure this out. 00:19:36.239 --> 00:19:38.740 Let's go get his followers. 00:19:40.042 --> 00:19:41.810 They assumed that they were going to be hunted down. 00:19:41.810 --> 00:19:43.046 So what did they do? 00:19:43.046 --> 00:19:45.914 We got to go back home. 00:19:45.914 --> 00:19:51.386 So don't take this as a contradiction of their faith, but take it as their human side. 00:19:52.422 --> 00:19:54.757 They were scared. 00:19:54.757 --> 00:19:57.759 But here's my first big point for us this morning. 00:19:58.560 --> 00:20:07.103 Don't be blindly fixated on what seems obvious, but look for God in the details. 00:20:07.103 --> 00:20:10.405 Look for God and his hand in the details. 00:20:11.874 --> 00:20:19.214 When my wife and I moved back to Kentucky, I was looking for a ministry position and through that process, God really worked out all the details in my life. 00:20:19.248 --> 00:20:23.786 I found myself in Valley View, and the way I got here was really incredible. 00:20:23.786 --> 00:20:27.022 And when I arrived, I heard this name Carrie Jones. 00:20:28.557 --> 00:20:40.635 I've never met Carrie Jones before, but talking to one of my mentors, his name is Bill Ellis, he informed me that he was disciple by Carrie Jones. 00:20:41.403 --> 00:20:47.910 So Bill Ellis, this man who is disciple by Carrie Jones, ends up coming to my home church and pastoring. 00:20:48.176 --> 00:20:55.917 He's one of the pastors there, and he played a huge role in discipling me early on in my ministry as a pastor, as a follower of Jesus. 00:20:57.153 --> 00:21:00.355 And so I could very easily miss this detail. 00:21:00.355 --> 00:21:05.193 But to look at how God worked all this Valley view made an impact on my life before I even knew what it was. 00:21:06.863 --> 00:21:10.799 Because you know why God is in the details. 00:21:12.134 --> 00:21:13.736 And the same is true for your life. 00:21:13.736 --> 00:21:16.137 God is in the details of your life. But do you know it? 00:21:18.740 --> 00:21:20.942 So there's two ways I think we can do this this morning. 00:21:20.942 --> 00:21:27.983 Two ways Look for God and His written word and your life. 00:21:27.983 --> 00:21:31.186 Look for God in the details of the written word and your life. 00:21:32.153 --> 00:21:54.210 God is actively working in your life, but it begins first in His word, do not settle for mediocre box checking, devotional time, but instead get in the word and investigate and uncover and mine the gold that is in it. 00:21:55.377 --> 00:22:02.984 Spend time in God's Word and see what he's saying to you today and you will find faith and find God in the details. 00:22:02.984 --> 00:22:04.787 But also look in your life. 00:22:04.787 --> 00:22:07.789 God has been working, He has worked, and he's going to work. 00:22:07.923 --> 00:22:14.396 So maybe we need to pause and slow down and consider God strengthen and establish my faith. 00:22:14.396 --> 00:22:15.830 Where are you working? 00:22:15.830 --> 00:22:17.032 How have you worked? 00:22:17.032 --> 00:22:19.769 Revealed to me. 00:22:19.769 --> 00:22:21.836 I will give you some scripture to kind of encourage you this morning. 00:22:21.836 --> 00:22:32.147 Matthew 1021 or sorry, 29 to 31 says are not two sparrows sold for a penny and one of them will fall to the ground apart from your father. 00:22:32.948 --> 00:22:35.851 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 00:22:35.851 --> 00:22:38.586 Students don't make a joke. 00:22:38.586 --> 00:22:41.589 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 00:22:42.090 --> 00:22:43.259 But fear not. 00:22:43.259 --> 00:22:52.835 Therefore, why you are of more value than sparrows with this shows is is that God is in the details. 00:22:52.835 --> 00:22:58.339 He cares about every little detail of your life because that is the God that He is. 00:22:58.339 --> 00:23:01.442 And we need to consider that God values us way more than sparrows. 00:23:03.645 --> 00:23:13.154 God reveals himself in the details and the details of your life so that we would believe. 00:23:13.255 --> 00:23:15.457 Do you believe that this morning? 00:23:15.457 --> 00:23:16.724 Do you have faith in that? 00:23:16.724 --> 00:23:21.730 This morning it's going into verse 11 here in John 20. 00:23:21.730 --> 00:23:24.133 Mary Magdalene's come back in the picture here. 00:23:24.133 --> 00:23:27.869 It says, But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. 00:23:28.737 --> 00:23:33.442 Remember, Mary, all that she's seen so far is the stone rolled away, right? 00:23:34.076 --> 00:23:35.877 She has not gone in the tomb. 00:23:35.877 --> 00:23:38.346 She has not encountered any angel. 00:23:38.346 --> 00:23:40.816 All that she has seen is the stone rolled away. 00:23:40.816 --> 00:23:44.185 And so she goes back at some point and is weeping outside the tomb. 00:23:44.353 --> 00:23:58.166 And as she as she wept, she stooped to look into the tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had lain one at the head and one at the feet. 00:23:58.866 --> 00:24:01.403 This is an incredible picture here. 00:24:01.403 --> 00:24:06.642 Notice God doesn't send angels to Peter and John, does he? 00:24:07.675 --> 00:24:14.215 He sends angels to Mary Magdalene, the four women. 00:24:14.215 --> 00:24:28.096 And part of this, I think it's it's God trying to shame a little bit with with Peter and John because they were still lacking faith because although he would reveal himself later, but in this moment, he chose to reveal angels to Mary Magdalene. 00:24:28.096 --> 00:24:34.670 And soon he's going to reveal himself to Mary Magdalene first. 00:24:35.237 --> 00:24:44.378 And I want to make this point because I think we need to be reminded this that God chooses to reveal himself to those who are often overlooked. 00:24:44.613 --> 00:24:51.118 Mary Magdalene was with someone who had been healed of seven demons, but outside of her following Jesus, we really don't know a lot. 00:24:51.118 --> 00:24:56.825 And likely because she was a woman, she didn't have a strong reputation outside of following Jesus. 00:24:58.527 --> 00:25:03.832 But here's what we do know is that God chose to reveal himself first to Mary Magdalene. 00:25:05.567 --> 00:25:11.973 So I want to say this this morning, I don't care where you grew up, what type of family you come from. 00:25:12.740 --> 00:25:26.721 If you're coming from addiction for coming from a broken home, if you're if you're coming from a troubled life, God chooses to reveal himself to those who are overlooked and often outcast. 00:25:28.356 --> 00:25:30.291 And the beautiful picture is it doesn't matter. 00:25:30.291 --> 00:25:36.597 You come from God can use you and reveal himself to you no matter what. 00:25:36.597 --> 00:25:37.164 So it goes on. 00:25:37.164 --> 00:25:40.568 In verse 13, they said to her, the angel speaking out to Mary. 00:25:40.568 --> 00:25:43.571 They said to her woman, Why are you weeping? 00:25:43.904 --> 00:25:49.310 She said to them, They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him. 00:25:50.278 --> 00:25:52.114 She's got her same theory, doesn't she? 00:25:52.114 --> 00:25:56.550 She still believes in her mind that Jesus has been stolen and robbed from the grave. 00:25:56.785 --> 00:25:59.788 And so her response is, I don't know where they laid them. 00:26:01.056 --> 00:26:02.057 But then things change. 00:26:02.057 --> 00:26:03.924 In verse 14. 00:26:03.924 --> 00:26:10.798 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing. 00:26:11.031 --> 00:26:16.270 But get this, she did not know that it was Jesus. 00:26:17.305 --> 00:26:22.510 This is so interesting, Mary, looking for the body of Jesus. 00:26:22.510 --> 00:26:26.013 And now Jesus is standing right in front of her alive. 00:26:26.548 --> 00:26:30.317 She sees Him but doesn't know it's him. 00:26:32.153 --> 00:26:34.221 And this happens throughout the gospel. 00:26:34.221 --> 00:26:37.224 In fact, next week we're going to see this with the disciples. 00:26:37.826 --> 00:26:40.628 They see Jesus, but they don't know it's Jesus. 00:26:40.628 --> 00:26:46.768 And he's standing right in front of her because her eyes see him, but her heart doesn't really perceive that is Jesus. 00:26:47.935 --> 00:26:48.737 Look at this next verse. 00:26:48.737 --> 00:26:50.571 Jesus said to her, Now he speaks. 00:26:50.571 --> 00:26:52.039 Woman Why are you weeping? 00:26:52.039 --> 00:26:53.541 Whom are you seeking? 00:26:53.541 --> 00:26:56.778 And it's kind of ironic because the person she's seeking is talking to her. 00:26:58.012 --> 00:27:01.048 This is the sunglasses on your head and you're looking for your sunglasses. 00:27:01.650 --> 00:27:04.653 This is the keys in your hand and you're looking for your keys. 00:27:06.086 --> 00:27:12.326 She is blindly fixated on what seems obvious, but the miraculous is standing right in front of her and she's missing it. 00:27:14.996 --> 00:27:21.269 So look what she says when she actually makes a little note here to supposing him to be the gardener. 00:27:22.037 --> 00:27:27.174 She said to him, Sir, if you have carried him, then she's talking about Jesus. 00:27:27.174 --> 00:27:32.681 If you've carried him away, tell me where you have laid him and I will take him away. 00:27:32.681 --> 00:27:33.647 Isn't this ironic? 00:27:36.951 --> 00:27:48.028 I want to say this morning with our eyes we may see, but it is our hearts that perceive two big differences here seeing something and perceiving something. 00:27:48.028 --> 00:27:49.763 Right? 00:27:49.763 --> 00:27:52.767 Because here's a really good example of it. 00:27:52.800 --> 00:27:58.573 All of us could look at a painting and see something completely different, right? 00:27:59.039 --> 00:28:06.480 We may pick up on certain details or things that other people won't, so we may see the same thing, but we perceive it differently. 00:28:06.480 --> 00:28:07.981 Right. 00:28:07.981 --> 00:28:09.917 Another example is modern examples. 00:28:09.917 --> 00:28:27.067 Our phones, when we're scrolling on our phone and we're looking at images and pictures and words and ideas, we may see something, but we're not really actually paying attention to it because our brains filtering all the stuff out we don't really want to see, right? 00:28:27.067 --> 00:28:37.778 We'll stop when we catch something we do want to see because our brain and our heart say, I want to look at this and I believe this is what's happening to Mary right here. 00:28:37.778 --> 00:28:44.586 She's seeing Jesus, but in our heart she's fixated on this idea that Jesus had to have been stolen, had to have been robbed. 00:28:44.652 --> 00:28:47.654 This there's no way this is Jesus in our heart. 00:28:48.323 --> 00:28:58.199 So, listen, this morning we will perceive what our hearts allow us to perceive the psychological term on here Motivated perception. 00:28:58.199 --> 00:29:06.273 I'll probably go to Miss Debbie ads over here, and she can probably give us a lesson on this. But this idea is that I will perceive what I want to perceive. 00:29:06.507 --> 00:29:09.277 I will see in my heart what I want to see. 00:29:09.277 --> 00:29:11.578 And this is Mary right here. 00:29:13.748 --> 00:29:16.217 So I want to take a moment. 00:29:16.217 --> 00:29:24.224 I can't go into detail about all this, but listen, God hardens and softens our hearts to see or not to see. 00:29:24.692 --> 00:29:30.798 At this moment, Mary is blindly fixated on something that should be obvious to her. 00:29:31.465 --> 00:29:33.367 So she is choosing to do it. 00:29:33.367 --> 00:29:36.371 But at the same time, God is sovereign over all of this. 00:29:36.671 --> 00:29:38.638 I can't explain you. 00:29:36.671 --> 00:29:38.638 All that stuff works out. 00:29:38.638 --> 00:29:40.375 But here's the truth. 00:29:40.375 --> 00:29:46.047 God is sovereign and Mary's making this choice here, and this is in the scriptures. 00:29:46.047 --> 00:29:48.215 Look at we'll look at John 21 next week. 00:29:48.215 --> 00:29:51.986 But Luke 2416, Jesus is walking on the road to amaze. 00:29:52.119 --> 00:29:57.090 He's with two disciples and it says Jesus kept them from knowing it was him. 00:29:57.258 --> 00:30:02.028 It wasn't that Jesus was shapeshifting, it was that they didn't know who was Jesus. 00:30:03.897 --> 00:30:11.538 Look at this in Isaiah six nine, this is God talking to Isaiah and he's saying that Isaiah say this to the people of Israel. 00:30:11.739 --> 00:30:13.708 And he said, Go and say this to the people. 00:30:13.708 --> 00:30:18.712 Keep on hearing, but do not understand, keep on seeing, but do not perceive in your heart. 00:30:19.346 --> 00:30:21.082 He says, make the heart of this people. 00:30:21.082 --> 00:30:31.459 Dole and their eyes heavy and blind their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and turn and be healed. 00:30:33.059 --> 00:30:44.538 It's not just that God has the ability to do it, but we have a choice in the matter as well that Mary's looking at Jesus right in front of her and she doesn't see the miraculous resurrected Christ. 00:30:44.571 --> 00:30:47.141 And I'm wondering to tell you today I bring all this up. 00:30:47.141 --> 00:30:57.117 Are you staring at a situation in your life and you're in you're looking at it with man's eyes and fixated on what seems obvious, but you don't see God in it. 00:30:59.819 --> 00:31:02.823 Look what happened to verse 16. 00:31:03.324 --> 00:31:05.625 Jesus says one word. 00:31:05.625 --> 00:31:08.028 Mary. 00:31:08.028 --> 00:31:12.566 Jesus says Mary in at that one word notice. 00:31:12.566 --> 00:31:33.753 It says She turned and said to him in Aramaic Rabbani, which means teacher Rabbi, when word opened the eyes of her heart so that she cannot just see Jesus with her physical eyes, but that she could see him with her heart. 00:31:33.887 --> 00:31:38.625 And notice she believed before she saw him without her eyes, didn't she? 00:31:39.026 --> 00:31:39.993 Look what it says. 00:31:39.993 --> 00:31:51.305 She turned and said she believed turns and looks and sees Jesus for the first time. 00:31:52.506 --> 00:32:03.349 So I want to say this God's word can open our eyes to see and believe with our hearts, which is why I value you were so focused on getting in the word. 00:32:04.218 --> 00:32:06.386 You do that in your life groups, in your groups. 00:32:06.386 --> 00:32:08.489 We pray that you're doing it at home with your families. 00:32:08.489 --> 00:32:13.594 But God reveals himself and can open your heart to see things that you wouldn't have otherwise seen. 00:32:15.461 --> 00:32:29.742 And it goes on here in verse 17, Jesus said to her, Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the father, but but go to my brothers and say to them, I'm ascending to my father and your father to my guide and your God. 00:32:31.211 --> 00:32:33.747 So Jesus is not denying her affection. 00:32:33.747 --> 00:32:36.584 You can imagine Mary just coming up and just bear hugging him. 00:32:36.584 --> 00:32:38.018 Right. 00:32:38.018 --> 00:32:42.388 And so Jesus is not trying to deny her affection, but he's trying to give her a purpose. 00:32:42.388 --> 00:32:45.625 Now, he says, I've got to go to be with the father. 00:32:45.858 --> 00:32:46.794 That's where I'm headed. 00:32:46.794 --> 00:32:50.396 But, Mary, I need you to go and tell the disciples I need you. 00:32:50.396 --> 00:32:53.968 Go and tell them what you have seen and what I'm telling you. Now. 00:32:54.867 --> 00:32:58.071 In verse 18, she does look at this Mary Magdalene obeys, She said. 00:32:58.372 --> 00:33:08.348 It says, Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, I have seen the Lord, and that he had said these things to her. 00:33:11.451 --> 00:33:12.987 So it's interesting. 00:33:12.987 --> 00:33:18.525 The passage begins with Mary seeing the stone roll away. 00:33:18.759 --> 00:33:24.597 It begins with her seeing the stone melt away, and she has her own theory that Jesus, her body has been rot from the grave. 00:33:25.499 --> 00:33:36.309 But look here in verse 18, it ends with Mary seeing the resurrected Christ and confessing and announcing that she has seen the resurrected Christ. 00:33:36.509 --> 00:33:38.644 This is transformation right here. 00:33:38.644 --> 00:33:43.217 And it took one word, I believe this morning. 00:33:43.217 --> 00:33:50.423 Some of you are sitting in this place and all it takes is a one word from God to transform your life. 00:33:51.657 --> 00:33:53.794 I believe it. 00:33:53.794 --> 00:34:02.702 I believe that for your life, because he's done it in Man, you are one word of God away from having your life transformed. 00:34:02.702 --> 00:34:03.202 Amen. 00:34:04.738 --> 00:34:08.876 And today could be it because Mary received this one word. 00:34:08.876 --> 00:34:11.878 And from there, she had genuine faith. 00:34:12.713 --> 00:34:15.681 So here's my point for all of us. 00:34:15.681 --> 00:34:23.023 Do not be blindly fixated on what seems obvious, but pray for eyes to see by faith. 00:34:23.690 --> 00:34:25.224 We need to pray for it. 00:34:25.224 --> 00:34:29.295 God give me eyes to see and to hear. 00:34:29.329 --> 00:34:31.465 I want to see you in my life. 00:34:31.465 --> 00:34:33.432 I want to see you in your word. 00:34:33.432 --> 00:34:36.702 And I want to believe in all that you're doing and have done. 00:34:38.204 --> 00:34:45.478 Look at this Ephesians 118, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you. 00:34:45.478 --> 00:34:51.083 What are the riches of this glorious inheritance in the saints, the eyes of your heart. 00:34:51.083 --> 00:35:01.862 It's metaphorical, your heart to believe in Christ, praying God, open my heart, enlighten my heart so that I can see you in your word and in my life. 00:35:04.364 --> 00:35:08.601 I remember growing up and if I shared the story, forgive me. 00:35:08.601 --> 00:35:10.771 I remember growing up. 00:35:10.771 --> 00:35:17.443 There was a time when we had a house fire and we lost half our house. 00:35:17.610 --> 00:35:24.751 And I remember going into the rubble of what was left in the kitchen, smelling of a campfire with ash and dust all over the place. 00:35:24.751 --> 00:35:31.690 And I remember pausing and thinking, why do you ever had that? Why? 00:35:32.826 --> 00:35:37.630 QUESTION That may be never answered for us, but I'm asking why, God, Why did this happen? 00:35:37.664 --> 00:35:43.836 And God moved me from a posture of doubt to a posture of faith, because I just felt the sense to pray. 00:35:43.836 --> 00:35:52.344 SA pause and said, God, I don't understand why I don't understand what you're doing or why this happened, but I pray that this would be used for your glory. 00:35:53.413 --> 00:35:54.780 Amen. 00:35:54.780 --> 00:35:57.951 So then I leave for life goes on. 00:35:58.918 --> 00:36:04.891 And God used that season in my family's life to restore a hunger and thirst for him. 00:36:06.393 --> 00:36:08.894 My parents were back in church. 00:36:08.894 --> 00:36:11.097 Their faith was restored. 00:36:11.097 --> 00:36:16.670 They back in community, and all of it took something horrible to happen. 00:36:17.603 --> 00:36:23.742 But at the end of the day, it was God using it in a miraculous way for His glory and our good. 00:36:24.844 --> 00:36:28.715 And I believe God could be doing that right now in your life. 00:36:28.715 --> 00:36:29.983 Maybe he's done that already. 00:36:29.983 --> 00:36:32.619 Maybe he's about to do it. 00:36:32.619 --> 00:36:35.188 Maybe he's doing it right now. 00:36:35.188 --> 00:36:44.496 But listen, Faith does not need physical eyes, but enlighten eyes of the heart for us to believe in Jesus. 00:36:44.496 --> 00:36:46.432 We don't need physical eyes to see Jesus. 00:36:46.432 --> 00:36:48.434 We need a heart that believes. 00:36:48.434 --> 00:36:54.574 And so my question for you this morning, do you believe do you believe like Mary Magdalene believe? 00:36:54.574 --> 00:36:56.342 Do you believe like John believe? 00:36:56.342 --> 00:36:57.744 Yes. They lost faith. 00:36:57.744 --> 00:37:00.179 They were imperfect. I'm imperfect. 00:37:00.179 --> 00:37:05.351 But what it asks when I'm asking, do you believe in the resurrected Jesus? 00:37:06.286 --> 00:37:08.588 So here's your challenge this morning. 00:37:08.588 --> 00:37:14.760 Are you blindly fixated on what seems obvious, or are you looking with eyes of faith? 00:37:16.596 --> 00:37:28.041 Because I can promise you, if you look for God in the details and you pray for eyes to see God, He will answer and He will give you faith. 00:37:28.541 --> 00:37:31.577 He will help you see. Let's pray,