Jesus = Life | Lori Graham

Jesus isn’t just a belief. He is life.

After the resurrection, He didn’t stay distant. He met people right where they were : in their grief, their doubt, their shame.

And He still does today. 
In this sermon, as part of our series “Jesus ≠ Religion”, Lori Graham reminds us that Jesus is life and that no matter what you’re facing, there is life in Him.
Enjoy! 

Reference : John 14:6

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

And as you know, if many of you have been here and have been coming regularly, you know that we have been just treated to some amazing messages the past several weeks. Over the past eight weeks, we've really been looking at the fundamentals of our faith. And we started out with a series called Being Christian Is. And I think the biggest takeaway from that series was being Christian is not about taking a bad person and making them good. It's not about taking a good person and making them better. That it's not about having a better life. It's about having a new life in Christ. Amen. That we were spiritually dead before, because our sin is what separates us from God. So we were spiritually dead before, but Jesus comes along and he's the one that makes us alive. He makes us alive. We are alive in Christ. He is the one that restores our relationship and our access to God. Amen. And after that series, then it was Easter. And over Easter weekend, we looked at who Jesus is and what he came to do. And of course, we looked at the resurrection of Jesus. We started a series, Jesus Does Not Equal Religion. We looked at the death and the resurrection of Jesus, and we said, Jesus is the only one to have been resurrected from the dead. Jesus didn't only survive death, he conquered death. Amen. And you might be thinking, well, wait a minute. You know, I seem to remember that there were three other people in the New Testament alone that came back from the dead. And you would be right. There were three other people. You may remember the story of the son of the widow of Nain. There was Jairus' daughter, and there was Lazarus. But all three of those people came back, they resuscitated in their earthly bodies. Jesus was the only one to be resurrected in a new body. So Jesus was not the first one to be brought back to life, but he was the first one to be resurrected. And in those resuscitations, we see the power of Jesus over death. So we looked at the importance of the resurrection. That if Jesus did not resurrect from the dead, then basically we have no basis for what we believe. Our faith is futile. The Apostle Paul said it best when he said, if Jesus didn't rise from the dead, then we of all people are to be pitied the most. We looked at proof of the resurrection, because our faith is not just blind faith. Our faith, rather, is based on evidence. We have proof for what we believe. This is not just wishful thinking. And there are some people that would say, well, maybe Jesus wasn't really dead. Maybe he wasn't dead after he went to the cross. But there is not a historian or a medical professional on the planet that would agree with that theory. Because Jesus was beaten, he was tortured, he was crucified on a cross. He had a spear driven into his side. So there is not a medical professional on the planet that would agree with that theory. And then some people would say, well, maybe the disciples stole Jesus' body. Maybe that's what happened. But we know that the Roman and Jewish leaders were so afraid of that very thing happening that Pilate issued a guard to secure the site. And when we're talking about a guard, we're not talking about like one guy. This is not like Paul Blart Maulkop or whatever that movie was. This is not like a security guard in a navy v-neck sweater that's sitting there at a security desk in front of an apartment complex. A full guard in those days was 16 soldiers. These were 16 Roman soldiers, and they stood guard in front of Jesus' tomb. And what guarded Jesus' tomb was a stone that weighed one and a half to two tons. That's three to four thousand pounds. So the likelihood of a bunch of fishermen stealing Jesus' body from 16 Roman soldiers is pretty, pretty slim. And then we know that in the 40 days after the resurrection, Jesus appeared to multiple people. That people saw the resurrected Jesus. And we're not just talking about one or two people. Jesus appeared to up to 500 people at one time. We have hundreds of eyewitness accounts of the resurrected Jesus. And more than that, we have changed lives. We have changed lives because when people had an encounter with the resurrected Jesus, it changed them. They were never the same after. That when you have an encounter with the resurrected Jesus, he breathes new life into you. Amen. So today in our series, Jesus does not equal religion. I would say yes, Jesus does not equal religion. Jesus equals life. Jesus equals life. Can we say life?

unknown 5:31

Life.

SPEAKER_00 5:31

Amen. But you know, when I started looking at this, I thought, well, if we're saying Jesus does not equal religion, then we have to kind of look at the definition of religion. And this was the most complete definition of religion that I found. It said religion is a range of social cultural systems, including designated behaviors and practices, ethics, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, or organizations that generally relate humanity to supernatural, transcendental, and spiritual elements. I need a breath. Maybe I need a drink of water. So here it says that religion is a series of systems. Well, we know that Jesus is not a system, that Jesus is a person. Religion is about rules. Jesus is about relationship. Religion says, do this, do that. Jesus said, it is done on the cross. That religion is about tasks. Jesus is about transformation. Religion is designed to keep people out. Jesus draws them in. So we know, yes, religion is about systems, but Jesus is not a system. Jesus is a savior. And he changes and transforms lives. And the fact that he continues to do it today is the reason that he stands the test of time. More than 2,000 years later, it's the reason why we are still talking about him, we are still worshiping him, and we are still lifting up his name is because Jesus is alive. Amen. So Jesus does not equal religion. Jesus equals life. And I would also say that the resurrection is not something to believe in, but the resurrection is someone who gives life. And we see that by looking at the accounts of the people that Jesus appeared to after his resurrection. And the first person that Jesus appears to is Mary Magdalene. Now that, oh, thank you there. Oh, can we give them a round of applause? Thank you.

unknown 8:00

Thank you, that was good.

SPEAKER_00 8:03

So the first person that Jesus appears to after the resurrection is Mary Magdalene. And this is not Mary Jesus' mother. This is Mary Magdalene, somebody that Jesus healed early on in his ministry, and someone who became a devout follower. And we pick up the story in John 20, verse 11 to 16. It says, Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. And they asked her, Woman, why are you crying? She said, and I don't know where they've put him. At this she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she didn't realize it was Jesus. And he asked her, Woman, why are you crying? Who is it that you're looking for? Thinking he was the gardener, she said, Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him. And Jesus said to her, Mary. And she turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, Rabboni, which means teacher. Here we witness Mary on that resurrection morning, so full of grief, full of sorrow, weeping bitterly at the tomb of Jesus. And we know that early on in Jesus' ministry, that Jesus heals Mary. He heals Mary of seven demons, and her life is radically transformed. She is never the same after that. She becomes a dedicated and devoted follower of Jesus, and she is one of the few who stays with him and publicly identifies with him right to the very end. So Jesus is there, I mean, Mary is there rather at the foot of the cross when Jesus is being crucified. She's one of the few. Even though the apostles have all run and hid, Mary is there at the foot of the cross. Mary witnesses the burial of Jesus. And there she is early that Sunday morning. She's one of the first at the tomb. And it's kind of reminiscent of that story that Jesus tells in Luke 7 about the two debtors, two people that owed sums of money, one a lot and one a little. And Jesus says, the one who is forgiven much loves much. And we see Mary's love and devotion to Jesus. But we also recognize her grief. And that through her tears in this moment, she is prevented from seeing Jesus. But Jesus sees her. Jesus sees her and he turns to her. He sees her hurting heart. He sees her need for comfort and he is able to provide it with just one word. He just needs to speak her name. He speaks her name and instantly it captures her. He soothes her heart. He brings instant peace. Just one word, not a sermon, one word. Mary. And it cuts right through to the heart of her grief. Jesus doesn't need to use a lot of words. He doesn't need to use a lot of words. He provides her with his presence. And his presence is what brings peace. That when we are hurting, it's the presence of Jesus that comes and brings peace and soothes our hearts. And we know that often in times of grief, when people are hurting, sometimes others around them have a tendency to pull away, to pull away from someone who is grieving. We feel uncomfortable sometimes with grief. And sometimes it's like, well, you know, I don't know what to say. I don't know what to say to make it better. But we know that in times of grief, words don't bring comfort. There's a story of Queen Victoria who uh once visited a common laborer's wife who had lost her baby. And when the neighbors later asked the queen or asked the woman what the queen said to comfort her, the grieving mother replied, nothing. She simply put her hands on mine and we silently wept together. That's what grief needs. Not words, but presence. And that's what Jesus provides in this moment. In her grief, Mary can't see Jesus. And grief often has a way of blinding us. Sometimes in our grief, we can't see anything else. It blurs our vision. Grief is heavy, it has a weight to it. Sometimes we can't see anything else. Mary's looking for God, and all she sees is the gardener. And I think, how many people like Mary can't see Jesus standing in front of them because they can't see past their own hurt or their own pain. Maybe you're feeling broken today. Maybe you're feeling let down. Discouraged. Lonely. Maybe you have suffered a loss. And I'm sorry. Maybe it's the loss of a loved one. Maybe it's the loss of a relationship. And you just feel like your world has fallen apart. Maybe it's a financial loss. You've lost a job and you feel like your security is shaken. Maybe you've lost a dream. Maybe you've lost your peace of mind. Maybe you feel like you've lost your hope, your joy, your confidence. Whatever it is, Jesus sees you. Jesus sees you. He knows your name, and he wants to remind you that you are not alone. That he is standing next to you and he is calling your name. He sees what you're going through and he wants to bring you his supernatural comfort because there is comfort in his presence. He says, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. He says, I will give you rest for your souls. That is a deep rest that only Jesus can provide. Jesus says, I'm close to the brokenhearted. I will never leave you or forsake you. That is a promise of Jesus. So the first person that Jesus appears to is Mary in her grief. On that first resurrection morning, in the early morning hours, Jesus appears to Mary, and then he appears to the other women next, which just goes to show how Jesus esteemed and elevated women. That he used women. At that time they were overlooked, but he used women to carry the message of the gospel first. They were the first person that he, the first people he appeared to. He goes on to appear to other disciples and eventually the apostles who are hiding in a locked room. But there's a special account of Jesus appearing to one disciple in particular. And it's Thomas. And often we call him doubting Thomas. And I just think, poor Thomas. You know, he had a moment of doubt, and here we are, still talking about it 2,000 years later. Like poor Thomas. And I thought, how would we like it if we were defined, you know, by our big failure or flub? Like, hi, I'm Lori, procrastinating Lori. Nice to meet you. You know, but here we look at the story of doubting Thomas. So Jesus appears to Mary in her grief, and he appears to Thomas in his doubt. And we pick up that story in John 20, verses 24 to 29. It says, Now Thomas, one of the twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, We have seen the Lord. But he said to them, Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them this time. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you. And then he said to Thomas, Put your finger here. See my hands? Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe. And Thomas said to him, My Lord and my God. And then Jesus told him, Because you have seen me, you have believed. But blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed. And on the one hand, I think, you know, we can kind of find this story shocking because here is Thomas. He's one of the twelve. He walked with Jesus for over three years. So he knows Jesus. And he doesn't only know Jesus, but he knows the other apostles. They're his buddies, and they say, Hey, we have seen Jesus. And Thomas is like, Nope. Like, unless I see with my own eyes, unless I touch with my own hands, I will not believe. So we might be a little bit shocked when we hear the story of Thomas, but on the other hand, I think, how many of us can identify with Thomas? How many of us wrestle with our own doubts or feel cynical at times? How many of us just need more time to assimilate and sort of test the facts for themselves? You know, we're obviously not praising Thomas for his doubt, but the fact that the disciples themselves doubted after walking with Jesus for three years is one of the greatest pieces of evidence for the resurrection because it shows that they weren't just trying to come up with a story to make them look good. No, they needed proof, and that proof benefits us today. Jesus doesn't praise Thomas in his doubt, but he doesn't condemn him either. He understands it. He understands it just like the father who came to him and said, Can you heal my son? And Jesus said, Of course I can heal your son. Do you believe? And the father said, I do believe. But help me overcome my unbelief. And Jesus said, That's good enough. I can work with that. Is that good enough? Jesus wants us to go to him in his doubts. Jesus responds to a sincere heart, to a heart that turns to him and says, I want to believe. Help me with my unbelief. And we don't need to have a lot of faith, not big faith. Faith the size of a mustard seed will do. The important thing is that in our doubt we turn to him. And I think I can relate to Thomas. You know, I shared my testimony here last summer of what God did in my life. You know, and for the longest time I had had knowledge of Jesus. I knew who he was, but I didn't have a relationship with Jesus. You know, and I thought, I have a good life, I don't need to bother him. You know, I have my health, I have a loving family, I have, you know, my parents who love me. I have a great education, I have friends, I have a great career in television. But I felt like there was something missing. And so I would go out into the world trying to find what that missing thing was, you know, and relationship after relationship until finally, you know, when I was at my lowest point, I broke down on my knees in my living room and I just said, God, if you are real, make yourself real to me. I want to know you. And Jesus responded to the cry of my heart, because Jesus responds to a sincere heart. This isn't about putting God to the test. This isn't about, hey, God, if you do these five things, then I will believe. But Jesus responds to a heart that cries out to him in sincerity. And I think sometimes, you know, we can sort of swim around in our doubts, tread water in our doubts for so long that it can almost drown us. And I love it. One person said, Why is it that we don't doubt our doubts and believe our beliefs? Right? Why is it we don't doubt our doubts and believe our beliefs? Sometimes we give so much more weight to the doubt than we do what we believe in. I had doubts. And a friend of mine, a very wise friend of mine, said, Lori, if you have doubts, go into God's word and ask him for yourself. Ask him to reveal himself to you. Best piece of advice. Ever because he did that Jesus brought clarity. That's what he does. He brings clarity over confusion. So here Jesus meets Mary in her grief. He meets Thomas in his doubt. And he meets Peter in his shame. It's the story of Peter. Many of you may know it. But Peter, so we have Thomas, who's one of the twelve, and then Peter, who's one of the three. One of the three apostles that was closest to Jesus. And Jesus went and changed his name from Simon to Peter. Like it was like, Peter, you are the rock. Like you're the man. I am going to build my church on you. And on the night of the Last Supper, Jesus says to Peter, Peter, you're going to deny me. And Peter's like, What? Not me, Lord. Like, not me. Everyone else can turn away from you. Everyone else can walk away, but not me. I will never leave your side. I will go to jail if I have to. I will die with you, Jesus, but I will never turn away from you. And not only does he deny Jesus, but it's just hours later, the same night, the night of the Last Supper. And he doesn't just deny Jesus once, he denies him three times. And when he realizes what he has done, he feels so bad that he runs and he hides. He just feels so full of shame that he runs and hides. Jesus changed his name from Simon to Peter the Rock. And I'm sure in this moment he was probably feeling more like a pebble than a rock. I just love how relatable Peter is. And I think most of us can probably relate to Peter the shame that we feel when we know that we've blown it. You know, when we know that we have messed up. Maybe messed up again. And sometimes we think, you know, man, I thought I'd be so much farther along in my walk. Like, why is it that I keep doing this? How could I have lost my temper again? How could I have said that unkind thing again? How could I have been so judgmental? And we start to sort of swim in our mistakes until eventually we start to feel that we are a mistake. You know, we just start to feel so much shame that we think maybe we're beyond hope. How could God use me? How could God love me? You know, when we don't live up to our own standards, never mind God's. Here's Peter who swears that he's going to stand by Jesus. Not only does he deny him, but he runs and he hides. And even in the aftermath of the resurrection, even after Peter has seen the empty tomb, even after he has seen the resurrected Jesus, even after he has seen Jesus walk through walls and he has touched him and talked to him, even after all of that, his depression is so severe that he returns fishing. He just goes back to what he knows. A slice of his old life. The old, the familiar. And I think how many of us can relate to that? You know, when you feel like you've blown it and you feel like you've messed up, and it's just like, ugh. Better off. I was better off there. I think of the Israelites. You know, the Israelites, God freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. God did all kinds of amazing miracles. He parts the Red Sea. He leads them out. They're in the desert. God is providing for them supernaturally, dropping manna from heaven, and they're like, meh, manna, you know, we were better off in Egypt. At least we had meat to eat there. And I'm thinking, like, really? Yeah, you were eating meat, but you were eating meat in chains. Like, come on. But how quickly we forget, right? I think we can spend so much time looking in the rear view mirror and sort of romanticizing how things were way back when we forget. We get away from that pain a little bit and we forget what it was like. You know, maybe you get out of a relationship and now you're single, but you're looking in the rearview mirror and you're thinking, well, that wasn't so bad. You know, at least I wasn't alone, you know, or it was a job that you left and you feel like God is now using you somewhere else, and you're looking back like, huh, wasn't so bad. You know, I made more money doing that. I think it's so easy for us to forget and to look in the rearview mirror and to just sort of get weighed under by the weight of our shame, to go back to the old and the familiar. But Jesus goes to Peter. And he doesn't only forgive Peter, but he restores him. There is special forgiveness and restoration for Peter, who denied him the most. And that's what the cross is about: that Jesus comes to seek and to save. Jesus comes to forgive our sin. And it doesn't matter how big or how small it is, it doesn't matter how big, it doesn't matter how far we've fallen, because there is no pit too deep that his grace can't reach. I just look at the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul was murdering Christians. And if Jesus could meet him and rescue him, restore and redeem Paul and use him to write most of the New Testament, there is nothing too broken that Jesus can't restore. Amen. Because it's not about us, it's about him. He's the one that offers his mercy and his grace. And he says, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness. I know you can't do it, but I can. I can redeem and restore, I can rewrite your story, and I can make beauty out of ashes. And only he can do that. So the thing that you think is your biggest mistake is the thing that might actually be your biggest asset. The thing that you think disqualifies you is actually what he might use to touch other people's hearts and to teach them about the heart of a savior that Jesus comes to heal and restore, and it's the very thing that you can use to help set someone else free. Amen? I love how tender Jesus is when he comes to restore Peter. He says, Peter, do you love me? He says, Then feed my sheep. Peter, do you love me? And he asks him that three times to counter the three denials that Peter made. Like that is the heart of a father. Do you love me? My plan hasn't changed for you. You're still the rock. You're still the man. You're still gonna be the cornerstone of my church. I am still going to build my church on you. I am still gonna use you. I am still going to restore you. And then 50 days later, there is Peter, and he is preaching the gospels on the day of Pentecost, and 3,000 people are baptized and added to the church. That is the greatest resurrection story of all time. Amen. The resurrection isn't just something, it is someone who gives life. Jesus is definitely not a religion. He is so deeply personal. He knows his children. He knows what we need. He meets Mary in her grief and he heals her broken heart. He meets Thomas in his doubt and he brings clarity. He meets Peter in his shame and he shows him that no failure is ever final. And you might be saying, Yeah, well, I'd like to see that resurrected Jesus. Like if I saw him face to face, now we're talking. You know, if I could see Jesus, if I could only see him face to face, just have a moment. But the same Jesus that healed in the 40 days after the resurrection continues to heal today. He continues to heal and restore today, and he shows us how, in a final story that we're going to look at today, it's another resurrection encounter of two disciples on the road to Emmaus. You have these two disciples who are leaving Jerusalem. Yes, they know the tomb is empty, but they haven't seen the resurrected Jesus. And don't ask me why they didn't stick around to find out the rest of the story. I gotta ask them in heaven, like, guys, what were you doing? But they're walking away from Jerusalem and they're feeling so downcast and just discouraged. And Jesus comes alongside of them, only they don't recognize that it's Jesus. And he comes alongside of them and he's asking them what they're talking about. And they're like, really? Like we're talking about what everybody is talking about, Jesus of Nazareth. And they say he was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death and they crucified him. But we had hoped that he was going to be the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what's more, it's the third day since all this took place. And in addition, some of the women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning, but didn't find his body. They came and told us they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive, and then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it, just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus. And Jesus says to them, How foolish you are. How foolish and slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory? And beginning with Moses and all of the prophets, he explained to them what was said in all scriptures concerning himself. And as they approached the village to where they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, stay with us, for it's nearly evening and the day is almost over. So he went in to stay with them. And when he was at the table with them, he took bread, he gave thanks, he broke it, and began to give it to them. And then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. And they said to each other, Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened scripture to us? And they got up and they returned to Jerusalem at once. Once again, we have a situation where we have two disciples that are prevented from seeing Jesus right away, just like Mary in her grief. They're walking away from Jerusalem. They're feeling discouraged, they're feeling dejected, downcast. And Jesus does something here, something very specific that we need to do no matter what we are facing. This is really for our benefit, is he points them back to Scripture. Before showing them who he is in the flesh, he reveals who he is through his word. Jesus points them back to the word because his word is what's going to sustain their faith. It's his word that caused their hearts to burn within them. More than just an experience, more than feelings, God's word is what builds our faith. And that's how we meet Jesus today. Jesus meets us through his word. Yes, miracles point to Jesus, but the word is what anchors our faith. We can't see Jesus in the flesh, but we see Jesus through his word. The Bible says, in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. Jesus is the word. And these two disciples can see Jesus more clearly with their spiritual eyes in the word and through the scripture than they can with their physical eyes. And it causes their hearts to burn within them. That seeing Jesus through Scripture causes their hearts to burn within them because they're seeing his glory reflected throughout all of history and it causes their hearts to burn. That's what love does. Love causes our hearts to burn within us. You can't fall in love with religion. You can't feel passionate about a series of systems. We don't feel passionate about ethics, morals, beliefs, and practices. But you can feel passionate about the one that knows you so deeply that he calls you by name. The one that loves you so much that he gave his life for you. He died on the cross for you. We can feel passionate about him. And it doesn't matter what you've done, it doesn't matter how unlovable you feel because he loves you. That's who he is. He is love. The apostle Paul says, I pray that you may have the power to know how wide, how long, how high, and how deep is the love of Christ, that you may know this love that surpasses understanding, that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of Christ. God wants us to know how much he loves you. I think of a story that this pastor tells about a man that came up to him one day after the service and said, I think I know what my problem is. I think I just don't love God enough. And he said, That's not your problem. Your problem is you don't know how much he loves you. You don't know how much he loves you. For those of you who are parents, think of your kids and how much you love your children, and he loves you so much more. But in our brokenness, sometimes we just turn to the world. You know, we're looking for comfort in all kinds of places. Sometimes it can be harmful ways, sometimes not so much, sometimes it's just entertainment. It would be binge watch TV. As Pastor Selvin talked about last week, we doom scroll, we go shopping, we go on vacations. And these aren't necessarily bad things in and of themselves, but they're temporary. We just need more and more. One writer said, I love this. Trying to fill our aching hearts with these things is like trying to fill an ocean with a tablespoon. It's never enough. But one drop of the Lord's mercy is better than an ocean of the world's temporary comforts. Amen. One drop of the Lord's mercy is better than an ocean of the world's temporary comforts. And Jesus is saying, come, taste and see that the Lord is good. It reminds me of this story of this man, Danny Duchesne. Danny Duchesne grew up in a wealthy family in California, one of five brothers. And they grew up wealthy, so they didn't really have a need for God or Jesus. You know, that any void that they had in their lives, they would just fill it with materialism. Until one day, at the age of 16, he said his life was completely turned upside down. Because at the age of 16, police came knocking on his door to arrest his parents and throw them in jail for drug trafficking. And here he was, 16 years old, and he had to care for a brother that was 18 months old. All of a sudden, his life was changed. In a moment, his life was changed. 16 years old. He felt so much fear. But eventually his fear started to turn to anger. And the anger started to build, and it started to build resentment, you know, and bitterness. And to get rid of that feeling, he started to drink, he started to do drugs. He wanted to escape those feelings. So it was drinking and it was drugs. And then eventually he had to turn to crime to support his habit. So here he is hanging out with you know all these criminals. And one day he is involved in a crime where two people are killed. And at 19 years old, he is given a double life sentence. At 19, he's thrown in prison and given a double life sentence. And he thinks his life is over. And there he is in prison and he has to detox. And by the time that he does, he he just realizes the weight of everything that he's done. And he just feels so much guilt and so much shame over the people that he's hurt. And he's sitting in his cell and he's just like, That's it. I'm going to hell. And someone comes and visits him. Someone comes and visits him and shares the word of God with him and tells him how much God loves him. And he's like, Me? They're like, Yeah. And he thinks this is too good to be true. But as he starts to understand the love of a father, he just starts to dive into the word. He's hungry and he's thirsty and he just wants to know more. And he just starts to read, and God is speaking to him. And he said, for the first time in his life, here he was in prison and he never felt more free. He was in prison and he never felt more free because God had set him free. And then he thinks, you know what? Maybe I need to share this. And he starts sharing it with other inmates, asking them if they want to form some small groups. And 200 inmates say yes. They accept the invitation to form small groups. And they have 60 small groups a week happening in that prison. That over a hundred guys give their lives to Christ, and all of a sudden the atmosphere in that prison is starting to change. And the warden is just like, what is happening in my prison? And it attracts media attention. People come to the prison to find out what's happening. The New York Times writes about it, about the changes happening in this prison. And then Danny, after 32 years, is released. He is released from prison, he gets married, he becomes a pastor and starts to have a prison ministry, to share what God has done with other people, to show others that there is hope. If there was hope for him, there is hope for you. Amen. Because when you've been touched by Jesus, when his word transforms you, it causes your heart to burn within you. I think of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, you know, and when Jesus encounters them, it says they got up and returned to Jerusalem at once. You know, they had walked seven miles. It was late at night, but they had this encounter with Jesus. And so they got up and they walked the seven miles back because they wanted to share that they had this encounter with the other disciples. When Mary encounters Jesus, she goes running back to tell the other disciples. When Peter sees Jesus come to restore him, Peter jumps out of the boat and he runs to the shore to meet Jesus. And that's what happens when you have an encounter with the living God. The resurrection is not something, it is someone who gives life. Jesus causes your heart to burn within you. Jesus gives you a new song to sing. He makes you quicken your step and he fills you with an overflowing joy that just makes you want to run and go tell others. That's what Jesus does. Church, can we stand to our feet and give Jesus a shout of praise in this place? For who he is. We may not be able to see Jesus in the flesh, but we can encounter him every day through his word. His word is alive. It's living water for our thirsty souls. Those two disciples on the road to Emmaus, they said their hearts burned within them. Imagine, and they only had the Old Testament. We have the benefit of having the Old Testament and the new. We don't only see the promises of a coming Messiah, but we see those promises fulfilled. We have the Old and the New, and not only that, but when you invite Jesus into your life, his spirit is what is living inside you. And the Bible says, and if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies. Amen. Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even though they die. And whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life. Jesus is the one who gives life. Jesus is not a religion, he is life. He is the author of life, the source of life. He promises to give us abundant life here on earth and eternal life in the kingdom to come. And he does it out of his love for us. He says, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Following Jesus is not just a way of life, it is the way to have true life. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. And he's calling your name today. He's calling your name today. Can we bow our heads? I don't know what you came in here carrying today. You know, if you're just feeling full of grief and sorrow like Mary, Jesus wants to heal you. He's calling your name. He's not talking to a crowd. He's talking to you. And he says, I can heal you and I can restore you. With one word, he just needs to speak your name. He wants to turn our morning into joy. He wants to give beauty for ashes. Maybe like Thomas, you're feeling full of doubt. And Jesus said, I came to bring clarity, not confusion. Or maybe like Peter, you're just feeling full of shame. Feeling bad about the mistakes that you've made. And Jesus says, I can redeem and restore you. It doesn't matter what you have done. You have not fallen too far that my grace cannot come and reach you. Maybe some of you know you're not in a physical prison, but maybe a prison in your mind. And Jesus said, I came to set you free. I came to bring victory. I came to bring freedom to the captives. Jesus is life. He wants to breathe new life into you. But first we have to invite him into our lives. And right now, where you are, maybe like me, you know, you just had head knowledge of Jesus. Maybe you had religion, but not a relationship with Jesus. And if you want him to come into your life today, just open your hands right now and say, Jesus, come into my heart. Come into my heart. I believe that you can heal and restore. Jesus, I want to know you. Thank you for giving your life on the cross. Thank you for dying in my place. I may not have all the answers, Jesus, but I'm coming to you because I know that you do. And today I want to make you Lord of my life. And it's not about the words that we say, it's about the posture of our heart, and he hears your heart today. He sees your heart. He responds to a sincere heart. In the quietness, in the stillness of where you are, just say, Jesus, come into my heart. Because he can heal and restore. There is no one like him, nothing like him. And he can do for you what nothing in this world can do. Let's raise our hands to him now and sing together, church. Let's sing together.