App. Um we want you to be encouraged to be able to do that, but obviously we will always pass the plates. Um there will be a little bit of a change though. Uh the tiles on the app will show giving. Um, instead of the bottom right corner, it'll be a tile for giving. And then there'll be a tile for giving toward the youth ministry. And the reason why that's important is because the youth ministry now has its own board, its own bank account. It will still be under uh the accountability of our CLC and our regular church board. Um, but if you are able to and decide, hey, we want to move the mission, which will be what our campaign is for the youth ministry, uh, and give monthly to that, uh, you can do so. I want to take a minute out to talk about that. The Bible says that everything that has breath, praise ye the Lord. What does that really mean? Well, I'm under the belief that when everything that has breath created by God, for God, through God, everything we do is in representation of the kingdom of God. I come expecting because I have the breath of God inside of me, and so do you. We cannot live a life of being defeated before we ever give God the opportunity to work and operate through us. We should live this way in everything that we do, in the church, in our work life, in our family, and in our homes. If God is dominant over all of our relationships in our home and in our workplace, then we should believe that if God is for us, who can be against us? That should be the motto of your life and how we operate. That the enemy has no place, the enemy has no authority, and the enemy's jurisdiction ends at the door because I am a child of God. And I say that in everything that we do because people say, Man, you got some big expectations. No, I have the right expectations because this is what God has commanded us to do. We should be doing ministry in the church, we should be raising the best youth group in the area, we should be having incredible concerts here, we should be able to reach moms and daughters and children and everyone else. We should. Why? Because it's the expectation of the kingdom, and it's just not there. It's in everything that I do. People joke with me and laugh at me a little bit because of my expectation about the junior high football program. I want to tell you, we're gonna win. We're gonna win. I might be new, but we're gonna win. The high school football program, it's gonna win. I might be new. Why? Because everything I do, I do to the glory of God. And if He's for me, there's no chance of anyone being against me. At some point, we have to have the faith that if God has given us the passion and the desire to do something, let's do it with everything that we have and not just 50%. Do you believe that? That's true. That's true. And you have to have a fire inside of you that becomes so convict, regardless of whether you own a funeral home, or whether you come to church on Sunday, or whether you work in a bank, or whether you work at a hospital, or whether you're a nurse. It's not just a job. It is your opportunity to allow the world to see that greater is he that's in you than he that's in the world, and that you don't just go to church, but you are the church because everything that has breath, praise ye the Lord. That's the truth of the gospel this morning, of the power that he gives us. That's for free. Now we can get into the sermon, all right? All right, so this week we are in week three of our sermon series on heaven. The last few weeks, we've been breaking down why heaven really matters. We've talked about what happens at death, and this week is going to lead us into next week. This week, we're gonna talk about the resurrection of our bodies and how it's not an optional belief, that it is the glorious center of God's redemptive plan. Our physical bodies matter to God, and He will raise them, transform them, and give us a vibrant embodied life on the new earth. That's important. We're gonna talk about that today. Last week we stepped through the doorway of death and glimpsed into the present heaven, that immediate, joyful presence with Christ that awaits every believer. And what an encouraging truth it is, isn't it? To know that when we close our eyes, that we'll open them and see our King of Kings. If you left here with less fear of death and more hope in Christ, then amen. Because that's the way it should be. But today in our series, Randy Alcorn pushes in the book Heaven. If you don't have the book, I encourage you to get it. It's a great book. And he confronts a subtle but dangerous idea that has crept into Christianity. The belief that our bodies are unimportant and that heaven is only spiritual. Alcorn powerfully reminds us that the resurrection is the ultimate proof that matters to God. Jesus didn't rise as a disembodied spirit, he rose with a real touchable, eating, walking body, and so will we. The resurrection is not a footnote to the gospel, it is the climax of redemption, and God loves what he created, and he is redeeming every part of his creation, every part of it. Building on directly of last week, today we move from the intermediate state to the far greater future, the bodily resurrection that makes the new earth possible. This truth is going to fill you with excitement. My prayer is that it would. And because of that, we can live as true Christians in this world, knowing that death truly has no victory over us in what's to come. If you have your Bible, we're gonna be going to 1 Corinthians today. We're gonna start here and we'll kind of hit on this a little bit later, too. But this is Paul preaching, and he's telling the church at Corinth because there's a lot of churches, there's a lot of people struggling with this idea, and there's people struggling with the idea of Jesus Christ theology plus nothing. And there's a lot that's being portrayed here by those that did not physically see Jesus rise from the dead, but also in this moment, he's telling people how their faith actually has worth. And I'm gonna do the same for you today. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15, 12, it says, but if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? This is intriguing. If you believe that Jesus Christ died and rose again, and you believe that, then how can you say that there's no resurrection of the dead? I don't know if that's real. If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised, but we know that he has. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless, and so is your faith. We might as well go home and make hamburgers. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God. For we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead, but he did not raise him, and in fact, or he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. Do you see? For one to be true, the other has to be true. It has to be true. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are all of people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. I want to stop here this morning for a moment and tell you that as I reflected on the verses, I thought of Miss Nancy Heights, an incredible woman of God. She was a member here, she passed away this week, and her visitations tonight, and then we'll have her service tomorrow. But I couldn't help but continue to think about her as I would read this text because I know that my sister is not lost. I know exactly where she is because Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. I know that she too is now in what we call paradise. It's the greatest truth and hope that we have. And Paul makes it clear that without the resurrection, our faith is worthless. So if you don't believe that Jesus Christ, a man, 100% man, but 100% God, truly was killed, unrecognizable to death, did the crucifix the crucifixion of the Roman death, was buried and then raised from the dead. If you don't believe that, then your faith is worthless. It has no value, it has no substance. Because that right there is the promise that we have in everything. The resurrection is not a myth or a symbol, it is a historical reality that secures our futures. Without this process, you and I have no hope. Because Christ rose, we will rise. He is the first fruits, the guarantee of the full harvest to come. And Luke says it like this this morning. While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, Peace be with you. Dude, what a moment. I gotta tell you, I believe Jesus is alive and well today, but I gotta tell you, if he appeared to me in my bedroom, I'm gonna be a little freaked out. That's why he has to say, Peace be with you. The angels, anyways, you remember, what's the first words they usually say? Do not be afraid. Do not be afraid. Well, I'm a little afraid. This is a little weird. He said to them, peace be with you. They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. Yeah, you think? This is a little trippy. He said to them, Why are you troubled? Why do doubts rise in your mind? I don't know. I can think of a few. I don't know about you. But when Jesus spoke and he gave all the prophecies, their minds hadn't really had the revelation of what he said he was going to do about the temple and how it would be destroyed and how it would be built back in three days. They had no idea of the revelation that he was speaking to them. But now they have seen him die a death, and yet he lives. He lives, he's right there. He says it like this look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself. Touch me and see. A ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see, I have. That would have been a lot, dude. I don't know if we really take the Bible at times scripture by scripture to heart and really digest it. But they just saw their friend a couple of days ago completely obliterated. Okay? The Roman crucifixion was horrific. If you saw the Passion of the Christ years ago when it came out and how bad that was, this was worse. And now, days later, just as he said, he is standing in front of them. Like, hey guys, peace be with you. Don't be afraid. I know this might seem a little strange, but look at my hands and feet. It's me, dude. It's me. Touch me and see. A ghost doesn't have flesh and bones, as you see, I have. And when he said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it, I found this humorous. Like Jesus Christ is standing before them. He's trying to show them. And while they still did not believe it, because of joy and amazement, he asked them, Do you have anything here to eat? Like, this is humorous to me. Jesus has died. He's he's walking around interceding in a conversation. They're amazed, they still can't believe it. This is wild. Hey guys, do you have anything in the fridge? Like, seriously? Do you have anything to eat? They gave him a piece of broiled fish and he took it and he ate it in their presence. Wait, hold on a second. If we're if it's just this idea that when we die and it's over and we're just a spirit and that's it, and like that, that's that's it. There's nothing. No, no, no, no, no. Dude, he took fish and he ate it in their presence. But someone will ask, how going back to it, we'll get there in a second. Sorry. This moment is huge for all of us. Imagine a championship team winning the first game of a series. The College World Series were just recently, right? They get all the way through the tournament, they get to this moment, and they have to win two out of three games. If you win the first game, you have the greatest hope in the world that you can win the championship. Because if you win the first game, you know that the team you just played is beatable. You know you have a good chance at winning the second or the third game of the series. And that's what Christ did for you and I. He defeated death to show you that I'm victorious over it. And if I did it once, I can do it again for you. This is how God works. He's so good that he shows the first fruits of what he did so that you can have the promise and be confident that if he already defeated the enemy once, he's going to do it again for me. This is important. The truth destroys the idea of floating as ghosts forever. Our future is embodied just like our Savior's, which leads us to the resurrection, redeems our humanity. God created us as embodied beings and declared it very good. Sin brought decay and death, but resurrection brings full redemption. People ask me all the time, do you really believe that we'll be known by our loved ones that we'll know our loved ones? I do. I do, 100%. I don't believe that it's going to be in the way that, you know, I was married to so-and-so or so. Don't ask me how that works. I just know what the word of God says. But I do. Because he's that good, because he's that big. He can do anything he wants to do, just like he's going to wipe away every tear from your eye, and that'll never happen again. He's God. He can eliminate, he can add, he can change, he can create, he can make, he can delete, he can do whatever he wants to do. I'm not God and I'm glad for it. But I can tell you, I believe that we'll be known as we were known. If that's not the case, then how does Peter even know that it's Moses and Elijah on the mountaintop with them? And you know, how's he know that? I believe there's awareness. I believe when you get to heaven, you're not gonna have to ask someone who their name is. You're gonna exactly know who they are. We're identified with Christ. He's bigger than that brain of ours, he's greater, he's so much more knowledgeable, he's bigger than AI. Believe it or not, some of these young people are like, yeah, preach it. He's bigger than AI. AI is not God, our God's bigger than it. God created us as embodied beings and declared it very good. 1 Corinthians 15 says it, but someone will ask, how are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come? This is the question everybody wants to know. How foolish what you sow does not come to life unless it dies. Man, I could preach a whole sermon series on this one verse. But this is where we're gonna get a little scientific today, a little biology for you farmers out here. You'll probably know it better than I do. Paul says, How foolish what you sow die what you sow does not come to life unless it dies. So that's intriguing because when we go back to verse 35 in the Corinthian church and what they're asking, they say, but someone will ask, How are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have? How foolish, he says. What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. Verse 37. When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of the seed he gives its own body. Not all flesh is the same. People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another, fish another. There are also heavenly bodies, and there are also earthly bodies. Oh, this is good, isn't it? But the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of earthly bodies is another. The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon and the stars another, and stars differ from star in splendor. So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, but it is raised imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, but it is raised in glory. You want to know why? Because we're sinners, right? But it's raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, but it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, but it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. If there was the death of Jesus and the resurrection of Jesus, then there'll be a death of my body, but a resurrection of my body. It just goes hand in hand. So it is written, the first man Adam, became a living being, the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. You remember when God created Adam and Eve, he didn't breathe into them first. He made the form of the body and he breathed into the nostrils. The natural came first, and then the spirit. And then when your spirit your body dies, then the spirit goes. It says the spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was that of dust of the earth, and the second man is of heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth, and as is the heavenly man, so are those that are who in so are those who are of heaven. Verse 49. And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly men. The heavenly men. Now the biology part of this is incredible because Paul he answers this question: how are the dead raised? Using the seed analogy, right? Our bodies are sown in weakness, dishonorable, and perishable. That's what they are. I'm sorry, guys, but I can tell you right now, I used to be a decent athlete. And now as I get older, I realize that if I don't lose weight, that my knees are only going to keep hurting worse. You want to know why? Because these bodies are perishable. They don't last long. We're getting shoulder replacements, knees replacements, hip replacements, everything else. Why? Because our bodies are perishable. Sin has affected us in such a way that we are growing older, and I can't seem to stop. That's just part of it. Paul answers this and he says, but raised in power, glory, and immortality, we will have a spiritual body, not a non fit, non-physical, but perfectly suited for the spirit's life. We will have a body. I can tell you right now, this morning, I can celebrate because Nancy Heights has a new body. If you have lost a loved one, they have a new body. If they knew Jesus and had a relationship with him, they are standing in paradise with the King of Kings in a new body. It is not a boring life, it is the greatest life that we can't even begin to fathom or dream of. Try to do it and then add it a hundred times greater. This is the strongest analogy in the passage that Paul preaches on because when you plant a seed, when he refers to wheat, the seed structure breaks down, it dies as the embryo germinates, using stored nutrients to grow inside a very different mature plant. You don't harvest the original seed. Biologically, the embryo inside remains alive. It's not literal death of all cells, but the seed as a functional unit undergoes major transformation and decay of parts. The metaphor works well here because there is continuity in from our dying self to the part inside of us that's just beginning to grow and take off. That, my friends, is our spirit and our soul. And I need you to understand that when your body is put in that ground, that is not the end. That is the beginning because eternity starts right now. In Philippians, he said, and I've read it many times and I'll read it again. But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. Our application is that our aches, our limitations, our aging body today are temporary. God is not throwing them away, He is going to transform them. One day I will run faster than I ever did. One day I will jump higher than I ever did. One day I will soar greater than I ever have, because in that moment I will be fully my heavenly body, transformed from an imperishable one that does me. No good in the long term. And I put everything I have into this because I believe that Jesus Christ is who he said he is and he did what he said he did, and we have a record account of that. So I put all my eggs in this basket. I put all of them. Not because I'm afraid to die. But because I'm afraid of an idea of living a life without Jesus Christ for eternity. If I die and there's nothing after this, that's okay. I don't believe that. But if it was just a blank, okay. But I don't believe that. My fear is not not existing. My fear is not being in his presence. And if you love Jesus Christ with that kind of heart, with everything that you have for his presence, his presence will be so evident in your life that you'll know that his word is true and that he cannot lie. He is real today, yesterday, tomorrow, and forever. And at some point we have to take him at his word. He is going to transform you. Alcorn emphasizes that every part of your humanity, your laugh, your creativity, your ability to hug and create will be redeemed and enhanced. We'll be able to do it without the thought of sin. No more negativity. No more bad thoughts. No more wicked thoughts. It'll all be depleted. We will be back in perfect harmony with the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, and all those that we love that chose to follow him as their Lord and Savior. My last point, I'm done. It's continuating can't speak. In transformation. We will be the same people, yet gloriously improved. John 20 says it like this. He says, Who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. You remember? You remember when Jesus is on the mountaintop? Uh we talk about transfiguration. You remember he he changed? You remember that? In that moment, still fully man, still fully God. They will be like his glorious body. No, Thomas, you remember this guy. Also known as Didymus, one of the twelve disciples, was not with the disciples when Jesus originally came. So the other disciples told him, We have seen the Lord. But he said to them, Yeah, alright. Unless I see him and I see the nail marks in his hands, and I put my fingers where the nails were and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. You know, Thomas gets a really bad nickname because of this one portion of scripture, brother Jeff. How would you like your whole life to be a faithful follower of Jesus and this one bad moment gets put into the history books and the rest of the world calls you doubting Thomas for the rest of your existence? That would stink. I don't even want to know what nickname you would give me if my whole life was in there. I don't want to even want to know. But Thomas, he wasn't really a doubter. He wasn't. He had a moment that it was very hard for him to believe. I don't know. If your friends came and told you that the man that you followed, you watched him killed, beat, choke on his own blood, put in the ground. Do you think that if they came and said, hey, we've seen Jesus, you're gonna believe that immediately? No! Because you're not crazy. I hope. He said, unless I see the no mark. I think it's reasonable. I think it's reasonable. If I'm going to put everything in my reputation on the line, my beliefs, everything I have, I need to see this. I if you want to be someone that is respected and you know, you stand for what you believe and you're a truthful person, you want to see it because I don't want to believe something and tell something to other people that I have no proof of, just going off here, say, sorry, love you, believe you, I gotta see it. That's what's happening right here. And he said, Unless I see the no 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. Though the doors were locked, I love they include this because it lets you know this is a weird moment. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you. This dude just keeps doing this. It's like I think Jesus enjoys it. I think he enjoys it. Peace be with you. And then he said to Thomas, put your fingers here and see my hands. Reach out your hands and put them into my side. This is what I love about Jesus because he already knows what you need before you tell him you need it. It doesn't say that Thomas looked at him and said, I gotta see your hands and need to see your side. Let me inspect you. It says Jesus showed up to him. Jesus came to him. The doors were locked, they weren't open, and Jesus still found his way into his room. I could preach a sermon on that too. He came and found him. It's in this moment that Jesus gives him what he needs before he even tells Jesus what he needs. Because Jesus already knew what he needs because he's God, the same way that Jesus already died for you, even though you didn't know what you needed. And he said, Put your fingers here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe. And I guess the only thing that I can say to end this today is to stop doubting and believe. Has he not been good to you? Has he not brought you out of the valleys? Has he not healed your body? Has he not walked with you? Has he not been good to you? He's done everything for you. He gave you breath when you didn't deserve it. He touched your body when you didn't deserve it. He provided you financials when you didn't know where you were gonna get it. Quit doubting and start believing. At some point, you gotta quit with all this nonsense of I'm not gonna believe it unless I see it. I'm not gonna believe it until he comes down. I'm not gonna believe it until I saw an angel. I want to tell you, you probably saw an angel, but you are unaware because you were too busy doubting. Quit doubting. He is who he says he is, he is who he says he is. He is who he says he is. At some point, we have to believe that he is who he says he is. One day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that he is Lord. Don't let it be that place where you realize he is who he says he is. Believe it right now and trust him that he's good and that he's making a way of provision for your life because he's that good. Come expecting. Man, I feel like preaching. Because I'm passionate about it. Because if you could see your life the way God sees your life, if you could see what he's done for you, if you could see what he's kept you from, not even the things he's done from you, but all the things he's kept you from that you don't even have awareness of, you would see how good he is and you would start doubt, stop doubting, and begin to believe. That's how good he is. Thomas touched the scars of Jesus, the resurrected body. Jesus was recognizable, the same person, get transformed and no longer limited by death. Nobody could stop Jesus now. He could just appear in any room he wanted to appear in. They're gonna see him for about 40 more days. Over 500 people are gonna witness him, tell the whole world about it. They're gonna watch him ascend into the heaven, and he'll say, The same way I go is the same way I'm coming back. And I guarantee you that's gonna be a fact. I don't know when it is, I don't know what day. All I know is I'm gonna start doubting and start believing. I'm gonna get crazy in my faith. He showed his hands and his side with the wounds from the crucifixion. He invited Thomas to touch him and he ate food in front of his disciples and invited them to touch him. So, what makes you think that when you die, that you're not gonna have a new body, that you're not going to be able to run to be with others, that you're not gonna be, we're gonna eat, man. I don't know how that digestive system works, but we're gonna eat. There's a lot that I don't know, but I'm gonna quit doubting and start believing that he is who he says he is, and that if he has a new body for me, and he has a new heaven for me, and he has a new place for me, that it's all in order and it's all in mind of you and I, then I'm gonna believe that. Do I deserve it? No, I don't. Do I deserve it? No, I don't. This is what I love. This is what I love. He says it like this in John 20. 8. Thomas said to him, My Lord, my God. Then Jesus told him, Because you have seen me, you believe. But blessed are those who have not seen me, and yet they have believed. This is a powerful scripture for you and I because now we as Christians know what Jesus did for us. We know the examples he's put out for us, the seeds that have been shown, and the things that have been sprouted. We know, we have evidence, and so it is up for us to believe and to follow. So many people in these times only follow Jesus because of the miracles and the benefits they could get from him. But Jesus is looking for people who are passionate about his heart. In Luke 24, 40 through 43, it says that when he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe because of joy and amazement, he asked them, Do you have anything to eat here? And they gave him the piece of rolled fish and he took it and he ate in their presence. And this in this moment, when we go back to this verse in which we just read, this in this moment is Jesus reminding us that he is always near and always close. And while he transformed, he was still fully God but fully a body. And I want us to understand as we get into this next week's series, I've got just a little more and we're done. That he's creating this new body for us because it's the new body that will need to be experienced for the new earth that's coming. There is a new earth coming. There is a new earth coming. I was watching a podcast recently with Elon Musk. I don't care what your opinions are on him, but I was I was listening to his podcast, and he talked about how eventually the earth will basically turn into a flame of fire. And I was like, oh, that's interesting. You know, the world, this world will not last forever. It won't because of sin. But we knew that already as Christians. God is preparing a new heaven and a new earth for you and I. And the bodies that we have now are not made for that new heaven and new earth. It's made for the one to come. So I want to end there and step into this last verse and we'll be done for today. But there are those that take this verse in John 20, 11 through 18, a little bit out of context, but it's actually a missional statement for you and I. When we're talking about heaven, we should be excited about heaven, but we shouldn't be so excited that we forget that we're here on earth for a mission. Missional. Our youth ministry is going with the campaign of move the mission. It is my obligation, it is my opportunity, it is my conviction that we must make sure that we move the mission of the youth ministry and the youth in this community into a better light of Jesus Christ. If we want to see this community change for the better, we have to be the ones to do it. We are loving people through the local church. It is not your neighbor's obligation, it is not the person across the street from you, it is your obligation. It is my obligation as a man of God to do it. Not because I'm a pastor, not because I'm just a Christian, but because of who God's called me to be. We have to do that. We cannot settle, we can't do it. We are building the kingdom of God here because one day Jesus Christ will come back and he will look at us and say, What have we done? I've given you my spirit, I've given you my anointing, I've given you everything that you've had. What have we done? How have you moved the mission? Was it all about you? Was it all about the world? Did you really set anything up for heavenly treasures? Or was it just about your life here? So here's what happens in John 20, 11. Now Mary stood outside the tomb, okay, crying. And she wept because Jesus has been killed, right? We're going back real quick. And she bent over to look in the tomb and saw two angels in white seated where Jesus' body had been. I would have bolted so fast it wouldn't even be funny. Like, not trying to say I'm a coward, but dude, I would have been like, nope. Enough for today. One at the head and the other at the foot. So we got like these two angelic beings. Like, guys, you don't know what they look like. The Renaissance has you thinking they look like they're white with wings or whatever. Like they were in white, but like I don't know what they look like. If they have to tell me not to be afraid, I don't want to know. One at the head and the other at the foot. And they asked her, Woman, are you crying? Why are you crying? They have taken my Lord away, she said. And I don't know where they've put him. And at this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there. But she did not realize that it was Jesus at the moment. Man, that's crazy. That's a crazy moment. And he asked her, Woman, why are you crying? Who is it that you are looking for? Thinking he was the gardener, she said, Sir if you have carried him away, tell me where you put him, and I will get him. And Jesus said to her, Mary. Mary. Mary. And she turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, Rabonani. Rabani. How do you say that? I can't say it. Which means teacher. She he said to her, Mary. And she turned toward him and she cried out. She realized she had revelation of who was standing in front of her. And Jesus said it like this do not hold on to me. Some people say that it's because his body was continually transfiguring. I don't see it that way, and neither does scholars. When he says, Do not hold on to me, for I have not ascended yet to the Father, go instead to my brothers and tell them I'm ascending to my father and your father, to my God, and to your God. What this text actually breaks down to is Jesus is saying, Listen to me, don't cling to me anymore, because I have a place to go. Your mission is to go tell people the good news of Jesus, that I am alive, that I have raised from the dead, that I am here. And Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news and said, I have seen the Lord. And she told them that he said these things to her. I'm gonna end here, worship team. You can come back up. Can you imagine? Can you imagine seeing Jesus and being the first one to see him? Can you imagine? Can you imagine? Stop doubting and believe. Stop doubting and believe. Stop doubting and believe. She sees Jesus and she immediately wants to cling to him. She wants the old relationship. She Jesus is back. He's here. Let's keep him here. Let's keep him in a box. Let's keep it like this, night and nice and neat. Let's do this. This is how I want to do it. This is how I want it to be. Can I tell you something? Jesus died for you in hopes that you would keep your eyes on heaven, but not to the place that you quit doing ministry for him here. We're called to plant, we're called to build, we're we're called to reach the harvest. We're called. We're called to take as many people we can with us. That's what we're called. My job is not to preach on a Sunday. I'm sorry. It's part of my calling, but it's not my job. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. No, no, no, no. No. My calling, my job is to make sure that when I take my last breath here, he'll look at me and say, Well done, thou good and faithful servant. That's my job. That's my calling. And all I want to do is know that where he's placed me, we tilled the soil, we planted the seeds, we grew the farm, we saw the dead raised because we took in the promise that heaven is not just some faraway place with bodies floating around on clouds and having a three-hour church service. Heaven has real people with real bodies rooting us on, hoping that our existence here on earth right now would not be one that's built of doubt, but one that's built of faith. Because everything that has breath, praise ye the Lord. Because I have that, I can stand not in arrogance. No, no, no, no. I can stand in the humility that he's that good, that I must decrease, so he must increase, and I cannot get in the way of what he wants to do. I can't cling on to him and say, No, you gotta stay here, Jesus. No, no, no, no, no. I've got to go back to the Father, but I'm sending the Holy Spirit to you, Mary. I'm sending it because it's going to allow you to be a conqueror, it's going to allow you to do greater things than what you've seen, it's going to put the power in you. And all you have to do is love the Lord your God with all your mind, heart, and soul. You know what that means? To be prepared. Everything I do, I want to be prepared in loving him with everything that I have. I want to be the best at everything I do because if I am, I know that I'm glorifying him. And he gives me the spirit and the power to do it. That, my friends, is not a prosperity gospel. That, my friends, is a biblical, grace-found, gospel-proven message. That every person throughout time that followed Jesus to their death, Paul, Peter, John, all of them, believed everything we do, let us do it to the glory of God. Because one day, heaven's coming. Heaven's coming. Heaven's coming. Please stand with me. I'm never gonna be a perfect man, you're never gonna be a perfect person. We're human because we have blood in us that's tainted by sin. But Christ died to prove that if the God raised him from the dead, he's going to raise you and I too. And one day, no more sin. One day, a body that can move again. One day, perfection. And for those that have gone before us, I'm jealous. Yes, I want to raise my kids. Yes, I want to see them married. Yes, I wanna do everything I can here why God's allowed me. I thank God for life. It's a beautiful thing. I I want to be the best I can be. But man, I'm jealous to know that there are people before the throne room of God right now in paradise, having an amazing time that we can't even begin to fathom. We can't even begin to fathom. Would you pray with me this morning? Dear Father, we love you. We thank you for your goodness. Lord, we thank you for your goodness. Lord heaven. Lord, I want to go. Lord, I want to go. Lord, I just pray for every person in this room, Lord, and me too. Lord, let me quit doubting, start believing. Let me quit doubting and start believing in everything I do, and everything I do, let it be to glorify you. Lord, let me do it the best that I can do it. Lord, be with me. Help me. Help me make heaven proud. Help me make you proud. Every day. You are my heavenly Father. You are my God. You are my King. How can I not think about you when I do things? Help me make the right decisions. Help me not do dumb things. Help me. Lord, I need you. Lord, I pray for our people here. I pray for our church here. Lord, let us see you the way your scriptures call us to see you. Lord, let us believe. Let us know that heaven is going to be so good. Let us learn more about your new earth. Man, I'm so excited. God, I thank you for all you're doing. I thank you for all you're going to do. Lord, I believe you're just getting started here in Astoria. I believe it's just beginning. I believe that this was laid a long time ago with men and women who have been praying in this building long before we even got here. They say, God, I believe in a revival. I believe people are going to come hungry. God, I just pray that we can make heaven proud, that we can make it full. That we would glorify you. Lord, let us see you the way you call us to see you. Lord, we thank you. We praise you. We glorify you, God. In Jesus' name. Amen.