The Resurrection Changes Everything!
Jesus my Saviour Jesus my Lord Ambrose evicted from the dark.
cripes
who taught the sun where to stand in the morning and you can only come into my redeemer and my heart was saying because I know my redeemer lives days of the week.
Play when I'm broken leg to bring me back. So I know my redeemer lives. I know my redeemer lives forever ever claimed that the day before 5 and there is an empty grave.
I know my redeemer lives.
And thank you so much. That was wonderful. And if you would turn your Bibles with me to the Book of John The Book of John we're going to be in John chapter 21 this morning. We're going to be looking at verse 14 through 19. And what a priest to do with the resurrection changes everything and Pittsburgh this morning. You can see the grave of Charles Taze Russell. He is here that started the Jehovah's Witnesses. If you go to India, you could go to the Hindu Shrine and you could you could find where all the sages and all the founders are buried. Some people have gone all the way to see Buddha. He thought a message of good works and you could consider the eight different places where it where he is buried you. Could you could go see Gandhi you could travel up to the state of Illinois and you can see the grave. Joseph Smith the founder of Mormonism you can go to China there was a man named of Confucius and you can't travel really anywhere now, but when all this is lifting if you could travel about being go to TripAdvisor for around four hundred bucks. If you're in China, you could you could book us a trip and you could see the grave of Confucius if you were able to go to Saudi Arabia, you could go to Medina and you could you could see it from afar you can actually go there yourself if you're not a Muslim, but you can look from afar and you can see the grave of Muhammad Ali's man. They have a lot of a lot of followers a lot of followers all over the world, but they're all in the ground They're All Dead Iana Kasian. I will go to a cemetery right here in Johnson County and sometimes it's I'm I'm I'm going to the funeral of somebody that I know or sometimes. I'm doing a graveside service for someone and we go to that grave site and we we have our time and we pay our respect and sometimes after that. I might just go off in and go to another visit another Tombstone somebody I know I was spending a few Quiet Moments and I can remember just how long ago we were hiking down in Laurel with the kids and I was coming back from the Gentry Creek Falls trying to stop by the cemetery on Star app and I can't read the name at Cemetery. But one of our people our church Miss Bessie's is Barry there spent the summer and I took the kids up there and and they were very nice but she was very special to the kids and we took them out to her grave site and spend a few moments there and it walks around that that Cemetery looking at all the headstones I my wife often we will go. I'll go with her and and she'll stop by. I'll go up to Sunset Cemetery and she'll go by the oldest Tombstone of my father-in-law and she does that a lot and she doesn't have to tell me you were just driving through town and she'll just knows me so he just lets let's go now. I know what she means and we'll drive up there and what we've got a routine we kind of drive around and we'll spend a few moments and we we we spend a few moments and we thinking back and you know, it's nice to go and and and reminisce of The Memories We have blessed us with the people that we've known but it's also of it's a sombering time it is a sad time cuz we know that a body Lies Beneath You know each year, there's millions of people that will visit the grave of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and his people they look down into that empty Rock work, but Jesus Christ once lay, you know, I think about how many people going late they going they see the Tomb of Jesus and as they make their pilgrimage to this vacated Calvary cavity and they look down when they when they see the Tomb of Jesus, you know, they do not stand there and state of society. They stand there in the state of Victory because Jesus tomb is not occupied. He is alive and well and I want to read with you this morning a passive and John chapter 21 Center resting that when Jesus resurrected he showed himself to his disciples multiple times in our texts this morning John chapter 21 21, the Bible will say this is the third time that Jesus showed himself to his disciples after he was risen from Dad let's read this text this morning the Bible says this is now the third time that Jesus showed himself into his disciples after that. He was risen from the dead. So when they had dying Jesus said to Simon Peter Simon, son of Jonah sleves tell me more than these he said unto him. Ye Lord thou knowest that I love these said unto him feed my Lambs he saith unto him that again the second time Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me he saith unto him. Ye Lord thou knowest that I love thee he saith unto him feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time Simon son of Jonah slow us down here was angry because he say at the name a third time love is found me and he said unto him Lord thou knowest all things. I'll know us that I love thee Jesus saith unto him feed my sheep. Barely barely. I stay in the day when I was young. Gerdes I self and walk us whither thou wouldest but when I Shall Behold Thou shalt stretch forth, thy hands and another self Garden And carry the weather that weather that what it's not. Vince and this spiky signifying by what death he should glorify God and when he has spoken this he said unto him follow me as we look at this passage here and we see how Jesus he came to his disciples multiple times. And you know, you would ask the question. Why why would why would he come in and show himself multiple times? And and you know, if someone rose from the dead, you know for me one time would be enough to see them risen from the dead. I would be you know, it would be just wow, that would be a life-changing moment see that happen, but but three different times and and I believe Jesus is trying to show us something he is he is trying to make an M make a point of emphasis on the resurrection. It changes everything is great benefits to the Resurrection. The fact that Jesus is Alive. It makes all the difference in the world. And so This morning. We're going to look here at 4 Troost on how the resurrection changes everything in the first thing I want you to stay this morning is is that the resurrection it solidifies truth. It solidifies truth. If we look down in our texts and verse number 14, the Bible says this is now the third time that Jesus showed himself to his disciples after that. He was risen from the dead. You know, he in the Bible says in this verse it says he was risen from the dead. It isn't fact it is a truth. It is plainly stated that Jesus is risen from the dead and you know self and Acts chapter 1 the Bible says that Jesus showed himself to his disciples with many infallible Cruise if you read over in 1st Corinthians chapter 15 The Bible says that that Jesus after he was resurrected with scene of cephas then of the 12 + 500 Brethren at once then it says he was seeing if James and I The apostles it was an Undisputed 5 to Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead he is alive he is here as well. But it even though this is an Undisputed fact, it was well-documented a historically it's well-documented in the Bible. There's three series at that float around today trying to deny this truth trying to water down the street trying to make us doubt this great truth that the resurrection that has happened and it is true that Jesus is Alive. He has risen from the dead the first the first theory that we see is it called a hallucination Theory and it's this basically this theory states that the disciples did not really see Jesus. They just had a hallucination. They just think they thought they this is real in their mind, but it was just a Hallucination is something they dreamed up, you know, it's interesting and we can show this to numerous passage in the Bible. But in our text here in the Book of John Jesus showed himself to five different disciples at one time. All right, so you think about the nature of hallucinations hallucinations Someone has a hallucination. It's different for each person. They don't have the same hallucination. They all have different hallucination. So it's Preposterous to think that they're five different people would have the exact same hallucination. You know, if I may say if you if you would think that then you are delusional it's not it's just not doesn't even make sense in some people would think that Jesus will say they will tell you that Jesus didn't really die. He was just very close to that. Maybe he was in a in a comatose state and on what he went to the tomb he was in it like a coma then he woke up and he walked out of the Tomb and he never really died now that's that's just that's insane to think that as well because there was an article written in in the Journal of American Medical Association back in the 80s called the physical aspect suffering of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in great detail what Jesus went through and what what people went through when they were crucified in Jesus went through even even more than a normal person would go through under the crucifixion. That's what's up, the cruel beatings and discouraging to the cat-of-nine-tails. That in itself would be most people dead. But the the crucifixion was a death sentence there was there was no way to survive it it it would suffocate you it would there was just there was no way and they know and to think that that he would the people would think that he was not dead. He was just in a coma. I mean if he was in a coma he did wake up. I mean, you know, how is he going to how's it going to overpower the stone? All right. He's that beat up. How's it going to overpower the Roman guards? How's it going to present himself to disciples as one who it was a mighty conqueror. You know, he would not look like a mighty conqueror who would look like somebody that needs desperate medical attention and he know he certainly would not look like a Victoria's savior that's able to save your soul in mice also there that throws that theory out the window another theory is that the disciples stole the body And dumb in our text it says in our texts that Jesus he's going to tell Peter he's going to basically for tell what kind of Death Peter is going to die. You're going to be you're going to drag to a place that you don't want to go. You're going to Peter you're going to be going to die horrific death. You know, why would Peter why would he give his life for something that he knew to be a why why would he give his life for something that he knew to be a hoax if it is Eiffels would have still the body, you know, all of the disciples all the apostles just about every single one of them and they died they had they got horrible death. They died Mars desk and they would not give their life or something if they were the ones in that throws that I backed that theory out the window of the Resurrection happened it is it is a solidified truth. This is something that happened. It's documented in history Jesus. He died on the cross for our sins. He was buried and he rose again the third day and he is alive and he is well. Why is it such a big deal? Why it why we making such a big deal out of this? Why would why would cries show himself three different times the disciples to to settle this truth to solidify this truth. Well, let me tell you something here today. Okay, no more you and I can only function properly when we function according to the truth in a business aspects look in the business World a company will not stay in business very long. If they do not function according to an established rule me all straight that if you if you're going to ship a package and you're going to order you're going to ship a package and say you pay extra for overnight shipping. You need it guaranteed next-day delivery. And every time you do that the package takes 3 weeks to get to where you're not you're going to quit paying for that service and whoever guaranteeing that service they're not going to stay in business long. If you if you go to a restaurant and you order lasagna and every time you order lasagna, they bring you spaghetti. But you're going to quit going to that that restaurant. They're not going to stay in business long. We only do business with people who function according to the truth in December of 2019 this past year. There was a thirty-four-year-old Chinese opthamologist at the Moulin Central Hospital and then he began to notice it when he was doing his Hospital rounds. He began to notice there seems to be in an out break up a a very odd respiratory illness and and he he began to see this thing and he warned his colleagues at the hospital. He warned his colleagues has hey guys. This looks very similar to two stars that we saw a few years ago and stars is severe acute respiratory distress syndrome and and he warned his warnings were later by his colleagues. Everyone shared publicly and went on social media and when that got out on social media and that part of China, This doctor doctor Lee was his name. Charlie was arrested by the Chinese authorities for making false comments and spreading false information on social media. And dr. Lee was also he was forced to sign document that said that he did so and so later he was allowed to return back to work and dr. Lee went back to work at the hospital what we want and he was taken care of a patient that had glaucoma and it was from this patient that he contracted the very virus that he warned of now almost a little over a month later dr.lee. He died on February 7th. He died of what we now know to be covid-19, you know, no one wanted to listen to the truth. A lot of people think they kind of knew the forties knew something was going on but it was what for whatever reason bad publicity don't want this to get out try to suppress this not make this a big deal. You know, I don't know if you agree or disagree with the current narrative, but what's going on right now with our our worldwide pandemic but it is a truth that this this is a very contagious virus and you know, it's it's a it's a dangerous virus, especially especially to certain people. You know, what what what what what would be different now if this young doctor if his if his warnings would have been listen to what would be different right now in the world, you know, let me tell you something this morning Jesus Christ. He is alive from the dead he is risen from the dead in your life will only be better. If you will a function according to that truth you let that be a dominating truth and your life to Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins. He was very and he has risen from The dead and that is a solidified truth. And not only is it a is a solidify true that changes everything cuz it's flooded five truth. But also in the resurrection changes everything because it guarantees us forgiveness that guarantees forget us. This is true both theologically. It's also true practically the major character that Jesus is dealing with and the passage were here today is the character of Simon Peter now, when's the last time we heard of Simon Peter in the gospels when reading the gospels? He he he was what what was he doing? He was denying Christ. He was for sex in Christ. He was cursing cries in 08. He after Jesus told him to sign. For the rooster crows and not you're going to deny me you're going to deny me three times, and he said I'll never deny you everybody else can forsake you but I never will all I tell you what Peter he failed miserably and he denied the Lord not once but three times in the last time you did so With cursing and what Peter did after That happened the Bible says that Peter went out and wept he wept bitterly he wept bitterly and then Jesus died. So theologically we see that the resurrection guarantees us forgiveness. You know, when the Romans chapter 4 verse number 25, the Bible says that Jesus was delivered for our fences and he was a race again for our justification. If we read open First 1st, Corinthians chapter, 15 verses 56 and 57. The Bible says the sting of death is sin. The strength of sin is the law, but thanks be to God which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. We can be made right with God because Jesus rose from the dead because Jesus rose from the dead. We have Victory in Jesus, you know Paul said in 1st Corinthians chapter 15, he says that Jesus Christ is not risen from the dead. We will be all men most miserable. We have hope only in this life for all men most miserable. If it's Jesus Christ is not risen from the dead then we are still in our sin and are preaching are preaching is in vain. So this is true. From a theological aspects but it's also true from a practical aspect that we can be guaranteed forgiveness real practical aspect. If somebody is dead you cannot get their forgiveness. So it's any wonder that that went went when Jesus when it when it was said when Peter Hurley is in the boat. He heard that it is the lord. It's no wonder that Peter. He threw himself in the water. He threw himself in the water in this passage trying to get to the Lord. He wanted to get the Lord as quickly as possible because Jesus was alive and he could get things right with Jesus. The last time he remembered was what's forsaking Christ and he wept bitterly and he regretted that and he wanted to get that right and you know because he is alive I can get forgiveness in my sin that put him on the cross. Jesus is a lot. You know, you have you ever known somebody that had a a knot with somebody maybe they had a quarrel with somebody that was very close to them and they had they had a falling-out and there was just some Bitterness and there was a break-in fellowship and then one of that one of the people in those parties passes away and dies when you see somebody comes a funeral and there's just sadness and weeping. There's weeping over that casket and night. There's a regret man if they just have one more chance to get things right with that person. Well, that's a sad thing. But because Jesus is Alive I can get things right with him. No matter what it is. Jesus is Alive. You can get it right you have a chance for forgiveness. You have a guarantee for forgiveness. If you if you asked he's going to send whatever it is. You can't guarantee I get the resurrection guarantees forgiveness. The third thing I want you to see this morning is that the resurrection assures fellowship if we look over here in verse number 12 it it says Jesus saith unto them come and dine when Peter when he went back to V fishing. They went back to fishing because that's what that's what he knew before. He became a Christian Christ it already separated Peter from fishing for fish to fishing for men. And so when he says the earlier In this passage Peter says I go a-fishing. All right, he went back to what he knew because his whole for following Christ was seemingly dead to him with the death of price. But when Jesus appeared to him on that Seaside and he sees Jesus and he sees him alive that that changes his mentality, you know, why did Peter why did he throw himself in the water? Not only Not only was it to get to Jesus. What is also so he could come and dine with him that he can fellowship with him. He can have that Fellowship corrected. You know, why why why he affirms his love three times to do you set an ENT of farms that Jesus knows all things and know that Peter lustig. Why is that, you know, then then Jesus Jesus tells him. He says follow me first 19 this resume. Kitchen chairs are in a Shares are Fitbit ship. Have you ever had never had somebody wrong you and you you can forgive that person but you kind of feel this way about it you say I forgive you but maybe you should stay over there and I'll just stay over here and it'll just be better that way because I don't want to have to go through this again, you know, maybe Peter felt like that. He may be felt like man, you know, Jesus might forgive me, but I'll never have that close fellowship with him again, but that's not the case at all. You know, Jesus. He thought he saw it Peter. He saw him and said come and dine, you know, if you if you read the book of Mark Mark point this out very specifically and tells me my to say is I want you to go tell my disciples and Peter he calls Peter my name cuz he knows Peters Peters hurting right now Peter struggling and he wants to restore that fellowship with Peter and in Jesus not only forgives us of our sins, but he restores Fellowship he wants He wants to fellowship with you. He wants to fellowship with you. Even after you, you know, you betray him like Peter did all of us have had days in our life for a man. We like to have those days back we weave. I mean, I really I really let the Lord down but you know God he not only wants to forgive you that he wants to he wants to restore that sweet Fellowship back with you and get that back. So you ever had someone that you really like talking to and you had you know, you would ask him questions about things and we all have people like that in our life and and when they pass away that is that is especially hard on us when people pass away that were very close to and you know, you can go to that person you say what do you what do you think about this? And what do you think about that but when they pass why you can't do it you just give anything to have one more conversation with them you just give anything to be able to ask him and you know how there's there's things that happened in our life that I have no idea why this is half. It at least me Reeling. I don't understand it. I say you know, what where and what is going on here? And you know, I I I lack Direction sometimes and and it's nice to have have some councillors have some people that I'm close to I can go and bounce things off of their safety in a multitude of counselors than I can say. Hey, what do you think about this way? And when those people are not there anymore? It's very really difficult. But but you know Christ Christ is there Christ is always there. You know, I always go to Christ I can I can go to Christ. I can go to Price when I'm when I'm driving in it and in a car if people think I'm crazy.
Preston and I can talk to him I can fellowship with him and he he shows me the path of life and it's a wonderful thing. I can talk to him in the middle of night. When I when everyone else is sleeping. I can when I wake up in the night, I can talk to my lawyer I can talk to him I can talk to him in the morning when I Rise. He's always there. He's always there and he's he's good and he fellowship and you can fill us and he's always ready to bow down his ears feet and listen to whatever I have to say and I can talk to him. He's always there and he gives me an opportunity to fellowship with him daily. I am so glad that the resurrection Asher's our fellowship and then lastly this morning. I want you to see here that the resurrection it secures. Our future is secure is our future and after all these things have happened and the 19th verse of our passage Jesus. It says here this Packy signifying what death you should glorify God and when he had spoken he said unto him follow me. Follow me interesting. That's interesting when you know when Jesus confronts Peter 3 different times in our texts and he says, you know, do you really love me every time that he asked him if he loved him. He also gives Peter a three-fold commission. You know, Peter says I love you Jesus and he says feed my Lambs Peter says, I love you Jesus. He says feed my sheep. Peter says, I love you Jesus. He says feed my sheep. And then he tells Peter to follow me again. I often struggled in my life with what to do in what direction to take us. Sometimes I struggle with Sans. I have committed in the past maybe relationships that I have heard and I think about you know, what future do I have I've had those thoughts and sure you have to and you know, it it's it's as a lot of times those things will come back to you maybe at a time of spiritual victory in your life. The LG is our comes by and he'll me and he'll hit you with that. That really hurts and Say Hey you remember this you remember this back here when you did that you forsook your lord. You remember that? You know, what are you what are you doing here? And you know many people many people struggle with that. So let me tell you something this morning that the fact the truth that Jesus Christ is alive. It guarantees that you have a future many people are just existing there just in kind of a stagnate stagnated place in their life through their Paralyzed by their past of the weight of sin that has happened in the past that dominates them and you have this you believe this lie. What possible future can I have let me tell you something you have you have a secure future because of the resurrected Christ your sins can be forgiven. I'm like the I want to just like Peter Van there's Peter has he had a date a day that he wishes. He could have that back. He regrets that. I've got days like that. I've been wish I could have that back but Jesus forgives me of those he gives me Grace and it gives me more grace work and much more abound. And we have to realize that true that we have in Christ and it's all possible because of the resurrected Christ. He secures our future, you know, you can have an intimate relationship with God this morning. You can have a promising future God will he will allow you to have a life and be a part of a of a calling that is higher it he will still allow you to be a part of a purpose is greater. I want to be a part of something bigger than I am. I want to be a part of his work. But sometimes I feel like man I can't do anything because of this whatever Jesus says, no, he says no because of the Resurrection it secures our future he went personally the pier and he reinstated Peter. He said Peter I got a great plan for you and he if you read the rest of the of the Bible, but he was Peter in a great great way. I tell you what the resurrection it secures our future you can have this life today. You can have that abundant life because the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I'm going to ask you a couple of questions the first question I want to ask you today is do you have a personal relationship with the resurrected Christ? If you do not have a personal relationship with the resurrected Christ, if you never had your sins forgiven if you never accepted him as your savior, you have no future the Bible says that when you die, you will have to pay for those sins and you will you will go to a place and you will be there for eternity. Loves you. He does not want you to go there. I he he he proved his love towards you and he sent his son Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ lived a perfect life, and he gave his life on the cross for your sins and for my sins, and now only that, but he he rose from the dead and we serve a risen savior. He had victory over sin. He had victory over death and in Christ we can have victory over sin. We can have victory over death, and we can have eternal life. Would you like to accept Jesus as your savior is a day if you've never you do not have a personal relationship with Christ. You can do that today. You can do that today. Please reach out to me. I'd like to I'd like to I like municate with you. I'll call you a message in whatever and I'll show you from the Bible how you can know for sure that you can have a relationship with Christ. You can have a hope and a future in heaven. The second thing. I like to ask you today Christian. Is there something in your past that says hindering is hindering your fellowship in your future something got you down kind of got you in a state of paralysis and don't don't don't don't let that don't let that hinder you that's what don't be like Peter's cuz I'm just won't go back to what a new I'm going to go back to what I am good at. Don't do that. Jesus is peace. Peace. Peace taking you right now. He's taking you right now. Just like he went after Peter. He went personally after Perry's personally coming after you this morning through the preaching of this word say hey, I want I want to restore I want to forgive you. I want to restore that Fellowship. I got a great I got a great purpose for you got a great purpose for you this morning because of the because of the resurrected Christ. Oh, I tell you what church we have we have it solidifies truth. It it it shows our forgiveness is supplies our fellowship and it secures our future. And that a wonderful truth this morning. I'm so glad for the Resurrection The Resurrection changes everything. I thank you so much for joining us and I hope you guys have a wonderful day. God bless.