A (0:00)

Well, what's up, family? I'm excited, man. You're about to watch a message we did at Resurrection Sunday at Change Church. We were at the Georgia Tech McCamish Pavilion. That's the basketball arena. Two services at 9am and at 11:45am God's doing incredible things. And this message I taught was called I'm not there anymore. This is your season to make moves, to make sure your setbacks become setups for come ups. Jesus the goat is going to show you how it is. Take care. But there is something I want to share with you from Luke's gospel, Luke 24, beginning at verse number five. And I want to read two verses, verses five and six from the New King James rendering. And again, I want to over invite you to worship with us. We. We making room. And so not only do we have our Gwinnett location in Duluth, and I know we've talked a lot about DeKalb, but don't y'all have me at Duluth next week and y'all not there? Okay, 9:00 next Sunday morning, and we're gonna be there at Duluth. And we've got 9 and 11 in Duluth, and we've got 10 and 1215 at 1015 and 1215 at DeKalb. And so God's doing a new thing and we're excited about it. Luke, chapter 24, verses 5 and 6. It says, Then as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but he is risen. And I want to stop the reading of there and I want to tag a title of this text in our time together. And hopefully the title of this text is the testimony of your life. Here it is. I'm not there anymore. I need you to act like you the 130 or the 1145 service that change. Not there anymore. I want to interrupt your regularly scheduled Easter service with this breaking news announcement. The resurrection of Jesus is a revelation that God uses setbacks as setups for come ups. And this is good news for God's people, people, because setbacks are an inevitable reality in the human experience. We will not all experience the same setbacks, but everyone will experience some setbacks. And the season you're in may determine the setback you experience. Some of us in this room can corroborate my claim because you are sitting next to a survivor of setbacks. Yeah, they don't look like what they've come through. Yeah. That outward disposition in reflective of the of their Life's journey. You sit next to somebody that's had to bounce back from some things that their life has not have been a flowery bed of ease. As a matter of fact, some of us are honest enough to admit some of what God has done for us is so secret and supernatural, I can only partly testify. You just need to know. He made a way. I can't even tell you everything he made a way for. You just need to know. He brought me out. I can't tell you everything he brought me out of. We all will experience some setbacks, but we all won't experience the same setbacks. Some of us may experience setbacks emotionally where you hit a season where you've got more grief than joy. Others may experience a setback relationally where you hit a season where you experience more exploitation than appreciation. Some may experience a setback financially where you have more month than money. Some may experience a setback professionally where your pay doesn't match your potential and your ability doesn't match your assignment. But I want to encourage somebody with this truth. It doesn't matter what you've been set back from, whether it is emotionally, relationally, financially or professionally. And it doesn't matter how long you've been set back. If you will learn to manage your setback the way Jesus managed his setback, then you will not only come out of your setback, you will come out and then come up. You, you missed what I just said. Jesus didn't just come out of the grave, but he went up to sit on the right hand of the Father. And I want to know, am I talking to anybody that is in this room whose desire is. I don't want to just come out, I want to come up. If I'm a code through all of this agitation, I need some compensation. I need to be richer in wisdom. I need to be richer in focus. I need to be richer in strength. Come on here. If I'm going to come out of Egypt, I don't want to come Egypt empty handed. I want to come out of Egypt saying I'm stronger, I'm wiser and I'm better. And if we want our setbacks to be set ups for come ups, if we don't want our setbacks to set us back, then we need to learn how to manage our setbacks the way Jesus managed his setback. We need to let the goat guide us on how to handle your grave past. I've never been in a grave. Oh yes you have. I've never been in a grave. Oh yes, you have. You may not have been in a grave literally, but we've been in some dead places metaphorically. Come on, Church. Yeah. Yeah. We may not have been in a grave literally, but we've been in a grave metaphorically. See, the grave represents seasons of immobility. Because when you're in a grave, you don't move. And is there anybody in the room that can testify you've been through seasons where it felt like time was moving, but I wasn't. It seems like prayers are going up, but everything else seems to be going down. It's when you're stressed because you're stuck. And being stressed got you stuck. Grave, not just a time of immobility. It's a time of isolation. Because when you're in that tomb, you're in there by yourself. No crowd cheering because setbacks have a way of stripping you down to solitude. There are places pain will take you that people can't go with you. They can walk with you to your Gethsemane, but they can't carry you across to Golgotha. So we hadn't been in a grave literally, but we've been in a grave metaphorically. And if we'll learn from what Luke teaches in the text, the goat will guide you on how to handle your grave. Luke exposes us to an interesting experience. The text says, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and others are going to the tomb to engage in a custom that included anointing the dead body of Jesus. Y'all missed that already. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and some others are going to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus. We missed that again. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus and James and others are going to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus. It didn't say James went. It say his mother went. I got a question. Where's James? James was a disciple of Jesus. James was one. You would think that would be loyal to Jesus. But here's what this text teaches us. Even in the introduction, some people that show up for you when you on your feet disappear when you on your back. Did you hear what I just said? When Jesus was walking on two feet, all the disciples were with him. But when he was on his back laying in that tomb, they were nowhere to be seen. This is why you've got to stop letting loyalty be defined by who is with you when you on your feet. True loyalty isn't revealed until you on your back. Because loyalty is revealed when there is adversity and opportunity. You don't know if people are actually loyal until they have an opportunity to not be. And I want to say speak to some people who have sold the seed of loyal love into other people's life. I pray that 2025 is the year where God gives you a harvest into your life of the seed of loyalty you've sown into the lives of others. God said you would reap what you sow. He didn't say you'd reap where you sow. And may God send you somebody that is just as good to you as you have been to everybody else. I wish I had church on this section. Where is James? Well, Peter, I never leave you. Watch this. Oh, I don't have time. Where is Peter? You will fight for me when I'm looking. When they try to take Jesus into custody, then Peter fall. But when Jesus isn't present, Peter denied him. Because your commitment is revealed not just what you do by what you do in my presence. Your commitment is revealed by what you do in my absence. It's not, will you fight for me when I'm looking. Will you fight for me when I'm not Okay, Mary is there. Watch this. Watch this, family, watch this. They go. They go on what the Bible calls the first day of the week. That's not Monday, that's Sunday, the first day of the week. And they're going the Texas to anoint the body of Jesus. This was a way of showing honor and respect to a body because the spices and the aroma from the spices would mask the smell of a decomposing body. And so they are. They are going on a Sunday to anoint the body of Jesus. Jesus was crucified on a Friday, but they couldn't go on a Saturday because Saturday was the Sabbath. So they had to wait till Sunday to do something they probably wanted to do Saturday. I said they had to wait until Sunday to do something they probably wanted to do Saturday. So they're probably feeling like they're being delayed. They're probably feeling like they behind schedule. They're probably feeling like they are doing something on a day later than they should have been and could have been doing it. But what if I tell you sometimes God will knock you off your schedule to knock you onto his. This section is not talking to me. I said sometimes God will knock you off your schedule to knock you onto his. Because there are times where you feel like you're being delayed. There are times where you feel like you're being restricted when God's actually not delaying your appointment. He's Helping you keep your appointment. Because watch this. If they had have gone to the tomb on Saturday, Jesus still would have been there. But God knew how to delay. Let me have him crucified on a Friday to put a day in between the crucifixion and the resurrection. And let me make Mary, and let me make Mary the brother of James. Get there when they think it's too late. When the truth of the matter is it is right on time. Sometimes God orchestrates a hold up to set you up for something you would have missed if you would have went when you wanted to. Gosh, I said sometimes God orchestrates a hold up to set you up for something you would have missed if you would have went when you wanted to. God will cause you to get behind schedule so you can stay on schedule. And I want to talk to some people who feel like you behind schedule. The accuser of the Brethren, Satan is planning thoughts into your mind. Suggesting to you that if you wouldn't have did this in 86 and if that wouldn't have happened in 98 and if that wouldn't have happened In 2005, you'd be somewhere different in 2025. And maybe that is true, but it's not all the truth. Because my Bible says God is the redeemer of time. And this means he buys time back. It doesn't mean he gives you more time. It means he takes the time you got left. And he does so much in the time you got left it make up for the time you wasted. He said, I can do more in the last eight months of this year than what happened the last eight years because I can redeem time. And I want everybody that feels like you've never made a mistake and you never made a bad decision that sets you back, be quiet. But for those of us that need God to turn the clock in our favor, I need you to raise your voice like you believe he's getting ready to do it in the last eight months. Listen. They're going to the grave to anoint the dead body of Jesus. They're going to the grave to anoint the dead body of Jesus. They're going to the grave to anoint the dead body of Jesus. They are going to the grave to anoint the dead body of Jesus. And they get to the grave and an angel say, why you here? They got the spices in their hand saying what you mean why are we here? I'm going, I came to the grave to anoint the dead body of Jesus. The angel says he's risen Watch this. He's not here. You missed it. He's not here. You're looking for something living among the dead. He. He's not here. Now, this is where I stopped reading Scripture. But this is not where the angel stops speaking. After the angel put the text on the screen, they don't believe me. After the angel says, he's not here. He's risen. The angel says, remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee? Y'all missed this one. Translation says, he has risen, just like he said he would. In other words, he says, you came with spices to anoint a dead body because historically, everybody else that goes in a tomb don't come out. You came to anoint a dead body in a tomb because. Are y'all ready for this? I said, are you ready for this? Because you expected him to be in the same condition he was in the last time you saw him. The last time you saw him, he was beaten, he was battered, he was bruised. But since you last saw him, he's been to hell and back, my Bible readers, he has descended to the lower parts of the earth, and he's come back and engaged in a resurrection. So now, since he's been to hell and back, he's not in the same place that you last saw him. And I pray that this is not just the testimony of Jesus. I pray this is the testimony of your life. Because there are some people, the last time they saw you, you were in a certain condition. The last time they saw you, you had certain values. The last time they saw you, you were in a certain place and space. But God has took you to hell and back. He says you surprise that he did exactly what he said. You surprised that he did this thing that he said. He said some things you believed, but the evidence that you're. The fact that you're here with spices is evidence you ain't really believe this thing. Because just because you believe God for some things doesn't mean you believe God for all things. And the fact that they came to attend to a dead body suggests they didn't really believe God was going to do so. Here's a question for our reflection. Where are you showing up with spices because you don't believe he'll do that thing? No, no, no. I know you believe he'll save you. I know you believe he'll make a way. But. But. But where? Where. What grave are you showing up to because you don't believe he'll do that thing. But maybe he wants to use the text to. Infuse you with faith to believe so that you know the hardest thing that could ever be done was done on this day, 20, 25 years ago. Y'all missed it. Thing to ever be done was done. And if he can do this, he can do anything. If he can do this thing, he can do that thing in your life. Say, he's not here, he's risen, just like he said he would. Don't miss this. So Jesus's grave wasn't a setback, it was a setup for a come up. And if our graves are going to be set, if our setbacks are going to be set ups for come ups, we got to learn how to manage our graves the way Jesus managed his. Because all of us will have these experiences, but all of us have not been trained on how to handle these experiences. Because there are three ways to handle anything and there are three ways to handle a setback. There's culture's way, there's the church's way, and there's the King's way. And when you handle setbacks church's way, it means you try to escape it. This is when I try to get out of it without asking what God wants to get out of me. It's when I try to change it without seeing if this needs to change me. It's when I find something to distract me. Instead of letting this develop me, let me just escape. It's culture's way. Culture says escape it. Church says accept it. This is when I wear my suffering like a badge but never ask God if he wants to turn it into a breakthrough. This is when we quote God is good while quietly questioning if he actually is. This is when we say thy will be done without ever asking what his will is. Culture's way, escape it. Church's way, accept it. King's way, elevate from it. This is when I see my suffering at school and my trial as a tool. It's when we grow from it, not just go through it. It's when I let the pain grow me. Not just grieve me. It's when I walk out of it with wisdom and not just wounds. It's when I stop asking why did this happen to me? And start asking, what is God doing in me? Me? I'm done. Tario. They tired. Here it is. Here it is. Can I show show you three things that the goat did to handle his, to help us handle ours? Here it is. Number one, you got to discern what should die. Jesus said, no one take my life. I lay it down. Crucifixion isn't just about suffering. It's about selection. And when you go through pain, something will die. You just got to make sure it's the right thing. Because when you go through setbacks, let your pride die, but not your purpose. Did you hear what I just said? Yeah. Yeah. The enemy wants to use the setback to put some things on the cross that God wants to stay alive. And we've got to be discerning enough to realize and recognize I let the wrong thing die. What's in the tomb that God never intended to be in there. See, the question isn't just did I survive. The question is, did my faith survive? Did my joy survive? Did my peace survive? I got to discern, discern what should die. Because this discerning what should die is about not letting the adversity assassinate the wrong thing. Number two, you got to depart from dead places. Jesus didn't stay in the tomb, and neither can you. And some of us are too loyal to the location of our last loss. God said to Samuel in 1st Samuel 16 when he says, how long are you going to mourn over what I rejected? In other words, I'm through with that. I'm not through with you. I'm through with that. And if you'll stop crying about the door I close, I'm going to show you the one I'm getting ready to open. If you'll stop crying about what you lost, I'll show you what I'm getting ready to give you. And I want to know, am I talking to anybody that believe your future is brighter than your past, that your tomorrow is better than your yesterday? Is there anybody that believes that a weeping may endure for a night, but joy, it's coming in the morning. You got to discern what should die. You got to depart from dead places. And if you're going to handle your grave the way the goat handled his grave, if you're going to manage your setbacks the way Jesus managed his setbacks, third thing you got to do is make a decision that I won't lose hope. Hope is expectation. Moatman says. They are. Hope and faith are inspiration, inseparable companions. Hope is nothing else than the expectation of those things which faith has believed to be truly promised by God. Faith believes God to be true. Hope awaits the time when this truth will be manifested. And so hopelessness is the premature anticipation of the non performance of God's promises. It is the premature anticipation of the non performance of God's promises. It's when you prematurely anticipate God's not going to do it ever, because he hadn't done it yet. And I got to get out of here. But maybe one of the reasons God let Jesus stay in the grave for three days is to assassinate hopelessness. To let you know that it doesn't matter how long the thing has been dead when I say it's time for that thing to get up. Whatever has been dead and however long it's been dead, it's got to get out of that grave. Lazarus came out. Jesus came out. And you getting ready to come out, too. I got to get out of here on this Easter Sunday morning. But is there anybody in the room that believes you're getting ready to step into a season where God is gonna do what he said? Some of your panic is premature. You panicking, but it's still Friday. You're panicking, but it's just Saturday. You panicking, but it's just Saturday night. Sunday's coming. If it hasn't happened yet, it's not Sunday yet. If it hasn't happened yet, it's not Sunday yet. If it hasn't happened yet, it's not Sunday yet. Because when Sunday comes, it will be exactly what God said. And I believe the last time I looked at my calendar, naturally, Sunday, I want somebody to act like, spiritually, it's your Sunday. How are you gonna respond when God does exactly what he says? Listen to me. Your setback isn't always what sets you back. The grave set everybody back but Lazarus temporarily, and Jesus. So your setback doesn't have to set you back. It's how you handle your setbacks. You got to discern what needs to die. You got to depart from dead places. You got to make a decision that I'm not going to lose my hope. Look at me and look at me. This is for those of you who discern something's happening in this moment. You've been in that grave too long. That's why it's like. It's like you. You feel like you're like. Somebody invited me to this arena. I went through all this traffic to get in here, and somebody told this man my business. No, this is God. This is his love letter to you. This is God saying, come on out of there, but listen to me. Jesus the Son didn't get himself out of the grave. And you can't get yourself out of yours. But Paul says the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, it's the same one that can raise you. Listen to me. You can handle your setbacks. Culture's way. You can handle them church way or you can handle them the King's way. And the King's way is the only way you come out and come up. And just because you know the King is savior doesn't mean you're handling setbacks his way. So today I want to ask you a question. Do you really think you can do it the King's way without the King? That if God had to help Jesus get out of his grave, you really think grit is going to get you out of yours? You can grind your way out of a lot of things. A grave, not one of them. You need God. And if you're here today, I want to extend an invitation to you not to believe in the existence of a God. You probably do that. That's why you're here. I want to invite you to take your spirituality seriously, to take your spiritual journey, to make a commitment. One of the most spiritual things you will do is choose. Did you hear what I just said? You got to choose to pray. You got to choose to read your Bible. You got to choose to submit the leadership of your life to Jesus. You got to choose to say, culture's way don't work. Church way works sometime the King's way. So, like this isn't a cute little prayer. Let me ask Jesus in your heart. I'm even questioning the, the, the formulaic approach we often take to Sabbath. This is a decision to begin a journey long obedience in the right direction to say, I'm making this decision not because God's way is just right. It's better this way not working for me. I know there's more in me. I know there's more for me. I know God wants to do more through me. And if you are here today and you're ready to take this commitment meant seriously, what are you taking more serious than God? I see. I know the way you lock in and what on what matter to you. And you have taken you as far as you can take you. God's got the take it from here. So believing in the historical Jesus or being baptized, that doesn't mean I've actually surrendered my life. It means I like Christianity and I'm taking my time. I'm fishing. And if you're here, I want to pray for you because some of you, you're saved. But it's time. It's time for you to. It's time for you really. It's time for you to take your salvation seriously. It's time to take growth seriously. It's time to be Committed. We're so glad to have you here today, but it's time to be committed. Beyond sporadic church attendance, the only to say I only get the life Jesus promised when I do life his way. So I'm gonna pray for you that God would help you choose. I don't know the choice. I'm not God. But today I'm gonna pray that he gives you the grace to choose. Father, I thank you for those that need to make a decision to receive you as Lord and Savior. I thank you for those that need to make a decision regarding church membership to get serious about planting themselves in a local church and whether that is changed or not today, would you create in them an appetite for the thing that matters the most? And that thing is you. I ask this in Jesus name. If you prayed that prayer or heard me pray this prayer and it resonated with you and you really making a decision for the first time to seriously take your spiritual journey serious. I want you to text the word save to that number on the screen or if you know, I, I, I need to be. Maybe, maybe this isn't your first time having a change experience. Maybe you kind of been dating change and I don't know if change is your church or not. We got God has different kind of churches because different people need different things. But maybe change is what you need in this season of your life. And if that's you, we invite you to text the word John to that number on the screen. We believe God's getting ready to do a new thing in your life and we close our worship gatherings each week. Listen, I hope you enjoyed that message. I hope it ministered to you. I've got one request. If it did, would you just send it to somebody else? There's an arrow, you can press that share button, you can text it, you can email the link to this message to someone else. We want to help as many people as possible. We want them to experience what we call third way teaching. Not just church's, not culture's way, not church's way, but the King's way. And you can help us spread that message. So thanks in advance for that. And for those of you who regularly sow into the field you're harvesting from, you understand God's principle of generosity, ways to give on the screen now. Thank you in advance for your generosity. Take.