Harvest Pointe Methodist Church

To mark chapter two. The Gospel of Mark. Chapter two is where we find ourselves this morning. You remember that we're in year b, which is to say that the second gospel is correlating with year b. And we are only in chapter two.

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But if you remember, it took us forever to get out of chapter one a few months ago. Because one is just jam packed with things that other gospels expound on even more. Remember that Mark is pretty tight in how he. And short, if you will, in how he says things. And so go with me here to mark chapter two.

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And once you're there, go ahead and stand.

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Notice these words as found in Mark 223 in this episode of Jesus life. One Sabbath, Jesus and his disciples were going through the grain fields. And as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath? And he said to them, have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food?

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He entered the house of God when Abiathar was high priest. And ate the bread of the presence. Which it is not lawful for any but the priest to eat. And he gave some to his companions. Then he said to them, the Sabbath was made for humankind.

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And not humankind for the Sabbath. So the son of man is lord even of the Sabbath. Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the Sabbath. So they might accuse him.

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And he said to the man who had the withered hand come forward. Then he said to them, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath. To save life or to kill? But they were silent. He looked around at them with anger.

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He was grieved at their hardness of heart. And said to the man, stretch out your hand. He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him how to destroy him. Lord, we're thankful for your word this morning.

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We pray now that you, Holy Spirit, would come and help. Lord, we need your help. I need your help this morning. And we pray that the same holy spirit that inspired these words originally by Mark's hand. Would inspire us today.

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And enlighten our minds so that we may obey you and love you. We pray this in your name. Amen. You can be seated in this text today. We.

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It's kind of an interesting one. And you know, you have some big text where it's like something wow happens. And there is a miracle here. But the thrust of the text really has to do with law. And Sabbath and observation or observing these things.

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And when we start talking about law, most people start yawning. Nobody reads a law book, for instance, except for lawyers, right? And you remember that the Pharisees are ultimately experts at the law, okay? So that's, you know, nobody, I don't think, does their, what do you call it, leisurely reading of the law or bylaws or this sort of thing like that. Just is not on most people's radar to do.

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But the Pharisees, I guarantee they probably would relax sometimes, reading commentary on the law. That's how much they liked it. That's how expertly they knew how to decipher it. And you'll remember too, and this is helpful in our text today. Is to remember that the Pharisees also had laws that.

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Oral laws that they had created. That were not in the word of God as the law, all right? But that they had put around the law in order to protect from ever breaking the law. Okay? So just think of it like this.

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You've got the law of God at this center circle, okay? And then around that you put fences so that nobody even gets close. Cause you know, when you have something sacred. Or you have somet

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Good morning. So, as I was saying, I have known Marshall and Justin for a long time. Pastor Marshall Dagg and Doctor Justin Dagg. We grew up in the same children's church. We grew up in the same youth group together.
And it is a privilege to be with harvest point today. I have prayed for you and I will continue to pray for you. It is my privilege to be here with you. I also want to lift up Pastor Marshall and Jessica, and I thank God for how they are being used here. Would you just give them a hand?
When you have a pastor and a first lady who pray for you and love you, that is an honor, that is a gift, and we acknowledge them today. I thank you for having me and some of my family here. I am Emily Moore, my husband. You're so sweet. My husband, Ryan, is in the sound booth where he prefers to be hidden.
Back in the back, I have my youngest son, Carter, who is 13, who is here today, and my brother Adam, who is here. I have one other son, Eli, who is in call college. He just finished his freshman year at the University of Alabama roll tide. And he has prayed for us as well. He is at a church in Tuscaloosa today.
Thank you for having us. I was sharing some of the pictures in the children's chat. My earliest friend is Amy. My earliest friend is Amy. I have memories that stick out in my mind, many memories of spending time with Amy.
We would pretend we were like the girls on the little house on the prairie, and we had dresses and we would play at her home. They were homeschooled. I thought it was fascinating. My mom would let me spend the night and I would get to be homeschooled. I always wanted to be homeschooled, just like her.
I have a memory of standing in my kitchen, talking on the phone with her when phones had cords and you could only go so far. I have memories of Marshall and Justin, and I am not going to go into detail about the prank they played on me as teenagers at a place called Crybaby hollow. And I am not going to go into details, but you could ask them later what that was about. I do remember the time the spirit of God rained down upon us that February at a youth retreat. There are many times where we were gathered together and the Holy Spirit came down not because of who we were, but because of who he is.
And we would position ourselves in a place to receive, which is what we're doing today. Today. That night at that February retreat, I remember singing a chorus. I could sing of your love forever. And we sang it over and over and one by one.
Every single person in the place was on their face before God. Every single person. Teenagers. We were in full surrender to the king of kings. I remember as a very young girl, little girl, seeing a beautiful, dark haired teenage girl playing the piano.
Her name was Deborah. She was playing the keyboard. Today as a little girl, I looked at her and thought, I want to be just like that. Beautiful. Using her gifts for the glory of God.
Memories that stick out in our mind. There are memories that we have that we could never forget. Things that we have seen that we cannot unsee. Some things that we would want to, some that we wouldn't. I think about 911.
Most of us in this room can remember where you were when you saw the news. I think about my wedding day, the day my children were born. I think about as a little girl, hearing my father testify in services about Jesus sitting down at the right hand of the throne of God. I remember heartaches, breakups, salvation and surrender, some good and some painful. Today we get a glimpse of a vision that Isaiah received.
And I believe Isaiah never forgot. And I hope we don't either. Let's read together. Isaiah, chapter six, verses one through eight. I am going to be reading in the Niv.
And it says, in the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne. And the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings. With two wings they covered th

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All right, well, you're turning with me to John, chapter 15. The Gospel of John, chapter 15. And when you've reached chapter 15, if you would stand with me for the reading of our gospel today. And if you would stick another finger there or just be ready to turn the page into chapter 16. Because we only have two verses here that are coming from chapter 15.

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And as you may remember, we have been in the Gospel of John for a little while. That's been the. Even though this year is Mark, we've been reading John. And so here we are once again, reading John. And notice these words from holy scripture as found in John 15.

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And then verse 26 and 27 and then 16. And we'll go to four. Jesus said to his disciples, when the advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the father. The spirit of truth, who comes from the father, he will testify on my behalf. You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.

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Go ahead and turn the page. 16, verse four, b. We'll pick up halfway through. I did not say these things to you from the beginning because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me.

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Yet none of you asked me, where are you going? But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away. For if I do not go away, the advocate will not come to you.

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But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin. Sin and righteousness and judgment about sin, because they do not believe in me about righteousness. Because I am going to the father. And you will no longer see me about judgment because the ruler of this world has been condemned.

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I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears. And he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me because he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

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All that the Father has is mine. For this reason, I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. Lord Jesus, thank you for your holy word. We pray now that the same holy spirit who inspired these words would now inspire, enlighten, enliven our own hearts and minds this morning so that we can be a flame of love for you. We pray in your name.

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Amen. And you can be seated.

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Well, Christmas and Easter are often celebrated with gusto. You know, in fact, Christmas, we start preparing for Christmas, and, you know, oftentimes you can kind of look at Walmart or target or these other places, and they will let you know which holiday is coming up next, won't they? Because they're ready to sell the things, right? You know, if it's. I don't even know what.

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July 4. I assume there's probably already. July 4. I'm getting a yes, there's July 4 stuff on the shelf right now. We're what, a month and a half something out from that.

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Okay, but get it. They want to sell you these things, so they prep you for it. They're preparing for it. And of course, we, too, you know, in the church, we have four Sundays of preparation for the Christmas season, which is twelve days. And so we, too, are, hey, we prep for Christmas.

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And Christmas is a big deal. You know, even the secular world, have you noticed, recognizes that something unique is going on. And even before all of the marketing stuff, even pagans would have worshiped because of the winter solstice, which coincides with roughly the time of Christmas. And, of course, again, Easter, we get something similar, don't we? Even the world, as we might say, celebrates Easter.

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At least they want to sell us those little pe

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John, chapter 17. The Gospel of John, chapter 17. And when you found that John 17. Go ahead and stand with me as we read from the holy word of God as found in John 17. And then we're going straight to verse six here. Notice these words. And I would just to place this in context real quick. This is the very night in which Jesus is going to get betrayed and be arrested and then go straight to the cross and do his work. So this is what's called the high priestly prayer of Jesus. Some of the profoundest words ever spoken. All right, so let's hear these words as we pick up here in John 17 six, Jesus prayed for his disciples. I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you. For the words that you gave to me, I have given to them. And they have received them. And know in truth that I came from you. And they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf. I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine. And I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world. But they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me. So that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost, except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them. Because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in truth. Your word is. Is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes, I sanctify myself. So that they also may be sanctified in truth. Jesus, thank you for your holy word. Thank you for this prayer that is toward and for us right here in this room. Your disciples. Oh, God, would we be able to hear it today? Would we be able to receive it today by the power of the very Holy Spirit that you came to send on the day of Pentecost, Lord, may it be. We pray in your name. Amen. And you can be seated. Thursday was the ascension of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. And that is, remember, we are in the season of Easter, which is a 50 day season. All right? And so Thursday marked day 40, and day 40 was when he then was taken up into the heavens as the disciples watched, you remember this? And then we have ten days, which we already are closer than ten now, obviously, to Pentecost. And then we celebrate the descent of the spirit. So you have. Remember, it's kind of simple, but it's very important for us to understand God the Son is sent down to us to save us, right? And he goes all the way down. He becomes a little baby, right? Remember this? In the womb, okay? Then he's born, then he grows, and then he's going to be crucified, die, and then descend. We said it just a minute ago in our creed, descended to the dead. He went all the way to where everybody that is human will go, which is to the dead. And he goes all the way down, and then he comes all the way back up. And the ascension of our Lord. Remember, he hangs around for 40 days, revealing himself, post resurrection, in his glorified body, which is both transcending this world and a part of the heavenly world. Now, right? Remember, it's a spiritual body, so he's in both dimensions, if you will. And for 40 days, then he ascends into heaven and is no longer seen in that regard. Right. I mean, he disappears literally into th

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Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my father's commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this to lay down one's life for one's friends.

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You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer because the servant does not know what the master is doing. But I have called you friends because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my father. You did not choose me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last so that the father will give you whatever you ask in his name.

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Sorry. In my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another. Lord Jesus, would you bring understanding, conviction, help, power, all by your mighty spirit, we pray. Amen.

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You may be seated as we are approaching the season of Pentecost. And Pentecost is a big deal. Pentecost ought to be one of these holidays that is as big as Christmas or Easter, shouldn't it? It should indeed, because Jesus himself, I will remind you, tells us, dear friends, I must go, not to be physically present with you any longer. Why?

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He tells us directly, doesn't he, so that the comforter will come. The comforter is God's holy spirit. And so Jesus tells us that his mission was so that the spirit may be given to all, which is exactly what happens on the day of Pentecost. And did you notice in our reading today that we get the spirit descending or falling upon those gentiles? By the way, in the acts reading that we had, did you catch that?

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And the gift of the spirit was given, it says, and then there were tongues and other gifts that come from the greatest gift, who is God's spirit. And could we just go ahead and say that God is still pouring out his holy spirit upon people? The Holy Spirit still is coming upon people and empowering gifts and abilities that are not our own, but rather are gifts from God. And we do not neglect to say that, oh, this, you know, because tongues and some other gifts are what we call extraordinary gifts. They're extraordinary, right?

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The ordinary ones are the ones I want to focus on today. When the Holy Spirit comes into every life, this is what he brings. All right. The extraordinary gifts are awesome to study and all of that. Okay?

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But not everybody has those. But when God's spirit comes to us, I'd like to submit to you that at least there are three, if not here, four that you'll kind of see that are sort of under the text here. Because remember, when we're in John 15, which is the vine and the branches which we covered last week, you remember that John 15 is in the middle section of a very important night. This is the very night in which Jesus shared the meal with his disciples. He washed their feet.

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You remember this? And then they go together and we get this conversation that begins in 13 and will end with Jesus prayer in chapter 17. Well, this is right in the middle here. Okay? And all throughout here, littered throughout it, is some of the most profound and clear teachings on the Holy Spirit.

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In other words, when we just moments ago said we believe in the Holy Spirit and even claimed that we worship the Holy Spirit, this means that the spirit is not just some mystical power of God or mystical breath of God. That is not God. Rather, the spirit is the power of God, is the breath of God, and is the love of God in such a way that it has to do with his personhood, not a function of another. That's why we can say we worship the Holy Spirit. Could I say this?

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Do you know that it is okay to pray to the Holy S

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According to John, chapter 15. The Gospel of John, chapter 15.

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And of course, those of you who are familiar with the gospel of John know exactly what this passage is known for. Right. So when you found it, go ahead and stand with me for our gospel reading. And again, even the standing of the word of God, right, that's found in the word of God, isn't it? In the Old Testament, they stood when the law was written.

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And so in the New Testament, the gospels are the equivalent of the law. And so we stand. So notice these words as found in John, chapter 15. We'll just start at the beginning here. Jesus said to his disciples, I am the true vine, and my father is the vine grower.

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He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit, he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.

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I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me, you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers, such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. For my father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.

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Jesus, thank you for your holy word. And now, Holy Spirit, would you make this a word for us this morning in this room? Make it a holy moment. We pray in your name. Amen.

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You can be seated.

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Reading the Bible as a kid was often frustrating. If you grew up in church and you're familiar with the Bible, it can be frustrating at times. Anybody. Amen for that, because really, it is difficult sometimes to really get a handle on what's going on. In fact, John, the Gospel of John, is one of these books that a child can read it and understand what it's saying.

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Truly, you read John three, which is one of the, I mean, most fundamental, deep theological things that could ever be said. All right. Or John one, think of that. Or right here in 15. And a child could read through it and grasp almost intuitively the basics of what's being said.

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And yet I'm still a 43 year old trying to understand John 15. And I revisited it, of course, this week and was again blown away by what is here. But as a kid, I remember. I distinctly remember getting frustrated because of these dad gum analogies. Do you know what I'm talking about?

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And John is full of them, isn't he? I mean, it seems on every single page, born again. And you remember Nicodemus. He's us, right? Nicodemus represents us.

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He comes to Jesus at night in his darkness, in his ignorance. Right? That's what that means. You don't have clarity, right? He comes to him at night and born again.

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You may not have to enter in my mother's womb. Oh, come on, man. You've been at the word this long, brother, and you don't know? You're a leader in Israel and you don't know. Do you know how many times Jesus said that about.

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I'm sure he didn't say it to my face, but I'm sure he. Here he goes again. You know, he doesn't understand. And truly, we have to have God's light, his holy spirit, to understand the scriptures so that when we read them, even personally when we read them, we should ask specifically for God's spirit to come and enliven that word to us, shed light on it. And so as a kid, I just remember, like, man, why not just tell us who you are?

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You know? Remember the disciples say the same thing, right? And I repeated this last week, all right, we get frustrated because we j

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Gospel according to John, chapter ten. Gospel of John, chapter ten. Now, historically, this Sunday, this fourth Sunday after Easter is known as Good Shepherd Sunday because, well, we're dealing with the good shepherd today. All right? And so if you would turn with me to, again, John ten, where we have this passage.

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And this one's not dealing with the resurrection like the others, but rather the good shepherd here. So stand with me when you have found that, notice these words in John ten. And we'll start with verse eleven. Jesus said, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

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The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away. And the wolf snatches and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, just as the father knows me, and I know the father.

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And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also. And they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

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For this reason, the father loves me. Because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I've received this command from my father, Lord Jesus.

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Thank you for your word. And, Lord, now we pray that the same author of this word would enlighten our minds to hear and our hearts to obey. Today we pray in your name. Amen. You can be seated.

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Years ago, I took a trip to India. And on that trip I went to a gift store. And it was at the end of my trip, I was in Bangalore, or what they call Bengaluru now. And I went to a little gift shop. Of course, the gift shops, there are idol shops.

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You know what I mean? In other words, they have idols everywhere, right? That's what they're selling. And, I mean, I can't describe to you if you. We just don't have a concept of what it would have been like to been in ancient Greece or been in ancient Rome or what it would have been like or what it is like to be in India, which is probably the closest representation to that sort of polytheistic mini gods mindset.

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And I was there in the gift shop. I was looking for something to take home. And they had all these beautiful carved out of wood idols, all hand carved wasn't through machinery for sure. And they were tall. And I'm looking through there.

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And of course, because I teach on Hinduism, I knew quite a few of them just by their symbols. In other words, if you've got a snake involved, that's probably Shiva, right? Because the snake is powerful, it's wily, and there's this whole story to do with it. So I'm, like, looking there, and then I see Hanuman, which is the monkey God, and so on and so forth. And then all of a sudden, something catches my eye, and it's a, you know, all of them are in human form, right?

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So it's not unusual to see a human represented in idol worship, right? But I see one human who has a lamb wrapped around his neck. And, of course, this was Jesus. And here's Jesus literally among the gods, right? And of course, that's the reason I had come, was not to learn about Hinduism, but instead to preach Jesus on this trip.

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And it was so moving in that moment. I can still picture exactly where on the shelf Jesus was. Just, like, in the mix there, right? All these other gods are wielding power with snakes and with cows and with swords and with all these magical powers. And here's Jesus among them with a lamb wrapped around his neck, carrying it back.

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And of course, that is a fish famous icon or painting of Jesus going after the

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According to Luke, chapter 24. The Gospel of Luke, chapter 24. Go with me there, and we're going to pick up at verse 38.

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And once you've found it, go ahead and stand with me. As we read our gospel reading this morning. Don't you love that prayer of illumination? I hope you hear that Justin read earlier, that all of our readers will read before we read it. And there's one part in it I love, which is, let us hear today with joy what you say to us.

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Wouldn't it be nice to leave here and say, you know what? I feel joy because God has spoken, right? Jesus loves me. This I know how. Cause the Bible tells me so.

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Right. All right. Let's jump in here and start with verse 36 here, and we'll go halfway into it. Jesus himself stood among the disciples and said to them, peace be with you. They were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost.

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He said to them, why are you afraid or frightened? Sorry. And why did doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet. See that it is I myself.

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Touch me and see. For a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have. And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet, while in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering. He said to them, have you anything here to eat? They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.

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Then he said to them, these are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled. Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, thus it is written that the messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. Jesus, help us today as you open our eyes and our minds to understand the scriptures. We pray in your name.

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Amen. And you can be seated.

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Well, chapter 24 is a big deal. It holds for us. I mean, in the gospel of Luke, chapter 24, huge deal. Resurrection, the road to Emmaus. Remember that.

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And then now this story on that very night of the road to Emmaus, which is the very day of the resurrection. Okay, lots of stuff going on here. And then finally, chapter 24 is gonna end also with the ascension of Jesus into the heavens. That's where he ends. And of course, Luke the author, remember, is the author also of what book acts.

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Right? And guess how acts begins the ascension of Jesus. So it's almost like when we watch a show and then season one is done, and then you're waiting, waiting, waiting. Season two comes out and then they recap for you. Remember, they show a little bit of what happened in the last season, even sometimes reshowing it.

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That's what Luke is doing. He's trying to say, listen, these go together, okay? When Jesus ascends, then the spirit descends, right? And so this Easter tide, as we call it, this time of Easter that we're in right now, represented with white, of course, for this resurrection and celebration and all of that that lasts for 50 days until Pentecost, which will change our season once again, right? And so 40 days, though, in Jesus ascends into heaven.

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So during that 40 days, he's going to appear to many. And so we get these appearings of Jesus here in the text. And so our readings, if you've noticed, have actually been about the day of the resurrection or the days following within that week. And so again, we're parked here. Luke parks us here on this one day.

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And there was a lot of things going on in that day. It started at dark, and it's still going at dark of that same, so to speak day. Right.

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And we're going to be looking at verses 19 through 31.

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Once you've found your place in the Gospel of John, chapter 20, beginning with verse 19, please stand for the reading of God's word.

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Hear the word of the Lord. So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, peace be with you. And when he had said this, he showed them both hands and his side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, peace be with you.

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As the Father has sent me, I also send you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, receive the Holy Spirit if you believe. If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them. If you retain the sins of any, they have been retained. But Thomas, one of the twelve called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

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So the other disciples were saying to him, we have seen the Lord. But he said to them, unless I see in his hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. After eight days, his disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst, and said, peace be with you. Then he said to Thomas, reach here with your finger and see my hands and reach here your hand and put it into my side.

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And do not be unbelieving. But believing, Thomas answered and said to him, my lord and my God. Jesus said to him, because you have seen me, have you believed. Blessed are they who did not see and yet believed. Therefore, many other signs.

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Jesus also performed in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book, but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name. Let's pray. Father, may your will be done, Jesus, may your word be proclaimed in spirit. May your work be accomplished in us. We pray.

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Amen. You could be seated.

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I could count probably a handful of times that I've studied this passage and heard about it in Sunday school and growing up in the church, and it's always referenced, or the title of that teaching or the preaching was doubting Thomas. I remember my grandparents often attributing Thomas with this doubt of faith. And as I matured in my faith and as I continue to read through the scriptures and study all of scripture, and specifically here, the gospel of John. I do not know why so many have taught such a negative view about Thomas and why Thomas gets the bad rap over the last three days at this point, before they're gathered here in this room for fear of the jews, you have Peter denying Jesus in the courtyard. You have all the disciples scattering.

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But yet Thomas is the one that gets the negative rap. He's the one doubting because he won't believe his own brothers. The disciples that they witnessed and have seen, the resurrected Jesus, none of them have believed necessarily. Mary, remember, was the first one to encounter the resurrected Lord, and she was sent to go tell them. If Mary was sent to tell the disciples that Jesus has risen to go meet him in Galilee, why are they in a room with fear of the Jews?

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The gospel of Luke would tell us, matter of fact, Jesus tells us that they are fearful and doubting in Luke 24. So I'm of the mind that we can't have this negative view. And I don't know where it comes from honestly about Thomas, and Thomas alone. When all the disciples over the events that took place in the last three days left their allegiance to their king, Jesus, behind, who exercised very little faith, who have no peace, even though Jesus prepared them

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According to John, chapter 20. The Gospel of John, chapter 20. Now, remember, John wrote quite a bit in the Bible. I had a student recently tell me, he said, hey, instructor, I read John. I actually read all three of them, but I didn't read the Gospel of John, which is actually the assignment.

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And so he read the epistles of John, but he didn't quite get to John. Well, in the sequence of things, we want to read John first and then his epistles, and then, of course, that final book, the Book of Revelation, the Apocalypse, the appearing of the end, the appearing of Jesus Christ himself. And so John wrote a lot. We're going to focus in and dial in this morning, of course, on the resurrection story. Stand with me as we read from John, chapter 20.

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And starting right there at verse one, notice these words. This is the word of God. Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, they have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we don't know where they have laid him. Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb.

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The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb. First. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came following him and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there and the cloth that had been on Jesus head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself.

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Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed, for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes. But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept. She bent over to look into the tomb, and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet.

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They said to her, woman, why are you weeping? She said to them, they have taken away my lord, and I do not know where they have laid him. When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?

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Supposing him to be the gardener? She said to him, sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus said to her, Mary. She turned and said to him, in Hebrew, Rabboni, which means teacher. Jesus said to her, do not hold on to me because I have not yet ascended to the father, but go to my brothers and say to them, I am ascending to my father and your father to my God and your God.

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Mary Magdalene went out and announced to the disciples, I have seen the Lord. And she told them that he had said these things to her. Jesus, thank you for your word. And now we pray that the same holy spirit that inspired these words would move among us this morning, teaching us all things that pertain to salvation and to our mission here as your church. We pray in your name.

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Amen. You can be seated.

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He is risen indeed. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. And this is our refrain this morning, and ultimately the fundamental confession of our faith. For Paul says, without the resurrection, we are of all people to be pitied.

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Without the resurrection, we can all go home. This is just a show. Without the resurrection, we have no hope. Listen. No hope beyond the grave.

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In other words, all those who have already passed before us to the grave, they are simply gone and will never return in any sort of fashion at all. There is no hope. The grave is

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