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so my topic for today is breaking news
breaking news and when we find in the
text we find Mary who was following
Jesus Mary magnet Magdalene not the
mother of Mary this Mary had an
encounter with Jesus in which he had her
exercised he she had seven demons that
was possessing her and after her
encounter with Jesus she became so did
that after she was delivered from those
seven demons that she dropped everything
and began following him she was
following him the Messiah recognizing
that there was a divine call on his life
and that because he had touched her that
there was a divine call on her life and
so she dropped out dropped it all and
began following Christ and she knew that
as the Jews and the Romans began to wage
war against him that because he was
Christ because he was the son of God
that eventually he was going to rise up
and he would prove to the Romans and the
Jews that they had it all mixed up and
he was the son of God and he wasn’t just
pretending and so she was waiting for
the moment in which Christ would be
vindicated when we find her in the text
however he has been crucified imagine
with me if you will you are riding and
dying with somebody right or die okay
Mary was Jesus Rider died and she’s
riding with him all the way to the cross
anticipating at some point probably that
he was going to come off of the cross
what what do you do when you are
expecting one thing to happen but it
never comes to fruition what do you do
when as a matter of fact it looks like
the thing that you were hoping for is
actually dying right in front of your
face
that’s where we find Mary and the text
not only has Christ been crucified he
has been placed in a tomb and this is
three days after the crucifixion three
days and a lot can happen in three days
certainly we know the end of the story
that he is resurrected but remove if you
will your knowledge and imagine yourself
as Mary not just with breaking news as
in current events but with the kind of
news that breaks you have you ever
received the kind of news that chips
away at your hope that chips away at
your soul that leaves you a little bit
broken
yeah breaking news comes to us all and
then that breaking we can’t help but
have parts of ourselves broken as well
we see it all the time and our phones
when CNN and alert goes off and we
recognize that what was supposed to be a
normal day for someone somewhere on the
other side of the world or perhaps right
around our corner just became
devastating news that breaks you now on
the first day of the week Mary Magdalene
went to the tomb early while it was
still dark and saw that the stone had
been taken away from the tomb then she
ran and came to Simon Peter and to the
other disciple whom Jesus loved and said
to them they have taken away the Lord
out of the tomb and we do not know where
they have laid him would you go back to
verse one I want to point out something
that I found pretty interesting in the
text so Mary is headed to the tomb she’s
headed to the tomb because in Jewish
culture when someone passes away you go
when you take oils and spices and you
anoint the body and so she knew though
that there would be a stone in front of
the tomb because when she got there and
noticed that this took that the stone
had been taken away she was shocked I
bet you that at this point
Mary had become she had come to a place
where she was beginning to ache
Becht rejection you see because up until
that point she was expecting hope she
was expecting that Jesus would get off
the cross she was expecting that he
would be vindicated at this point he’s
been crucified he’s buried he’s in the
tone in the tomb and now she’s wondering
what should I expect the reality is that
she was going to the tomb and hoping
that the stone would have been rolled
away although she knew she couldn’t roll
it away herself history tells us that
the stone that was placed in front of
the tomb was about 2,000 pounds have you
ever found yourself walking up to an
opportunity and going towards a door if
you will but in the back of your mind
you were hoping that the door really
wouldn’t be open you were knowing that
you were going to go through all of the
motions you were going to go to the
audition you were going to fill out the
application you were going to go on the
date but ultimately when it was time to
be vulnerable when it was time to train
when it was time to become better you
were hoping the door would be closed
because an open door also opens you up
to your own insecurities so now the door
is open to the tomb but does she really
have had what it takes to walk inside
the stone has been rolled away that’s
what she wanted but does she really have
what it takes now to go inside of the
tomb we pray that God would open doors
for us that he would roll things out of
the way that he would allow a path for
us to escape and then when it’s time to
take that escape it’s not always
packaged the way we thought because for
Mary who wanted the stone to be rolled
away she didn’t realize that she
wouldn’t be able to put oil on the body
because the body wouldn’t be there what
do you do when you are expecting things
to go one way and they do go that way to
a certain extent but then when it’s time
to take
that final step to go that extra mile
there’s nothing there to work with the
stone had been taken away from the tomb
so she runs to Simon and Peter and she
tells them she grunts – Simon Peter and
John and she tells them they’ve taken
away the Lord out of the tomb and we
don’t know where they have laid him
Peter therefore went out and the other
disciple and were going to the tomb so
they both ran together and the other
disciple outran Peter what is always a
race with some people just we can’t both
be at the red light you got an inch up a
little bit closer why and came to the
tomb first you know what I bet slowed
Peter down on his way to the tomb before
Christ died he told Peter that he was
going to deny him three times so while
they both left at the same time I bet
somewhere along the line Peter began to
realize that if Jesus was there and Mary
had somehow missed him that he was going
to have to answer to the fact that he
had denied him three times isn’t it
crazy how sometimes our past keeps us
from walking into the future because we
recognize that we may have to answer
some questions when we get there that
we’ve learned to bury and hide okay I’m
coming
so John gets there and he’s stooping
down and looking in saw the linen cloths
lying there yet he did not go in John
the disciple whom Jesus loved Stoops
down looks into the tomb but doesn’t go
in immediately when he recognizes that
the tomb is empty his hope his faith
then fails you would think because he
was the disciple whom Jesus loved that
when he saw that the tomb was empty that
something inside of him would rise up
and say this is the moment maybe now
he’s been resurrected this is exactly
what we were waiting for but instead he
is flooded and disappointment I want to
talk about the difference between love
and faith I can love you but I can’t
leave you I can love you love means that
I accept you for who you are faith means
but I also think you can become better
so yes he was the disciple whom Jesus
loved but did John have enough love to
have faith in God so much so that even
faith would dictate that even when my
circumstances don’t look like it’s
working out for my good because I had
faith in him I don’t believe that just
because the body isn’t there means he’s
not here anymore
surely he’s gone somewhere then Simon
Peter came following him so Simon Peter
finally catches up and decides he’s got
his speech ready for Jesus just in case
he’s there he’s probably going to start
like what had happened was
and then and then because I didn’t know
that there was time I like you Jesus I
thought cuz Jesus is like a common name
and oh Jesus be with hey Suz I was so
confused Simon Peter came following him
and went into the tomb and he saw the
linen cloths lying there and the
handkerchief that had been around his
head not lying with the linen clothes
not lying with the linen clothes but
folded together in a place by itself how
is it that all of the linen clothes were
just jumbled up on one part of the tomb
but there was one linen cloth that was
folded neatly by itself I submit to you
two questions why is it that it was
folded by itself and why is it that
Peter was the one who saw it
I reckon that the reason why it was
folded was because he wanted someone to
recognize that even though it looked
like he had been taken away that he took
the time to fold something before he
left that even though it looks like your
life is crumbling into pieces and that
it’s all falling apart that he’s left
something folded for you to remind you
that he’s yet there yet it’s interesting
because transition often looks like
chaos transition often looks like
confusion it doesn’t always make sense
it seems like everything is falling
apart and so you’ve got Mary and John
who believe that the body has been taken
away there’s nowhere for their faith to
go yet you have Peter the one who denied
Christ three times the one who was least
likely to to see Christ again the one
who thought for sure because of what
I’ve done because of what I’ve gone
through
he has no
use of me why is Peter the one who sees
the folded handkerchief perhaps when
Peter denied Christ three times he found
himself in the situation he never
expected have you ever been surprised to
something you did
but like you did it have you ever looked
back on something even like man I was
tripping like I surprised myself with
that Peter could not believe that he was
going to deny Christ three times he
couldn’t believe it but I mean can you
argue with Jesus like Jesus says you’re
going to deny him three times you think
it impossible and then life happens life
often places us in unexpected situations
and turns us into people we never
thought we could be and how we deal with
those moments is our true test of
character it’s not about the disciple
whom Jesus loved the most this story is
about Peter the one who denied him three
times the one who probably wanted to
exclude himself from destiny being told
that in spite of the fact that you
denied me three times I’m still going to
build my church on top of you that even
though your life hasn’t been perfect and
even though you’ve messed up and there’s
a laundry list of things that you could
have done better and should have done
right instead I still see hope inside of
you
why then is Peter the one who finds the
handkerchief I think it’s because Peter
had learned to not just look for the
things that you expect but to respect
the things that are unexpected in life
that even loss and breaking news has a
certain level of respect that gives you
two paths
on the road and that is to have faith or
to give up we see Mary and we see John
both stock never even taking the time to
go inside of the tomb but Peter who had
been fueled by his own mistakes who had
been fueled by his own desperation to
reconnect with the Jesus saw something
that no one else could see that means
it’s okay if you straight away a little
bit because your fuel to reconnect with
Jesus is going to open your eyes that
this religious relationship maybe could
not have afforded you that means that
there is yet a place for you that there
is a napkin folded in the corner of your
destiny and God is waiting for you to
stop pretending to be busy long enough
to take inventory of what you have left
so often we can be so consumed
especially in the city with looking busy
everybody’s got meetings this is the
most meeting ggest City listen
everybody is busy but not often do we
have a lot to show for our busyness
everybody is important but not often do
we have a lot to show for being so
important
perhaps destiny is reserved for the
people who are willing to slow down long
enough to look like they aren’t working
on anything to look like they’re being
outran I just believe right now that you
some of you have been dealing with
situations where you think that someone
arrived before you did but the reality
is they may have gotten there first but
they’re not going to stay there very
long because when you get there you’re
coming with a different mindset in a
different perspective
that you never would have had had you
not gone through your mist trials so
right now we’re going to go ahead and
thank God in advance for the arrival and
the process it took trust to get there
because we recognized we weren’t really
being slowed down we were being taught
how to look at things that I when we got
into the room we would see folded
napkins where everyone else all linen
cloths then when we got in the room that
we would have fresh ideas and fresh
creativity wherever you want us just
wanted to do the same old thing I’d
agree right now in the name of Jesus in
this moment that the Holy Spirit is
saturating this place right now that
chains are being broken off with you
right now their glory is filling this
place that you have not been denied you
have not been delayed that you are right
on time and a right on target and that
God is going to do a new thing through
you something he couldn’t do through
Mary something he couldn’t do through
John
but it took a Peter someone who had some
missteps someone who had denied someone
who looked like they had no purpose that
God was waiting on you to come into the
room that God was waiting for you to
walk into the tomb that he has a napkin
set aside with your name on it and if
you were there to stop outside of the
tomb that you’re going to miss the
greatest blessing of your life
time the difference between Mary and
John and Simon Peter was one step one
step that means you’re one step away
from your breakthrough that means you’re
one step away from your destiny that
means you’re one step from everything
turning around that means you’re one
step from being on the edge of amazing
and stepping into glory that you’re one
step away from who you always knew you
could be but doubt convinced you
otherwise if you believe that I just
want you to take one step just take one
step just let the enemy know right now
that you’re taking one step that you’re
walking away from who you used to be and
walking towards what God has called you
that you recognize others destiny down
inside of you still and all it takes is
one step Peter has the dirty is past if
everyone we see in the text he has the
least likely outcome of everyone we see
in the text how is it the one who denied
Christ three times was the one who saw
him first
how is it the one who didn’t look like
they had it all together was the one who
got the job how is it the one who didn’t
look like they had the income I had the
job still has their car still has the
ring how is it the one who doesn’t have
any ends to meet but some kind of way
God keeps on providing and he keeps on
leaving crumbs after crumbs after crumbs
you give me reasons you give me reasons
can we have a mama
worship Him for reasons right now you
give me reason after reason after reason
after we knocking after napkin
after napkin is folded for me that where
everyone else saw linen cloths that some
kind of way I saw a napkin that when the
stone was rolled away and some people
turn because they were afraid that they
wouldn’t have what it takes to walk into
the room that she ordered my steps but I
was in perfect alignment that I was in
the right place at the right time for a
breakthrough to happen for me I want to
know who’s willing to walk into the tomb
I want to know who’s willing to look for
the napkin I want to know who’s willing
to not let their circumstances dictate
their tomorrow because if we allow our
circumstances to dictate our tomorrow
we’ll find ourselves like John coming to
church every Sunday in love with Jesus
knowing he loves us but too afraid to
act on that love he never meant to harm
you or discourage you or disappoint you
and in fact what he meant was quite the
opposite he needed to prune you y’all
sit down I’m just talking and you get me
all fired up you could put the text back
up for me then the other disciple who
came to the tomb first went in also he
was a leader Peter was a leader the one
who was least likely convinced the one
who seemed to have it all together to go
into the tomb not when you walk into the
tomb you’re not just bringing yourself
your mother’s coming with you your
father’s coming your friends are coming
your relationship is coming and anybody
who can’t comment to the tomb needs to
stay outside of it anyway because we’re
two walkers in here
and he saw and believed some kind of way
in that moment what should have been a
tomb becomes a womb that what should
have been a dead thing a placer for
holding dead things now becomes a place
of faith being developed because we see
that John went from not believing and
outside of the tomb to inside of the
tomb and witnessing the napkin and now
he believes maybe I just want to
interrupt your regularly scheduled
program to tell you that the thing
you’ve been calling a tomb is actually a
warm that the areas in your life that
you thought were dead that you were just
about to give up on that the areas in
your life that you had counted out and
that other people said we’re never going
to make it was a place of development
and when you recognize that your tomb is
actually a wound you’ll stop mourning
what you think you lost and recognize
that there are destiny moments left for
you that your very breath is a promise
that God still has something for you
and because he still has something for
you it doesn’t matter what happened to
you doesn’t matter what they said
doesn’t matter what they believed it
doesn’t matter the lies you told
yourself all that matters is whether or
not you’re willing to open up the stone
open up the tomb and begin to search
yourself for pieces that God has left
behind I have to tell you that a one of
the most difficult times in my marriage
with your pastor was when I told him
that I felt okay I tell you the whole
story and I’m going to be faster than I
have Ultra Khan they were going to let
you go because we’re over time but
here’s the thing so some of you all know
you know I had
a teen mama had my son at 13 years old
and now I have a daughter with Petey and
it feels like everything is full circle
and so we’re walking into this
restaurant and as we’re walking into the
restaurant I see our oldest daughter
holding our baby girl Ella and just in a
moment I have this flashback of being 14
years old holding my son out with my
family and I think to myself man it must
have been really hard to be a teen mom
but sometimes we can become so consumed
with trying to make it look like we have
it all together that we rob ourselves of
the opportunity to truly heal and so I
was sharing this with Petey and I
thought you know I was just going to
tell him this and he told me you know
what that means that there’s still
something there that needs to be healed
and I was like you know how do i pastor
me okay I’ll pray about it
listen being married to manna God is
really something else okay
and so he tells me how did you feel when
you were that 14 year old girl and I
began to express to him some of the
feelings that I had and then just in
that moment the Holy Spirit just really
comes into the room and he was able to
interesting because God is not limited
to time he takes me back to being this
14 year old girl and in that moment
his spirit is healing all of this
brokenness and damage that I thought was
healed why do I say that because in that
moment when we were reflecting on that
time in my life I recognized that there
was a folded napkin there that I missed
that I was so afraid of having to
confront my truth that I wrapped myself
of the opportunity to see that God was
still in the places that I had buried
that God still had hope and he still had
promising the ability to heal that which
I had learned to conceal and as I
prepare to close I want to have an altar
call and if you don’t mind before you
say that this is what’s what happened
people are going to grab their purses
and go dashing out of the door and let
me tell you why I pray you will
reconsider that because we’re going to
have an altar call and someone’s going
to make the decision to step into their
tomb so that God can make it a womb and
I’m not sure what special is at
Starbucks or what time your brunch
reservation is but if you could not rob
them of this opportunity to have an
encounter with God that can develop
something in them that changes the very
trajectory of their lives I would be
most appreciative would you please stand
with me as I prepare to close
as I was discussing the text I had to
ask myself what is the main idea what is
the main subject of the text what is God
trying to tell us and it dawns on me
that Peter is the star of the text that
it wasn’t really the folded napkin like
I thought and it wasn’t the disciple
whom Jesus loved like I thought it
wasn’t even Mary Magdalene like I
thought it was Peter the one who had
denied Christ three times yet the church
would be built on him it was the one who
had to become so desperate and so broken
for a touch from God that it changed the
way he saw a life that it changed the
way he saw the tomb and I just believe
that there are people in this room have
been who have been looking at certain
areas of their life whether it’s their
past or their present they’ve watched
situations fall apart they watch
relationships go away they’ve been
dealing with bitterness and
unforgiveness and they’ve just learned
to conceal it and continue to live like
it’s not there and I just happened to
believe that there’s someone here who’s
ready to take that tomb and turn it into
a womb that you’re not exactly sure how
things are going to work together for
your good but you know that you love God
and you know that there’s a plan for
your life and and you just want to
believe that he can do something with
what you have left would you consider
meeting us at the altar would you
consider stepping taking that one extra
step coming that extra mile so that God
can have his way in your life in a
brand-new way Peter proves to us that
this is not about perfection this is not
about having it all together this is
about admitting that there’s something
inside of me that’s a little bit dead
and a little bit broken and my hope has
nowhere to go and I’m not exactly sure
and I don’t have all the answers but I
just
happen to believe that there’s still
hope for me and if God could do it for
Peter and maybe if God could do it for
FL if God could do it for PT that maybe
he would consider allowing me to open my
heart and to face the fact that
something getting me died years ago but
as you were speaking and as you were
expressing the word that I I felt a
heartbeat again that where there was a
tomb in my life the things that I
thought I was fine living with the
things that I was masquerading is okay
that as you were speaking I felt
something inside of me kick I think that
there’s still life inside of me and I
wanted to be developed so that I can
have access to all of who God is here’s
the reality that Mary and John could
have continued to have a relationship
with Christ even had they never
discovered the folded napkin but because
Peter saw the folded napkin and invited
them to see the folded napkin they had
access to another dimension of Christ
that they would have never seen what I’m
telling you is they were looking for
Christ’s body but what they found and
said was his spirit in the same spirit
that was in that tomb is available to
you right now in this moment and we
don’t invite you down to the altar to
masquerade your to embarrass you no in
fact it’s quite the opposite it is to
serve negativity and notice that it no
longer has its hold on you that when you
walk out of your space of comfort that
chains are being broken and strongholds
are coming down because you recognize
that there’s still something left inside
of you and no amount of shade can keep
your light from shining no amount of
shade can keep you from walking into who
God has called you to be unless you
allow it I want to know if there’s
anyone else who wants to join this body
of believers come out of your seat and
join us at the altar step out of your
comfort zone so that God can show you
your tomb
he can turn them into wombs and you
don’t have to pretend anymore
you don’t have to hurt any longer that
you can look back at yourself at 14
years old with the baby and still
recognize that God loved that broken
little girl too that God loved Peter
when he was denying him and he loved you
when you were in the middle of your mess
you’re never too far from the reach of
God you’re never out of his touch ever
but oftentimes we rob ourselves of an
opportunity to be held by God because
we’ve come to a place where all we
expect is rejection and right now I just
decree in the name of Jesus that we’re
going to shift our expectations not to
fit our circumstances but to fit the
word from God that we received that even
when we receive knows that our
expectations aren’t going to adjust in
our relationships that we’re not going
to settle for what we think we deserve
because if God gave us what we deserve
none of us would have a chance but
because he is so faithful and because
he’s committed to do exceedingly and
abundantly above all that we may ask or
think we’re going to allow God the
opportunity to blow our minds don’t just
give us what we ask for God give us what
you desire for us don’t just give us
what we want to God give us what we need
and no matter how that comes about it is
well in our soul pastor would you pray
for us that’s such a that’s such a
there’s such a glory on first lady I
don’t actually want you to prayer when I
lay hands while you pray so just seal
this word with prayer before we pray
just one more opportunity to join us the
word says that where two or three are
gathered in his name there he shall be
in the midst and because we are
expecting and believing that he will be
in the midst of this body of believers I
just see a wave of tombs transforming
into wounds as we steal this in prayer
and if you want to be a part of that
trance
Meishan I encourage you to come join us
by the God searches is only you can do
open our hearts to your truth and take
us back to those moments where we were
scared little girls and scared little
boys searching for hugs and embraces and
help us to recognize that there was a
folded napkin there help us to look at
the areas in our lives right now where
we are threatened to feel discouraged or
disappointed maybe things aren’t going
the way we expected but help us to
realize they’re going exactly how you
planned that you’re working all things
together for our good so father I thank
you for every tomb represented at this
altar because we know that because there
is a tomb that there’s also resurrecting
power and we just decree resurrecting
power right now in the name of Jesus
that they’re going to live again oh God
that a will is going to spring up inside
of them and as that will springs up that
they’re going to have new ideas and new
creativity and new hope and new desires
forgiveness right now in the name of
Jesus some of us are struggling to
forgive and struggling to move on not
recognizing that our unwillingness to
forgive is keeping us at bay that our
destiny cannot be fulfilled until we let
go of our past we think that by us being
bitter that we’re punishing the other
person but in fact destiny is being
withheld because only those who have a
clean hands and clean heart can approach
you O God so cleanse our hearts O God
until all we see is you and cleanse our
spirits O God until all that is left is
you if the relationship isn’t you break
it if the job isn’t you take it if the
opportunity isn’t from you remove it
right now in the name of Jesus all we
have them for is you O God we want to
know you in a new way oh God show us our
identity oh God show us that we haven’t
been rejected or abandoned but we’ve
been preserved O God then when we
thought we were isolated that it was
actually protection Oh God and so we
thank you for protection Oh God that we
were resenting
very thing that kept us from becoming
like all the others we saw fall off Oh
God but instead that you’ve chosen us to
walk this sometimes lonely road because
we have the strength to take it so show
us our own endurance Oh God show us our
own perseverance show us your strength
being made perfect in our weakness
father God in the name of Jesus I ask
that you would identify every folded
napkin in our life Oh God every promise
that is just an amen
every promise that we thought we lost Oh
God that it would just come flooding in
our lives i decree harvest right now in
the name of Jesus that there is a
harvest that awaits us Oh God and that
we won’t reject it we won’t walk away
from it but we’ll do whatever it takes
to reap the harvest you have for us and
because we recognize that harvest takes
work make us vulnerable Oh God
so vulnerable that all we have is you so
vulnerable that all we have is your
promise Oh God and that we’re okay with
that give us peace Oh God peace for our
destiny peace for our lives peace to
walk into tombs and not be afraid of
what we see and as we begin to see
things in a new way in a new light help
us to believe again not just for what we
expect but to believe in the unexpected
to recognize it every day is the Destiny
moment and that unexpected things can
happen to extraordinary people that
changes our lives I look forward to the
miracles represented at this altar Oh
God that you’re going to make a way out
of no way Oh God that bills are going to
be paid that doors are going to be open
all God that opportunities to grow are
going to happen that mentorship is going
to take place that we’re going to see
ourselves not who we are now but who you
called us to be five years from now that
we’re going to be laughing that we even
thought this was an issue because we
recognize that it was a setup Oh God and
so we thank you for breakthrough not a
breakdown we rebuke this fear to break
down right now in the name of Jesus
you have no place here the Earth may be
shaking around us and things may be
falling apart but our hope is on the
rock of our salvation Oh God but when
all things have passed away and all
things are going astray that we
recognize that you hold the world in
your hand so show us father Oh God show
us your world show us your word and let
that word take root in our lives and
produce fruit that says I’ve been with
them all along in Jesus name Amen
if you need prayer we have prayer to the
left pastor do you want to say anything
before we Wow let’s just celebrate God
for this moment happy Mother’s Day
you’ve mothered us your mother not just
those are here but but thousands thank
you so much we honor you and bless and
pour she’s got one more to do today so
we just bless and pour more into you may
the Lord bless and keep you may make his
face to shine upon you and be gracious
towards you may he lift up his
countenance over you and grant you
Shalom Shalom in Jesus name