Finding Hope in Mourning: Embracing the Resurrected Life

What we do in loss and in mourning is vitally important. My mourning will either lead me to a place of true comfort and to the feet of Jesus, or it leads me to a place of unbelief. Well, last week you guys had a little party, I heard. A little baptism party. I think it's one of those things where heaven and earth meet, and there's a celebration in heaven, a celebration here. And it's always so interesting because people hear the gospel message. [00:00:14] (33 seconds) Edit Clip


And it's interesting because some are hearing it and responding for the first time, and then we have these moments where someone has been living life, they've met Jesus, they've come to an understanding, they've given their life, they've done all this stuff. And then how many of you know, like, the Holy Spirit continues to teach us and grow us and our understanding into the image and likeness of Jesus. And how many of you know, like, along the way, we have these points where it's like, I thought I knew him, but now I know him even more. [00:00:41] (30 seconds) Edit Clip


Larry's been walking with the Lord for a long time. It's been an honor, really, to watch his journey, watch the Lord heal him. Like, it's been so incredible to see what God's done in his family. And he's watching from the hospital in rehab, right? And he is so moved by the Holy Spirit that he wants to be here. And there's something that gripped his heart, and he wanted to be baptized again. [00:02:14] (26 seconds) Edit Clip


Listen I I don't always follow the the calendar so to speak and and I find it that Easter is one of those challenges because what part of the story do you tell when when it's all woven together like where does it stop and start and begin and all that right so it's all linked together together and really we are living the resurrected life presently so it is current and present it's not just a story we tell of something that happened long ago but something struck me this week a little bit and kind of this question you know where where do you get stuck in this story [00:04:19] (41 seconds) Edit Clip


And so, he gives us the Holy Spirit to walk with us and to teach us about who we are. Teach us our identity in Christ. And so, again, it'd be easy for us to get stuck in any of those places to not relate to the burial, right? Or the resurrection. It's not enough just to live at the foot of the cross. Like, he wants us to live actually the resurrected life, the newness of life, right? The new covenant. All the things. But he doesn't even want us to stop there. He wants us to live the ascended life. Like, he ascends into heaven. And Paul says that we are currently, presently seated with Christ in heavenly places. [00:08:02] (43 seconds) Edit Clip


And on the way they were asking each other who will who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb but as they arrived they look up and saw the stone which was very large it was huge had already been rolled aside Jesus helped me I don't know I don't know what's happening it's the joy of the Lord I don't know all right when they entered the tomb they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side the women were shocked but the angel said don't be alarmed isn't that funny like people are always shocked and they're always like don't be afraid don't be alarmed you have right you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified he isn't here he has risen from the dead look this is where they laid his body now go and tell the disciples including Peter that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee you will see him there just as he told you before he died the women fled from the tomb trembling and bewildered and said nothing to anyone because they were too frightened [00:10:48] (74 seconds) Edit Clip


You know it's interesting because you know we always do this whole like Sunday's coming you know right maybe some of you guys posted that like you know Friday but now it's Saturday and now Sunday's coming you do you realize like this portion that I'm reading to you Sunday had come it was Sunday I think there's something in our mind like sometimes it's like you know Sunday's coming and Sunday's here and now everything's good and just woohoo right celebration he's risen it had happened and yet we're reading in this account and I noticed this part here that he's risen and yet the disciples the the ones that had walked with him for three and a half years I mean you think about of of anyone that Jesus had ministered to in that whole time think about all the miracles he had done the things that he had talked about and then with this group of people these were the ones that he had selected these were the ones that knew him the most he had talked to them in secret he had demonstrated to them deeper levels of understanding and he had told them specifically everything that was going to happen and these jokers seriously after all that they don't believe it's crazy [00:12:07] (82 seconds) Edit Clip


But I noticed something here is that they're grieving weeping I want you to think about this it's possible that they had not fully comprehended what Jesus was saying matter of fact I guarantee they really hadn't they thought they had in moments does that sound familiar we we do the same thing there are moments when we feel like we've we've grasped something that we understand something that we've comprehended something that we've applied something and yet he is constantly revealing himself deeper and more like there's there's no end to that as we come to fuller understanding later on so think about this they've walked with him he has called them out by name he has walked with them he's demonstrated himself [00:14:02] (47 seconds) Edit Clip