Do You See An Empty Tomb? | Pr Gloria Paul

You're listening to a message to go from axt church.

We hope this message will light up your day.

The title of today's message, right is do you see

an empty tomb?

Right? Do you see an empty tomb?

Because as believers, we know that there was an empty tomb, right,

there's nothing to be doubtful about it. But sometimes we

may live our lives forgetting that there was an empty tomb, right,

thinking that God, when is this going to happen?

Or God, when are you going to show up?

But I think we've got to remember, especially on this day,

is that there's already been an empty tomb. God, Jesus

has been reason right, He's there. He sent this advocate,

the Holy Spirit to live with us.

So we've got to first get that right.

You know, sometimes our lives can throw us different trials,

different situations that we tend to forget the truth. And

the truth doesn't change, It remains always and forever. Yeah,

So the question that we want to ask ourselves this

morning is do we actually see it as an empty tube?

Because if you know it's an empty tomb, we will

look at life differently. Even when life choses with all

sorts of things right in the back of our minds,

we will know that I can still go through this

because God lives in me. I can still go through

this because Jesus overcame the world, right, So it changes

our outlook and the way we live our lives. Yeah,

so we're going to go through these three points. But

the next slide you'll see that it says, yeah, same place,

same God, yet different encounter. Okay, so we can if

we go back to the Gospels, you'll see that they

were all at the same place, same timing. There was

a good Friday. And then as we know what happened

between the Pharisees and the Romans. You know, they were

all just against Jesus and they wanted to quicken the

process of the whole crucifixion because set was coming rights

on a Sabbath. So in their belief, especially with them pharises,

you know, you can't do anything on a Sabbath day

is a rest day, you know, so they kind of

like rush things through, and so at the end of

the day.

It's funny when you.

Read it that people thought that they had control in

the whole story, that I could rush things through, you know,

so that it happens my way or I could pay

bribes so that the soldiers could lie. You know, all

those things that people thought they were doing things to control.

But ultimately God's plan prevailed.

Right.

Nothing stopped Jesus from going to the cross, nothing stopped

him from being resen though people try to seal. If

you read those motions of the scriptures, you know that

where there will be a pharisee that goes to the

centurion and says that you know, there used to be

disciples that say that Jesus will rise on the third day,

So let's seal the tomb so that no disciples will

come and take Jesus body.

So that's what they did. They put a seal.

They put gods in front and think that, okay, then

Jesus will never come out of this building. But can

you see how little the human minds are thinking that

you can actually control that.

But we know what happened.

Yeah, So it's just fascinating to see that you can

be at the same place you have experienced jesus miracles

when he was on earth. We see how he was

healing the sick, freeing the demon, possess all kind of

miracles he did. But yet at this very significant day

there was such a different outlook or there was a

different encounter. Yeah, and I can't help but sometimes to

think about ourselves. You know, God can be just here

present now. His presence is here, no doubt about that.

We worship the Lord just now, we listen to testimonies. Right,

God is here. But sometimes we can miss out on

what's important. God can be just you know, being here,

say I'm here, I'm here, my hand is reaching out

to you. But we may be just keeping our hands

at the back or trying to do things our way,

and God just says, hey, come, I want to lead you.

I'm here by your side. Yeah.

And so I pray that.

Extra us, all of us who are here today, will

not miss out on God's presence this morning.

Yeah, will not miss out on the very message of Easter,

the gift of resurrection. Yeah. You know, let's look at

the first group of people.

Yeah, first of one we had, as we read in

the scriptures, is the Roman soldiers.

And the crowd.

Okay, so again off a bit of a history.

You know.

Roman soldiers, of course were the ones who were given

the mandate to you know, do what they needed to

do with Jesus on the on the cross, right, and

then we had the crowds, you know that we're trying

to you know, it's interesting how we ever that they

saw Jesus doing, yet majority of them wanted Jesus to

go to the cross and free a prisoner. Yeah. So

this was how they were responding to different things. And

so if you just some scriptures for you to, you know,

read on later. So we have Mark fifteen thirty nine,

and then there's another scripture from Matthew twenty seven fifty four.

So in this particular scripture, if you can see, it

says when the Roman officer who stood facing him saw

how he had died, he exclaimed, this man truly is

the son of God. Now this soldier said this after

he saw the earthquake taking place, after he saw you know,

the whole impact, right after Jesus said the last few words.

On the cross.

Then they realize, Hey, looks like I mean to me,

when I look at their respond it's like, hey, looks

like we kind of made a mistake to mock Jesus,

Like that looks like we missed out the truth.

Savior.

Yeah, looked like I missed out on the truth. And

I've been just listening to the lie all this while.

You know, that's what I can read when I look

at what the Roman soldier says here. Yeah, and then

there were portions and scriptures if you read true gospels.

I'm not going to go very deep into it. There

were crowds. So when they saw that happen, they were

filled with grief and sorrow. Finally they realized that, hey,

this is actually Jesus. He's the Messiah that has been prophesied,

you know, and these people are those who It's not

like they don't know these things. You know, they've been

waiting for the Messiah for years after the Old Testament, right,

So for them to not be able to see and

to miss out the point is either they followed the

majority because everyone else didn't want Jesus or wanted him

to be crucified, or they just was very ignorant and

yet and couldn't just see who Jesus was. Yeah. So again,

the same place, the same God, yet a very different experience. Yeah.

Now let's look at a second example. Okay, Now, the

second example that we can see here would be the

leading priests and the Pharisees at that time. Yeah, so

you know, you'll see how. Of course, the first part

is when they actually bring they bring this whole news

to Pilot and say, okay, you know, we have to

crucify Jesus because he has been moorely proclaiming that he's

the son of God. Right, they were not happy with

all of that, and in fact, they were plotting this

for a while ever since Jesus was moving on the earth, right,

and then from there they started, you know, bribing Judas.

We know that story, and then it led on to

different things. Yeah, but I'd like to show you two

scriptures here, okay, to kind of show you again, like

how humans sometimes tried to take control of things, but

little do they know that God's plan not No one

can change God's plan. Yeah, let's look at Matthew twenty seven. Okay,

it's over here. I'm reading from the Nalt version. So

he says here in verse sixty two. The next day,

on the Sabbath, the leading priests and Pharisees went to

see Pilot. They told him, sir, we remember what that

deceiver one said. What he was still alive after three days,

it will rise from the date, so we will we

request that you'll seal the tomb until the third day.

This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his

body and then telling everyone he was raised from the date.

If that happens, will be worse off than we were.

First.

Then pilot replied, take guards, secure it the best you can.

So they seal the tomb and posted guards to protect it. Right,

So that is the number one attempt of humans here. Okay,

they're trying to seal and sometimes we look at it

in the world that we are living in as well

in a very I mean, you're so advanced, right, we

try to take charge. You try to do things. We

tried to plan ahead of time. Yeah, so that's their

first attempt. Let's look at the second scripture here from

Matthew twenty eight. Okay, as the women who were on

their way, some of the gods went into the city

and told the leading priests what had happened. A meeting

with the eldest was called. So in fact they were

plotting it. There were so many people behind the scene.

Decided to give the soldiers a large bribe. They told

the soldiers, you must say, Jesus disciples came during the

night while we were sleeping, and they stole his body.

If the governor hears about it, we will stand up

for you so you won't get into trouble. So the

gods accepted the bribe and they did what they were

told to do.

Yeah.

So again for them to say this, it just means

deep down they might have known that, oh you know what,

Jesus is going to rise. Okay, that's the truth. But

I don't want to be the one who looks like

who didn't get it right? Go maybe yeah, and so come,

let's pay the bribe, let's do what we can, and

then it would still look like we are the right ones. Yeah.

So that is the second attempt. But all of us

here know what happened on the third day, God's plan.

No one can change God's pland no one can many

play things right. And I think sometimes it just knowing

this puts us in a perspective as humans that you

know what, I can do a lot of things. I

can plan life ahead of time, but ultimately, who makes

it happen?

Right? Who makes it happen?

And as I was studying this particular point, as I

was writing, it brought me to a place of humbleness

because we can be you know, knowledgeable we can be skillful,

we can have all the talents that God has given us.

But at the end of the day, if God is

not in the picture, nothing is going to hap happen, right,

nothing is going to happen.

So it's either we go with the flow with Jesus,

we walk with him, we submit to him and just

say God, I'll do my part, let your will to

be done, or we can go in opposite direction, which

is going to be painful, right, because we are trying

to wrestle God. I want it this way. I want

it my way. I want it to be fast and instant.

But Jesus says, you know what to bet. I know

what's best for you, little one. I'm going to take

you this direction, right, and then we need to like

settle in and accept that. Okay, God, this is what

you have for me.

Yeah.

So in this Easter Sunday, I just wanted to encourage

and remind us to surrender and go with what God

has blend for us, because he knows what's best, right,

He knows what works for his sons and daughters. I mean,

he created you. Who else would know you best if

not your creator? Yeah, So that's the second observation that

we can see. Now, let's look at a third observation

during this whole scene of the resurrection, was the very

Jesus' disciples. Yeah, so some could recognize Jesus, but some

could not. We're going to just speak two examples that

we can see. Yeah, one was married Magdalene. And then

we have Thomas, who I find it quite funny that

he had to actually ask Jesus they showed me your

hands only then, I believe, so when he saw those

holes and they said, okay, okay, past now I know

that this is you Jesus, but this is our like

people right who were literally walking with Jesus. They macan

with him, they went and did miracles, They would have

stayed in the same place, they would have heard Jesus

woy so many times. I mean, there was the reason

why Jesus was spending so much time with them, to

train them, to build them, and to take the commission

right after that. But somehow, rather I was just fascinated

to look at how different kind of views of the disciples, right,

different kind of way though they've been walking with the

same person, the Messiah.

Some missed out, some caught it.

Okay, let's look at a scripture here. Yeah, So in

Mark sixteen, it says after Jesus rose from the dad

early on Sunday morning, the first person who saw him

was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast

out seven demons. She went to the disciples, who were

grieving and whipping and told them what had happened. But

when she told them that Jesus was alive and she

had seen him, they didn't believe her. Afterward, he appeared

in a different form to or two of his followers

who were walking from Jerusalem into the country. They rushed

back to tell the others, but no one believed them.

Still later he appeared to the eleven disciples as they

were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief

because they refuse to believe those who had seen him

after he had been raised from the day. So it

was few attempts. Marymi didn't told them they don't want

to believe, And then second time no, Then third time

Jesus himself had to rebuke them and said, hey, why

can't you believe? Because again they kind of knew this truth,

this is going to happen. You know, you just told them,

I will rise, I will you know, the resurrection is

to come, you know, so don't be so, you know said, yes,

the cross that critcis fixion would have been a very

grieving moment for the disciples and the followers. But then

the third day is about to come. But somehow, rather

in that grief and in the sadness, some of these

disciples forgot that truth.

Yeah, well it's okay.

I'm sure they were feeling sad because they loved Jesus,

they walked with him, right, But somehow in that sadness

they forgot that Jesus is actually coming back, right, because

it's not just anyone, but he is the Son of God.

Right to the point Jesus had to kind of rebuke them,

and we can see this throughout the gospels. Yeah, different

encounters with Thomas. Thomas will say show me your hand, right,

then Jesus had to reveal. And then he said, if

you know, for those who's blessed are those who don't

even see it they believe, right, But you who need

to see it, then only you believe.

So what does that tell about you? Right? And so

he just got me thinking about.

You know, when if Jesus calls you today, would you

be able to know that it is Jesus is calling you?

Right? Is it the voice of Jesus.

Let's look at an example of Mary Magdalene and how

she responded. Yeah, so a bit of context with Mary

magden the second scripture. Yeah, she was someone that was

downcast because she was demons. She was possessed with demons,

and so then Jesus the one who set her free.

Yeah.

So you know, I just can't help but to think

about you know, that is how a revived person looks like, right,

when you go through tough times, whether it's sicknesses or

like Mary went through demon possession. But yet because God

set her free, she was so revived to the point

that she could actually recognize Jesus. Okay, so let's look

at the portion of scripture in John twenty verses eleven

says Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as

she wept, she stopped and looked in. She saw two

white rope angels, one sitting at the head and the

other at the foot of the place where the body

of Jesus had been lying.

Dear woman, why are you crying?

The angels asked her, because they've taken away, my lord,

she replied, and I don't know where they have put him.

She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It

was Jesus, but she didn't recognize him, and Jesus said,

dear woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?

She thought he was the gardener, Sir. She said, if

you have taken him away, tell me where you have

put him, and I will go and get him. And

verse sixteen, Mary Jesus said. She turned to him and

cried out, rabboni, which is teacher.

Yeah.

So again being human, of course, Mary was in grief

and sadness. So the first attempt she kind of thought, oh,

it was a gardener, or who is this person? Right,

But the moment Jesus just called her name Mary. Jes

didn't even say Mary is me Jesus, did you know me? No,

he didn't even say that, but he just called her

name Mary. And then she's like, rabonie teacher.

Doesn't he say something? Right, just the voice of.

Jesus, she could know, oh, this is my Jesus, my teacher, right.

And I was just so encouraged reading this and meditating

on this, because I asked myself, we're just going to

call me today, Gloria. Would I know that it's him

who is calling, right, and would I say yes to him?

Yeah?

Because that is to me true resurrection. When deep down

your heart you know that when Jesus calls, I will

answer no matter what.

It's difficult.

It sounds like, no matter what sadness you may be

going through, or hardships like what they were feeling at

that point. But the moment the voice of Jesus came,

she could respond yeah. And so again, same place, same time,

same God, same journey. But yet one could respond so

quickly without even asking Jesus for the clarification questions to prove.

And then there were those who wanted more proof. And

we're talking about disciples, not even the Pharisees.

And all right, wow, just.

Take just sit in with that, right, just sit in

with that thought. How well do we recognize the voice

of the Lord.

Yeah?

How is our journey and our faith in this time,

in this season? You know where you can boldly say

that I know who God is, and I know when

the enemy tempts me, it's not him, it's the lies

of the enemy. Right, And to me, if you can

want to put a certain guide like you know how

well as a Christian know Jesus is when you can

actually differentiate this the voice of the enemy, which is

always condemning and it's always tempting, always bringing you down,

and then the voice of Jesus, who is always there

to spur our fate up, was always there to encourage

to be with us, right, because He's a God who

wants always the best for us. Would there be times

that Jesus will time to challenge you, Yes, like what

he had to tell to the disciples, or you have

little faith right, or don't be doubtful? He had to

cast that, you know. So, I mean it's just like

how parents do it for their kids so their own good.

That's what Jesus does. But it's always to edify, it's

always to grow as Yeah, So can I encourage your

church to cultivate that that that ability or a strength

you know to know God's woice And you can only

know God's wiice when you hear him more. How do

you hear him more through the word right? How do

you know him more? When you just spend time with him,

You'll know the Father's heart. You'll know that God always

knows what's good for me, right, And I think by

just doing that time of the time, you be able

to get into the whole rhythm of like, oh, yes,

I know Jesus telling me something, and I'm just going

to do that.

Yeah.

And you know, for me personally, I think I've come

to a point of life. I'll say, God, I just

want to know what you want for me. Wouldn't be

such simpler. You don't have to go through another operator,

you know, call this number and then okay, God, connect

me to Jesus, just just directly from him himself, because

the Word of God tells us that he is our

greatest counselor right, and if you need advice, if you

need guidance, just call upon Jesus any answers.

He gives you the clarity that you need. Yeah. So

these are just the tree.

Groups of people or the tree seems that we can

notice from the story of the Resurrection. And of course

there are many other ones that you can read. If

you have not read the stories, please encourage you to

go through the gospels. They are pretty simple to understand. Yeah, Matthew, Mark, Luke,

and John and you know, and I always love it

when John writes the Gospel, he always refers to himself

as as Jesus Beloved because that's how he sees himself, right.

And if you can tell someone you know, I'm the

beloved of Jesus. That speaks about because you know Jesus, right,

And that's the beautiful part of reading the book of John.

Yeah, so read it true? Okay.

So as we go through this tree, ID like to

leave you with just a couple of pointers to ask yourself, right,

you know, how can I bring this resurrection message back?

Because there's going to be after Sunday a Monday, and

I pray that our Mondays so not just go back.

Presentation is always high right, celebration and happy and joyful.

I hope it's not Monday blues. Yeah, I hope it's

just as exciting as a Sunday. You know. Do we

all don't like to wake up early and go to

work our school? I get that, right, But I think

the excitement within us for God should still be alive, right,

it shouldn't die off. It shouldn't be just seasonal. Let's

not be seasonal Christians. You know, I had a friend

who is non pre believer, and they said, you know,

I heard right during Easter and Christmas, church is always

very full. I say it, yeah, you know, but I

hope it's not. Then that's the case, right, it should

be every other Sunday. It's full every Sunday. It should

be revived. At the moment they see a Christian out there,

they should know that you're a believer. Yeah, because of

just the choices that you make, the way you speak,

the way you tell about the lot. It should just

come so naturally. You don't have to say I am

a Christian. But the moment you speak, they know that

you're a child of God. Right, You're a child of God.

When we heard testimonies from Adeline or Good Friday, we

heard from different ones, you know, just hearing those stories,

you know that. I mean, how can we lie about

God's goodness? You know, it's just so abounding. Right when

they speak about it, you can see such joy within them.

You can see the testament that they carry in their lives.

You know, that is what it means to be a believer.

Being bold to share our story. This I always encourage

all of us to share our testimonies. It may look

so small for us, but for someone else, it's a

great story. And encounter where like, can it actually happen? Right,

But when seeing someone encountering it, while it is possible,

our God, who is healed that person, can heal me

as well. Yeah, so let's not keep our stories to ourselves.

So just three points to help us kind of leave

this in a practical way. Always believe that God's word

is meant to be a practical right, it's meant to

be alive.

The first one is.

Choose to view life through God's eyes. Yeah, choose to

view life through God's eyes, because if we don't do this,

we're gonna miss out on a lot of things. Yeah,

We're gonna miss on a lot of things. We're gonna

like we can't understand, like God, why there's so many tribulations?

God, why is there so many.

Things that are so you know, we have such you

know leaders, you know, that'll be just all kinds of

questions when we look at the world around us. Right,

But the moment you ask the Lord God, can you

help me see things through your lens?

Things change. Yeah.

Of course, you're still a human. There are things that

you may ask and you know, think of, but that

deep down within you you can also see through the

lens of the Word of God. You know, just like

how the things that we hear happening around the world.

Of course, it's very disheartening, you know how we wish

we can do something about it.

Right, But at the same time.

If you know God's word, it is written and said

that these are things that are about to happen. So

as surprising that we can look like, you know, shocking

and sad about what's happening, we shouldn't be so surprised

as well, because that's what the Word of God has

told us, right, And we can only come to that

place of realization if we see things through God's eyes,

and it can happen in our everyday moments. You know,

you can be a parent and you're saying, oh, God,

this child's it's so hard to handle him or her.

But when God gives you his eyes, he may just

give you wisdom on what to tell them or what

to do. You will be dealing with a very difficult

boss at work, and you say, God, help me to

see him through your eyes, because through my eyes, I

feel like just you know what, yeah, just walking away.

But maybe through your eyes it reminds me that you know,

he's still your son, you still love him. It's your creation,

you know, and it just changes the way you speak

to him or her as well. Yeah, we need to

see through God's eyes. You need to send I mean,

I mean to me, I feel Mary Magdalene could actually

see Jesus because she had that kind of a lens

to recognize who Jesus was.

Yeah.

In Psalm one hundred and nineteen Versus eighteen, it says,

open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instruction,

your wonderful truths. Yeah, open my eyes. And so when

you read the Gospels you will see that. You know,

there's a portion in the scripture in the Book of

Mark where you know Jesus will actually be walking with

some of these disciples right after the resurrection, and you

know they wouldn't be able to know who Jesus was.

You know. Then later on the scriptures, as she tells

us that he actually opened their eyes to understanding. So

sometimes God does that, you know, if we ask him.

God opened my eyes to see your word better, to

understand your word better. Even those things that may seem

difficult to understand. God gives you the ability to comprehend. Yeah,

And when you can do that, you will be able

to to be just so grateful for the wonderful promises

that God's word consists of that can actually guide and

lead us through our lives.

Yeah.

So if you can just remember this Easter, I want

to God, walk out of this Easter service through your lens,

through your eyes. Yeah, some of us sometimes need to

edges our spectacles. Right, your power may increase. Okay, you

have to go back and check again. So then when

the optation shows you the words on the screen, sometimes

you can read the bigger ones. The smaller ones you

can read. But the moment you put on a new lens,

you can see all of the alphabets and the numbers, right,

And that's because you put on a lens. But if

you choose to walk without that lens, you're going to

walk around hitting everyone and not knowing where you're going,

or you might miss out on what's beautiful in front

of you. Yeah, but if you can put on the

lens of Jesus, can you imagine how different life would be.

Jesus did not promise us an easy life. Yeah, we

all know that, but he has promised to walk with us.

He will not leave us. You'll not give us something

that is too difficult that we cannot handle, because He

is there for us.

Amen.

Right, So choose to view through God's eyes. Now. The

second one is to surrender your expectations. Yeah, to surrender

your expectations. I mean, we all have different expectations in life.

And I believe that the disciples that we read is

now the scripture, they would have had their own expectations.

That's why someone some ask questions, you know, some fell

so said to the point that they just couldn't believe

all sorts of expectations. The same thing the Pharisees, the

leaders had their own expectations, and so sometimes you get

so caught up with all of those.

To the point which we forget that we need to

first surrender. Yeah, surrender.

And so for some of you here, I'm just I

just sense, you know, maybe it's just the one thing

that God wants you to do today is just surrender

to him. Don't wrestle with it, don't try to just

you know, God, what can I do next? What's the

next step? Where should I go? What should I say?

Maybe God just says, hey, why don't let me handle it?

Would it be nice for someone to just take the

weight out of you. Imagine you're carrying that five kg

or back and and someone says, come, let me carry

this back out.

How would it feel happy? Feel so free?

Right?

And that's exactly what Jesus wants of us. To surrender, Yeah,

to surrender. Some of you can be carrying different roles

in life. You're carrying for different ones in your life.

You're the one that people always call your the hotline

the family. You could be that person, right, but God

still cares for you. You don't have to do it

by yourself. Yeah, And that is why it says in

this scripture, and it's my favorite scripture from the time

I was a student till now. God's word never changes

and always go back to this scripture. It says in

Problems three five, trust in the Lord with all your heart.

Do not depend on your own understanding. Seek him with

all in all you do, and He will show you

which part to take it. Is it nice to hear that?

Right? Trust him with all your heart.

Don't depend on all that's running overthinking what to do,

what if?

What if? Right? Seek him.

That means God, I'm going to take this step, I'm

going to go for this interview. I'm going to meet

this person. I submit to you. That is what exactly

it means seeking the Lord. And then he will tell you, okay,

go for it. Oh you'll close the door and you'll

say go for this instant and sometimes even brings people

into your lives to tell you say, I think you

know what, this is what you should do. Yeah, this

is what you should do. Very interesting. Just last I

think it was the last two weeks ago. I'm very

close with this family friend. You know, she's in in Melbourne,

but I'm very close with her parents. So the aunt,

i mean a mom called me and said, hey, let's

catch up for over a meal. She said, So I said, okay.

So I drove over to their place and we had

a meal and and you know, they didn't know that

there was something that has been it's been weighing in

my heart, some a decision that I was thinking about,

you know, been praying off. And so then she just

asked me, Gloria, what's what's in your heart?

I feel God is you know.

So they're they're they're really I mean they are believers,

you know, very involved in church, and so they say,

what's weighing in your heart. So I shed to them

and then they give their counsel just like speaking to

my parents. They about my late parents' age, you know,

and then they hold my hands and read along with me.

You know.

And so when I was thinking of the encounter, I

don't have to even call and say I'm going through this.

But somehow God disconnected, you know, God's put that prom

in their hearts that a let's call Gloria for a meal.

And then she asked me, what's in your heart? Can

I pray with you? And we sat down. She gave

me some counsel advice from you know, experienced parents, and

then they prayed along and then I was walking out,

she told me, you know, God is telling that he

casts and he knows what you needed. And that is

how God sends counselors to your life. People that you

don't sometimes often meet, but they can just call you

out of the blue and say, hey, can I pray

for you?

Or can I meet you?

Or it could be people that you meet often and

they're just there telling you something, encouraging you.

That is how God works in.

Mysterious ways, because He is seeing from above in a

very big lens. You know, we are just sometimes so limited, right,

Sometimes like a little hamster in a cage. We can

be in the same space, you know, in the same circle,

in the same box, because we can only see. We

can only remember yesterday. You know, Okay, tomorrow, I can plan,

I can plan aht a bit more. But how much

do I know that's about to happen? But God sees

our entire life. He knew you and you were formed

in your mother's roomb, and he knew. He knew those

a day that he will go back to him as well.

So isn't it a bigger view that God has off us?

And that's why he knows how to plan things around.

He knows who to bring into your life, he knows

who to remove, He knows doors that needs to be open,

and he knows doors that needs.

To be shut down.

Because he is our creator. Amen, Yeah, he is your creator.

To surrender, surrender your expectations to him and you'll feel

so much lighter. You can take a deep breath. Yeah,

So surrendered to him. Why do you all do that?

Now?

Take at de bread now. The third and the last

point is to acknowledge the resurrection of Jesus Christ and

take your future upon it. Yeah, and that is why

I asked us the first question. Just now, do we

actually see an empty tomb?

Right?

Because if you don't see an empty tomb, then we

are never going to acknowledge the resurrection of Jesus. I mean,

nothing can change that story. It's history. It has happened,

is God's promise. But the thing that changes us whether

we choose to leave a resurrected life, do we choose

to allow our future to look like it? Because God

gives us a beautiful life, you know, it gives us

a future, It gives us plans purpose. None of us

are created without purpose. But it's a matter whether I

choose to accept that pus right, just like being God's

servant serving him, you know, we're all called to serve

Him in different capacities. But the choice that you and

I have is better to say yes or no to it. Yeah,

So it's to acknowledge the power of the cross, the resurrection,

because what Jesus did for us, it is meant to

be for our today and our future. Our today and

our future, and that's the hope that we've got to

live on with in a world that seems to be

so hopeless. You know what, We've got to be the

one who's speaking that hope to others and saying, you

know what, don't give up.

There is still life.

Let's take it a day at a time. Let's keep

going right, Let's speak those lives words to those around us,

because you know what, it can change a person.

Yeah.

In Romans six, let's look at the scripture Romans chapter six.

Verses five.

It says, since we have been united with him in

his death, we will also be raised to life as

he was. We know that our all sinful selves were

crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power

in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin,

for when we died with Christ, we were set free

from the power of sin a man. And since we

died with Christ, we know we will also leave with him.

We are sure of this because Christ was raised from

the dead and he will never die again. Death no

longer has any power over him Verses ten. When he died,

he died once to break the power of sin. That's

why Jesus went to the cross to break the power

of sin. But now that he leaves, he leaves for

the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves

to be date to the power of sin and alife

to God through Christ. Jesus a man, is such a

powerful scripture here reminding us why He went to the

cross for our sins and how we should live our

lives now victoriously. Yeah, considering yourself date to the power

of sin. We make mistakes, you know, we all have

our fallen ways. You know, we are tempted, we are

sinfull in nature. But let's not allow that to torment

or pull us down, because that's not what God wants

us for us. The enemy will have his way to

sometimes remind you and say, hey, you know what of

this mistake that you did? You know you maybe you

can't get up again, maybe you can't rise up right.

But what Jesus wants for us is to be a life.

To be a life, and to be a life means

you are fully alife, you know, not just seated with

your eyes open, but your heart's open, your mind's renewed. Right,

you make choices like a revived person. Yeah, a person

that is full and say, God, I just want to

do this for you. I want to run this race

till you call me home. I'm just gonna keep going

for you and give you all the glory. Yeah, that

is the true meaning of resurrection. And until and unless

we catch it, we're just gonna see the story of

Easter as just another story that some people think. It's

bunnies and aches out there, right, But we're the ones

we're supposed to go and tell people, Hey, it's not

about the ages, it's not about the bunnies. It is

something else is so powerful. If someone's gonna send you

an invitatione I mean an Easter a message today and

say a piece there with the bunnies and aches, I

hope you correct them and tell them it's not about that, right,

not to just say it's wrong, but to tell them

the true meaning, because it's so powerful, right, resurrection which

God has actually died and rose for you, no other

God but Jesus and Jesus alone.

Yeah.

And I pray that all of us will have this

not just in our minds, but deep down in our

hearts as well, this truth, this promise, this very love

act of love that Jesus did for us. And let's

leave life with that. Every day when you wake up

in the morning, say thank you Lord, thank you for

being alive. Thank you for living in me and when

you would start your day that way, imagine how your

day would be. Even if some difficult thing hits you,

you can still say no what God, God is there.

God is with me. Amen.

We hope you've been blessed by this message. More information

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week is going to be a good week, a hit

for you. God bless