Meeting Jesus - Expanding Comfort Zones

When I was in Middle School “paddling’s” were used as a way to discipline the knucklehead students so teachers could maintain control in the classroom.  

At least once a month, the sound of one of our peers getting their bottom warmed up by a flat piece of wood would fill the halls and float into the classroom. I was paddled by every one of my homeroom teachers at least twice during 6th, 7th, and 8th grade.  The Principal and Vice Principal even got a little of the action.

I was paddled for fighting. I was paddled for cussing. I was paddled for telling my teacher to shut up. I was paddled for spitting spit wads, running in the hall, passing notes, and chewing gum. I was even paddled for peeing on the floor in the boy’s bathroom.

I was an idiot!

Man, in my school, the teachers could paddle until you stopped laughing.  If the first “three licks” didn’t wipe the smile off my face, a second teacher would step up to the plate for their turn. Culture was different. Teachers were not only educators, but they were well trained punishment machines. So…I wanted nothing to do with my teachers outside of school. 

Because of their occupations, and the age difference, teachers were the outsiders to my middle school world. In today’s passage of scripture, we encounter a man who was an outsider to the Jewish faith. Like my teacher’s in Middle School, he really was a well trained killing machine that served to keep the Jewish people in check. Because of  his occupation and race, the Jewish people really wanted nothing to do with him…but as we will read, he was a little different: 

Let’s read together:

Luke 7:1-10 (NLT2)

1  When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people, he returned to Capernaum. 2  At that time the highly valued slave of a Roman officer was sick and near death. 3  When the officer heard about Jesus, he sent some respected Jewish elders to ask him to come and heal his slave. 4  So they earnestly begged Jesus to help the man. “If anyone deserves your help, he does,” they said, 5  “for he loves the Jewish people and even built a synagogue for us.” 6  So Jesus went with them. But just before they arrived at the house, the officer sent some friends to say, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself by coming to my home, for I am not worthy of such an honor. 7  I am not even worthy to come and meet you. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. 8  I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.” 9  When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd that was following him, he said, “I tell you, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!” 10  And when the officer’s friends returned to his house, they found the slave completely healed. 

Let’s make sure we fully understand the context.

The Jewish people wanted nothing to do with the occupying force of the Roman Government. They resented Rome. 

They hated that Rome occupied Jerusalem. 

The Roman government served to remind the Jewish people of their enslavement and bondage in Egypt and Babylon. 

Yet – Rome was organized. They had political leaders, soldiers, and power. So the Jewish people reluctantly lived with the occupation of the Roman guard. Because of the tension and anger, a Jewish man would never be seen inside the home, under the roof, or at the dinner table with a Roman soldier – especially one in charge of over 100 soldiers.

But Jesus knew that:

HATE BASED VALUES CANNOT PRODUCE LIFE-CHANGE

Until this miracle, Jesus had never healed anybody outside the Jewish world.  Every leper, diseased, blind, lame, or deaf person that Jesus had healed had all been Jewish. Jesus was not a racist.  Jesus didn’t hate people of other cultures or backgrounds…but until this moment, nobody from outside the Jewish faith had approached Jesus to ask for healing.  

It wasn’t because Jesus was unwilling to cross religious, ethnic and cultural backgrounds…it was simply because no one outside the Jewish culture had the FAITH to believe that Jesus could heal and transform. Jesus was willing to go against his culture because he knew that hate based values could not produce life-change.  

Hating people because of the color of their skin, culture, religious views  - even if that was the way you were raised – is wrong.

The white culture is different

The black culture is different 

The Hispanic culture is different

Here in Myrtle Beach – we have a wonderful variety of people from different cultures.  It’s beautiful and amazing. But different cultures often create confusion, misunderstandings, and division. We see evidence of this almost nightly on the news.

Can I be honest? I do not understand the cultural norms of other cultures instinctively. Nobody does. And because we do not automatically understand the cultural values and differences of others, it can lead to unintended bias and prejudice. I am grateful that Jesus lived differently and without prejudice or bias.

Jesus was not going to limit God’s love and grace to only the people who looked like him, voted like him, or prayed like him. And in this instance, Jesus wasn’t the only one who refused to allow hate, intimidation, or fear to control his life.

THE CENTURION AND JESUS DEMONSTRATE ETHNIC COOPERATION

Note some of the things that the Jewish leaders said about the Centurion.  

The Jewish leaders told Jesus that he should heal his servant because the Centurion…

• was worthy

• He loved the Jewish nation

• And he even used his own resources to build a synagogue for the Jewish people.

The Centurion was in charge of 100 Roman soldiers.  He was wealthy enough to pay for a synagogue to be built.  This was a man who could have been FEARED by the Jewish community because of his wealth, power and influence. This Centurion was a tough man, but instead of using his influence to bully others and force his will upon others instead of using his influence to get his way, he used his influence to bless the Jewish people.

He crossed ethnic boundaries and unwritten code-of-conduct, he crossed lines of racism and hate, to bless people not like him.

He was a tough man, with a tender heart for the community he lived. He looked around at the Jewish people and he made a decision to improve the community he lived.  He used his wealth and power to make the lives of the Jewish people better.

You and I can do the same.

Rather than shrugging our shoulders and giving up – what if YOU chose to make a difference?

What if we chose a better path.

What if Beach Church became a place that helped launch churches that served different ethnicities in our community?

It would be amazing if God used our church facility as a place of worship for other ethnicities in our community. Or what if the cultural divide for you isn’t ethnic diversity – what if it is because of the age gap? 

What if Senior Adults began to brainstorm ways they can use their wisdom and knowledge to bless younger generations?  What if teenagers began brainstorming ways they can connect with senior adults? It could be through getting involved in our children’s ministry and student Ministry here at Beach. Or Senior adults developing relationships with Young Married couples to provide advice, wisdom, prayer, and mentoring. If we want to impact the culture around us, we have to be willing to lead conversations that begin with “What if we…” That’s when following Jesus gets crazy, messy, and fun!

We also see from the Centurions example that…

TRUE FAITH IS MARKED BY HUMILITY AND AUTHORITY

When the Centurion asked Jesus for help, he did not tell Jesus the good that he had personally done in the community. He could have. He didn’t negotiate. He didn’t tell Jesus if he healed his servant, he would build another temple.

Instead, the Centurion humbly respected the process. 

After he had heard about the need of his servant, he humbly reached out to Jesus through the proper Jewish channels. He did not go directly to Jesus (he could have.)  He understood that the Jewish people did not like him. He respected the lines that the Jewish people had created.

He sent a messenger to speak to the Jewish leaders. They made the decision to ask Jesus for help for the man. So they did…they sent word to Jesus that this man was unlike the other Roman’s occupying their land.  He was trying to help. He was making a difference.

And they probably thought it even more respectful that he did not show up at the Synagogue one morning when Jesus was teaching.  Instead, he demonstrated humility by going through the proper channels.

When the Pastor Search team was searching for a senior pastor, I had to go through the right channels.  Rather than just simply sending them a link with my name and information, I had to apply through a website, answer questions, go through several interviews…

At any point I could have shrugged my shoulders and said, “If they really were interested in me – they would do it my way.”

If you have a desire to make a difference in our church, in our community, and engage the culture around us, you must be willing to demonstrate humility. Jump through the hoops to serve.

And, be confident in the AUTHORITY God has given you while you are serving.  

The Centurion had so much faith Jesus was able to heal, he said Jesus didn’t even need to be present. He said, “just say the word and he will be healed.” If you serve in our community, on the mission field, on a mission trip, or serve in our kids and student ministry, believe that God has given you the authority to change lives. And if the idea of serving children and students makes you uncomfortable…make your “comfort zone” bigger.

EXPANDING YOUR COMFORT ZONE CAN BRING HOPE TO OTHERS

His servant needed help, so the centurion had to get outside his comfort zone to bring hope to him. Younger generations have changed. They are different. You will feel uncomfortable and feel a little intimidated by them.  You will not understand them…

So, if you want to serve…make your comfort zone bigger. 

When you step out of the areas you are most comfortable in, and begin connecting with people not like you, you are forced to lean into the Holy Spirit and trust him for guidance.

You can’t trust your gut.

You can’t trust your intuition

You have never been there before!

One way my family is going to expand our comfort zone is by traveling to Chan-Chen Mexico this summer with our church on July 26.  Kristy and I have served on mission trips – but not yet with our kids! Serving on foreign mission trips helps us get out of our comfort zone in our own neighborhoods. It forces us to see beyond what we have known.

Be comfortable living at the edge of your faith. 

Choose to serve with the strength God provides.

Meeting Jesus - Jesus restores

If you are grieving over a lost relationship, a lost job, a lost friendship, or a loss of anything, this message is for you. And I want to ask you to do me a favor: If you have a moment in today’s message that I call, “A Jesus Moment” come back next week and invite a friend to worship with you to experience a “Jesus Moment” as well. In this passage – you are going to see Jesus heart for the hurting, the broken, and the crushed. The man that Jesus encounters was not looking for life-change. He wasn’t asking for a miracle. Rather, he was simply there to listen to the teachings of Jesus. When you and I continue to LISTEN to Jesus – through biblical worship songs, through biblical teaching and preaching, through reading our bibles – even though we may not ask to have our lives change – Jesus may just show up and change our lives. We are able to understand more about God’s compassion and restoring work He desires to do in our lives.

Luke 6:6-11 (NLT2) 

6  On another Sabbath day, a man with a deformed right hand was in the synagogue while Jesus was teaching. 7  The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees watched Jesus closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath. 8  But Jesus knew their thoughts. He said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” So the man came forward. 9  Then Jesus said to his critics, “I have a question for you. Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” 10  He looked around at them one by one and then said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! 11  At this, the enemies of Jesus were wild with rage and began to discuss what to do with him. 

The first thing we can gather from this passage is this:

BROKEN PEOPLE ARE DRAWN TO JESUS

Wherever Jesus went, broken people went to meet him. The people with leprosy went to find him. The adulterous woman found him. The blind, the paralyzed, the crippled, the deaf found him. Those who were broken over the potential death of a daughter, a son, or a loved one found him. There is something about the heart of our compassionate Savior that draws people to him. It really is fascinating that Jesus never really had to search for people who were broken. He made himself available, and the broken people were drawn to him.

In this passage, Jesus was teaching on the Sabbath – and this broken man – simply went to listen to Jesus teach.  He does not appear to ask for a miracle – but he is there because he is drawn in, he is pulled in, by the presence of HOLINESS and GOODNESS in a dark world. So he slips into the back of the room and listens to Jesus.

Something is going on in your life.  Not everybody knows about it, but you are hurting. Maybe you came to church today to find an answer for some difficulty you are facing. Some problems are fixed immediately, and some take time.  I hope Jesus restores what is broken in your life today, and if he doesn’t, I hope he gives you a glimmer of hope of what a restored life could look like. I invite you to keep coming back, keep brining a friend, and lean in to the worship and the teachings.

Like me, this man had something wrong with him. When we do a careful reading of this text in the original language, we can see that he once had the use of both of his hands, but now one was “withered.” 

We see that because the word Luke used to describe this man’s right hand is:

Xeros:  (xsay-ros): members of the body deprived of their natural juices, shrunk, wasted, withered

The author of Hebrews used that very same word in Hebrews 11:29 to describe the land of the Red Sea the Israelites crossed over upon…

They didn’t cross through muddy, mucky water. They crossed the red sea on DRY LAND. The ground that had been saturated and filled with the water of the Red Sea, became so dry the Israelites could ride across without getting any mud on their feet or wagon wheels. Because Luke used this word, we are to understand that this man’s hand had not always been withered!

He once had the use of his hand – but it had been damaged, maimed, mutilated.  It was useless, drawn up, dried up, and shrunk. It was once a strong arm – and now it was lifeless and good for nothing.  He knew what it was like to go through life with BOTH hands – and now only one. He was MISSING something he once had. His arm just hung there, muscles had atrophied, and it was useless.

Jesus KNEW that this man was struggling. He was hurting. The life that he once enjoyed was gone, and his new normal was this dangling, useless limb that people stared at and kids tried to touch. But the man wasn’t the only person there with Jesus. Those pesky religious leaders were watching Jesus – If Jesus healed the man, they were going to accuse Him of working on the Sabbath. Religious people always try to point out people who break customs and traditions. Religious people always strive to point out the flaws of others, but have a difficult time examining their own hearts. I love what we read in verse 8: “Jesus KNEW their thoughts.”

No wonder the Religious Leaders always had a hard time tricking Jesus.  He knew their thoughts.  He knew what they were thinking. He knew they were thinking about pointing out to people that Jesus was breaking religious rules about working on the Sabbath.

I want you to accept the truth today that…

OUR STRUGGLES ARE NOT HIDDEN FROM GOD

Psalm 139:1-4 (NLT2)

1 O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. 2  You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. 3  You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. 4  You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD. 

God knows you COMPLETELY.  He knows our thoughts and our actions. With over 7 billion people on the planet, it seems crazy but it is true. Just like Jesus stood up in the temple that day and knew the thoughts of the religious leaders, God understands your thoughts and your struggles right now. In the Old Testament, Job was experiencing some great misery and said to his friends:

Job 31:4 (NLT)

4  Doesn’t (God) see everything I do and every step I take? 

Hagar was the name of a women who had a conversation with God in the Old Testament.  After she had that conversation with God and realized God cared for her, she said:

Genesis 16:13 (NLT2)

13  Hagar used another name to refer to the LORD, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.”

When I was a younger follower of Jesus, I used to think that God knowing all my thoughts, actions, and motives was a little unsettling, but my perspective has changed.  I have been a follower of Jesus since 1991, and I now find this truth that God knows my thoughts and actions COMFORTING.

Think about it! 

God knows my thoughts, and my actions.

He knows my fear, my worry, my doubts, my insecurities. 

He knows my actions the good and the bad.  

He knows my motives.  He knows everything about me.

If you are a follower of Jesus, that means you trust that he died on the cross and paid the penalty for your sin, he rose from the dead, he ascended into heaven, and you have received Jesus as your Savior by committing your life to Him.

This TRUTH that He KNOWS you and SEES you can be VERY comforting! 

It is comforting because GOD knows precisely how to counsel us when we mess up. 

He knows exactly what we need to hear, to motivate us and to comfort us.

He knows the people to put in your path, to encourage you and challenge you.

He knows how to help you and get you back on track.

He knows your thoughts and actions YET HE LOVES you ANYWAY!  

If we all were capable of knowing each others thoughts and seeing everybody’s actions, I do not think we would like each other very much.  BUT GOD not only likes us – he loves us! 

He loves you

God is filled with COMPASSION and MERCY.  He knows we are not perfect. He knows we fail. He knows all about us and chooses to LOVE you and I with a love that is indescribable and incomprehensible. And because Jesus understands us so completely…

JESUS CAN RESTORE YOUR LIFE, TOO!

Luke 6:8b (NLT) 

...He said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” So the man came forward. 

I imagine that this man could have been a little embarrassed about being called to come to the front of the room.  He had slipped into the back of the room. He didn’t want more people staring at his arm. The Religious Leaders were already staring at him.

In Elementary School, one of the kids that rode our bus had an arm that never developed.  He always tried to hide it, and everybody always stared at it. Yet, Jesus brought this man up from the back of the room to stand in front of everybody before he worked the miracle. This man may have felt the stares – but all eyes were on Jesus. Now – watch what happens:

Luke 6:9-10 (NLT) 

9  Then Jesus said to his critics, “I have a question for you. Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” 10  He looked around at them one by one and then said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! 

Jesus restored this man’s hand! Right in front of everybody. He said, “Hold out your hand” The man stretched out his shame right in front of everybody – and then a miracle took place. The bones grew. The skin stretched. The fingers, fingernails, fingerprints, all miraculously grew right in front of everybody.

He now had the full use of his arm and hand back. Jesus didn’t merely give this man back his hand – he gave him HOPE.

As unbelievable as that moment was, understand JESUS CAN RESTORE YOUR LIFE TOO! Jesus is calling you to stretch out your hand.

Expose your hurt to somebody.

Expose your brokenness to somebody.

Expose your shame to somebody.

That friendship you lost? If you are willing to admit you were wrong, apologize to the person, God can restore your friendship. That distant relationship with a family member? If you are willing to be humble – God can restore it.  

God can RESTORE your life to what it should have been from the beginning.  

Our prayer team would love to pray with you and for you. If you need somebody to help you seek restoration, begin with the prayer team. Be honest with them and ask them to pray with you and for you.

God sees you right now.

God knows your thoughts.

God knows what you have done.

And he loves you anyway. I am so grateful for our loving Heavenly Father that loves us so.

Meeting Jesus - The ascension

Luke 24:36-53 (NLT2)

36  And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 37  But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost! 38  “Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt? 39  Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.” 40  As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41  Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42  They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43  and he ate it as they watched. 44  Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45  Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46  And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. 47  It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ 48  You are witnesses of all these things. 49  “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.” 50  Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them. 51  While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. 52  So they worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy. 53  And they spent all of their time in the Temple, praising God. 

If you are a follower of Jesus, meaning at some point you made the decision to trust your life to Jesus. If you surrendered your life to God, you understood that Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sin, you asked him to forgive you and your accepted him as your Savior.

That only happened because, like we see in verse 45…

GOD HAS OPENED YOUR MIND TO UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE

The disciples had seen Jesus do some pretty amazing things. 

He healed people who were disfigured. 

He fixed the sight of people who were blind. 

He healed the deaf and they could hear. Over and over, he healed people with diseases. 

Miracle. After Miracle. After Miracle.

Now, in order for his disciples to become fully convinced that Jesus was truly the Savior that the Old Testament prophets had prophesied about, Jesus opened their minds. These disciples had heard the Old Testament prophecy.  In fact, by the age of 10, boys had to have memorized the first five books of the Old Testament. Genesis. Exodus. Leviticus. Numbers. Deuteronomy.  In the Jewish language, that was roughly 80,000 words! Most likely, these men had these five books of the bible memorized…and they attended the synagogues each week to worship God and hear the teaching of God’s word on the Sabbath.

But even though they had memorized 80,000 words. Even though they attended the synagogue for worship every week of their lives. Even though they spent roughly three years with Jesus. They were still limited in their understanding of scripture. They knew God created them. They knew that Adam and Eve chose to sin, and sin entered the world. They knew that all descendants of Adam and Eve sinned. They knew THEY were sinners…and they knew they were separated from God, BUT they did not UNDERSTAND why JESUS died on the cross and rose from the dead.

They HEARD but did not truly get it.

But honestly, our kids get it from us! It is a common problem throughout the history of man.

Ezekiel 12:2 (NLT2)

2  “Son of man, you live among rebels who have eyes but refuse to see. They have ears but refuse to hear. For they are a rebellious people. 

I grew up Catholic. I understood that God created me. I understood Jesus paid the price for sin on the cross. I understood he rose from the dead. But nothing in me changed until God opened my mind to understand how to surrender my life to Jesus. If you have surrendered your life to Jesus, it is only because a miracle has taken place. God has opened your mind to understand the hope found in the Bible. Be encouraged! He Loves you, he chose to open your mind and showed you how to apply HIS TRUTH to your life. You have been FORGIVEN.

And we also see in this passage…

FORGIVENESS IS DEMONSTRATED THROUGH CHANGE

In verse 47, Jesus said “There is forgiveness of sin for all who repent.”

REPENTANCE and FORGIVENESS are two separate words that communicate one idea.  Some people get confused about the word repentance. 

They live their lives thinking repentance is living a life filled with remorse and guilt and shame from their past. They don’t allow themselves to become the person God has created them to be, because they do not understand what repentance actually is. Repentance is simply a “change in direction.” When you repent and surrender your life to Jesus, you make a UTURN in life.

If you have been forgiven, you will WANT to please God. You will show signs that you reject the sinful lifestyle you have been living, and you will stop doing those things. Some things you will immediately stop doing, and other sins it may take some time, but the difference is…

There has been an inward change because you have been forgiven.

The word FORGIVEN is actually a mathematical term. When an individual borrowed money from a lender, their name was written down in a book or ledger. As the person made payments on what he owed, the payment was subtracted and a new balance would be recorded. But if the lender FORGAVE the debt, they would open the book find the name and completely blot out that individuals name and amount due. It was erased. It was as though it never existed in the first place. The person that owed that money was no longer in bondage to the lender. They were no longer loaded down with debt…

They were free.

God has dealt with sin the same way. If you have surrendered your life to Christ and received Jesus as your Savior, it is now as though your sin had never existed in the first place. Your sin has been erased through the sacrifice of Jesus. Your sin has been removed from existence. You do not need to live like you are still loaded down with the guilt and the weight of your past lives.  You have been set free. So live like it. Embrace the freedom that God has given to you through Jesus.  Demonstrate the freedom of forgiveness through a visible change in your life.  

LOWER THIRDS:

LIVE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

This is the amazing part of Christianity.  When you received forgiveness for your sin, you also received the Holy Spirit.

Luke 24:49 (NLT2)

49  “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.” 

We see this incredible promise fulfilled in Acts 2.  After Jesus ascended into heaven, these men and women gathered together in a room. They were praying, then…

Acts 2:2-6 (NLT2)

2  Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3  Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4  And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit…

If you are new to following Jesus, please understand, The HOLY SPIRIT of God does not live inside a church building, a statue, or a painting on the wall.  The Holy Spirit of God lives inside YOU. When I grew up I was told the church building was God’s House. I had to speak reverently and quietly. I had to dress nice. I couldn’t wear a hat. I was told to behave in God’s HOUSE. I now know that God does not live inside of brick, steel, and drywall.  The house of the Holy Spirit is reserved for God’s most incredible creation – you and I. What a blessing to know that we are not abandoned and left to figure out life on our own! You have been changed not through a decision that you made, but through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.

Lean into the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life. Let Him Guide you to be baptized, or to serve, or to invite others to worship with you. Let the Holy Spirit guide you in your generosity and in your relationships. So, since God has opened your mind, since you have been changed, and since you now have the Holy Spirit. You can live under the influence of the Holy Spirit! That means…

JESUS BLESSED OTHERS, AND SO CAN YOU

Luke 24:50 (NLT2)

50  Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them. 

That word BLESSED can be hard to understand.  I was an altar boy. I remember the Priest taking Holy Water and flicking it on people in the church – and they considered that a blessing.   

In the movie ROCKY…right before his big fight, Rocky asks Father Carmine for a BLESSING. And Father Carmine said a prayer in Italian and made the sign of the cross. We say God Bless you when somebody sneezes. BUT what does it mean to biblically bless others? I want to encourage you to write this down.   

A BLESSING means:  

TO SPEAK WELL OF, TO THANK, OR TO ASK GOD’S FAVOR UPON AN INDIVIDUAL 

So as Jesus was leaving, he wasn’t telling his disciples that they better have their rooms clean when he gets back home.  He did not threaten to punish them if they did something wrong while he was gone. Before he ascended into Heaven – Jesus spoke well of his disciples.  He thanked them. He asked God’s favor upon them.    

He BLESSED them through ENCOURAGEMENT.  He Spoke words of LIFE over them.  

He didn’t point out all their flaws – and he certainly could have – instead he focused on using his words to cause their hearts to swell with joy…not just joy – GREAT JOY. Typically is somebody is saying goodbye to a loved one…because they are headed out for a long trip, moving away, or even passing from this life…most don’t waste their breath being critical.  

Some might.  But most people will not waste their being critical and talking about how much their loved ones have disappointed them. It reminds me of the Seinfeld episode which Frank Costanza creates a holiday called Festivus and at the Festivus dinner he goes around the table and tells everybody why he is sick of them!

The sad truth is, while many people may not have a Festivus tradition like that, many choose to live every day like that. They use their words to criticize, tear down, and destroy other people. They use their words and influence to hurt others…and who knows why?   

WORDS of BLESSING can bring great JOY to others. 

Don’t you feel good when others speak well of you?  Don’t you feel good when somebody goes out of their way to say THANK YOU to you and appreciate and value you? Anybody can be a critic, anybody can point out things about others that they feel are wrong – but followers of Jesus can see the positive about people and love others with the love of Jesus and speak well of them. 

Meeting Jesus - The RESURRECTION

We have different responses to almost everything, including the most incredible event in history, the resurrection of Jesus. 

Some people respond with belief.

Some people respond in disbelief.

Some may not care one way or another.

Today, we celebrate Easter, and I think people respond to the resurrection of Jesus the exact same way.  Some refuse to believe.  Some have doubts. Some fully believe. That is exactly how it was at the time of the resurrection. We are going to look at the journey to belief that the friends of Jesus had. So, Let’s read about the events that happened three days after Jesus had been killed on the cross and buried in a tomb.

Luke 24:1-12 (NLT2)

But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2  They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 3  So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4  As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. 5  The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? 6  He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, 7  that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.” 8  Then they remembered that he had said this. 9  So they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples—and everyone else—what had happened. 10  It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several other women who told the apostles what had happened. 11  But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it. 

It makes sense to me that if anybody ever wanted Jesus to be alive – it would have been the men that followed him for three years of their lives. When somebody you loves dies tragically and suddenly, you miss them and want them to be alive. The disciples aren’t any different. This wasn’t a long drawn out battle with cancer or disease.  One moment, Jesus was healthy and enjoying dinner with his closest friends, the next moment, he was arrested and murdered.

They saw him work miracles and change lives. They ate with him, learned from him, and saw the hope he brought to people.

I am certain they wanted Jesus to be alive more than anybody.  Yet,

THE DISCIPLES REFUSED TO BELIEVE.

The word Luke used in verse 11 that describes where the friends of Jesus were on their journey to belief was:

Apisteo (aw pis tay o:)

to have no belief, to disbelieve

The disciples first response was not “Hurray! He is alive!”  

Their first response was “No way! That’s not possible!”  

They thought the women were nuts! They refused to believe Jesus was alive. That may be where you are today. You believe Jesus existed. You believe he did good things. You may even appreciate what he taught about forgiving others, loving those who do not deserve it, and the kindness and compassion he showed.

You believe that he was put to death by execution on the cross…

But like the disciple’s early response, you refuse to believe that Jesus rose from the dead.

But seriously, it does demonstrate that you love them, appreciate them, and value them, so thank you for putting them first today and honoring their invitation.

It is important to note, that the disciples changed.  Their minds were changed. They went from “refusing to believe” to fully surrendering to Jesus.

How did they get there? 

Well, in between verses 12 and 36, Jesus made a few special appearances.  

• Jesus appeared to a couple of men walking down a road and talked with them.

• Then he appeared to Peter.  

• Then he appeared to his disciples, to show them the nails in his hands and feet.  

The disciples got together, and they were talking about it. 

Jesus appeared to me, me too! 

He showed us his hands and feet…

We had an entire conversation with him…

Luke 24:36-41 shows us that the disciples moved from refusing to believe that Jesus was alive…they conceded a little ground…

And now…

THE DISCIPLES DESIRED TO BELIEVE

Luke 24:36-41A (NLT2)

36 And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 37 But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost! 38 “Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt? 39 Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.” 40 As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder…

When Jesus said, “Why are your hearts filled with doubt?” He used the word:

Dialogismos (dē-ä-lo-gē-smoss):

the thinking of a man deliberating with himself.  A deliberating, questioning about what is true.  Hesitation, doubting, disputing, arguing.

They desired to believe. They made eye contact with Jesus. They saw the wounds on his hands and feet. They wanted to believe, but they were torn with what they saw happened to Jesus at the cross. Their resistance to embrace the TRUTH of Jesus being alive, reinforces the suffering and brutality of the cross. Before Jesus was arrested in the Garden, he had been pleading with God to find another way to bring forgiveness to mankind rather than face the brutality of the cross.

Luke 22:42 (NLT2)

“Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

We do not understand the phrase “cup of suffering” the way the Jewish people did back then. In the Old Testament “the cup” is often used as a metaphor for the wrath of God. 

Isaiah called it a cup of terror. Jeremiah called it a cup filled to the brim with God’s anger. Habakkuk called it a cup of the Lord’s Judgement 

…And throughout the Bible we see glimpses of God’s Wrath:

• God’s Anger over sin is seen in the great flood that destroyed the earth…

• God’s wrath destroys Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone.

• God’s wrath is seen in the 10 Plagues upon Egypt.

It was not the physical agony of the beatings, the scourging and the crucifixion that Jesus dreaded.  It was the spiritual agony He would experience as he drank every last drop of God’s wrath that we deserved. The Disciples watched the physical brutality of the cross. They watched the flesh ripped from his back through the scourging. They heard his final words and watched him breathe his final breath. They saw his dead body.

They knew NO MAN was going to come back from that.

If you are somebody that has heard the message that JESUS is ALIVE over and over again yet walk away with doubt, understand so did the very same men that followed Jesus!  

Jesus stood in the same room.  He looked these men eyeball to eyeball…yet they STILL had their doubts!  

They wanted to believe – but because of what they had already seen, they just couldn’t.

Is that you? Maybe you really would like to believe that Jesus is alive – but because of troubles, difficulties, and emptiness you have experienced in this world, you struggle with believing. If the disciples who walked and talked with Jesus after he resurrected struggled with believing – it is understandable that 2,000 years later men and women struggle with fully believing in Jesus as Savior and Lord.

Let’s look one more time in Luke 24 and we will discover that…

THE DISCIPLES FULLY BELIEVED AND THEIR LIVES WERE CHANGED

Luke 24:45-47 (NLT2)

45  Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46  And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. 47  It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’

What did it take for these men to have the faith to believe?  The same thing still required today. In order for us to believe in JESUS as SAVIOR – it requires God opening our minds to believe. If you have heard about Jesus’ death and resurrection over and over again, yet still have your doubts, or think “So what? That is not going to change anything about my life...” 

I want you to understand why you think that way.

The Apostle Paul tells us why some people do not believe:

2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT2)

4  Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ... 

So, if you desire to believe, ask God to open your mind to believe. Ask God to remove the blindfold that is preventing you from becoming a follower of Jesus. You can ask him right now. 

“God, please remove the blindfold on my mind. If Jesus did rise from the dead, that changes everything. I would like to believe, but I need you to open my mind.”

Take a moment right now.  In your own words, simply say, “ God, open my mind to understand Jesus.”

Then, in verse 46 Jesus taught them that the Savior of the World would have to suffer and die.  God opened their minds and they understood now that Jesus was the Savior endured the “cup of suffering for all people” so that that mankind might never have to experience God’s wrath again.

They understood the words that Jesus told them in John 3:16:

John 3:16 (NLT2)

16  “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Maybe  in this this moment, God has opened your mind to understand Jesus. Maybe something has clicked and you understand how much God loves you.

In verse 47, Jesus said, “There is forgiveness of sin for all who repent.”

The word that Jesus used for “repent” communicates a journey or shift or change in thinking.

The Disciples SHIFTED their thoughts about Jesus.  In this moment, they put their DISBELIEF behind them – they chose to believe that Jesus was alive, that he had died for their sins, and they fully believed by surrendering their lives to him through repentance. In order to repent – you too, must have that SHIFT in your thinking.

If you would like to repent, be forgiven for your sins, and become a follower of Jesus today, pray this with me:

“God, I have asked you to open my mind. I have heard the words of Jesus. 

I BELIEVE that Jesus endured my penalty for disobedience on the cross.

I BELIEVE he died and rose from the dead. 

I BELIEVE he is now with you in Heaven and one day he will return. 

I REPENT and COMMIT my life to you as MY SAVIOR… 

THANK YOU for giving me forgiveness and changing my life.

In Jesus name, AMEN.”

If you just surrendered your life to Jesus today, would you fill out the connect card and indicate that you gave your life to Jesus today? You can complete the Beach Church app connect card, or you can complete the card you were given when you entered the worship center. Let’s keep loving God with all our heart, and loving our neighbors as ourselves. Our world needs followers of Jesus to prove he has resurrected by living out lives filled with His love for them.