7-1-1 Sermon

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IT’S NOT TOO LATE!

When You’re Hoping For A Miracle – Part 1

07-01-12 Sermon

You can exist for weeks without food.  You could exist several days without water.  You can exist a few seconds without air.  But you can’t live without hope.  You need hope to cope.  Hope keeps your soul alive. 

Most people don’t understand hope.  Hope is not some wishful thinking about the future – pie in the sky in the by and by.  You need hope now.  You need hope today.  You need hope, not because you’re going to die tonight, but because you’ve got to get up tomorrow and live. 

Hope is not optimism.  Optimism is psychological; hope is theological.  Optimism is personal trust in yourself; hope is personal trust in God.  Optimism is what you think you can do.  Hope is what you think God can do.  Optimism is often a denial of reality.  It’s positive thinking, not permanent trust.  Optimism is often kind of a pat Pollyanna attitude that says the sun will come out tomorrow; it’s not that bad, it’s ok; it’s not really as bad as we think it is.  Sometimes optimism just denies the fact that, yeah, life really is bad as your life is at this particular moment. 

Hope never does that.  Hope is always reality.  Hope says, yep it’s bad; it’s really, really bad.  In fact I don’t think it’s been any worse than it is right now.  But I believe God can bring us through this.  I believe God is in control.

Where do you get real hope?  You get it from the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the central event of all history.  When Jesus rose from the dead it was the most important event ever to happen in history.  So today I want us to look at hope.  And what the Bible says about hope.

The reason we need hope is because we live on a broken planet.  Nothing works correctly on this planet.  Nothing works perfectly.  The weather doesn’t work perfectly.  The economy doesn’t work perfectly.  I don’t know if you’ve noticed this or not, your body doesn’t work perfectly.  No relationship works perfectly.  Your marriage certainly doesn’t work perfectly.  Your career, your plans have not worked perfectly.  Nothing is perfect on this planet.  We live on a broken planet.  Because of sin this planet is out of order.  And because of that you can look around and see brokenness everywhere – broken families, broken lives, broken homes, broken dreams.  Where do you get hope for that?  You get it from the story of the resurrection.  The resurrection is not just for Easter Sunday.  The resurrection is for every day of your life.

On your sermon outline this morning there are three passages of Scripture from the Bible that we’re going to look at that talk about three people – Mary Magdalene, Thomas, and Simon Peter.  Three people, who went through hopeless situations, who thought it would never turn around, and yet, when they had an encounter with Jesus he did a miracle. 

If you’ll look at that outline, the very first verse is a verse out of the Bible from the book of 1 Peter, written by Simon Peter.  I Peter 1:21 “Because God raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory, your faith and hope can be placed confidently in God.” 

You know the reason why people are hopeless today is because they’re putting their hope in all the wrong things and they’re looking for hope in all the wrong places. 

If you put your hope in success or status or your salary or sex or position, possession, privilege, power, popularity – every one of those things will disappoint you.  You’ve got to put your hope in something that cannot be changed.  And that is God’s love for you.  That’s never going to stop.  It’s never going to change.  Today I want to show you how no matter what you’re going through right now, there’s a reason for hope.

On Easter Sunday morning the very first person that Jesus showed himself to at the resurrection was not a disciple, was not one of his twelve followers.  He showed himself first of all to a woman named Mary Magdalene. 

One day she meets a man named Jesus Christ.  Jesus didn’t just love her.  He liberated her.  He set her free from habits and hurts and hang-ups that messed up her life.  He set her free from addictions and abuses, from patterns and habits that kept her stuck in one bad relationship after another.  He set her free.  He liberated her from the demons of her past that haunted her. 

So when Jesus was crucified on the cross, all of the disciples left him.  They all ran and hid.  The only people who showed up at the crucifixion were the women in Jesus’ life.  Mary, his mother, his aunt, Salome, Mary Magdalene, this woman we’re talking about right now.  She was at the foot of the cross with Jesus’ mother.  She saw Jesus brutally murdered.

Because it was the Sabbath, Jewish law didn’t allow them to prepare the body for burial.  They had to just stick it in the grave.  So on Sunday morning Mary goes to the tomb.  She gets up early.  It’s still dark.  And the Bible says this from the book of John “Mary Magdalene stood crying outside the tomb.  While she was still crying she bent and looked into the tomb and saw two angels dressed in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been.  They asked her, ‘Woman, why are you crying?’  She said, ‘They’ve taken away my Lord.  I don’t know where they’ve put him.’  Then she [Mary] turned around and saw a man standing there.  But she didn’t recognize that it was Jesus.  ‘Woman, why are you crying?’ Jesus asked her.  ‘Who are you looking for?’  She thought he was the gardener so she said to him, ‘If you took him away sir, tell me where you’ve put his body and I’ll go and I’ll get him.’  Then Jesus simply said to her, [one word]‘Mary.’ [He just calls out her name – Mary.]  She turned toward him and she said in Hebrew ‘Rabboni’ which means teacher.  Then Mary ran and found the disciples and said, ‘I have seen the Lord!’”

Jesus asked Mary two very important questions: why are you crying and what are you looking for? 

Why was Mary crying?  It was obvious.  She was grieving a loss.  She had seen Jesus be murdered and she’s grieving the loss of the only person who ever loved her unconditionally.  The Bible says it was still dark.  But it wasn’t just physically dark.  She was still in the dark about the resurrection.  She didn’t know Jesus had come back to life.  In fact, she didn’t realize how close she was to Jesus.  He was standing right there with her. God was standing right by her and she didn’t even see him.  When you’re going through the dark, Jesus is standing right next to you.  You often can’t see him. 

And Mary thinks it’s hopeless.  She’s saying, it’s over.  He’s dead.  It’s finished.  He isn’t coming back.  But Jesus changes everything with one single word.  He doesn’t give her a big sermon.  He just says one word.  He calls out her name – Mary. 

And Jesus does the same thing to you today.  I don’t know where you’re hurting but he’s saying to you, “I know who you are.  I know your name.  I know where you’re hurting, and I can do something about it.” 

The first thing I want you to get is this: it’s never too late for a miracle.

 It is never too late for a miracle.  Even death doesn’t mean it’s over.  It’s never too late.  You may not be aware of this but today, around the world, hundreds of people are being raised from the dead.  Just like in bible times.  Even death doesn’t mean it’s over.

The Bible says in Luke 18:27 “What is impossible for people to do is possible for God.”  What is it in your life you’re saying right now, that’s impossible?  It’s never going to happen.  It’s over.  It’s dead.  It’s done.  It isn’t going to happen.  Every time you use the word “impossible” listen for laughter from heaven.  It’s not in God’s vocabulary.

I want to ask you the two questions Jesus asked Mary.  What are you grieving over?  And what are you looking for? 

What makes you sad?  What causes you disappointment?  What has caused grief in your life?  Where’s the big loss in your life, that when you think about it you can get a little melancholy.  You can get a little sad about it.  The loss of a job, the loss of a friend, the loss of a dream. 

And, what are you looking for?  What do you think will make you happy?  What do you think is going to meet all your needs?  What do you think is going to take away your pain?  What do you think is going to heal that hole in your heart? 

If the answer is anything besides God, I want to respectfully submit to you you’re going to be disappointed once again.  Regardless of who you are, regardless of what you’ve done, regardless of how many relational failures you’ve had, Jesus says to you like he says to Mary: “I know who you are, I know your name.  I care about what you’re going through.  It’s never too late for a miracle.  It’s not hopeless.  And I will be your healer.”

When Jesus was crucified none of his followers understood it.  Nobody got it.  He’s been telling them for three and a half years, I came to earth to die on the cross for the sins of mankind.  Three days later I will come back to life to prove that I am who I say I am.  But no matter how many times he said it, they didn’t get it.  So when Jesus died on the cross, the disciples were not just disappointed; they’re devastated.  They’re demoralized.  They’re defeated.  “What’s going on?  We thought Jesus was the Messiah.  But the dream is dead.  He’s hanging on a cross.” 

One of those twelve disciples was a guy named Thomas.  I really like Thomas a lot because he had honest doubts.  Thomas was a thinker.  He was a guy who just didn’t accept whatever you told him.  He wanted to check it out himself.  He was very intelligent – like many of you.  He would check it out.  He didn’t just say, somebody said it, so I’m going to believe it.  He didn’t automatically believe everything he heard from everybody.  And, by the way, neither should you.  A healthy skepticism is a good thing in life.  The Bible says it’s dumb to believe everything you hear.

Thomas had doubts.  And when he heard about Jesus being raised from the dead he goes, “Oh really?”  He’d followed Jesus for three and a half years.  But he said I’m not going to believe it until I see it. 

This is not a bad thing.  It’s somebody who’s saying, I just need to see a little proof.  There’s nothing wrong with that at all.  The Bible tells the story of Thomas in the book of John, chapter 20.  It tells us that after Jesus died on the cross, all of his twelve disciples minus Judas and Thomas, got together in a room and they said, we need to get together and support each other in this crisis.

The Bible tells us this about Thomas: “That evening, the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the religious leaders.  [Fear always causes you to lock the door.  Fear locks you in a self-imposed prison.  I don’t know what fears you’ve got, but you’ve got them and they limit your potential.  The disciples were locked behind closed doors.  It was a self-imposed prison because of their own fear.]  Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them!  [This is Easter night.]  ‘Peace be with you!’ he said.  As he spoke, he held out his hands for them to see, and he showed them his side. [where he had been stuck with the spear.]  They were all filled with joy when they saw their Lord.  But one of the disciples, Thomas, was not with the others when Jesus came.  [He’s off by himself] They told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’ But he replied, ‘I won’t believe it’ [Notice he didn’t say I can’t.  He says I won’t.  It’s a choice.  I won’t believe it…] unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hands into the wound of his side.’  Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them.  Again the doors were locked but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. He said, ‘Peace be with you.’  Then he said, ‘Thomas, look at my hands and put your finger here.  Then put your hand into the wound in my side.  Stop doubting and believe!’ Thomas said, ‘My Lord, and my God!’  Then Jesus said, ‘You [Thomas] believe because you have seen me. But blessed are those who have not seen but believe.’”

There are a couple things I love about this.  One, Jesus did not criticize Thomas for his doubts.  Doubt is a good thing if it drives you to the truth.  If doubt just causes you to be arrogant, stubborn, prideful, make up your own mind, prejudice, already got your mind decided, it can’t happen, it’s never going to happen.  That’s not doubt.  That’s ego.  Doubt says, I don’t know but I’m open.  Doubt is a good thing if it drives you to the truth. 

Jesus doesn’t put Thomas down for his doubts.  He doesn’t say, “Come on!  Thomas!  You were with me three and a half years.  Surely you must have heard me say I was going to come back to life in three days.  And I did.  And you didn’t believe it!  Come on, man!”  He doesn’t scold him.  He doesn’t rebuke him.  He just says, “Here’s your proof.  Put your hands in my hands and in my side.  See the wounds.  It’s really me.  I’m not a ghost.”

Thomas is a little late, but eight days later he goes, “My Lord and my God!”

Here’s the second point: It’s never too late to start believing. 

You may be five, you may be fifty, you may be a hundred fifty.  You may have gone to church all your life or never been in a church.  It’s never too late to start believing. 

One of the reasons why we often are filled with doubt is because we don’t understand how God tests our faith.  Did you know that God is constantly testing your faith?  Faith is like a muscle.  The only way it grows is when it’s tested.  You strengthen a muscle by testing that muscle.  By pushing against something.  The only way you grow in faith is when God tests it. 

When God tests your faith he often takes us through six phases.  This will make a whole lot of sense and save you a lot of problems when you understand how God works in your life. 

When God wants to do a dream, a miracle, something really cool in your life, he always starts with phase one. 

1.    Phase one is a Dream.

God gives you a dream: a dream of what you could become; a dream about your career; a dream that you would have a family; a dream that you would accomplish a certain goal; a dream that you would get married.  God always starts by giving you a dream.  And nothing is more powerful than a God given dream. 

But then you have to go to phase two. 

2.    Phase two is Decision.

In phase two you have to make a decision to go after that dream, because dreams are worthless unless you do something about them.  At some point you have to wake up and go to work on your dream.  Dreams are really a dime a dozen.  They don’t really matter unless you go to phase two and make the decision; I’m going after that dream.

Some of you are stuck at phase one.  You have a dream.  God’s given it to you.  And you’re scared to death to step out.  Do it.  Make the decision.

Once you make the decision you come to phase three.

3.    Phase three which is Delay.

There is often a delay between God giving you a dream and it becoming fulfilled.  Why?  Because God’s more interested in you than he is interested in the dream.  He wants to grow you up.  And in that delay God is testing your faith.  A delay is not a denial.  A delay in a dream doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen.  You must learn, like every little child has to learn, there’s a difference between no and not yet.  A lot of times little kids think not yet means no.  No, it doesn’t mean no; it means not yet.  Dream, decision, delay.

4.    Phase four in the six phases of faith is Difficulty.

Now, while you’re waiting on your dream you start having problems.  You’re not only waiting but you get difficulties as well too.  So you have problems.

Nothing is more difficult than handling phase three and phase four where we say, I’m waiting on God.  I’m in a hurry and God’s not.  And I get all these problems in the meantime.  Just about the time you’re ready to give up and you start doubting.  Maybe I missed it.  Maybe I shouldn’t be doing this.  Maybe it was stupid of me to have a dream.

Then you come to phase five which is the most difficult one of all. 

5.    Phase five is Dead End. 

What is a dead end?  It’s when it looks like it’s over, the deal isn’t going to close, the wedding isn’t going to happen, the job isn’t going to be offered, the economy is not going to turn around, all my ideas are falling apart.  That’s the dead end.

If you’re at the dead end of life right now and you think, I’m at the dead end, I’m facing a wall… Congratulations!  You’re getting ready for a miracle.

6.    Phase six is Deliverance. 

In phase six, deliverance, God turns a crucifixion into a resurrection.  He specializes in that.  He brings new life out of something that is dead, dead, dead.  If God can raise a dead Son of God, he can raise a dead marriage, he can raise a dead career, he can raise a dead dream.  He can do anything because all things are possible with him.

A lot of times we think we’re waiting on God.  But actually God is waiting on us.  He’s waiting on us to make the decision to go his way.  “The Lord isn’t late with his promises as some measure lateness…  He is being patient for your sake.  He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time to everyone to repent.”

You see a lot of bad stuff going on in the world today, and go, why hasn’t God just stopped that?  If God stopped all the bad things in the world he’d have to stop you and me from living too, because we’re not always doing the right thing.  One day God’s going to settle the score.  He’s going to even the odds.  He’s going to balance the books.  He’s going to administer justice.  What is the delay?  Why is he waiting? 

He’s waiting for you to decide for him.  The Bible calls it repentance.

What does it mean to repent?  The word in Greek means “to turn your mind, to change your mind.”  It means to do a one-eighty.  To repent means I’ve been going my way and I’m walking my way doing my thing, my way, my plans, my dreams.  Then all of a sudden boom.  I’m going to do a one-eighty and I’m going to go God’s way, go his vision.  I’m going to go his plan for my life. 

To repent means to do an about-face.  Attention – halt – about face!  It means now I’m going to make this change.  I’m going his way.  God, I’ve been running my life now for all these years.  It hasn’t always worked out that good.  I don’t like the way we’re headed.  So God, I’ve tried my plan.  I’m now going to go with yours.  That’s called repentance.

There’s one other person I want us to look at before we close.  His name was Simon Peter.  Everybody has pretty much heard about Peter.  He is the most famous of the twelve followers, disciples of Jesus. 

You had to like Peter. The guy was unbelievably nice.  He was lovable, he was enthusiastic, he was energetic.  Peter was a risk taker – he jumped out of the boat.  He was always the first one there.  Peter had this energy, creativity about him. 

But Peter got a little overconfident.  One time Peter’s talking to Jesus and he says “Lord, I’d die for you!  I’d do anything for you, Lord.  I would never, never, never deny you.”  And of course he did.  When put on the line, at the cross, Peter was scared for his own life and he denied Jesus three different times. 

Jesus knew this was going to happen.  In fact when Peter said “I would never deny you Lord,” Jesus looked at him and said, “Peter, you’re going to deny me three times tonight before the rooster crows in the morning.  But don’t worry about it.  I’ve prayed for you.  And Peter, when you get through this crisis, use it to encourage other people.”

Of course, that’s what happened to Peter.  When Jesus was taken in trial, arrested, beaten, scourged and then crucified, Peter is following at a distance.  And he denies Jesus three times.  When he hears the rooster crow that next morning, it reminds him of what Jesus had said. And now he’s broken hearted and he’s bitter with tears. 

This is the biggest failure in his life. 

What’s the biggest failure you’ve ever had?  What is the thing in your life you go, man, I wish I could do that one over.  This is what it was in Peter’s life.  He had denied the man he’d lived with for three and a half years as follower of Jesus Christ, followed him everywhere.  Then when it came to the crunch time he denies him three times. 

And Peter is devastated by his failure.  He is filled with guilt.  He’s filled with remorse.  He’s filled with regret.  Just like you are with some of the things in your own life.  That if we brought them up and we showed them on this screen you’d be filled with regret and remorse and guilt. 

Mary was hopeless because she said it’s too late.  It’s never going to happen.  It’s over.  Thomas was hopeless because of the doubt and the fear in his heart. Peter felt hopeless because of the guilt and the regret he was carrying, and he thought I could never be forgiven.

But Jesus had a word of hope for Peter.  And after the resurrection he said, Peter, I’m not through with you.  He said to Peter after his denial, in John 21 “Later Jesus appeared a third time to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee.  [This is the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.]  After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me more than these?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ Peter replied, ‘You know I love you.’  ‘Then feed my lambs,’ Jesus told him.  Then Jesus repeated the question, ‘Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ Peter said.  ‘You know I love you.’ ‘Then take care of my sheep,’ Jesus said.  Then Jesus asked Peter a third time ‘Simon, son of Jonas, do you really love me?’  Now Peter is grieved that Jesus asks the question a third time and he says, ‘Lord, you know everything.  You know I love you.’  And Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep.’”

What is that all about?  I want to point out that whenever God asks you a question, he already knows the answer.  Whenever God asks you a question it is for your benefit not for his.  God already knows everything.  So when Jesus asked Peter, “Peter, do you love me?” obviously he knew the answer.  He wanted Peter to know the answer.  Peter had denied Jesus three times, so what does Jesus do?  He gives Peter three times the opportunity to affirm his love.  That’s cool!

When you come to God and you say, “God, I’ve blown it.  I’ve made this mistake.  I’ve done this wrong.”  God doesn’t rub it in.  He rubs it out.  Some of you have been afraid to come to Jesus Christ because of things in your life you know are wrong and you think God’s going to scold you. 

God isn’t mad at you.  He’s mad about you.  He’s mad about you!  And he wants you to know him and he wants you to love him as much as he loves you.  And he doesn’t rub it in; he rubs it out. 

Jesus is giving Peter three opportunities to show his love.  Then he says three times, “Feed my sheep.”  What is that all about?  What is he saying?

He’s saying this: the way you show love for God is by caring about other people.  The way you show love to God is by loving other people.  Jesus said, “Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.”  That’s the whole Bible summed up. 

We’ve got three people here with three different reasons for hopelessness.  Mary was filled with pain and grief over her loss.  She said, it’s over and I’ve lost it all.  Maybe you feel like that.

         Thomas was filled with hopelessness because of his fear and his doubt.  What did he doubt?  He was doubting because a lot of times doubt is just a fear of disappointment.  I don’t want to believe because I don’t want to be disappointed.  He said it’s never going to happen.  Have you ever said that about something in your life?  It’s never going to happen?

         Peter was filled with guilt and shame.  That caused guilt.  That caused hopelessness in his life.  He thought he could never be forgiven.

But all three of these people were transformed by hope. 

Notice 2 Corinthians says this “Whenever anyone puts their total trust in Christ, they become a new person.  They aren’t the same anymore.  The old way of living disappears.  They get a fresh start and a brand new life.”

Peter’s story tells us It’s never too late for a fresh start. 

How would you like to have a fresh start?  How would you like to have a brand new life?  Have you ever been halfway through painting a room and wish you could start over?  Ever been halfway climbing up a mountain and wish you could go back and start over?  Have you ever been halfway through life and wish you could start over? 

The Bible calls it being born again.  It’s not turning over a new leaf.  It’s getting a new life.  What I say to you today confidently, it’s never too late for a miracle in your life.  It’s never too late to start believing.  It’s never too late to get a fresh start.  It’s never too late to be forgiven.  It’s never too late to have your past forgiven, get a purpose for living, get a home in heaven. 

Prayer:

      God wants to say this to you.  You matter to me.  If you’re serious and say I’d like that fresh start.  I’d like that new life.  I’d like my past forgiven, I’d like a purpose for living, I’d like a home in heaven, I want you to pray this prayer and sincerely mean it in your heart.  You don’t have to say it aloud.  God knows what you’re thinking right now.  “Dear God…” say that in your heart.  “Dear God, I don’t understand it all but as much as I know how I open my life to you.  Jesus Christ, thank you for loving me, for knowing everything about me.  I need new hope.  I need new direction.  I need new strength.  I need you.  Forgive me for looking in all the wrong places to have my needs met.  Thank you for creating me, God.  Thank you for loving me.  Thank you for sending Jesus to die for me.  Today, as sincerely as possible, I say come into my life.  Make me a new person.  I want to follow you.  I want to repent and turn your way from this day forward.  Amen.”