Easter at The Refuge

And death could not hold you, the veil tore before you, you silenced the boast of sin and grave. And death could not hold you, the veil tore before you, you silenced the boast of sin and grave. And death could not hold you, the veil tore before you, you silenced the boast of sin and grave. And death could not hold you, the veil tore before you, you silenced the boast of sin and grave. The heavens are roaring the praise of your glory, for you are raised to life again. You have no rival, you have no equal, now and forever God you reign. Yours is the kingdom, yours is the glory, yours is the name above all names. What a powerful name it is, what a powerful name it is. The name of Jesus Christ our King. What a powerful name it is, and nothing can stand against. What a powerful name it is, the name of Jesus Christ our King. You have no rival, you have no equal, now and forever God you reign. Yours is the kingdom, yours is the glory, yours is the name above all names. What a powerful name it is, what a powerful name it is. The name of Jesus Christ our King. What a powerful name it is, and nothing can stand against. What a powerful name it is, the name of Jesus. What a powerful name it is, the name of Jesus. What a powerful name it is, the name of Jesus. Come on can we celebrate that name this morning. Hallelujah, you get all the praise. Every season in spite of my weakness, you gave me a song I could sing. I came to praise. I came to praise. That's why I woke up today. I came to praise.

Come on we sing, we sing. Hallelujah, you get all the praise. We sing hallelujah, you get all the praise. I've got a king who is risen. He put my shame in the grave. Went to hell and back and now I never have to. And he did it all in three days. I came to praise. I came to praise. That's why I woke up today. I came to praise. We say Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. You get all the praise. We say Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. You get all the praise always. I'm singing in the morning. I'm singing at night. I'm singing in the battle. That's how I fight. I'm singing it's holy. I'm singing it twice. I'm singing it's holy for the rest of my life. I'm singing in the morning. I'm singing at night. I'm singing in the battle. That's how I fight. I'm singing it's holy. I'm singing it twice. I'm singing it's holy for the rest of my life. I'm singing it's holy for the rest of my life. Hallelujah, you get all the praise we sing. Hallelujah, you get all the praise, always sing. Hallelujah, you get all the praise we sing. Hallelujah, you get all the praise, always. I'm singing in the morning, I'm singing at night. I'm singing in the battle, that's how I fight. I'm singing it's holy, I'm singing it twice. I'm singing it's holy for the rest of my life. Hallelujah, you get all the praise, always. I came to praise. Come on, we sing. I came to praise. I came to praise. I came to praise. Yeah, come on. We sing it with praise this morning to our risen king. Come on, are you thankful for the risen king of kings and the Lord of lords? Come on, can you make some noise for Jesus in this place today? Come on, hallelujah, he is risen, he is alive, he is why we gather today. Hey, I want to read this scripture to open our service and we're going to continue in worship in a moment, but 1 Peter chapter 1, verse 3, it says this. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope. Not a dead hope, not a sleeping hope, but a living hope. Why? Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. Listen, hope in anything other than Jesus lives and dies with that individual. When they breathe their last breath, whatever their hope was in is gone. But can I inform you this morning that the only hope that is living and eternal is the hope of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And this morning we are not like those who have no hope and that is why we celebrate this Easter Sunday. Amen? Amen. Well, we are so excited that you chose to worship with us this morning. You can take your seats just momentarily before we continue in worship in the service in a moment. But hey, as you take your seats, would you just greet somebody this morning, tell them Happy Easter, that you're glad to see them? Amen. What a privilege to worship with you this morning. Hey, all weekend long we've been asking the question, how do you see Jesus? And we've taken this weekend to look at the death, burial, and resurrection through the lenses of several people in Scripture. And this is the resurrection through the lens of Mary. The stone should not have moved. I knew its weight, had watched it seal hope inside darkness, had heard its final groan against the earth like a door slammed by heaven itself. Nothing escapes death once it is shut, I told myself.

Nothing returns. And yet dawn found me walking anyway. The air was thin with grief, trembling like held breath. I carried spices in my shaking hands, foolish offerings for a body that had already known too much pain. My heart resisted every step. Golgotha still lived behind my eyes. Wood splintered with blood. The sky torn open, his voice, oh, his voice breaking into silence. I had watched him die. I saw his last breath leave. I had stayed when others fled, when courage thinned and shadows grew teeth. I stayed because leaving him felt like losing him twice. And now this, this last act of love to tend to what remained. But the stone, the stone should not have moved. It lay aside as though the earth itself had shrugged. I stopped breathing. No cry came at first, only the hollow rush of fear filling every chamber of my chest. My thoughts scattered like startled birds, grave robbers, enemies, more cruelty. Even death, it seemed, would not be enough to satisfy them. The tomb yawned open, dark and impossible. My hands clutched the doorway as if the rock might shift again and swallow me whole. Cold air spilled out, empty as the space it guarded. He was gone, gone.

Where there should have been stillness, there was absence. Where there should have been sorrow, there was something stranger, something sharper, not relief, not yet hope. Something wild and unnameable flickering at the edge of my fear. Why take him from me again? I cried out of the silence. My voice broke against the stone walls and fell back to me unanswered. The place where he had lain was marked only by linen folded in quiet order as though death itself had paused to be gentle. No struggle, no theft, no violence, only departure. My knees failed me then. I sank to the ground, hands pressed to the earth that had not held him. Tears came, not the loud aching grief of the cross, but something softer, more confused, like waking from a nightmare, only to find the world altered beyond recognition. But beneath my shock, another thought stirred, quiet, dangerous, impossible. He had said things, things I did not dare to believe when blood ran down wood and sky went dark, things about rising, about life that could not be caged, about the grave as something temporary. I pressed my hands to my face, shaking my head as though I could force sense back into the world. No death is final.

I saw it. I felt it. And yet, the stone should not have moved. The tomb should not be empty. My heart should not be beating like this, like something is coming, like something has already begun. I rose slowly. Dawn had grown stronger while I wept. The world outside had not ended. Birds dared to sing. The sky unbroken, stretched wide as promise. Something was wrong, or something was right in a way I did not yet understand. I took a step toward the trembling light, my voice barely more than breath. Jesus. fragile as hope, and for the first time since the cross I did not feel entirely alone because I wasn't. He was there and for a moment the veil of my grief hid him from me. I have seen the Lord. Stand and let us worship together. I could not climb, though the cross to bear was mine. A sinner's death you chose, and with love and grace atoned. I'm covered by the blood of Jesus. It's all under the blood of Jesus. All sin and shame is washed away. My debt is paid. I'm covered by the blood. Oh, what a mystery. The cross has ransomed me. And I would find new life. Crucified with Christ. Oh, I'm alive in Christ. I'm covered by the blood of Jesus. It's all under the blood of Jesus. All sin and shame is washed away. My debt is paid. I'm covered by the blood.

I'm covered by the blood. Lord, thank you for the blood. So let all the saints proclaim His glory. And sing, worthy is the Lamb. Sing, worthy. In the empty grave, our testimony. And sing, worthy is the Lamb. Come on, we respond this morning. So let all the saints proclaim His glory. And sing, worthy is the Lamb. Sing, worthy. In the empty grave, our testimony. And sing, worthy is the Lamb. Sing, worthy. Let all the saints proclaim His glory. And sing, worthy is the Lamb. Sing, worthy. In the empty grave, our testimony. And sing, worthy is the Lamb. Sing, worthy. Sing, worthy. He's worthy. Sing, worthy is the Lamb. Sing, worthy. He's worthy. Sing, worthy is the Lamb. I'm covered by the blood of Jesus. It's all under the blood of Jesus. All sin and shame is washed away. My debt is paid. Cause I'm covered by the blood. ♪ I'm covered by the blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ It's all under the blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ All sin and shame is washed away ♪ ♪ My debt is paid, I'm covered by the blood of Jesus ♪

♪ I'm covered by the blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ I'm covered by the blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ Let all the saints, let all the saints proclaim His love ♪ ♪ Seen worthy is the Lamb, seen worthy is the Lamb ♪ ♪ The empty grave, our testimony ♪ ♪ Seen worthy is the Lamb, seen worthy, seen worthy ♪ ♪ He's worthy, seen worthy is the Lamb ♪ ♪ Seen worthy is the Lamb, seen worthy, seen worthy ♪ ♪ He's worthy, seen worthy is the Lamb ♪ ♪ He's worthy, worthy is the Lamb ♪ ♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ Cause I'm covered by the blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ And it's all under the blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ All sin and shame is washed away ♪ ♪ And my debt is paid, cause I'm covered, we sing ♪ ♪ Cause I'm covered by the blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ And it's all under the blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ All sin and shame is washed away ♪ ♪ And my debt is paid, cause I'm covered by the blood ♪ Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ All that rugged cross, the selfless pain He bore ♪ ♪ He breathed His final breath, that I would be restored ♪ ♪ By His body that was broken, precious blood freely shed ♪ ♪ The spotless Lamb of Heaven has forever conquered death ♪ ♪ Jesus is my healer, He's everything I need ♪

♪ He alone has triumphed over sickness and disease ♪ ♪ Fear, where is your power? The cross is your defeat ♪ ♪ Jesus is my healer, He has won the victory ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Oh, how great a love, I'm held by perfect peace ♪ ♪ Walks with me through valleys, understands my suffering ♪ ♪ Every joy and every sorrow, every triumph, every loss ♪ ♪ I know everything is covered by the shadow of the cross ♪ ♪ I know everything is covered by the shadow of the cross ♪ ♪ Everything is covered by the shadow of the cross ♪ ♪ Jesus is my healer, he's everything I need ♪ ♪ He alone has triumphed over sickness and disease ♪ ♪ Fear, where is your power? Oh, the cross is your defeat ♪ ♪ Jesus is my healer, he has won the victory ♪ ♪ Jesus is my healer, he has won the victory ♪ ♪ Oh, he is one, he is one ♪ ♪ Oh, he is one, he is one ♪ ♪ Everything bows in his name, everything bows in his name ♪ ♪ Sickness, darkness, chains break out the name of Jesus ♪ ♪ Everything bows in his name, everything bows in his name ♪ ♪ Sickness, darkness, chains break out the name of Jesus ♪ ♪ Everything bows in his name, everything bows in his name ♪ ♪ Sickness, darkness, chains break out the name of Jesus ♪ ♪ Everything bows in his name, everything bows in his name ♪ ♪ Everything bows in his name, everything bows in his name ♪ ♪ Sickness, darkness, chains break out the name of Jesus ♪ ♪ Everything bows in his name, everything bows in his name ♪ ♪ Everything bows in his name, everything bows in his name ♪ ♪ Sickness, darkness, chains break out the name of Jesus ♪ ♪ Jesus is my healer, he's everything I need ♪

♪ He alone has trialed over sickness and disease ♪ ♪ Fear, where is your power, on the cross is your defeat ♪ ♪ Jesus is my healer, he has won the victory ♪ ♪ He has won the victory ♪ ♪ Jesus is my healer, he has won the victory ♪ ♪ Jesus is my healer, he has won the victory ♪ ♪ There's just something about your name ♪ ♪ There's just something about your name ♪ ♪ There's just something about your name ♪ ♪ That makes me cry holy, there's no other ♪ ♪ There is no other name, there is no other name ♪ ♪ There is no other name, in Jesus you're worthy of me ♪ ♪ There's something about your name ♪ ♪ There's just something about your name ♪ ♪ There's just something about your name ♪ ♪ That makes me cry holy, there is no other ♪ ♪ There is no other name, no one higher ♪ ♪ There is no other name, Oh, Jesus, there is no other name ♪ ♪ And Jesus, you're worthy ♪ ♪ There's just something about your name ♪ ♪ Your name, there's just something about Your name ♪ ♪ There's just something about Your name ♪ ♪ That makes me cry holy ♪ ♪ There is no other name, there is no other name ♪ ♪ There is no other name, Jesus You're worthy ♪ ♪ Because Your name is like the morning light ♪ ♪ The one that darkness can't deny ♪ ♪ The resurrection and the life, Jesus ♪ ♪ Oh Jesus, Your name can save, Your name can heal ♪ ♪ Your name can make the storm be still ♪

♪ You never fail, You never will, Jesus ♪ ♪ Jesus, the bread of life, who came for us ♪ ♪ The wounded and the worthy one ♪ ♪ The first, the last is still to come, Jesus ♪ ♪ Jesus, the King who overwhelmed the grave ♪ ♪ The Lord who will forever reign ♪ ♪ The name above all other names, Jesus ♪ ♪ Would Jesus be the name, would Jesus be the name ♪ ♪ Would Jesus be the name that can solve the clock, oh Jesus ♪ ♪ Oh Jesus, would Jesus be the name ♪ ♪ Would Jesus be the name, would Jesus be the name ♪ ♪ That can solve the glory, oh Jesus, Jesus be the name ♪ ♪ Give Him, give Him the name ♪ ♪ Call the name above all names, oh Jesus, give Him the name ♪ ♪ That gets all the glory, oh Jesus, oh Jesus ♪ ♪ Call blessing and honor, call glory and power ♪ ♪ Be to the righteous one, call be to the holy one ♪ ♪ Oh we sing, Jesus be the name, Jesus be the name ♪ ♪ Jesus be the name that gets all the glory, call the glory ♪ ♪ Call the glory, Jesus be the name, Jesus be the name ♪ ♪ Jesus be the name that gets all the glory, we sing ♪ ♪ Jesus be the name, Jesus be the name ♪ ♪ Jesus be the name, Jesus be the name that gets all the glory ♪ ♪ Here we give you all the glory, Jesus be the name ♪ ♪ Jesus be the name, Jesus be the name that gets all the glory ♪ Come on, just your voice as we sing that this morning. ♪ Jesus be the name, Jesus be the name ♪ ♪ Jesus be the name that gets all the glory ♪ Thank you, Jesus. In Philippians chapter two, Paul writes this, he says,

you must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to, but instead he gave up his divine privileges. He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross. Thank God that the story doesn't stop there, that it didn't end for him in that moment. Paul goes on to write, therefore God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth. And every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. And can I inform you today that Jesus could not be held down. Can I inform you today that death could not hold him down. Can I inform you that depression could not hold him down. Anxiety could not hold him down. Pain could not hold him down. Sin could not hold him down. The devil could not hold him down. All of Satan's demons could not hold him down. Suffering could not hold him down. But Jesus is alive. He rose himself from the grave. And because Jesus lives, you can live too. Because the story didn't end for Jesus at pain and suffering, it's not going to end for you at pain and suffering. Because the story didn't end for him at death, it will not end for you. And I came to let you know this morning that Jesus Christ is alive. That the tomb is empty so that you would not have to be. But right now wherever you're at in this place, I came to inform you that Jesus Christ is living. He is not dead. You can go to Muhammad's grave and you will find his body in a tomb. You can go to Buddha's grave and you will find his body in a tomb. Allah is silent, but Jesus Christ is the living one. He's the eternal son. He's the

one who holds the keys to death, hell, and the grave. And Jesus Christ is returning again to receive his bride, you and I. Why? Because the story's not over. Friend, in your life you may have walked in in the most hopeless place you've ever been this Easter Sunday morning. And can I just inform you that those three days that Jesus was in the tomb were the darkest days in human history. But do you know what came on the heels of those days? The greatest revival that the world would ever know. Do you know that when breath filled that chest cavity there in that dark and cold tomb, that all of a sudden in one moment everything changed for the rest of humanity. And today in this very moment everything can change in your life. So come on, if you're grateful for Jesus, I need you just for 10 seconds to open up your mouth and begin to give him praise. Come on, I need you to declare his praise. I need you not to let a pastor or a worship leader do it for you, but right now I need you to lift up your voice and shout and declare, Jesus is alive. Jesus is not dead. And today we are not like those that have no hope, but we recognize that Jesus is the eternal hope of glory. He's the desire of the nations. He's the prize and the reward. He holds the keys to death, hell, and the grave. And we thank you this morning, Jesus, that there is no one else who could do what you did. All of us could die the same death a thousand times and it wouldn't mean anything. But thank you because you're the perfect spotless lamb of God that you took our sin and guilt and shame on yourself. But the story didn't end at shame. No, the story didn't end at pain. The story ended with Jesus in glory, restoring his fallen and broken creation to a state of perfect union with himself. Friend, that's the story for you and I. We thank you for that. In this moment, we thank you, Jesus, that scripture calls you the living one, faithful and true. And that you're coming again to restore all things to yourself. We love you. We celebrate you. We honor you. We give you thanks and praise that you are not laying in a tomb, but you are alive and active today. Come on, if that's your prayer, can you one more time, can you lift up an ovation of praise to Jesus? Come on. Hallelujah. He is not dead. He is alive. Come on. We have reason to celebrate this morning. Amen. And amen. And amen. Come on, church. And as they say, he is risen. Amen. Come on. We are so thankful for this presence of Jesus that's here with us in the building. You can have a seat. It is truly an honor and a privilege to worship with you. What a powerful service that we've already had. What a powerful service that we have left in front of us as well. What an honor to spend Easter with all of you. If I haven't met you yet, my name is Clay.

I'm the high school. pastor here at The Refuge. My wife and I work with students, and it's our honor and privilege to do that. And we're so thrilled that you chose to be with us this Easter morning, whether this is your first time or whether you've been here for years and years. It truly is an honor to worship alongside you as we celebrate the resurrected Jesus. But hey, if it's your first time, we want you to know you're our very honored and special guest today. We are so glad you chose to be with us. And our staff actually takes time each week to pray for you, that God would draw those into the building that need to be here. So if it's your first time, we truly believe you were an answer to prayer this morning. And we know that a large church can feel overwhelming, so it's our goal to make a large church feel small. And one of the ways that we do that is through our Connect Room, which is a glass-walled room as you exit the auditorium that will have some pastors and leaders in the room after our service concludes this morning. And we don't wanna keep you for long, but we would love to make our big church feel small. We'd love to meet you. We'd love to place a gift in your hand to say thank you for being here with us this morning.

So if it's your first time, would you do us a favor and stop by the Connect Room as the service concludes later this morning? And those of you that are a part of the Refuge family, would you help us just to make our first-time guests feel loved and welcomed in the building this morning? Amen. Amen, we're so glad that you're here. Hey, two things we wanna mention to you guys to let you know about. First is happening in May, and that is another Launch Night. Now, if you've been a part of the Refuge in years past, Launch has been a series of four consecutive nights at the beginning of January that we host as sort of revival services. And this year, the Lord had us go a different direction. So rather than those being four consecutive nights, those are four nights of encounter that are now spread throughout the year. So our first one was in January at the end of the month. We had a powerful time with evangelists and missionary, Philip Smithhurst, with us, and it was incredible. And this next one is coming up on May the 1st at 7 p.m. It's a Friday night. We would love for you to make plans to join us, to get in the building. Guest speaker, Michael Koulianos, who's been with us before, is gonna be back ministering the Word of God,

and he carries such a special anointing. So mark it on your calendars. Make plans to bring the family. Come out. It starts at 7 p.m. that night, but you'll wanna get here just a bit early. The second thing that's happening is actually coming up this week, and that is that our church is offering baptisms on this coming Wednesday night service at 6.30 p.m. Now, baptisms, we could spend a lot of time talking about, but baptisms are the next step of faith if you've come to faith recently. So maybe today you've given your life to Jesus, or maybe you've been away from the Lord for years and you've recommitted to Him today. Baptism is the next step of faith for you. It is a scriptural practice we see observed by many, including Jesus Himself, and it's a way for us to celebrate your commitment to Jesus and for you to pass into the waters of death so that your old self is passed away, and as you're raised out of the water, scripture tells us you're raised to new life with Christ, and so that's what we believe baptism is. And we're gonna celebrate with those of you getting baptized this coming Wednesday night. So there are some black circular tags on the chairs in front of you called tap tags.

How those work, you just get your phone out, open it up, and tap it against those, and that will take you to a link to register for baptism. So we can't wait to celebrate with those of you making that decision this coming Wednesday night. Well, we're gonna continue to worship the Lord in this next part of our service through our giving, so would you prepare your hearts as Pastor Jay comes to lead us in this portion of the service? Amen, praise God. Woo! Thank you, Jesus. Happy Easter to all of you. Welcome to this service, man. Hey, do me a favor this morning. We had massive traffic jams of people trying to get out, people trying to get in, but I wanna give some special recognition to our parking lot team in the rain. Come on, will you give it up for them? Yeah, they did awesome. Great job. Hey, and thank you for your patience in getting in today, and I believe you'll say, encountering the Lord, it's worth the wait, it's worth the aggravation, whatever. Listen, you'll do more than that to get into a good restaurant. Let me tell you, you're in some place

way better than a good restaurant today. You're in a church that's full of the Holy Ghost, full of the presence of God. We're gonna have a great time this morning. We already have. I wanna say welcome to all of you and to those watching online that couldn't join us in person. Welcome to you as well. It's been such a powerful weekend. We had a packed out, incredible Good Friday service this past Friday night. So, so powerful, as we gathered around. cross, remember the sacrifice of Jesus for you and I on the cross. And then for many of us yesterday was a very special day as well. If you saw my post on Instagram yesterday marked the 22nd anniversary, our birthday of the refuge. Praise God. Yeah. 22 years ago yesterday, we started in the basement of a house and are blown away by what God has done. And listen, I want you to do me a favor. Some of you may have been in the basement with us. Some of you maybe have just come in the last few weeks to the refuge, but if God has used this place to impact your life or the life of your family, do me a favor, just 10 seconds, would you just thank the Lord for what he's done? We thank you, Jesus, for what you've done. You've been so good, Lord. We're so gracious, so grateful. Praise God. Great things the Lord has done. And we rejoice over his faithfulness over this house for these 22 years. It dawned on me yesterday, I have given more than one third of my life to this, to this place. I've given over half of all of my years of

ministry, 42 years of ministry. I've given over half of that to this place. And I want you to know, I would do it all again. Melanie and I consider it such a joy to be your pastors. So grateful for all that God has done. Amen. I want to pray over all of you in regards to your giving. I want to say thank you for being so faithful because of your giving every week and every month. We touch thousands, thousands of people around the world and here locally. And I'm so thankful because of your giving. We have thousands of incarcerated men and women that are watching our services every single week and giving their hearts to Jesus. So thank you for your faithfulness and giving. I want to just challenge you and encourage you today as I'm about to pray over you. Would you consider just as a thank offering to the Lord, just giving a special offering in celebration of the 22 year anniversary of the refuge. If you're with your spouse or family member, we do this here at the refuge. We agree together. We join hands as a sign of agreement. Would you join hands with your family members, your spouse, if you're a single person, if you're without your spouse, we're in agreement with you today for the favor of God. Everybody say favor. Come on, say favor. We're in agreement today for the favor of God and the blessings of God to come and to rest on you. Come on, let's pray. God, we are so grateful. We have no words for what you've done in these 22 years. Over and over, you've demonstrated your faithfulness to us. Over and over, you've provided. You've done miracles, God. Your hand has rested on this place from the beginning and we're so thankful. We give all glory to you. We give all honor to you for what you've done, Lord. God, I thank you for faithful people who show up week after week, who give week after week. I thank you

that through the refuge, we're touching lives all over the world. God, today I speak and declare again your favor and your blessings over every tither, every giver, every kingdom builder that's here in the building or watching online. I bless you with increase according to the Word of God that God himself would open the windows of heaven. He would bestow blessings on you that you can't even contain. I call in jobs for the jobless, better jobs for those who desire them and need them. I bless you today with the opportunities for advancement and raises, that bonuses and unexpected surprises would come to you. And as they do, they would just remind you of the Father's passion and of His heart for you. I bless the sale of vehicles and properties, houses and land on your behalf. Things that are restricted, things that are tied up in the court systems would be resolved and then released into your hands so that you can enjoy those things and you can steward them for the kingdom's sake. I bless every entrepreneur, every inventor, those of you who own your own businesses, those of you who work in sales and commissions, that the favor of God would attract customers and clients and business to you, and that as you're blessed, you would be an example of the generosity of God and the way you generously bless and treat others. And I bless you again today, church, with true biblical prosperity. The Apostle Paul defines it in 2 Corinthians 9 like this, that he who supplies bread for food, seed for sowers, would also supply and increase your store of seed, so that you'll be made rich in every way, so that you then can be generous on every occasion. I need everybody in the building that agrees with the Word of God today. Come on, shout a big amen in the room today. Come on.

Praise God. Hey, listen, get your device out. Get your app opened up. We're going to dive into the Word in just a moment. I want you to be ready for that. Tap the tag in front of you. I've got a message I'm so excited about. And just before we jump into the Word today, we're going to, one more time, look at what it means to see Jesus rightly. How can I see through all of this grief? It's been almost a year since you passed, and somehow the pain of loss still feels just as fresh as it did then. It's my birthday, but I won't be blowing out any candles today. How can a stone hold a person? Is she below me in this ground or above with Christ? I can't see the truth of it. Through their eyes, the world looks full of people. I didn't used to be this way. I could just say hello. There has to be more, right? If mom and those I've seen today could have had all that joy, then there must be a way for me to experience the same. Is it still there? I know I kept it somewhere. Where did I leave it? The same grave that caused me grief is conquered by he who bleeds. I can have relationship with him whenever I choose. I just need to say hello, have my life as I am. I have seen the Lord, and that is enough. Amen.

Praise God. The question that we've been asking all through the weekend is this. How do you see Jesus? Do me a favor. We have, as I mentioned earlier, incarcerated men and women all over the United States of from America joining us for our Easter service today. Would you do me a favor? Come on, can we just welcome them and celebrate? All of you joining us on the Pando app today, we welcome you. Happy Easter to all of you. I read a story of a prestigious art gallery that featured a centerpiece that was covered by a velvet curtain. The buzz in the city was tangible because the artist that had painted this veiled picture was a reclusive genius known for perfection. On the opening night, a large crowd had gathered and the curtain was pulled back to reveal this massive canvas and this incredible painting of a sunrise over a rugged mountain range. Colors were breathtaking. And the crowd pressed in to get a closer look and all of a sudden there was this collective murmur of disappointment that spread throughout the room because what they began to notice was this jagged, ugly, physical crack in the canvas. The critics were ruthless. The elderly artist stepped onto the stage

and he asked the crowd this question. He said, what do you see? And a critic shouted over the roar of the crowd, we see a masterpiece flawed and ruined because of something you didn't fix. The artist just simply smiled and he handed to the critic a pair of glasses, tinted glasses. And he said, look again. He said, this time I want you to look through the lens that I used while I was painting it. And with skepticism, the critic took the tinted glasses and he put them on. And as he did and as he looked at that canvas, that ugly crack just completely disappeared. And in its place was the exact silhouette of an eagle soaring across the sun. And the artist addressed a room that was now silent. He said, you saw a mistake because you were looking at the canvas through the world's light. He said, I saw a miracle because I was looking through the light of the creator. Then he said this, the flaw wasn't in the painting. It was in your vision. All of us in the room know that the circumstances of life, the challenges that we face, can blur our vision. Different things that we encounter in life can make it difficult for us to see Jesus for who he is. We've been doing our best Friday night and this morning to look through the eyes of different people

that were present at the crucifixion. Different people that were present at the resurrection. And today in scripture, we're gonna see some people who are looking through lenses that made it difficult for them to see Jesus for who he really was. First of all, there's a man that we all know by the name of Peter who was looking through the lenses of denial. Luke chapter 22 records some verses for us that we see beginning in verse 31. It says this, Jesus speaking, Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turn to me again, strengthen your brothers. Peter said, Lord, I'm ready to go to prison with you. I'm ready to even die with you. But Jesus said, Peter, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you'll deny three times that you even know me. Listen, I believe Peter really meant it. I believe like many of us, we've declared our loyalty and our allegiance to Jesus. I give you everything, Jesus. I give you my life. And how many times have we done that just moments later, or days later, or weeks later, to deny any allegiance to him whatsoever, or to deny him access to every area of our life,

or to deny him complete lordship of our lives? You see, I think Peter meant it in the moment, but like us, things happen, and the pressure builds. And all of a sudden, rather than seeing Jesus for who he really is, is, we're looking through lenses of denial. Here's a question I want to ask you. How do you respond? What do you do when the pressure really builds? You lose the job, the bills stack up, you get a bad diagnosis at the doctor, you're served divorce papers, your frat brothers are making fun of you because of your commitment to Jesus? Are you called on the carpet in the office because somebody got offended because you have a scripture plaque on your desk? How do you respond? How do you deal with the pressure when it builds? It's obvious the pressure was building for Peter. Look, it says verse 54, so they arrested Jesus, led him to the high priest's home, and Peter followed at a distance. The guards lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it. Peter joined them there. A servant girl noticed him in the firelight. She began staring at him. Finally, she said, this man was one of Jesus' followers, but Peter denied it. Woman, he said, I don't even know him. And after a while, somebody else looked at him and said, you've got to be one of them. No, no, no, no, man. I'm not, Peter retorted. About an hour later, somebody else insisted, this must be one of them because he's a Galilean too. But Peter said, man, I don't know what you're talking about. And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. At that moment, the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Can you imagine? Can you, as best you can, can you put yourself in his shoes? One breath, he's pledging his loyalty to Jesus. I'll go to prison with you. I'll even die for you, Jesus. And then just hours later, not once, not twice, three times, I don't even know that guy. I have no association with him. And as he says it, he hears the crow of the rooster, and Jesus turns and looks at him. Can you imagine how he must have felt in that moment? And then here's what the Scripture says. Suddenly, the Lord's words flashed through Peter's mind. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you'll deny three times that you even know me. Watch. And Peter left the courtyard weeping bitterly, weeping bitterly. Listen, I think all of us have been at a place in our life at some point that we've denied that we even

know Jesus. Maybe the pressure built. Maybe there was pressure from people at work. Maybe there was pressure from family. Maybe it was the pressures of life. Whatever it was, you denied that you even knew Jesus, and you found yourself just backing away, backing away. I don't even know that guy. What are you talking about? No, no, I'm not one of those Christians. I'm not one of those weirdos. And you back away from him, and that's exactly what the enemy wants us to do. And in the moment that Peter made one of the greatest mistakes of his life, he had a choice. I can either back further away from him, which always leads to depression, or even in my remorse, even in my shame, I can draw closer to him, and it will always bring joy. And we need to know that. We need to remember that, because all of us, we're going to blow it. We're going to make mistakes, and you'll have a choice. Through shame, disappointment, whatever, I can back away from him, and it's going to lead to depression, or I can draw closer to him, and say, oh God, I'm so sorry, and it will bring joy. Secondly, in Scripture, we see a group of people that are looking through the lenses of doubt, and it wasn't just anybody. It was Jesus on disciples. Watch this. We find in Matthew chapter 28, verse 16, it says this, then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. And when they saw him, they worshiped him. But some of them doubted. Did you catch that? Some of them doubted, the disciples. They spent over three years with Jesus, day in and day out, seeing the miracles, hearing his teachings. He's told them, I'm going to rise again. He told them. He appeared to them. Go to Galilee, he said. and they go, and when they see Jesus, the Bible says some of them fell at his feet and worshiped him. Oh, it's true, it's you. You said you were gonna come alive. And then some of them doubted. Is that really you? That's the same thing that happens to you and I. Listen, not all doubt is bad.

There's a healthy doubt, and there's a destructive doubt. A healthy doubt looks like this. It leads to inquiry and exploration. I'm not sure about this, so let me dig a little deeper. Let me find out what I can. A destructive doubt paralyzes decision-making. A healthy doubt encourages openness and curiosity. A destructive doubt fuels fear and cynicism and self-sabotage. A healthy doubt questions beliefs to strengthen them. To strengthen them. Destructive doubt undermines confidence without resolution. A healthy doubt seeks truth, not just contradiction. Destructive doubt gets stuck in endless what-ifs. Listen to me. The goal of the enemy is to cause you to doubt who Jesus really is in a way that leads you to a cycle of sabotage, a cycle of what-ifs, a cycle of distancing yourself from him. Why do we have an entire generation deconstructing their faith in a way that drives them away from Jesus? Hey, listen, deconstruction's not all bad. Jesus came on the scene and the complexity of a religious system that was messed up, and they deconstructed that, and it caused them to really see him for who he was. But what I'm seeing as a pastor's most deconstructive deconstruction nowadays

is not drawing people closer to Jesus. It's the enemy finding a way to fit them with lenses that causes them to question who he really is, and to say, I don't know if I can trust that man. I doubt he's gonna show up for me. I doubt he's gonna provide for me what I need. And that was the disciples. John chapter 20, verse 24. We find specifically one of the disciples who was really in jeopardy of moving further and further away from Jesus. We all know who he is. His name is Thomas. Verse 24 of John chapter 20 says, one of the 12 disciples, Thomas, nicknamed the twin, was not with the others when Jesus came. Anybody ever feel like it's just your luck in life that you always miss out on the good stuff? I mean, think about that. Resurrection, Jesus appears to the disciples, and Thomas is not there. Can you imagine? Maybe revival breaks out, you were on vacation that week. Maybe your son or daughter takes their very first steps, and you weren't there to witness it, and nobody was videoing. You're like, why is it me that always misses out? I imagine that's what Thomas was feeling in the morning. And they told him, we've seen the Lord.

But he replied, I won't believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, place my hand into the wound in his side. Eight days later, the disciples were together again. This time, Thomas was with them. The doors were locked. But suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. Peace be with you, he said. And then he said to Thomas, put your finger here. Look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don't be faithless any longer, believe. My Lord and my God, Thomas exclaimed. And then Jesus told him, you believe because you've seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me. Listen, if you ask Siri on your phone, or if you Google it, and say, what's the population of the world right now? Siri's gonna tell you there's 8.1 billion people on the planet. 8.1 billion people on the planet. When I was born a few years ago, a number of years ago, the population of the planet was 3.2 billion people. In my lifetime, the population has more than doubled. But here's the beauty of this. When it was 3.2 billion people, God knew every single person and he knew their names.

When it's 8.1 billion people, the Lord hadn't had a panic attack. He hasn't like, he's not wringing his hands going, I can't keep up with all these folks. No, he still knows every person's name, including you. 8.1 billion. a million people on the planet, and he sees you, and he knows you, and here's the beautiful thing about who he is, he is very intentional about revealing himself to you, so that you see him clearly. We hear reports all the time of Muslims in the Middle East that are having dreams and visions in the night of Jesus appearing to them. He cares about the one person, he cares about you because he wants you to see him clearly. He wants you to know just who he is, but he also makes it clear that his preference is that you trust him and believe in him without having to see the miracle, without having to see him. See, some people negotiate, they make deals with God. I believe you, I'll trust you when you heal so-and-so. We put God in a box. God, I'll trust you whenever I hear the audible voice of God. I wanna hear you speak, God, then I'll believe you. God, I'll trust you when I win the lottery. We negotiate with the Lord, we put him in a box, and we say, God, I'll shed the lenses of doubt

whenever you do this, and the Lord says, listen, blessed are those who believe without seeing the miracle. Blessed are those who believe and just trust that even when they don't understand all the stuff that's going on in life, they just simply say, I don't get all this, but I know you, and I know I can trust you. I know I can put my faith in you. I'm gonna eliminate doubt that's trying to drive me away from you, and I'm just simply gonna choose to believe even in the midst of circumstances that I don't understand. Here's the third thing. We see people in the Bible, the disciples in particular, who are looking through the lenses of disappointment. It's impacted all of us. Somebody that we cherished and loved that died when we prayed for their healing. A financial loss, a failed business, the divorce, the accident. Disappointment has a way of clouding our vision and affecting our judgment like very few things, and the disciples were very disappointed. They couldn't figure anything out. Jesus had been talking about this coming kingdom that he was gonna establish, and listen, all of them thought they were gonna be big dogs in the new kingdom. We're gonna have a big role in the new kingdom, and then all of a sudden, everything is obliterated.

Nothing they thought was gonna happen has happened, and they just simply don't know what to do, and now when they could see him clearly, they're looking through lenses of disappointment, and they just can't figure anything out. John chapter 21, verse one. Later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples by the Sea of Galilee, and this is how it happened. Several of the disciples were there. Simon Peter, Thomas, nicknamed the twin, Nathanael from Canaan in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, John and James, and two other disciples. Simon Peter said, I'm going fishing. We'll come too, they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night. Here are the disciples. They're in a place they just simply don't know what to do. They're in a place where disappointment has definitely shrouded their vision. Everything they thought was gonna happen hasn't happened, and so Peter just says, I'm going fishing, and then to add insult to injury, these professional fishermen catch nothing. Reminds me of most of my fishing expeditions. I'm a horrible fisherman. Usually when I fish, I give up after about 10 minutes. Maybe that's part of the problem, because I usually don't catch anything.

Here's the thing, when we are in a place where life has dealt us cards of disappointment, where the enemy has knocked at our door and things we thought were gonna happen, that they haven't happened, what do we do? What do you do? How do you respond? Because here's the reality of disappointment. The enemy always wants to convince you that where you came from is better. where you're going. The enemy wants to shroud you with doubt and say, can I really trust him because I thought he was going to provide a job for me? I thought I would be married by now. I thought I was going to be healed and I'm still in pain. I've still got bills stacked up. Can I really trust him? I don't know where he's taken me. I don't know what the future holds. I might as well go back to the addiction. I might as well go back to the immorality. I don't know what's ahead. That wasn't the best life, but at least I know what is there for me. I'll go back to the immorality. I'll go back to the job I had before. I'll go back to the relationships because at least that will bring me some sense of security. Peter says, I guess I'll go fishing. I don't know where we're going. I don't know what all this means. I don't know if I can really trust him anymore. I'm so disappointed by what's happened, so I guess I'll just go back to what I know. That's some of you. Life has disappointed you. The enemy has created unhealthy doubt in you. Can I really trust him? Is he really taking me to a good place? Maybe I'm better off to go back to that relationship. Maybe I'm better off to go back to the addiction. Maybe I'm better off living the life that I was living before I started out on this journey. And listen, anytime that you try to go back to a place that God delivered you from, all it's going to do is frustrate you. Look at verse 4. It says this, at dawn, Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn't see who he was. This is the third time that he's appeared to them. They're fishing, they're disappointed, they're doubting what the future looks like, catching nothing in their nets, and Jesus is standing right there. Right there. And they don't even recognize

him. Why? That's the power of disappointment. The power of disappointment. Some of you have been so disappointed by the things that have happened in your life, and you can't even see him for who he really is. But listen, he wants to reveal himself to you. Look at verse 6. And then he said, throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat and you'll get some. So they did. And they couldn't haul in the net because there were so many fish in it. And then the disciple Jesus loved, John, said to Peter, it's the Lord. And when Simon Peter heard that, it was the Lord. He put on his tunic, before he had stripped for work, he jumped into the water, headed to shore, and the others stayed with the boat. And they pulled the loaded net to the shore, where they were only about a hundred yards from shore. A hundred yards from Jesus. A hundred yards from the one they'd spent over three years with. They couldn't recognize him because of the lenses of disappointment. But all of a sudden, John, his vision begins to clear. He says, I know him. That's the Lord, Peter. That's him. That's him. He's come back from the dead. We've got to get to him. And listen, what happened in the natural in that moment was just a prophetic reminder to them of what they were supposed to be doing in the spiritual. You see, because three years earlier, they were on the same lake, staying along the same shore, along the same beach, when this guy named Jesus comes walking along and he says, hey, Peter, John, follow me. You don't have to do this anymore. I've got something better for you. I'm going to make you a fisher of men. And now they think, I'll just go back to what I know. And Jesus allows them to be successful in the moment. Not so they'll go back into that career, but so they'll be reminded, no, we were brought out of this, and this is not who we are. We're called to be fishers of men. We're called to build the kingdom of God. And I have a sense that Jesus is saying to some of you, this is not who you are. You were not made for addiction. You were not made for immorality. You were not made to be angry your whole life or to be full of pride your whole life. No, no, no, that's not who you are. Jesus brought you here today to remind you. You're called for something greater. You're called to build the kingdom. Those of you watching on Pando right now,

let me tell you, even though you're incarcerated, Jesus has a plan for you. He's called you to something greater. He can still use you right where you are. Let's go back to Peter for a moment. We would all agree, he blew it, blew it big time. Life altering mistake. I'll go to prison with you. I'll die for you. Then he denies him three times. But we find some beautiful words in Mark chapter 16. Mark chapter 16, beginning in verse one, I'm gonna read this and then we're gonna pray. It says, this Saturday evening when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome, went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus' body. Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. On the way, they were asking each other, who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb? But as they arrived, they looked up and they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside. And when they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, but the angel said, don't be alarmed.

Easy for you to say. You're looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified, he's not here. He's risen from the dead. Look, this is where they laid his body. Notice this now, verse seven. This is the key. Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going on ahead of you to Galilee. You'll see him there, just as he told you, before he died, the angel knew. Peter is curled up in the fetal position somewhere, beating himself up, covered over with shame because he denied the one that he had pledged his life to. And the angel says, I want you to gather the disciples, get them all together. I'm gonna come, I'm gonna appear to them, and oh, by the way, make sure you tell Peter as well, because I still have a plan for him. I'm still gonna use him. Let me tell you something. Your repeated sin has not disqualified you from what God wants to do through your life. You going back to that lifestyle did not disqualify you. He still has a plan for you. But you'll never realize it unless you run to him and say, oh, Jesus, I give my life to you. I give my future to you. I don't get all that's happened in my life, but I choose to trust you.

Would you bow your heads and close your eyes all across this room?