well what's up family i'm excited man you're about to watch a message we did at Resurrection Sunday at Change Church we were at the Georgia Tech Mckameish Pavilion that's the basketball arena two services at 9:00 a.m and at 11:45 a.m god's doing incredible things and this message I taught was called I'm Not There Anymore this is your season to make moves to make sure your setbacks become setups for come-ups jesus the goat is going to show you how it is take care but there is something I want to share with you from Luke's gospel luke 24 beginning at verse number five and uh I want to read two verses verses 5 and 6 from the New King James rendering and again I want to overinvite you to worship with us we we making room and so not only do we have our Gwynette location in Duth and um I know we've talked a lot about Dicab but don't y'all have me at Duth next week and y'all not there okay 9:00 uh next Sunday morning and um we're going to be there at Duth and we've got 9 and 11 in Duth and we've got 10 uh and 12:15 at 10:15 and 12:15 at the cab and so God's doing a new thing and we're we're excited about it luke 24 5 and 6 it says "Then as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth they said to them why do you seek the living among the dead he is not here but he is risen." Amen and I want to stop the reading of there and I want to tag a title of this text in our time together uh and hopefully the title of this text is the testimony of your life here it is i'm not there anymore i need you to act like you're the 1:30 or the 11:45 service at change i'm not there anymore yeah i want to interrupt your regularly scheduled Easter service with this breaking news announcement the resurrection of Jesus is a revelation that God uses setbacks as setups for come-ups and this is good news for God's people because setbacks are an inevitable reality in the human experience we will not all experience the same setbacks but everyone will experience some setbacks and the season you're in may determine the setback you experience some of us in this room can corroborate my claim because you are sitting next to a survivor of setbacks yeah they don't look like what they've come through yeah the outward disposition in reflective of the of their life's journey you sit next to somebody that's had to bounce back from some things that their life has not have been a flowery bed of ease as a matter of fact some of us are honest enough to admit some of what God has done for us is so secret and supernatural i can only partly testify you just need to know he made a way i can't even tell you everything he made a way for you just need to know he brought me out i can't tell you everything he brought me out of we all will experience some setbacks but we all won't experience the same setbacks some of us may experience setbacks emotionally where you hit a season where you've got more grief than joy others may experience a setback relationally where you ex hit a season where you experience more exploitation than appreciation some may experience a setback financially where you have more month than money some may experience a setback professionally where your pay doesn't match your potential and your ability doesn't match your assignment but I want to encourage somebody with this truth it doesn't matter what you've been set back from whether it is emotionally relationally financially or professionally and it doesn't matter how long you've been set back if you will learn to manage your setback the way Jesus managed his setback then you will not only come out of your setback you will come out and then come up you You've missed what I just said jesus didn't just come out of the grave but he went up to sit on the right hand of the father and I want to know am I talking to anybody that is in this room whose desire is I don't want to just come out i want to come up if I'mma go through all of this agitation I need some compensation i need to be richer in wisdom i need to be richer in focus i need to be richer in strength come on here if I'm going to come out of Egypt I don't want to come out of Egypt empty-handed i want to come out of Egypt saying "I'm stronger I'm wiser and I'm better." And if we want our setbacks to be set ups for come ups if we don't want our setbacks to set us back then we need to learn how to manage our setbacks the way Jesus managed his setback we need to let the goat guide us on how to handle your grave pastor I've never been in a grave oh yes you have i never been in a grave oh yes you have you may not have been in a grave literally but we've been in some dead places metaphorically come on church yeah yeah we may not have been in a grave literally but but we've been in a grave metaphorically see the grave represents seasons of immobility because when you're in a grave you don't move and is there anybody in the room that can testify you've been through seasons where it felt like time was moving but I wasn't it seems like prayers are going up but everything else seems to be going down it It's It's when you're stressed because you're stuck and being stressed got you stuck grave not just a time of immobility it's a time of isolation because when you're in that tomb you're in there by yourself no crowd cheering because setbacks have a way of stripping you down to solitude there are places pain will take you that people can't go with you they can walk with you to your Gethsemane but they can't carry you across to Goltha so we hadn't been in a grave literally but we've been in a grave metaphorically and if we'll learn from what Luke teaches in the text the goat will guide you on how to handle your grave luke exposes us to an interesting experience the text says Mary Magdalene Mary the mother of James and others are going to the tomb to engage in a custom that included anointing the dead body of Jesus y'all missed that already mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and some others are going to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus we missed that again mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus and James and others are going to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus it didn't say James went it say his mother went i got a question where's James right right james was a disciple of Jesus james was one you would think be lo that would be loyal to Jesus but here's what this text teaches us even in the introduction some people that show up for you when you on your feet disappear when you're on your back did you hear what I just said when Jesus was walking on two feet all the disciples were with him but when he was on his back laying in that tomb they were nowhere to be seen this is why you've got to stop letting loyalty be defined by who is with you when you on your feet true loyalty isn't revealed until you on your back because loyalty is revealed when there is adversity and opportunity you don't know if people are actually loyal until they have an opportunity to not be and I want to speak to some people who have swed the seed of loyal love into other people's life i pray that 2025 is the year where God gives you a harvest into your life of the seed of loyalty you sown into the lives of others god said you would reap what you sow he didn't say you'd reap where you sow and may God send you somebody that is just as good to you as you have been to everybody else i wish I had a church on this section where is James well Peter I never leave you watch this oh I don't have time where's Peter you will fight for me when I'm looking i'mma say I'mma when they try to take Jesus into custody then Peter fought okay okay okay but when Jesus isn't present Peter denied him cuz your commitment is revealed not just what you do by what you do in my presence your commitment is revealed by what you do in my absence it's not will you fight for me when I'm looking will you fight for me when I'm not okay mary is there that's so good watch this watch this family watch this they go They go on what the Bible calls the first day of the week that's not Monday that's Sunday yes sir the first day of the week uhhuh and they're going the text says to anoint the body of Jesus this was a way of showing honor and respect to a body because the spices and the aroma from the spices would mask the smell of a decomposing body a and so they are they are going on a Sunday to anoint the body of Jesus jesus was crucified on a Friday right right but they couldn't go on a Saturday because Saturday was the Sabbath that's right so they had to wait to Sunday to do something they probably wanted to do Saturday right right i said they had to wait until Sunday to do something they probably wanted to do Saturday that's right so they're probably feeling like they're being delayed they're probably feeling like they behind schedule they're probably feeling like they are doing something on a day later than they should have been and could have been doing it but what if I tell you sometimes God will knock you off your schedule to knock you on to his this section is not talking to me i said "Sometimes God will knock you off your schedule to knock you onto his because there are times where you feel like you're being delayed there are times where you feel like you're being restricted when God's actually not delaying your appointment he's helping you keep your appointment." Because watch this if they had have gone to the tomb on Saturday Jesus still would have been there but God knew how to delay let me have him crucified on a Friday to put a day in between the crucifixion and the resurrection and let me make Mary and let me make Mary the brother of James get there when they think it's too late when the truth of the matter is it is right on time sometimes God orchestrates a hold up to set you up for something you would have missed if you would have went when you wanted to gosh I said sometimes God orchestrates a hold up to set you up for something you would have missed if you would have went when you wanted to god will cause you to get behind schedule so you can stay on schedule and I want to talk to some people who feel like you behind schedule the accuser of the brethren Satan is planting thoughts into your mind suggesting to you that if you wouldn't have did this in ' 86 and if that wouldn't have happened in 98 and if that wouldn't have happened in 2005 you'd be somewhere different in 2025 and maybe that is true but it's not all the truth that's right because my Bible says God is the redeemer of time and this means he buys time back it doesn't mean he gives you more time it means he take the time you got left and he does so much in the time you got left it make up for the time you wasted he said "I can do more in the last 8 months of this year than what happened the last eight years cuz I can redeem time." And I want everybody that feels like you've never made a mistake and you never made a bad decision that set you back be quiet but for those of us that need God to turn the clock in our favor I need you to raise your voice like you believe he's getting ready to do it in the last 8 months listen they're going to the grave sir to anoint the dead body of Jesus they're going to the grave to anoint the dead body of Jesus they're going to the grave to anoint the dead body of Jesus they are going to the grave to anoint the dead body of Jesus and they get to the grave and an angel say "Yeah why you here?" They got the spices in their hand saying "What you mean why are we here i'm going I came to the grave to anoint the dead body of Jesus." The angel says "He's risen." Watch this he's not here not here you missed it he's not here he's not here you're looking for something living among the dead he he's not here now this is where I stop reading scripture but this is not where the angel stops speaking after the angel Put the text on the screen they don't believe me after the angel says "He's not here he's risen." The angel says "Remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee." Y'all miss this one translation says he has risen just like he said he would in other words he says "You came with with spices to anoint a dead body because historically everybody else that goes in a tomb don't come out you you you came to anoint a dead body in a tomb because Are y'all ready for this i said "Are you ready for this?" Because you expected him to be in the same condition he was in the last time you saw him the last time you saw him he was beaten he was battered he was bruised but since you last saw him he's been to hell and back my Bible readers he has descended to the lower parts of the earth and he's come back and engaged in a resurrection so now since he's been to hell and back he's not in the same place that you last saw him and I pray that this is not just the testimony of Jesus i pray this is the testimony of your life because there are some people the last time they saw you you were in a certain condition the last time they saw you you had certain values the last time they saw you you were in a certain place and space but God has took you to hell and back he says "You surprise sir that he did exactly what he said you surprised that he did this thing that he said he said some things you believed but the evidence that you're the fact that you're here with spices is evidence you ain't really believe this thing." Right that's right cuz just because you believe God for some things doesn't mean you believe God for all things and the fact that they came to attend to a dead body suggests they didn't really believe God was going to do so here's a question for our reflection where are you showing up with spices cuz you don't believe he'll do that thing no no no i I know you believe he'll save you i know you believe he'll make a way but but but where where what grave are you showing up to cuz you don't believe he'll do that thing but maybe he wants to use the text to infuse you with faith yes sir to believe so that you know the hardest thing that could ever be done was done on this day 2025 years ago y'all missed it i said the hardest thing to ever be done was done and if he can do this he can do anything if he can do this thing he can do that thing in your life say "He's not here he's risen." just like he said he would don't miss this so Jesus's grave wasn't a setback it was a setup for a come-up and if our graves are going to be set if our setbacks are going to be setups for come-ups we got to learn how to manage our graves the way Jesus managed his okay right right because all of us will have these experiences but all of us have not been trained on how to handle these experiences because there are three ways to handle anything and there are three ways to handle a setback there's culture's way there's the church's way and there's the king's way and when you handle setbacks church's way it means you try to escape it this is when I try to get out of it without asking what God wants to get out of me it's when I try to change it without seeing if this needs to change me it's when I find something to distract me instead of letting this develop me let me just escape culture's way it's culture's way culture says escape it church says accept it that's right yeah this is when I wear my suffering like a badge but never ask God if he wants to turn it into a breakthrough this is when we quote God is good while quietly while quietly questioning if he actually is this is when we say "Thy will be done." Without ever asking what his will is culture's way escape it church's way accept it king's way elevate from it elevate this is when I see my suffering as school and my trial as a tool it's when we grow from it not just go through it it's when I let the pain grow me not just grieve me it's when I walk out of it with wisdom and not just wounds it's when I stop asking why did this happen to me and start asking what is God doing in me i'm done tario they tired here it is here it is can I show it show you three things that the goat did to handle his sir to help us handle ours here it is number one you got to discern what should die good jesus said "No one take my life i lay it down." Crucifixion isn't just about suffering it's about selection and when you go through pain something will die you just got to make sure it's the right thing cuz when you go through setbacks let your pride die but not your purpose did you hear what I just said yeah yeah the enemy wants to use the setback to put some things on the cross that God wants to stay alive and we've got to be discerning enough to realize and recognize I I let the wrong thing die what's in the tomb that God never intended to be in there see the question isn't just did I survive the question is did my faith survive did my joy survive did my peace about i got to discern what should die cuz this discerning what should die is about not letting the adversity assassinate the wrong thing number two you got to depart from dead places jesus didn't stay in the tomb and neither can you and some of us are too loyal to the location of our last loss it's what is what God said to Samuel in 1st Samuel 16 when he says "How long are you going to mourn over what I rejected?" In other words I'm through with that i'm not through with you i'm through with that and if you'll stop crying about the door I closed I'm going show you the one I'm getting ready to open if you'll stop crying about what you lost I'll show you what I'm getting ready to give you and I want to know am I talking to anybody that believe your future is brighter than your past that your tomorrow is better than your yesterday is there anybody that believes that weeping may endure for a night but joy it's coming in the morning you got to discern what should die you got to depart from dead places yes sir and if you're going to handle your grave the way the goat handled his grave if you're going to manage your setbacks the way Jesus managed his setbacks third thing you got to do is make a decision that I won't lose hope i love it hope is expectation moltman says they are hope and faith are inseparable companions hope is nothing else than the expectation of those things which faith has believed to be truly promised by God faith believes God to be true hope awaits the time when this truth will be manifested and so hopelessness is the premature anticipation of the non-performance of God's promises it is the premature anticipation of the non-performance of God's promises it's when you prematurely anticipate God's not going to do it ever cuz he hadn't done it yet and I got to get out of here but maybe one of the reasons God let Jesus stay in the grave for three days is to assassinate hopelessness to let you know that it doesn't matter how long the thing has been dead when I say it's time for that thing to get up whatever has been dead and however long it's been dead it's got to get out of that grave lazarus came out Jesus came out and you getting ready to come out too i got to get out of here on this Easter Sunday morning but is there anybody in the room that believes you're getting ready to step into a season where God is going to do what he says some of your panic is premature oh that's so good so good you panicking but it's still Friday oh my god you're panicking but it's just Saturday you're panicking but it's just Saturday night sunday's coming if it hasn't happened yet it's not Sunday yet if it hasn't happened yet it's not Sunday yet if it hasn't happened yet it's not Sunday yet because when Sunday comes it will be exactly what God said and I believe the last time I looked at my calendar naturally is Sunday i want somebody to act like spiritually it's your Sunday how are you going to respond when God does exactly what he says yes sir listen to me your setback isn't always what sets you back the grave set everybody back but Lazarus temporarily and Jesus wow wow so your setback doesn't have to set you back yeah yeah it's how you handle your setbacks you got to discern what needs to die you got to depart from dead places you got to make a decision that I'm not going to lose my hope that's good look at me and look at me this is for those of you who discern something's happening in this moment you've been in that grave too long that's why it's like it's like you you feel like you're like somebody invited me to this arena i went through all this traffic to get in here and somebody told this man my business no this is God this is his love letter to you this is God saying "Come on out of there." But listen to me jesus the son didn't get himself out of the grave and you can't get your yourself out of yours that's so good but Paul says the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is the same one that can raise you listen to me you can handle your setbacks culture way you can handle them church way or you can handle them the king's way yeah and the king's way is the only way you come out and come up and just because you know the king is savior doesn't mean you're handling setbacks his way come on so today I want to ask you a question do you really think you can do it the king's way without the king no way that if God had to help Jesus get out of his grave you really think grit is going to get you out of yours you can grind your way out of a lot of things a grave not one of them jesus you need God you need God and if you're here today I want to extend an invitation to you not to believe in the existence of a God you probably do that that's why you're here i want to invite you to take your spirituality seriously to take your spiritual journey to make a commitment one of the most spiritual things you will do is choose Jesus did you hear what I just said you got to choose to pray you got to choose to read your Bible you got to choose to submit the leadership of your life to Jesus you got to choose to say culture's way don't work church way works sometime the king's way so like this isn't a cute little prayer let me ask Jesus it in your heart i'm even questioning the the the formulaic approach we often take to salv this is a decision to begin a journey yes sir long obedience in the right direction to say I'm making this decision not because God's way is just right it's better period this way not working for me i know there's more in me i know there's more for me i know God wants to do more through me and if you are here today and you're ready to take this commitment seriously What are you taking more serious than God i see I know the way you lock in and what on what matter to you Jesus and you have taken you as far as you can take you thanks god's got to take it from here so believing in the historical Jesus or being baptized that doesn't mean I've actually surrendered my life it means I like Christianity wow that's good and I'm taking my time i'm fishing and if you're here I want to pray for you because some of you you're saved but it's time it's time for you to It's time for you really it's time for you to take your salvation seriously it's time to take growth seriously it's time to be committed we're so glad to have you here today but it's time to be committed beyond sporadic church attendance i love that it's time to say the only to say I only get the life Jesus promised when I do life his way so I'm going to pray for you that God would help you choose i don't know the choice i'm not God but today I'm going to pray that he gives you the grace to choose father I I thank you for those that need to make a decision to receive you as Lord and Savior i thank you for those that need to make a decision regarding church membership to get serious about planting themselves in a local church and whether that is change or not today would you create in them an appetite for the thing that matters the most and that thing is you i ask this in Jesus name if you prayed that prayer or heard me pray that prayer and it resonated with you and you're really making a decision for the first time to seriously take your spiritual journey serious I want you to text the word save to that number on the screen or if you know I I I need to be maybe maybe this isn't even your first time having a change experience maybe you kind of been dating change and I don't know if change is your church or not we got God has different kind of churches cuz different people need different things uh but maybe change is what you need in this season of your life and if that's you we invite you to text the word join to that number on the screen we believe God's getting ready to do a new thing in your life and we close our worship gatherings each week listen I hope you enjoyed that message i hope it ministered to you i've got one request if it did would you just send it to somebody else there's a arrow you can press that share button you can text it you can email the link to this message to someone else we want to help as many people as possible we want we want them to experience what we call third way teaching not just churches not cultures way not church's way but the king's way and you can help us spread that message so thanks in advance for that and for those of you who regularly sew into the field you're harvesting from you understand God's principle of generosity uh ways to give on the screen now thank you in advance for your generosity take care