He Has Risen Just As He Said

April 7, 2024 · Harmony of the Gospels

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Series · Harmony of the Gospels · Week 35 of 36

Scripture referenced 9 passages

The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.

1 Peter 5:7 opening encouragement to cast all anxiety on the Lord because He cares

7 casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you.

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Psalm 147

quoted before prayer: how good and fitting it is to sing praises to God

1 Praise Yah, for it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant and fitting to praise him.

2 Yahweh builds up Jerusalem. He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.

3 He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds.

4 He counts the number of the stars. He calls them all by their names.

5 Great is our Lord, and mighty in power. His understanding is infinite.

6 Yahweh upholds the humble. He brings the wicked down to the ground.

7 Sing to Yahweh with thanksgiving. Sing praises on the harp to our God,

8 who covers the sky with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who makes grass grow on the mountains.

9 He provides food for the livestock, and for the young ravens when they call.

10 He doesn’t delight in the strength of the horse. He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.

11 Yahweh takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his loving kindness.

12 Praise Yahweh, Jerusalem! Praise your God, Zion!

13 For he has strengthened the bars of your gates. He has blessed your children within you.

14 He makes peace in your borders. He fills you with the finest of the wheat.

15 He sends out his commandment to the earth. His word runs very swiftly.

16 He gives snow like wool, and scatters frost like ashes.

17 He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can stand before his cold?

18 He sends out his word, and melts them. He causes his wind to blow, and the waters flow.

19 He shows his word to Jacob; his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.

20 He has not done this for just any nation. They don’t know his ordinances. Praise Yah!

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Colossians 1

read before offering: all things created through and for Christ, He holds all things together and is head of the church

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

2 to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

4 having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which you have toward all the saints,

5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the Good News,

6 which has come to you; even as it is in all the world and is bearing fruit and growing, as it does in you also, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth;

7 even as you learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,

8 who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.

9 For this cause, we also, since the day we heard this, don’t cease praying and making requests for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

10 that you may walk worthily of the Lord, to please him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

11 strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, for all endurance and perseverance with joy;

12 giving thanks to the Father, who made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light;

13 who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love;

14 in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins;

15 who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

16 For by him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and for him.

17 He is before all things, and in him all things are held together.

18 He is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

19 For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him;

20 and through him to reconcile all things to himself, by him, whether things on the earth, or things in the heavens, having made peace through the blood of his cross.

21 You, being in past times alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil deeds,

22 yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without defect and blameless before him,

23 if it is so that you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Good News which you heard, which is being proclaimed in all creation under heaven; of which I, Paul, was made a servant.

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the assembly;

25 of which I was made a servant, according to the stewardship of God which was given me toward you, to fulfill the word of God,

26 the mystery which has been hidden for ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to his saints,

27 to whom God was pleased to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory;

28 whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus;

29 for which I also labor, striving according to his working, which works in me mightily.

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Mark 16:1-8

described as ending at verse 8 with the women fleeing the tomb in fear and astonishment

1 When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, that they might come and anoint him.

2 Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.

3 They were saying among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?”

4 for it was very big. Looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back.

5 Entering into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were amazed.

6 He said to them, “Don’t be amazed. You seek Jesus, the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen. He is not here. Behold, the place where they laid him!

7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He goes before you into Galilee. There you will see him, as he said to you.’”

8 They went out, and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had come on them. They said nothing to anyone; for they were afraid.

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Mark 16:9-20

noted as a disputed passage that was skipped, continuing the resurrection story

9 Now when he had risen early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.

10 She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept.

11 When they heard that he was alive, and had been seen by her, they disbelieved.

12 After these things he was revealed in another form to two of them, as they walked, on their way into the country.

13 They went away and told it to the rest. They didn’t believe them, either.

14 Afterward he was revealed to the eleven themselves as they sat at the table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they didn’t believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

15 He said to them, “Go into all the world, and preach the Good News to the whole creation.

16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who disbelieves will be condemned.

17 These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new languages;

18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will in no way hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

19 So then the Lord, after he had spoken to them, was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.

20 They went out, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the signs that followed. Amen.

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Matthew 28:1-20

the main sermon text covering the resurrection, great commission, and guards' report

1 Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.

2 Behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from the sky, and came and rolled away the stone from the door, and sat on it.

3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.

4 For fear of him, the guards shook, and became like dead men.

5 The angel answered the women, “Don’t be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus, who has been crucified.

6 He is not here, for he has risen, just like he said. Come, see the place where the Lord was lying.

7 Go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead, and behold, he goes before you into Galilee; there you will see him.’ Behold, I have told you.”

8 They departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring his disciples word.

9 As they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” They came and took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.

10 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Go tell my brothers that they should go into Galilee, and there they will see me.”

11 Now while they were going, behold, some of the guards came into the city, and told the chief priests all the things that had happened.

12 When they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave a large amount of silver to the soldiers,

13 saying, “Say that his disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.

14 If this comes to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him and make you free of worry.”

15 So they took the money and did as they were told. This saying was spread abroad among the Jews, and continues until today.

16 But the eleven disciples went into Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had sent them.

17 When they saw him, they bowed down to him, but some doubted.

18 Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.

19 Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20 teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

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Philippians 2

cited to explain that Christ emptied Himself of some divine attributes before the resurrection

1 If therefore there is any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion,

2 make my joy full, by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind;

3 doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself;

4 each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.

5 Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus,

6 who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped,

7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.

8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross.

9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name;

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,

11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

12 So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

13 For it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.

14 Do all things without murmurings and disputes,

15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without defect in the middle of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world,

16 holding up the word of life; that I may have something to boast in the day of Christ, that I didn’t run in vain nor labor in vain.

17 Yes, and if I am poured out on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice, and rejoice with you all.

18 In the same way, you also rejoice, and rejoice with me.

19 But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered up when I know how you are doing.

20 For I have no one else like-minded, who will truly care about you.

21 For they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ.

22 But you know the proof of him, that, as a child serves a father, so he served with me in furtherance of the Good News.

23 Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it will go with me.

24 But I trust in the Lord that I myself also will come shortly.

25 But I counted it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and your apostle and servant of my need;

26 since he longed for you all, and was very troubled, because you had heard that he was sick.

27 For indeed he was sick, nearly to death, but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow on sorrow.

28 I have sent him therefore the more diligently, that, when you see him again, you may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.

29 Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy, and hold such in honor,

30 because for the work of Christ he came near to death, risking his life to supply that which was lacking in your service toward me.

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John 17

referenced as Jesus praying not only for the disciples present but for all who would believe through their word

1 Jesus said these things, and lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may also glorify you;

2 even as you gave him authority over all flesh, so he will give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

3 This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.

4 I glorified you on the earth. I have accomplished the work which you have given me to do.

5 Now, Father, glorify me with your own self with the glory which I had with you before the world existed.

6 I revealed your name to the people whom you have given me out of the world. They were yours, and you have given them to me. They have kept your word.

7 Now they have known that all things whatever you have given me are from you,

8 for the words which you have given me I have given to them, and they received them, and knew for sure that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me.

9 I pray for them. I don’t pray for the world, but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.

10 All things that are mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.

11 I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them through your name which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are.

12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in your name. Those whom you have given me I have kept. None of them is lost, except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

13 But now I come to you, and I say these things in the world, that they may have my joy made full in themselves.

14 I have given them your word. The world hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

15 I pray not that you would take them from the world, but that you would keep them from the evil one.

16 They are not of the world even as I am not of the world.

17 Sanctify them in your truth. Your word is truth.

18 As you sent me into the world, even so I have sent them into the world.

19 For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.

20 Not for these only do I pray, but for those also who will believe in me through their word,

21 that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you sent me.

22 The glory which you have given me, I have given to them; that they may be one, even as we are one;

23 I in them, and you in me, that they may be perfected into one; that the world may know that you sent me, and loved them, even as you loved me.

24 Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me be with me where I am, that they may see my glory, which you have given me, for you loved me before the foundation of the world.

25 Righteous Father, the world hasn’t known you, but I knew you; and these knew that you sent me.

26 I made known to them your name, and will make it known; that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

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Ephesians 3:16-19

closing benediction about being strengthened by the Spirit and grasping the breadth of Christ's love

16 that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man;

17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth,

19 and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

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Recap

The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.

Ray preached from Matthew 28 on the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, working through the Easter account and landing on the Great Commission. He tied together the disciples' worship, their doubt, and Jesus' answer to that doubt, before the church moved into communion together.

What was said

Matthew 28 opens with the women arriving at the tomb after the Sabbath ends. Ray walked through the earthquake, the angel rolling back the stone, the guards collapsing in fear, and the angel's word to the women: "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen just as He said." Ray paused on that phrase, noting that Jesus had told them repeatedly this would happen, and the angel was pointing them back to his own word.

The women left the tomb with fear and great joy, and Jesus met them on the way. They took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Ray said that moment sets the pattern: when you encounter the risen Jesus, the response is worship. The same thing happens when the eleven see him in Galilee. Both groups, on seeing him, worshiped.

Matthew notes that some doubted, or more precisely, wavered. Ray spent time on the Greek word, describing it as standing at a crossroad and refusing to commit, shifting between two positions. He was careful not to flatten it: it may have been the eleven, or others present, and theologians have argued about it for a long time. He simply let the text say what it says.

Jesus does not scold the doubters. He walks up and speaks to them, and the first thing out of his mouth is that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. Ray read that as comfort and assurance aimed directly at the wavering. Before the commission comes the declaration: there is no reason to doubt, because the authority behind this is total.

The commission itself Ray treated carefully on the grammar. The only imperative is "make disciples." The words for going, baptizing, and teaching are all participles. The command is the making of disciples, and the going, baptizing, and teaching are the shape of how it happens. Ray was clear that this does not mean everyone goes to another country, but it does mean everyone is always going somewhere, and the making of disciples happens in that ongoing movement of life.

He closed the sermon portion by coming back to verse 20. Jesus ends the commission not with a demand but with a promise: "I am with you always, to the end of the age." Ray said that promise is Jesus's direct answer to the doubt mentioned just a few verses earlier. History shows the eleven died as martyrs proclaiming the resurrection, not as men who kept doubting. The foundation holds, and the presence of Christ with his people is the reason it holds.

Doing a Bible study?

Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.

Ray pointed to the angel's words at the tomb, 'he has risen just as he said,' and noted that Jesus had told his followers repeatedly that he would rise from the dead. What does it mean to you that Jesus kept saying it ahead of time, and how does that affect the way you read his other promises?
Ray described Matthew's account of the guards being bribed to spread the story that the disciples stole the body, and said that story is still circulating today. Why do you think people have continued to work so hard to explain away the resurrection, and what do you find most compelling about the case that it actually happened?

and 3 more questions in the guide

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Fantastic.

I'm boundless. Well, good morning, everybody. How are doing today? Doing alright? Would you stand with me?

Let's what do you say we we worship together in song? Here's an encouraging word word from first Peter. You probably heard this before, but would you hear it again? I think we all need to hear this at times. It's first Peter five seven, and it's this.

Cast all your anxiety on him. I don't know what you're coming with this morning. You could be just feeling refreshed and and fantastic, or you might be carrying some some worry and some fret and anxiety. But it says, to do this, cast all your anxiety on him, the Lord. Why?

Because he cares. Because he cares for us. Would you join us in singing, leave it there.

I have a few announcements here. One of them is this, the super exciting happy happy good times budgeting workshop. Free April 16. April 16. What is that right after?

April 15. Can we just say a prayer for all the CPAs in the house? They're carrying our burdens. Actually, I'm I'm sincere about that, but super exciting happy happy good times budgeting workshop is free. April sixteenth, twenty third, and the thirtieth.

Sixty eight here at Firstbee. All of that is gonna deal with, like, getting out of debt, saving for retirement, and just keeping it chill. Nick, Stern, Richard Yule, and Jeremy Leiper are gonna be kinda co teaching this thing and helping people through it. So that's happening. Awana.

Yes. Yeah. We are on tomorrow, and it's Athene Night. I think it's hero night.

My Hero night.

Hero night. Yeah. So kids dress as their favorite superhero tonight tomorrow night. So 05:45, check-in. Yep.

Hero night at Awana. 05:45 tomorrow night. Be there. We have we had some a new volunteer. This the first time they had done the connect hour today and they are down there having come in yesterday and prepared for it and pretty excited.

Solicio is down there. So if you would like to be a part of that, you can call Addy or sign your name up on the fellowship hall wall down there. There's some sign up sheets to do that. Lunch study. It's it's on.

It's on. Alright. 11:55 in the Fellowship Hall. Starting up first Peter this week. So fantastic.

We'll just turn the page from James to first Peter. Fantastic. Okay. Come and go as needed. It'll be 11:55.

It'll be over at 01:00. Jackson Hole Men's Alliance is meeting Wednesday morning, April the tenth, 06:30AM in the Fellowship Hall. That'd be a good gathering. Jacklyn Hole Men's Alliance will be not just first b guys, but other guys too. Come on if you wanna be a part of that.

Hometown Nazareth, June 24 through the twenty seventh, there's a sign up. You can do that online firstbjackson.org or you can do it in the lobby this morning. There's a sign up sheet out there. And are here. Brooke Brooke and Anders are here, and they're gonna do that right before the sermon.

So, yeah, Brooke and Anders are here, J Zone Ministries. So if you would, Stan, I'm glad to be back. I'm thankful to Brad for preaching last week, and I'm glad to be back. We had a great time. Good to see you though.

Happy to be here.

From Psalm 147, it says, how good it is to sing praises to our God and how delightful, and how fitting. God, it is fitting to sing to you. You are good, and you are holy, and you are awesome. All we need to do is just take a look around at what you've created, to see your handiwork and go, wow. That's you.

That's you. You're the artist of this beautiful picture that we see around us. Praise you, God. You're deserving. You're deserving of our worship this morning.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

Every breeze. We're for you.

Jesus, the name above.

Jesus, the name above every other name.

Lord, we have sung it, but also we pray it too. Would you open up our eyes to see more of who you are? Would you show us, God? Would you fill us with your heart? Would you fill us with your love?

Would you lead us in your love to those around us? Lord, we need you in Jesus' name. Amen.

If you're on down Auntie Andy, come, Jesus, and find your strength. It. Hold for the whole to the and healer forever. That you need in him.

You can have

a seat here for a moment. This is the worship through giving part of the service, and I invite our ushers to come on forward. And and we're gonna sing a new song for us called holy forever. But from Colossians one, it says this, for in him, and that's Jesus, in him, all things were created, things in heaven and earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers, rulers or authorities. Catch this.

All things have been created through him and for him. He's before all things, and in him all things hold together. And I love this. Catch this. It says, he's the head of the body, the church.

Before we sing this, Ray, may I ask you to pray?

God, thank you for this for morning this morning. Jesus, resurrected, reigning, seated at the right hand of the father, interceding for us. Lord God Almighty, I'm so grateful. So so grateful for resurrection Sunday celebrated last week and for this ongoing time of mission on earth that you are using your humble and obedient servants to carry the gospel message forward. Lord, we ask that that's what you would do here this morning, that you would implant seeds in our heart that would grow up and that would just that would blossom and bloom, and others would be drawn into a relationship with you.

Would you do it, Lord? We ask you that you would do it. Your will, we want that done and we want it done in your way. In Jesus name, Lord, I ask for your blessing on this offering for the gift and for the giver and for the ongoing of your good news. In Jesus name, amen.

Jesus, ages to the your name is the highest. Jesus, your name is the highest. Your name is the greatest in your name, stands above them all. And all flows and dominions and all powers and positions your name stands above the moors and the angels cry. Forever.

If you've been forgiven, if you've been redeemed, sing the song forever to the world. If you are free, if you bear his name forever. Stands above them all. All thrones and dominions and all powers and positions. Your name

Amen. And I'm gonna invite Brooke and Anders Olson up to the front and they will tell you more about J Zone Youth Camps. Mic should be on. Perfect.

Well, thank you guys so much for having us, especially you, Ray. So we are Brooke and Anders Olsen. Anders grew up here. You might recognize his face. He's been around since he was a toddler.

So we're the directors of j zone youth camps, which is a organization in Zambia. We just got done with our first full year of ministry there, the two of us. I've been there since 2019, and we're about to head back for our second year stint out there. We really wanna thank you guys for all the donations that we received from you guys this last year, and we're really excited to share what God was able to do with your guys' generous giving. Quick summary of what JZone is if you weren't here the last time we spoke.

It is a Zambian owned operated organization. We're the only non Zambians who work for them. In this photo is our founders and partners, Sanderson and Lawendo, and they started JZone in 2006 just to fill the needs of their community. And so through that, every so often, we kind of branch branch off and start a new part of our ministry. So we have j zone water where we drill wells in rural communities.

We have j zone rural discipleship where we now have over 70 Bible study hubs and have trained over a 100 pastors to lead Bible studies in churches in their own communities. And then in the next few slides, we'll share the branches that Anders and I are kinda responsible for. So j zone youth and j zone youth camps.

Alright. Before we start the video, I just wanna say this is our bread and butter. This is what we wanna do with everything. So this is a day camp that we did in a village called Nampongo. Brooks Home Church in California, New Life Pismo Beach, was raising money to send kids to camp in America.

And so then we are also fundraising to send kids to camp in Zambia. So it costs about $10 to send a kid to camp in Zambia, which is great. So this is a normal camp that we do. It's five stations. We'll do beads that represent the gospel.

We'll do a dance. We'll do a message. We'll do some field games and face paint. So enjoy this short video. So this is what we wanna do with our property.

That was about 275 kids. We have a property that's 77 acres outside of town, where we want a home to do that. This past year, we built a fence and we built a road, which are two big things for us. You could see the difference between dry season and wet season there. And it was the reason that we are hired.

We are the camp experts of J Zone.

So while we're working on building this camp, we have a few weekly ministries that we do both in town and in some villages. So the first is our school programs. We're in four different schools every week, two orphanage schools, a primary and a secondary school, one Christian primary school, and then one village school that's kinda just all ages. And so it's kinda like a good news club or like a Bible study. So we really have relationships with these kids, and we go through a book of the Bible or a theme of the Bible and just get to hang out with them.

These schools have given us their PE period for us to come in during their school day, and so we always make sure that we get the kids running around. We taught them ultimate frisbee this year, and that's been their favorite game so far.

Alright. Jay Kids. This is a Saturday program where we invite two local orphanages and neighborhood kids to come hang out, learn about Jesus, play games. It's a great time of the week. We also do once a month a birthday program to eat cake, smack each other with balloons.

It's great. We love it.

And then our newest ministry and branch that we started this year while we were in Zambia is mother's bags in the pantry. So this photo is baby Emmanuel. He was the first to receive a mother's bag or his mother was. So we were really inspired to start this because one Saturday we were on our way home from JKIDS and we got a phone call that a woman that we had previously worked with a few times with J Zone was in labor, and she showed up to our office for help. And so we're like, okay.

We'll head right over. We'll drive her to the hospital. We'll do all of that. And we showed up and started talking to her. She said, you can't take me to the clinic.

And we're like, why? She said, I don't have any of my supplies. And we're like, what supplies? You just have to show up to the hospital and give birth. And she showed us the list that the clinic had given her of things she needs, like umbilical cord clamp for her baby and gloves for the doctors to wear and bleach to sterilize things.

And if you don't have those, they will turn you away, and then your baby won't have a birth certificate and won't be able to go to school, and it just creates this vicious cycle of poverty. And so for a $100, you can donate a mother's bag. And so we also, as we're starting that, realized there are a lot of other needs in the community, and so just normal pantry things like food and laundry detergent and soap and school supplies and things like that. If you wanna donate these, the best way to do it is in our monthly budget section of our website, which we'll show in a second, and you just donate the amount and write in the notes what you want that to be for.

So this is our phase one construction. This is our infrastructure. This is everything that we need to build camp. It's awesome that almost 90,000 has almost been raised. This year, we're trying to get a master site plan from some Kenyan architects so that everything can be legit.

And our goal is to host one camp on our property. And so we will be building to that.

Yeah. So the last thing that we have is our monthly budget. So those are things like our rent and our food and just the cost of living for us there. This year, we've decided to increase our monthly budget by $500 to help cover costs like the pantry and the mother's bags and things like that. So we just have more money on hand to give back to the community.

Okay. This is how we can donate. This is the only time you can take your phone out during church to scan the QR code. But we'll be in the back. We'd love to answer any more questions or share some testimonies that we can't in this short time.

There's our website. We can talk more about donating and where to mail. And, yeah, we just thank you so much for your continued support and prayers and donations, and we'd love to talk to you in the back. Alright. Thanks for going over time, Ray.

These for these two and for all of their compatriots there, I pray that you would give them an extended period of your loving kindness and grace that it would be filling them up so much that would draw other people into that caring, loving relationship with Jesus. I love both of these, and I'm thankful to even get to know them. Lord, and as we send them back out by way of other other churches and other places, they have to go in The States on the way back there. But I pray that when they arrive back, that there'll be a fresh sense of renewed purpose for them and for all of their teammates. In Jesus' name, we pray for every soul that they will encounter along the way.

Amen. Amen. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Resurrection and ascension, that's where we are. So we have been doing a harmony of the gospel study for how long? Anybody know? Two years? Long time?

A year and a half probably. And usually, I do it like this. And I say, okay, this is the whole text that we're gonna cover and then we cover all of that from all of them. This week, I am going to next Luke. Luke is long.

I knew that we were gonna have missionaries speaking this morning and know we have communion so I thought, I'll come back to Luke. I'm not gonna skip anything, so I'll come back to Luke. I've already preached through Luke about five times the resurrection section since I've been here. I went back and counted. Mark.

Mark, I believe, Mark ends right there at sixteen eight, But it does have in some of your Bibles, you'll read six nine sixteen nine through 20. And you're like, what? That's a textual situation that would take me thirty minutes to explain. I'm going to mix that for today. And since I'm mixing that one, we're going to do just Matthew.

So Mark sixteen one through five tells the story of the ladies arriving at the tomb to find it open and it ends right there. They went out and they fled from the tomb. Were trembling and astonished. Astonishment in Mark is a big deal. They are constantly astonished by what God is doing.

Mark is traditionally Peter's story as transcribed by Mark. And so having ended the story right there, they at first said nothing to anyone for they were afraid. They kind of stops. That stops the story. And so sixteen nine through 20 continues the story.

Sounds a lot like Matthew with a few added details, but I don't want to go into it today. I promise you, I will tell you about it if you ask me. I'll send you to places that are great. I'll give you books if you need them, but we'll come back to it at some other. It's a disputed passage that we're gonna skip.

So there we go. It looks like Family Feud. We've got three x's. We're gonna get the right answer right here in a minute. Now, after the Sabbath, after the Sabbath, that's Friday night sundown, Saturday at sundown.

After the Sabbath, as it began to dawn towards first day of the week, last week, y'all celebrated resurrection Sunday. And Brad went from a perspective from Paul talking about how important the resurrection is. And it is. We can see the gospels as passion narratives with long introductions. That's what one of my professors constantly called.

The gospels are all passion narratives. It's about the cross. But the cross would be nothing if he didn't rise. That's what Brad's sermon was about last week. Resurrection is where it's at.

So now, after the Sabbath, it began to dawn toward the first day of the week. Mary Magdalene, the other Mary came to look at the tomb and behold, a severe earthquake had occurred. By the way, we have people spread all over the world during this spring break time. We had people in Taiwan. We had folks on the East Coast during earthquakes.

They are scary. We were in were in Costa Rica this time. We went through several in Costa Rica. This is the explanation that Matthew gives. A severe earthquake had occurred for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it.

It's a big stone. And his appearance was like lightning and his clothing as white as snow. The guards shook from fear of him and became like dead men. So they passed out. Alright.

They're knocked out out of fear. And the angel said to the women, do not be afraid. He didn't say that to the soldiers by the way. Or maybe he did, but he just didn't have any context for it. The angel said to the women, do not be afraid for I know that you're looking for Jesus who has been crucified.

Makes sense. You're coming to the place where they laid him in the tomb. But he's not here for he has risen just as he said he would. Now remember back, he's told them over and over and over and over again that he was gonna rise from the dead. He told Mary and Martha, not these Mary's, but Mary and Martha that that if they believe they would see the resurrection.

Right? He's not here for he's risen just as he said. Now you come and see the place where he was lying. How huge a sentence is that? This place where this dead man was laying lying down.

Come see where he was lying and then go quickly and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead and behold, he's going ahead of you to Galilee. And there you will see and behold, I have told you. Now, in the first century, probably the people that were the least likely to be believed were women. Some I get got a couple of nods in here like, yep. We're used to that.

Jesus has been talking about an upside down kingdom for so long, and he's been talking about humility. And he is he is showing something I believe in appearing first to the ladies. Go and tell them. Now, Mark does say in the part that I skipped. Mark does say and nobody believed him.

There are also two men walking on the road to Emmaus, Luke tells us and nobody believed them either. Go quickly. Tell his disciples that he's risen from the dead and behold he is going ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see him all of y'all and behold, I've told you. And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and they ran to report to his disciples.

And behold, Jesus met them on the way and said, rejoice. And they came up and they took hold of his feet and they worshiped him. That is the response. That is the response for the risen savior. When you encounter the risen Jesus, the response is to worship him.

Right? That's their response. Can you imagine? Then Jesus said to him, don't be afraid. Go.

Bring word to my brothers. He doesn't say disciples here. That's an interesting people have all kinds of theories as to why, but it's an interesting thing. Go and bring word to my brothers. Actually, it doesn't just include just men.

Brothers, brothers and sisters, if it's not stipulated. So he's saying, go tell everybody. Go tell them. Tell my peeps to leave for Galilee and there they will see me. Now while they were on their way, some of the men from the guard came into the city and reported the chief priest saw that it happened.

That's a hard news to carry back. Now who were the guards? Were they Roman guards or were they temple guards? Says Roman guards in some of the other gospels. But these guys going back, I doubt a Roman guard is gonna go back and report to the chief priest.

He's not gonna do that. So it was not just Roman guards, they were temple guards. And they're going back to say what had happened. And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave those people a large sum of money to the soldiers, to those soldiers. Gave them a large sum of money and they said, you're to say this.

Now, his disciples came at night and they stole them while we were asleep. Now, for a Roman soldier, that would not work. That's a death sentence. You were asleep on the job. This guy's, you know, they got in.

Actually messing with a tomb of the dead is is a pretty high offense in most ancient cultures. His disciples came at night and stole them while we were asleep. And if this comes to the governor's ears, if Pilate hears anything about it, we will appease him and we will keep you out of trouble. Now they had some sway. They had had some sway that they proved over the last week.

Pilate declares him innocent five times. Other people declare him innocent several other times during the trial and they crucified him anyway. So the governor does have some sway, but they have sway over him. We will appease him. We'll keep you out of trouble.

And they took the money. They did as they have been instructed, a large sum of money. They did as they have been instructed, and this story has been widely spread among the Jews and it is to this day. It actually is to this day still. That's still one of the ways.

I'm working through this rather quickly and I know it, but I'm working towards something. So 16, verse 16 says, but the 11 disciples proceeded towards Galilee to the mountain which Jesus had designated them. They set this up ahead of time. He'd already said, I'm gonna do this. Even when they weren't understanding that he was really gonna rise from the dead, he was like, now, just listen.

Just listen to me. This is the place in Galilee. And when they saw him, now what's the response? When they saw him, what would the response be? The response of the ladies was that they worshiped him.

The response of these guys says, and they worshiped him. That is the response. That is the response. But let's come back to the next line. I'm gonna skip a few words right here and go to what we all know as the great commission.

We had missionaries speak this morning. How many times do you have missionaries speaking? You have to do the great commission. Well, we hit it naturally this morning. Right?

On time. When they saw him, they worshiped him. And Jesus came up and spoke to them saying, all authority. All authority in heaven and on earth, that's pretty inclusive. All authority on heaven and in earth has been given to me.

Now people squabble and they wonder, well, didn't he have all the power already anyway? He's Jesus. He's part of the Godhead. Well before the resurrection and in Philippians, it says that he had emptied himself. He had emptied some himself of some of his divine attributes.

He had emptied himself in the garden when he prayed not my will but your will be done. Filled with the spirit, but absolutely human. He was not exercising all authority in heaven and on earth because he walked out perfect submission to the spirit, because he worked out perfect humility, because he was tempted in every way just as we're tempted but yet was without sin. At the resurrection, he was given no doubt about it, all authority in heaven and on earth and it's been given Jesus says to me. And because of that, go therefore.

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I've commanded you and behold, I am with you always to the end of the age. Now looking through that, all is everywhere in there, isn't it? It's all over the place. All authority, go to all the nations, follow all that I've commanded you, and I'm with you, I add a nail. Always, I'm always there.

But there are a couple other things I wanna mention. Grammatically speaking, the go sometimes I know what it's like to sit in the congregation. My whole life I sat in congregations, you know. And you sit in the congregation and you sit out there and when they start to preach about the great commission, you start to look around like, I'm not gonna be going to Zambia anytime soon. Maybe Costa Rica, Taiwan, Nova Scotia, Indonesia.

The go right there is a participle. Now, it's interesting that in here, the only imperative is make disciples. So imperative is a command. The command is be making disciples. Go is as you are going.

Be making disciples as you are teaching. Be making disciples as you are baptizing. I'm looking forward later on the month. This month, we get to baptize a couple of little ones and I love that. All of us are responsible under this great commission, but it is not that all of us will go to Africa or all of us will go to wherever, but all of us will be going.

As long as we're drawing breath, we're going. We're on the go all the time. All authority has been given to Jesus. So be going and making disciples. Be making disciples.

How do you do that? I had one other professor in seminary. He has since passed. And he said, what's the great commission? And everybody says, go therefore.

Go. Go make disciples. Baptizing and teaching. He said, what you teach them? That's how you make disciples, by the way.

Teach them to obey all that I've commanded you. It's in the obeying that you're teaching people to obey. It's in the practice of Christianity that you're doing that. When you see the risen savior, if you are worshiping him, that calls other people to notice what's going on. Be doing the making of disciples is an it's a it's an ongoing thing.

As you are going, as you are teaching, as you are baptizing, as you are teaching them what? To follow all that I've commanded you. The all in here is so inclusive. It's so right in front of us in our lap all the time. Now I'm gonna go back to that 16 sets up the great commission.

But the low disciples proceeded to Galilee to the mount or 17 does. To the mountain which Jesus had designated them, and when they saw him, they worshiped him. But some doubted. Some were doubtful. That that were doubtful is like theologians argue over this all the time.

Theologians have written books. I have one of the books that's like, what what does this even mean? Who is it? Who are the some? And why were they doubting?

This is Jesus. These are the 11. It says it right there. Is it the 11? Is it some extra folks that were there?

Is it who is it? And what were they doubting? This is the resurrected Jesus. That's hard to believe, people. It's hard to believe.

This is an Aristakian vindictive third person, plural for those of you who care. From this statue, waiver, doubt or hesitate. Properly, it is going two ways. It is shifting between positions. Choosing a double stance, hence, is to vacillate, to waiver.

It's uncertain when you're at a crossroad because you're refusing to choose one way or the other. Some were like that. They're like, I don't know. It's either maybe, I'm not sure. It's this.

Could just be hesitate. It could just be some of them hesitated. But it's to halt between two opinions. When you go back and look at that and you say, and they they saw him and they they wanted it to be true and they worshiped and then we gather. We come on Sundays and we gather.

We we wanna worship him. We know that I believe it's true. Yeah. I believe it's true. But Jesus's answer to their doubt was to some of them without doubted.

Jesus's answer to their doubt was this. He came up to spoke and spoke to them and he said, all authority has been you can rest in this. I have the authority to give you this. All authority has been given to me on heaven and on earth. There's no reason for you to doubt.

He's assuring them. He's comforting them. And then he says, and as you all are going, as you're going, be making more disciples. If you go to John 17 where he prayed, he prayed for his disciples that were there, the three that were there, the 11, the one that would be added, the rest of them he says, not just these who have seen me and been with me, but the ones who will believe because of their word. It wasn't just for the eyewitnesses, it was for the ear witnesses.

It was for those of us who would eventually hear because people have trusted in Christ. His answer to their doubt is, I have the authority. Go and be making disciples of the nations. Be baptizing them into an all inclusive name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, transtarian formula. Teaching them to follow all that I've commanded you and he doesn't stop there.

For their doubt, he says, and behold, I'm always with you. I'm always gonna be there with you even to the end of the ages upon ages. I am with you. There's no need to doubt. Now, history tells us of what happened to those 11.

The resurrection of Christ is not something that is lightly handled. They all believed it because it was true. None of them died doubting. They died martyrs' deaths believing and proclaiming the resurrection and seeing the church grow. And if you shy away from this, this is the very foundation of the church.

It's the very foundation of Christianity. You don't have to understand it completely to believe it. You don't have to doubt because he is with you. And there is no theological argument against a transformed life. Okay.

We're going to a time of communion right here. I think that's the last slide. It's the last thing in Matthew. I'll invite the elders to come forward and the band to come up too, I think. Are we playing, Carl?

Good. Would y'all pray with me? God, thank you. I thank you that you are so good to us. I thank you that you're with us.

I thank you that you accompany us everywhere that we go, that you do live on, that you're seated at the right hand of the father, that you were bodily resurrected and that you ascended. Lord, I'm thankful, very, very, very thankful that you did that. I'm thankful that you continue to speak in your word. I'm thankful that you continue to speak by impressing upon us by your spirit. I'm thankful that you walked out a perfect life and did not deserve the death that you took, that you were actually innocent and we are actually guilty, but you declare us to be free.

By your stripes, Lord, we're healed. In Jesus' name, we gather this morning and in Jesus name, we ask for your blessing on this little representation of the body of Christ, this little oyster cracker. I pray Lord that you would bless for everyone who would partake. I pray that you'd bless them Lord. I also pray that you would forgive us of all of our shortfall Lord.

That you'd forgive us, that we would take this worthily, that we would know that we have trusted in you, that we're not trying to do anything ourselves, that we trust in you. Would you help us where we waver and hesitate and doubt? Would you help us in that? Help us with our unbelief. As we take this, we're saying we trust you.

We trust in you. We want for you to be Lord in our life. In Jesus name, I ask your blessing. Amen. And on the same night that Jesus was betrayed, he took bread after supper and he gave thanks for it.

And he said to his disciples in the room and his voice rings to us today, this is my body which is given for you voluntarily. Take this, take it in, and do it each time that you will in remembrance of me. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you. Ask that you would bless this little plastic cup of grape juice, this representation of your blood here.

For all who would partake, Lord, I pray that they would feel an enduring sense of your presence and that we would carry forth as we are going by carrying out what you've commanded of us. In Jesus name, we ask, that you would bless this time of remembrance. Amen.

Bring your sorrows and trade them for joy. From the ashes, a new life is torn. Jesus is gone. Christ is risen. No come to the altar.

The father's arms are open.

Amen. Jesus also took the cup after supper and he said to his disciples there, this is the new covenant in my blood. Take this and drink of it and do it as often as you will in remembrance of me. Amen. Amen.

And Paul says that as often as we do this, we proclaim his death until he comes again. The resurrected savior matters. He is with us to the very end of the age. Lord God Almighty, I pray that you would let us feel that as true as it is. May we never be doubting.

And when we are, bring us back. Bring us back, Lord. Bring us back around in Jesus name. Amen. Would you stand with me?

We're gonna sing one more song. Holy water. Hey, what's the book? Here it is. I pray that out of his glorious riches, oh, so good.

He may strengthen you with power. Through his spirit and your inner being so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you being rooted and established in love may have power together with all the Lord's holy people to grasp how wide and how long and how high and how deep is the love of Christ. May it be so. Amen.

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