By Your grace, I pray that we would be built up, that by Your grace this morning as we open Your Word, it would change us. It would help us to know you more, help us to know your ways, your thoughts, that we might live consistent with those. Father, we would continue to die to ourselves and to our opinions and to our thoughts. And we think more like you for the sake of Christ Jesus. In whose name I pray. Amen. Good morning, Grace Fellowship Church. There was a pretty big event that happened this weekend. And I'm not talking about the Mayweather-McGregor fight. There is, I'm sure as most of you know, Hurricane Harvey has hit South Central Texas. It came on Friday, and it's expected to stick around until Tuesday or Wednesday. And in the Houston area, they're expected to get upwards of 40 inches of rain. and it was a level four hurricane when it hit the shore, and now it's turned to a tropical storm, but it's just hovering around and continuing to deluge them with water. And I think that when, I don't know if you've seen any of the coverage, or you just think about 40 inches of water. That's three and a half feet of water that will fall over a five day period. And it will cause if you've seen the videos, I mean, cars are floating and things are flooded and that's going to continue. And I think it's really important that we we really we really what do we think about that? I mean, what would we what would God have us to think about that? First thing that comes to my mind is, it is pretty mind-blowing to see the amount of water that is in that area and how floods actually wash things away and have cars floating. It is beyond normal comprehension to see those kind of things. And then you look and you look at the fear and the panic I mean the grocery stores are out of water I saw a picture of a of a grocery store where there was like one case of water on this this whole long Shelf, and that was the only thing left and there was a person grabbing it So there's fear and there's panic and there's water and it's a pretty mind-numbing thing to consider and I think about Noah's flood And I think about I think about Noah's flood and I think about so I think about I how minor what I'm watching on television is or what those people are experiencing as far as the level of water and the fear and panic compared to when Noah's flood, when God flooded the earth. Whenever weather occasions happen like this, it causes me to think about these things. There's a few verses I want to look at that help us rightly think about what's happening down in Houston Psalm 135 verses 6 & 7 whatever the Lord pleases he does in heaven and in the earth in the seas and in all the deep places he causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth he makes lightning for the rain he brings the wind out of his treasuries that is God that is the power of God on display Jeremiah 10 Verse 12 and 13 he is made the earth by his power He has established the world by his wisdom and he stretched out the heavens at his discretions discretion when he utters his voice There's a multitude of waters in the heavens and he causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth He makes lightning for rain. He brings the wind out of his treasuries. I Job 37. Job 37 starting in verse 9. From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind, and cold from the scattering winds of the north. By the breath of God, ice is given, and the broad waters are frozen. Also the moisture with he saturates the thick clouds, he scatters his bright clouds. And they swirl about, being turned by his guidance, that they may do whatever he commands them on the face of the whole earth. He causes it to come, whether it's for correction, or for his land, or for his mercy. Listen to this Oh Job stand still and consider the wondrous works of God The wondrous that that Hebrew word is palah. It means extraordinary or marvelous or or separate by distinguishing action stand still and and Consider the extraordinary Works of God. Psalm chapter 148. Verses 1 through 12. How are we supposed to respond? How are we supposed to respond to what we're seeing happen in Houston? or in South Central Texas, not just Houston. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens. Praise Him in the heights. Praise Him, all His angels. Praise Him, all His hosts. Praise Him, sun and moon. Praise Him, all you stars of light. Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, and you waters above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created. He also established them forever and ever. He made a decree which shall not pass away. Praise the Lord from the earth, you great three creatures, and all the depths, fire and hail, snow and clouds, stormy wind fulfilling His word. Mountains and all hills fruitful trees and all cedars beasts and all cattle Creeping things and flying fowl kings of the earth and all people princes and all judges of the earth both young men and maidens old men and children Let them praise the name of the Lord for his name alone is exalted. His glory is above earth in heaven Praise him That's what we're to do When we see His extraordinary works, we are to praise Him. I'm not suggesting that we say, wow, we're really glad there's destruction and people, I think two people have died and people are losing their homes and property's getting, that's not it, it's to praise God. It is to stand back and consider His extraordinary power. So when I stand back and I consider that, and I consider the flood, and I consider God's power, I am in awe of Him. And I am so thankful that I am no longer His enemy. I am so thankful that I have peace with Him. That's what the storm in Houston causes me to do. Be thankful that that God, that extraordinary work of the almighty, powerful God of the universe, the creator of all things, that that is just a droplet of His power. And that power, that God was against me. I against Him. I was at enmity with Him. And it reminds me that in Christ I have nothing to fear. Not even 5 inches, 40 inches of rain. and and houses and cars and it also reminds me of how desperately how how Diligently we need to be preaching the gospel because there are people in South Central, Texas and there are people in this room that are at enmity with God and that awesome God who whose destruction his destructive power you see is against them and Like those that drown in the flood fearing and panicking. That will be you if you don't know Him, if you aren't right with Him through Christ. Beloved, I'm hopeful that events like that humble you and make you thankful and overwhelmed by God's grace in your life. that has delivered you out of any kind of punishment, any kind of wrath of God in Christ Jesus. Pray that the gospel is being proclaimed there. Pray for peace and comfort for God's people that are there. Stand back and consider his extraordinary works Okay, open your Bibles to John chapter 20 John chapter 20 This week we will see when Jesus appears to appears to Mary Magdalene Jesus has been arrested He's been falsely tried He's been spat upon and slapped. He's been scourged. He's been crucified. He's died. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus have taken his body, and they wrapped it in linen, and they buried it in Joseph's tomb. And then in our chapter 20, verse one. Now, the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early while it was still dark and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved and said, and they have taken away the Lord out of the tomb. We do not know where they have laid him. Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter, and came to the tomb first. And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying there, yet he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb, and he saw the linen clothes lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. Then the other disciple who came to the tomb first went in also and saw and believed. For as yet they did not know the scripture that he must rise again from the dead. So they've Mary's gone out early in the morning and she's seen an empty tomb and she's ran back and gotten the two disciples and they ran out and they they look in and they see Peter goes in and looks and sees and then John sees that the tomb is empty. And then verse 10. Then the disciples went away again to their own homes. He's not there. So as they haven't yet believed, they didn't know the Scripture that He must rise again from the dead. So Christ, the One they had been following, the One that they believed on for a kingdom that they could be part of was now dead. And they went back and His body was gone. And they went home. Now please stand as we start reading in v. 11. Verses 11-18. But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain. Then they said to her, woman, why are you weeping? She said to them, because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him. Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking? She, supposing him to be the gardener, said to him, sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him and I will take him away. Jesus said to her, Mary. She turned and said to him, Rabboni, which is to say teacher. Jesus said to her do not cling to me for I've not yet ascended to my father but go to my brethren and say to them I am ascending to my father and your father and to my God and your God Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that he had spoken these things to her you may be seated Jesus Christ is risen he's defeated death and sin he's left the tomb that couldn't contain him he's going to appear to 500 witnesses before he ascends, but here we first see the appears to Mary Magdalene. With an incredible message to go tell the 11. But Mary stood outside by the tomb, weeping, and as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the tomb. Mary Magdalene is weeping. Clow. It means to weep or wail. with the emphasis upon the noise accompanying weeping, lament. She is sobbing. She is beside herself crying. She is weeping. She's distraught. This woman, she had had seven demons cast out of her by Jesus Christ. She had followed Him. She had been a loyal follower, a devoted follower of Christ, and now He was gone, dead and gone, and she was brokenhearted. And so she's crying. She couldn't even tend to His body. She had brought spices, as we'll see. And she was coming to the tomb in order to put spices on His body to pay Him homage, so to speak. And His body is gone. So now He's dead. She can't even administer. She can't even minister to His dead body. And she's weeping. She's sobbing. She's weeping as one without hope. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul writes, Mary didn't believe this. She didn't believe in a resurrection. She thought he was just dead and his body was gone. But before we be too hard on Mary Magdalene, The disciples had gone home. He was gone and they just went back to business. She stayed there. She stayed there and wept because she loved him. She loved him and she wanted to find him and even though she didn't believe the resurrection at this point She wanted to minister to that dead body because that was a Jewish custom and so she wanted to she wanted to to to Not worship him, but she wanted to pay homage to him and she loved him and she stood there and she wept Proverbs 8 17. I love those who love me and those who seek me diligently will find me now. She was looking for the wrong Jesus and She was looking for the dead body of Jesus who she'd been following, but she was diligently seeking him. Verse 12, we see two angels appear. She was sobbing. She had stooped down. She looked in there and saw these What did she see? And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head, the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had laid. Now these two angels appeared as men, and they were at either end of where Jesus had been laid. They said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? What would the angels have known? They knew Jesus had ascended. Arisen they knew Jesus had arisen and they so they knew he had risen and they're saying to this woman. Why why are you weeping? She said them because they have taken away my lord she calls him my lord They've taken away my lord, and I do not know where they have laid him. I She didn't get it. She didn't understand the resurrection. All she knew is that her Lord's body was gone. She thought the Romans or the Jews or grave robbers or whatever she thought, she thought somebody had stolen the body and she just wanted the body that she could put spices on it, that she could help with the decay of the body. We see more detail in the other Gospels about this time in the morning. Mark 16 1. Now, when the Sabbath was passed, Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of Jesus and Salome bought spice, bought spices that they might come and anoint him. So this is why Mary Magdalene was there. She was there with to anoint him with spices. His dead body very early in the morning on the first day of the week They came to the tomb when the Sun had risen they said among themselves Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us? So remember they didn't they didn't know how they were going to get in to put these spices on his body because of this big huge Massive stone that would have been sealing the tomb When they looked up they saw the stone had been rolled away for was very large and entering the tomb they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side and they were alarmed and We had another one of those discrepancies like we saw last week Mark and Matthew say one angel John and Luke say two angels Again I want to help you to remember that when you see these things it's not a cause for alarm it's a cause for comfort because when you have four people telling a story about an event and And what you can then know is, see, I think like I've heard, read some commentaries where they make a large deal out of these two angels sitting on either side and it being the two cherubim sitting on the side of the mercy seat. And okay, that's a fine thing to remember. And yet, whether it was one or two, it was two, because some said two. The fact that a couple of them just remember one, then we want to focus on what they said or what they did, not the number of them that were there. So the point is, the angels came from heaven, they removed the stone, and they came to alert Mary Magdalene that Jesus had risen. Matthew's accounting, Matthew 28. Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb, and behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door. How did the stone get moved? Angels moved it. and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow, and the guards shook for fear of him. He became like a dead man. So the guards were unconscious because they had seen an angel. And they had seen an angel come down from heaven and remove the stone and shining brightly, and they were unconscious. Luke's account, Luke 24. Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they and certain other women with them came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord and It happened as they were greatly perplexed about this that behold two men stood by them in shining garments So Luke says there's two men there in shining garments John John is now here's John's accounting He's just told us that she has stood there outside looked in and she's weeping she looked in and she saw two angels and What these angels told her John doesn't tell us but the other Gospels tell us Matthew 28 5 But the angel answered and said to the women do not be afraid for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified He is not here He is risen. As He said, come see the place where the Lord lay. These angels told Mary He's risen. He's resurrected. He's not here anymore. He told you all He was going to raise. He's raised. Loose Gospel. 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 is risen. He is risen. He is alive. He's not dead. He's not in the tomb because he's risen from the dead So this is what the angels have told Mary Magdalene That he's not there because he's risen. He's no longer dead. He raised just as he said he would Now we go back to my John's Gospel Mary still isn't believing that Christ was alive. She she still wanted to know where the body was and So next, a gardener speaks to Mary. Now when she had said this, what had she said? That she still wanted to know where the body was. She told the angels she still wanted to know. She turned around and saw Jesus standing there and did not know that it was Jesus. Just like in Luke 24 when the disciples are walking on the road to Emmaus, their eyes were restrained so they did not know him. Mary Magdalene did not recognize Jesus. I think there's a couple of things that we can take from that. He didn't look the same. Just as our resurrected bodies, we don't know, but they won't look like these bodies because they won't be failing. They won't be deteriorating. And Christ's body was not failing, was not deteriorating. And so when they looked upon him, they did not recognize him. He is physical, he is real, and yet not the same body she had seen previously. Jesus then speaks to Mary. Jesus said to her, woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking? He asks her the same question that the angels had asked. Why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking? Supposing him to be the gardener said to him sir if You have carried him away. Tell me where you have laid him and I will take him away So now Jesus has appeared to Mary Magdalene yet. She does not know him does not recognize him She doesn't have eyes to see him for who he is Before we go on I want to take a quick moment to consider something. It is very significant that when Jesus resurrected, the first person that He revealed Himself to was a woman. Just like when He was traveling through Samaria, the very first person He revealed His Messiahship to was a woman. Now why is that significant? It's significant because we have to understand in Jewish culture or Samaritan culture, women were thought of very lowly. There was a prayer that they would say in the morning, the men would say, I thank God I'm not a woman. Women were thought of lowly and the significance is that Jesus He didn't appear to Pontius Pilate. He didn't appear to the Sanhedrin. He didn't appear to the disciples. The first person who saw him in his resurrected form was a woman. The first person he gave a very important message to, to go tell someone else, was a woman. I don't think it's an accident. It's no small matter that Jesus first appears to a woman. Look at what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1. Starting in verse 27, But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty, and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and these things which are not, to bring to nothing these things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, Who became for us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption that it is written he who glories let him glory in the Lord Women were not considered valuable or important Women were very discardable and Jesus in this very in this very act says wrong No women are very valuable Just as men are valuable Jesus revealed his Messiah Messiah ship first to a woman and he revealed his re he appeared in his resurrected body first to a woman That's why Paul writes this in Galatians 328 neither is neither Jew nor Greek There is neither slave nor free there is neither male nor female for you are all one in Christ Jesus and if you are Christ then you are Abraham seed and heirs according to the promise God values and uses women in extraordinary ways just as he does men Now the risk we run in in 21st century America is we want to overstate that We want to we want to try to to value women more than men there is no male or female in Christ Jesus because because because Jesus first appeared to a woman and because Jesus gave the woman in Samaria ran in and told what she knew and they believed and this woman would go and run to the disciples to give them this message from Christ that doesn't mean there to be standing in this pulpit It doesn't mean they're to be running their households. It doesn't mean they're to be president. It doesn't mean all that, but it does mean this, there is no difference in Christ between male and female, different roles, yes, but no different value, no different use. You're no less qualified to be an ambassador of Christ, Michelle, because you're a woman. But you are not a preacher, you are not a pastor. You're not going to be the head of your home someday. But that doesn't mean you don't have value. That doesn't mean you can't be used in extraordinary ways. And that's what we see right here. So don't buy the lie women are somehow less valuable, and don't buy the lie that somehow women are more valuable. Those are both lies. Jesus makes it really clear, I would say, because the culture he was in, they devalued women. You know, a woman could even testify in court. Guess who testified first? A woman. Her testimony mattered to Christ. So, Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene. She thinks he's a gardener. She asks him, where is the body? She asks this gardener. She still is not believing in the resurrection Again I think a very important thing for us to see here Jesus himself appears to Mary Just like Jesus appears to the two disciples on the way to road to Emmaus and they don't recognize him They don't recognize him in and of themselves they have no ability to know him But then this happens Jesus said to her, Mary, Jesus calls her by name. And she turned and said to Him, Rabboni, which is to say, Teacher, when He calls her name, she knows who He is. She recognizes Him as Jesus Christ. She recognizes Him for who He is. He's not a gardener anymore, and all it took was Him to call her name. John 10.4, the sheep follow, for they know His voice. John 10.27, My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. The Great Shepherd knows His sheep by name. Sheep know the shepherd's voice. You know, I'm sure you guys have seen, maybe you haven't, maybe I've talked about it before, but I've seen these videos of actual shepherds that they go out and a sheep herder will go out and call to a group of sheep that aren't his. And he'll try all kinds of calls and all kinds of names and all kinds of things and they won't budge. And the minute their shepherd actually comes, he says one thing and they all come rushing. because they know his voice and he knows their name. He knows how to call them. See, what we see here is we see God's effectual call, don't we? We see when he talks to her is when she thinks he's a gardener and he just talks to her, she doesn't recognize him. But as soon as he calls her by name, because he knows her name, she responds and knows that it's him. And now, what does she know? He's not dead. He's alive. Just a minute ago, I was weeping. I had no hope. Because this man I had put all my hope and trust in was now dead and stolen. I had no hope. And now, all of a sudden, she says, no, it's him. He called me by name. She says, Rabboni. Isaiah 43 one, but now thus says the Lord who created you, O Jacob, and he who formed you, O Israel, fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by your name. You are mine. Those God has redeemed, he has called them by their name. Back in Exodus, 33 Lord said to Moses. I will do this thing that you have spoken Show he asked to see his glory. He said I'll do this thing that you have spoken for you have found grace in my sight and I know you by name Moses you found grace in my sight and I know you by name now look God knows all things God certainly knows Clayton's name but he doesn't know him by name. He knows you by name, brothers and sisters, and he has called you specifically to himself. And you have responded because you know the shepherd's voice. He saves us specifically. He saved Mary Magdalene specifically he gave her the ability to know him know who he was when he called her by name Take joy Casey's called you by name and you heard him and he knows your name He specifically called you and you responded and He's called you by name, Ryan, and you've heard Him and you've followed Him. Hallelujah. See, because we can parade Jesus in front of everyone, and we ought. And the only ones that are gonna know Him for who He is are those whose name He knows. And that was me. Because there were thousands of men in that auditorium or whatever that was called when I went to a promise keepers. And Jesus was presented to the entire group of whatever it was, 13,000 men. And I don't know about anyone else, but what I know is I saw him for who he was. And I'm overwhelmed. Because you can't recognize him if he doesn't know you by name and call you by name. Can you imagine Mary Magdalene's joy? I mean, think about what's transpired. She's followed this man around who had cast out seven demons from her. She had been a faithful follower of his. She wasn't in the upper room. She wasn't in the garden and but she was at the crucifixion She had seen his miracles she had put her hope in him and then he was dead and she couldn't even find the body to properly anoint his dead body and She was weeping as one without any hope And she talks to someone who she thinks a gardener as Jesus stands before and says look I'm desperate. Tell me where the body is And then he says, Mary. And she says, Rabboni, you're not dead. I think about Psalm 35, weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. And as I was preparing this week and I was thinking about Mary, I was thinking back on my life, how miserable my life was, how much I had no hope. And I remember when he called me. I remember when I knew Jesus. I remember when he poured out his grace in my life and I believed and the joy that came into my life. There was so much joy in my life, my wife didn't even know me. So what happens next chronologically we see in Matthew's gospel. Matthew 28, nine. And as they went to tell his disciples, so now she's turned because she's supposed to tell the disciples what the angels have said. Behold, Jesus met them saying, rejoice. So they came and held him by the feet and worshiped him. So Mary is now on her face, grasping onto Jesus' feet, worshiping. full of joy, because he's not dead. He's alive. He's back. And Jesus said to her, do not cling to me. Don't hold on to me. For I have not yet ascended to my father. I'm not staying. Let me go. I'm going back to my father. just like He had told the eleven that Thursday night before in the upper room. John 14, And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you, orphans, I will come to you. Jesus says, I'm going, but when I go, I'm going to send the Holy Spirit. He had to go in John 16, seven. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away for if I do not go away, the helper will not come to you. But if I depart, I will send him to you. So so Mary Magdalene, here's the good shepherd. Call her name. She falls down in her joy to worship him. She she clings to his feet. He says do not cling to me for I have not yet ascended to my father Let go of me Now he gives her a command he gives her an instruction But go to my brethren and say to them I am ascending to my father and to my God It's not all he says. He says, go to the brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my father and your father. And to my God and your God. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that he had spoken these things to her. She went and told the eleven that Jesus was not dead. He was alive and that he had said that he had called them brethren. This is the first time that Jesus calls the disciples brethren. Back in John 15, 15, we saw they had got an upgraded title there. No longer do I call you servants for a servant does not know what his master is doing, but I have called you friends. For all things that I heard from my father, I have made known to you. So back in in John 15, 15, Jesus had told these 11 men I don't call you servants, I now call you friends. They are still His slaves, but He now calls them friends. And is it not better to be a friend than simply a slave? If you had a slave owner that treated you as a friend, that would be an upgrade. But now, because why? Because it was finished. Tetelestai. And because He had risen showing that God was satisfied. Because of these things, these were now His brothers. They were now children of God, upgraded from slaves to friend and upgraded from friend to a child of God. All because of His death and His resurrection. Because the plan of redemption, the eternal covenant had been ratified. it had been accomplished and now they were his brothers Hebrews 2 11 for both he who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one listen to that he Jesus God himself who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified that you and me beloved are all of one For which reason he is not ashamed to call them brethren Saying I will declare your name to my brethren in the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to you and again I will put my trust in him and again here am I and the children whom God has given me I Remember he called them little children when he talked to them? None of these things did they get at this time, but they're going to get these things. But the magnitude of what he told Mary, that she was to go back and tell them, it's immeasurable. He's telling them, you're my brethren. Go tell my brethren. Go tell them I ascend to my father and your father. Galatians 3.26, for you are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ. They had been given faith. They believed. And they had been given faith in the name of all of who Jesus is. Beloved, you have been given faith. And because of your faith in Christ Jesus, you are a child of God. I don't think we get it. Because I don't see anybody saying hallelujah. I don't see a smile on their face. You're a child of God. Because of Christ, in Christ, you are His child. This is the message Mary was going to take back to the disciples. Romans 8 15 for you do not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear but you receive the spirit of adoption by whom we cry out Abba Father the spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God and if children then heirs heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ if indeed we suffer with him that we may also be glorified together these 11 were going to be told by Mary that they were his brothers they had just been told which wouldn't fully sink in that they had been adopted by God through Him. And she didn't just tell them that. See, these were Jewish people, and these Jewish men, they would have an understanding of the Old Testament. And again, until the Spirit came, these things wouldn't fully make sense to them. But here's something else she told them. She said, I am ascending to my Father and your Father and to my God. Jesus said, I am ascending to my God and your God. Jeremiah 32, 37, Behold, I will gather them out of all countries where I have driven them in my anger, in my fury and in great wrath. I will bring them back to this place and I will cause them to dwell safely. They shall be my people and I will be their God. These were promises that were made to Israelites. These are promises that they would have known of. Zechariah 8 thus says the Lord of hosts if it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days Will also be marvelous in my eyes said the Lord of hosts Thus says the Lord of hosts behold. I will save my people From the land of the east and from the land of the West I will bring them back and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be my people and I will be their God I When Jesus tells Mary to tell them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, I'm ascending to my God and your God, they are understanding, they are receiving the promises, the Old Testament promises of God that could be found in the Messiah. Ezekiel 37, moreover, I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them. I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set my sanctuary in their midst forever. Forevermore my tabernacle also shall be with them indeed. I will be their God and they shall be my people Mary was telling these 11 that that you have been adopted as children and Just with the word brethren and just with what Jesus said about going to his father and their father and his God and their God, they were being told that they were they were they were God's children now and they were told told that they were they were recipients of the promises of the Old Testament to Israel. Which is the same language that Paul uses for the church at Corinth and for you and I. See, when we were able to see Christ for who He is, when He called us by name, when we followed Him because we heard the Good Shepherd's voice, we became children of God. He became our God and we became His people. He is everyone's God, but people don't know that. We do. 2nd Corinthians chapter 6 Oh Corinthians, we have spoken openly openly to you Our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections Now in return for the same I speak to you as children You also be open so Paul says I'm speaking to you as to children do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers for what fellowship as righteousness with lawlessness and what communion has light with darkness and what accord has Christ with Belial or what part has a believer with an unbeliever and what agreement has the temple of God with idols for you are the temple of the living God He's telling us he was telling the what happened to these disciples when they understood what Mary told them They came out from among the people they had no fellowship with darkness They they turned away from Judaism. They they they were martyred for their faith Well, we're being told the same thing for you are the temple of living God as God has said I will dwell in them and walk among them I will be their God and they shall be my people therefore come out from among them and be separate says the Lord do not touch what is unclean and I will receive you I will be a father to you and you shall be my sons and daughters says the Lord Almighty When God saves us, when Jesus calls us by name, we are given faith and we believe on Christ and we now become children of God. And we now are going to come out, be separate from the world we once lived in. He is our God. We are His people. He is our Father. We are His adopted children. Child of the devil, Child of God. Mike reads September the 10th, 2001. Mike reads September 11th, 2001. Ought I not be different? Can we not look to the disciples' lives and see they became different? We see this accounting of their lives and their unbelief. We see Peter talking back to Jesus and trying to rebuke him. We see their lack of faith when He calms the storm. Then we see after the Holy Spirit indwells them, as He indwells you and I, they recognize and understood that was their Father. That was their God. And then with that comes a new life. And I know, I know we know this, and I know every one of you in here, your life is different. But just listen, when you're tempted to live a life in any way resembling what you used to live, look to Christ and remember in Him that God is your Father, and God is your God. And that God who just sent that hurricane on South Central Texas, that God is to be feared and to be worshipped. And that as we are tempted, we are tempted, He gives us a way out and that way out is looking to Christ and remembering who Christ made us. We have a Father in heaven and we have a God in heaven. So be encouraged to live like that. Be encouraged to encourage one another to live like that. We've been talking about in our Bible studies that we need the means of grace. Go to the Word of God. Go to prayer. Rightfully take the Lord's Supper. Turn away from these things because this is not who you are. He was not your God as far as you were concerned. You were not His child. Now you are his child and he is your God. Because Jesus called us, he knew us by name and we heard his voice and we followed him. But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting on one at the head and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain. Then they said to her, woman, why are you weeping? She said to them, because they have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid him. Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking? She, supposing him to be the gardener, said to him, Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus said to her, Mary. She turned and said to him, Rabboni, which is to say teacher. Jesus said to her, Do not cling to me. for I've not yet ascended to my father, but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my father and your father and to my God and your God. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that he had spoken these things to her. We're gonna look at next week, did they believe her? Just a woman. Closing thought. What euphoria there must have been for Mary Magdalene to hear the voice and then to see the risen Lord. Her hopelessness replaced by the joy of worshiping Jesus. Then to take the message of the new relationship of brotherhood to the 11. We too have heard the voice of the Good Shepherd. We too have been adopted as children of God through Christ Jesus. What a merciful God we are loved by. I would encourage you throughout this day to return to the joy of your salvation. Remember, remember when He called you. Remember your hopelessness turned to joy. And go tell other people. Start right there with your kids today. Tell them. Tell somebody at work tomorrow. Tell them. Tell them of the hopelessness you had. Tell them the story of Mary Magdalene. Tell them of your story. Tell them of their need because they're hopeless. And we've got to put Jesus in front of them to see if they hear his voice. Father God, thank you for your mercy. Thank you for your gift of faith. More importantly, I thank you for Christ Jesus. That in him. We have everlasting life. That he is our. Everlasting life. And that you know us by name and that we are your children and you are our God. because of Christ and for your glory. Amen.