today. You probably wish that too. But it's good to be in the Lord's house today. And as we celebrate this special day, celebrate an empty tomb and a risen Lord. And it's wonderful that we can sing about it. And I'm going to have to hurry up. So if you have your Bibles or would like to follow along with me, We're reading from Mark chapter 16 verses 1 through 15, Mark's telling of the resurrection story. And if you would please stand with me as we read these 15 verses. Now, when the Sabbath was passed, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome, bought spices that they might come and anoint him. Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they said among themselves, who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us? But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, for it 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 he said to them, Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen. He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you into Galilee. There you will see him as he said to you. So they went out and quickly and fled from the tomb. for they trembled and were amazed, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. Now when he arose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him as they mourned and wept. And when they had heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. After that, he appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either. Later, he appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table, and he rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen him after he had risen. And he said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." Let's pray. Father, thank you for this special time today, this special day when we can remember and celebrate the fact, the reality that Jesus rose from the dead. He is our living Lord and he lives in our hearts today. And we thank you for that. And I pray that you would bless this time. Teach us by your Holy Spirit. In Jesus name. Amen. You may be seated. And again, I say praise the Lord for we have this special day when we can celebrate an empty tomb and a risen Lord. And as I special day sermons have always been a challenge for me. And so this week I was trying to decide what am I going to preach on this Sunday. And earlier in the week, I listened to a sermon on my computer by Tony Campola. Some of you may have heard him and His signature sermon is, it's Friday, but sun is coming. And I was almost tempted to preach on that subject, but I decided I couldn't do it justice after having heard him. So a little bit later in the week, I was driving down from Louisville to Coppell to the Ace Hardware store. And in order to get there, the route I travel, I come to Business 121, take a ride, about a quarter of a mile down, there is an exit. And it's got a big green sign with either green or black or white letters, I can't remember. And it says, turn around. And so I took the exit, and going through that turnaround, I start out going southwest, and when I come out of the turnaround 180 degrees later, I'm going back northeast. And so I went down there and so as I looked at that sign and as I was thinking of what I'm going to preach about and thinking about it's Friday, but but Sunday's coming, I thought, wow, that's what I'm going to preach about. God is the God of turnaround. And so today, I pray that you would ask you to pray for me as we try to talk about this subject this morning, because as we read through the Bible, we will certainly discover that God is a God of turnaround. You can go back to the time of Abraham and Sarah and how God in their old age gave them a son, the promised son, and turned their life around. God is a God of turnaround. You could go to Job, you could go to David, you could go into the New Testament, you could find blind Bartimaeus and how he was traveling down that road of blindness one day and then he met Jesus and he met God's turnaround. And he was transformed and changed forever. And we could go through the Bible, through countless people and discover how God was the God of turnaround. But that's what the resurrection of Jesus Christ is all about, because resurrection is God's ultimate turnaround. And so today we're going to consider four points, and I'll try to hurry as fast as I can. But number one, resurrection, God's turnaround from despair to joy. Number two, resurrection, God's turnaround from defeat to victory. Number three, resurrection, God's turnaround from death to life. And number four, resurrection, God's turnaround from destruction to salvation. So we could have said to the first God's turnaround from despair to joy. And as we think back and as we read this record from Mark and we could, if we had time, read the record of the other Gospels, that resurrection week and all of the things that transpired. And it was truly a roller coaster ride for the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ that week, because that week the Last Sunday, our last Sunday, was Palm Sunday when Jesus went victoriously into the city of Jerusalem riding on the donkey and they placed palm leaves there and everybody was crying out, Hosanna, Hosanna to the King. And they were believing that he was truly their Messiah who had finally come to accept and get on his throne. Then there were the other events of Resurrection Week. There was the confusion of Thursday when Jesus met in the upper room with his disciples and then how he went down to the Garden of Gethsemane and prayed and then Judas led the mob there and Jesus was arrested. Then there was, of course, the shock of Friday for his disciples as Jesus Christ was led before Caiaphas, the high priest, and before Pilate and before Herod and back again to Pilate. And you remember and know that story. And then Jesus was sentenced to be crucified, to die on that cruel cross on Calvary outside of the city of Jerusalem. And yes, that was the shock for his disciples, because here they knew, they believed that he was their Messiah. He was going to lead them to victory. And they see him, they watch as he is crucified on that Friday. And then there's the despair of Saturday. You know, we never we talk about Friday. He died on Friday. And he rose on Sunday, but we never think about Saturday. That must have been the longest day that his disciples had ever spent, because Here they were, such high hopes as his disciples. And he's dead. He's buried. What are we going to do with the rest of our lives? And then there was the joy of Resurrection Sunday. And that's what we want to talk about today. Despair to joy. Because as we look at the record there, the despair of his disciples, their hope was anchored in Jesus. And I'm just going to look at a few examples. There was, first of all, the despair of Mary. Mary Magdalene in verse 20, chapter 20, verse 11 of John says, But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping, and as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the tomb. The despair of Mary. She loved him dearly. Jesus had cast seven demons out of her, and she had gone down God's turnaround road. And God had turned her life around. There was the despair of the two disciples who were traveling down the road to Emmaus after Jesus was crucified, after He was buried. They were forlorn. They were depressed. They were discouraged. They didn't know what was going on. And then Jesus joined them. You remember that story. Then there was the despair of the eleven, the men who had followed Jesus for three and a half years, they had invested his life in them and they had invested their time and left their careers and and they were going to follow Jesus and be his disciples. And now. He's dead. He's buried. He's gone. John 20, verse 19, says the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews. They were cowering in fear. They needed to turn around. And so let's consider the turnaround from despair to joy, because Thank God for God's principle of turnaround. Look at Psalm 30, verse 5. It says, for his anger is but for a moment. His favor is for life. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. And may I paraphrase that verse? Despair may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. That's what resurrection is all about. And so we see Mary's turnaround from despair to joy. Let me read Matthew, chapter 28, verse one in the verses five through eight. 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. But the angel answered and said to the women, do not be afraid. For I know that you see Jesus who was crucified. He is not here for he is risen, as he said, come see the place where the Lord lay and go quickly and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead. And indeed, he is going before you into Galilee. There you will see him. Behold, I have told you. So they went out quickly from the tomb in fear and great joy. And ran to bring his disciples word. What a transformation for Mary. And then the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, their turn around from despair to joy. Luke chapter 24, verses 30 through 34. And it came to pass as he sat at the table with them that he took bread, blessed and broke it and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew him and he vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, did not our heart burn within us while he talked with us on the road and while he opened the scriptures to us? So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together saying, the Lord is risen indeed. What a turnaround. And then there was the eleven, their turnaround from despair to joy. In Luke 24, verse 36, Jesus, they're in a room, the windows and the doors are locked, and Jesus appears to them, and when they saw Him, they thought He was a ghost, and they were alarmed, they were afraid. And then Jesus said, don't be alarmed, don't be afraid. And then He showed them the scars in His hands and His side. And verse 41 of Luke 24 says, but while they still did not believe for joy and marveled, he said to them, have you any food here? Now, when I read this verse, it puzzled me. It sounds kind of. It said, but while they still did not believe for joy, what does that mean? And as I began to think about it, what is that verse of Scripture say? And I believe what it's saying is. This is too good to be true. This this thing we see with our eyes to be seeing our Savior, our Lord, our Messiah. But I just can't believe it. Their hearts were overflowing with joy, and yet it was too good to be true. Maybe you've had some kind of experience like that, something that was too good to be true. Well, this is the ultimate discovery of something that was too good to be true. And so Jesus there in their presence, he asked for food and in their presence, he ate that food to prove to them that he was no apparition, he was no ghost, but that he was real, that he was risen from the dead. He was their Lord and Savior. Point number two, resurrection, God's turnaround from defeat to victory. And I thought about the example of the Apostle Peter. He was the leader of the twelve and he was their spokesman. And you remember how boldly Peter declared that he would never deny the Lord, that he would never forsake him, that he would even be willing to die for him. But you remember Peter's denial there while Jesus was on trial, Mark 14, verses 69 through 72. And the servant girl saw him again and began to say to those who stood by, this is one of them. But he denied it again. And a little later, those who stood by said to Peter again, surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean and your speech shows it. Then he began to curse and swear. I do not know this man of whom you speak. What a terrible thing for Peter to do, to curse and to swear and to deny his Lord. We see Peter's despair in looking at Luke chapter 22, verses 60 through 62. But Peter said, man, I do not know what you're saying. Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed and the Lord turned and looked at Peter. What a terrible feeling Peter must have had. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times. So Peter went out and wept bitterly. And yes, that was Peter's defeat. For Peter had been the leader, the spokesman for the apostles. He had been the one that Jesus had called on, and Peter was the one in Mark 16 Verse 16, when Jesus had asked the question, Whom do men say that I am? And Peter was the one who spoke up and said, You are the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God. But here we see Peter's failure. Though everyone else forsake you, I will not. But he did. But the wonderful thing is Peter's turnaround from defeat to victory. In our scripture that we read this morning from Mark 16, verse seven. It says, but go tell his disciples and Peter. That he is going before you in the Galilee, there you will see him. You see, Peter's sin, his denials, his Blasphemy should have totally disqualified him to ever again be a disciple of Jesus Christ. But Peter, Jesus wants Peter to know that he is forgiven. And later on in John, chapter 21, you remember that story, how they were with fishing again, Jesus appeared on the shore and and when they came there, Jesus began to ask Peter, Peter, do you love me? And I don't have time to go into that story, but. But the conclusion of that was that Jesus said, Peter, feed my sheep. He was making Peter the shepherd of his sheep. And so, Peter, thank God for God's turnaround because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Point number three, resurrection, God's turnaround from death to life. Death, what a terrible thing. As we look through the Bible, it's not a pretty picture. It starts with Adam. Over in the book of Genesis, chapter two, verses 16 and 17 of every tree of the garden, you may freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die. And Paul takes up that sad story of Adam's life in Romans 5, 12, when he says, therefore, justice through one man's sin entered the world and death through sin and thus death spread to all men because all sin. Death means sooner or later, all of us, every one of us, unless we live till Jesus comes. Our spirits will be separated from our body and our spirits will go to be with the Lord. But worse is spiritual death. And that's what happened to Adam. And that's what happens to the human race, because we are all traveling down that road to death. I think of the rich young ruler, and I'm not going to read the scripture there, record in Mark chapter 10, verses 17 through 22. You remember that story, how he came to Jesus. He was very wealthy, but he was seeking eternal life. He wanted to know and ask Jesus, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus gave him the condition, go sell your possessions and give to the poor and you will have eternal life. You see, he thought that he could gain eternal life by keeping the law and keeping the commandments. And he said, I've kept those all of my life. But Jesus went to the heart, Jesus knew what his God was and his God was his money. And he said, go sell all that you have and give to the poor and you'll have eternal life. Now, that doesn't mean today that keeping the commandments will save you or that giving to the poor will save you. But what Jesus was saying was, you give away your God, your wealth, your money, because that is the obstacle that is standing between you and God, between you and eternal life. And the young man, sadly, went away sorrowful. For he had great possessions. He refused God's turnaround. I remember early in my ministry. I prepared a sermon, I still got the sermon outlined to this day, but I've never preached it, never had the nerve to preach it. But the title of the sermon is Driving by the Gate of Heaven to Stop in Hell. And the text about the rich young ruler was what I was going to preach from. Well, the rich young ruler is like a greeting card that I saw this week. And the greeting card says, if life is a highway, then I took a wrong turn about 25 years back. And the young man driving the car He's got a smile on his face. He seems to be happy and satisfied and think he's going great. Sadly, one of these days, the rich young ruler and every other person will find they miss God's turnaround. But resurrection is God's turnaround. to eternal life. John chapter 11 verses 25 and 26 says, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. In First Corinthians chapter 15 verses 21 and 22 and so many scriptures in the Bible we could read, but Paul said, for since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. What a turnaround. What a turnaround that we have. Not because we deserve it. Because I'm a sinner. I deserve to be lost. I deserve to be condemned. I deserve to spend eternity in hell. But thank God for his turnaround. point. Resurrection, God's turnaround from destruction to salvation. God's turnaround from heaven, from hell to heaven. Because There is the road to destruction. You remember Jesus in Matthew, chapter seven, verse 13. He said, wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction. And there are many who go in by it. Second Thessalonians, chapter one, verses seven through nine. And to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power. And I don't know of any preacher who enjoys preaching about that. But it's an absolute necessity because it's God's warning. They shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord. Proverbs 16 and 18, you know this verse, pride goes before destruction and a haunting spirit before a fall. That's the problem the world has. Hearts filled with pride. Hearts lifted up, not willing to confess that we are sinners and that we are lost in the sight of God and that we need to get on God's turnaround road. A problem of the world. This week, you may have heard the same news, former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a mayor of New York City. He made an announcement. He made a big $50 million donation to help in the gun control lobby here in America. Mayor Bloomberg is noted for his campaigns against guns, against smoking, and against obesity. You remember he proposed a ban on large soda drinks, and I don't think that worked out too good, but that was what he was moving for, a campaign against smoking. And as I said, just recently he's given $50 million for a gun control campaign. Mayor Bloomberg is a prime example of pride. He thought, he thinks, that all of these things he's done, the smoking campaign, anti-smoking campaign, the small drink campaign, the gun control campaign, all of these are going to gain him merit to get into heaven. Let me read you what he said just this week. He said, I am telling you, if there is a God, when I get to heaven, I'm not stopping to be interviewed. I'm heading straight in. I have earned my place in heaven. It's not even close. You talk about pride. That scares me when I hear somebody say something like that. Because pride goes before destruction. And a haughty spirit before a fall. Yes, the world is filled with Michael Bloomberg's. Hearts filled with pride. Oh, we may not be multi-billionaires like him, but we all have our own little personal agendas. We're traveling down our road, and what we need to do is get on God's turnaround road. God's turnaround from destruction to salvation. Let me read again Matthew 7, verses 13 and 14. Jesus said, enter by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction. And there are many who go in by it because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life. And there are few who find it. God's turnaround from destruction to salvation, it's a narrow gate. It's a narrow way. It's not easy. In Luke chapter 13, verse 24, Jesus said, strive to enter through the narrow gate. For many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. Now, the word strive there in the Greek is the Greek word agonizomai. And that word is the word from which we get agony or agonize from. And so what Jesus is saying here, that every person born on planet Earth, we need to agonize about getting on God's road. As the choir sang this morning, that first song, Jesus is the door. Jesus is the way. And today, every single one of us needs to get on God's turnaround road. and believe and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, because he is risen, he is Lord, and he lives today. And for that, we are thankful. And today, every single person on this planet has only one choice. There are two gates, two paths, two groups of travelers, two destinations. but only one choice. Jesus says, there are no other options. I am the door. I am the way. There's no second choice. No second way. Jesus rose from the dead to give you that opportunity. Okay? What better day than today, Resurrection Sunday, when we remember the Lord's resurrection from the dead. To receive Him as our Savior. To believe in Him. To say, Lord, I'm going to take that narrow road today. I'm going to receive Jesus as my Savior. And so, I would ask you to remember that God is always the God of turnaround. And resurrection is God's ultimate turnaround. And I look forward to that day when we, God's children, will hear the trump of God's sound and the archangels shouting, and Jesus Christ coming in the clouds of glory. And then the world will know, without any doubt, He is risen. He is Lord. He is our Savior. And for you and for me, don't make him to have died in vain on that terrible, cruel cross, but receive him as your Savior today. Richard, would you come and lead us in our hymn of invitation?