Resurrection

RESURRECTION

(Too Late is never Too Late)

TEXT - John 11:25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again.

INTRODUCTION

Today is Resurrection Sunday; it is a day of tremendous hope and victory for every person.

Today God says to us, “Your too late is not too late for me.”

The Psalmist put into these words - Psalm 30:5 Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

The fact that Jesus rose again means for each of us that there is life after death. Many people shun that TRUTH. But if that was the case then why, when a tragedy strikes in life do we fight on. Because God has put in a human spirit the TRUTH that too late is not too late for Him.

Illust - Right now in Nth Queensland, people’s lives, homes, business have been totally wiped out by Cyclone Larry. Yet people are cleaning up and going again. Why? Built into the human spirit by God is the TRUTH that somehow and in someway, it can all rise again, it can be resurrected.

At the Good Friday Community Service, Peter Overton in his message said, “Good Friday represents the worse man could do.” Well I am here to tell you that today, “Resurrection Sunday represents the best God can do!”

If in some area of your life, you are facing a Good Friday situation - all appears lost, doomed and defeated. Then Resurrection Sunday, Jesus rising again, is a message of hope, light and victory for you. It maybe Friday, but Sunday’s on the way.

PLAY CD - Carman “Sunday’s on the Way”

Jesus said, “Those who believe in me - I am the resurrection and the life – though they die …. will live again.”

Friend, I want to inform you today that Jesus was not only talking about eternity and heaven, He talking about life right here and now.

The context of this statement was to Mary, whose brother had died. She had faith to believe that her brother would rise again on the Resurrection Day, in the future, but Jesus needed her to have faith to make the day they were living NOW – Resurrection Day. Jesus was not just giving her hope in regards to eternity for her brother, but for that situation right there and then.

Today, I want to look at the three resurrections that occurred in Jesus’ ministry and relate them to three areas of life we will all face at sometime and that God can bring resurrection to them.

1. RESURRECTION OF JAIRUS DAUGHTER - RETURNING THE VISION

Luke 8:40-56

Any parent here knows and understands what Jairus is going through. Contained in the life of his little girl were dreams and visions. Maybe Jairus had a vision of his daughter growing up into a beautiful young woman, vision of the wedding day, vision of holding his grandchildren. So many visions and dreams and they are lying cold on his daughter’s bed. As life is draining from her body, life drains from those visions.

All of us have and will experience similar situations. The life source of our visions maybe contained in many different things - Finances, relationships with other people, church life, job security etc.

But let me take the example of our children. They are not maybe dying of a physical disease. But what about attitude disease, you struggle to communicate with them, you see them wandering down the wrong path of life. Your vision for them is dying.

I love reading the Jesus story of the Prodigal Son, there is so much imagery and underlining truth. Here is a father seeing his son, leave home and its values and beliefs and begin a life of waste. If this was in our modern setting, he would have got messages about his son’s condition. All the father’s visions for his son were dying. But I love this, when the son came home, the father saw him a far off. Why? He was looking for his son on the horizon. Why? He had a belief in a resurrection – too late is not too late for God.

Whatever is the life source of your visions and dreams? If today, it lies cold, all possibilities are gone. The word of the Lord to you today is - “Don’t be afraid. Just trust me (only believe), and it will be all right.”

Jesus has a totally different perspective on the situation. To the people as He arrived at the house, the girl was dead, to Jesus she was sleeping. To see resurrection of our vision we need to change our perspective or what the life source of our vision is. We have to move the vision of our vision from our earthly source to a heavenly source.