Are You The Gardener? Pt. 2 When He's Not Doing Anything
Saturday, April 9, 2016 at 12:34PM John 20:11-15 NLT
Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. 12 She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 "Dear woman, why are you crying?" the angels asked her. "Because they have taken away my Lord," she replied, "and I don't know where they have put him."
14 She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn't recognize him. 15 "Dear woman, why are you crying?" Jesus asked her. "Who are you looking for?" She thought he was the gardener. "Sir," she said, "if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him."
16 "Mary!" Jesus said.
She turned to him and cried out, "Rabboni!" (which is Hebrew for "Teacher").
- Mary was taking spices to anoint the dead body of Jesus (Mark 16:1)
We identify with Jesus at “Party Time”
Christmas – Birthday Party
Easter – Coming Home Party
We’re not much different from people in Jesus’ day
We come to Jesus with our needs and agendas
All is fine when we are being blessed or fed or healed
We find out if you’re a friend of Jesus – not when you’re a CEO - Christmas & Easter Only
But when hanging with Jesus eventually brings you to the cross
Where were the people He had done so much for?
Where were those He had feed and healed?
Where are the ones that said they’d never leave?
- Some at a distant & some gone – committed by convenience
With Jesus on the cross, He can’t do anything for you
To be friends with Him now would cost you something; even your life!
Song: “At the Cross” not light, but darkness
At the Cross we must deal with our disappointment, defeat, failure, loss…
The Cross doesn’t just represent a Dead Jesus
The Cross represents a Defeated Jesus – “crucified in weakness”
When He’s dead and not answering any of your prayers…
When He doesn’t respond to your cry for HEALING
He healed someone else…
His Word says, “The cattle on a thousand hill are His”
And He won’t give you any, so…
You lose your job and your house, & you have to hide your car
How do you stay there in disappointment?
When He let your loved one die
Kids having babies like rabbits
And He let you have a miscarriage
You’re trying to live right and follow Him
Why won’t He send you a good man
Or why did your marriage fail?
It wasn’t supposed to end up like this
He’s not only Dead
He’s started to Stink! His reputation was going bad
This is where most people don’t know how to handle Jesus
This is not what’s supposed to happen if I follow Jesus
He’s supposed to be there for me – never leave me nor forsake me
Look at how people acted: Now that He wasn’t able to do anything else for them
- Some denied Him – “I don’t believe in that anymore”
- Walked away – done with Jesus & His promises
- Some went back to their old lives
They started following Him in Hope – “quit everything to follow Him”
“Look at what it got me!”
- Stop coming to church
There was someone who didn’t leave at the Cross: a woman, Mary Magdalene
Her relationship began like everybody else’s – 7 demons (Lk 8:2)
Many times, she was just a part of the crowd, just like everybody else
She is experiencing the same loss and disappointment
Yet, she is responding differently...
When everybody was lamenting and leaving,
She was working
“What are you doing, Mary?”
“I’m going to Jesus’ tomb”
“Why? He’s dead and He can’t do anything else for you Mary”
“Yeah, but I still love Him… and now I can do something for Him!”
“But Mary, you don’t need to go there, because He’s stinking”
“That’s why I’m preparing some sweet spices for Him”
“Mary, it doesn’t take all that – hasn’t this relationship cost you enough?”
“It’s over, He’s dead, it’s obvious He’s not answering anymore prayers”
“That’s okay, I still love Him”
Mary was only worried about 2 things… (Mk 16:1-3)
1. Who was going to move the stone?
He can’t get to me; how can I get to Him?
2. Do I have enough spices”
Because she was going to Anoint His Dead, Lifeless Body!
The others based their relationship with Jesus on what He was doing for them
But now He couldn’t do anything for them
What will you be doing for Him when He’s not doing anything for you?
Mary’s relationship was based on Worship
The Difference between Praise and Worship:
- Praise Him because He made us smell good
- Worship makes Him smell good
So when Jesus was unresponsive to her prayers and not doing anything for her
Mary was still doing something for Him
She was making Him smell good
Most of us don’t know how to worship in a bad smell
Jesus warned them of what would happen – what life would bring
The disciples couldn’t comprehend His plan – even though He told them
He has told us about the cross, suffering, trials, fightings without & fears within
But when disappointment comes…
When things are stinking, and He’s not doing anything for us
We go back to fishing…
How many are mad at God because He didn’t do what they wanted?
Feel like He made you promises, so you followed Him
He abandoned you when you needed Him most
Learn how to Worship Him in the stink of disappointment and pain
- Worship Him when things don’t make sense
- Worship Him when you don’t understand His plan
- Worship Him when He’s not answering your prayer
- Worship Him until you smell up the whole room
Worship Him until you hear Him call your name – “Mary” (John 10:16)
- That means the tomb is empty
- That means it’s not the End, but a New Beginning!!!
Mary went to a place of Death, and found Life
We walk out before the end of the movie
Your Place of Defeat will turn into a Place of Victory!
Your Place of Loss will become the Place of Recovery!
Your Place of Suffering will become the Place of Overcoming!
Your Place of Helplessness will become the Place of Hope!
Your Place of Death will become the Place of Life!
Your Place of Finality won’t be so Final after all!
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