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Jesus is not just a figure in history. He is the centerpiece of eternity. Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, Willie Mays, Michael Jordan, and Harriet Tubman are figures in history. Jesus is not one of them—He is not a character that happened yesterday whom we lump into a history lesson. What He did yesterday is the glue that's holding your forever more together.
Please write this down: The resurrection wasn't the end. It was the reintroduction. Jesus doesn't just walk out of the grave. He walks back into their lives. If we're not careful, we're going to praise our way out of the growth we just experienced.
If you don't understand the resurrection in totality, you'll think the biggest part about Him getting out of the grave was simply that He came out. No—it wasn't just that He came out of the grave. He reintroduced Himself back into their lives.
The resurrection wasn't a personal victory for Jesus. It was a relational one. This is critical. He didn't just defeat death for Himself. He did it so He could walk back into your story. If He didn't get up, you wouldn't have had the ability to tell your situation. It couldn't hold you.
He didn't come back to flaunt His wounds. He came back to heal ours.
Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." (John 20:19)
Sometimes Jesus doesn't fix the situation. He just steps into it with you. Why is that important? Because His priority isn't just resolution—it's relationship.
It is too easy for Him to resolve your situation. So He says, "I could fix this if I wanted to, but I want you more than I want you out of it." If your being in it is going to cause you to get closer to Him, what He's going to do is step in it with you, because it won't break you as long as He's there.
Put this in your notes: His purpose is not just your comfort. It's your confidence. If all God did was pull you out of it, you would be comfortable. But if He gets in it with you and you overcome it with Him, the next time it shows up, you'll be walking just a little bit differently.
There are people who can't figure you out. They know what you're going through. They know the odds are stacked against you. They know people aren't helping you. But you don't look like you broke. That's because you have confidence that He who began a good work will complete it.
Some of you let your last season make you think you're not who you are. Get your confidence back. You let somebody break up with you and make you think something's wrong with you—there's nothing wrong with you. Get your confidence back.
Be careful when you get your confidence back, because there are certain people who like you when you had no confidence. They'll come to you saying, "I can't be around you anymore. You're changing." Like you made it this far to stay the same? This is a public service announcement: When someone says "he's acting different," here's the truth: The way I acted last year had me in what I was in last year. This year, I have the confidence to be who God called me to be.
Power impresses, but peace transforms. Why is that important? Because when Jesus appears to the disciples, He doesn't just show them His power. He shows them His presence.
Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them. He said, "Peace be with you." (John 20:19)
The first thing Jesus says postresurrection is not "look what I did." He says "feel who I am."
Too many of us are struggling between contractor and companion. A contractor fixes stuff. A companion walks with you through stuff.
The version of God you see determines the version of God you get. If you only see Him as a contractor, He will fix your situation. If you see Him as a companion, He'll walk with you through it.
But here's what some miss: He's not contractor or companion. He's all of the above—contractor, companion, and conqueror. But you have to learn when He's which one. If you want Him to be a contractor while He's in the season of your life being a companion, you'll think He's abusing you because you don't have the discernment to see that He's actually with you.
If you're in something today and God hasn't fixed it yet, here's what I want you to do:
Number one: Recognize His presence. Look for Him—not just for the outcome. Look for where He is in the situation.
This week has been something from lawsuits to everything. Just weird stuff. But I've matured to a place where I think, "Let me find Him in this." If God hasn't come through for you yet the way you feel He should, look for His presence.
Number two: Reframe your mindset. See the situation as an opportunity for intimacy, not just as an inconvenience.
Problems come to develop or direct. Either God let the storm happen because He's trying to develop something in you, or He's trying to direct you into something you won't willingly walk into. I'm realizing now in my life: "Okay, God, I think You're developing my patience and my temperament, and You're directing me away from public back into private. You're saying, 'Come back in your closet.'"
Number three: Respond with trust. Praise Him in it the same way you would after it.
The disciples were hiding behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. There's a knock at the door. They're scared. Jesus walks through it. He doesn't just show them His power. He shows them His presence.
A week later, His disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with Him, though the doors were locked. Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." (John 20:26)
What is the first thing Jesus says to them? "Peace be with you." Then He said to Thomas:
Put your finger here. See my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe. (John 20:27)
He doesn't say, "I told you I was going to be back." He doesn't say, "Look at what I did." He says, "Feel who I am."
That's why when I'm talking to my boys and they make mistakes, I don't just say, "You need to do better." They're in a season of life as teenagers, and I practice John 20 with them. I show them the scars—the result of no focus. "See that scar? That's because daddy didn't do his work. Daddy didn't get the scholarship. When daddy went to school, he played around. Daddy had to work construction. Daddy fell down the steps and cut himself. This is the result not of a fall, but of no focus. Had I been focused, I never would have been on that job."
I'm telling them: I know you're having fun. I know you're in the tenth or eleventh grade. I know it feels like you have a lifetime, but you're going to go to bed, wake up, and be built like me.
Lo, I am with you always, even to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:20)
What does that mean? This isn't a temporary visit. It's a permanent presence. Jesus's final promise to the disciples wasn't power first. It was His presence.
Matthew 28:20 is the last verse that's part of the Great Commission—Jesus's final instruction. He tells them:
Go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you, and be sure of this: I am with you always.
He tells them: Go, which means live on mission. Build people, not just crowds.
That's why your pastor didn't take a break. That's why I haven't stopped after all the services we did for resurrection. I could have taken time off. But I don't just want big crowds. I want big people.
You're not going to get into heaven because you filled up an arena. You're going to get into heaven because you are building people. He says, "Go live on mission. Make disciples. Build people, not crowds. Baptize them. Mark them as belonging to the kingdom."
Teach them. Don't just inspire them.
Who remembers going to church growing up and people would say, "We had good church today"? You'd go home, maybe eat at a restaurant after, but if somebody asked what was preached about, you'd say, "I don't know, but we had a time at church today."
That's the problem: You were inspired, not instructed. You don't even remember what was said. Which means the inspiration didn't translate into transformation.
That's why I slow down and teach. I don't want 20,000 inspired people. I'd rather have 100 instructed people who go home and actually do something with what they learned. I'd rather have people say, "I'm going to come back when he starts preaching like how he used to preach," than have people who leave feeling good but can't tell you anything they learned.
You were inspired, but you weren't instructed. That's the problem with much of what passes for church today. Who remembers going to church growing up and people would say, "We had good church today"? You'd go home, maybe eat at a restaurant after, but if somebody asked what was preached about, you'd say, "I don't know, but we had a time at church today."
That inspiration didn't translate into transformation because you don't even remember what was said. That's why I slow down and teach. I don't want 20,000 inspired people. I'd rather have 100 instructed people who go home and actually do something with what they learned.
It was Jesus and 12 instructed people who blessed 5,000 inspired people. See, the inspired can get the two fish and five loaves. The instructed know how to flip it on their own. I'm not trying to raise up a church full of people who need a miracle. I'm trying to raise up a church full of people who are a miracle.
Jesus doesn't just give them big responsibility. He gives them bigger reassurance. He says, "I'm gonna give you the commission. Go make disciples, baptize, do all that stuff." I know that's a big responsibility, but let me be clear: I'm gonna give you bigger reassurance.
He says, "I am with you even to the end of the age." Yes, life can be difficult, but his presence will be constant. Jesus doesn't just walk out of the grave. He walks back into their life. He doesn't just get out of the grave. What's the use of getting out of the grave if nobody sees him? He gets out of the grave and walks back into their life.
He doesn't just show them his power. He shows them his presence. He is reintroducing himself not as the suffering servant anymore, but as the risen savior. The last time they saw him, he was a suffering servant. Had that been the last time they saw him, to this day, we would have been living defeated. We would have had a theology that suggests to be like Christ is to suffer only.
Now, since he got up, I suffer like him, but I also reign like him. Did you hear that?
Have you ever had someone see you only through the lens of who you used to be, not who you've become? Many of you are exhausted because you're trying to change somebody's lens who's determined to keep you where they found you.
That's why some of you are in a season where it's finally time to reintroduce yourself. The person that they met, the person that they fell in love with, the person they love to kick it with, don't live here no more. That's heavy.
You need to sit the people who matter down to you and say, "I want to explain to you all of who I am." I'm not just your son. I'm an athlete. I'm not just a husband. I'm not just Pastor Mike. There are times when I have to go do other stuff. When people only want the part of you they want while you're being the other part of you, it becomes abusive and entitled.
The cross showed his humility. The resurrection revealed his authority. How many nails did it take to keep him on the cross? It didn't take three nails. Nails didn't keep him on the cross. Love did. He suffered in humility.
Look at Philippians 2:5-11:
You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges. He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name that is above all other names. And at that name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth. And every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
Every knee going to bow in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. Why? Because he practiced radical humility.
Radical humility is the bold decision to lower yourself intentionally, even when you have the right, the rank, or the reason to elevate yourself, because you trust that God is the one who handles exaltation. He emptied himself not because he was weak, but because he was willing.
Radical humility isn't thinking less of yourself. It's thinking of God's will and others first. It's moving low.
Voluntary surrender. It's choosing to let go of status, entitlement, or ego. If you got to tell me your title in order for me to do something, you don't have it. When people ask what you do, don't tell them you're in charge. Tell them you're a steward.
Unshakable confidence. Trusting God will raise you in the right time. Just because the coach don't see it don't mean I don't have it. You got to have unshakable confidence. God's timing. God's timing.
Selfless focus. Living to serve, not to be seen. Radical humility is when you have the power to stunt, but you choose to serve. Yes, you could flex, but choose to bless. Yes, you could flex. You're successful. But what do you gain out of standing over people?
Many of you are one radical humility moment away from God reciprocating to you what you've done for people. When you choose to bless instead of flex, God takes notice. When you help people behind the scenes with no fanfare, God sees it.
He said, "Peace be with you." Peace comes before power. They needed internal peace before they could have external impact.
That Sunday evening, he came in and said, "Peace be with you." Peace comes before power. They needed internal peace before they could have external impact. Why did the first thing he say to them is peace be with you? He's trying to show them before you have external impact, you got to have internal peace. Before you do what you going to do for the world, you got to know who you are in Christ.
You can't walk in authority until you are anchored in assurance. Peace is not the absence of problems. It's the presence of God's promise. Authority requires assurance.
Authority in the kingdom of God is not just about having title or position. It's about operating with conviction. You have authority because you walk with a level of conviction—not in what you possess, but who possesses you.
You cannot command spiritual results, lead boldly, or walk confidently if you're internally unstable.
Assurance is the spiritual stability. It's the deep settled knowing that God is with you, for you and working through you. When grandmama said "blessed assurance," the next line goes "Jesus is mine." What she was saying was: I know right now God is with me, for me, and working through me.
Until you're anchored in that truth, you will hesitate, second guess, and always shrink when resistance shows up. You don't know if you can step out on faith for your next career move or whatever you want to do—not because you don't know about you, but at the core, you don't think God got you.
Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts, fully trusting him. (Hebrews 10:22)
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his son, so that his son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. (Romans 8:28-30)
So what shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God be for you, who can be against you? God causes all things to work together for your good.
Consider this from the Message version:
If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of his chosen? Who would dare even point a finger? The one who died for us, who raised to life for us, is the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us.
Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There's no way. Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in scripture.
None of this phases us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus, our master, embraces us.
Listen to me before you leave. Peace is not the absence of problems. Peace is when everything inside of you anchors down. Biblical peace—the beautiful word is shalom—means wholeness, completeness, stability.
I want to say this because we say this in church and I think if we're not careful, we're going to have people growing up in God wrong. Problems are not the proof that God has left. If we're not careful, we're going to live our life thinking that when a problem shows up, that means God stepped out. No. The resurrection wasn't the finale. It's the foundation.
All of that is available to you. Just let him in.
