Encounter @ the Chapel
Resurrection Sunday
Pastor Joshua Goodin
Luke 24:1-12 (NIV)
“There Must Be a Sequel”
*There has to be a change.
Every good sequel is not good. A good sequel leaves you wanting more. It leaves you with a question left to be answered and leaves you in suspense. What do you do when you show up somewhere with an expectation, that what you have been planning to do and seeing is not there? There are people in your life that keep showing up because they know the same old you is always there. You have had the same testimony since ‘92. You have the same old characteristics, so people are able to predict what they will encounter when they see you because nothing has changed about you. In all this time you still have not grown, which is bad for a sequel. For a good sequel to work, you have to switch the characters up. Stop allowing yourself to be found by people the same way all the time. At some point, you have to grow. If there’s going to be a sequel, the next time people show up to see you, what will you do differently? God’s teaching you that sometimes you ought to make some changes. Sometimes you have to be willing to change some things, so people don’t see the same you that they always see. At some point, they want to see that you handle situations differently. You put the least amount of work into changing yourself internally. New wig, but the same old attitude and thinking. Don’t become predictable, then people have figured you out, but you want to keep them guessing.
*Start from the beginning
From the beginning of the planning have in your mind the intentions for a sequel.
When God looked at fallen humanity in the beginning and looked at their sin. He did not have to come up with a plan on how he would redeem mankind, he already had a plan. He didn’t have to look for somebody to come and stand in his stead, he sent Jesus. Sometimes you send other people to do what you need to do. You can’t pass the baton, you have to stand up and confront. What you don’t confront, you confirm. The problem is you constantly keep confirming some of the same stuff over and over again looking for different results, insanity. How is it that you can have an expectation and standard for people in your life to do better by you, but you keep accepting the same old behaviors? By one man sin entered the world, so God sent another Adam to come and dwell. A sequel should always be better than the original. The second Adam, Jesus Christ did some things the first Adam didn’t do, he was obedient. Your pain and labor
are not by mistake, it was from the beginning. Pain doesn’t just come from natural birth, because even when God puts something in you to birth, you experience pain. Some of your greatest pain is not betrayal, but when God is trying to use you to birth something new. When you have an idea, a vision, a gift, or an assignment. You’re losing sleep, tossing, and turning, feeling isolated and abandoned. If you don’t know anything about those things, that might be a sign that you need to check your connection with God, because everybody God has given something to birth. Everyone has an assignment, and the problem is too many of you are suppressing the life inside of you. If you think it’s not going to come to pass, then you are mistaken, because God can take it from you and give it to somebody else. You can’t be afraid to birth your ideas, creativity, thoughts, and whatever you feel God has called you to do. You have to step out and do it, the bible says in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” Don’t be afraid of doing anything, make sure everything God has desired, called, and created you to do, you do it. You’re sitting on gifts, talents, and business ideas, getting upset at others who are expanding, growing, and developing. You’re sitting on the sidelines criticizing instead of getting in the game and working with your own hands, making excuses. If God has given you the idea, he’s already made provisions and resources for how you are to accomplish it. You get mad at kids for not doing their best and trying to reach for the stars, yet you still keep reaching for the ground.
*When God wants to give messages to men, he sends them through a woman. A mother speaks as a nurturer, she has a way of saying harsh content in a soft voice that brings tears to your eyes. There are some people in your life that regardless of how much you say you’re going to do this or do that; they’re never going to believe you. You might say, you’re going to get out of this, you’re going to break this curse, you’re going to overcome this addiction or habit, or you’re not going to be down always. Sometimes it’s the people closest to you that will be your greatest naysayers. Jesus teaches you something, you don’t have to go and show them, just let them get the word. Don’t delete people from your social media that don’t like you or agree with you, because even though you’re distancing yourself from them, they still need to see your triumphs. People who don’t like you are the ones that follow and read your posts the most. Sometimes you want to cut people off, but you do your best work in front of audiences. Everybody that saw you when you were down need to stick around so
they can see you when you go up. They also need to stick around because the bible says God will make your enemies your footstool. Sometimes you’re getting rid of the people that are supposed to help lift you to the next place, you have to keep them around because you need their back for where you’re going.
In order to prepare for the next sequel, Jesus couldn't stay in the grave. In order for you to receive and experience the Holy Spirit, Jesus had to get out of the ground and ascend to the right hand of the Father. In order for a good sequel to happen, you have to make sure you don’t make a god out of the main character too soon.
This is not the last sequel.
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