It's Not Over

Is there anyone here today who like me, can’t stand to be interrupted. Yeah, you can find yourself in the middle of a point deep in thought and somebody feels that what you have to say and they interrupt you. That is frustrating. If you have ever been interrupted than you know the frustration that comes with it. Interruptions are not just in speech however. In this life you will have to deal with interruptions. Interruptions come in all types of facets. You can be like Jill Scott living your life like its golden, like Will Smith in the Pursuit of Happiness and like Ray Charles “making it do what it do” and life will throw you a curve-ball and interrupt you. Interruptions are that unplanned event and/or moment that either postpones, delays, interferes, stagnates, or even denies the intended end of a process.

-When you find out that your job is relocating its offices overseas and you aren’t invited, that’s an interruption.

-When a loved one dies unexpectedly, that’s an interruption.

-When you get a call that your child has committed a crime and is locked up, that’s an interruption.

-When you get ran into by another car on your way to work, that’s an interruption.

Interruptions can and will happen. But, be of good cheer, interruptions are temporary as they are spontaneous. Meaning, once an interruption in your life happens it’s over and you can start over again. Plus, God uses interruptions. Joseph’s life was a young dreamer and was favored by no fault of his own. Things were looking up for him but there was an interruption. His brothers sold him into slavery. He was a slave, worked his way to leader of his master’s house. Thins weren’t great but there were looking up, then there was an interruption that got him falsely accused and sent to prison. But God remembered Joseph one day and elevated him so high that he saved Egypt and when approached by his family to sold him he let them know that God used those interruptions, “what you meant for evil God used for good”.

Sampson...

Gideon...

Jonah...

Daniel...

Hannah...

Peter (fisher)...

Isaiah (Uzziah)...

1. Resolves any doubt. (v.1-8)

· The stone was taken away. Don’t miss this. The removal of the stone is not so that Jesus can get out, it’s so that witnesses can get in.

· The clothes were folded. Jesus took the time to fold his clothes. Nobody has been in, but Jesus. So, nobody could have folded the face-cloth but Jesus.

God has a way of providing just enough evidence for you to believe. Just look back over your life and see all of the little details you my have missed. God may have been removing doubt.

God did this…but we doubt

2. Removes all distractions. (v.11-16)

Distractions are that witch keep your attention and focus away from God. A lot of the times when people are not in church or in prayer or in their word is because they are occupied doing other things. Distractions.

This is how distracted Mary was. She goes to the tomb first with the other women she notices that the tomb is empty. Then she goes and gets Peter and John, they notice that the tomb is empty, they go in the empty tomb and its still empty. Now, all of a sudden she is crying outside the tomb and its empty and nobody has gone in. But, then she looks in again and two angels are there. This is enough to get my attention! Now let’s not be too hard on Mary because sometimes we too are so distracted that we miss the blessings of God.

3. Redefines His Relationship (v.15-16)

Don’t cling to me- We have a hard time letting go, don’t we. And I’m not talking about loved ones who have passed on. That is difficult for sure and I guess you could make that parallel. But Jesus its different because he is not dead and passed. He was dead and is risen. He has been transformed. They way she used to know Him is not how it is anymore. And here is the difficult part about change. We don’t like it.

4. Reiterates His Promise (17-18)

I’m so glad that what God starts God finishes. And if its not Finished, then its not over.

Jesus has to remind them, through her, “I still have work to do…I have not ascended to the Father yet.”

Sampson...

Gideon...

Jonah...

Daniel...

Hannah...

Peter (fisher)...

Isaiah (Uzziah)...