While It Was Yet Dark

thank you Bishop praise God oh let's give the Lord a hand clap thank you Lord Lord you came through thank you Lord you're worthy hallelujah hallelujah praise your name Jesus oh we lift and love you praise God praise God thank you Bishop Boyd thank you for the invitation to come brother Boyd brother Barnum of course the entire District board all who had a hand the hospitality it's been such a joy to be in Florida again always look forward to any opportunity I have to come to the Sunshine State and it's never been a disappointment certainly not this time appreciate brother Shaw Pastor Shaw um being teamed with him was a great privilege yes great preaching minister session so many friends so good to see you so glad you're here.

my text will come from John the Gospel of John chapter 20 I'm going to read what is for me a rather lengthy text I'll try to get through it as quickly as I can the first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early when it was yet dark unto the sepulchre and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre then she runneth and cometh to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved and sath unto them they have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre and we know not where they have laid him Peter therefore went forth and the other disciple and came to the sepulchre then the disciples went away again unto their own home but Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the sepulchre and seeth two angels in white sit sitting the one at the head and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had Lain and they say unto her woman why weepest thou she saith unto them because they have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him and when she had thus said she turned herself back and saw Jesus standing and knew not that it was Jesus Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou whom seekest thou she supposing him to have been the gardener it's still dark you see saith unto her him sir if thou have borne him hence tell me where thou Hast laid him and I will take him away Jesus saith unto her Mary she turned herself and saith unto him, Rabboni which is to say master I want to after reading those verses draw my title from the very first one I want to preach a little while tonight about while it was yet dark let's pray Lord thank you for your spirit the great worship that has filled your house tonight thank you for everyone gathered here we're not here by accident we've here we've come here seeking you we want to see you we want to hear your voice we want you to call our name like you called Mary's touch us we pray there are hurting people here tonight let the word of God reach their pain there are doubting people struggling people here tonight let the word of God throw out a Lifeline for them do your work Among Us make your Word Alive send your anointing let your spirit flow through this house in Jesus name we pray amen God bless you thank you please be seated.

it was the most important morning since God had had said let there be light his birthday was important that Good Friday when he cried it is finished and gave up the ghost was important but they were only important because of this day because here he would finish his work he would accomplish The Impossible he would once and for all shatter the power of death overcome its fear and free all of humankind from the shadow of the Grave Mary Magdalene I'm sure had not slept the weekend had been in such a catastrophe for all she had believed in and trusted everything had seemed lost it was such a shocking event the crucifixion of the Lord that though he had carefully attempted to prepare his disciples none of them were ready and when he died Darkness descended so it should not surprise us I suppose that someone and it was Mary of magdala Mary the Magdalene who came first to the Garden tomb now there's lots of reasons why she should not have come and we know them they're obvious lots of reasons the Stone she had no hope a woman alone of ever pushing back that stone it was much too heavy it was much too much of a barrier there's no way she could have ever moved that rock and beside that it was sealed by the might of the earth's greatest Empire of all time Rome had placed its seal upon that stone at pain of death she could not have removed that seal and beside that there were guards placed there by the authorities because they had heard the rumors that something un un out of the ordinary was going to happen she could not have gotten past the guards they would have not let her near that tomb there was no reason to go but she could not help herself but maybe the most obvious reason she should not have come this morning is it still dark a woman alone through the streets of Jerusalem near the place of crucifixion not a good part of town it could not have been safe with armed soldiers and no light no protection no one to look out for her but she simply could not stay away the Sabbath was passed now she could hope to prepare him properly for burial I don't know what I'll do about the stone I don't know what to do about the seal and I don't know what I'll say to the guards and I know my life may be in danger but I have to go you see Mary was familiar with Darkness not just the absence of the Sun not just the night and its depth of dark but it was darker in her soul than it had ever been in any night she had lived to tradition says that the Magdalene had had been a prostitute we do know that she had been possessed of Seven Devils her life for shambles no hope for her an outcast mock made fun of not allowed to be in polite company but Jesus reached out to Mary and Jesus loved her when no one would love her Jesus forgave her when no one else was willing to give her a chance H Jesus had broke the shackles uh Jesus had shaken the jail house H Jesus had opened the prison door and Mary had walked out of a Darkness much blacker than this night she had to the last when all had gone when all except John had fled and finally even he had escorted the other Mary Mary the mother of Jesus away from the cross but the Magdalene stayed she could not leave H her love uh her despair her hopelessness H her pain uh she bore it all and she bore it alone standing at that cros uh she watched uh when they thrust the spear in his side H she witnessed the blood and the water pour out H she saw them rudely cut him down H and lay him in a in a in a sheath H she watched as without ceremony and without tenderness H they bore him to that tomb H she watched as the stone was rolled into place and the seal was placed there and the guards snapped to a ion but Mary could not stay away in the double darkness of her soul and of the night Mary became something very special because she came H when no one else would because she came while it was still dark others waited for the Sun but not Mary when she saw that by some miraculous power the stone was rolled back that the seal lay discarded and crumpled on the ground and the soldiers were nowhere to be found H Mary ran and woke up Peter and John and said they've taken Jesus H I don't know where they ran to the tomb and they looked inside they received the message and inexplicably they went back home it's still dark we can't mount a search party we'll have to wait for the sun to rise we'll have to wait for the day but Mary could not go home she came back to that open Tomb and she stood as if she was now the guard and WEP tears uh dripping off her cheeks H I want to know where he is H he did so much for me H it's important for you to realize H.

you don't wait till the darkness is over you move while it's still night you go before the sun comes up you don't try to get it all worked out and get it all together you find Jesus uh while it's still dark uh Pastor when I get my marriage worked out there's some things I need to take care of when I get this operation over when I get my health back uh when my job situation is straightened out uh when my marriage is batt all don't you wait H come when the darkness is still enveloping you H come when everything says no reason H you shouldn't bother it's too late just come on anyway don't wait for the sun to come up come while it's still dark oh I know uh the Lord spoke to me this afternoon in that hotel room I'm preaching to somebody here you're in enveloped in a darkness that I don't even I'm not even able to explain to describe I wish I could describe what you're going through it always makes the word of God more pertinent and more personal but I am unable to do so because you're waiting through a darkness that I cannot comprehend and I cannot understand but the Holy Ghost of God that loves you so much has sent me to this camp meeting to preach to you and tell you quit cringing there in the corner of your Darkness H quit giving in to your depression and your fear come while it's still dark come and lift your hands h offer praise and prayer come now while this darkness is still all around you oh but I'm having this church trouble and we just can't seem to move forward and I don't know what to do about it and I I'm just about to pull my hair out I'm I think I'm just going to resign and leave no get to the altar get to the presence of God get to the open Tomb that power is still available with the tomb open and the seal broken and the soldier was gone she still did not grasp what had happened she thought they had stolen his body but when she didn't go home when she didn't wait for the day she met a risen savior who took a detour on his way to glory to tell her that day I still love you like I always love you I still care about your struggles H I've come marry to tell you I am alive forever more and I go to our father and there I am forever the body of God himself don't wait for the day is a perfect time to discover the delivering power of God.

anybody can shout in the sunshine anybody can Rejoice after a great Victory but you want to see something that dungeon stunk there was stuff crawling around down there they had been unjustly accused all he had done is cast demons out of a poor unfortunate slave girl they arrested them they beat them they flung them without trial without chance to defend them elves it wasn't right it wasn't fair it should have never happened but they're in the dungeon never nevertheless it's nighttime now Silas is trying to find comfortable play oh man talking about dark I've seen dark this is dark suddenly a voice came from the other side of the room Paul says Hey Silas let's sing Silas says what Paul says I feel like singing Silas says you know what Paul I don't think this is the time my back hurts I can't feel my toes and I can't tell what that is crawling up my leg and it is so dark for a moment there's a hesitation and then the voice of the Apostle comes back sounds like a perfect time to me to say well maybe if we waited for the sun to come up there'd be a little filter of light at least we could see what was going on and where we were and what was happening and what this is on my leg if we could just wait sa Paul said no sir we're not going to wait this is the time this is the place H this is where we worship God H when everything's gone wrong when it's not been fair when nothing is as it should be when I sit in darkness when I sit in darkness I have a promise from that Old book it's in the darkness that the Lord becomes a light unto me I'm trying to tell you tonight don't wait for the sunrise to start the singing start singing in the midnight sing when everything says it's right wrong sing when everything says you're crazy sing when everything says you're mistreated life isn't fair God didn't show up God didn't save the day that's when you need to sit in the darkness H and turn on the lights uh by praising him worshiping him lifting him oh I'm preaching to somebody time to quit Fe feeling sorry for ourselves time to quit feeling put upon time to quit feeling cheated and Strike Up the Band while it's yet dark so it was the two old Gruff voiced preachers no Harmony just both of them singing what they knew once like a bird in prison I dwell no freedom from my sorrow I felt then Jesus came and listen to me and glory to God he set me free wait a minute they're still Shackled their feet are still in stocks they're still in the jailhouse but they've claimed the promise H they've claimed their Deliverance while it's still dark they see light while it's still hopeless they find hope well it's still impossible they find he who makes the impossible possible been a long day up in heaven a lot of stuff going on God's kind of winding down it's midnight he usually kind of slows down a bit at midnight there's not as much meanness I guess going on and so he's there and the angels are kind of excited big day you know Paul and Silas and all that going on and they're chattering and talking and suddenly God says sh I hear something what is it something I don't often hear in fact I'm not sure I've ever heard anything just like it it's midnight in Philippi I know where my two men are they're in a dungeon and feet in stalks their backs are ripped apart it's midnight it's still dark but I hear him he set me free yes he set me free he broke the bonds of prison for me not much Harmony but I like the passion I'm Glory bound my Jesus to see oh glory to God and God said Gabriel take three of the boys and head off down there I want one of you at Each corner of that little Ram shackle jail house I want you to shake it until every shackle falls off I want you to shake it until every Bond Falls free I want you to shake it until every cell door swings open I'm going to have a jailbreak tonight because somebody wouldn't give up somebody wouldn't wait for the sun to rise somebody wouldn't wait for the storm to end but in the middle of the trouble they lifted their hands I'm preaching to you right now don't you quit don't you give up don't you sit there and not participate pain get your hands in the air get your voice going it's still dark I know but that's when God does his best work he stood in darkness and said let there be light light he wrestled with Jacob in the darkness of night he smoked the firstborn of Egypt he sent the East Wind that opened the Red Sea he was on it was on the night Dew that Mana came to feed the people of God Gideon's Army the sword of the Lord and of Gideon won the victory in the night it was in the night time that an Angelic choir serated a bunch of shepherds uh behold I bring you good tidings uh of great joy it was a stormy night on the sea in an unending hurricane that a preacher stood and said the God that I serve has Stood Beside Me This Night and has said stay with the ship stay with the ship stay with the ship and I'll see you before the night time stay standing I'm going to hush before the night time they had a few women folk that were meeting down by the river they couldn't get the Breakthrough in Philippi but when they sang in The Midnight when they trusted God while it was yet night a Revival broke out in that town that established a church there that existed for hundreds of years because it's while it's yet night that we have the opportunity to see what God can do I'm not sure I understand why God does his best work in darkness maybe because the when the sun shine like children who bravely play in the day but tremble in the night we don't see our need of him until the sun goes down for God who commanded the light to shine out of Darkness maybe what you're going through today is simply so you will better appreciate when the Sun rises again as surely it will in your life when the crisis pass the winds die and the clouds begin to dissipate maybe when the Rays of sun fall on your face it will have taken the darkness of night for you to recognize how beautiful how warm his smile.

I have felt your pain today I wrestle with God I don't like to tell this part of our lives our only son was four days old when we adopted him got the Holy Ghost when he was around 11 I baptized him myself as a young teenager he lived for God and loved God when he was 17 however an event happened that seemed to underwrite the fact that he had been abandoned by his mother he met her other four children none of whom she had abandoned it darkened him can't explain it it's beyond my comprehension but we began a 20-year Trek of alcohol and drugs visit him in jail in Mental Hospitals when the phone call came I found Dustin in his apartment he gone I wish I could tell you I was job and patient but we were crushed it was not a day of his life that someone did not pray for him and those prayers went unanswered there was not a time in an altar appeal wherever in the world did I not breathe a pay prayer for my son and they were never answered talk with my friends I made covenants I'll pray for your kids you pray for my boy and their prayers were not answered and I'd be less than honest if I didn't tell you that the enemy came and said you can't preach prayer anymore you can't preach Deliverance anymore you have nothing to say about raising kids and you have you're not qualified to talk about a Christian homean you might as well just take down your shingle get you a job it took me a while it really did to recognize what was happening the devil wanted me to quit the night is too dark there's no stars there's no moon there's no light anywhere just give it up just give it up and it was not me I didn't have the strength I was like Mary I had nowhere else to go Peter and John had a house to go back to Mary said I I've just got to hang on around this tomb a while and I finally came to the point and I found old job though he slay me yet will I trust him if I can't preach it from personal experience I can preach it from the word of God if I can't believe it because it happened to me I can believe it because it happened in the book he's the same God that walked in that Garden to lift up a shattered and broken woman and bring comfort and compassion to bear in her situation and he came to us and he put his arms around us h and he said I'm the same God that walked with you all these years uh I have not changed uh I will not change uh it is in the darkness that you have opportunity to show faithfulness uh when you don't understand you have opportunity to Simply believe when you can't explain it is when you have opportunity to just claim it and I made up my mind I ain't going to quit if it stays dark the rest of my life I'm going to preach it I'm going to sing I I'm going to praise Him regardless of what happens.

I've taken an entire cim meeting night to speak to you God knows who you are don't you give up don't you listen to the devil don't you let the storm clouds cower you don't let fear don't let doubt don't let pain uh become you uh push them away lift your hands yes it's still dark but I won't quit I won't give up I won't give in I will praise him in the middle of the night Rejoice not against me oh my enemy for when I fall I shall arise and when I sit in darkness the Lord shall be a light me reach for him right now come on Mary reach for him right now call out to him with all your heart find praise find worship regardless of how dark regardless of how deep the pain regardless of how hopeless the situation I know it's still dark but standing in the shadows is where you'll find him.