A beautiful exchange week 1 Against all odds Easter 2018

In 1996, all the odds makers and probability forecasters agree that a man by the name of Leland Capps ought to be dead. Leland didn’t know how to fly, took off in a private plane with a friend who was a pilot. When they got up to cruising altitude, his friend, had a massive heart attack and died. “Help!” Leland screamed, until air traffic control heard his cries and said “I’ve got good news for you, I’m a flight instructor. Would you like a quick flight lesson?” “Tell me everything and tell me fast!” Leland yelled back. So, the flight controller proceeded to give a few instructions on basic maneuvers such as how to keep the plane level and get it under control. When Leland got control of the plane, the traffic controller said, “Now, Lee, this is your most important lesson. You must apply everything you’ve just learned without any exception because now you’re going to have to land this thing. “It’s your only hope.”

Capps tried once unsuccessfully to land the float plane in the water. On the second try, he landed it at the shoreline of Lake Washington.

The floats collapsed, and the plane slid out of the lake, skidded across the runway on its belly and came to rest on grass. The plane sustained heavy damage.

Capps, who climbed out after landing, was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he was treated for scrapes and released, authorities said. 

"The guy, by some miracle successfully landed the plane," said Woody Cummings, an FAA duty officer. On a scale of 1-10 landing a water landing is between a 7-8 and that’s for experienced pilots. 

This amazing air traffic controller/flight instructor talked Leland Capps down to an ugly but successful landing. 

There are people who, by profession, are odds makers and probability forecasters. People who make their living by sorting out the sure shots from the long shots.

They will tell you things like injury is 10 times more likely riding a bicycle than driving a car. And, they can tell you that a Honda Civic, it is 57 times more likely to be stolen than a Dodge Neon. The odds makers can even tell you if you’re still driving one of those old Ford Pintos, you can actually leave your keys in the ignition because it’s mathematically impossible for someone to steal it!

These people make their living by figuring out odds like these and they are usually very accurate. Yet they were absolutely and utterly wrong about Leland Capps. He defied all the odds against him.

In the same way, the odds makers in Jesus day were wrong about whether or not he was going to come back from the grave, because He did.

1. Jesus was faced with an against all odds situation of epic proportion.   
1. Crucifixion equals death. 
2. Therefore, Jesus resurrection was against all odds. 
1. But He came back from the dead.  
2. There is an empty tomb in Israel that still bears witness to that historical reality.

Matthew 28:1-7 NLT [1] “Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. [2] Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. [3] His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. [4] The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. [5] Then the angel spoke to the women. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. [6] He isn't here! He is risen from the dead, just as He said would happen. Come, see where His body was lying. [7] And now, go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead, and He is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see Him there. Remember what I have told you."

1. Eyewitnesses who saw Jesus after the resurrection wrote down a record that has been preserved to this day in the Bible. 
1. Beyond that millions of people every year all around the world are experiencing inner spiritual transformation, salvation, healing, and deliverance when they trust in the Name of Jesus.
2. This baffles the skeptics who think this Christianity thing should have just gone away centuries ago. 

Romans 8:11 NLT “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, He will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.”

1. The very same power that raised Jesus from the dead is now available to us, so that every followers life can come against and defeat the odds.
2. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead gives us the power to defy the everyday odds and resistive forces that face us when the alarm goes off every morning.
1. A lot of people have lost hope and faith to believe in the possibility of a long shot ever happening in their lives.
1. Easter should be a constant and continual reminder to us that impossibilities still happen. 
1. Even for those this morning who have the odds stacked against them in these areas:
1. Those who grew up in a dysfunctional family.
1. Some lives are weighted down every day by the efforts of growing up in a family that didn’t work well. 
2. So many are sinking into seas of hopelessness because something inside of them got broken in their years of growing up. 
3. Now, they believe what is broken is unfixable. 
4. That was once lost cannot be restored. 
5. That the wrongs done to them can never be righted. 
6. They live on the edge of despair.
2. Some of you grew up in families where rage, shame, abuse and controlling patterns were normal. 
1. Existing with an absence of nurturing love. 
1. You can’t seem to get beyond that.
2. Well, God is telling us, whatever you do don’t give up. 
1. Easter power, resurrection power is available to overcome those odds. 
2. The Bible tells us there’s a loving, Heavenly Father who’s ready and willing to adopt you into His family. 
1. You can be restored to wholeness.  
1. Don’t waste your time calling the psychic hot line, having your palm read or checking your daily horoscope; Easter power, resurrection power is available because of Jesus Christ! 
3. I’ve got to tell you Easter power, resurrection power is available for you; move out of that stuck, fearful, destructive position and take a step of faith. 
1. Break the curse, break the cycle, overcome the defeat!
3. There is another group who needs a long shot this Easter. 
1. Those in need of healing because of devastating loss.
1. Those who have experienced great loss question if life will ever be the same again.
1. Some have lost reputation, employment or financial investments. 
2. Some have lost health or their way.
2. Maybe you’ve lost loved ones or friends to death.  
1. Lost a husband, a wife, a parent, or a child, some have lost children to divorce or addiction.  
3. Hear it again this day of miracles: The Power that brought Jesus back to life is available for you who have lost.  

Matthew 11:28 NLT “Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

1. He desires to relieve your suffering, loneliness and questions but you’ve got to come! 
1. You must walk out of the sadness, the depression, the bitterness and the darkness, take a step of faith; reach out to the hands that are already reaching out to you with love. 
2. You can live and breathe again. 
1. Life will be different but it can still be life in great abundance. 
1. Death is not the end, there is hope, because there is eternal life after death! 
1. Another group who needs a long shot are those crippled by destructive habits.
1. Destructive patterns that you just can’t seem to shake, whether they be secret, or wide open crippling habits.
1. There’s not much worse than to get in the grip of a destructive habit that’s eroding your life.
1. No wonder people addicted to alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex, pornography, work, or eating disorders lose the hope of ever breaking or living free.
2. They can’t see a way out.
1. But there is good news:

John 8:36 NLT “So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”

1. Which means if there is air in your lungs and blood moving through your veins, you are a candidate for liberation. 
1. Freedom is in your future!
2. The same power that broke death’s hold over Jesus is available to those of you who think no power can break you free.
1. You have got to believe that on Easter, the day of impossibility, the moment of the ultimate long shot, that a miracle can still happen in your life. 
1. All the Easter power in the world, all of heaven’s resurrection power can’t help you unless you access it.
1. Another group here present are those with a case of the ordinary’s. 
1. A lot of people gave up hope long ago that their life could ever be anything but ordinary.  
2. They can’t see themselves doing anything extraordinary so the ordinary’s set in.
1. They are good people. 
1. They’ve just exchanged vision for survival.
2. They’ve traded miraculous for mediocre. 
3. Listen, shortly after the resurrection, Jesus stood before such a group of people and shattered their case of the ordinary’s.  

Acts 1:8 NLT “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be My witnesses, telling people about Me everywhere-in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

1. Jesus said, “ordinary” people, just like us, will begin to help people who are drowning in guilt, shame, addiction, fear, sin and they will find forgiveness, healing and deliverance, through the cross.
1. People whose hearts are bitter and hateful will experience God’s transforming love, which turns a cruel heart into a compassionate one. 
2. Forgiveness changes lives. 
2. Jesus told ordinary people, “You will overcome the impossible and defeat the enemy, against all and every odd.”
1. And as you do, your life will be catapulted out of the mediocre, and your case of the ordinary’s will be banished forever. 
2. You will become purposed, playing a pivotal role in turning the world around, one life at a time.
3. That same power that brought Jesus back from the dead is available to empower your life to serve His cause.
1. So I want to ask you, do you need a long shot?  
2. Are all of the odds stacked against you? 
1. What do you need today?  
2. Power to get past a dysfunctional family?   
3. Power to get healing from destructive and demonic addictions?  
4. Power over death, loss or defeat? 
5. Power to shake off the ordinary’s and march into the future with vision and purpose for your life?  
6. Power over the incarceration and degradation of sin? 
1. Grab hold of the resurrection power of Christ that faced and forged ahead against all odds and lay hold of the promise of God. 

Hebrews 13:8 tells us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” 

1. That same Jesus, the one who made the lame to walk and the blind to see.
1. Who raised the dead, caused the deaf to hear, and the mute to speak.
1. Jesus healed the sick and delivered the demoniac, is the same Jesus who is ready, willing to move and work in your life right now.