Mark's Gospel likely ended at verse 8, with verses 9-20 added later. The sermon argues Jesus continually edits believers' stories, using Mary Magdalene as an example of how God conveys truth through flawed messengers. Personal testimonies of hospital recovery and financial provision show the resurrected Christ still appears today.
Chapters
Shut up. There's an extra invitation I want to extend to you, and I pray that you accept. You've been invited to fellowship with me in the Gospel of Saint Mark, chapter number 16. I told y'all happy resurrection. Okay, good, good, good. Saint Mark, chapter number 16. Saint Mark chapter number 16. Y'all gonna help me preach this morning? Saint Mark chapter number 16. Going to be a strange approach to this, this morning, but please listen to every word that God says. St. Mark chapter number 16, and we want to read verse number 9. The word of God reads, early On the first day of the week, which is Sunday, after Jesus had risen, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven 7 demons. You can sit down right there. All right, all right. Sunday, after he got up, he risen. After he'd risen, he appeared to Mary Magdalene, of who he had driven out 7 demons. For just a few moments, if you will help me this morning, I want to have a Christological conversation based upon the content of Edits That Edify.
Edits that edify.
Y'all heard of Gotham City? That is where the hero Batman resided. We know the story of Batman. No matter if it was the Joker, Two-Face, or the Riddler, anytime Batman ended up in a situation, Batman was gonna end up getting out. All right, and so today we see Batman as the hero because every time Batman ended up in something, we didn't know how he was going to get out, but we knew that the story was going to result in him getting out.
We now call Batman a superhero because of no matter what he got in, Batman always got out. But if I could have a sanctified argument with you this morning, I want to suggest that the real hero in the story of Batman is not Batman. Out. But it's a man by the name of Bob Kane. You looking at me confused because y'all are Batmanologists and you know it was Batman and his utility belt and all this stuff that helped him get out. But can I help us this morning and let us know that though Batman was the one that we saw get out. It was Bob Kane who was the creator and writer of Batman. Translated, Batman is really a fictional story, and the character Batman only did what the writers told him to do. And while it looks like Batman is the hero, he's only a hero because the script was written for him to always come out. Now y'all told me it was Easter Sunday and y'all gonna make me preach hard today. Child of God, what I'm trying to tell you is that in this story of life, you find yourself time and time and time again able to get in something and always getting out.
You want to know why you're able to get out of everything God lets you go in?
Is because even though you're in the story You're under the auspices of another writer who has already written your story for you to come out on top. And I want to survey the room this morning. Who wants to testify that, Preacher, I know that I'm not that holy, I know I'm not that good, I know I'm not that strong, I know I'm not that righteous, But there is somebody who's written the story for me, and no matter what I get in, I always seem to get out.
Has there ever been anybody in the house this morning who's thankful for the story that God has written for you? You went in one way, but you came out another way. You know why you came out? Because God wrote your story that way. You know why you are in church this morning? It's not because you're so holy, but God wrote the story for you. And no matter what you've been through in life, no matter how far out you've been there, God has always written your story for you to come back to him. And I'm thankful today that on this Resurrection Sunday morning, and I came to let somebody know that God already wrote your story with a happy ending. And even though you're crying right now, even even though you may not understand what's going on right now, let me tell you, I don't know how, but somehow, some way, because God wrote your story, you will have victory at the end. So I dare somebody to just go ahead and start shouting right now, because you know how the story is going. You're going to come out with a hallelujah on your lips. You're gonna come out better. You're gonna come out with more. You're gonna come out with more victory, because because God wrote your story that way.
I spent 3 minutes on the introduction. Let me start traveling my way to my thesis so I can stay on my pace this morning. We are here in Mark chapter 16, and we read verse number 9.
Can I help us this morning and teach us something about the Bible?
That really in the original manuscript that the Gospel of Saint Mark originally ended in verse 8. When you go read Saint Mark chapter 16, it originally ended in verse 8 when the lady saw the angel.
And they said that they came, they were there with, with fear and trembling.
But as time progressed, other canonical writers added verses 9 to 20 to chapter 16 of the Gospel of Saint Mark. And it was likely that it was not Mark who added verses 9 through 20. If you read verse 8 and read verse 9, it looks like there is no flow to it, and it's a good reason for that, because as I just stated, verses 9 through 20, down to the end, are not a part of the original manuscript of the Gospel of Saint Mark. Translated. The verses I read for you this morning is an edited version of the original manuscript of Saint Mark's Gospel. I want to suggest this morning there are various reasons why, why theologians believe that this was not added in the original manuscript. Do y'all care to learn this morning? One suggestion is, is that perhaps Mark did write what happened after that, but some of the original manuscripts left that part out because it could have gotten lost. But there is another argument that says that since we want to prove that Jesus got up, it's important to include the fact that he appeared. So somebody, something—
I don't—
I wasn't there, but they edited the Gospel of Saint Mark to include this, that not only did Christ get up, but Christ also appeared. Lord have mercy, because we get happy by the the fact that early Sunday morning he got up with all power in his hand.
But can we grow this morning? You better shout for the fact that he did more than just get up, but he also appeared. And if he did not appear, then it would not be proof that he got up. But thanks be to God that one day Somebody edited the story to let us know that my Christ did more than get up, but my Christ appeared. And I got good news for you this morning, that he appeared not only 2,000 years ago, but there should be a house witness in the house this morning to let somebody know that on August 20th, 2025, my Jesus still appears. I was in the hospital The doctors couldn't figure it out. They finally was able to discharge me. And you know why they were able to discharge me? That's because that same Jesus who got up appeared in that hospital room. I was broken down to my last dime, didn't know how I was going to keep my lights on. But not only did my lights stay on, I was able to provide for my family. And you know how I did that? Because that same Jesus who got up appeared in my house. Somebody here today knows that they're saved. You were headed straight to hell. You were doing everything you can think of doing, living any kind of way, but you are in the house of God this morning. You know why you here? Because not only did he get up, but God appeared in your life. And I want to let somebody know today that he is getting ready to end your story, and he's going to be able to edit your story because he still appears. Is there anybody today who knows they need God to appear? You need God to show up. You need God to have fellowship. You need God to touch. You need God to move.
Let me let you know today that my God still appears, and it was important for somebody to know that we need to edit this story, because they gonna read this. Him going to preach this text in 2025, and he's gonna need to prove the resurrection of Jesus by not just saying he got up with all power in his hand, but him make sure you also tell him that he still appears.
And no matter where you are in your life right now, with tears in your eyes, with madness in your heart, with depression on your mind, with trouble all around you, with trouble all through the earth, with trouble all in the country, that my God still appears.
And he changed the story for Mary Magdalene. He changed the story for the disciples. And that fact is still changing the story for you and I today. Do y'all want to know What I came to preach this morning, here it is. I'm about to tell you, I came to preach that Christ edits our story and also changes our status. I'm gonna say it again, I'm gonna stare at you. That Christ today is still editing our story and changing our status.
In other words, it ain't gonna always be like this, but God is going to appear in your story and going to change your status. He's going to change your tears of sadness into tears of joy. He's going to change sinners into saved people. He's going to change those who are down to those who are up, because God changes stories and changes statuses.
Y'all got an Easter kickback to get to, so let me help y'all get out of here early, and I hope y'all don't see me there. Here it is. This text teaches us about the value of an unreliable source.
Oh goodness, this wore me out here. I still don't have the answer, but I'mma, I'mma, I'mma do what God told me with the answer.
It bothers me telling that, that, that, that he spent all that time with the 12. He spent all that time with the disciples. But the Bible says that he appeared first to Mary Magdalene. That's the interesting version of the story, that not only that he appeared, but he appeared first to Mary Magdalene. Not only just Mary Magdalene, but Mark, or whoever edited this story, is so messy because he said Mary Magdalene, who he relieved of 7 demons. What you gonna bring her third up for? She's already a woman, that's one strike against her. She's not a part of the original 12, that's another strike against her. But whoever edited the story said that it was the Mary Magdalene who he cast out 7 demons. In other words, she was nothing, nobody, full of hell, got a past, not trustworthy, can't be relied on, got a history. People know her dirt, people know her mess.
She's not qualified. But guess what Jesus did? Come here, baby, let me show myself to you. If there any married in the house this morning, you know that he didn't just cast out 7 demons from you, but he cast out a good dozen demons from you, and you still got some demons on the inside of you. But didn't he show up in your life? Didn't he come through in your life? Didn't he change your life anyway? And what I'm trying to tell you is that he still shows up to the unreliable. She ain't nobody in society because she's a woman.
She ain't nobody because her name ain't Matthew, she ain't Peter, and she has some demons.
But Jesus says, come here, my girl, I got something I'm gonna do for you. Ain't nobody seen me do this yet. I'm gonna let you be the first one to see me, and you will see a resurrected Savior. And let me tell you learn something today, and I'm thankful that God still shows up to the unreliable with your unreliable self.
And it said that she went and told the other ones, and they did not believe. You thought, all right, I know your past, Mary.
I know what—
I saw you when you had those demons. And now you expect us to believe what you got to say?
Somebody here this morning got a testimony, and you didn't try to tell people what God has done in your life. Not only can you not believe it, but they can't believe it either, because you know the truth about yourself and they know the truth about you. Everybody ain't lying on you. Some of us are hell, we are foolish, we are evil, but thanks be to God he still appears. Just as conniving as you want to be, but I know what I saw.
Here it is, here it is, here it is. God has a way.
I ain't put my hands up and made y'all like that in about 2 weeks. Here it is, you gonna like this.
God has a way of giving reliable information to unreliable sources.
Did they like it good enough for y'all?
I don't think they liked it good enough for me.
Let me say it again: that God has a way of trusting unreliable sources with reliable information.
Can I give y'all some reliable information? That he was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died one Friday, got up Sunday morning, and he's coming back again. Now y'all looking at the container because y'all know I ain't unreliable, but I've got some reliable information for you. That my God still lives. And I'm thankful to God that the information that's on the inside of me keeps me alive, that the information on the inside of me defends me when nobody else would defend me, that even though I may not know the right people, I got the right facts. And I want to give somebody hope this morning. You may have some ups and downs, you may have some crooked ways, but let me tell you this, hang on to this. He died one Friday, he got up again, he's sitting at the right hand of the Father. You may mess up today, but he died, he lives, and he's coming back again. You may say stuff you ain't got no business saying, but say this also: he died, he got up again, and he lives again. And the information on the inside of you can keep you beyond your own problems. I wish I had somebody here today to be honest and say, I know I'm an unreliable source, but I thank God that the information about him keeps me when I get crazy. The information and truth about him keeps me when I don't act right. The information about him keeps me from getting on you because the information is what's keeping me.
Uh-oh, let me, let me, let me, let me, let me help you.
Let me help you.
Y'all need some help.
Y'all need some help. I'm gonna get y'all to y'all kick back and down.
Y'all need some help. Here it is. Uh, planes have this mechanism. Y'all look so mean. Y'all— planes have this mechanism inside of it called a black box. This black box, it is what it is. It's a black box. You see all these big old jets, these expensive million-dollar vehicles that fly at hundreds and thousands of miles, but inside of it is a black box. Doesn't look good, doesn't look fancy. It's just a black box. Well, let me tell you something, this insignificant black box, that the way, uh, it's built is so strong that even when, God forbid, a plane crashes, the black box is kept because it's guarded.
Protected and built so strong. And the reason for the black box being so sturdy is because it has on the inside of it pertinent information. It has details about the flight. It has recordings about the flight. It has voice recordings that the pilots have on the flight that when even the plane crashes The information on the inside of it is safe. Congrats, child of God! How many of you have ever been through a crash in life? You've been through some destruction in your life, but somehow, some way, you still know that God is your Savior. Because on the inside of you, God has made you to be a black box that sometimes I may go through, but I'm still here because I got the right information.
I think God is calling us to have black box faith, that I may go through some challenges in life, but I got the right information.
And I don't care what they got to say on TikTok, I don't care what they got to say on CNN, I don't care what they got to say on Fox News, I still believe he died for me, he rose again, and now I'm saved. I won't even believe all the information I say about myself, but I am the righteousness of God. I am the head and not the tail. I am above and not beneath because he told me that. I can do all things because he told me that. No weapon formed against me shall prosper because he told me that.
Yes, unreliable. Yeah, sources. I feel sweat coming to my forehead. Calm down. But God also has useful slothfulness. Useful slothfulness. Okay, so good to see you, man. Uh, uh, he— it says that Mary Magdalene went to the others. Talking about the other 11, because y'all know Judas gone by now, and so it's just 11 of the original now. And the tragedy in the text is that those 11 did not believe. Why y'all ain't have no problem eating them fish sandwiches?
When he took 2 fish and 5 barley loaves and fed the multitude.
Now Peter, you was bold earlier, talking about, if it's thou, bid me to come walk on water. You saw him touch the widow of Nain's casket, son's casket, and he get up. But now you don't believe. It could be because Mary Magdalene's reputation impacted you, but at its root cause, the problem is— here it is— that you lacked faith in what Jesus said he would do. Wow. Now why y'all mad at Why y'all mad at Matthew? Why y'all mad at James and John when God tells us things and we don't believe? I ain't sticking my middle finger, I'm just putting my glasses up. And God is still speaking, but there are still those who don't believe. Don't just leave this here in Saint Mark 16, because in Mark 13, he already authorized them and told them what was going to happen and that he would get up. He let them know that not only would he get up, but he was going to use them to proclaim the gospel and to save others. Can I be systematic in my theology? That's a big way of just saying, can I connect some biblical truths together to make it all make sense? Here it is, watch this.
Y'all good in church, so, so I know y'all gonna get it.
Faith comes by hearing, and hearing the word of God. Mary Magdalene came and told them something that they could hear, that she saw, and they did not believe. Now God was going to cause them to preach, and when they preach, they need to trust that God will allow them to hear and hear the word of God.
So here it is, you are not going to be able to execute what God is going to call y'all to do.
God about to call y'all to preach, but y'all can't receive no preacher.
Y'all going to preach in a little while, but yet still, because y'all looking at the woman and looking at her past, y'all can't receive a word.
But here it is, Jesus hired them when he called them, but yet and still— I'm preaching too slow right here— they show examples of flaws, but God, Christ Jesus, hired them before the hiccup, but the hiccup didn't make him unhire him.
Lord, preach, Gavin R. Hafford, your chocolate skin self.
He hired them early.
They had a hiccup right here, but guess what?
They still hired. Yeah. All right.
So even though they were slow in getting it, God still used them.
Anybody in here know you've been slow to get it sometimes?
When you been— you didn't quite get things right the way you were supposed to do it on the first try, you had to do a retest, you had to take the class over again, you had to take the lesson over again because you did not get it the first try. Y'all don't want to admit it because y'all think y'all first-time Christians that you aced every test on the first try, but let me tell you that you're lying. You've had some hiccups in your life, but thanks be to God, he kept you hired despite your hiccups. Anybody had a hiccup lately? But let me tell you something, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, because God's word for you today with your slothful self is that you you still hired.
And the resurrection didn't let this be the end of the disciple story, but the resurrection edited the story of Mary Magdalene.
And we see now that editing the story of the disciples, that you're not gonna stay in a place of a lack of faith, but let God just keep on working on the inside of you, and you will come to believe, and you will lead others to believe also. So here it is, here it is.
Let me jump to a conclusion here, that the resurrection is not just about what Christ did, but TC, this is what shouts me, because I see my left lens fogging up. The resurrection is not only about what Christ did But it's what about what Christ is going to use slothful people to do?
You know who the slothful person I'm talking about? I want to hear y'all say me, because God want to use you. He want to use you with your flawed self and upgrade you to a place and edit your story that even you are being used for the kingdom building. Y'all see the empty burgundy seats right there? You know how it's gonna get filled when some slothful people in the house believe in Jesus Christ and start preaching the gospel, not behind no sacred desk, but telling the story, impacting you, and others can get saved.
And the only difference between these disciples and other people is the calling that God had on their life. Uh, y'all ever heard of a Michelin star restaurant. In other words, it's a high-priced fancy restaurant.
You need to dress up to go in there. Now I got a problem with these Michelin star restaurants.
It gets real bougie in these places and the menu don't match the portion sizes. You get a piece of food for hundreds of dollars, but you gotta act all sophisticated and sedated because you are in a Michelin star restaurant. I found something out. You ever go to a restaurant like this, they have a sneaky way of doing stuff. Mims, you know what they'll do? They'll have something on the menu, uh, that's really just french fries, but they'll call them truffle fries. They the same thing as the French fries you get at Southern Classic or McDonald's. French fries at McDonald's probably around $3 or so, give or take a dollar or two based upon inflation and things of that nature. But if you go to a Michelin star restaurant, an even smaller portion of French fries— I'm sorry, truffle fries— will cost you $20.
Now I know somebody who got expensive taste, and she always say, you can't get mad at the price gap, it's the experience.
I don't care about no experience.
I can make them same potatoes at the house for 99 cents and dim the lights and light a candle and make an experience.
It's the same potatoes at McDonald's that are at a Michelin star restaurant. You know what the difference is? At a Michelin star restaurant, they say it's prepared different and put seasoning on, but really, come here, at the end of the day, you paying for the same product, but it's just got a different name on it.
And that's what God did with us. We're the same old country potato, but now we got a different name on it. So now my stock just went up because I ain't got the same name I used to have, but now he calls me holy, now he calls me righteous, now he calls me justified, and now the price just went up. I forgot to tell y'all one more thing. I forgot to tell y'all one more thing about these truffle fries.
Guess what? At McDonald's, this is what they say now, they prepare it in one type of grease.
But in a Michelin star restaurant, the reason that you pay more is because there's a different oil on those old potatoes. It ain't no same old junky oil. But it's a new oil that's been put on your life. Anybody got the oil on their life? Anybody got an anointing on your life? You think you same old Sue? You think you same old Sharon? You think you same old Gavin? I am the same old Gavin, but God got a new oil on me.
I gotta get out of here. But I gotta make a defense today to see how cheap of a meal I can buy today for lunch. But before I do it, I gotta tell you about an unfiltered sanctity or sanctification that's unfiltered. That big hand moving kind of quick on me this morning. Uh-uh, uh-uh, he edited story— edited Mary Magdalene's. The story of the disciples have been edited. They now no longer doubters but they're believers. But there's one story that did not change, one perspective that did not change. Guess what? Even though Mary Magdalene had a past Even though Mary Magdalene, uh, had demons at one point, and she spread a gospel that was not believed, even though his own disciples did not believe, guess what? None of it changed the fact that he already got up. Lord have mercy, I thought y'all was gonna say nothing.
Sometimes we gotta learn that when nobody will believe in us and that nobody will believe for you, you have to know that the ones who don't believe in me were not responsible for getting me up. Because I was in a cave by myself and y'all were somewhere hiding. But while I was in my cave by myself, God was going to work on the inside of me. And look at me today.
All the miracles Jesus did, they let that one Friday make them forget everything they knew about Jesus.
And think that human beings, you've done a whole bunch of stuff for people, you've done good things, but people will let one moment make you think that your story is going to end right there. But the devil is a liar. But if you in your cave Let the power of the Holy Ghost get you up. And no matter who believes it, just get up and go with God. And I want to know this morning, is there anybody who's waiting on a word of affirmation from somebody before you get up? Let me tell you this morning, stop waiting and just let the power of God get you up. Even when people don't believe in you, even when people don't see your future. You have to believe in God enough to be able to get up even in the face of oppression.
I close with this. I open up telling y'all about Batman. This is where I wish I could hoop. I'm going to invest in some hooping lessons going into the month of May. Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, let me tell you about another movie. There's this movie called Rocky. I don't know if y'all ever seen Rocky. Some of y'all have, but it's about this boxer named Rocky, and old Rocky would take the worst beatings, but somehow by the end of the story, Rocky would be about dead, but Rock would be able to lift his fist up, his face all beat up, and somehow, some way Rocky would always come back and win. I'll say it one more time.
Let me calm myself down because I'm getting excited because I know where I'm going.
Rocky was in this story. He was a boxer, and Rocky wasn't like Tyson. Rocky didn't just come out and whoop somebody quick. Rocky would take a lot of beatings. He would be about dead.
But every time Rocky would be about dead, some kind of way he would get enough energy to come back from being about dead to winning the victory. Can I tell y'all about Rocky? Well, the story of Rocky was written by a man by the name of Sylvester Stallone.
And Sylvester Stallone not only wrote the story, but Sylvester Stallone played the character of Rocky.
So what Sylvester Stallone did, he said the same person who's going down is the same person who wrote the story.
Good night.
May the Lord God bless you real good. But on that Sunday morning, God the Father wrote the story so that God the Son can get up. And the same man who got up is the same man who wrote the story. And the same man who wrote the story is the same man that lives in me today. So let me tell you, it's a fist fight because the God in you is the same God that got Jesus up. The God in you is the same God that wrote your story. So it's a fixed fight because the same God who wrote the same story is living in me right now. I appreciate you rocking. I always wondered how you kept getting up because it was fixed. Ain't nobody ain't right. Literally gonna write a story where they stay dead. And since he wrote the story, the same one who wrote the story is the same one who's living in you.
We offer Jesus.
Father, I ask that you edit someone's story in their finances today, that they may be struggling right now. But Father, will you come into that story Edit the information and bless that ending to be like it's supposed to be. We thank you, praise you, and lift your name. In Jesus' name, amen, amen, amen.
Good.
