Failure Was Not An Option

“Failure Is Not An Option!”

John 20:9-18

Introduction

· Apollo 13 was launched on April 11, 1970, as the third planned lunar landing mission. The crew of James A. Lovell, Jr., John L. Swigert, Jr., and Fred Wallace Haise, Jr., flew the spacecraft Odyssey and Aquarius Lunar Module.

· Two days after launch, as Apollo 13 approached the moon to begin lunar operations, an explosion occurred that caused the service module of the Odyssey to lose its oxygen, electrical power, and other systems, including its capability to perform an abort maneuver for a direct return to the earth.

· The crew quickly moved to the Aquarius, which became their lifeboat in space. All of the systems in the command module of the Odyssey, which remained functional, were deactivated to preserve its capability to reenter the atmosphere upon return to the earth. The Aquarius Lunar Module had no heat shield and therefore could not be used for earth reentry.

· At the time of the explosion, the return time to the earth was over four days. Because the Aquarius did not have enough oxygen or water for this length of time, it became necessary to use the lunar landing engine for a major propulsive maneuver in space to change the spacecraft’s path and speed its return to the earth.

· At one point, the staff of Mission Control in Houston began to admit defeat. They could find no way to bring our 3 astronauts home. It was then that Mission Control Flight Director Gene Kranz spoke the words, ‘Failure Is Not An Option’.

· Faced with statement of Kranz, that Failure to bring our astronauts home was not an option, all of Mission Control went to work on the impossible.

· Overcoming numerous life-threatening problems, including near freezing temperatures and excess carbon dioxide in the LM, Apollo 13 successfully reentered the earth’s atmosphere for a landing in the Pacific Ocean on April 17, 1970, over five days after launch.

· As we think about the Resurrection of Christ, it would be easy to see why the disciples thought He wouldn’t come back from the dead.

o They saw the Roman Soldiers take Christ away, beat Him and nail Him to a cross

o They knew that many men died in the beating process, and ALL died on the cross

o They had never seen a man raise Himself from the dead

· Jesus was a good friend, and an excellent Teacher, but could He really rise again, or was Failure An Option?

· I believe Failure Was Not An Option. And here’s why…

Failure Was Not An Option…

I. Because Of The Word, 9-10

A. The Word had been spoken, but not received, 9

B. The Word had been seen, but not experienced

Failure Was Not An Option…

II. Because Of The Wounds, 10-16

A. Wounds seen by the departure of the disciples, 10

B. Wounds seen by the searching of Mary, 11-13

Failure Was Not An Option…

III. Because Of The Work, 14

A. The Work of letting those closest to Him know He was alive, 14-16

B. The Work of offering His Blood to the Father for Atonement of sin, 17

C. The Work of assembling His followers for the Work of the Ministry, 18

Conclusion

Ø Failure Was Not An Option…

· Because what God had spoken MUST come to pass

· Because what God had started MUST be completed

· Because what God had orchestrated MUST resonant beauty

· Because what God had ordained MUST come to Fruition

Ø Failure Was Not An Option…

· Because the devil was waiting in the wings to steal a victory from the Father

· Because hell was widening herself to receive all of God’s creation

· Because the demons thought they made the right choice in following Lucifer

· Because death and hell are never satisfied and never full

Ø Failure Was Not An Option…

· Because nature itself groined beneath, waiting for its redemption

· Because Eden has been vacant for far too long

· Because the lion must one day lay down with the lamb

· Because a day was ordained when we would no longer need the sun to see in the day, nor the moon to wish to at night

Ø Failure Was Not An Option…

· Because the gifts and callings of God are without repentance, and God said the resurrection of His only begotten Son would come to pass

· Because the Holy Spirit was poised to seek out a Bride to marry the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and we all know that a Bride doesn’t want to marry a dead man

· Because Christ spoke from the foundation of the world, ‘All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth..’