Now What? | Joanna Young-Radke & Pastor Chip Radke

The Power of "Now What?" Living Beyond the Resurrection

The celebration is over. The tomb is empty. Death has been defeated. We've worshiped, we've rejoiced, and we've commemorated the most powerful event in human history—the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But then Monday arrives, and life continues with all its complexities, challenges, and uncertainties intact.

This brings us to a question that many believers struggle to answer: Now what?

The Temptation to Return

When uncertainty hits, our natural inclination is to retreat to what's familiar. We see this pattern clearly in John 21:3, where Simon Peter declares, "I'm going fishing." He wasn't being rebellious or faithless. He simply didn't know what to do next, so he returned to what he knew—his old profession, his old life.

How often do we do the same thing? We encounter God in powerful ways. We experience breakthrough and deliverance. We celebrate freedom. But when faced with the unknown path ahead, we quietly slip back into old patterns, old mindsets, and old comforts—not because they fulfilled us before, but because they feel safe.

The truth is sobering: Jesus didn't die to bring you out of something only for you to walk right back into it. He didn't break your chains so you could voluntarily pick them up again. The problem isn't that Peter went fishing—it's that he went fishing without direction from Jesus.

Learning to Listen and Obey

The breakthrough came when Jesus appeared and gave specific instruction: "Throw your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you'll get some" (John 21:6). Same water. Same boat. Same nets. Different outcome. Why? Because Jesus was involved.

You can keep doing the same things, but if Jesus isn't in it, you'll still come up empty. The difference isn't the situation—it's the voice you're listening to. When you don't know what to do, don't run back to your past. Instead, listen for the still, small voice and be prepared to obey.

Resurrection Power Comes With a Mission

Perhaps the most challenging part of the resurrection message is found in John 20:21: "As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you."

This is where many of us hesitate. We love being forgiven. We celebrate being free and blessed. But an assignment? Work to do? Surely there's been some mistake.

But if your Christianity ends at "Jesus saved me," you're missing the entire point. You weren't just saved FROM something—you were saved FOR something. You have a purpose, a calling, a mission. You were saved to proclaim the message.

When God sent His Son, He sent Him with authority, mission, obedience, power, and yes—opposition. Jesus faced rejection, misunderstanding, and attacks. If you think you're the only one experiencing these things, you're mistaken. It's time to stop being so sensitive, to put on spiritual maturity, and get to the assignment.

This isn't just about you. It's about those still drowning who need someone to reach down and say, "I know a Jesus who can save you."

The Breath of Life

One of the most intimate moments in Scripture occurs in John 20:22: "Then he breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'"

He breathed. Not spoke from a distance. Not delivered a sermon. Not created a spectacle. He breathed—face to face, personally, intimately. This echoes back to Genesis when God breathed life into Adam. Just as humanity began with the breath of God, your new life in Christ begins the same way.

This wasn't just physical breath—it was spiritual life. Resurrection power being personally transferred. The Holy Spirit is not merely a force or goosebumps you experience during worship. He is a person you receive and develop a relationship with.

Notice that Jesus said "receive"—it's both an invitation and a command. You don't earn the Holy Spirit. You don't have to prove yourself worthy. You don't have to clean up before you come to Christ. You come to Him filthy and let Him clean you up.

The Spirit is a gift. It's free. You simply open yourself and take what's being given.

The Difference Between Filling and Overflow

What happened in John 20 was different from what would happen at Pentecost in Acts 2. Both are essential, but they serve different purposes. John 20 represents the infilling—the internal transformation, God inside you, changing you from the inside out. This is the breath of life, the Spirit dwelling within.

Acts 2 represents the overflow—the outward manifestation, what people see on the outside. You can't have overflow without first receiving the filling. You can't pour out what you haven't received.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 prophesied this exact moment: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you."

Romans 8:9-11 confirms this reality: "The Spirit of God lives in you... Christ lives within you... the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you."

This isn't an occasional visitation. This is permanent indwelling. This is identity-changing, life-altering transformation. You've leveled up completely because God is living within you.

The Real Question

So the question isn't "now what?" anymore. The question is: Will you go? Will you share? Will you receive what He's already given you?

Are you trying to do what God called you to do without fully receiving what He gave you? Many people love the calling, love talking about Jesus, love serving. But are you operating without the breath of God empowering you?

Jesus didn't rise so you could go back. He didn't rise so you could stay comfortable. He didn't rise so you could strive on your own. He rose to send you, and He gave you His Spirit so you wouldn't have to do it alone.

Drawing Near

There's a profound difference between honoring God with your lips and drawing near with your heart. You can be in the room and still not receive. You can attend church regularly and still miss what God wants to give you.

The solution to every problem—personal, relational, professional, national—is found in God's presence. Not in rushing through a service, checking off a religious obligation, or maintaining appearances. The answers come when we truly draw near, when we stop watching the clock and start seeking His face.

God wants to breathe His life into you today. He wants to fill you with His Spirit, commission you with His purpose, and empower you for the journey ahead. The resurrection wasn't just a historical event to commemorate—it's a present reality to live in.

The tomb is empty. Death is defeated. And now, you're being sent.