So, Christ is the One who saves us, sanctifies us, heals us and He is a our King. He is worthy of all praise and worship. Let’s read Mark 11:1-11

Mark 11:1-11:

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’”

They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields.  Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,

“Hosanna!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

Theme:

Christ is our King and He is coming back.

Application:

Surrender, unadulterated surrender and worship is what we must do.

1. Jesus enters Jerusalem, the people are ready for a King
   1. The people have been waiting for a king. They have been waiting for a king like David in the Old Testament. They have been waiting for a Savior.
   2. This is the beginning of what we now call Holy Week.
   3. Jesus is entering Jerusalem after a busy ministry schedule. He has a busy week ahead.
   4. They treat Jesus as a king right now, don’t they?
   5. Verse 8 begins to show this. They put their coats on the ground and many spread leafy palm branches.
   6. They shout Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; Hosanna in the highest! (Verses 9-10)
   7. Hosanna means “save us!”
   8. The people wanted a savior, they saw Jesus as that Savior. The people wanted a king, they saw Jesus as that king.
   9. They were so loud that if you read other Gospel accounts, such as Luke 19:39ff the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples. But Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out.”
   10. Jesus was hailed as a king then, but later in the week he was crucified. Some will say the same crowd who worshipped Him will later cry out, “crucify Him.”
   11. But on Palm Sunday they had the right idea. They welcomed Him as King. Jesus will come back as King. Jesus will come back as King and as judge.
2. Jesus will come again as King
   1. Jesus is our coming King.
   2. Jesus, welcomed as King on that Sunday, later crucified, ascended into Heaven some forty days after the resurrection. Following the ascension we read in Acts 1:11:
   3. Acts 1:11: “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
   4. Jesus is King and will return as King. Jesus will return in the clouds and He will return in His time.
   5. Jesus will return in the clouds: Rev. 1:7: “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him…
   6. Often we wonder why He hasn’t returned yet. 2 Peter 3:8-10: But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

1. Further the Bible teachers more about Christ’s return: Jesus Christ will be vindicated in the eyes of those who crucified Him ( 1:7); the whole of creation will be liberated from the curse imposed upon it after the sin of Adam in the garden (Romans 8:20–21); the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord (Isa. 11:9); God’s righteous reign will be established upon the earth for a thousand years (Rev. 20:1–6); and, ultimately, the final destruction of Satan will be accomplished (Rev. 20:7–10). [1]
2. One writes: Over the last four decades I have read a great many books about the Second Coming of Christ. Unfortunately, most were devoted to predicting when this cataclysmic event will occur (something the Bible explicitly tells us NOT to do), to debating the order of events connected to His return or to splitting the eschatological “hairs” that separate one group of evangelical believers from another. All of this speculation entirely misses the point of what the Bible says about the matter. The whole focus of the New Testament’s teaching about the return of Christ can be summarized in two simple propositions: first, because Christ is coming, we need to be ready—living lives that are pure, steadfast, prayerful, holy and reverent; and, second, because Christ is coming, we need to finish the task He has given us—the preaching of the gospel.[2]
3. Jesus is the rightful King. They worshipped Him for this reason on Palm Sunday. He will return as the rightful King. Are you ready?

Close:

Theme:

Christ is our King and He is coming back.

Application:

Surrender, unadulterated surrender and worship is what we must do.

As we go through this week, take a few moments and pray about surrender. If Jesus came back right now, what is something that He would ask about, some thought or action? Repent and surrender. Or, what is something you haven’t done that you know He wants you to do? This week take some time and reflect on your spiritual life. Grab your Bible, a pen and paper and take some time and ask God to show you some things to work on. Read Psalm 42 and pray that you desire God like the Psalmist.

“During World War I, a British commander was preparing to lead his soldiers back to battle. They’d been on furlough, and it was a cold, rainy, muddy day. Their shoulders sagged because they knew what lay ahead of them: mud, blood, possible death. Nobody talked, nobody sang. It was a heavy time. “As they marched along, the commander looked into a bombed-out church. Back in the church he saw the figure of Christ on the cross. At that moment, something happened to the commander. He remembered the One who suffered, died, and rose again. There was victory, and there was triumph. “As the troops marched along, he shouted out, ‘Eyes right, march!’ Every eye turned to the right, and as the soldiers marched by, they saw Christ on the cross. Something happened to that company of men. Suddenly they saw triumph after suffering, and they took courage. With shoulders straightened, they began to smile as they went. You see, anything worthwhile in life will be a risk that demands courage.” [–Gordon Johnson, “Finding Significance in Obscurity,” Preaching Today, Tape 82.]

Keep your eyes on Jesus!

Do you know Jesus?

God created us to be with him. (Genesis 1-2)

Our sin separated us from God. (Genesis 3)

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Gen 4-Mal 4)

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew – Luke)

Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life. (John – Jude)

Life that’s eternal means we will be with Jesus forever. (Revelation 22:5)

Pray

[1] https://www.cmalliance.org/about/beliefs/coming-king

[2] ibid.

You know what is encouraging, living for Christ is not about me, but about Him.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I honestly struggle to pursue Christ. I don’t know about you but sometimes I struggle to really live for Christ. I mean, really live for Christ. I mean seriously live for Christ. Let me say that it is easy to fake it. It is easy to look good on the outside, that is what the Pharisees did. They looked good on the outside. But what about those thoughts that come inside your head? What about what you are NOT doing? What about spiritual disciplines. Jesus calls us, and really offers us, a “relationship” with Him.

The Apostle Paul had the same problem turn with me to Romans 7:14-25:

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Notice the end of the passage, who delivers him, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Sanctification means to set apart. If you are a Christian you are positionally set apart for holiness in God’s eyes.

1 Cor. 6:11 is positional sanctification: And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

God has set us apart for His glory and purposes. God has made you righteous. This happens at the moment of salvation. But, on the other hand, we still struggle with sin. God wants us to be sanctified in this life and this is something only God can do. I want to re-title “sanctification” as “living for Christ.”

My theme today:

Sanctification, let’s call it “Living For Christ,” is not about us but about HIM.

Application:

Let Christ be Lord. Be encouraged that you are sanctified in His eyes.  

Sanctification:

 I received these steps in sanctification from the Christian and Missionary Alliance website:

https://www.cmalliance.org/about/beliefs/sanctifier

1. You cannot make yourself holy any more than you can make yourself saved! (Rom. 6:11; Rom. 12:1-2)
   1. Remember sanctification is about Him and not about you. Romans 12:1-2: Therefore, I urge you,brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
   2. Romans 6:11: In the same way, count yourselves dead to sinbut alive to God in Christ Jesus.
   3. You can try all you want but you really cannot live the Christian life on your own strength.
   4. You can try and you may look pretty good, but it is simply “sin-management.” I think some can do pretty good on “sin-management” without Christ. “Sin-management” is recognizing that certain things are harmful so we quit doing them. It is about taking things out. “Sin-management” is like dieting.
      1. We take out sweets because they are harmful and so maybe we take out bad words.
      2. We take out fatty food because they are harmful so maybe we take out lies.

• We take out soda because it is not good so we take out pornography.

1. We take out potatoes because they are not good for you and so we take out lust.
2. We take out, we take out.
3. Sometimes we add things such as vegetables and in the Christian life maybe you add going to church.

1. This still is not surrender and this still makes YOU in charge. But we need to let Christ be in charge. Surrender to Jesus and let Him take care of you.
2. There comes a point in the Christian life when we realize we cannot do this in our own strength. No matter what I take out, I am burdened. No matter what I take out, I still desire sin.
3. The Christian going through sanctification, meaning living for Christ, still will sin, but they desire to live for Christ, not sin. The more sanctified you are, the more living for Christ you are, the more you don’t desire sin and the more you desire to live for Christ. You desire the fruit of the Spirit: love joy, pace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23).
4. The surrendered Christian, striving to live for Christ is convicted of that sin because it hurts Jesus. They ask Jesus to convict them.
5. Sanctification, let’s call it “Living For Christ,” is not about us but about HIM.

1. Christ is your Sanctifier in the same way that He is your Savior! (Col. 2:6; Gal. 2:20)
   1. Accept that we need Jesus, we cannot do this on our own.
   2. 2:20: I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
   3. It is about dying to self and letting Jesus live through you.
   4. Don’t just take stuff out, put Jesus in. Add the light.
   5. 2:6: So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,continue to live your lives in him…
   6. Sanctification, let’s call it “Living For Christ,” is not about us but about HIM.

• Maintain a continuous relationship with Jesus through obedience to his Word. (John 15:1-11)
  1. In John 15:1-11 Jesus gives His abide in me illustration. We have to be branches connected to Him. He is the vine and we are the branches. Every branch that does not bear fruit is cut off and thrown in the fire, but if we bear fruit He makes it so we can bear more fruit.
  2. Jesus says in John 15:4: Remain in me, as I also remain in you.No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
  3. That is sanctification, remaining in Christ, living in His strength.
  4. Sanctification, let’s call it “Living For Christ,” is not about us but about HIM.
  5. I could easily say it is about the Spiritual Disciplines and it is, but it is more than that. It is a mindset that you really desire Jesus to be Your Lord. You desire to serve Him and not sin. You don’t desire to sin in your thought life but serve Jesus. You don’t desire to sin in your actions but serve Christ. You desire to be connected to Him. You desire to be connected to the Vine.

Close:

Many times I have a lot of sticks and tree branches in my yard, a storm will come and dead branches fall out of the trees. Sometimes live branches are cut off. In this case the tree branch has green leaves on it. I drag it over to the wood pile. Within a few days that tree branch is dry, the leaves are dry and they fall off. It totally changes. That is us without Christ. Without Christ the life is not in us. With Christ we are growing, green and ripe and we bear fruit.

That is sanctification, living for Christ, it is being connected to Him. Can a tree branch grow apart from the trunk? Can a tree branch bear fruit apart from the trunk? We need Jesus. The Christian life is about Jesus. Christ is our sanctifier.

Let Christ be Lord. Be encouraged that you are sanctified in His eyes.  

I am encouraged that I am made righteous in God’s sight. But I am also encouraged that I don’t have, and cannot, live the Christian life in my own strength, only in His.

The Bible teaches three tenses of salvation:

• I have been saved: Justification
• I am being saved: Sanctification
• I will be saved: Glorification[1]

Do you know Him? Are you wholly surrendered? Or, are you living the Christian life on your own strength?

Luke 9:23

Let’s pray.

• God created us to be with him. (Genesis 1-2)
• Our sin separated us from God. (Genesis 3)
• Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Gen 4-Mal 4)
• Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew – Luke)
• Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life. (John – Jude)
• Life that’s eternal means we will be with Jesus forever. (Revelation 22:5)

[1] https://www.cmalliance.org/about/beliefs/sanctifier

I have never been one to say that God does not heal people today. I have never wanted to limit God and believe that God has stopped certain miracles. Recently, I was talking with a group of pastors and I said that I believe in Divine healing, but I think it is rare. They asked why. I responded that I do not see it that often. I met with one of those pastors later on and he shared many experiences he had personally experienced. Myron shared:

His wife was raised in India with sicknesses and little medical care.

Her father would Pray in faith and things were healed. The Lord intervened when no one else could.

Myron’s wife would challenge him when their children were sick to pray for them. He would pray for the specific disease to be healed.

One time his 4th born son was 2.5 years old. They were having a birthday party for his older son. There were all these boys at the house and the water went out. He saw a water truck up the street and thought he would go ask them what is going on. He went to his garage, looked behind his van to make sure no toys were behind it. He got in and started to backup and then heard a noise. He backed up and pinned his 2.5 year old. His son was hardly breathing. EMT’s  arrived and they were shocked. They couldn’t get a pulse. ER dr said he was in life threatening condition. Broken fibula, tibia, hip… collapsed lung. Chest was like collapsed. They called the careflight and they took him to University Rainbow hospital, the children’s hospital in the midst of it. As they were driving they were sending calls for healing. They were crying out for God to heal his son. Probably 800 women in a meeting in St Lewis and they all stopped the meeting and prayed.

They get to the hospital and they see an African American man holding his son and at first he thought, “that can’t be my son.” Then the man sat him down and he ran to his dad. The man said, “the Lord healed your son.” The drs said they had x rays but they didn’t match him. They kept him overnight and then sent him home. Scratches and outside injuries were still there but the bone breaks were gone. He is now 20 years old and perfectly fine. Hip bone was broke and leg was sideways but that was fine when they got to the hospital.

That was the most personal and miraculous testimony I have heard of a healing.

My theme today: Because of the blood of the cross Jesus is our healer.

Stacey Hollaway testimony

Let’s read Matthew 8:14-17:

When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him. When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities
and bore our diseases.”

1. Jesus heals us spiritually and physically
   1. As we look at the passage we see Jesus healed Peter’s mother in law and others. But what is most interesting is that Matthew applies Isaiah 53:4 as a prophesy fulfilled in the healing.
   2. Isaiah 53 is the servant song and it is all about Jesus. I often would look at this passage and say that Jesus heals us spiritually. But in this case Matthew applies it to physical illness.
   3. The point is that the suffering of Jesus and the death on the cross reversed the effects of the fall.
   4. We will all be healed at death through Jesus’ blood, but some will be healed now.
2. Sickness can be caused by sin
   1. Notice I said “can” and we don’t know if it is caused by sin or not. Ultimately, all sickness has its root in original sin. (Romans 5:12)
   2. But look at 1 Cor. 11:28-30: Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. ²⁹ For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. ³⁰ That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.
   3. Paul is writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and saying some are sick and dying because of unconfessed sin.
   4. Please know that sin is a break in a relationship.
   5. Please take seriously confession.

• What is the process of prayer and anointing:
  1. James 5:13-16: Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
  2. James says to:
     1. Call the elders of the church to pray over you.
     2. Anoint with oil.
     3. Have faith
     4. If sinned, forgiven.
     5. Confess sin: remember that unconfessed sin breaks your relationship with God. Psalm 66:18: If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
     6. Remember that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
  3. If you come forward for healing you must believe that God can do it. You must believe that He is able.
     1. Is that God that forgives of your sins able to heal you?
     2. Is that God that will give you a new resurrected body able to heal you? (1 Cor. 15)

• Is the God that split the Red Sea able to heal you (exodus 14:14-30)?

1. Is the God that spoke creation into existence able to heal you (Gen. 1-2)?
2. Is the God that created you in your mother’s womb able to heal you (Psalm 139)?
3. Is the God that allowed barren women to have children able to heal you (1 Samuel 1-2)?

• Is the God that will create a new Heaven and new earth able to heal you (Rev. 21)?
• Our God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there is nothing that our God can’t do. The Mountains are big, the valleys are big, the stars are His handiwork too. Our God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there is nothing that our God can’t do.

1. Lastly, believe, but surrender to God’s will. If you are not healed it is not for anyone here to say that it is a lack of faith. It is not for anyone here to say that unconfessed sin kept you from being healed. Confession of sin and faith is important, but only you and God know if that has kept His hand from healing you.

Close:

Salvation and confession

Don’t come forward for healing if you are not committed to Christ. If you are not a follower of Christ, come forward to accept and trust in Jesus first. Make yourself right spiritually before anything else.

Luke 9:23

Let’s pray.

God created us to be with him. (Genesis 1-2)

Our sin separated us from God. (Genesis 3)

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Gen 4-Mal 4)

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew – Luke)

Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life. (John – Jude)

Life that’s eternal means we will be with Jesus forever. (Revelation 22:5)

Sometimes we need our eyes opened

Last Thursday, my five year old, Mercedes, had her tonsils and adenoids out. She was so scared. She was so scared that she would wake up in the surgery. She was scared that she would wake up after the surgery and we would not be there. We walked in the hospital and down the hall to the same day surgery. A nurse saw her come in and how nervous she was. The nurse approached Mercedes, seeing she was nervous, gave her a stuffed animal and said that she could even take in into surgery with her. We head in the room and the tears start, for Mercedes too. Meagan sits on the bed with Mercedes and eventually she got more comfortable. Eventually, the anesthesiologist comes in and they give her some medicine. Within a few minutes she is QUITE content. I was quite nervous how I would react as they wheeled her away, but since that medicine made her content, so was I. Within 30 minutes our pager goes off and the doctor comes out to tell us things went well.

Over the last few days I have had my eyes opened to the “reality and raw emotions of a father watching his daughter go into surgery. Yet, I realize that many dads face surgeries that are much more serious.

Yet, I also share with you that Mercedes had her eyes opened to surgery as well.

Yet, I I want to tell you that Mercedes really needed her eyes opened after the surgery.

They wheeled her back into the room and it in a sad and humorous time we saw Mercedes dopey for the first time. For the first time ever we saw our usual energetic, and VERY logical and rational daughter make really no sense at all. At first she could hardly talk and I had to compose my usual very stoic emotions as I felt myself start to sweat and have emotions I usually do not experience. I thought to how I heard of dads passing out in the hospital. I thought that would not be me. That was the last thing I remember, no I am kidding. I sat down and within a few minutes it was not sad but humorous. Mercedes started talking more.

She said, “Is the surgery down?” Meagan “yes it is all over.”

Mercedes, “I don’t remember it at all.”

Mercedes, “what is this in my arm for?” Referring to the IV line.

The nurse, “That is to give you a drink of water.”

A minute later:

Mercedes, “what is this in my arm for?” Referring to the IV line.

Meagan, “That is to give you water.”

Mercedes said again, “Is the surgery down?” Meagan “yes it is all over.”

Mercedes, “I don’t remember it at all.”

A few seconds later:

Mercedes, “what is this in my arm for?” Referring to the IV line.

Meagan, “That is to give you water.”

A few seconds later again:

Mercedes said again, “Is the surgery down?” Meagan “yes it is all over.”

Mercedes, “I don’t remember it at all.”

A few seconds later:

Mercedes, “what is this in my arm for?” Referring to the IV line.

Meagan, “That is to give you water.”

Mercedes eyes were opened to surgery, but they needed opened to reality after the surgery. She was quite dopey.

Then she started:

Can we go home?

I was a little worried but by mid afternoon she was running and jumping through the house.

By 11 am, Mercedes EYES were wide opened to reality.

The disciples needed their eyes opened and sometimes we need our eyes opened.

Let me come back to that, but our eyes are opened by God, by Time with God.

God calls us to an intimate relationship with God.

I heard intimacy described as “into-me-see.” It was hard watching Mercedes that way because I have an intimate relationship with my daughter.

Do we have an intimate relationship with God?

INTIMACY: HOW IS YOUR PRAYER LIFE?

Do we have a burning desire to worship?

1. Do we desire to worship?
2. Are our hearts burning to be with Jesus?
3. Do we want to be here?

Do we need a fire in our heart?

Eugene Peterson writes:

“She came to see me at the recommendation of a friend. She had been troubled for years, seeing psychiatrists and not getting any better. The consultation had been arranged on the telephone so that when she walked into my study it was as a first meeting. Her opening statement was, ‘Well, I guess you want to know all about my sex life- that’s what all the psychiatrists want to know.’

What do sexuality and prayer have in common? These are both aspects of a beautiful thing called intimacy.

Are we connected to God?

Can we sense His presence?

Can we sense His lead?

That is what I wish to talk about today. We already read the story of Jesus meeting two on their way to Emmaus, but let me emphasize just a few verses:

Verses 44-45:

He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”

Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 

1. Let me summarize what is happening here.
   1. Jesus has been crucified and now it is Sunday and He has risen.
   2. Now a few people, who are not part of the 11 disciples, are returning to life as it was. I can say that some of the disciples did this to. They went back to fishing (John 21). Except the women. The women were more devoted.
   3. So, a few of them are on the road to Emmaus and so they are traveling away from Jerusalem. They are talking, but it seems like they are disappointed. They think it is over.
   4. Jesus comes to them, but they do not recognize Him. They talk with Him. They tell Him what is going on and they even say, “We were hoping it was He who was going to redeem Israel.” (verse 21)
   5. In verses 25-27 Jesus explain the Old Testament to them. He tells them from Moses all the way through the prophets what the Scriptures say of Himself.
   6. Now, they still do not know this is Jesus. Not until verse 31.
   7. In verse 33 they had back to Jerusalem.
   8. They meet up with the other disciples.
   9. If you read verses 36-43 the other disciples do not totally get it either. They think He is a ghost, or an angel. He eats in front of them to prove He is real.
   10. So, we come to verse 44: He said to them,“This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 

• Do we need our minds opened?
  1. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
  2. Do we desire to worship?
  3. Are our hearts burning to be with Jesus?
  4. Do we want to be here?
  5. Play: Little House on the Prairie clip from Mary teaching at the school where they do hocus pocus…
  6. I don’t think we are like them, but sometimes we are very limited to what we are taught or exposed to or not taught.
  7. Jesus had traveled with the disciples and He had taught them, but they missed this.
  8. Is it possible that we miss things too?
  9. The disciples had a different view of how God was to rescue Israel. (John 11:16) They were expecting someone who would setup a Kingdom now. They were expecting someone who would literally conquer Rome. They expected a William Wallace Braveheart character. They expected Russell Crow. They expected John Wayne.
  10. The disciples needed their eyes literally opened by Jesus.
  11. Is it possible that we are limited in our view point by the church we grew up in or the society we are in?
  12. Is it possible that our thinking is confined and limited?
  13. I was taught in high school youth group that the King James Version is the best translation. I believed that until I got to college.
  14. I needed my eyes opened.
  15. I was taught in high school youth group that the alcohol of the New Testament was non-fermented. I believed that for a long time. I needed my eyes opened.
  16. But you know what, it wasn’t just me. The former vice-president of my denomination, the Christian and Missionary Alliance, taught those views. They really believed alcohol in the Bible was non-fermented and the King James Version was the best translation.
  17. Bailey was widely respected in the denomination. He was a missionary and teacher and denomination leader and district superintendent but he was wrong. He may not have been wrong about the KJV 150 years ago, but the alcohol argument was wrong. His writings on healing are still used. He wasn’t wrong about everything.
  18. Garth Brooks has a song called “Some of God’s Greatest Gifts are Unanswered Prayers.” He sings about wanting to marry a women and God doesn’t answer that prayer. But later on he is happily married to his wife.
  19. You know sometimes God has to tell us no. The disciples were distraught to say the least. I wonder if they thought that God did not answer their prayers.
  20. They were thinking: “God why didn’t You let Jesus be the redeemer.” “God why?” “God when are You going to redeem us.” But God’s plan was in place.
  21. Jesus opened their eyes.
  22. Do we want our will or His?
  23. Think about praying Biblical and Christ-centered prayers. There is a difference in praying for a private plane to help us get to Disney and praying that God provides missionaries with a plane in Africa when they need a plane to get medical supplies to a destination.
  24. As we grow as adults and as Christians our prayers should change: Now I lay me down to sleep… changes to: Lord God, I am about to go to bed for the night. So much has happened today and we need Your help tomorrow. Throughout today I have too often been satisfied with material possessions and not You. I have looked to other resources for help rather than praying to You. I confess this as sin. I need You. I need to be satisfied in You. Lord, give me and my family safe rest. Take care of us. Watch over us physically, but also emotionally and spiritually. Give us opportunities to witness for the Gospel tomorrow. Lord, please be with my family. Help my children to stay safe tomorrow. Keep them from sickness. Help them to grow up to be responsible and be hard workers. But most of all, help my children to come to know You as Lord and Savior. Help us to live for You. In Jesus’ Name Amen.
  25. Contrast that with:
  26. Dear Lord,
      So far I’ve done all right.
      I haven’t gossipped,
      haven’t lost my temper,
      haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or overindulgent.
      I’m really glad about that.

      But in a few minutes, God,
      I’m going to get out of bed.
      And from then on,
      I’m going to need a lot more help.[1]

  27. Do we desire God’s will or our own?

1. How does Jesus open our minds?
   1. Notice that in both of these cases Jesus opened their eyes with Scripture. He started with Moses and the prophets. Jesus went to and through the Old Testaments.
   2. DON’T divorce your spiritual activities from the Bible.
   3. Jesus opens our eyes by time.
      1. Sometimes we must wait and wait and wait to see what God is doing.
      2. It was close to 1400 years from Moses to Jesus. They had to wait for the Messiah.

• It was maybe 4000 years from Adam and Eve to Jesus, which was the first Messiah prophesy, they were waiting on the Messiah.

1. How many of you waited on a job?
2. How many of you waited on a spouse?
3. How many of you waited on an answer to a prayer?

1. But I want to focus on Spiritual Disciplines.
2. I am more and more convicted that spiritual disciplines with the church are absolutely critical.
3. We need church wide prayer.
4. We need prayer partners. I believe we are strongest when we pray together.
5. We need to fast. Fasting is depriving oneself one something in order to focus on Jesus and say, “I need Jesus more…” Every time you have a hunger pain you pray, “I need Jesus more.”
6. We need prayer and meditation:
   1. Jonathan Edwards found solitude in an open field. While traveling on the Connecticut River he recorded, “At Saybrook we went ashore to lodge on Saturday, and there kept the Sabbath; where I had a sweet and refreshing season, walking alone in the fields.”¹⁵ More commonly he retreated to the woods for silence and solitude with God: “I rode out into the woods for my health, … having alighted from my horse in a retired place, as my manner commonly has been, to walk for divine contemplation and prayer.”[2]
7. We need confession. You know that confession is a spiritual discipline?
8. I believe that we have our eyes opened by Jesus only by spending time knowing Jesus.
9. This is why Eugene Peterson asked the woman about her prayer life. Prayer is intimate. Do we have an intimate connection, an intimate relationship with Jesus?
10. Without Spiritual disciplines/activities we are disconnected.
11. Have you ever been on the phone and you drop the call? The phone loses its connection. Have you ever been watching the news and your cable goes out? Have you ever lost power? Are prayer time, fasting, meditation, confession, church time and other spiritual disciplines are our direct link to God.
12. We are busy and we are distracted. These help us focus on God.
13. As we go through the congregational summit today, let’s ask God to open our eyes as individuals and as a church.

Close:

Do you need your eyes opened? Patton did:

Patton’s prayer at the battle of the bulge

http://the-american-catholic.com/2014/12/16/pattons-prayer/

Patton prays:

Sir, this is Patton speaking. The last fourteen days have been straight from hell. Rain, snow, more rain, more snow – and I’m beginning to wonder what’s going on in Your headquarters.  Whose side are You on, anyway?

For three years my chaplains have been explaining that this is a religious war.  Patton goes on and on asking the Lord’s helping hand.

Then he responded days later:

His follow up prayer a few days later:

Sir, this is Patton again, and I beg to report complete progress. Sir, it seems to me that you have been much better informed about the situation than I was, because it was that awful weather which I cursed so much which made it possible for the German army to commit suicide. That, Sir, was a brilliant military move, and I bow humbly to a supreme military genius.

Let’s seek the Lord.

Do you know Christ?

Luke 9:23

God created us to be with him. (Genesis 1-2)

Our sin separated us from God. (Genesis 3)

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Gen 4-Mal 4)

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew – Luke)

Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life. (John – Jude)

Life that’s eternal means we will be with Jesus forever. (Revelation 22:5)

[1] Read more at http://www.beliefnet.com/prayers/protestant/morning/morning-prayer.aspx#iKVxBD37U7gteiBJ.99

[2] Murray, page 53.

¹⁶ Murray, page 100.

Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 1991), 197

Intro:

I am going to ask that the sanctuary lights are turned off at this time.

Does that bother you?

What if it was dark outside, would it bother you sitting in the dark?

[hold a light switch, flashlight, etc and use throughout the sermon, or even a lighter]

A few years ago I read a book titled, Night in Times Past. It was interesting as the book traced how people handled the night time in history. Electric lighting has revolutionized night time. Throughout history people were afraid of night time. They had a fear because of all the dangers. There were dangers of fire while you slept. There were dangers of people trying to cause harm through robbery, murder, rape, etc. There were dangers of falling and tripping if you were out walking. There were dangers from wild animals. Night times was different. The sun sets and everything changes.

Maybe this is why the Bible often uses a metaphor of Light for salvation, for God and for Jesus.

Let’s look at John 8:12 and talk about Jesus, the Light of the World.

My theme:

When Jesus is our Light we have eternal life and we do not walk in darkness now.

This week, every time you turn on a light switch remember that Jesus is your light for life now and all eternity.

John 8:12

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

1. What does this mean?
   1. I am a literal person and sometimes analogies, metaphors, symbolism, hyperbole goes right over my head.
   2. But this would not have gone over their head.
   3. Jesus spoke these words on the last day of the Feast of Booths. Even if His announcement came after the feast itself, it evoked imagery associated with the feast since, in Jesus’ time, candles were used as part of the celebration of the Feast of Booths, commemorating the pillar of fire that provided light and guidance to Israel in the wilderness (Ex. 13: 21). Jesus is the light to which the pillar of fire as a type pointed. Since God is light (1 John 1: 5), Jesus’ words amount to a claim of deity. Again, “I am” points back to Ex. 3: 14 (6:35 note).[1]
   4. The Moody Bible Commentary gives more detail:
   5. During the Feast of Booths, large menorahs lit up the temple complex, commemorating the fire that guided the Israelites during the wilderness wanderings (Nm 9:15-23) and anticipating the Messiah who would bring light to nations. After seven days of dramatic illumination in the temple, Jesus declared, I am the Light of the world (1:4-5, 9; cf. “Jesus’ Seven ‘I Am’ Claims” at 6:35). If one believes in Christ and then follows Him (cf. 8:31), he or she will not walk in the darkness (1Jn 1:5-10).
   6. Imagine Jesus pointing to the menorahs and saying “I am the Light of the World…”
   7. The people knew that Jesus calling Himself was a claim to be God. The Rabbi’s used to call the Messiah “The Light.”
   8. Jesus Christ is the light of life that dispels the darkness of death.  When He says, “I am the light of the world,” He even uses the tetragrammaton, the I am.  The claim to be God, and the claim to be Messiah.  To say, “I am the light of the world,” is to identify yourself as God.  Psalm 27:1.  The psalm has said, “The Lord is might light and my salvation.”  First John 1:5 says, “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.”  They understood what he was saying.  He was claiming to be God.  He was claiming to be the Messiah, the light.
   9. John often wrote about Jesus as the Light.
   10. John 1:5: “The Light shines in the darkness.”
   11. 1 John 1:5 says that “God is Light.”
   12. Jesus is saying that He is God.
   13. Jesus is saying that He is the way to eternal life.
   14. Jesus is saying that He is our light now.
2. Trust in the Light of the world.
   1. Too often we are afraid when we don’t need to be. Jesus is our Light for now and eternity.
   2. Psalm 27:1: The Lord is my light and my salvation—
      whom shall I fear?
   3. I heard Ravi Zaccherius talking about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11). He said what would Lazarus be afraid of after that? That was an interesting question. People could say, “I’m going to kill you!” Lazarus would be like, “Okay, I have died before!”
   4. Likewise, what are we really afraid of? Jesus is our Light. We have eternal life, but we have the Light with us now.
   5. Jesus once said in Matthew 10:28: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill thesoul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
   6. Jesus is the Light of the world. Trust Him.
   7. Don’t just trust Him one time, but trust Him all the time.
   8. Trust Him today. Be confident that Jesus, the Light of the world is with you.

John 12:35

So Jesus said to them, “For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.

Close:

Darkness, do we like being in the dark?

I don’t like being in the dark. Everything is different when it is dark. Noises sound different, my senses are on edge.

I was at Camp Kirkwood co-leading a Middle School and High School retreat. It was night time and the teenagers were playing a game. Myself and a few of the leaders were at the bonfire which was near our tents. It was time for the teens to finish up the game. We called for them, blew a whistle, however we got their attention, and some slowly drifted back to our camp site. We still did not see all of our teenagers. Eventually, we chose to walk different ways to find them. Do you think I wanted to head out in the woods, by myself, in the dark? No, I did not! We divided up sections and we found all the teens. But everything is different at night. I don’t like being in the dark.

What an illustration we get from Scripture of Jesus being the Light of the world.

We don’t walk in darkness.

This week, every time you turn on a light switch remember that Jesus is your light for life now and all eternity.

This week, every time you get in the car and turn the head lights on remember Jesus is your light for now and all eternity.

This week, every time you turn a flash light on remember Jesus is your light for now and all eternity.

This week, every time you see a cell phone screen, Kindle, computer screen or television light up at night remember Jesus is your light for now and all eternity.

This week whenever you notice the sun is out remember the SON is your Light for now and all eternity. You don’t walk in darkness.

Do you know Christ?

Luke 9:23

God created us to be with him. (Genesis 1-2)

Our sin separated us from God. (Genesis 3)

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Gen 4-Mal 4)

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew – Luke)

Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life. (John – Jude)

Life that’s eternal means we will be with Jesus forever. (Revelation 22:5)

[1] Reformation Study Bible (2015) ESV (Kindle Locations 115488-115493).  . Kindle Edition.

Opening:

Lion King

A long time ago a movie came out called The Lion King. I saw it at the drive-in theatre. Around that time I remember talk on the news regarding the beginning of the movie and whether or not it would be too sad for children. Disney is really good at making the beginning of a movie sad. They did it in Finding Nemo as well. Also, Frozen and probably many other Disney movies that I only watch when my children are sick during the night. The beginning of The Lion King was not too sad for me when I first saw it. I think I was thirteen years old. But awhile back I was watching it with Mercedes and it was gut wrenching. Watch this and I’ll tell you why.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGtJn-L5xEs

So, the king is murdered. Mercedes is watching it with me and she said, “He is asleep.” I said, “No, Mercedes he is not asleep he died.” Mercedes said, “No, he is asleep, look, he is just sleeping.” I continued trying to explain that the lion is dead. Now, some would say this is not good for children to be exposed to, but the evidence is to the contrary. People who write about talking with children about death say that we should not use euphemisms, but we should be straightforward. Further, children used to learn about death from the farm animals. Now, the fish dies and we try to replace the fish before it gets home so that little Johnny never has to understand that his fish died. In reality, that is a small way for the child to learn about death. So, I applaud Disney for crushing children’s hearts in the beginning of a movie and teaching children about life. In reality, I think it is harder the on the parents than the children.

So, why do I share this? Why am I putting you through this? I share this because we all face death. The older I get, and many of you would say that I am pretty young, but the older I get, the more I grapple with death. I stand in front of too many graves every year. I stand beside too many hospital beds. By the time my father was my age his dad had died. By the time my father was just a few years older than me his mother had died as well. That was the only time I saw my dad cry. I have to tell you that I HATE death. I hate to think about it. I really do. Meagan and I have talked extensively about our will and who would take care of our children if we were both to die. I hate the conversation. I hate it! I hate to think that they would have to go through such a thing.

All of what I just shared, including the video clip is why the Lenten season matters. All of what I just shared is why the cross matters. Jesus died, was buried and resurrected so that we will live again. So, death will be no more (1 Cor. 15:55-56; Rev. 21:4).

So, I am beginning a Lenten sermon series and it is all about Jesus.

Jesus saves, Jesus sanctifies, Jesus heals and Jesus is our coming King. Today, I am giving a brief overview and then next Sunday we will focus on Jesus saves, followed by Jesus sanctifies, Jesus heals and Jesus is our coming King. This is one denomination, The Christian and Missionary Alliance, calls the “4 Fold Gospel.” I cut my spiritual teeth with the Christian and Missionary Alliance and heard that Jesus is our Savior, Sanctifier, healer and coming King.”

My theme today: Life is all about Jesus. He saves us, sanctified us, heals us and He is our coming King.

Application: Wholly Surrender this Lenten Season

Revelation 5:1-5 and verses 9-10:

Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?”  But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it.  I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Verses 9-10:

And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll
    and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
    and with your blood you purchased for God
    persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
    and they will reign^[b] on the earth.”

The Christian life is all about Jesus. Only Jesus is worthy, Amen!

1. Jesus saves!
   1. Jesus is our Savior, only Jesus. Jesus is worthy. This is why good Friday is good. Jesus was crucified, but we live. This is why resurrection Sunday, which we usually call Easter is so powerful.
   2. Acts 4:12 says: Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
2. Jesus sanctifies!
   1. Every now and then I like to eat something sweet, okay, I admit, every day I like to eat something sweet. So, suppose we have 5 brownies left in the morning and I know that I want one when I get home. Maybe I will take one and place it in a special place not to be touched. I sanctify that brownie for my eating later.
   2. Simply put, sanctify means to “set apart for a purpose.” More specifically it can mean to free from sin. Jesus sanctifies us.
   3. In Christianity, this is positional and progressive. When you accept Christ as Savior you are in a sinless position in God’s eyes. Jesus has freed you from sin because of the cross.
   4. However, this life on earth we still struggle with sin and this means that Jesus is working in us to make us more holy now.
   5. What is key to understand is that it is about Jesus.
   6. Jesus sanctifies, not you and not me.
   7. If you are trying to work out sin on your own, stop and turn it over to Jesus.
   8. You ask, “Do you have a Scripture?” Yes, thanks for asking:
   9. 2:6 is progressive sanctification: So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him…
   10. 1 Cor. 6:11 is positional sanctification: And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

• Jesus heals!
  1. When we talk about Jesus as our healer we will actually have a time to come forward for prayer and anointing. I believe that Jesus still heals, but it is about Jesus and not about us. There are a lot of people faking healing for there own gain. But I have heard some amazing testimonies of healing.
  2. Matthew 8:14-16: When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him. When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities
     and bore our diseases.”
  3. One more passage:
  4. James 5:14-16: Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
  5. I know some are skeptical. Listen, every Christian will be healed for eternity when we die. But sometimes for God’s glory He heals now.
  6. One pastor writes: As a pastor, I was called to meet a couple at a hospital. Their daughter had suffered a seizure and was not breathing. When I reached the hospital, neither the parents nor the doctor were with the child. A nurse was unplugging the flat-lined machines.

The Holy Spirit prompted me to do something I’d never done before — pray over the girl’s lifeless body. I asked the nurse if I could pray for a minute, to which she replied, “You know she’s dead,” but allowed me to go ahead.

I asked God to restore the little girl. Then I went to next room and found the parents witnessing to the doctor. About a minute later, we heard a scream, then the little girl crying for her mommy. It’s never happened to me before or since. But Jesus is still healer.[1]

1. Jesus is our coming King
   1. Jesus will come again as King of Kings and Lord of Lords
   2. Acts 1:11: Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Close:

The Christian life is all about Jesus. We face death now, but because of Jesus death is not the end. Jesus saves. We face sin now, but because of Jesus we are purified of sin in God’s eyes and Jesus baptizes us with the Holy Spirit to keep us from sin now (Ephesians 5:18). We face sickness now, but Jesus is our ultimate healer. He heals some now, but He heals all for eternity. We will all serve in Jesus’ coming Kingdom.

Aslan lives! Jesus lives! We live!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0u90NYqTCk

Do you know Him? Are you wholly surrendered? Or, are you living the Christian life on your own strength?

Luke 9:23

Let’s pray.

God created us to be with him. (Genesis 1-2)

Our sin separated us from God. (Genesis 3)

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Gen 4-Mal 4)

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew – Luke)

Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life. (John – Jude)

Life that’s eternal means we will be with Jesus forever. (Revelation 22:5)

[1] https://www.cmalliance.org/about/beliefs/healer

This is my final sermon focusing on the unity of the church. I have been focusing on core beliefs that unite us as followers of Christ. Christians are united at the core. The Nicene Creed says:

And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son], who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets.

In one holy catholic and apostolic Church; we acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.[1] 

The Church has always been united in the belief that the Holy Spirit is God.

We believe:

1. God is three persons.
2. Each person is fully God.
3. There is one God.[2]

We believe in “one what, three who’s.”

We could say that God the Father is fully God, but not all there is to God. God the Son, Jesus, is fully God, but not all there is to God. God the Holy Spirit is fully God, but not all there is to God.”

God the Father planned and directed creation and redemption through the Son and the Holy Spirit.

The Father and Son work together like a Father and Son on earth.

Let’s read Romans 8:9:

You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.

1. Christians are not alone, we have the Holy Spirit.
   1. What I think is so cool about this is that all of the denominations and all of the Christian groups and every Christians on this planet has the same Holy Spirit.
   2. I have taught on the Holy Spirit before, so I am not preaching about the Holy Spirit much today, but more about unity in the Spirit.
   3. We are one in the Spirit and we are one with a common mission.
2. Matthew 28:19-20: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
   1. We have the same mission.
   2. We have the same Holy Spirit.
   3. Jesus is with us.
   4. Jesus told us all, the Universal Church to make disciples and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

• Wrap it up:
  1. 4:4-6: There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
  2. The Church is not about a denomination, it is about Jesus.
  3. The church is not about anyone local church, but the church is universal made up of all the churches across the world.
  4. The church is about a movement and you are part of the movement. The movement is to the great commission. We are united in this movement. There were 96 denominations represented in the seminary I attended, I think that is great. Let’s work together.
  5. I am sure there are many denominations that support the Gideons and the Gideons continue the mission of the church. I have attended dinners for the Gideons and I have seen Lutherans, Methodists, Baptists, Mennonites, evangelical Friends among other denominations represented.
  6. I led youth mission trips with a group called: “AIM” which stand for “Adventures in Missions” and you know it was not about a denomination, but about a mission. I led a youth mission trip through a group called “Praying Pelican” as well as “Team Effort” and it was not about a denomination, but about a mission. Our own denomination, the American Baptist Churches of Ohio has endorsed Dare2Share as a youth retreat. It is an amazing youth retreat, but many denominations and non-denominational churches support it.
  7. Alliance Mission Encounter is another time churches come together for the mission. We have workers from the Baptist, the Evangelical Friends, the Methodists, the Lutherans, the Christian Church, the non-denominational churches and others.
  8. Habitat for humanity is another ministry supported by many denominations.
  9. Church Women United has involvement from many churches and denominations.
  10. Judson University is an American Baptist University and when their choir was here, I asked them some questions. You know that many of them were not from American Baptist Churches. That is fine. It is wonderful if they are from American Baptist Churches, but it is just as wonderful when they are not. We are united as a universal church.
  11. Listen, the non-believers of this world need to see the church as one. To the non-believers they do not want to be a part of us because they see us so divided. Let’s show them unity. Praise God that we are showing them unity with the Mission Encounter.
  12. When I served in Cincinnati a group of planned a 5k walk/run to raise money for an interfaith food and clothing shelter. I led an interfaith council which supported the food and clothing shelter. These are things that Christians can come together with non-Christian groups as well. If we can come together with non-Christian groups we can come together with Christians who have different convictions for sure.
  13. Let’s worship together with other Baptists, but also: Pentecostals, Methodists, Episcopalians, Lutherans and Catholics.
  14. Let’s find where we can come together and come together.
  15. Can we all support the food pantry?
  16. Can we all serve in homeless shelters?
  17. Can we come together for Lenten lunches?
  18. Can we come together for special services?
  19. Can we pray together?
  20. Can we share the Gospel together?
  21. What if church women united formed a support group to help with funeral dinners at different churches? How better to show our oneness then when someone is dealing with a loss?
  22. Over the last several weeks I have shown core beliefs we agree upon: We agree that the Bible is the Word of God, we agree the that the universal church is important, we agree the Jesus is the only way to Heaven, we agree in the Holy Trinity. What binds us together is stronger than what drives us apart.

Close:

Jesus prayed that we will be one: John 17:20-21: “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 

 Let’s be one where we can.

Someone said:

In essentials, unity; in doubtful matters, liberty; in all things, charity.

 Let’s be one.

Do you know Christ?

Luke 9:23

God created us to be with him. (Genesis 1-2)

Our sin separated us from God. (Genesis 3)

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Gen 4-Mal 4)

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew – Luke)

Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life. (John – Jude)

Life that’s eternal means we will be with Jesus forever. (Revelation 22:5)

[1]  Elliot Ritzema, “Nicene Creed,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).

[2]  Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004), 239.

Sermon:

Jesus and Moses are playing golf and they”re on the tenth hole. Moses hits the ball and it heads straight for a pond. Just before the ball hits the water, the pond parts and the ball rolls up onto the green.

Jesus winds up and hits one about to the same spot. Jesus’ ball hits the water and skips across. All of a sudden, lightning flashes and a ball drops from the sky. A fish swallows it, a bird picks up the fish and drops the ball onto a turtle, that walks over to the hole and drops it in.

Moses turns to Jesus and says, ”I hate it when your dad plays!”[1]

I am preaching a sermon series on beliefs which Christians have always held in common. From the days of the early church Christians have held strong to the belief in the Trinity. We have believed:

1. God is three persons.
2. Each person is fully God.
3. There is one God.[2]
   1. God the Father planned and directed creation and redemption through the Son and the Holy Spirit.
   2. The Father and Son work together like a Father and Son on earth.

Last week we focused on God, the Father.

Today we focus on Jesus.

The Nicene Creed was written in order to codify certain beliefs in the Trinity. This is what they wrote about Jesus:

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
begotten from the Father before all ages,
God from God,
Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made;
of the same essence as the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven;
he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,
and was made human.
He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered and was buried.
The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again with glory
to judge the living and the dead.
His kingdom will never end.

There is a lot here, but what I want you to know is that Christians have always believed Jesus is one with God the Father. We have always believed in the Trinity. What binds Christians together is greater than what drives us apart. This Nicene Creed was written in AD 325 and we have held firm on the truths since before then and ever since.

We are united with the Lutherans in the belief in Jesus as God. We are united with the Presbyterians, the Methodists, the Christian Church, the Nazarenes, the Christian and Missionary Alliance, the Episcopalians, the Assemblies of God, the Southern Baptist and other Baptists groups, the Pentecostals and even the Catholics. We hold this belief in common.

We are united, we believe Jesus is Lord.

My Theme today: Christians believe in Jesus, born fully God and fully man, born of a virgin, crucified for us and resurrected.

Application: Be encouraged by our unity and be encouraged Jesus is our Savior and He is our powerful and mighty God.

Let’s read Hebrews 1:1-4:

 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways,  but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

1. Our Creator is also our Redeemer (1-4)
   1. God spoke long ago through the prophets. He now speaks through Jesus Christ His Son.
   2. This book was written to Jewish believers.
   3. In Colossians chapter 1 the Bible talks about this as well. Christ is the creator and sustainer of all things. Christ is heir of all things. He is the visible image of the invisible God.
   4. I love this passage, I love the passage in Col. 1 because they talk about how awesome Christ is. Christ is the awesome Lord.
   5. Verse 3 radiance in Greek to emit light or spender. Christ emits light. When Paul saw Him on the Damascus road he saw a bright light. Christ is the radiance of God’s glory. Christ is the exact representation of the Father. The Bible says that Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God.
   6. Christ holds everything together by the Word of His Power. Verse 3 the Greek word for power means: the ability. Inherent power. (Dunamis) Christ has the power.
   7. Christ died for our sins and then sat down at the right hand of God.
   8. If we were to keep reading we would see that the author of Hebrews starts making the case that Jesus is greater than angels. The rest of Hebrews the author makes the case that Jesus is greater than Moses. In Hebrews the Author is preaching a sermon in letter form to show that Jesus is our great High Priest, our only Savior.
2. Colossians 1:17 says: He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
   14. If you notice, the Nicene Creed which I read earlier has allussions to several passages. One is Colossians 1:15-20, another is John 1:1-14.
   15. Now, verse 17 even says that all things hold together by Jesus. Think about that for a second. If Jesus stopped being in control, creation would fall apart. I tried to imagine that and the best image that I could get is this:
   16. This is a glass of water [show the water in the glass]. Currently the water is held together by the glass. But if I pour it out, [pour the water into a bowl] the water is no longer held together by the glass. Now, all analogies fail in one way or another and this one does as well because the water may be held together again, in this case by this other container. But you get the point.
   17. Jesus holds all creation together.
   18. Now, look at Colossians 1, verse 18: And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the first born from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
   19. Jesus is the head of the church. This means that we are His church, we are not my church or anyone’s church but Jesus’ church. We must be following His lead. We seek His lead through prayer and correct understanding of His Word.
   20. When we talk about Christian unity, think about this, we all have the same Lord. Every church, every denomination falls under Jesus’ headship. Jesus is our Lord.
   21. Every church worships Jesus. Every church has Jesus’ presence.
3. Now, let’s look at Hebrews 1:8 and see a clear verse about Jesus reigning.

⁸ But about the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever;
a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.

Beginning of close:

Outside the Bible, there are several secular writers who make mention of the Lord Jesus Christ:

 Tacitus—in Book XV, Ch. 44—writing in A.D. 114, tells us that the founder of the Christian religion, Jesus Christ, was put to death by Pontius Pilate in the reign of the Roman Emperor, Tiberius.

 Pliny the Younger wrote a letter to the Emperor Trajan on the subject of Christ and Christians (Book X—96).

 Josephus, the Jewish historian, in A. D. 90, has a short biographical note on Jesus Who is called Christ in his Antiquities —Book XVIII, Ch. III, Section 3 .

 The Babylonian Talmud makes mention of Jesus Christ.

—A. Naismith^[3]

2683 A Letter To Roman Senate

 The following is a translation of a letter sent by Publius Lentulus to the Roman Senate during the Roman empire period.

 “There appeared in these days a man of great virtue, named Jesus Christ, who is yet among us; of the Gentiles accepted for a prophet of truth; but his disciples call him the Son of God. He raiseth the dead, and cureth all manner of disease. A man of stature somewhat tall and comely, with a very reverend countenance, such as the beholder must both love and fear.

 “His hair the color of a chestnut full ripe, plain to the ears, whence, downward, it is more orient, curling and waving about his shoulders. In the midst of his forehead is a stream or partition of his hair, after the manner of the Nazarites; forehead plain and very delicate; his face without spot or wrinkle, beautiful, with a lovely red; his nose and mouth so forked as nothing can be represented; his beard thick, in color like his hair, not over long; his look innocent and mature; his eyes gray, quick, and clear.

 “In reproving, he is terrible; in admonishing, courteous and fair-spoken; pleasant in conversation, mixed with gravity. It cannot be remembered that any have seen him laugh, but many have seen him weep; in proportion of body most excellent; his hands and arms delectable to behold; in speaking, very temperate, modest and wise; a man of singular beauty, surpassing the children of men.”

—Foster^[4]

Close:

How can you be encouraged today?

We see enough in Scripture to know that Jesus is God in the flesh. Jesus is Lord. I like what Charles R. Swindoll said: “The storm will come, and if you haven’t a rock to stand on, you will plunge. Jesus is that rock.”

Let Jesus be your rock this week. You can trust Him as your Savior and protector.

Helen Mallicoat made a real contribution to your life and mine when she wrote: I was regretting the past And fearing the future . . . Suddenly my Lord was speaking: “MY NAME IS I AM.” He paused. I waited. He continued, “WHEN YOU LIVE IN THE PAST, WITH ITS MISTAKES AND REGRETS, IT IS HARD. I AM NOT THERE. MY NAME IS NOT I WAS. “WHEN YOU LIVE IN THE FUTURE, WITH ITS PROBLEMS AND FEARS, IT IS HARD. I AM NOT THERE. MY NAME IS NOT I WILL BE. “WHEN YOU LIVE IN THIS MOMENT, IT IS NOT HARD. I AM HERE. MY NAME IS I AM.” 4″

Start reading it for free: http://a.co/bhrWzln

Let Jesus be your Rock, He is with us now.

Do you know Christ?

Luke 9:23

God created us to be with him. (Genesis 1-2)

Our sin separated us from God. (Genesis 3)

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Gen 4-Mal 4)

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew – Luke)

Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life. (John – Jude)

Life that’s eternal means we will be with Jesus forever. (Revelation 22:5)

[1] http://jokes.cc.com/funny-god/b1ej8z/jesus-and-moses-play-golf

[2]  Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004), 239.

^[3] Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

^[4] Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

Opening:

The Nicene Creed begins:

We believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.

I am preaching a sermon series on beliefs which Christians have always held in common. From the days of the early church Christians have held strong to the belief in the Trinity. We have believed:

1. God is three persons.
2. Each person is fully God.
3. There is one God.[1]

Today, protestants and Catholics together believe in the Trinity.

Today, I wish to begin a three week series on the Triune God. Today, I will talk about God, the Father, but I will also introduce the idea of the Trinity.

My Theme:

The church has always believed in the Trinity. God the Father is fully God, but not all there is to God. God is three persons, each person is fully God, God is one.

Application:

when we have unity in diversity we are reflecting the Trinity. Let’s have unity in diversity in the church, our families and society.

Applications:

Apply the idea of unity, diversity, harmony, love, submissiveness

I usually like to introduce a topic, but this is tough. Let me jump in talking about some significant takeaways regarding the Trinity:

Think with me about unity in diversity, are we very good at it?

Can a football team win if they are not united?

Can society be united with different cultures blended together?

I don’t think our society has been too successful at this lately. It seems like people naturally segregate themselves, but that is not how it needs to be. I don’t know that it is always wrong as long as it is not done with hate. If we can still come together in love for a common purpose then that is wonderful. That is exactly what happens in family. When a family is successful there is unity in diversity. Actually, in marriage there is unity in diversity. Male and female come together and they are now a family. There can be, and should be, mutual submission in family. There should be self sacrifice in family. Marriages fail for many reasons, but a major reason is that there is diversity, but the unity does not last.

So, with society we can have unity in diversity. I have one example now and another at the end of the sermon.

The first is WWII:

I was the youngest of three children born to parents whose lives had been shaped mainly by work. Hard, honest labor. They met and married during a difficult time in the United States, on the heels of the Great Depression. As giant walls of dust rolled over Texas, blown east from the Dust Bowl, fear of unemployment haunted every hardworking person in America. In 1934, one out of every four people couldn’t find work, crops withered, banks failed, and families in every neighborhood risked foreclosure and homelessness. That’s when I came along. Actually, I was a “mistake.” I know this because my parents told me. My father escaped unemployment, and, as the nation recovered, he thrived in the insurance business—business— in no small way due to his strong work ethic and positive mental attitude. Then, while he was driving to enjoy a few pre-Christmas days of vacation at my grandfather’s bay cottage near Palacios, Texas, a startling announcement came over the radio in our new 1941 Ford. The Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor; the United States had declared war on Japan; and on top of all that, it was announced that we would also enter the fight against Hitler in the carnage of Europe. My father immediately turned the car around and headed for home. “This is no time for a vacation,” he said quietly as my mother began to weep. A short time afterward, he resigned his job selling insurance, and we moved from my sleepy little hometown of El Campo to Houston, where he began work in a defense factory in support of the war effort. Too old for military service, this was my dad’s way of serving his country. He said it was the least he could do. He supplemented the lost income by working double shifts.[2]

I was not alive during World War II, I don’t know if you know that. I know I look much older than I am. What I have learned and been taught is that America came together. We were diverse, but we were united. Everybody came together for the common cause of defeating the axis powers.

1. God the Father is fully God
   1. Genesis 1:1 opens with: “in the beginning “ God created.
   2. We see God the Father all the way through the Old Testament.
   3. The Son and Holy Spirit are obedient to the Father’s will.
   4. God is Spirit (John 4:24).
   5. Jesus was submissive to the Father: Luke 2:49; 22:42; John 6:40: For my Father’s willis that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
   6. I like what one theologian writes: Thus, while the persons of the Trinity are equal in all their attributes, they nonetheless differ in their relationships to the creation. The Son and Holy Spirit are equal in deity to God the Father, but they are subordinate in their roles. Moreover, these differences in role are not temporary but will last forever: Paul tells us that even after the final judgment, when the “last enemy,” that is, death, is destroyed and when all things are put under Christ’s feet, “then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things under him, that God may be everything to every one” (1 Cor. 15:28).[3]
   7. God the Father planned and directed creation and redemption through the Son and the Holy Spirit.
   8. The Father and Son work together like a Father and Son on earth.
2. God the Father is not all there is to God.
   1. God is three persons.
   2. We see evidences of the Trinity in the Old Testament as well.
   3. Would anyone like to name one?
   4. The spirit moved along the waters… (Gen. 1:2)
   5. Genesis 1:26: “Let ‘us’ make man…” God uses a plural pronoun.
   6. There are many other places in the Old Testament, but I just wanted to share a few.
   7. God is Spirit and the New Testament teaches that Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God. (Col. 1:15) So, some believe that when God appears in the Old Testament that is really Jesus.
   8. So, God is 3 persons.
   9. Each person is fully God.
   10. God is one.
   11. I heard it said, “one what, three who’s. I like that.

• The church has always believed this.
  1. I quoted the Nicene Creed about this in the beginning: We believe in one God,
     the Father almighty,
     maker of heaven and earth,
     of all things visible and invisible.
  2. That was in 325 AD
  3. Luther, for instance, affirmed the Apostles Creed as well as the Chalcedonian and Nicene formulations, and defended the use of terms like Trinity andhomoousios against Martin Bucer who protested that we must use strictly biblical language. Writing to distinguish his cause from the Anabaptists, Luther even went so far as to declare:
     1. “We do not reject everything that is under the dominion of the Pope. For in that event we should also reject the Christian church. Much Christian good is to be found in the papacy and from there it descended to us” (quoted in Timothy George,Theology of the Reformers, 81-82).
  4. Applications
     1. In the Trinity we have unity, diversity, harmony, love and submissiveness.
     2. Since there is unity in diversity in the Godhead, that means that we can have unity in diversity in the church.
     3. We must be united with the church as much as we can.
     4. We must seek out diversity in gifts, talents, cultures in the church. (Gal. 3:28)
     5. We can have unity in diversity in marriage.
     6. We must try to be united as families.
     7. We can have unity and diversity in family.
     8. God is perfect and God is love. There is absolute love in the Triunity of the Godhead. This is encouraging.
     9. We must pray to the Father through the Spirit in the name of Jesus. John Piper says: So my conclusion is: Let your normal, regular praying be prayer to the Father through the Spirit in the name of Jesus, but realize that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are persons and to speak to them as a saved sinner would, cannot be unnatural.
     10. Jesus modeled obedience to the Father, even though the Father is not greater than the Son. We can be submissive and obedient to authorities. We can be submissive and obedient to loved ones.
     11. When our family, or church exhibits faithfulness, love and harmony we are reflecting the Trinity. That is amazing.
     12. So, how are you doing with unity? Do you need to heal a relationship?
     13. How are you doing with racism? You know those thoughts that come to mind about certain groups? We can be united in diversity.
     14. How are you doing with humble submission and service? Jesus was humbly submissive to the Father.
     15. Serve someone this week in honor of Jesus.
     16. Heal a relationship this week in honor of the Trinity.
     17. If you use social media, don’t say anything on social media that you wouldn’t say to someone’s face. Love people.

Close:

The trinity is difficult to understand:

As C.S. Lewis put it:

“If Christianity was something we were making up, of course we could make it easier. But it is not. We cannot compete, in simplicity, with people who are inventing religions. How could we? We are dealing with Fact. Of course anyone can be simple if he has no facts to bother about.”

My Theme:

The church has always believed in the Trinity. God the Father is fully God, but not all there is to God. God is three persons, each person is fully God, God is one.

Applications today:

When we are united in diversity with harmony, love and submissiveness we are most reflecting the Godhead.

John 17:20-21:

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, ²¹ that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

Let’s be One as a church, but let’s go further and be one with other churches.

September 11, God bless America

After September 11 our country came together like I have never seen it. The day after our congress came to the front steps and sang “God Bless America.”

A video such as:

 John 20:21:

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

Do you know Christ?

Luke 9:23

God created us to be with him. (Genesis 1-2)

Our sin separated us from God. (Genesis 3)

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Gen 4-Mal 4)

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew – Luke)

Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life. (John – Jude)

Life that’s eternal means we will be with Jesus forever. (Revelation 22:5)

[1]  Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004), 239.

[2] Swindoll, Charles R. (2012-02-02). Saying It Well: Touching Others with Your Words (p. 143). FaithWords. Kindle Edition.

[3]  Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004), 249.