below is yesterday’s sermon:

Intro:

Video from the Bible miniseries or the Passion of the Christ

Jesus’ resurrection is one of a few things that separates Christianity from other faiths.

POSSUMS AND THE GRAVE

I have heard that possums are smart animals. You wouldn’t think so because you hardly ever see one except when it’s dead on the road. There’s a joke that goes, “Why did the chicken cross the road? To prove to the possum that it could be done!” 

But possums, it turns out, are smart. They won’t enter a hole if there’s just one set of tracks going into it. They know there’s something in there. But if there are two sets of tracks. The possum will enter and not be afraid. 

The message of Easter is that we can enter the grave – we don’t have to fear death because there are tracks leading out of the tomb. Paul preached the proclamation of Easter: “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

This is the message that we need to hear this Easter. Jesus is risen!

BAD NEWS, THEN GOOD NEWS

Nearly 20 years ago at the height of Operation Desert Storm, Ruth Dillow received a very sad message from the Pentagon. The message stated that her son, Clayton had stepped on a landmine in Kuwait and was killed. Ruth later wrote these words, “I can’t begin to describe my grief and shock. It was almost more than I could bear. For 3 days I just wept. I expressed anger and loss. For 3 days people tried to comfort me but nothing worked … the loss was simply too great.”

But 3 days after she received that message the phone rang. The voice on the other end said, “Mom, it’s me. It’s Clayton. I’m alive.”  Ruth said, “I couldn’t believe it at first. But then I recognized his voice and realized he really was alive.”  The message was all a mistake. She said, “I laughed, I cried, I felt like turning cartwheels because my son who I thought was dead was actually alive.”

This morning we come to a story that is very similar. The disciples, family members, those who were at the cross have all received the news that Jesus has died. (From a sermon by David Henderson, “Overcoming Death,” 5/25/2011)

So, now, let’s read the passage that gives us the resurrection account, read with me Matthew 28:1-10:

¹ After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

² There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. ⁴ The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

⁵ The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

⁸ So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹ Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

1.                     Notice first that women went to the tomb.
2.        Mary Magdalene and another woman named Mary went to the tomb.
3.       All 4 of the Gospel record this and is a proof of the gospels. Jesus even uses the women later in verse 10 to tell the rest of the resurrection.
4.        Now, these women are very upset. They are mourning. Jesus, whom they were following, had been crucified and now they are going to put spices on His body. The Jewish people did not do anything to prevent the decay of a body. Within three days the body would be decaying. Yet, not in this case.
5.                   Verse 2 records a great earthquake and an angel had descended and rolled away the stone.
6.        Interesting that Matthew records this earthquake and an earthquake previously in chapter 27:51.
7.       I believe this earthquake was caused by the angels.
8.        Why did the angel roll away the stone?
9.       Jesus did not need the stone rolled away. The stone was rolled away to let the world in, not to let Jesus out!
10.       Verse 3 describes the angel and notice in verse 2 the angel is sitting. Sitting means that his work is complete.
11.         In verse 4 the guards, these Roman trained guards were shaking. The word used to describe them is the same root to describe the earthquake, seisma.
12.                 In verses 5-7 the angel tells the women what to do.
13.        The angel acknowledges that they are looking for Jesus.
14.       The angel tells them that He has risen.
15.        The angel tells them to look in the tomb.

In the villages of Northern India a missionary was preaching in a bazaar. As he closed, a Muslim gentleman came up and said, “You must admit we have one thing you have not, and it is better than anything you have.”
The missionary smiled and said, “I should be pleased to hear what it is.”
The Muslim said, “You know when we go to Mecca we at least find a coffin. But when you Christians go to Jerusalem, which is your Mecca, you find nothing but an empty grave.”
But the missionary just smiled and said, “That is just the difference. Mohammed is dead; Mohammed is in the coffin. And false systems of religion and philosophy are in their coffins, but Jesus Christ, whose kingdom is to include all nations and kindreds and tribes, is not here; He is risen. And all power in heaven and on earth is given unto Him. That is our hope.”

1.       The angel tells them to go and tell the others.
2.       Notice again the commonality of the Gospel. Jesus uses women to tell of His resurrection.
3.                 Now, in verses 8-10, they see Jesus.
4.        Notice that they see Jesus and they fell at His feet.
5.       This means humility but it also means that they realize He is not an apparition. They realize He is real. They then worship Jesus.
6.        We must worship Jesus. This is why we worship on Sunday because Jesus rose on Sunday.
7.                   This brings me to something else I want to talk about: why does the resurrection matter? What is the importance of the resurrection?
8.        In 1 Cor 15:3-8, the Scriptures tell about Jesus appearing to the disciples and later over 500 people all at the same time. Again, Jesus showed many that He has been resurrected.
9.       Later on in 1 Cor. 15:13-15, the Scriptures tell us that if Christ was not raised from the dead our faith is in vain! This means that our faith is useless. Later on in that same chapter the Scriptures write about our hope in the resurrection. You see, because Christ rose from the dead we have hope. We have hope that when we die it is not the end. We have hope that when our family members and friends who are Christians die they are not gone, but with Christ in eternal paradise. We can see them again because they will have resurrected bodies as Jesus did. Paul wrote, “Where O death is your sting.” (1 Cor. 15:55) There is no sting because we have eternal life in perfect bodies.
10.        Also, Christ’s resurrection shows that this is not simply His normal body coming back to life. No, this is a renewed body. In John 20:11-18, Jesus enters a room when the doors are locked. It seems as though our resurrected bodies may not be as limited as our current bodies. Jesus’ resurrected body will not die.

                                                   i.      Neither will yours. If you are a believer in Christ, you will have an eternal, perfect body. 

Close:

Our bodies are weak and frail. That is why we die, but the resurrection gives us hope as death no longer has a sting. This happened because Jesus went to the cross. The cross is something that has caused many to stumble. To think that a King should die on a cross!

Cicero, the Roman author and orator, said, “Let the very name of the cross be far away from Roman citizens, not from their bodies only, but from their thoughts, their eyes and their ears.”

But the cross was the way that Jesus died. In His death He paid the penalty for the wrong things we do and then He rose from the dead, the first fruits of the resurrection. Our bodies are frail, but because Jesus went to the cross we have this hope that someday we will have perfect, eternal bodies in an eternal home where there is no death.

One once wrote:

He is risen!

Christ is risen! Sing it out with joyful voice!

He has burst the three days’ prison, let the whole wide earth rejoice! Death is conquered, we are free, Christ has won the victory.[1]

Do you believe that? Do you believe that Jesus died on the cross paying the price for your sins? Sins are the wrong things we do.

The Bible says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The Bible says that the penalty for sin is death (Romans 6:23). The Bible says that Jesus is the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except by Him. (John 14:6). The Bible teaches that sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2). The Bible says that God will not let the guilty go unpunished (2Thess 1:8-9). Yet, the Bible teaches that God loves the people of the world (John 3:16). That is a dilemma. God can’t tell a lie or He wouldn’t be God (Numbers 23:19). God doesn’t change His mind (1Sam 15:29). That is why God sent Jesus. The guilty must go punished. Jesus took our punishment on the cross. The penalty of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus, who is the way, the truth and the life.

A simple way of saying that is the following:

You can accept Jesus’ free gift of salvation right now.

Pray with me and if you would like to believe in Christ today, pray this:

Dear Jesus, I know that I have sinned. I know that you died to forgive me for my sins. I know that you rose again. Please come into my life, I believe in you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Our closing hymn is:

*Closing Hymn: He Lives (Hymn 220)

As always our closing hymn is an opportunity for you to come forward to signify that you would like to go deeper in your faith journey through baptism or church membership.

Closing Blessing

Notes

1.                      Notice first that women went to the tomb.
2.                   Verse 2 records a great earthquake and an angel had descended and rolled away the stone.
3.                 In verses 5-7 the angel tells the women what to do.
4.                 Now, they see Jesus in verses 8-10
5.                   This brings me to something else I want to talk about: why does the resurrection matter? What is the importance of the resurrection? 1 Cor. 15:55-57

[1] “Resurrection Victory”

Hi All, 

Yesterday’s sermon is now posted below:

Video from the Bible miniseries or the Passion of the Christ

Jesus’ resurrection is one of a few things that separates Christianity from other faiths.

POSSUMS AND THE GRAVE

I have heard that possums are smart animals. You wouldn’t think so because you hardly ever see one except when it’s dead on the road. There’s a joke that goes, “why did the chicken cross the road? To prove to the possum that it could be done!” 

But possums, it turns out, are smart. They won’t enter a hole if there’s just one set of tracks going into it. They know there’s something in there. But if there are two sets of tracks. The possum will enter and not be afraid. 

The message of Easter is that we can enter the grave – we don’t have to fear death because there are tracks leading out of the tomb. Paul preached the proclamation of Easter: “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

This is the message that we need to hear this Easter. Jesus is risen!

BAD NEWS, THEN GOOD NEWS

Nearly 20 years ago at the height of Operation Desert Storm, Ruth Dillow received a very sad message from the Pentagon. The message stated that her son, Clayton had stepped on a landmine in Kuwait and was killed. Ruth later wrote these words, “I can’t begin to describe my grief and shock. It was almost more than I could bear. For 3 days I just wept. I expressed anger and loss. For 3 days people tried to comfort me but nothing worked … the loss was simply too great. 

But 3 days after she received that message the phone rang. The voice on the other end said ,”Mom, it’s me.” It’s Clayton. I’m alive. Ruth said, I couldn’t believe it at first. But then I recognized his voice and realized he really was alive. The message was all a mistake. She said, “I laughed, I cried, I felt like turning cartwheels because my son who I thought was dead was actually alive.”

This morning we come to a story that is very similar. The disciples, family members, those who were at the cross have all received the news that Jesus has died. (From a sermon by David Henderson, “Overcoming Death,” 5/25/2011)

So, now, let’s read the passage that gives us the resurrection account, read with me Matthew 28:1-10

28 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

² There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. ⁴ The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

⁵ The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

⁸ So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹ Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

1.                     Notice first that women went to the tomb.
2.        Mary Magdalene and another woman named Mary went to the tomb.
3.       All 4 of the Gospel record this and this a proof of the gospels. Jesus even uses the women later in verse 10 to tell the rest of the resurrection.
4.        Now, these women are very upset. They are mourning. Jesus, whom they were following, had been crucified and now they are going to put spices on His body. The Jewish people did not do anything to prevent the decay of a body. Within three days the body would be decaying. Yet, not in this case.
5.                   Verse 2 records a great earthquake and an angel had descended and rolled away the stone.
6.        Interesting that Matthew records this earthquake and an earthquake previously in chapter 27:51.
7.       Why did the angel roll away the stone?
8.        Jesus did not need the stone rolled away. The stone was rolled away to let the world in, not to let Jesus out!
9.       Verse 3 describes the angel and notice in verse 2 the angel is sitting. Sitting means that his work is complete.
10.                 In verses 5-7 the angel tells the women what to do.
11.        The angel acknowledges that they are looking for Jesus.
12.       The angel tells them that He has risen.
13.        The angel tells them to look in the tomb.
14.       The angel tells them to go and tell the others.
15.       Notice again the commonality of the Gospel. Jesus uses women to tell of His resurrection.
16.                 Now, they see Jesus in verses 8-10
17.        Notice that they see Jesus and they fell at His feet.
18.       This means humility but it also means they realize that they realize He is not an apparition. They realize He is real. They then worship Jesus.
19.        We must worship Jesus. This is why we worship on Sunday because Jesus rose on Sunday.
20.                   Next, Why does the resurrection matter? What is the importance of the resurrection?

In the villages of Northern India a missionary was preaching in a bazaar. As he closed, a Muslim gentleman came up and said, “You must admit we have one thing you have not, and it is better than anything you have.”
The missionary smiled and said, “I should be pleased to hear what it is.”
The Muslim said, “You know when we go to Mecca we at least find a coffin. But when you Christians go to Jerusalem, which is your Mecca, you find nothing but an empty grave.”
But the missionary just smiled and said, “That is just the difference. Mohammed is dead; Mohammed is in the coffin. And false systems of religion and philosophy are in their coffins, but Jesus Christ, whose kingdom is to include all nations and kindreds and tribes, is not here; He is risen. And all power in heaven and on earth is given unto Him. That is our hope.”

1.        In 1 Cor 15:3-8 the Scriptures write about Jesus appearing to the disciples and later over 500 people all at the same time. Again, Jesus showed many that He has been resurrected.
2.       Later on in 1 Cor. 15:13-15 the Scriptures tell us that if Christ was not raised from the dead our faith is in vain! This means that our faith is useless. Later on in that same chapter the Scriptures write about our hope in the resurrection. You see, because Christ rose from the dead we have hope. We have hope that when we die it is not the end. We have hope that when our family members and friends who are Christians die they are not gone, but with Christ in eternal paradise. We can see them again because they will have resurrected bodies as Jesus did. Paul wrote, “Where O death is your sting.” (1 Cor. 15:55) There is no sting because we have eternal life in perfect bodies.
3.        Also, Christ’s resurrection shows that this is not simply His normal body coming back to life. No, this is a renewed body. In John 20:11-18 Jesus enters a room when the doors are locked. It seems as though our resurrected bodies may not be as limited as our current bodies. Jesus’ resurrected body will not die.

                                                   i.      Neither will yours. If you are a believer in Christ, you will have an eternal, perfect body. 

Close:

Our bodies are weak and frail. That is why we die, but the resurrection gives us hope as death no longer has a sting. This happened because Jesus went to the cross. The cross is something that has caused many to stumble. To think that a King should die on a cross!

Cicero, the Roman author and orator, said, “Let the very name of the cross be far away from Roman citizens, not from their bodies only, but from their thoughts, their eyes and their ears.”

But the cross was the way that Jesus died. In His death He paid the penalty for the wrong things we do and then He rose from the dead, the first fruits of the resurrection. Our bodies are frail, but because Jesus went to the cross we have this hope that someday we will have perfect, eternal bodies in an eternal home where there is no death.

One once wrote:

He is risen!

Christ is risen! Sing it out with joyful voice!

He has burst the three days’ prison, let the whole wide earth rejoice! Death is conquered, we are free, Christ has won the victory.[1]

Do you believe that? Do you believe that Jesus died on the cross paying the price for your sins? Sins are the wrong things we do.

The Bible says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The Bible says that the penalty for sin is death (Romans 6:23). The Bible says that Jesus is the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except by Him. (John 14:6). The Bible teaches that sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2). The Bible says that God will not let the guilty go unpunished (2Thess 1:8-9). Yet, the Bible teaches that God loves the people of the world (John 3:16). That is a dilemma. God can’t tell a lie or He wouldn’t be God (Numbers 23:19). God doesn’t change His mind (1Sam 15:29). That is why God sent Jesus. The guilty must go punished. Jesus took our punishment on the cross. The penalty of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus, who is the way, the truth and the life.

A simple way of saying that is the following:

You can accept Jesus’ free gift of salvation right now.

Pray with me and if you would like to believe in Christ today, pray this:

Dear Jesus, I know that I have sinned. I know that you died to forgive me for my sins. I know that you rose again. Please come into my life, I believe in you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Our closing hymn is:

*Closing Hymn: He Lives (Hymn 220)

As always our closing hymn is an opportunity for you to come forward to signify that you would like to go deeper in your faith journey through baptism or church membership.

Closing Blessing

[1] “Resurrection Victory”

Some of you may have been thinking of the “Heaven is for Real” movie, below is a blog article:

http://www.epm.org/blog/2014/Apr/18/heaven-real-movie

Below is a great article having to do with the marks of a great worship leader:

9 Essentials of a Great Worship Leader

Finally, I read this really moving illustration:

MISSIONARY Gregory Fisher writes: “What will he say when he shouts?” The question took me by surprise. I had already found that West African Bible College students can ask some of the most penetrating questions about minute details of Scripture. “Reverend, I Thess. 4:16 says that Christ will descend from heaven with a loud command. I would like to know what that command will be.” I wanted to leave the question unanswered, to tell him that we must not go past what Scripture has revealed, but my mind wandered to an encounter I had earlier in the day with a refugee from the Liberian civil war. The man, a high school principal, told me how he was apprehended by a two-man death squad. After several hours of terror, as the men described how they would torture and kill him, he narrowly escaped. After hiding in the bush for two days, he was able to find his family and escape to a neighboring country. The escape cost him dearly: two of his children lost their lives. The stark cruelty unleashed on an unsuspecting, undeserving population had touched me deeply. I also saw flashbacks of the beggars that I pass each morning on my way to the office. Every day I see how poverty destroys dignity, robs men of the best of what it means to be human, and sometimes substitutes the worst of what it means to be an animal. I am haunted by the vacant eyes of people who have lost all hope. “Reverend, you have not given me an answer. What will he say?” The question hadn’t gone away. “Enough’” I said. “He will shout, ’Enough’ when he returns.” A look of surprise opened the face of the student. “What do you mean, ’Enough’?” “Enough suffering. Enough starvation. Enough terror. Enough death. Enough indignity. Enough lives trapped in hopelessness. Enough sickness and disease. Enough time. Enough”

Below is a link to an article regarding the controversy about Jesus having a wife. Below that I have posted yesterday’s sermon:

http://www.albertmohler.com/2014/04/14/its-back-the-gospel-of-jesuss-wife-and-the-state-of-modern-scholarship/?utm_source=Albert+Mohler&utm_campaign=b0ba448ddb-Albert_Mohler_Email_June_7_2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b041ba0d12-b0ba448ddb-307773537

Last year I ran my first Marathon. Marathon is named after the Battle of Marathon which took place in 490 B.C. The name Marathon comes from the legend of Pheidippides, a Greek messenger. The legend states that he was sent from the battlefield of Marathon to Athens to announce that the Persians had been defeated in the Battle of Marathon (in which he had just fought), which took place in August or September, 490 BC. It is said that he ran the entire distance without stopping and burst into the assembly, exclaiming νενικήκαμεν (nenikekamen, “we have wοn”), before collapsing and dying.

Do you ever think about victory? Victory is exciting, isn’t it?

Look at this passage with me:

Hebrews 10:11-12:

Today, we are going to look at a passage where Jesus humbly enters the city of Jerusalem. He is hailed as King. He accomplishes His ultimate victory by doing something counter intuitive; He dies for the people He came to save.  He brings victory through death. He offers the one sacrifice for all time.

Luke 19:28-44:

1.                     In verses 28-35 we see the Preparation.
2.        Notice that the Bible says, after He said these things, or after He said this. Jesus had just given the parable of the money usage. Recall that Jesus had been in Samaria for a long time. While there Jesus told many parables and we have talked about some of these.
3.       Another source tells me this: “The elevation at this point is about 2,600 feet, and from it you have a breathtaking view of the Holy City. The Lord was about to do something He had never done before, something He had repeatedly cautioned others not to do for Him: He was going to permit His followers to give a public demonstration in His honor.”^[1] You know what it is like to travel and then you come to this gorgeous view. That’s where they are at, they are about to enter into Jerusalem.
4.        Now, Jesus sends two of His disciples on a mission. They are to go into this other village and find a colt and just take it. When asked they are to say that their Lord or Master has need of it.
5.       They do this, it happens just like Jesus says. They go to the village and someone does ask and they take the colt, like it’s no big deal.
6.                   In verses 36-38 we have the adoration, this is the parade actually.
7.        As Jesus went along people were spreading their cloaks on the ground. Look again at verses 37-38:

When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

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

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

1.       Notice that Jesus receives worship.
2.        I once had a Jewish Rabbi ask if Jesus ever said He was God. Well Jesus did say that He was the Messiah (see John 4 :26), but Jesus also received worship. Angels told the people not to worship them. (Rev. 22:9) Jesus received worship.
3.       By the way, still notice the commonality of the Gospel. The people worshipping Jesus were the common people. This was a grassroots event. After all Jesus had been going to the common people and He had healed many of them. Jesus is now worshipped.
4.       There is a parade going on. Jerusalem’s population would swell for Passover and it is now during this time that these people are all worshipping Jesus.
5.         One thing I liked about the marathon is it was like a big parade. As I ran along there would be people on the side of the road cheering you on. In this case everyone is cheering Jesus because He is the King, the True King, the eternal King. In fact, throwing their coats on the road was something that meant, “I surrender to you.” It was symbolic of letting the person on the donkey walk over you, but instead of yourself, they walked over your coat. This was submission.
6.        Jesus is now worshipped. This was the adoration of Jesus.
7.       Video of the atheist comedian, even the rocks cry out.   
8.                 In verses 39-44 we have the condemnation by Jesus.
9.        The Pharisees missed Jesus once again. They asked Jesus to make the disciples stay quiet and Jesus said if they were quiet the rocks would cry out.
10.       Now, Jesus approaches Jerusalem and weeps over the city. Then He pronounces judgment.

and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. ⁴⁴ They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

1.        This was Jesus’ condemnation.
2.       Following this Jesus will go and cleanse the temple.
3.       Then Holy Week will continue until as our King He dies in our place and then He rises again. He was our sacrifice and that is why we meet today. He is Our Mighty Savior, worshipped by common, ordinary men and dying for us.

Hebrews 10:11-12:

Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God…

Close:

The question is do you know Him? I talked about Marathons and the battle of Marathon. The messenger died. Jesus died for us and in a metaphorical way, Jesus calls us to die to Him as well. Luke 9:23-24:

 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. ²⁴ For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.

Jesus is the King, surrender to the Mighty Savior today.

Pray

^[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Mk 11:1). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.

Opening:

There was a popular book a few years ago titled, Love Wins… by Rob Bell. The book made certain claims that in the end everyone goes to Heaven. Yet, we cannot get that from the Scriptures, or from the Parable we will look at today.

Who can tell me my theme for Lent? Someone, anyone shout it out—

The Gospel is for everyone… So, I do not have to have a lot of money, do I? No, not at all. I do not have to be highly educated, do I? No, not at all. The Gospel is for everyone. My other theme is that we serve a Mighty Savior.

There is a professor at the seminary which I attended who gave an illustration of the wrath of God. Dr. Mulholland, said that if I walk out of a window, what makes me fall? The consequence of jumping out of a window is gravity makes you fall. Gravity does it. God’s wrath on sin is like gravity. God’s wrath on sin is a natural repercussion of sin. When I break God’s law His wrath is a natural response to that violation.  The subject today is on one hand a tough one. We are looking at the eternal destiny of those without Christ. On the other hand we have an encouraging subject as we look at the eternal destiny of those with Christ. We also will see how Jesus sympathizes with the poor man. Jesus, once again, looks after the poor and the marginalized.

From this passage I could preach on hell. I will just a little bit. But, this passage is also saying that the Jewish lineage does not take care of your eternity. Jesus is also saying that your wealth does not take care of your eternity. Jesus is also saying that if people do not believe the Scriptures they will not believe a resurrection.

I am going to teach this passage and I wish to show you:

1.        The Gospel is for everyone, regardless of wealth.
2.        The reality of eternity.
3.        The supremacy of Scripture.

Read with me Luke 16:19-31:

The Rich Man and Lazarus

¹⁹ “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. ²⁰ At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores ²¹ and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

²² “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.²³ In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. ²⁴ So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

²⁵ “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

²⁷ “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, ²⁸ for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

²⁹ “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’

³⁰ “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

³¹ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

1.                    In verses 19-22, The rich man and Lazarus introduced:
2.        This is a parable, it is story with a purpose. I wonder what it would look like on the big screen. Think with me. There is a certain rich man. He has lots of wealth. In fact, the literal wording says that he was eating sumptuously every day. He had it his way, every day. He was wearing purple linen. It was rare to be able to afford this type of clothing, yet he could.
3.       Now, at his gate… stop right there. He had a gate. This was rare as well. He had enough wealth to have a gate around his home. I remember being in the Dominican Republic and I saw people with gates around their homes. I saw businesses with gates. We built a gate around a church. But that gate we built to protect the place. We saw others with gates and they were elaborate, it was displaying their great wealth. In this case the indication is that this man had the wealth and he was displaying it.
4.        Now, at the gate sat Lazarus, who was poor. This is the only parable where Jesus gives a character a name. By the way, Jesus may not have made up this parable. It could have been a common Jewish story at the time.
5.       Also, this is not the Lazarus whom he would raise from the dead later on.
6.        The Bible says that this poor beggar was laying at his gate, but the language really says that he was thrown at the gate. That is some strong verbiage.
7.        Now, imagine with me: Every day the rich man walks right by the poor man. Every day, maybe he tries not to look, because if he looks, he may feel guilty. Maybe, just maybe, he looks on purpose. He does not care. He wants to flaunt his great, great wealth. He walks right on by the poor man and he does not care. He will look at him and think, “Oh well, you should work harder.” Or, “Serves you right, you were born to the wrong family.”
8.       Maybe the poor man Lazarus, made the rich man sick because of his sores. The Bible says that he had sores on him. The Bible says the dogs licked the sores. These sores would not be leprosy. They would be sores from malnutrition or something else. The dogs would not be Ol’ Shep, or some “Man’s best Friend” dog. These dogs were wild pests. I remember being in the Dominican Republic and Belize, Central America and I saw dogs which were wild. The people did not like them around. They were scavengers. Jesus, including these dogs in the parable shows how bad Lazarus’ condition was. When the dogs lick his wounds it would make them hurt worse. Yet, you know what? Imagine, the rich man, he still walks right by this poor man Lazarus. 
9.       Jesus came for this poor man in addition to the rich man. Certain people always think they have a free ticket everywhere because of something they have accomplished, or the family they come from, or their great wealth. In this parable Jesus is showing that the Gospel is for everyone. That He cares about the poor and the destitute.
10.         I recently heard a speaker on a video. She talked about being a pastor’s wife in Austin Texas. Her family and a few others moved onto a nice street with a nice house. Everything was good except for that house next door. That house was overgrown and unkempt. They would not cut the grass, or take care of the upkeep. She said something like: “Bye, bye resale value.” But then she realized something, whether through getting to know the person or God’s conviction or both. This house belonged to an elderly widow (I believe), and her children were draining her of her finances. She was not able to keep up the house and her children were not treating her right, then she has a pastor next door and all they think about is how bad the house makes the street look.
11.         I do not know what the pastor and her family did in order to help their neighbor but that was a good example of what we as Christians ought to be doing and what we ought not to be thinking. Instead of thinking “How can I serve my neighbor,” many times we think, “Why don’t they clean up their house?”
12.       Back to the parable.
13.         They both die. It has been said that death always evens the score. We all die. No matter how good you are or even you are, you will die. I will die. In this case, death switches their roles. The rich man did not care about poor Lazarus in life, but God cares about Lazarus’ eternity.
14.     Avoiding Hell

Not everyone is as fortunate as Alfred Nobel who in 1888 read his own obituary in a French newspaper. One of his brothers had died, but a careless reporter had used a statement prepared for the wrong man. Alfred, principal inventor of dynamite, was disappointed with the published account. He was described as a “merchant of death” who had made a fortune from explosives and human exploitation. This haunting image caused him to reevaluate his life and revamp his will. Consequently, his money has made possible the famous Nobel Peace Prizes.^[1]

1.       The poor man died and is carried to Abraham’s side. They would have all known that this was paradise. This was Heaven.
2.       The rich man dies and was buried. Notice that Lazarus was not even buried. This means that he was very low in his station in life. Everyone was to be buried.
3.                 In verses 23- 24 we see in Hades their roles are reversed.
4.        The rich man is in torment. He is in Hades. Hades is not hell. Hades would be called Sheol in the Old Testament. It was known as a realm of the dead. But Jesus, in this parable indicates that there was suffering. The text says, multiple times, that he was in suffering. (verses 23, 24, 25, 28)
5.       Again, I think I could pull out things about hades and hell from this passage, but my purpose is to show that The Gospel is for everyone. This poor man was not in hades. He was in paradise. The rich man who ignored the beggar was missing something in life. He calls Abraham “Father Abraham” meaning that he was Jewish, but he did not take care of the poor.

The Reality of Hell

The rich man of Luke 16 became painfully aware of hell and its stark reality, as will every person who rejects the love of the Savior. As one old preacher expressed it, “After you’ve been in hell five seconds, you’ll believe in it!”^[2]

1.        Now, the roles are reversed. Lazarus is being comforted. Actually, the Bible says that God is comforting Him. The rich man is in torture.
2.       Notice, and this goes along with my next point, the rich man wants help, but it is too late. He sees Lazarus and he just wants to dip the tip of his finger in water. But it is too late. Again, the roles are reversed. Before, Lazarus needed the rich man’s help, but now, the rich man needs Lazarus’ help. 
3.              In verses 27-31, we see that the Scriptures are sufficient as a witness.
4.        The rich man wants someone to warn his five brothers, but no. Abraham says that the Scriptures are sufficient.
5.       Notice that the text says in verse twenty-seven that he wanted Lazarus to warn his brothers. The literal word is to “testify”. He wants someone to witness to them. All throughout Acts that same word is used of the Apostles being a witness.
6.        The rich man thinks that if someone rises from the dead, they will believe. Abraham says, no, if they do not listen to the Scriptures, they will not listen, even if someone rises from the dead.

Close:

This passage says that the Law of Moses is a witness.

I have Naked juice right here. This is perfectly healthy stuff. But, you know if it is healthy, it may not taste very good. So, why don’t I add some whip cream, everyone likes whip cream. You know that probably is not enough to make it taste good, so let me add something else. How about I add some chocolate chips. Hmmm, everyone likes chocolate chips. Okay, now it may taste good enough. But, what else could I add? Any other ideas, please share???

What did I do? I just ruined the value of this drink. Okay, God has given us His Word in order to be a witness. His Word is sufficient to be a witness, yet sometimes we do not trust His Word as a witness so we want to add to it or take from it. Sometimes we wish for a special sign, but Jesus is telling the Pharisees that His Word is enough.

This passage says that His Word is enough and the Gospel is for everyone. It is not about money. It is not about possessions. It is not about having a nice gate around your place. It is not about having plenty of nice food. No, it is about our faith in the Savior and our works matching that faith. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Do you have this faith??? Jesus came for everyone.

In Matthew 25:40 Jesus says that when we take care of those need, we take care of Him. In James 2:14-26 the Bible teaches that our works must match our faith.

So, I hope you noticed.

1.                    The Gospel is for everyone, regardless of wealth.
2.                    The reality of eternity.
3.                    The supremacy of Scripture over the desire for miracles.   

Apply this to your life this week. Look to take care of those in need. Look to make sure your faith is verified by your works. Trust in the Scriptures and remember there is a real eternity. Be a witness.

Pray. 

^[1] Jones, G. C. (1986). 1000 illustrations for preaching and teaching (p. 153). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

^[2] Jones, G. C. (1986). 1000 illustrations for preaching and teaching (p. 155). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Below is a really amazing article on why most churches do not pass the 200 mark. The article goes along with everything else I’ve read.

Carey Nieuwhof: 8 Reasons Churches Don’t Break the 200 Attendance Mark

Below is an article titled “Slice of Infinity” I read these through Ravi Zacharias Ministries. This is really good about worship songs and a random group singing the Hallelujah Chorus at a Macy’s

http://www.rzim.org/a-slice-of-infinity/random-hallelujahs-2/ 

Below is today’s Swindoll “Insight For Living” Devotion for today:

http://www.insight.org/resources/devotionals/peace-amidst-unpleasant-circumstances.html

God bless, 

Pastor Steve

Below is a link to a recent blog regarding the new Noah movie:

http://www.albertmohler.com/

Below is yesterday’s sermon, but first a few good articles:

This article was written by Dr. Tim Tennent, the President of Asbury Theological Seminary. I love how he writes about church history and doctrine. 

http://timothytennent.com/2014/03/30/remembering-the-source-of-aldersgate/

I love the below article writes about how an atheist responds to his daughter’s letter to God.

http://www.rzim.org/a-slice-of-infinity/the-world-without-story/

Now the sermon. (Note, it was originally not written in this numerical format. Sorry for that, it happened when I pasted it in.) 

Opening:

There is a book called: Same Kind of Different as Me.

This book is a true story that follows two people’s paths in life until they meet up.

One person was raised in a middle class white family. He grows up and becomes very successful and very wealthy.

The second person is a poor uneducated black man. He grew up as a modern day slave. His parents worked a farm and he did too. He experienced heavy racism. Eventually this man ran away. However, he never had been educated. He lived homeless and learned how to fend for himself.

Eventually the wealthy white man, now married, is convinced by his wife to begin helping at a homeless shelter. They had committed their life to Christ and she wanted to go deeper. He was willing to give money, but she wanted to do more. So they start helping at a homeless shelter. She then says that she wants to take one group from the homeless shelter to dinner and a play.

Now the relationship grows between this wealthy man and woman and this uneducated poor black man.

The wealthy white man asks to take the uneducated black man out to breakfast. At breakfast the black man asks, “Why are you doing this?” the white man says, “To be your friend.” The black man says, “I like to fish, but I notice when white people fish they catch and release. I don’t want a ‘catch and release’ friendship.”

Well, this wealthy husband and wife decided to do more than give money and because they did they touched many lives. One of those lives was that uneducated black man. Later on they formed a friendship that will last the rest of their lives and has lasted the rest of her life, as he was there for the woman’s death.  The wealthy white man and the uneducated black man published this book together.

It is essentially because this man stepped outside of his comfort zone that the black man came to know the Lord. It is because this man was willing to serve and to serve in a lowly way that that black man’s life was changed, wow!

In a similar way,in today’s text Jesus lays aside His social status in order to serve the disciples. Once again, I notice the commonality of the Gospel. Once again, I notice that the Gospel is for everyone. I also notice that we serve a great and mighty Savior. The disciples are common, ordinary, everyday men. They are not high on the social ladder. They are not even a little bit high on the social ladder, yet Jesus serves them. Jesus is beyond high on the social ladder. Jesus is off the charts. Jesus invented the ladder, yet Jesus lowers Himself and lowers Himself even more to serve in this dirty way.  Jesus knew all and Jesus knew that He came from God and He knew He would be betrayed, yet, He serves. Our mighty Savior serves in the lowest way possible.

Please read the passage with me and let’s talk about it. Notice the commonality of the Gospel and notice our mighty Savior.

John 13:1-11:

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

² The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.³ Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;⁴ so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵ After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

⁶ He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

⁷ Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

⁸ “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

⁹ “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

¹⁰ Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” ¹¹ For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

As we look at this we can notice Jesus’ love stated, secondly His love rejected, then His love shown.

1.                     In verse 1 we see Jesus’ love stated, this shows that Jesus came for everyone. This shows the commonality of the Gospel.
2.        Now let’s put this narrative in context. It is just before the Passover festival. It is now Thursday of Holy week. That is the time of the week and the time in the ministry and life of Jesus.
3.       Later, on this very night, Jesus will be betrayed and so will begin the crucifixion process. 
4.        John spends a lot of time on this evening, more than the other Gospels. John spends chapters 13-16 on this supper.
5.       I must read Luke 22:24-26 to put this in context. John does not record it, but Luke records a conversation that took place right before the last supper. Listen to this passage: Luke 22:24-26:  ²⁴ A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. ²⁵ Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. ²⁶ But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.
6.       Here we have the disciples competing to be the greatest and now Jesus sets things straight in this way. Now, Jesus will show who the greatest is.
7.         But in this passage, it says that Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to leave the world. The text is saying that Jesus knew that He came from the Father and it was time to go back.
8.        Jesus loved the people He was with and He loved them until the end. He loved them until the crucifixion.
9.       There is a Greek verb for love used and it is agape. This is a type of intentional love. This is not brotherly love. This is intentional love.
10.                   In verse 2 we see that Jesus’ love is rejected. We see that His love is spurned.
11.        Judas is going to betray Jesus. The verse says that the devil prompted Judas. Actually the text originally says that the devil threw himself into Judas. In verse 27 it says that Judas was possessed by the devil.
12.       Now, Judas is already making plans to betray Jesus.
13.                 Jesus shares His love. This is verses 3-11.
14.        Notice our mighty Savior.
15.       In verse 3 it says that Jesus knew that He had all things under His power.
16.        Who was the greatest the disciples were asking. Jesus is the greatest. All things are under His power. Jesus knew that He came from the Father and He will go back to the Father.
17.       Yet, for common, ordinary, everyday men, Jesus stooped as low as He could go.
18.       Only slaves and women and children would wash feet.  It was not acceptable for a man to do this, yet Jesus did it.
19.         I wonder if the disciples were all thinking, “No, this is not for Him to do.” Yet, Peter spoke up and told Jesus not to.
20.        One source tells me that he knows of no other ancient source that has the leader doing something so humble: He writes: A familiar rabbinic story is told in Pe’a 1.15c.14 of Rabbi Ishmael, whose mother sought to honor him by washing his feet when he arrived home from the synagogue. After he refused her because he viewed her effort as dishonoring to her and ultimately to him, she sought a censure against him from the rabbinic court for his refusal to allow her to honor him. This story provides some insight into the perspectives of shame and honor in Judaism.^[1]
21.       So, Jesus showed His love. Jesus loved them till the end and He shows that we are all called to serve. 
22.          When I was an intern at a church I was going to preach, yet prior to my sermon the pastor had me take off my shoes and washed my feet. Many times churches will have foot washing ceremonies during Lent on Maundy Thursday.
23.         I recently listened to a book called “Breakout Churches” by Thom Rainer and he referenced churches that grow usually have pastors that do not credit themselves but those around them.
24.         But in the first century humility was not a strong point. It was not a trait one wanted to have. Yet, Jesus taught the disciples to be humble. Jesus showed these common, ordinary, everyday men, that the Gospel is for everyone. He taught them that, though He is the mighty Savior, and the Greatest, He would serve them. He washes their feet. 

Sometimes I watch the show, Undercover Boss. The show is about different corporate C.E.O.’s who actually go and work a few days in the company. They work as common employees in training. I always wonder what that is like. But you know, Jesus is the creator and He became part of His creation. This is a much lower step to take than an undercover boss. Now, Jesus serves His creation. Next, Jesus will die a death of humiliation for His creation. He did this for everyone. The Gospel is for everyone. Now, He also calls us to serve everyone and to take the Gospel to everyone.

Let’s pray

^[1] Borchert, G. L. (2002). John 12–21 (Vol. 25B). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Noah and the flood– see the video link:

Noah Redivivus— Revisiting Gen. 6-9

Below are a few links. The first article is regarding modesty. This is addressed mainly to women, though it sounds like his personal blog had a post to men previously. You can search for that. Modesty in all ways has not been talked about enough in the last few years or decades, but I know that the church must talk about this more. That is not to say that this pressure is all on women, the men are guilty of their own thoughts and feelings. 

Sisters, Are You Helping (or Hurting) Your Brothers With That Outfit?

The below article is appalling and it really makes us think about our worldview. In the Old Testament there was a pagan god called Molech, This god was to be appeased by child sacrifice. Children under two years old were burned in order to appease this god. Now, today, though not for pagan ritual, we still are burning babies. In this case the children are already dead, but it does make us think. The Christian worldview teaches that babies are a gift from the Lord.

(Psalm 127 is an example also Luke 18:15-17) 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/10717566/Aborted-babies-incinerated-to-heat-UK-hospitals.html?utm_source=Albert+Mohler&utm_campaign=fe356ac62e-The_Briefing_2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b041ba0d12-fe356ac62e-307773537

Have an awesome day in the Lord!