(#072) 1 Corinthians 15 - Is There Really a Resurrection from The Dead?

Class Outline:

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“Death is swallowed up in victory.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome To 

BARAH MINISTRIES

a Christian Church

 

Rory Clark

Pastor-Teacher

 

Good Morning!  

 

Welcome to Barah Ministries…an intimate, local Christian Church with worldwide impact.  My name is Pastor Rory Clark.  Welcome to this Bible lesson!  

 

The worldwide impact of this ministry isn’t happening because of anything I’m doing…it isn’t because of anything we’re doing as a group…it’s because of what the Lord is able to do.  Who is Jesus Christ?  At Barah Ministries we know this truth…that Jesus Christ is God.  He is the Jewish Messiah…He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world…He is the Sovereign God of the Universe…and nothing happens in the universe without His permission …He is the omnipotent One…the One with all the power.  Romans, Chapter 4, Verses 19 to 21 say this…

 

ROMANS 4:19 

Without becoming weak in faith…Abraham contemplated his own body… which was sexually dead since he was about a hundred years old…and he contemplated the deadness of his wife Sarah’s womb (she was barren)...

 

ROMANS 4:20 

...yet, with respect to the promise of God the Father (who promised him a son) … Abraham did not waver in unbelief but was strengthened inwardly by God the Father…in faith, Abraham give glory to God...

 

ROMANS 4:21 

...and being fully assured (because of his faith) … Abraham knew that what God the Father had promised…He was able also to perform.

 

Or what did the angel say to Mary about the virgin birth she was about to have?  Luke, Chapter 1, Verse 37…

 

LUKE 1:37

“…nothing will be impossible WITH GOD.”

 

God’s strength is all we need to accomplish anything.  

 

Why does Barah Ministries exist?  At Barah Ministries, we make a difference by teaching the Word of God, Verse-by-Verse, from God’s perspective and not from man’s perspective.  We are Christians and we have a deep, intimate, and personal relationship with the Lord through the study of His Word.  Our omnipotent God’s Word is all we need.  How powerful is the Lord’s Word?  Hebrews, Chapter 1, Verse 3…

 

HEBREWS 1:3

And the Lord Jesus Christ is the radiance of God the Father’s glory and HE is the exact representation of the Father’s nature…and the Lord UPHOLDS ALL THINGS BY THE WORD OF HIS POWER (divine omnipotence).

 

The Bible is not just a bunch of stories…it is the absolute truth.  Just because the Bible is hard to understand does not mean it is confusing.  Learning the Bible requires effort on your part!  We implore you to always compare what you learn here at Barah Ministries to what the Bible says.  That’s not just an invitation, it’s a responsibility!

 

God has an enemy…Satan…whom God made ‘the ruler of this world.’  In John, Chapter 12, Verse 31, the Lord says…

 

JOHN 12:31

“Now judgment is upon this world…now the ruler of this world (Satan) will be cast out (he will be dethroned at a future time).”

 

The spiritual life is warfare, and your soul is the battleground.  Satan's objective is to ruin your life.  His strategy against your mind is the lies of religion.  He deceives you into following false teachers and he gets you to worship false gods.  What most people don’t think about is that Satan also attacks your body.  Job Chapter 2 gives an example.  There is another example in Matthew, Chapter 17, Verse 15…a distraught father brings his demon-possessed son to the Lord…demons who were causing epilepsy…

 

MATTHEW 17:15

“Lord, have mercy on my son…for my son has epilepsy and is very ill…for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.”

 

Why do Satan and his demons seek to ruin our bodies?  First Corinthians, Chapter 6, Verses 19 and 20…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 6:19 

Or DO YOU NOT KNOW that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit…who is indwelling you believers in Christ…whom you have from God the Father?  You are not your own!

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 6:20 

For you believers in Christ have been bought with a price!  Therefore…(a command)…glorify God in your body!

 

Satan attacks wherever the Lord indwells.  Satan reasons that if your temple isn’t working for you then you are not working for God.  A primary weapon against your body is sugar…just so you know!  Also cigarettes…alcohol… and drugs.  God delivers His believers from the stranglehold that Satan has on our bodies.  Take care of your body!

 

TODAY'S BIBLE LESSON

Is There Really a Resurrection from The Dead?

 

LESSON INTRODUCTION

 

Last Sunday we celebrated Resurrection Day, the day when our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was raised from the dead.  For years, the reality of Christ’s resurrection from the dead has been questioned…a valid question to be sure…but for Christians, a question that is raised by the kingdom of death and darkness to discredit the possibility that our Lord Jesus Christ is who He says He is…God Himself.  

 

In the first century Corinthian church the believers were wondering if bodily resurrection from the dead is even possible…they also wondered how it is possible.  In today’s lesson, we’ll overview the structure of First Corinthians, Chapter 15 where the apostle Paul addresses the issue in six parts.  Only two chapters to go in First Corinthians, so likely we will finish this letter in the next three months.  Then we’ll be off to a couple of Paul’s shorter letters like Colossians and Ephesians, in-depth studies of the Lord Jesus Christ and of the Christian Way of Living.  Also, as we do every month, we'll celebrate The Lord's Supper which invites you to look at another provocative and hair-raising question...is your salvation secure?

 

SONG INTRODUCTION

 

You have a personal God, and your life is personal to Him.  Jeremiah, Chapter 1, Verse 5 says…

 

JEREMIAH 1:5

“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you…and before you were born, I set you apart for privilege…I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

 

Jeremiah was set apart for privilege, and so are you.  Rather than seeing yourself the way you see yourself…how about if you see yourself as God sees you?  Here's Hillsong Worship to remind us in song…WHO YOU SAY I AM.

 

MUSIC AND REFLECTION

Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ

Enjoy the Singing of His Praises

 

WHO YOU SAY I AM

Hillsong Worship

 

 

MUSIC AND REFLECTION

Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ

Enjoy the Singing of His Praises

 

WHO YOU SAY I AM

Hillsong Worship

OPENING PRAYER

Let us pray...

 

We’re grateful, Heavenly Father, for the privilege of studying Your absolute truth...the Word of God…

 

Father, thank you for placing us in Your plan…a sphere of provision and protection where You are ever-present…thank you for gifting us within that sphere with faith and hope and love…because of Your gift of faith we have absolute confidence in Your Word…because of Your gift of hope, we look forward to the future Your Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, carved out for us at the Cross…because of Your gift of unconditional love we know that we can’t disappoint You…

 

Father, help us notice as God the Holy Spirit rids us of the sin which so easily entangles us…eliminate the sinful desires we have because of the flesh resident us…teach us to not feel guilty when we sin…instead, teach us to count on the transformation You are working in us as You keep on perfecting us until the day of Christ Jesus…

 

…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ's

name...Amen.

 

TODAY'S BIBLE LESSON

Is There Really a Resurrection from The Dead?

 

In First Corinthians, Chapter 15, you'll see six sections ready for us to study.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15

         

         SECTION 1          Verses 1 to 11

         SECTION 2          Verses 12 to 19

         SECTION 3          Verses 20 to 28

         SECTION 4          Verses 29 to 34

         SECTION 5 Verses 35 to 49

         SECTION 6 Verses 50 to 58

 

Let’s get a preview of what we will be studying.

 

SECTION 1- What Do We Believe About the Resurrection from the Dead?

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:1

Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:2 

…by which also you are saved if you hold fast the word which I preached to you,...unless you believed in vain.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:3 

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:4 

…and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:5 

…and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:6 

After that, He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:7 

…then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:8 

…and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:9 

For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:10 

But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain…but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:11 

Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

 

SECTION 2-What if the Resurrection from the Dead Isn’t True? 

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:12 

Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:13 

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:14 

…and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:15 

Moreover, we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise...iif in fact the dead are not raised.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:16 

For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:17 

…and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless…you are still in your sins.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:18 

Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:19 

If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.

 

SECTION 3- What if the Resurrection from the Dead IS True? 

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:20 

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:21 

For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:22 

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:23 

But each in his own order…Christ the firstfruits…after that those who are Christ's at His coming…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:24 

…then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:25 

For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:26 

The last enemy that will be abolished is death.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:27 

For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:28 

When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.

 

SECTION 4-What Happens to Us if Resurrection from the Dead Isn’t True?

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:29 

Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:30 

Why are we also in danger every hour?

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:31 

I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:32 

If from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:33 

Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:34 

Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning…for some have no

 knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.

 

SECTION 5-What is the Case for a Resurrection Body?

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:35 

But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?”

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:36 

You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:37 

…and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:38 

But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:39 

All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:40 

There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:41 

There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars…for star differs from star in glory.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:42 

So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:43 

…it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory…it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:44 

…it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:45 

So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:46 

However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural…then the spiritual.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:47 

The first man is from the earth, earthy…the second man is from heaven.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:48 

As is earthy, so also are those who are earthy...and as is heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:49 

Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of

the heavenly.

 

SECTION 6-What is the Change from Earthly Body to Resurrection Body?

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:50 

Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:51 

Behold, I tell you a mystery…we will not all sleep…but we will all be changed…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:52 

…in a moment…in the twinkling of an eye…at the last trumpet…for the trumpet will sound…and the dead will be raised imperishable…and we will be changed.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:53 

For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put 

on immortality.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:54 

But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:55 

“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:56 

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:57 

…but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:58 

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

 

We’ll begin our study of Chapter 15 next week.  When we return from the break, we’ll take the offering and then we’ll celebrate the Lord’s Supper!

 

FIVE MINUTE BREAK

NOBODY

Casting Crowns

 

TODAY'S BIBLE LESSON

Is There Really a Resurrection from The Dead?

 

The apostle Paul talked about giving more than any of the New Testament authors of scripture.  Yet never once did he mention the word “tithe.”  Instead, what he taught is that systematic giving…voluntary giving on a regular and predetermined basis…is one way Christians express their gratitude to God.  Second Corinthians, Chapter 2, Verses 6 to 8…

 

SECOND CORINTHIANS 2:6

Now this...I (Paul) say…he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly…and he who sows an abundance will also reap an abundance.

 

SECOND CORINTHIANS 2:7 

Each one of us must give just as he has purposed in his heart…not grudgingly or under compulsion…for God loves a joyfully willing giver.

 

SECOND CORINTHIANS 2:8 

And God is able to make every grace abound to you…so that always having all that you need…in everything…so you may have an abundance for every good work…

 

I hope that you follow Paul’s direction by giving systematically, voluntarily, and intentionally rather than under religious guilt and compulsion…giving as an expression of your spiritual life and your spiritual gift. 

 

THE OFFERING

Deacon Denny Goodall

 

OFFERING VERSE

 

PHILIPPIANS 2:3-4

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit…but with humility consider

one another as more important than yourselves…do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also look out for the interests of others.

 

OFFERING SONG

THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU

Don Moen

 

THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION

At the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ Made You Secure for All Eternity

 

Welcome to The Lord’s Supper Celebration, the most intimate expression of our deep, intimate, and loving personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.  In this celebration, the Lord reminds us of the unity all believers in Christ possess…and He shares His body and His blood with us.  In First Corinthians, Chapter 11, Verse 26, the apostle Paul says, on behalf of the Lord…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 11:26

…as often as you eat this bread (representing His body)…and as often as you drink this cup (representing His blood)…as part of the Lord's Supper Celebration…you proclaim as a reality and you announce the significance of the Lord Jesus Christ's death on the Cross…and His resurrection from the dead…until He comes again at the second coming.

 

Every month, we celebrate The Lord's Supper to REMEMBER.  We REMEMBER that we are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, dependent on Him for our “so great” salvation…we REMEMBER that we believers in Christ are in union with Christ and we can't get out of our union with Him… we REMEMBER that the Lord loves us unconditionally…we REMEMBER that we are forgiven for every sin we commit…past, present, and future… and we REMEMBER that we have the Lord's grace to help in times of need, especially when we make mistakes.

 

The Lord's Supper Celebration is often called communion.  It's our chance to commune with the Lord.  It's a sacred celebration, so it's not something we take for granted.  It's not something we do "on the fly."  It's a time to have bread and wine in front of us…and as we enjoy the elements, we remember our dependence on the Lord Jesus Christ, both for our physical sustenance and for our spiritual sustenance.

During the Lord's Supper Celebration, Jesus wants His believers to look back for a few moments.  We look back to the Cross to REMEMBER how He rescued us from the kingdom of darkness…we look back to the Cross to REMEMBER the sacrifice of His shedding blood to cover our sins…we look back to REMEMBER the deliverance to the resurrection life He orchestrated, bringing us into His kingdom of light.  During the Lord's Supper Celebration, Jesus wants His believers to look forward as well, in ANTICIPATION that He IS coming again.  

 

As we celebrate The Lord's Supper, we ask ourselves in reflection, "What did the Lord Jesus Christ do for us at the Cross?"   This month we acknowledge that at the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ made you secure for all eternity.

 

If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, there was a moment in time when God the Holy Spirit’s convicting ministry made you aware that you were a sinner and you needed a Savior.  You turned your eyes skyward and with all the sincerity a spiritually dead person can muster…you asked God to save you…and He did…Acts, Chapter 16, Verse 31 says…

 

ACTS 16:31 

“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and everyone in your household who also believes.”

 

And now you are saved!  When you close your eyes in this life, you are going to heaven.  Wait…are you really?  Is it that simple?  Are you eternally secure?  As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, how secure is your relationship with God?  In fact, when you think of any relationship, but especially the relationship with God, what is security?

 

SECURITY

An assurance…a guarantee…that something is safe

Conversely…what is insecurity?  What does it feel like when we are insecure?

 

INSECURITY

Subject to fears…doubts…confusion…uneasiness…and uncertainty.

 

At the Cross the Lord Jesus Christ guaranteed a believer in Christ’s eternal

security.  What is eternal security?

 

ETERNAL SECURITY

 

The biblical truth that once a person places confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, and once this person is placed into union with Christ through the baptism of God the Holy Spirit, this person can never do anything to lose salvation because of God’s guarantee to protect the salvation He provided.

 

John, Chapter 10, Verse 28…

 

JOHN 10:28

…and I (the Lord Jesus Christ…the Sovereign God of the Universe) give eternal life to believers in Christ…and they will never perish…and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

 

Our God is not a God of fears…doubts…confusion…uneasiness…and uncertainty.  First Corinthians, Chapter 14, Verse 33…

 

FIRST CORITNHINAS 14:33

…for God is not a God of confusion…

 

Well, who introduces doubt into our thoughts?  Satan, the enemy of God is the sponsor of fears, doubts, confusion, uneasiness, and uncertainty.  He is lying!  He sponsors false teachers who say there is no eternal security to rob you of God's peace.  These false teachers contend that God is conditional.  Here's an example…

 

WHY ETERNAL SECURITY IS NOT A BIBLICAL DOCTRINE

by Philip A. Matthews

 

The promises of God are all conditional. That is, God's promised benefits are given to people as they meet the conditions stated or implied within that promise.

 

WHY ETERNAL SECURITY IS NOT A BIBLICAL DOCTRINE

by Philip A. Matthews

 

In other words, God's promises have strings attached. God does not make

blanket promises that apply to everybody in every place for every time. His promises are for specific people who meet specific conditions and qualifications for the specific benefits promised.

 

This is a person who hasn't got the slightest idea who God is…a classic example of a person who is looking at God from the human viewpoint.  He is likely ab unbeliever.  He thinks that God is like humans…conditional.  God is NOT like us.  He is unconditional, immutable, and faithful.  There is not enough room here to prove all the different ways that God is those three things, but a sample of what the Bible has to say about your eternal security is to give you comfort that you are saved once and for all time.

 

For direction, we turn to the absolute truth, God’s Word, for our comfort.  John, Chapter 20, Verse 31…

 

JOHN 20:31 

…these things written in the Bible have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ (The Jewish Messiah) … the Son of God (in human form) … and that by believing in Him you may have the resurrection life in His name.

 

The Bible, the Lord Jesus Christ’s exact thinking, is our guide to learn about eternal security.  First John, Chapter 5, Verses 11 and 12…

 

FIRST JOHN 5:11

And the testimony is this…that God the Father has given us believers in Christ eternal life (the resurrection life)…and this life is (secure) in union with His Son.

 

FIRST JOHN 5:12a

He who has (a relationship with God) the Son…(He who is union with God the Son…all believers in Christ) has the resurrection life (eternal life)…

 

What is eternal life?  It's a life with no beginning and no ending.  It's you sharing the life of God because you are in union with Christ.  It's a promise that you will receive a resurrection body in the future.

 

Does your eternal security count on you, or does it count on the God who is 

faithful to preserve your security?  James, Chapter 1, Verse 17…

 

JAMES 1:17

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above…coming down from God the Father of the heavenly lights…with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

 

God doesn’t change.  Once God does a thing it is DONE!

 

What is God’s plan for your eternal security?  Romans, Chapter 8, Verses 29 and 30…

 

ROMANS 8:29 

For those whom God the Father foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son (the Lord Jesus Christ)…so that the Lord would be the firstborn among many brethren...

 

ROMANS 8:30 

...and these whom God the Father predestined, He also called…and these whom God the Father called, He also justified…and these whom God the Father justified, He also glorified.

 

Foreknown, predestined, conformed, called, justified, glorified.  God doesn’t just want us to BE secure…He wants us to FEEL secure as well… Philippians, Chapter 1, Verse 6…

 

PHILIPPIANS 1:6

For I (Paul) am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will keep on perfecting it until the day of Christ Jesus.

 

God would never dream of letting His children go…Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 16…

 

ROMANS 8:16 

The Holy Spirit Himself testifies with our human spirit that we are children of God (the “born again ones”)... 

 

God protects us from losing our way…Jude, Chapter 1, Verse 24…

 

JUDE 1:24

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling…and who is able to make you stand in the presence of His glory…blameless…with great joy…

 

God sticks with us even when we turn our backs on Him…Second Timothy, Chapter 2, Verses 11 to 13…

 

SECOND TIMOTHY 2:11

It is a trustworthy statement…for if we believers in Christ died with Him (at the Cross…and we did) … we will also live with Him (in heaven) …

 

SECOND TIMOTHY 2:12 

If we endure, and of course we will, we will also reign with Him (in the Millennium)…if we disown Him (as unbelievers do), and of course it happens, He also will disown us (not a good idea to be an unbeliever)…

 

SECOND TIMOTHY 2:13 

If we are faithless…and we are…He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself (because we are in union with Him…married to Him…God works with flawed people).

 

John, Chapter 6, Verses 35 to 40…

 

JOHN 6:35

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life…he who comes to Me will not hunger…and he who believes in Me will never thirst.

 

JOHN 6:36 

But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe.

 

JOHN 6:37 

All that the Father gives Me will come to Me…and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.

 

JOHN 6:38 

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but o do the will of God the Father who sent Me.

 

 

JOHN 6:39 

This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.

 

JOHN 6:40 

For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

 

First Thessalonians, Chapter 5, Verses 23 and 24…

 

FIRST THESSALONIANS 5:23

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely (just like He saved you entirely)…and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

FIRST THESSALONIANS 5:24 

Faithful is He who calls you (to salvation)…and He also will bring your salvation to pass.

 

First Corinthians, Chapter 1, Verses 8 and 9…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 1:8 

… (The Lord)…who will also confirm you to the end (your salvation is Secure …confirming you as) blameless (free from condemnation and accusation) in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 1:9 

God the Father is faithful (even when we are faithless) … the Father through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Jeremiah, Chapter 32, Verse 40…

 

JEREMIAH 32:40

I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good…and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me.

 

We’re eternally secure because a faithful God makes us that way.

 

THE LORD'S SUPPER CELEBRATION

Enjoying the Lord's Supper Elements

 

Bread and wine.  The Lord gave us these things to remember Him.  We will enjoy the elements together in a few moments as we listen to The Lord’s Supper Song.

 

Obeying our Lord's command, we keep on celebrating Christ regularly…we eat bread to remember who He is as a PERSON... the One and ONLY Sovereign God of the Universe…we drink wine to remember His WORK on the Cross…the voluntary sacrifice He made to deliver us from sovereignty to sin.  We remember with gratitude what God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ have done to save us.  Luke, Chapter 22, Verses 14 to 16…  

 

LUKE 22:14

When the hour came (and His crucifixion was set for the next day)…Jesus reclined at the table…and the apostles reclined with Him.

 

RECLINING AT THE TABLE SLIDE

 

LUKE 22:15-16

And Jesus said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer…for I say to you, I shall not eat it again until all that it means is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." 

 

Luke, Chapter 22, Verses 19 to 23…  

 

LUKE 22:19 

And when Jesus had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body, which is being broken for you… keep on doing this in remembrance of Me."

 

LUKE 22:20 

And in the same way, Jesus took the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup, which is poured out for you, is the new covenant in My blood."

 

Jesus continued the celebration, pointing out that He has an enemy…

 

 

LUKE 22:21 

"But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table."

 

LUKE 22:22 

"For indeed, the Son of Man is going (back to the Father) as it has been determined…but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"

 

LUKE 22:23 

And the apostles began to debate among themselves which one of them it was who was going to do this.

 

As believers in Christ, we have chosen not to betray our Lord.  Instead, we choose to obey our Lord with this celebration.  Let's keep on eating this bread…let's keep on drinking this cup…and let's do both to REMEMBER the Lord.  Let this celebration encourage our hearts and our minds, filling us with awe and reverence, and gratitude.  Let's keep on being transformed by the Lord's life…His death…His burial…His resurrection from the dead… His ascension to God the Father…His seating at the Majesty's right hand… and by the nourishment we get from His Word, which feeds our souls. 

 

SONG INTRODUCTION

 

The Lord has you right where He wants you.  Maybe you feel inadequate… maybe you don’t feel like you’re good enough…maybe you think you are a disappointment to God because you make mistakes…Isaiah, Chapter 1, Verse 18…

 

ISAIAH 1:18

“Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord, “Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be made as white as snow…though they are red like crimson, they will be cleansed like white wool.”

 

God invites imperfect people into His loving arms…Crystal Lewis says COME JUST AS YOU ARE!

 

LORD’S SUPPER SONG

COME JUST AS YOU ARE

Crystal Lewis

 

GOD WANTS YOU!

Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life

 

In God’s eyes, YOU are the center of His universe.  The bad news is that you are born in a state of unrighteousness…physically alive and spiritually dead as an ungodly, unrighteous unbeliever.  It’s not your fault, but it is your circumstance.  In First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verse 22, the Bible says…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:22a

For all in union with Adam at physical birth (and that is every human being who comes to earth) are set to die the second death in the Lake of Fire…

 

The good news is that the Sovereign God of the Universe, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ put Himself on the line to rescue you from this problem.  Acts, Chapter 4, Verse 12 says…

 

ACTS 4:12

“And there is salvation in no one else…for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved (except the name of the Lord Jesus Christ).”

 

God’s plan for you is simple…Acts, Chapter 16, Verse 31…

 

ACTS 16:31 

“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and everyone in your household who also believes.”

 

Right where you sit, RIGHT NOW, you can tell God the Father that you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that is the moment of eternal life for you.  First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verses 3 and 4… 

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:3

For I (Paul) delivered to you as of first importance the gospel message I also received… that it was Jesus Christ who died for our sins according tothe Scriptures…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:4 

…and that He was buried…and that He was raised from the dead on the third day…according to the Scriptures…

 

So, heed the warning in John, Chapter 3, Verse 36…

 

JOHN 3:36

“He who believes in the Son has the resurrection life right at that moment… but he who does not obey the command to believe in the Son will not see the resurrection life…instead the wrath of God (the Lake of Fire) abides on him.”

 

At the moment you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation, you are saved once and for all time…you are placed by God the Holy Spirit into union with Christ, a union you cannot get out of, and you can proudly claim the promise in Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 1…

 

ROMANS 8:1 

There is now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are IN UNION WITH CHRIST JESUS.

 

Believe now!  There is no time to waste!  Then rest in the promise of John, Chapter 1, Verse 12, which says…

 

JOHN 1:12

But as many as received the invitation from Jesus to be saved…to them He gave the right to become children of God the Father, even to those who believe in Jesus’ name…

 

SONG INTRODUCTION

 

Yes…God want you….and one day we’ll realize it!  June Murphy puts the realization into words in her song…FATHER I’M YOURS.

 

CLOSING SONG

FATHER I'M YOURS 

June Murphy

 

CLOSING VERSES

 

         A Doxology of Praise to Our God

We close each week with a doxology.  What is a doxology?

 

DOXOLOGY

Biblical words containing praise to our Almighty God.

 

PROVERBS 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.In all your ways acknowledge Jesus, and He will make your paths straight.

 

DEUTERONOMY 31:8

“For the Lord is the one who goes ahead of you…He will be with you…He will not fail you or forsake you…so do not fear or be dismayed.”

 

ISAIAH 30:18

The Lord longs to be gracious to you…He waits on high to have compassion

on you…for the Lord is a God of justice…blessed are those who wait for Him.

 

FIRST PETER 5:6-7

Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may promote you at the proper time……slamming all your cares on His back, because He cares for you.

 

God considers your problems to be His responsibility.

 

CLOSING PRAYER

Let us pray...

 

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Thanks for listening!

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