The Resurrection Day Celebration 2021 - The Personal Concern of a Personal God is Expressed Even from the GraveJesus rises everyday for everyone.
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. At Barah Ministries we know this truth…that Jesus Christ is God.
THE RESURRECTION DAY CELEBRATION The Personal Concern of a Personal God is Expressed Even from the Grave
Today we celebrate!
Let me tell you what Christians are NOT celebrating today. We are NOT celebrating Easter…a holiday created to worship a pagan goddess… Eostre…the pagan goddess of the dawn who is connected to a spring festival of fertility (orgies)…new birth…and regrowth. If you were wondering why bunnies and eggs for Easter, they are symbols of fertility. If you wonder about Easter itself, it’s JUST as great a way to obscure the significance of Resurrection Sunday, as Santa Claus is a way to obscure the significance of Christmas.
What Christians ARE celebrating today is the most important day in divine history…the day that Jesus Christ proved His Deity by being resurrected from the dead. We celebrate the event that separated the Lord Jesus Christ from all the pretenders. There is a lot of sadness in religious circles at this time of the year concerning the brutality of Jesus’s crucifixion and His death on a Cross.
CRUCIFIX SLIDE To be sure, crucifixion is the worst death in human history. Yet dying on a Cross alone is not enough to make Jesus special. Many people have been willing to die for a cause. Many have been martyred. Only one man…the God-man…the Lord Jesus Christ…100% God and 100% man in one Person forever…the Jewish Messiah…has been resurrected from the dead.
EMPTY GRAVE SLIDE
His resurrection vindicated Him…proving that He God, just as He said…not merely a man and certainly not a criminal guilty of any crimes or sin as He was falsely accused. Remember Luke, Chapter 23, Verse 4?
LUKE 23:4 Then Pontius Pilate said to the chief priests and to the crowds (who wanted Jesus crucified), “I find no guilt in this man.”
Welcome to our Resurrection Day Celebration!
SONG INTRODUCTION
Let’s start with some music! We celebrate what made our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ unique...Luke, Chapter 24, Verses 1 to 9…
LUKE 24:1 But on the first day of the week (a Sunday…the day after the Jewish Sabbath) … at early dawn…the women who had come with Joseph of Arimathea out of Galilee came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.
LUKE 24:2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb…
WOMEN DISCOVER SLIDE
LUKE 24:3 …but when they entered the tomb, the women did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
EMPTY GRAVE SLIDE LUKE 24:4 While they kept on being perplexed about this, behold, two men (angelic beings) suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing (clothes that gleamed like lightning) …
LUKE 24:5 …and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead?
LUKE 24:6 “Jesus is not here, but He has risen (from the dead). Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee…”
LUKE 24:7 “…saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men (unbelievers)…and be crucified…and on the third day rise again (from the dead)?”
The angels reminded the women of the Word of our God.
LUKE 24:8 And the women remembered the Lord’s words…
LUKE 24:9 …and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven apostles (minus Judas Iscariot…the betrayer) and to all the rest of the Lord’s disciples.
What makes our God unique is His resurrection from the dead…the empty grave. Let’s lift our hearts in song to the heavens as we CELEBRATE JESUS!
MUSIC AND REFLECTION Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
CELEBRATE JESUS Various Artists
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MUSIC AND REFLECTION Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
CELEBRATE JESUS Various Artists
THE RESURRECTION DAY CELEBRATION The Personal Concern of Our Personal God Shows Even from the Grave
LESSON INTRODUCTION
We have a personal God who has personal concern for each of us…and during this Resurrection Day Celebration I want you to get your head wrapped around that idea. The Lord’s concern for you is EXTREMELY personal.
The Lord was concerned for His apostles, all of whom abandoned Him because they were terrified that they were going to be arrested and crucified just like Jesus. The Lord wanted to calm them all down. The Lord’s personal concern for the doubting one…Thomas…was on the Lord’s mind after His resurrection…John, Chapter 20, Verses 19 to 29…
JOHN 20:19 So when it was evening on that day (Resurrection Day) … the first day of the week (Sunday) … and when the doors were shut where the disciples were (in the Upper Room)…for fear of the Jews…Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
In His new resurrection body, Jesus walked right through the walls of the Upper Room.
JOHN 20:20 And when Jesus had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
JOHN 20:21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you…as God the Father has sent Me (into the world)…I also send you (into the world).”
The disciples were then commissioned to take over from here…to preach… to teach…and to spread the gospel message of a “so great” salvation.
JOHN 20:22 And after Jesus had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
JOHN 20:23 “If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them…if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.”
JOHN 20:24 But Thomas…one of the twelve, called Didymus (the doubting one) … was not with the other disciples when Jesus came to the Upper Room.
JOHN 20:25 So the other disciples were saying to Thomas, “We have seen the Lord!” But Thomas said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails… and put my finger into the place of the nails…and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
The Lord expressed His personal concern for Thomas by coming back a few days later. John, Chapter 20, Verse 26…
JOHN 20:26 After eight days Jesus’ s disciples were again inside the Upper Room, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came in…the doors having been shut…and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
JOHN 20:27 Then Jesus said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands…and reach here your hand and put it into My side…and do not be unbelieving…but keep on believing.”
JOHN 20:28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
JOHN 20:29 Jesus said to Thomas, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”
In todays’ lesson, we’ll learn that the Lord had the same personal concern for the apostle who is most like all of us…the apostle Peter. Best of all, He has the same personal concern for each one of you!
SONG INTRODUCTION
Because Christians keep on sinning after salvation, it’s easy to think God is disappointed with us. I assure you…our God who loves you without condition…a God who went to the Cross to pay for every sin you will ever commit, past, present and future…is not…and has never been…and never will be disappointed with you. If He is, He wasted His time paying for your sins at the Cross! Romans, Chapter 6, Verse 23 says…
ROMANS 6:23 For the (earned) wages of sin (the compensation you pay for your sinful works) is (the second) death (in the Lake of Fire) … but the free (of charge, and gracious) gift of God the Father is eternal life (the resurrection life) in union with Christ Jesus our Lord (for all those who believe in Christ).
So we don’t worry about our sins. Why? June Murphy helps the Lord tell us in song…the Lord says, “MY CROSS MADE YOU GOOD ENOUGH!”
MUSIC AND REFLECTION Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
MY CROSS MADE YOU GOOD ENOUGH June Murphy
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MUSIC AND REFLECTION Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
MY CROSS MADE YOU GOOD ENOUGH June Murphy
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 the hope this day inspires in our souls…thank you for what you are willing to do with flawed people…thank you for making us aware that our mistakes do not define us in Your eyes…
Let this powerful message sink deeply into the souls of Your believers who hear on this day so they can be edified by the unconditional love, forgiveness, and grace that this part of the Christian calendar inspires…
…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.
THE RESURRECTION DAY CELEBRATION The Personal Concern of Our Personal God Shows Even from the Grave
Judas Iscariot isn’t the only one who betrayed Jesus Christ. One of the Lord’s most trusted apostles…the apostle Peter…also betrayed the Lord. It’s funny how many times I’ve heard Christians tell me what they’re going to say to Adam and Eve when they get to heaven. “Why did you do it?” and “What were you thinking?” are the typical messages these hypocritical Christians are ready to send. Little do they know that they would have done the same thing, only faster.
Peter symbolizes our human weakness. Peter embodied many of our human characteristics…he was self-righteous…he was courageous…he was outspoken…he was impulsive…and he was even a bit of a coward at times. Yet Peter was one of the apostles who were in the Lord's inner circle. He had a knack for putting his foot in his own mouth. Matthew, Chapter 17, Verses 1 to 8…
MATTHEW 17:1 Six days later (after Jesus predicted His own death) Jesus took Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up to a high mountain by themselves.
MATTHEW 17:2 And Jesus was transfigured before them…and His face shone like the sun… and His garments became as white as light.
This was the Lord is all of His glory as we will see Him at His Second Coming.
MATTHEW 17:3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus.
Peter, of course, gets as giddy as a schoolboy!
MATTHEW 17:4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here…if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here…one for You…and one for Moses…and one for Elijah.”
Like us, Peter wanted to help. God the Father interrupted Peter, and in a nice, but Almighty way, told Peter to shut up.
MATTHEW 17:5 While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son…with whom I am well-pleased…LISTEN TO HIM!”
MATTHEW 17:6 When the disciples (Peter, John, and James) heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified.
MATTHEW 17:7 And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.”
MATTHEW 17:8 And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone.
This was Peter…a leader among the disciples…who always had a knack for doing the right things followed by a bunch of wrong things.
Our omnipotent Lord knew who would betray Him. At the Last Supper, on the night before He was crucified, Jesus revealed that Judas would betray Him. After Judas left to do His dirt, the Lord warned Peter that he would do the same thing. To get Peter ready to recover from the betrayal, the Lord told Peter about it in Luke, Chapter 22, Verses 31 to 33…
LUKE 22:31 “Simon (Peter)…Simon (Peter)…behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift ALL of you apostles like wheat…”
LUKE 22:32 “…but I have prayed (specifically) for you (Peter)…that your faith may not fail…and you, when once you have turned back again (once you have stopped your grieving and have come to your senses)…you go strengthen your brothers.”
LUKE 22:33 But Simon Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!”
In self-righteousness, Peter thought He was strong. He had no idea how weak he was, especially under pressure. The Lord informs him of his weakness. Luke, Chapter 22, Verse 34…
LUKE 22:34 And Jesus said, “I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.”
Later that night came the moment of truth…Luke, Chapter 22, Verses 54 to 61…
LUKE 22:54 Having arrested Jesus, the chief priests, officers of the temple and the elders who were against Him led Him away and brought Him to the house of the high priest…but Peter was following at a distance.
LUKE 22:55 After they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter was sitting among them.
LUKE 22:56 And a servant-girl, seeing Peter as he sat in the firelight and looking intently at him, said, “This man was with Jesus, too.”
LUKE 22:57 But Peter denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.”
LUKE 22:58 A little later, another person saw him and said, “You are one of them too!” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!”
LUKE 22:59 After about an hour had passed, another man began to insist, saying, “Certainly this man also was with Jesus, for he is a Galilean too.”
LUKE 22:60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” Immediately, while Peter was still speaking, a rooster crowed.
LUKE 22:61 The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how the Lord had told him, “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.”
LUKE 22:62 And Peter went out and wept bitterly.
When we return from our five-minute break, we’ll take your offering, and then we’ll learn our personal Lord’s personal reaction to Peter’s failing.
FIVE MINUTE BREAK NOBODY Casting Crowns
THE RESURRECTION DAY CELEBRATION The Personal Concern of Our Personal God Shows Even from the Grave
The work that the Lord Jesus Christ did at the Cross was done so that we might RECEIVE reconciliation, giving us direct access to a relationship with God the Father. The Lord broke down the barrier of the dividing wall…the sin…that separated us from God the Father. The Lord’s resurrection from the dead was a gift to us so that we might RECEIVE this truth in our hearts…that Jesus Christ is the Christ…the Lord…God the Son in human form…He is Deity. His resurrection from the dead allowed us to RECEIVE the victory in the Creator-creature conflict. Yet the Lord’s messages to us are always about GIVING to others, and not about receiving at all. Acts, Chapter 20, Verse 35 says…
ACTS 20:35 "In everything, I (Paul) showed you that…you must help the weak and you must remember the words of the Lord Jesus…that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Obey Him! Be generous on behalf of others just as the Lord is generous to you. Let your GIVING reflect His generosity. Let’s welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall with one of his always inspiring offering messages.
THE OFFERING Deacon Denny Goodall
OFFERING VERSE
LUKE 14:28 For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?
OFFERING SONG THE LION AND THE LAMB Crystal Lewis
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OFFERING SONG THE LION AND THE LAMB Crystal Lewis
THE RESURRECTION DAY CELEBRATION The Personal Concern of Our Personal God Shows Even from the Grave
What is your reaction to betrayal…let’s say a betrayal by your best friend? Peter was one of the Lord’s inner circle…one of His best friends. How did the Lord respond to betrayal? Let’s go back to the women at the grave.
WOMEN DISCOVER SLIDE
Let’s hear another version of what happened at the grave in Mark, Chapter 16, Verses 1 to 8…
MARK 16:1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Jesus (to preserve His body and to keep it from stinking).
MARK 16:2 Very early on the first day of the week…(on Sunday morning)…they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.
MARK 16:3 They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?”
MARK 16:4 Looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large.
MARK 16:5 Entering the tomb, they saw a young man (an angel) sitting at the right… wearing a white robe (which glistened like lightening)…and they were amazed (in shock).
MARK 16:6 And the angel said to them, “Do not be amazed…you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene…who has been crucified. He has risen (from the dead)…He is not here…behold, here is the place where they laid Him.”
MARK 16:7 “But go…tell His disciples AND PETER, ‘Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee…there you will see Him, just as He told you.’”
MARK 16:8 The women went out and fled from the tomb…for trembling and astonishment had gripped them…and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
The Lord was concerned for Peter…and it was personal! Imagine what happened to Peter after he denied his best friend. He was devastated! One of our human best friends who is betrayed would never have expressed concern for a friend as Jesus did. Jesus ALWAYS forgives. We'd like to think we'd do the same, but we don't. We punish those who betray us. We never let them forget it. Jesus, our Lord and Savior…our God…is simply not that way. He doesn't want His followers to be that way either. Unconditional love and forgiveness and grace are the only answers to broken relationships. Fortunately, Peter remembered the Lord’s words. Luke, Chapter 22, Verse 32…
LUKE 22:32 “…I (the Lord Jesus Christ) have prayed (specifically) for you (Peter)…THAT YOUR FAITH MAY NOT FAIL…and you, when once YOU HAVE TURNED BACK AGAIN (once you have stopped your grieving and have come to your senses) … you go strengthen your brothers.”
Peter did exactly as the Lord commanded. The full account of the end of Peter’s story is in Acts, Chapter 2, Verses 14 to 42. Specifically, I call your attention to Acts, Chapter 2, Verse 41…
ACTS 2:41 So then, those who had received Peter’s word were baptized…and that day there were added about three thousand souls (to the kingdom of the Lord).
Peter indeed turned back…and he strengthened a lot of his brothers! Peter did not let his mistakes define him.
What makes the Lord most special to me is how He treats those who betray him. Every time we sin, we betray the Lord. How does the Lord treat those who betray Him? The Lord knew of Peter’s special need and Peter was one of the first people the Lord expressed concern for after His resurrection from the dead. Peter was personal for the Lord. It was personal for the Lord with Thomas as well. So it is with you…your redemption…your purchase from the slave market of sin is PERSONAL to the Lord.
This is what we celebrate today…the personal concern of a personal God…whose personal concern for us is expressed even after death on a Cross…a concern expressed from the grave. His concern was so personal that He stuck around Jerusalem in His resurrection body for forty days to make sure every one of His disciples was reassured of His resurrection. Acts, Chapter 1, Verse 3…
ACTS 1:3 To these apostles He had chosen, Jesus also presented Himself alive after His suffering…His death on the Cross…by many convincing proofs… appearing to the apostles over forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.
Peter made one of the biggest mistakes in human history. We make the same kind of mistakes every day as James points out in James, Chapter 3, Verse 2…
JAMES 3:2 For we all stumble in many ways.
Like Peter, we overestimate our human power…then betrayal…we find out human power is not good enough…and then we are broken…devastated by our mistakes. But a personal God welcomes us with open arms when we make mistakes…and He expects us to bounce back…to go to Him…to know we are forgiven…to take advantage of the forgiveness…so in our brokenness, we can strengthen others. The Lord uses broken people. He does amazing things with people who are broken.
What is Peter’s reaction to the grace of God? First Peter, Chapter 1, Verses 3 to 6…
FIRST PETER 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…
FIRST PETER 1:4 …to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you…
FIRST PETER 1:5 …you believers in Christ who are protected by the power of God the Father through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
FIRST PETER 1:6 In this, we greatly rejoice…
Peter was happy! First Peter, Chapter 1, Verses 8 and 9…
FIRST PETER 1:8 …and although you believers in Christ have not seen the Lord, you love Him unconditionally …and although you do not see Him now, you believe in Him…and you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory…
FIRST PETER 1:9 …obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.
First Peter, Chapter 4, Verse 11…
FIRST PETER 4:11 Whoever speaks, he is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God…whoever serves…he is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies…so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ…to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
The Word of our God…the personal nature of our God…causes a reaction in our soul…and that reaction is joy! “Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!”
Thank you, Lord, for loving us unconditionally, and for demonstrating Your love both at the Cross and through Your resurrection from the dead.
GOD WANTS YOU! Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life
Take a moment and make sure you know what it takes to get to heaven! 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 from God…that it was Jesus Christ who died for our sins according to the 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…
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.”
John, Chapter 3, Verse 36 warns…
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.”
Believe in Christ…do it now!
SONG INTRODUCTION
Let’s hear June Murphy put to music what we just heard in the lesson with her amazing song …HE CAME FROM CHRISTMAS TO THE CROSS.
CLOSING SONG HE CAME FROM CHRISTMAS TO THE CROSS June Murphy
CLOSING VERSES
A Doxology of Praise to Our God
We close each week with a doxology. What is a doxology?
DOXOLOGY A song or other words containing praise to our Almighty God.
Romans, Chapter 15, Verses 5 to 7…
ROMANS 15:5 Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you believers in Christ to be of the same mind with one another (to think the exact same way…operating in harmony) according to your union with Christ Jesus…
ROMANS 15:6 …so that with one accord you believers in Christ may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
ROMANS 15:7 Therefore, keep on accepting one another…and keep on receiving one another…just as Christ also keeps on accepting us all (in unconditional love)…to the glory of God the Father.
CLOSING PRAYER Let us pray...
Thanks for coming! Thanks for watching! Thanks for listening! www.barahministries.com Jesus rises everyday for everyone.
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