(#082) 1 Corinthians 16 - I’ll Send You All My Love Every Week in a Letter…Sealed with a Kiss

Only unconditional love would write the letter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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!  Who is Jesus Christ?  At Barah Ministries we know this truth…that JESUS CHRIST IS GOD.  Not only is He God, but according to the Bible, He is Sovereign…the Supreme Being of the universe.  Colossians, Chapter 2, Verses 9 and 10 affirm it…

 

COLOSSIANS 2:9

For in Jesus…the Christ…all the fullness of Deity lives in bodily form…

 

COLOSSIANS 2:10

…He is the head…over all rule…and over all authority…

 

The Lord Jesus Christ is 100% God (fully God)…the one and ONLY God…and He is 100% man (fully man)…the PERFECT man…in one Person forever.  He is the uniquely born One because there is no one else who is God and Man in one Person…and nothing happens in the universe without His permission.  There is no one like Him.  Not now.  Not ever.

 

Why does Barah Ministries exist?  At Barah Ministries, we introduce people to the Lord.  We make a difference by teaching the Word of God verse-by-verse from the Lord’s perspective and not from man’s perspective.  Barah Ministries is provided by God…for the benefit of unbelievers, to give them the gospel message…the good news concerning Jesus Christ’s salvation offer….and for the benefit of Christians as well, those of us who want a deep, intimate, and personal relationship with the Lord through the study of His Word.  

Why study the Word of God?  Because it is the truth, and it is something you can count on!  In Matthew, Chapter 24, Verse 35, Jesus Himself says…

 

MATTHEW 24:35

Heaven and earth will pass away…but My words will not pass away.

 

How comforting to know that we have a single truth that is a compass for our lives…and we have God the Holy Spirit…who is fully God…to guide us into the depth of meaning contained in this truth.  It is God the Holy Spirit who reveals the Lord and His thoughts to us.  Yet we have to beware of false teachers teaching false things.  So, we implore you to always compare what you learn, both at Barah Ministries and in the world, with what the Bible says.  Acts, Chapter 17, Verses 10 and 11…

 

ACTS 17:10

The brethren at Thessalonica immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea…and when Paul and Silas arrived in Berea they went into the synagogue of the Jews.

 

ACTS 17:11 

Now these Berean Jewish believers were more noble-minded than those believers in Thessalonica…for they received the Word of God with great eagerness…examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things Paul and Silas were saying were so.

 

God has an enemy…Satan…whom God made ‘the ruler of this world.’  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 Lord Jesus Christ defeated Satan at the Cross.  But God is fair.  He is allowing Satan and his fallen angels to keep appealing their case against God in heaven, even as we speak.  As believers in Christ, we look forward to the next major event in Satan’s journey to the Lake of Fire…the time when he and his demon angels are expelled from heaven once and for all during the Tribulation period of human history…Revelation, Chapter 12, Verse 9…

 

REVELATION 12:9

Then I (John) heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come…for the accuser of our brethren (you saints…you believers in Christ) has been thrown down (from heaven)…he who accuses the saints before our God…both day and night.

 

What a happy day that will be!

 

TODAY'S BIBLE LESSON

I’ll Send You All My Love Every Week in a Letter…Sealed with a Kiss

 

LESSON INTRODUCTION

 

Today is our last lesson in First Corinthians.  The end of this letter calls for us to look back at what we’ve learned in our study over the last two years, and to put our learning into perspective.  What did God really want Paul to do by having him write this letter to the Corinthians?  What did God want us to learn by studying it?  In today's, lesson we'll finish Chapter 16, and then we'll take a few moments to reflect on what God has poured into us.

 

SONG INTRODUCTION

 

Happy Father’s Day!  How does the world view Father’s Day?  Here’s an article title that says it all…“Father's Day weekend isn't automatically a time to celebrate….Dads must earn their holiday.”  I have never heard such a ridiculous thing said about mothers.

 

To be sure, a relationship with parents can be traumatic.  We don't necessarily have a relationship with someone simply because we have the same blood running through our veins.  Some parents violate the trust bestowed on them by God when He gave them children.  

 

Simultaneously, we know that a perfect God gave us the perfect parents for us, regardless of our opinions about the matter.  He gave us the parents that would teach us valuable lessons we needed to learn, regardless of how painful some of those lessons are.  In Exodus, Chapter 20, Verse 12 the Lord tells us…

 

EXODUS 20:12

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you.”

 

There are more good men who are fathers than we hear about.  We’ve got quite a gathering of them here in Barah Ministries…men I respect deeply… men I pray for daily.

 

God expects us to respect our parents… respect that includes unconditional love, and forgiveness, and grace.  If you hold a grudge against your father, maybe it’s time to take the biblical view and demonstrate honor.  Is it hard? Yes.  Probably as hard as it was for the Lord Jesus Christ to die for us on a Cross.  Can a slave do less than his master?

 

Here’s Luther Vandross with a song to honor fathers all over the world… it’s called DANCE WITH MY FATHER.  Enjoy the song, and enjoy the celebration of fathers that we engage in on this day.

 

MUSIC AND REFLECTION

Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ

Enjoy the Singing of His Praises

 

DANCE WITH MY FATHER

Luther Vandross

 

 

MUSIC AND REFLECTION

Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ

Enjoy the Singing of His Praises

 

DANCE WITH MY FATHER

Luther Vandross

 

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 that our status in Your eyes is not at all based on our sins, which Your Son, our Lord paid for at the Cross…instead, how You view us is based on Your own integrity…on Your graciousness in overlooking our mistakes, on Your forgiveness of our transgressions, and on Your unconditional love…thank you for always calling us do what seems impossible to us and for delivering the impossible things we ask in prayer…thank you for being the perfect Father…a father who is a planner… a provider…a protector…who is fully present in our lives…

 

Father, as much as it is up to us, let our lives be guided by the example of 

reconciliation that our Lord modeled at the Cross…help us to see others as You do…help us honor our fathers that it may go well with us…

 

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

name...Amen.

 

TODAY'S BIBLE LESSON

I’ll Send You All My Love Every Week in a Letter…Sealed with a Kiss

 

That’s what the apostle Paul has been doing for the last two years.  He’s been teaching us the same things he taught to the believers in first-century Corinth.  Under God’s direction, he has been filling us with truth that is to act as a guide for our thinking and our conduct.  It’s been an amazing journey.  Let’s take a look at the final passage of study…First COrtinahins, Chapter 16, Verses 13 to 24…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 16:13 

Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 16:14 

All that you do must be done in love.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 16:15 

Now I urge you, brothers and sisters: you know the household of Stephanas, that [e]they are the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to ministry to the saints…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 16:16 

I urge that you also be subject to such as these and to everyone who helps in

the work and labors.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 16:17 

I rejoice over the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, because they have supplied what was lacking on your part.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 16:18 

For they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore, acknowledge such men.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 16:19 

The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 16:20 

All the brothers and sisters greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 16:21 

The greeting is in my own hand—that of Paul.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 16:22 

If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed.  Maranatha!

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 16:23 

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 16:24 

My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

 

Let’s take a look at what Paul is saying as he finishes this amazing letter.

 

The end of this letter calls us to look back at what we’ve learned for two years in our study of First Corinthians.  It gives us a chance to put our learning into perspective.  What did God really want Paul to do by having him write this letter to the Corinthians?  He did what all great parents do…He trained us.

 

God wanted Paul to correct error in the Corinthian church…that’s what God

wants us to do in our lives as well.  Correct error.  That’s what God does for

Christians so that we stay on the path He has created for us.  Hebrews, Chapter 12, Verses 5 and 6…

 

HEBREWS 12:5

“My son…do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord…nor faint when you are reproved by Him…”

 

HEBREWS 12:6

“For those whom the Lord loves He also disciplines…and He scourges (with a whip) every child whom He receives (to Himself).”

 

The discipline of the Lord is evidence of sonship.  We should crave it!  Proverbs, Chapter 13, Verse 24 says…

 

PROVERBS 13:24

He who withholds his rod (through spankings) HATES his child…but he who loves his child disciplines his child diligently.

 

The parent who wants to be his child’s friend HATES his child.  You aren’t hearing that in the world, are you?  But go to any airport and you’ll see evidence of parents who let their kids talk back to them like the parents are dogs.  These same parents wonder why their children are the dredges of society….these same parents are wondering why their kids are staying home with them until they are thirty.

 

What is discipline?  

 

DISCIPLINE

Training in a character pattern.

 

Righteous parents lay down a character pattern for their children.  The children may not follow, but the righteous parent has a responsibility to train his offspring.  God says, through His Word, when I correct error in your life, it’s because I love you and it’s because I’m on your side.  Proverbs, Chapter 3, Verse 12…

 

PROVERBS 3:12

For whom the Lord loves He reproves…even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.

Every week as we study, the Lord provides training in a character pattern to demonstrate the continuous action of His love for us…the Lord keeps on loving us every minute of every day.  He never takes His eyes off of us.  We are never out of His focus.  He cannot be distracted from paying attention to us.  Every week, Paul’s letters speak to us to train us in a character pattern.  What a gift!  This letter to the Corinthians is no exception.

 

When we return from the break, we’ll take the offering, and then we’ll study the final passage of First Corinthians verse-by-verse.

 

FIVE MINUTE BREAK

NOBODY

Casting Crowns

 

TODAY'S BIBLE LESSON

I’ll Send You All My Love Every Week in a Letter…Sealed with a Kiss

 

If we’re being honest, giving makes us vulnerable, and being vulnerable often hurts.  Here in Satan’s kingdom, there is always someone to take advantage of our generosity and our vulnerability.  Yet in Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 18 Paul encourages us…

 

ROMANS 8:18 

For I (Paul) know for a fact that the sufferings of this present time (both right now and throughout the Church Age...which is described in the Bible as “this present evil age”) are not worthy to be compared with the (future) glory that is to be revealed in us believers in Christ.

 

Rest assured that your generosity is being used to tell people throughout the world, through the courtesy of the internet, that Jesus Christ is God…to teach the Word of God to believers in Christ verse-by-verse, sometimes face-to-face…and to spread the good news, the gospel message, concerning how to get to heaven when you close your eyes in this life.  Thank you for your giving which supports this distribution of truth.  

 

If you listen to Barah Ministries, please provide financial support to Barah Ministries.  You can give via the APP, through the website, through the internet, through the mail, through regular contributions automatically sent from your bank account, or when you're here face-to-face.  Giving has never been easier.  We certainly appreciate the way you support us.  Let’s welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall with one of his always inspiring offering messages.

 

THE OFFERING

Deacon Denny Goodall

 

OFFERING VERSE

 

SECOND CORINTHIANS 9:8

And God the Father is able to make ALL grace abound to you…so that at ALL times having ALL sufficiency in everything…you may keep on having an abundance for every good deed…

 

OFFERING SONG

HOW DEEP THE FATHER’S LOVE FOR US

Phillips, Craig and Dean

 

TODAY'S BIBLE LESSON

I’ll Send You All My Love Every Week in a Letter…Sealed with a Kiss

 

The thing that is missing in most Christian lives and in the lives of the believers at first-century Corinth is LOVE…love for God (do you really know who you are worshipping?)…love for each other (do you forgive?)… and love for self (do you see yourself as God sees you?)  First Corinthians, Chapter 16, Verse 13…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 16:13 

Keep on being on the alert (for the coming of the Lord) … keep on standing firm in the faith (in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called) … act like men (not children…be mature…grow up!) … be strong (using the Lord’s might to solve your problems).

 

Keep on being on the alert is a reminder that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. Therefore, we are to be watchful at all times.  Why?  Because God has an enemy, and the enemy's approach to us is to corrode the effectiveness of our spiritual lives.  God expects us to watch out for the corrosive effect of the enemy because he is insidious in his approach to our lives.  What does it mean to be corrosive?

CORROSIVE

To eat away at a foundation.

 

What does it mean to be insidious?

 

INSIDIOUS

Anything intended to deceive or to trap in stealth, seemingly harmless ways.

 

The Lord wants his believers to stand on the victorious ground He created for us at the Cross.  We don’t back down from the enemy.  We take a stand by not giving the enemy an opportunity…First Peter, Chapter 5, Verse 8…

 

FIRST PETER 5:8

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

 

Believers are to remember the Lord’s words in John, Chapter 16, Verse 33…

 

JOHN 16:33

“These things I (the Lord Jesus Christ) have spoken to you, so that in union with Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation (discipline), but take courage…I have overcome the world.”

         

Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 37…

 

ROMANS 8:37

But in every situation imaginable, we believers in Christ overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us unconditionally.

         

First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verse 58…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:58 

Therefore, my divinely loved ones…keep on being steadfast…keep on being immovable…and keep on abounding in the work of the Lord, always… knowing that your labor is not in vain when you are in union with the Lord.

 

Just as it is with believers, a church is ALWAYS under attack from the enemy and his corrosive influences.  What have we seen Satan encouraging in the church at Corinth?  Idolatry (anything other than God)…sexual immorality (anything but what God recommends)…divisiveness (every man for himself, not togetherness)…women out of their roles against men (“I’m a strong independent woman”)…elitism (“I feel so sorry for them”…“I feel so lucky to have what I have”)…lack of concern for others (mistreatment)… encouragement of unbelief (doubting God).

         

Instead, Paul is encouraging the first-century Corinthian believers to align with Christ…Romans, Chapter 13, Verse 12…

 

ROMANS 13:12 

The night is almost gone…and the day is near. Therefore, let us believers in Christ lay aside the deeds of darkness and let us put on the armor of light.

 

Amen?  First Corinthians, Chapter 16, Verse 14…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 16:14 

All that you do must be done in unconditional love.

 

The Beatles were right…all we need is love!  Love is the answer to the Corinthian believer’s rivalries…their lawsuits…their elitist mistreatment of the “have-nots” at the Lord’s Supper…the improper use of their spiritual gifts (tongues versus prophecy)…their selfish desires to eat idol food (since it could destroy fellow Christians and turn off unbelievers from a relationship with Christ).  First Corinthians, Chapter 16, Verse 15…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 16:15 

Now I (Paul) urge you, brothers and sisters…you know the household of Stephanas, that they are the first fruits of Achaia (the region near Corinth)…and that they have devoted themselves to ministry to the saints…

 

The Corinthian church was started in Stephanus’ house in Achaia, a province in Southern Greece, and it spread like wildfire.  Remember what Paul said in First Corinthians, Chapter 1, Verse 16?

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 1:16 

Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas…beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.

 

Stephanas was selfless…starting the church was voluntary duty (no one in his right mind would ever be a Deacon or a Pastor).  Pagan leaders are typically self-aggrandizing and self-serving.  Paul thinks selflessness deserves honor.  Remember in First Corinthians, Chapter 9, Verse 19 what Paul said of himself?

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 9:19 

For though I (Paul) am a free man…free from bondage to all men…I have made myself a slave to all men, so that I may WIN more men for Christ.

 

Religion is about power over others.  Back to First Corinthians, Chapter 16, Verse 15…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 16:15 

Now I (Paul) urge you, brothers and sisters…you know the household of Stephanas, that they are the first fruits of Achaia (the region near Corinth)… and that they have devoted themselves to ministry to the saints…

 

Paul is saying three things here…listen to some just as you would listen to me…don’t branch off with them…and be grateful for them and others like them.  It is God who picks those who serve.  Stephanas is described as “firstfruits (that which is best of the crop…with more to come).  First Corinthians, Chapter 16, Verse 16…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 16:16 

I urge that you also be subject to such men as these and to everyone who helps in the work and labors (of the Lord).

 

Selfless love…real love…is not selfish.  WE are to honor the selfless ones.  Remember First Corinthians, Chapter 13, Verse 5?   

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 13:5 

…love does not act unbecomingly…love does not seek its own…love is not provoked…love does not take into account a wrong suffered…

 

In First Corinthians, Chapter 16, Verse 17, Paul says…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 16:17 

I rejoice over the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, because

 they have supplied what was lacking (physical presence…face-to-face interactions).

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 16:18 

For they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore, acknowledge such men.

 

Those of us who participate in the non-resident congregation homecoming and the conferences can definitely relate to Paul’s sentiment.  There is something special about being together, experiencing unity face-to-face.

Paul closes with a greeting…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 16:19 

The churches of Asia (especially Ephesus where Paul is writing from) greet you! Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with (all the members of) the church that is in their house.

 

As a reminder, Aquila and Prisca were tentmakers, so they shared a profession as well as a spiritual life with Paul.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 16:20 

All the brothers and sisters greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss (a kiss of love among acquaintances).

 

Paul is reminding the Corinthians that as believers in Christ they are part of a family…the body…the Church.  

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 16:21 

The greeting is in my own hand—that of Paul.

 

This is Paul’s signature of personalization.  Then he concludes with an admonition, a benediction, and LOVE.

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 16:22 

If anyone does not love the Lord…(and clearly some don’t)…he is to be accursed.  Maranatha (God is present…and God is coming again)!

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 16:23 

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.

FIRST CORINTHIANS 16:24 

My unconditional love be with you…all you who are in union with Christ Jesus. Amen.

 

Our next journey in Scripture will take us to Colossae…Paul’s four-chapter letter to the Colossians.  Fasten your seatbelts and get ready for more of the Lord’s righteous direction through the apostle Paul.  Thanks for what we learned from the Corinthians.

 

GOD WANTS YOU!

Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life

 

When you hear the words GOD WANTS YOU, they should hit you like a ton of bricks.  You are special to God.  If you decide to become a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, you are even more special according to First John, Chapter 3, Verse 1…

 

FIRST JOHN 3:1a

See how great an unconditional love God the Father has given us believers in Christ…that we would be called children of God the Father…and in fact we are children of God the Father.

 

This message is your invitation to become a child of God as well!

 

There are people in the world, and you may be one of them, who describe themselves as atheists.  An atheist is a person who says there is no Supreme Being.  After hearing these opening comments, an atheist might say, “There is no god.  God doesn’t exist.”

 

Philosopher Blaise Pascal, in what is known as “Pascal’s Wager,” says that human beings bet with their lives that God either exists or He does not.  Pascal is right, so if you are an atheist, you would do well to at least consider what the Bible has to say about this issue.  Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 23 says…

 

ROMANS 3:23

…for all creatures have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…

 

Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 10…

 

ROMANS 3:10

…as it is written, "There is no creature who is righteous, not even one…" 

 

Even though people think the Bible is “just a bunch of stories,” the apostle John makes the function of the Bible crystal clear…John, Chapter 20, Verse 31…

 

JOHN 20:31 

…these things written here (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 is a guide designed to give you the truth.

Since atheists are created creatures…human beings…they would do well to be curious about exactly what the Bible is proposing.  In First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verse 22, the Bible says…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:22a

…all in union with Adam at physical birth (and that is every human who

comes to earth) are set to die the second death in the Lake of Fire…

 

That’s horrible news for an atheist!  The good news is that the Lord has an interesting attitude toward ALL of His creatures…even those who think there is no god.  Second Peter, Chapter 3, Verse 9…

 

SECOND PETER 3:9

The Lord is not slow about His promise of salvation, as some accuse Him of...instead, He is patient toward you unbelievers (including atheists)…not wishing for any of you to perish (in the Lake of Fire) but for all of you to come to repentance (a change of mind about having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ).

 

It is not God’s plan that any of His creatures would perish.  What IS God’s plan for the unbeliever, especially the atheist?  The Bible claims that God exists and that God lives in heaven.  How can you get to heaven?  If you’re an atheist, and you think Pascal was right, then there is no downside to believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.  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.  God’s plan for the unbeliever is outlined in 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.”

 

Believing in the Lord Jesus Christ is an atheist’s acknowledgment that if there is a God, it might be smart to have faith in Him.  John, Chapter 14, Verse 6…

 

JOHN 14:6

Jesus said to the doubting apostle, Thomas, “I am the way (to salvation),

and I am the truth (through the Word of God…the gospel message), and I am the resurrection life…and no one comes to God the Father (in heaven) but through believing in Me.”

 

No creature can do a thing to get to heaven on his own.   Romans, Chapter 11, Verse 6 says…

 

ROMANS 11:6

But if salvation is by grace, and of course it is, it is no longer based on

works…otherwise, grace is no longer grace.

 

God’s grace makes your salvation a free gift to you.  If you have to work for a gift then the work makes you deserve the gift.  In salvation, there is no way for you to impress God enough that He would allow you to save yourself.  It’s very wise to let God save you because once God does something, He never changes His mind.  So, heed the warning in John, Chapter 3, Verse 36…

 

JOHN 3:36

“He who believes in God 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.”

 

Who is this God who saves you?  He is the only Being ever resurrected from the dead.  The apostle Paul describes the Lord Jesus Christ in First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verses 3 and 4… 

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:3

For I (Paul) delivered to you as of primary importance the gospel message I also received…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…

 

The apostle Peter reminds us of the words of Old Testament prophet Joel in Acts, Chapter 2, Verse 21…

 

ACTS 2:21

‘And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved.’

 

If you’re an atheist, I encourage you to keep on investigating to see if you’re right about there being no god.  And if you’re not right, and you think there may be a God, there’s plenty of room for you in heaven!  

 

SONG INTRODUCTION

 

Let’s close with music…a tribute to all those fathers whose children know them as Daddy…here’s June Murphy to sing about the ultimate father…God the Father, in her song FATHER I’M YOURS.

 

MUSIC AND REFLECTION

Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ

Enjoy the Singing of His Praises

 

FATHER I’M YOURS

June Murphy

 

 

MUSIC AND REFLECTION

Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ

Enjoy the Singing of His Praises

 

FATHER I’M YOURS

June Murphy

 

CLOSING VERSES

 

         A Doxology of Praise to Our God

 

Let’s close with words of worship for our Almighty God. 

 

ROMANS 11:33 

Oh, the depth of His glorious riches…both of the wisdom of God the Father and of the knowledge of God the Father! How unsearchable are His judgments and how unfathomable are His ways!

 

SECOND CORINTHIANS 13:11

Rejoice, brothers and sisters…keep on being made complete by God…keep on being comforted by God…keep on being like-minded…keep on living in peace…and the God and Father of unconditional love and peace will be with you.

 

SECOND CORINTHIANS 13:15

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ…and the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.

 

CLOSING PRAYER

Let us pray...

 

Thanks for coming!

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