Resurrection Day: The Lord Jesus Christ Does Not Ask for Blind FaithBelieve for yourself and see the Lord.
Welcome To BARAH MINISTRIES
Rory Clark Pastor-Teacher
Good Morning!
Welcome to Barah Ministries…an intimate, local Christian Church with a worldwide impact. My name is Pastor Rory Clark. Thanks for listening to this Bible lesson!Welcome to our Resurrection Day Celebration!
Why did God create Barah Ministries? He created this ministry as a spiritual home for believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We worship the Person we celebrate today…The King of kings…the Lord of Lords…The Good Shepherd…the Great I AM…the Alpha and the Omega…the Word…the Light of the World…the Way…the Redeemer…the Truth…the Son of God…the Life…the Son of Man…the Shekinah Glory…the Living Bread…the Uniquely Born One…the Door…the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. There are MANY more titles for thisLord whom we worship.
At the foundation of the Christian faith are two things. First, Jesus Christ…Psalm 118, Verse 22…
PSALM 118:22 The stone the builders rejected (our Lord Jesus Christ) has become the chief cornerstone.
The cornerstone holds up the rest of the building. The weight of our lives rests on the Lord’s shoulders.
Second, at the foundation of Christianity are these amazing facts…First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verses 3 and 4…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:3 For I (the apostle Paul) delivered to you believers in Christ as of primary importance the gospel message I also received from God…that it was Jesus Christ who died for our sins according to the Old Testament Scriptures…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:4 …and that He was buried…and that He was resurrected from the dead on the third day…according to the Old Testament Scriptures…
Jesus diedand Jesus came back to life. He is resurrected from the dead. He is risen. IN Job, Chapter 19, Verse 25 HE SAYS…
JOB 19:25 "As for me, I (Job) KNOW that my Redeemer lives…and at the last, He will take His stand on the earth.”
God the Father is the planner of divine history. Sin ruined our relationship with Him. Adam’s first sin and our personal sins created a barrier between God and us and made it impossible for us to have a relationship with God the Father. Even though God the Father owed us nothing, He developed a plan to rescue us from our self-imposed fate…eternity in the Lake of Fire…Romans, Chapter 5, Verse 8 says…
ROMANS 5:8 God the Father demonstrates His unconditional love toward all mankind…in that while we were yet sinners (while we were unrighteous, ungodly, unbelievers), Christ died a sacrificial deathfor us.
The Lord…Jesus…the Christ (the Jewish Messiah) voluntarily took on the task initiated by God the Father…First Peter, Chapter 2, Verse 24…
FIRST PETER 2:24 …and Jesus Christ Himself bore our sins in His own body on the Cross (he endured the wrath of God the Father)…so that we might die to the sovereignty of sin and so that we might live to righteousness…for by His wounds you were healed.
If God the Father’s plan for His creatures could be named with one word, it would beLOVE. Unconditional love. In John, Chapter 15, Verse 13, even Jesus says…
JOHN 15:13 Greater LOVE has no one than this…that one lay down his life for his friends. That’s what Jesus did for each of you…whether you realize it or not. First Peter, Chapter 1, Verses 3 to 9…
FIRST PETER 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy (refusing to give you what you deserve because of sin) has caused us believers in Christ to be born again (the spiritual birth) to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…
FIRST PETER 1:4 …so that we might obtain an inheritance…which is imperishable…and undefiled…and will not fade away…on depositfor you in heaven…
FIRST PETER 1:5 …you believers in Christ…who keep on being protected by the divine power of God (omnipotence) through faith in Christ…for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
FIRST PETER 1:6 In this, you keep on greatly rejoicing…even though now…for a little while…if necessary…you have been distressed by various trials…
FIRST PETER 1:7 …so that the proof of your faith…being more precious than perishable gold…even though tested by fire…may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ…
FIRST PETER 1:8 …and though you have not seen Jesus Christ…you love Him unconditionally… because He is precious…and though you do not see Him now…but believe in Him without seeing Him…you keep on rejoicing with joy inexpressible and full of glory…
FIRST PETER 1:9 …obtaining as the outcome of your faith in Christ the salvation of your souls.
Unbelievers consider what Christians believe as ridiculous. We are betting our eternal lives on a Person who says He died and came back to life. That’s something so unbelievable, it seems ludicrous. Luckily, we learn in today’s lesson… TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON The Lord Jesus Christ Does Not Ask His Believers for Blind Faith
LESSON INTRODUCTION
Critics of Christianity accuse believers of trusting Jesus Christ on blind faith. We don’t. Why? There is no such thing as blind faith. Sensible human beings place their confidence in the object of their faith after a thorough examination. I would never let a doctor perform surgery without checking his track record. Would you?
The Lord does not expect blind faith from His followers. Acts, Chapter 1, Verse 3 says…
ACTS 1:3 To the first-century disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, He also presented Himself alive after His suffering on the Cross…BY MANY CONVINCING PROOFS…appearing to them over forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.
In today’s lesson, we’ll learn how the Lord inspired confidence in His believers after His death on a Cross.
OPENING SONG INTRODUCTION
Let’s hear some music. Christians celebrate today…we celebrate Christ…we celebrate His death…and we celebrate His resurrection. The day of the Lord’s death on a Cross was a day of great suffering for the Lord and His disciples. Imagine what they went through seeing Him die. Imagine the hopes, the dreams, and the relationship that seemed shattered by a great injustice. As Pontius Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds in Luke, Chapter 23, Verse 4…
LUKE 23:4 “I find no guilt in this man (Jesus…the Christ).”
We feel for their suffering. June Murphy encourages those of us faced with suffering in her song WHEN YOU SUFFER.
MUSIC OPENING SONG Let’s Sing the Lord’s Praises WHEN YOU SUFFER June Murphy
Jesus’ death was necessary…but it’s not the only thing we celebrate…let’s listen to what makes our joy full in the song CELEBRATE JESUS.
MUSIC OPENING SONG Let’s Sing the Lord’s Praises
CELEBRATE JESUS Don Moen
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 Your Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who voluntarily suffered to make a way for all creatures to have a relationship with You…thank you for sending Him to tear down the barrier of the dividing wall that separated us from You because of the enmity caused by our sins…thank you for giving God the Holy Spirit as a guide who leads us into all the truth…thank you for allowing God the Holy Spirit to make the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of the Lord as real to us as if we had experienced it ourselves…
…as we celebrate the resurrection today…make it a real experience for us…help us to experience the power of the Lord’s resurrection not only intellectually, but actually…make it as real to us as if we had witnessed it with our own eyes…
…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON The Lord Jesus Christ Does Not Ask His Believers for Blind Faith
LESSON PART ONE
As I look at the people in front of me on this Resurrection Sunday…and as I think about the people the Lord is bringing to this message who are not in front of me…I don't know your life…I don't know your struggles…I don't know your pain…I don't know your dreams…and I don't know your spiritual status.
You may be so deceived by the kingdom of death and darkness that you are blind to your spiritual status. What I do know is you are either a believer in Christ or you are not. Also, I know this…God cared enough about you to prepare this message for you today. I pray for you to concentrate on this life-giving message custom-made for you.
Furthermore, my prayer is that God gives you spiritual eyes to see, spiritual ears to hear, and a spiritual heart to feel this message. In nearly a quarter of a century of Biblical teaching, and over three and a half decades of Biblical study, I come to each bible study with a spirit of inquiry. “Lord, what do you want to teach me about Yourself today?” Naturally, I am reading the same words over and over, yet they are new to me every morning.
This is the Resurrection Day celebration, and most Christians experience this intellectually. They know the biblical account of the Lord’s death and resurrection from the dead. They have heard it many times. Many will say, “There was nothing in the lesson I didn’t know.” Perhaps they’d be right. But did theyEXPERIENCE the lesson?
Christians want to hear new things. Familiarity…rejection of repetition…and failure to experience the Word of God make knowing not enough. Don’t let that happen to you today.
You’re invited on a journey in time where you can choose to feel what first-century disciples of Jesus felt…to imagine what they went through so you experience it yourself…letting today’s lesson wash over you, touching every one of your senses, if only for a moment.
Here’s the challenge. Imagine someone you have loved deeply who has died. How was it when you heard the news? What did you feel? What did you think? What did you experience? Death, in the human realm, seems so final. Perhaps we will never see this person again. It’s so painful. As the days pass, the pain increases. Often, the grief is unbearable. There is a hole in our hearts, and often there is nothing to fill the hole. So it was with the Lord’s apostles and disciples. Most of them witnessed His death, and it was devastating for them. The rudder of their lives was ripped away. They saw Him breathe His last breath and they were so overcome with grief they couldn’t even think.
What might you be feeling? All the hopes…all the dreams…three years of seeing unbelievable miracles with your very own eyes…hopeful for a brilliant future…all gone in a single breath.
All four of the men who wrote accounts of Jesus’ life on earth, gospel writers Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, agree and confirm that Jesus died on the Cross. Matthew, Chapter 27, Verses 57 to 60…
MATTHEW 27:57 When it was evening, there came a rich Jewish man from Arimathea (a member of the council of the Sanhedrin)…a man named Joseph…who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.
MATTHEW 27:58 Joseph went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate ordered the body to be given to him.
MATTHEW 27:59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth…
MATTHEW 27:60 ….and Joseph laid the body of Jesus in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock…and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away.
How did that feel? Like your loved one, Jesus was dead. Mark, Chapter 15, Verse 37…
MARK 15:37 And (from the Cross) Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed His last breath.
Jesus was dead. Luke, Chapter 23, Verse 46…
LUKE 23:46 And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice (from the Cross) said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Having said this, He breathed His last.
Jesus was dead. John, Chapter 19, Verse 30…
JOHN 19:30 Therefore, when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished (tetelestai…sins are paid for in full)!” And Jesus bowed His head and gave up His spirit.
Jesus was dead.
Had you been alive at that time, as a lover and follower of Jesus, you likely would have been so sick you wanted to throw up. You would have wanted to lash out…to strike back…to do something…anything…to keep you from feeling the pain. One day passed. Two days passed. Three days passed. Then suddenly you hear something unbelievable. You hear followers of the Lord say, “I have seen the Lord!”John, Chapter 20, Verses 11 to 18…
JOHN 20:11 Mary of Magdalawas standing outside the tomb weeping…and as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb…
JOHN 20:12 …and she saw two angels in white sitting there…one at the head and one at the feetwhere the body of Jesus had been lying.
JOHN 20:13 And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”
JOHN 20:14 When she said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.
JOHN 20:15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Jesus away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
JOHN 20:16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means Master and Teacher). Can you feel that? She gave Him a big hug.
JOHN 20:17 Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me (she was hugging His feet)…for I have not yet ascended to God the Father (I’m going to be here for a while)…but go to My brethren (the apostles and the other disciples) and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and to your Father…to My God and to your God.’”
JOHN 20:18 Mary of Magdala came running, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and she told them the things He had said to her.
They were mourning and weeping and grieving, and they refused to believe her. Yeah, right Mary…stay off the wine. It’s what you would have said if someone told you the person you loved sat up in the coffin and asked, “Why are you crying?” How long would it take to for you to accept that someone you love had died and come back from the dead? It's something we’ve never seen.
An omniscient God, who knows all the knowable, knew what His followers needed. Mary was distraught…His followers were distraught…and He turned their sorrow into joy. In ten separate instances, Jesus appeared to His followers to restore their confidence and to keep His Word. Acts, Chapter 2, Verses 22 to 24, the apostle Peter proclaimed…
ACTS 2:22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words…Jesus…the Nazarene…a man attested to you by God the Father with miracles and wonders and signs which God the Father performed through Jesus in your midst…just as you yourselves know—”
ACTS 2:23 “…this Man was delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God the Father…and He was nailed to a Cross at the hands of godless men (unbelievers) and put to death.”
ACTS 2:24 “But God the Father raised Him up again (resurrecting Jesus from the dead)… putting an end to the agony of death…since it was impossible for Jesus to be held in death’s power.”
Jesus made His resurrection from the dead a reality in the lives of His believers. There are a lot of religions. There are a lot of people to believe in. The Popes of Roman Catholicism…Muhammad of Islam…Joseph Smith of the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-Day Saints…Charles Russell of the Jehovah’s Witnesses…John Knox of the Presbyterians…John Calvin of the Calvinists. All of these people are dead.All of these people are believed in. Most of these people are false teachers disseminating false teaching that leads people away from a relationship with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Christianity is not a religion…it’s a relationship with Christ. It’s not a set of meaningless rules, ritual and traditions manufactured by men to keep us in slavery.
If all Jesus did was die on a Cross, how is He different from these men? He wouldn’t be. Paul illustrates in First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verses 12 to 14…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:12 Now if Christ is preached, and of course He is, and it is preached that He has been raised (resurrected) from the dead…how do some among you (false teachers with false teaching) say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:13 Because if, for the sake of argument, there is no resurrection of the dead…not even Christ has been raised from the dead…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:14 …and if, for the sake of argument, Christ has not been raised from the dead…then our preaching is in vain… and your faith also is in vain.
As Christians, the whole foundation of our faith is that Christ lived, and then He died, and then He was buried, and then He was resurrected from the dead, and then He appeared to His followers. When we return from the break we’ll see a few of these appearances and hopefully, it will help you realize that the Lord Jesus Christ does not want you to worship Him without proof.
Take a five-minute break…and when we return we’ll take the offering, and then we’ll experience more of the Lord’s convincing proofs that He is alive.
FIVE-MINUTE BREAK NOBODY Casting Crowns
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON The Lord Jesus Christ Does Not Ask His Believers for Blind Faith
OFFERING INTRODUCTION
God the Father GAVE. Romans, Chapter 8, Verses 31 and 32…
ROMANS 8:31b If God the Father is for us believers in Christ, and He is, who is ever going to be successful in opposition against us?
ROMANS 8:32 God the Father…who (amid His feelings of WRATH) did not spare His own Son (the Lord Jesus Christ)…but delivered Him over for us all…how will God the Father, now that we are in union with Christ, not also freely give us all things?
Since God the Father is willing to give, let’s not be conflicted about giving. Be generous with the financial gifts the Lord has given you. You’ll be supporting God’s ministry so we can provide the Word of God and the gospel message free of charge to people all over the world who need to hear about the Lord.
Let’s welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall with one of his always inspiring offering messages.
THE OFFERING Deacon Denny Goodall
OFFERING VERSE
SECOND CORINTHIANS 1:20-21 For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes…therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God…
OFFERING SONG THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU Instrumental Version
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON The Lord Jesus Christ Does Not Ask His Believers for Blind Faith LESSON PART TWO
Sobering words for Christians in First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verse 14…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:14 …and if, for the sake of argument, Christ has not been raised (resurrected) from the dead…then our preaching is in vain…and your faith is in vain.
The Lord refused to leave His believers in the dark. The Lord showed Himself to His believers who were huddled in the Upper Room after His death…John, Chapter 20, Verses 19 and 20…
JOHN 20:19 So when it was evening on Resurrection Day…the first day of the week (Sunday)… and when the doors were shut in the Upper Roomwhere the disciples were for fear of the Jews…Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
Jesus walked right through the walls of the Upper Room.
JOHN 20:20 And when Jesussaid this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
John, Chapter 20, Verses 24 and 25…
JOHN 20:24 But Thomas…one of the twelve, called Didymus (also known as 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.”
Thomas has been “bagged on” throughout human history for reacting the same way we would…we would never believe that someone we love had come back from the dead. The Lord did not expect blind faith from Thomas. The Lord expressed His personal concern for Thomas by coming back to the Upper Room a few days later. John, Chapter 20, Verses 26 to 29…
JOHN 20:26 After eight days Jesus’ 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 with 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.”
Thomas is like us. Christians don’t believe it until we see it. Often, we don’t believe it AFTER we see it. The Pharisees didn’t believe Jesus was the Jewish Messiah when he was standing right in front of their faces. Old Testament Scripture told them what to look for, but they refused to believe the truth. The Lord didn’t expect His apostles and disciples to believe simply because they heard. He showed them He had successfully returned from death to life.
The Lord appeared to men who were emotionally spent on the road to Emmaus…Luke, Chapter 24, Verses 15 to 31…
LUKE 24:15 While the men on the road to Emmaus were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them.
LUKE 24:16 But their eyes were prevented by God from recognizing Him.
LUKE 24:17 And Jesus said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they stood still, looking sad.
LUKE 24:18 One of them, Cleopas, answered Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem who is unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?”
LUKE 24:19 And Jesus said, “What things?” And they said, “The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in word and deed and in the sight of God and in the eyes of all the people…”
LUKE 24:20 "…and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death and crucified Him.”
LUKE 24:21 “But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened.”
LUKE 24:22 “Some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning…”
LUKE 24:23 “…they did not find His body…and they came, saying they had seen angels who said that He was alive.”
LUKE 24:24 “Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it exactly as the women had said…but Jesus they did not see.”
LUKE 24:25 And Jesus said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!”
LUKE 24:26 “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?”
LUKE 24:27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.
LUKE 24:28 As they approached the village where they were going, Jesus acted as though He were going farther.
LUKE 24:29 They urged Him, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them.
LUKE 24:30 When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them.
LUKE 24:31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him…and He vanished from their sight.
Later Jesus met them in the Upper Room along with the other apostles, and Luke gives us a preview of our resurrection bodies…Luke, Chapter 24, Verses 36 to 43…
LUKE 24:36 While the men from the road to Emmaus were telling of the things they experienced, Jesus Himself stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
LUKE 24:37 But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit (a ghost).
LUKE 24:38 And Jesus said to them, “Why are you troubled…and why do doubts arise in your hearts?”
LUKE 24:39 “See My hands and My feet…see that it is I Myself…touch Me and see…for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”
LUKE 24:40 And when Jesus said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.
LUKE 24:41 While they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?”
LUKE 24:42 They gave Jesus a piece of a broiled fish…
LUKE 24:43 …and He took it and ate it before them.
In a resurrection body, we will be recognizable to family and friends, and we get to eat! Yummy!
The Lord was most concerned about Peter, so He got to Peter quickly. Peter’s betrayal of the Lord had him completely dejected and miserable in grief. First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verses 5 to 8…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:5 …and the Lord appeared to Cephas (Simon Peter)…then to the twelve.
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred believers in Christ at one time, most of whom remain alive until now…but some have fallen asleep (they are physically dead)…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:7 …then He appeared to His half-brother James…then to all the apostles…
James…the Lord’s half-brother…who grew up in the same household as the Lord didn't believe in Him until this appearance.
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:8 …and last of all…as if to one untimely born…He appeared to me (the apostle Paul) also.
The Lord appeared to His disciples as they busied themselves with work to take their minds off the grief. John, Chapter 21, Verses 1 to 12… JOHN 21:1 After these things, Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way.
JOHN 21:2 Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together.
JOHN 21:3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will also come with you.” They went out and got into the boat…and that night they caught nothing.
JOHN 21:4 But when the day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach…yet the disciples did not know it was Jesus.
JOHN 21:5 So Jesus said to them, “Children, you do not have any fish, do you?” They answered Him, “No.”
JOHN 21:6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch.” So they cast, and they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish.
JOHN 21:7 Therefore the disciple whom Jesus loved (John) said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” So when Simon Peter heard it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea.
JOHN 21:8 The other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish.
JOHN 21:9 So when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread.
JOHN 21:10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have caught.”
JOHN 21:11 Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three…and although there were so many fish, the net was not torn.
JOHN 21:12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples ventured to question Him, “Who are You?” knowing that it was the Lord.
It would be easy to go on and on. There were more convincing proofs Jesus offered in the forty days after His crucifixion. And when the Good Shepherd had settled His flock, He went to take His place at the right hand of God the Father…Acts, Chapter 1, Verses 9 to 11…
ACTS 1:9 And after Jesus said these things, He was lifted up while the disciples were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
ACTS 1:10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing (angels) stood beside them.
ACTS 1:11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
He’s coming back for us!
The LOVE that Jesus has for His followers is mind-boggling. The things the Lord has done for us go way beyond belief. It’s the truth. The whole basis of our eternal future rests on Christ and on believing as true that Jesus Christ is different from all the pretenders because He was resurrected from the dead, affirming that He is God.
This is my sixtieth year as a Christian. I have traveled through the hell of religion, both sin and legalism, to discover the God of grace. It warms my heart and it never gets old to immerse myself in Scripture, and to hear the same things over and over again. I wish for you the same experience.
THE GOSPEL MESSAGE The Good News of Jesus Christ’s Salvation Offer to the Human Race
The closing moments of today’s lesson are dedicated to anyone, anywhere, who is either undecided or confused about having a relationship with the Sovereign God of the Universe, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We want you to know that…
GOD WANTS YOU! He Wants You Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life
This gospel message…the good news concerning the Lord Jesus Christ’s salvation offer is for the benefit of believers in Christ. The Lord wants you to feel secure in your position in union with Christ. First Peter, Chapter 3, Verse 15 says…
FIRST PETER 3:15 …believers…sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts…always be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope (the absolute confidence of your faith in Christ) that is in you…yet give the account with gentleness and respect…
This message especially is for unbelievers, so you can be saved.
Whether you know it or not, you were born a sinner. That’s bad news for you. The Bible says that being saved…salvation…is exactly what ALL humans need from the moment of physical birth. Ephesians, Chapter 2, Verse 1…
EPHESIANS 2:1 At physical birth, all mankind were born spiritually dead in your trespasses and sins…
First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verse 22 says…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:22a For 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…
What does God want for unbelievers? Two things. First and foremost, GOD WANTS YOU TO BE SAVED…First Timothy, Chapter 2, Verses 3 and 4…
FIRST TIMOTHY 2:3 This is what is good and acceptable in the sight of the God who is our Savior…the Lord Jesus Christ…
FIRST TIMOTHY 2:4 …who desires all men to be saved and for all men to come to the knowledge of the truth.
What the Lord DOES NOT WANT FOR UNBELIEVERS is highlighted in 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…NOT WISHING FOR ANY OF YOU TO PERISH IN THE LAKE OF FIRE…but for all of you to come to repentance (achange of mind about having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ).
This immutable and irrevocable fact may contradict the thoughts placed in your head by God’s enemy through false teachers with the false teaching of religions that contend that God is always disappointed in you because you sin, and that you have to work to please Him.
The Bible provides a different perspective. The Lord gives you a written account of the absolute truth…His exact thinking. John, Chapter 20, Verses 30 and 31…
JOHN 20:30 Therefore, many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book (the Bible)…
JOHN 20:31 …but 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 Godin human form…and that by believing in Him you may have the resurrection life in Hisname.
Do you know the truth, especially the truth about who God is as a Person, and the truth about what He has done to save you? Maybe you don’t believe in the Lord Jesus Christ! Maybe you don’t think He is God! Maybe you don’t think the Bible is His exact thinking. Maybe you don’t even think you need to be saved.
The Bible says all who are spiritually dead need to be saved…they need spiritual life. The Lord Jesus Christ volunteered for the task of saving you. Ephesians, Chapter 2, Verses 4 and 5 say…
EPHESIANS 2:4 But God the Father…being rich in mercy…because of His great unconditional love with which He loved all of us…
EPHESIANS 2:5 …even when we were spiritually dead in our transgressions…made us believers in Christ spiritually alive in union with Christ…by His grace you have been saved…
Who is this God who saves you? The apostle Paul describes the Lord Jesus Christin First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verses 3 and 4…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:3 For I (the apostle Paul) delivered to you believers in Christ as of primary importance the gospel message I also received from God…that it was Jesus Christ who died for our sins according to the Old Testament Scriptures…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:4 …and that He was buried…and that He was resurrected from the dead on the third day…according to the Old Testament Scriptures…
Because of the Lord Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, RIGHT WHERE YOU SIT RIGHT NOW, you can have eternallife…the resurrection life…by taking the suggestion 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.”
Heed the warning and accept the invitation of 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.”
The Lake of Fire is a literal place, and it will be your eternal home if you reject a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Acts, Chapter 4, Verse 12…
ACTS 4:12 “…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).”
You don’t have to work to be saved…it’s a free gift from a gracious God…Titus, Chapter 3, Verse 5…
TITUS 3:5 The Lord Jesus Christ saved us…not on the basis of deeds which we have done in self-righteousness…but according to His mercy…by the washing of regeneration and through the renewing by God the Holy Spirit…
There is no excuse for not knowing how to be saved. It’s SO simple. Why? It’s simple because God does the saving for you. All you have to do is invest your gift of faith…a gift you received from a loving God…and place that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation. Do it now! There is no time to waste.
CLOSING SONG INTRODUCTION
King David knew what to say about our amazing God. It’s one of the only things we can say face-to-face with His love. HALLELUJAH. Let’s listen to Lucy Thomas sing about it.
MUSIC CLOSING SONG Let’s Sing the Lord’s Praises
HALLELUJAH Lucy Thomas
DOXOLOGY Words of Praise to Our Lord
Let us offer words of praise to our Lord…words of encouragement for us…
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...
Father thank you for comforting us with experiences of You…thank you for answering our prayers so that we can see You at work in our lives…thank you for the enabling power of God the Holy Spirit who makes clear in our souls the things we can’t see that You would have us believe…thank you for forgiving us in ways that we don’t forgive others…thank you for sending Your Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to take on your wrath toward sin on our behalf…
…as we go back into the world for another week, protect us from our enemies…remind us to pray for them…let Your light shine in us for all to see so they will wonder about the hope in us…help us to share Your good news with everyone we meet one Person at a time…
We ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.
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Thanks for coming! Thanks for watching! Thanks for listening!
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