Awake Us Now

Jesus is the true "Light of the World" (John 8:12), but He also calls us to reflect His light in our lives so that others may see and come to Him. In that way, we also become "the light of the world."

"If someone dies, will they live again?"

Three Basic Views 1. Oblivion - there's nothing more after this life. But Near Death Experiences (NDE's) are challenging this view. 2. Reincarnation - a view held mainly in the eastern world. 3. Afterlife - there is something beyond the grave, that our lives do not end when our bodies die. This is also at the heart of the biblical message.

Will All People Die? The answer is "No!" The Bible teaches in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 that there will be one generation that does not, the one alive when Jesus returns. The Bible teaches a resurrection.

What happens when I die? A personal look using the Bible's Testimony: 1. Life - God is the author of life. Genesis 2:7, Ecclesiastes 3:11 2. Death - is a reality because of sin. Genesis 3:19, Romans 5:12 3. Paradise - with Christ when we die. Luke 23:43, Philippians 1:23. But this is not our destiny. 4. Raised - The dead will be raised. Our destiny and future is to be bodily raised with new bodies that are glorified. 1 Corinthians 15:22, 1 Thessalonians 4:16 5. Judgement - For unbelievers it is a time of judgement, for believers their sins were judged at the Christ so that we do not need to suffer the punishment for our sins. For believers the judgement is a time of reward. 2 Corinthians 5:10, Hebrew 9:27 A believer's life is to be lived as a thank you note to God. 6. Forever - believers will live forever in a new heaven and a new earth in new bodies with no pain, death or suffering. 2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:4. Our destiny is to live forever! That is why it is so important that we receive what God offers us: salvation, life, forgiveness, and assurance through faith in Jesus who died for us, rose from the grave and will return at the end of time.

For believers, death is not to be feared with dread, it is instead an assurance that there is more and that the best is yet to come. John 11:25 "Jesus said to her, 'I'm the resurrection and the life. The one who believe in me will live, even through they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?'"

Do you believe what Jesus said to Martha? Will you respond to the gift God desires to bring to everyone, life forever with Him? He desires all to be saved through knowledge in the Lord Jesus Christ.

1. Sin - all have sinned and need a Savior and need to repent 2. Sorrow - realize we have sinned against a holy God, our Creator, and desire to repent. God is good and gracious and desires all repent and admit we are sinners responding with sorrow and trusting our Savior 3. Savior - the only One who can deliver us from death and the grave and a horrible future. He is the only who can give meaning to life today and meaning forever. We have a future beyond the grave.

What happens when I die? Jesus' response to that question is, "I am the resurrection and the life, do you believe this?"

Follow up questions to consider: ⁃ How would you answer the question; "What happens when I die?" ⁃ Do you believe the Bible's testimony about life beyond the grave? Why or why not ⁃ Are you trusting the Lord Jesus for your eternal destiny?

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The Roman soldier's helmet protected his head in battle; God's helmet of salvation protects our minds from the vicious attacks of the devil!

When people are truly living for the Lord, others who are simply "religious" are often offended by it, embarrassed by it, and angered by it. Jesus warned His followers to expect opposition and persecution, yet promised them a greater reward in Heaven because of it!

Those who know the wisdom of God, who walk by faith, and who renounce what is evil and listen to the Holy Spirit, become peacemakers through the power and blood of Jesus, who is *The* Peacemaker!

You and I are to desire a pure heart, because that is what God desires of us! Through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, God effects a "heart cleansing" in believers, purifying and lifting us up.

In Acts 14:19- 22, Paul is stoned in the city of Lystra. Those stoning him thought he was dead; they dragged him outside the city, but the disciples gathered around Paul and he got up and he and Barnabas left for the town of Derbe.

It's easy to look at this story and in a human sense say, "Well, that didn't turn out well," when actually some amazing things went on there in Lystra.

In Galatians 6:17 we read Paul talking about this event saying, "from now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus." The leftover marks from the stoning. And 2 Corinthians 11:25 Paul tells us "…once I was pelted with stones."

Yet inspite of that horrible event - 3 lives were changed (2 Timothy 1:5) - 3 people were converted to faith in Christ in the city of Lystra:

• A grandmother - Lois
• A mother - Eunice
• A teenager - Timothy

After being stoned, believe it our not, Paul goes back to Lystra to see Timothy. Acts 16:1-2 tells us that Paul takes Timothy as his son in the faith and Timothy accompanies Paul in the following missionary journeys. Timothy becomes one of Paul's dearest friends and trusted co-workers. This all happened in a city where everything looked like it had gone wrong.

What we learn:

A profound lesson: often times in those places where we feel things have not worked out well, God is working behind the scenes to do things that are absolutely amazing. From these verses we get to see what happened in the spiritual realm at the stoning at Lystra that day. God was moving mightily, even though with human eyes it didn't look good. It was! God was working!

As we face challenges and difficulties today, we need to be strong and courageous and take heart, because just as the Hebrew Scriptures say: "The Lord our God is with us!"

Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE.

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For more check out our Sunday series, God ACTS! https://www.awakeusnow.com/god-acts-then-now

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Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.

Even when we are going through the most trying of days, God is merciful, and He frees and enables us to be merciful to others!

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." When we seek God, He fills our hunger for Him - not just once, but daily so that each of us becomes the person He desires us to be!

Acts 14 is a lesson in church planting. It is a lesson on how God's people are called to call others into a relationship with Jesus, and to build congregations in homes, in unusual places, underground in some parts of the world, wherever the Spirit of God is moving.

God gives to His people strength, guidance, direction and power to carry out the mission Jesus has given us in making disciples of the nations.

The story pics up in Acts 14:1 in Iconium and there Paul and Barnabas teach both Jews and Greeks the Good News of Jesus and many came to faith. But a group of Jews who refused to believe in Jesus stirred up opposition. Paul and Barnabas however, were not intimidated and continued to preach and perform signs and wonders. Then there began a plot to stone them, so they fled and head to Lystra where they see a man that was lame.

As Paul spoke the Good News of Christ, he saw the man had the faith to be healed and Paul tells the man to "stand up and walk." Following this miracle the crowds, in their own language, spoke of Paul and Barnabas being gods; Zeus and Hermes. As Paul and Barnabas figure out what is being said and see people wanting to offer sacrifices to them, they tear their clothes and tell them they are human just like them and refuse to receive anything from the crowd. They tell them they are bringing them the Good News of a Living God.

As the story continues Paul is being stoned, the angry leaders of the church and others, left him outside the town as dead, but the disciples gather around Paul and then he gets up and heads to Derbe where he and Barnabas again won a large number of disciples for Christ. (See 2 Timothy 3:10-11)

But then, Paul and Barnabas return to those cities where they had been persecuted and they encourage the disciples to remain true to the faith. They tell them that as believers we must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.

Salvation is free but living the christian life is hard.

THEN + NOW - Spreading the Kingdom - church planting

When we are around people who have a confused notion of what is real and what is true we are to do as Paul did:

• Bring them the Good News of Jesus - tell them Jesus' story.
• One God - tell them there is One god, not many like they had
• Creator - that the One God is Creator of all
• Good - That God is good
• Strengthen one another - We are to be grounded in the Word of God, the word of truth, and to take the narrow road. The word gives direction and understanding, and exposes what is false, evil and deadly.
• Encourage believers - we are to encourage believers going through tragedy and loss, reminding them of God's promises, building them up in confidence and hope in Christ.
• Commissioning - As believers we are commissioned. Our purpose is to reach the world for Christ. We are called to being committed to carrying out the commission of Jesus. We are not called to be comfortable, we are called to be comforters. We are not called to be contented with the status quo, we are called to be committed to carrying out the commission of Jesus. This is needed in every age, every generation and in every land.

Pastor shares a personal family story…

Pastor concludes with:

• How dangerous it is to embrace religion without embracing Christ.
• It's a danger to be comfortable with the status quo rather than to have hearts that grieve for those who don't yet know the Lord.
• How dangerous it is to simply want to maintain what we have rather than follow what Jesus has commanded us to do to winning the world to faith in Him.

We are to answer the Lord's call, "Send me! Send me!"

This week's READING ASSIGNMENT:

Acts chapter 14-15.

Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE.

Check out this video series from our website: https://www.awakeusnow.com/god-acts-then-now

Or watch from our Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@AwakeUsNow/videos

Join us Sundays live or on demand from our website

https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service