Jesus Gives Eternal Life

1.     1 Timothy 6:11-16

b.     “flee these things” vs 11

i.     “unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth…love of money.” 1 Timothy 6:4-5, 10

ii.     The follower of Jesus will flee these things.

c.      “Pursue” vs 11

i.     “Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.” vs 11

ii.     The follower of Jesus will pursue these things.

d.     “Fight the good fight of the faith.” vs 12

i.     The fight is good:

1.     Its an active effort against evil.

2.     It is for God, truth, and salvation!

3.     It is under the leadership of Jesus!

4.     Its culmination is Eternal Life!

e.     “Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called” verse 12

i.     “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” Titus 2:11-13

2.     New Heavens and New Earth

a.     Heaven is a real, tangible location.

i.    John 14:2-3

b.     Heaven now is not how it will always be

i.     Heaven now is the intermediate state. 

1.     “Absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:8

c.      There will be a New Heaven and New Earth

i.     “You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God. . . . In keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him” 2 Peter 3:11-14

ii.     What will the New Heavens and New Earth be like?

1.     A physical place 

2.     Free from decay, disease, and disability. Free from corruption.

a.     Romans 8:21, “that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.”

b.     “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more…He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:1,4

3.     We will have physical, glorified bodies.

a.     Jesus after the resurrection is the example.

b.     He was recognizable. 

i.     Appearance was different but familiar

ii.     Voice was familiar

c.      He was physical but with upgrades.

i.     He arrived and disappeared unlike us

ii.     He had “flesh and bones”

iii.     He ate with the disciples. 

4.     We will experience emotions.

5.     We won’t know it all!

6.     We won’t be bored!

a.     Psalm 16:11, “in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

7.     We will work.

a.     “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” Genesis 2:15

b.     Everything in the new earth will only maximize your joy and His glory!

8.     There will be animals.

a.     Isaiah 11:6, “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.”

b.     “Everything that has breath praise the Lord.” Psalm 150

9.     The Fullness of Glory will be the greatest!

a.     “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” John 17:24

Easter Sunday 2023

1.     Jesus was not “just” another resurrection

a.     Lazarus

                                               i.     John 11:1-3, “Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.”

                                              ii.     John 11:43, “Lazarus, come out.”

                                             iii.     John 11: 44, “And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.” 

b.     Jesus

                                               i.     “Truly this was the Son of God” Matthew 27:54 

                                              ii.     ““Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.” John 20:1

2.     His Resurrection Means…

a.     God Accepted the Sacrifice

                                               i.     “Was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 1:4

                                              ii.     "We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." 1 John 2:1

b.     God’s Justice Prevails

                                               i.     “He has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” Acts 17:31

                                              ii.     “So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.” Acts 14:12

c.     God’s Power is in us

                                               i.     Romans 8:11, “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. 

                                              ii.     His power gives Joy

1.     “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

2.     “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15:11

                                            iii.     His power gives life

1.     “I am the resurrection and the life!” John 11:25

                                            iv.     His power gives victory

1.     Romans 6:4, “Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in the newness of life.”

d.     We are Justified and Sanctified

                                               i.     “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” Hebrews 10:14

                                              ii.     “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:11

                                             iii.     “And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Hebrews 10:10

e.     We are Free

f.      We are not Alone

                                               i.     He is with us always

1.     “behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20

                                              ii.     He is at God’s right hand for us

1.     “Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” Romans 8:34

.

The Veil Was Torn

1.     Jesus’ Reign is Different

a.     Read Luke 19:35-36

b.     Read Luke 19:38

c.      Jesus is a King like no other.

2.     Jesus’ Reign is Perfect

a.     Read Luke 19:32

b.     Jesus is a King like no other.

3.     Jesus’ Reign Demands Worship

a.     Read Luke 19:37-38

b.     Jesus is a King like no other.

4.     Jesus’ Reign is Personal

a.     Read Luke 19:41

b.     Jesus is a King like no other.

5.     Jesus’ Reign is Transformational

a.     Read Luke 19:46

b.     Jesus is a King like no other.

Communion Slide

            Hebrews 10:19-20 ESV

Compelled to Truth

READ EPHESIANS 4:20-25 ESV

1)     Compelled to Learn the truth

a)     Pursue the Truth of God

i)      “Lead me in your truth and teach me” Psalm 25:5

ii)     “Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” Psalm 86:11

iii)   “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32

iv)    “I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts [truths].” Psalm 119:45

b)     Pursue the Truth in Life

i)      “Fools believe every word they hear, but wise people think carefully about everything.” Proverbs 14:15

ii)     “I will walk in your truth” Psalm 86:11

c)     We glorify Him by learning truth. 

d)     Write down 1 way that you can grow in Pursuing the Truth of God and 1 way you can grow in Pursuing the Truth in Life.

2)     Compelled to Live the truth 

a)     Walk in the Truth

i)      “Put off the old self…put on the new self” vs 22 and 24

ii)     “He who walks blamelessly” Psalm 15:2

iii)    “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8

b)     Speak Truth

i)      “Speak the truth with his neighbor” vs 25

ii)     “and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue” Psalm 15:2b-3a

iii)    “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.” Proverbs 12:22

iv)    “Speaking the truth in love” Ephesians 4:15

c)     We glorify Him by living truth.

d)     Write down 1 way that you can grow in Walking in the Truth and 1 way you can grow in Speaking the Truth.

3)     Compelled to Love the truth 

a)      “They perished because they refused to love the truth and be saved” 2 Thessalonians 2:10b

b)     “Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” John 18:37b

c)     We glorify Him by loving truth.

d)     Write down 1 way that you can grow in loving the truth.

COMPELLED TO BE GENEROUS

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

1)     The Motivation for Generosity

a)     Generosity is the expression of our gratitude.

i)      “Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!” vs 15

ii)     “Not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” vs 7

b)     Generosity is the outpouring of God’s grace

i)      “God is able to make all grace abound to you.” vs 8a

ii)     “So that having sufficiency in all things at all times you may abound in every good work.” vs 8b 

c)     Generosity is from the heart.

i)      Psalm 86:12, “I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart.”

d)     Generosity is NOT motivated by resources 

e)     Generosity is NOT a predetermined amount

f)      Generosity comes from Christ

i)      2 Corinthians 8:9, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, to that you by His poverty might become rich.” 

2)     The Example of Generosity

a)     Giving Joyfully

i)      verse 2, “for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.” 

ii)     verse 4, “begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints”

b)     Giving Sacrificially

i)      verse 2, “extreme poverty”

ii)     verse 4, “according to their means…beyond their means, of their own accord.”

c)     Giving Graciously

i)      verse 9, “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich…became poor, so that you…might become rich.”

ii)     “My grace is sufficient for you.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

iii)    “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.” 2 Corinthians 12:10

iv)    “But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.” 2 Corinthians 8:7

Compelled to be Thankful

Colossians 3:1-2, 12-17

READ SCRIPTURE

1) The Call to Thankfulness

a) Who is Called?

i) ALL who have received salvation through Jesus Christ. (Colossians 3:1)

b) What is the Call?

i) Be Thankful

(1) A contentment of the heart

(2) “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thess. 5:18

ii) Show Thankfulness

(1) An expression or act of the heart

(2) “One generation shall commend your works to another” Psalm 145:4

2) The Object of Thankfulness

a) Thanks is Owed to God

i) “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor. 15:57

ii) Psalm 105:1, 106:1, 107:1, “Give thanks to the Lord”

3) The Source of Thankfulness

*VIDEO*

a) Knowledge of God

i) His Goodness

(1) Psalm 106:1, 107:1, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good”

ii) His Faithfulness

(1) Lamentations 3:22-23, “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

(2) Psalm 106:1, “His steadfast love endures forever!”

b) Knowledge of Self

i) “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” Romans 12:3

4) The Product of Thankfulness

a) Humility

i) Psalm 86:5, “For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.”

b) Unity

i) Psalm 34:3, “Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together!”

c) Peace

i) Philippians 4:6-7, “In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

ii) Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.”

d) Worship

i) We have deliverance from sin!

(1)  “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 7:25

ii) We have God’s grace!

(1) “I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Corinthians 1:4

iii) God listens to our requests!

(1) “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6

iv) We share in Christ’s inheritance!

(1) “And giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.” Colossians 1:12

e) Evangelism

i) Psalm 71:15-16, “My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge. With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come; I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone.”

ii) Psalm 105:2, “Tell of all His wonderous works!”

.

.

FROM COMPELLED TO SACRIFICE (Romans 15)

1.  God is our source

a.  “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you” vs 5

2.  Harmony is our Individual Goal

a.  “you to live in harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus” vs 5

3.  His Glory is our Collective Purpose

a.  “together with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” vs 7

Romans 12:16-21

1.  The Heart is the Start

a.  “Devoted” vs 10 (NASB)

b.   “Commit your way to the LORD” Psalm 37:5

2.  The Heart Guides our Mind

a.  “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” Proverbs 4:23

b.  “Live in harmony with one another.”(ESV)  “Be of the same mind one toward another.” (KJV, NASB)

c.  Harmony means to “set one’s mind on”

d.  “be considerate of the feelings of others instead of waiting for them to be considerate of your feelings” -Guzik

3.  Our Mind Guides our Actions

a.  “carrying out the desires of the body and mind” Ephesians 2:3

b.  “Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly” (ESV) “mind not high things” (KJV)

c.  “Never be wise in your own sight, but associate with the lowly”

d.  "Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.” Proverbs 3:7

4.  Steps to Harmony

a.  Remember your salvation.

i.  Titus 3:1, “Remind them”

i.  “The continually present sense of your sins having been once for all forgiven, is the strongest stimulus to live for God “

b.  Remember God’s Love for You

i.  “Christ died for all” 2 Corinthians 5:15

ii.  “God so loved the world” John 3:16

c.  Love One Another with God’s Love

i.  “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8

i.  “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34

d.  It Begins with You

i.   “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Romans 12:18

ii.  “The Christian is a peacemaker by obligation and aim. Harmony is not always possible, since truth divides as well as unites. Paul’s double qualification (“If … so far as”) recognizes this, but the obligation to strive for peace in personal relations with others remains.” -R. C. Sproul

e.  You Must Begin with God

i.  “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7