Praise and Worship: Today's praise and worship style was different from the usual Sundays. It was explosive accompanied with great videos during intervals. All the songs we sang were simply awesome.
1. Shout Unto God
2. Hallelujah, Jesus is Alive
3. Because He Lives
Topic: The Reason for the Resurrection of Jesus
Today is Resurrection Sunday, a day greater than Christmas. Today is the day Jesus has risen and today also marks the greatest victory of the Lord.
The bible tells us that because He has risen, He will come back one day to bring us back home. Our bodies will be transformed with a body so real and touchable. In this new body, you can travel in the speed of light and you will never feel tired. Feeling tired is a thing of the past.
Scientists today tell us that the universe is still expanding at the speed of light. God created an expensive universe for us as a playground. You will be more alive than you think you are in your new body.
God counts death as an enemy. When God made man, God never meant for man to suffer but because we are living in a fallen world, sin abounds. Earth is tilted because of His mercy. If it wasn't tilted, the waters of north and south poles will melt and cause another great flood.
God planted that tree in the Garden as a demonstration of free choice for man. God wanted man to exercise free choice. If God just puts before man all good and non bad, then where is the free choice. The choice of man is death. God never once meant for man to die. It's never God's will.
Why did God raise Jesus from the dead?
God raised Jesus for our justification.
Ephesians 2:4-7
Verse 4: The bibles says God is rich in mercy. One can never find that God is rich in anger in the bible. God is love. Years ago, God had Pastor to study the time God brought the children of Israel out from Israel to Sinai and see if there were any who died during that time. Pastor searched but could not find reference of any who died. However, it was not the case in post-Sinai times. During that time, man rejected God and boasted that they can keep the law. God had no chance but to assess man based on their own efforts. The moment man murmured during post-Sinai times, they died. The law was given by Moses but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Truth did not come with law, it came with grace. Man tried for 1,500 years of keeping the law in vain. After which then came Jesus sacrifice.
A recap of the sermon last week which is good repeating today:
There were 3 parables of Jesus raising the dead.
1. Jairus daughter
2. Widow's son
3. Lazarus who had been dead for 4 days.
To God, all are dead. There's no difference in who is more dead. Jesus came to make people alive. Let's not judge others when we were all once dead.
In Nehemiah 8:10, do you know what "the joy of the Lord" is referring to?
The joy of the Lord is you. You are His treasure. He gave up His son to buy you, in getting you.
Pastor shows a price of black paper representing us and the bible representing Christ. He slots the piece of black paper in the bible and tells us that this is how God sees us. God sees us righteous because seeing us is like seeing Christ. We are seated with Christ just like in verse 6 of Ephesians.
Verse 7: "that" is hina - in order that. You do something in order that in the ages to come, He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.
Our English is quite limited. In greek we have many definitions of love such as eros, agape (highest form of love), etc.
For instance, for the word "powerful", in greek we have dunamis, energeia, ischus (inherent power), kratos.
Ephesians 1:16-23
Verse 19:
19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power (dunamis) to us-ward who believe, according to the working (energeia) of his mighty (ischus) power (kratos).
The reason why we don't receive the resurrection power is because we do too much. Even for managers, there's something called over-managing. For parents, there's over-parenting. The law says "you must not you must not", it's all about you doing. God says "I will I will I will" in the new covenant.
The greatest power is released when you do nothing.
"But Pastor! When you do nothing, nothing will happen!!"
This is true if Jesus is not in the scene. If Jesus is in your life, when you do nothing, He does everything. He will turn bitter waters into sweet, bless you a pillar of cloud by day and night and part the Red Sea for you.
Pastor talks about the Mount of Beatitudes regarding the perfect acoustics "system". He shares that a person on the other side will be able to hear the person talking on the opposite side.
Matthew 6:
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
In verses 28 to 30, Jesus addresses the women telling them they are better clothe than the lilies. Jesus assures us that He will clothe us. In essence, Jesus is not just referring to physical clothes here. He's talking about health and wholeness.
In verses 31 to 33, Jesus addresses the men telling them not to worry about eating and drinking. Jesus points to the birds in the air telling us they neither sow not reap yet the Father feeds them. Therefore, Jesus tells us to seek first His kingdom and He shall provide for you even if you do nothing. All these things that the world desires will be added to you. Pastor likes this word "added".
The more we worry, the more our supply stops. Don't see that the lesser we pray, the more we lose out. Many Christians think that we need to "persuade" God through our numerous prayers.
In actual fact, His supply is always flowing. Whenever you pray, what you are really doing is just diving into that "river" which is God's abundance.
Romans 4:22-25
Verse 22: Abraham believed God.
Verse 25: Jesus was raised because of our justification. This word "because of" in greek usually is "hati". But for this case is "dia" which means, by means of, by reason of or on account of.
God can give you the best part in your marriage. Just like how He turned water into wine. When you feel that things are turning bland, trust that He will compress time and give you both the best wine.
God is outside time and when He says He forgives all your sins, every sin is forgiven. He took all your sins the moment you were born until the day you see Jesus again, and nailed it on the cross. Don't think for one moment that one sin has been left out. His death has conquered every sin of you and I.
The more you rest, the more God works. Don't have to feel stress about facing your boss tomorrow. It's God's stress, not yours. Just leave it to Him.
All of us are 100% sinners. "But Pastor, I was not that bad when I was saved". If you see yourself as 70% good and 30% bad, most likely you will love Jesus with that 30%.
Jesus took every beating on the cross for 3 hours until He declared, "It is finished" all for your sins.
1 Corinthians 15:17
Verse 17: Jesus has risen for us to be cleared of all our sins.
John 20:19-20
Verse 19: The first words to the disciples were "Peace be with you".
Verse 20: After that Jesus showed the receipts - nail pierce hands and side. The side of Jesus was pierced to redeem us from a broken heart. Medical doctors will tell you that when a patients suffers from a cardiac arrest (the heart ruptures), water and blood will be collected at the membrane, located just below the heart. So when the Roman soldiers pierced His side, water and blood flowed out which is an indication of Jesus suffering of a broken heart for us.
In closing,
Look at Romans 5:1-6, after Romans 4:25,
Verse 1: Therefore (it means referring to the previous verse), we now have peace with God.
Jesus resurrected and so your righteousness will never disappear. Your position before God will never change. He paid such a big price for you and I.
No comments:
Post a Comment