The Basis of All Truth, by Pastor Ed Evans

Scripture:  Acts 4:5-12

4:5 The next day their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem,4:6 with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family.4:7 When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, "By what power or by what name did you do this?"4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders,4:9 if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed,4:10 let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead.4:11 This Jesus is 'the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.'4:12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved."
For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the message was lost.
For want of a message the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
Read: Psalm 80
Thursday              Jeremiah 31:10-14

          Sometimes it pays to be careful what you ask for.  While all the "rulers, elders and scribes" who were assembled in Jerusalem, along with the entire ruling priesthood, would not have allowed the gospel of Jesus Christ to be preached to them, our Biblical author Dr. Luke details that this is exactly the consequence of their demanding to know of Peter, "By what power or by what name did you do this?"  And Peter, bless his heart, loving his Lord so, was not going to pussyfoot around but preached to them boldly "by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead.  This Jesus is 'the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.'  There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved." 

          They asked for it, and Peter gave it to them, for Jesus was the cornerstone, and God built all that was to come upon Him.

          There is a very old nursery rhyme which speaks of consequences, and how seemingly small things are built up together.  While it's an old, old story, dating back to the year 1485 and the death of King Richard III of England at the Battle of Bosworth Field, old truths never die and this one speaks loudly to the people of our nation today.  

          The ancient rhyme, "For Want of a Nail," author unknown, goes like this .....

          America finds itself today in the midst of such consequences, apparently not having learned from history, we now find ourselves repeating it.

          A modern parallel might begin .....

For want of ethical behavior respect was lost. 

For want of respect spiritual commitment was lost.

For want of spiritual commitment the message was lost.

For want of the message the battle was lost.

For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.

All for the want of ethical behavior.

           Do the problems we in this nation face today really come down to ethics?

          The simplest definition of ethics, from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is, first, "Moral principles that govern a person's or group's behavior," and second, "The moral correctness of specified conduct."

          Some people will tell you that truth and morals are relative to your own language, culture and even biological makeup.  But making up your own rules for your behavior is a slippery slope that leads only downward.  It isn't that most people don't know what is right or wrong, every mature person, and even a child, has a sense of good and evil. 

          And yet we hear people say, "No one has a monopoly on the truth," or "One man's truth is another man's lie," or "You can be who you want and do what you want."

          The problem comes in when you must decide what you will do in the face of great desires and hungers for your own satisfaction.  It's at that point that the welfare of your neighbors, your friends and family can fall by the wayside, and your position as a follower of Jesus Christ comes into question.

          How many times have we heard that question, "What would Jesus do?"

          For starters, Jesus was guided by the Father.  There are 75 verses in the Old and New Testaments which say that He is the God of truth.  So Jesus was guided not by laws but by God's principles; principles from the God of truth.  The purpose of any law is to keep order and punish those who break the law, but as the writer of Hebrews tells us, the law of the Old Testament was merely a shadow of things to come.  And when Jesus who is the Christ came to live among us, in flesh, he fulfilled that law.  His life became the embodiment of God's principles to us.

          The fact is, God's principles by which we are to live are not difficult to discern.  They are logical and make sense.  It is normally easy to see the difference between what will serve me, alone, and yet will be detrimental to my neighbor, to those I love.  But what serves me may be of such momentary pleasure that I lose sight of the whole picture, convincing myself that what is good for me is good for everyone.  That's called rationalization, and we live in an age when rationalization can be seen in abundance.

          In many, many ways today we serve ourselves, titillate our own desires, pleasure ourselves physically, visually, and emotionally without regard to what it does to others, how it uses others, the state in which it leaves them.  We rationalize that since it makes us feel good, it's all good.

          But hear this.  God doesn't rationalize.  Nowhere in the Bible will you find God making excuses for His actions, flying in the face of logic and common sense so that it brings pleasure to Him and pain to others.  2nd Peter 3:9 tells us that God is not willing that anyone should perish.  They cross that threshold on their own merit.

          So if God is not willing, how do we find ourselves, as a nation built on the principles of God, especially we as followers of Jesus Christ, how do we find ourselves so deeply enmeshed in national agendas that pleasure some at the expense of others?

          Chuck Colson, author, Christian speaker, founder of the international ministry Prison Fellowship, and who only recently passed away, wrote several books that have shaped the way we see the world around us.  "How Now Shall We Live?" is an important look at the Christian worldview.  But a few years ago he wrote a book titled "Lies That Go Unchallenged."  When you read that book, it becomes clear how we became so removed from the presence and the principles of God; how this nation came to be in the situation it is in today.  It wasn't God who moved away from us.

          For example, here are some of the lies we, as a nation, have accepted as truth, which Chuck Colson's book addresses:

          1.  "We have the freedom of choice to be who we want and to do what we want."  Judging just by the actions we see in this world today by many who profess to belong to Jesus Christ, to say that is a lie is going to be a great shock to many people.  But if you know the Christ -- not know of Him, but know Him -- you already know that's a lie.  For if you have already turned your life over to Him, He is in charge of your life, and His decisions are your decisions.

          2.  "Marriage can be between any two people and it lasts only as long as both are happy."  Yes, that's a lie.

          3.  "We'll live in harmony if we tolerate the beliefs of others."  A lie that is engulfing we who live in this nation right now, as it always has down through the ages around the world.

          4.  "Art should break traditional norms and challenge outworn beliefs."  Yes, a lie the truth of which has to do with getting it right in terms of substance over image, with being persuaded by the myth rather than reality, with knowing whom the King of Glory really is and saving our worship for Him.

          5.  "Christian beliefs are a private matter."  The new counterculture, promoted and supported by the same old Father of Lies, would like Christian beliefs to be a private matter so they can be quietly smothered to death.  Early American patriot Patrick Henry had a handle on this when in 1799 he said, "United we stand, divided we fall." 

          6.  "Entertainment is a vehicle to help us fulfill personal desires."  First of all, it's all about profit, it's not about helping us do anything.  Secondly, you might be surprised to know that "desire" is mentioned 111 times in God's inspired word, and most of those mentions have to do with "don't do it."  The fact is there is a great deal of cruelty, evil and rudeness hidden in today's humor, in laughing at others.  The entertainment industry today has done this nation a disservice on a grand scale in terms of speaking to moral and ethical behavior.  Just as in politics, we have come to expect the worst, and are rarely disappointed.

          7.  "God accepts us as we are, and there are many ways to Him."  I was recently very disappointed to hear our own President of the United States voice this opinion.  It's a lie, but a lie many have accepted in order to exchange liberty and truth for a little peace.  Early statesman Benjamin Franklin wrote, "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."  History shows they neither deserve it nor will they have it long.  It's also a lie accepted by many who value the opportunity to make a profit rather than stand for what is true.  We make heroes out of people who are good at behaving falsely as actors and actresses, pretending to be what they are not, and we give them a public platform to expound on things they know nothing about, and proclaim it as truth.  Then so many of us eat it up with a spoon.  Superstition, buying happiness with the riches we have provided them, and exhibiting transformation without repentance are the hallmarks of their lives.  Why, through any stretch of the imagination, would we accept such falsehoods from those whose very lives are a lie?

          Why would we accept the lies they promote when in truth, they are no different from us?  No wiser, no smarter, no better informed.  Why?  Because we do not know what the very word of God says about such things.  They gain acceptance through our ignorance.

          The follower of Jesus Christ who is immune to these lies also knows the truth of Psalm 119:11, "Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee."

          2nd Timothy 3:16 wisely reminds us that "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,"  If you have THAT hid in your heart, all those lies we just went through are going to fall to the wayside like water off a duck's back.  If you are a son or a daughter of God those lies are not meant for you, mean nothing to you, have no place in the life God has planned for you.  The sooner we recognize such lies for what they are, leading us away from God, the sooner we can restore our own spiritual health, and that of our nation.

          If you do not belong to the family of God, if Jesus who is the Christ is not your Lord and Savior, if you have not turned your life over to Him who died to take away your sins and reunite you with Almighty God, then you need to take care of that, right away.

          Invite Jesus Christ into your life. 

          Why is this important?  First, so that you can be reunited with God, which is His desire for you.  Second, so you will have the tools you need to avoid the lies and death traps of this world.  This life is not all there is.  You were meant for so much more.  This world would entrap you in false religions, and in religion itself.  Jesus Christ is not about religion.  In fact, in Hebrews 4:12 it tells us that the word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, and in Matthew 11:18-19 we learn that we can wield the sword of truth to cut through the bonds of religion.

          Don't be caught up in that spider web of bondage.  Pray with me right now,  

“Father, I know that I have sinned against You, and my sins have separated me from You. I am truly sorry, and I want to turn away from my sinful past.  Please forgive me, and help me to avoid sinning again.  I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and my personal savior.  I believe Jesus died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive with You, and hears my prayer.  I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”

          Amen and amen.

Week of Worship

April 29, 2012

Invocation:  The shepherd of our souls, who calls His own by name, help us this hour to hear and to heed Your voice.  we know no other voice, and no other voice will we follow.  Amen.

Daily Scripture Readings

Monday                Jeremiah 23:1-8

Tuesday               Ezekiel 11:14-21

Wednesday          Romans 4:16-25

Friday                   John 10:1-18

Saturday              1st Peter 5:1-11

Sunday                 Acts 4:8-12; 1st John 3:18-24; Psalm 23; John 10:11-18

Reflection: (silent and written)

Prayers for the church, for others, for yourself.

Hymn: "Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us"

Benediction:  In this moment of quietness I have heard Your call, my Lord.  Now, lead on, and I will follow.  Amen.

The Tears That Touched Jesus' Heart, by Pastor Jeff Strite

Scripture: Luke 7:11-17

One of my favorite radio preachers is a man named Tony Evans. I remember listening to him use an illustration about standing in a cafeteria line – and he made it sound intriguing and almost exciting. What I want to share with you this morning (copying as best I can Evans’ distinctive way of delivering his illustration) an illustration on death that I once heard him deliver:

It used to be that funerals were solemn but crude affairs. The dead were placed in a wooden box and lowered by ropes into a 6-foot deep hole.
BUT nowadays, it is a far more elegant arrangement. When you die, they take you to a beautiful mansion that employs experts at creating a tasteful presentation of your body. They have makeup artists that can make you look better in death than you ever did in life. 
The casket is no longer a wooden box but a polished bronze bed with cushions. As you lay in that beautiful bed, people come for miles around… just to see you. And they say all kinds of nice things about you as they stand in line to honor you. At the ceremony, the preacher stands in front of you and speaks of what you’ve done in your life, and the lives that you’ve touched.
Then when the ceremony is over, you get to ride in a limousine down streets where police stop traffic for you and you run through red lights. Cars on the other side of the road pull over, just because you’re coming. 
Then they pull into the cemetery and instead of crude ropes, they lower your body into the grave using silver toned winches. It’s all elegant. It’s all beautiful. It’s all impressive.
But you know – when it’s all said and done - dead is still dead.

One of the harsh truths of life is this: dead is still dead.
One day, you will die.
YOU will die. I will die.
Your friends and your family, your neighbors - everybody you know.
They’re all going to die. Sooner or later.
Unless Jesus comes first… none of us is going to get out of this life alive.

Psalm 49:10-14 tells us: 
“… all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others. Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves. But man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is like the beasts that perish. This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. 
Like sheep they are destined for the grave, and death will feed on them. The upright will rule over them in the morning; their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions.” 

It doesn’t matter how clever you are
It doesn’t matter how wealthy you are
It doesn’t matter how many important people you know… everybody dies.

And so it would not seem unusual that, at least once in His ministry we find Jesus encountering a funeral procession like the one at the town of Nain.

Now there are those who believe that Jesus met this funeral on purpose. That Jesus had planned to be there for the specific purpose of raising this young man from the dead. In fact, they believe there is little in that Jesus did in the Gospels that was a coincidence.

And I can see that in many of the Bible stories:
* When Jesus met the woman at the well there’s every reason to believe that Jesus had stopped at that specific well and had waited, just for that woman.

* And when Jesus walks through the city of Jericho it’s obvious that He was looking for that tax collector Zacchaeus to be in the crowd. He even called him by name and told him to come down from the tree, because Jesus was going to his house that day. I believe Jesus was there just for that sinful man.

I believe there are many of the Bible stories where Jesus had planned to meet certain people for certain reasons. But this story about the widow of Nain doesn’t seem to be one of those kinds of stories. It just doesn’t feel like a deliberate encounter. The phrase Luke uses to describe Jesus’ reaction to this widow’s grief to be spontaneous and heart felt. Luke 7:13 says “When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her…”

The word used in the Greek here is one of the most intense that could be used for this emotion. The KJV says “He had compassion on her”. But even that phrase doesn’t quite capture the depth of Jesus’ feelings at this point. I believe the translation called “The Message” actually says it best when it says “When Jesus saw her, His heart broke.”
Jesus literally HURT for this woman.
He was touched in the very depths of His heart by her tears.

But what was it about this woman that would have moved Jesus in such a powerful way?
Well, she’d just lost her son.
Her ONLY son.

That would be tragedy enough for any woman, but Luke makes a point of telling us this wasn’t the only sadness she’d experienced. Verse 12 tells us “… a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow….” Luke 7:12

She’d lost her ONLY son… AND she was a widow… 
She’d had lost both her son AND her husband.
Emotionally that must have been devastating.
Her tears were the tears of woman who’d been beaten down by the specter of death.

And making matters even worse – in the culture of that day, this woman was destitute. She had no visible means of support. The breadwinners of her life (husband and son) were both gone, and she was going to be left to fend for herself.

And there’s one more clue to the kind of woman this mother was. Notice who is at the funeral with her.
“…a LARGE CROWD from the town was with her.” Luke 7:12

In that day, it was not uncommon for rich people to hire mourners for a funeral of a loved one. But this woman is not rich. She can’t afford to hire people to show up for her son’s burial.

But a LARGE crowd shows up anyway.
Why? 
What’s in it for them?

Nothing… except they appear to care for this woman.
She matters to them.
They don’t like seeing her suffer, and they want to be there for her.

In the book of Acts, we’re told of a Christian named Tabitha (also called Dorcas).
She got sick – and died. But she had ministered to so many others in that community that some of the disciples sent for Peter to come to her home, perhaps hoping against hope that Peter might be able to raise the dead as his master had.

Acts 9:39-40 tells us “Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.
Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, ‘Tabitha, get up.’ She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up.”

I’m thinking that this widow at Nain was like Tabitha.
I’m suspecting THIS widow gave of herself to others in such a powerful way that now, all the town wanted to be there for her. They wanted to share her grief with her.

That was all anyone could do.
That is… until Jesus showed up.

When Jesus showed up, all He had to do was speak the words – and the dead would rise.
You know I would love to be able to go to a funeral and be able to touch the person in the casket and say “Arise”. I think that would be one of the most gratifying experiences a person could have - to raise the dead.

Not because of the attention that would give, but because – inside of each one of us -- there is the deep seating feeling that death isn’t right. 
Death isn’t natural.
We weren’t made to die.
The Bible teaches us that we were not created to die.
We weren’t made to inhabit a grave. 
It’s not natural. 
It’s not the way things should have been.

And so because death is really unnatural it creates all kinds of negative emotions.
Sorrow, tears, anxiety, panic, fear, resentment, anger. 
Sometimes even hatred … a hatred toward God.

I would love to attend a funeral and touch the dearly departed and “ARISE” and watch them as they step out of the casket and walk among the living – one more time.

But I can’t do that!
So I do what I can.

Jesus did what He could.
He had the power to raise the dead.
But what power do we have?

A little girl came home from a neighbor’s house where her little friend had died.
"Why did you go?" questioned her father.
"To comfort her mother," said the child.
"What could you do to comfort her?"
"I climbed into her lap and cried with her."

When you and I attend a funeral those that grieve know we can’t raise the dead.
They know there are questions we can’t answer. 
But they want us there anyway.
Why? 

Because our presence comforts them
It gives them an opportunity to share their sorrow with someone who cares.

Paul writes in 2nd Corinthians: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, Who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” -- 2nd Corinthians 1:3-4

I can’t raise the dead… 
I don’t know all the answers about death.
But this much I do know: I know the One who gives me comfort.
And because I know Him, and He comforts me I can share His love and compassion and comfort with others.

Someone once observed that Jesus never conducted a funeral.
And that’s true. 
Every time Jesus came near someone who’d died… they refused to stay dead.
Jesus never gave a funeral sermon.

But now, Jesus didn’t visit every funeral.
And Jesus didn’t raise every dead person from the grave.

By my count, there were only 3 times Jesus raised the dead.
1. Here at the city of Nain, where He stopped the funeral profession, touched the coffin, and called the to this widow’s son “Arise” and the young man rose from the dead.
2. Later, Jesus encountered Jairus the ruler of the synagogue. This man’s 12-year-old daughter had just died. But Jesus went to their house, entered the room where her body was being prepared for burial. He took her by the hand, said “Little girl, arise” and she came back from the dead.
3. And, of course, the day Jesus stood before the tomb of Lazarus and called out
“Lazarus, come forth” and a man who’d been dead for four days, came out of the grave. 

Jesus NEVER performed a funeral.
But He didn’t visit every tomb.
He didn’t attend every funeral.
And Jesus did NOT raise EVERY dead person from the grave.

Why not? 
He could have -- you know.
He could have visited every cemetery in Israel and raised all that had died.
But… that wasn’t why Jesus came.

Why would Jesus want to raise people from the dead… only to have them die again?
When Jesus brought the widow’s son back to life He did so knowing this boy would eventually die all over again. Jesus was giving this widow a “TEMPORARY” fix to the problem of death.
In all likelihood – Jesus brought this man back to life… and he’d outlive his mom. 
But he was still going to die - all over again.

Death is a painful reality of life.
We’re all going to die someday
But why would I want to be brought back to life… only to die again?

I’ve read stories of people who’ve “died” on the operating table, or in their hospital bed, or at home. They stopped breathing. They were pronounced dead. But something called them back to this life. 
Many of them speak of seeing a great light, and feeling at peace and sensing the presence of God. And many of them share the same emotion: a deep sense of disappointment.
They didn’t WANT to come back!
Why would they? 
Why would they want to come back to this life and go through the experience of death all over again?

You see – Jesus didn’t come to give us a temporary reprieve from death.
He didn’t come so that we’d go through an earthly death over and over and over again.
Why would we want Him to do that, anyway?

Jesus didn’t come to give us a TEMPORARY reprieve.
In John 6, Jesus said “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal (not just a short lease on) life, and I will raise him up at the last day." -- John 6:40

You see – that’s the promise God gives every Christian, and God emphasized that promise in the very act we do to accept His gift.

Romans 6:3-5 tells us “don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
If we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with him in His resurrection.”

When we baptize someone, we put them under the water … into a watery grave. And in that action, God teaches us that all our sins and our past have died … and have been buried.
But we don’t leave that person in their watery grave.
We bring them back up again – to a new life in Christ.
And in THAT action, God teaches us that the earthly grave WILL NOT hold us.
He will raise up on that last day.

And when we rise from the dead on that last day… it won’t be to die all over again.
As Paul wrote in Ist Corinthians 15:51-57 ...

“Behold! I tell you a mystery. 
We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
For this perishable body (it’s going to die – it’s perishable) must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body (it’s going to die – it’s mortal) must put on immortality.
When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory. 
'O death, where is your victory? O grave, where is your sting?'
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

When Jesus raises us up from the dead, it will not be temporary. 
When He raises us from the grave – we’re not going back.
There will no longer be any death, for we’ve been granted the victory in our Lord Jesus Christ.

When professional golfer Paul Azinger was 33 years old he had just won a PGA championship and had ten tournament victories to his credit. But he was also diagnosed with cancer. 
He wrote, "A genuine feeling of fear came over me. I could die from cancer. Then another reality hit me even harder. I’m going to die eventually anyway whether from cancer or something else. It’s just a question of when. Everything I had accomplished in golf became meaningless to me. 
All I wanted to do was live." 

Then Larry Moody (who was teaching a Bible study on the tour and was aware of the anxiety Azinger was experiencing) said to him, "Zinger, we’re not in the land of the living going to the land of the dying.  We’re in the land of the dying trying to get to the land of the living." 

That one comment changed “Zinger’s” attitude toward his cancer.
He went through chemotherapy, recovered from his cancer and returned to the PGA tour.  He’s done pretty well. But that bout with cancer changed him. 

He wrote, "I’ve made a lot of money since I’ve been on the tour and I’ve won a lot of tournaments, but that happiness is always temporary. The only way you will ever have true contentment is in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I’m not saying that nothing ever bothers me and I don’t have problems but I feel like I’ve found the answer TO THE SIX-FOOT HOLE".

That is the answer that we offer to you this morning ... if you will believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and your personal Savior.  Amen.

Week of Worship

April 22, 2012

Invocation:  Merciful and loving God, I come seeking quiet communion with You.  In these few moments apart from confusion and stress, grant me stillness of heart and quietness in Thy presence.  Amen.

Read: Psalm 121

Daily Scripture Readings

Monday                Ezekiel 36:22-36

Tuesday               Genesis 17:1-8

Wednesday          Genesis 39:19-23
Thursday              Philippians 4:1-9

Friday                   Colossians 2:6-15

Saturday               Acts 4:23-37

Sunday                 Acts 3:12-19; 1st John 3:1-7; Psalm 4; Luke 24:35-48

Reflection: (silent and written)

Prayers for the church, for others, for yourself.

Hymn: "O Come and Dwell in Me"

Benediction:  O God, as I prepare to leave this quiet moment, give me a sense of Your power and Your glory, that I may take it everywhere You send me today.  Amen.

He's Done It Again! -- Living the Resurrected Life, by Pastor Ed Evans

He's Done It Again! -- Living the Resurrected Life

by Pastor Ed Evans

Scripture: 1st John 1:1-2:2
1:1  We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life --
1:2  this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us --
1:3  we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
1:4  We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
1:5  This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all.
1:6  If we say that we have fellowship with Him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true;
1:7  but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
1:8  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1:9  If we confess our sins, He who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1:10  If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
2:1  My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;
2:2  and He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

          The story is told of the Pastor preparing to take a flight out of the local airport.  He went through the security checks, and one of the Homeland Security people pulled him aside.  They said, "Pastor, there something in your briefcase we have to check."

          "What is it?" he asked.

          "Well, something set off the scanner, we have to check."

          They opened up the briefcase and found a small container of liquid, so they asked, "What is this?"

          The Pastor replied, "Oh, that's just holy water."

          The security man unscrewed the lid, sniffed it, said, "Oh no, this isn't water.  In fact, this smells like a very good wine."

          The Pastor spread his arms, looked toward heaven and replied, "He's done it again!"

          Whatever the Pastor's motivations, our Lord Jesus Christ has, indeed, done it again.  In churches and at sunrise services all around the world, the rising from the dead of Jesus Christ, Son of God, has been recently acknowledged and celebrated.  The stone to His grave has been figuratively rolled away.  As we have been told by the inspired word of God, just as the women who went to His grave heard from the angel there, He is not in the grave, but He has gone, resurrected by the Father.  Gone, but not gone, for those who call themselves by the name Christian.  He is more with us than it is possible, to our minds, to be with us.

          For those who have accepted the gift of life from the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, He who has given us life, again, He who has opened the door to the Father, He has been resurrected within us.  Jesus Christ lives within and through us.

          But, how is that done?  The Son of the Father, the God-Man Jesus Christ, He knows what He is doing, He is privy to the plans the Father has for us, and having lived here on earth in the flesh, He knows the problems, the ills, the temptations that wait lurking out there in our future.  But we don't.  How do we do this?

          Our Lord knew what was in that Pastor's vial of liquid before it was even opened.  He knew before it was filled what would be in there.  He knew how it was going to work out even before it entered the Pastor's mind to attempt that subterfuge.

          So, how do we go about short-circuiting such events before we do them?  How do we avoid what we don't know is about to trip us up, catch us, embarrass us, play to our weaknesses?  How do we do that?

          We could start with a little human wisdom that there is no good way to do a wrong thing.  Maybe that would keep us away from doing the wrong things.  But the playwright Oscar Wilde spoke for us all when he said, "I can resist anything except temptation."  And Mae West is on record saying, similarly, "I generally avoid temptation unless I can't resist it."

          Since temptation and evil are trains on the same track, maybe the best thing to do is avoid all appearances of evil.  And if Albert Einstein was correct that ”Evil manifests itself in people whose hearts are devoid of God’s love,” then we just have to ensure our hearts are filled with God's love and move ahead.  Until that jerk cuts us off in traffic, or takes that parking spot we were angling toward, or says something callous and rude that threatens our personal standing.  Then the temptation to manifest evil on them is going to jump up and call our name, grab us by the throat, big time.

          Okay, so maybe that's not the best answer.

          Maybe instead of looking for evil head-on, we surround ourselves with what is good and right and just, and allow Jesus Christ to work through us.  After all, the demons fled before His presence.  Let evil be more concerned about He who is in us, rather than being concerned about where we can find evil.  For 1st John 4:4 tells us that "the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world."  Christ in us is "the hope of glory," according to Colossians 1:27, and James 2:19 reminds us that the demons also believe in God, and tremble.  How better to avoid temptation, stand clear of evil so that the resurrected Christ can live His life through us, than to turn over that leadership of our lives to Him.

          The inspired word of God is full of helpful suggestions for leading the resurrected life.  For example, my own "life verse", Galatians 2:20 provides base plate information when it says, "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."  He lives in me, and through me, and I both know it and give myself over to Him.

          Perhaps more detailed is the Message version of Romans 3:27-28, which reads, "What we have learned is this: God does not respond to what we do; we respond to what God does.  We've finally figured it out.  Our lives get in step with God and all others by letting Him set the pace, not by proudly or anxiously trying to run the parade."

          So, by availing ourselves of scripture, God's own direction, we gain a hand hold on how to live the resurrected life, or more to the point, allowing Jesus Christ to live the resurrected life through us.

          With that level of direction then, how can we tell that ours is that resurrected life?  If we stare into the mirror, can we catch Christ looking back at us?  Do those about us note a glorified glow about our person?  What signs of the resurrected life might give us away?

          For the answer to that, we need only revisit Galatians 5:22-23, where we read, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law."

          If we seek God through scripture, and through prayer, allowing the Christ to work through us we will be so busy with the "do's" that we won't have time for the "don'ts."  It will happen, and we will find ourselves underestimating what the Lord is doing in our life.  We may not think that living His life through us involves anything important, but it does.  What we say to people, how we treat others, the way we handle adversity -- God will use all of these things to reveal Himself to those in the world around us. 

          Standing for righteousness, refusing to compromise, offering the hand of Christ to others, we will find ourselves bearing a witness for Him that cannot be touched by anything belonging to the god of this world.  Each day will be its own gift, and we will be able to say in truth, "He's done it again!"  Amen.

Week of Worship

April 8, 2012

Invocation:  O Jesus, who called Lazarus from his tomb and presented him alive to his friends, call me, I pray, from the tombs which seek to stifle the life I have.  Remove from me the grave clothes which yet hinder my free movement in Your spirit.  Through the power of your name.  Amen.

Read: Psalm 126

Daily Scripture Readings

Monday                Romans 6:1-11

Tuesday               Ephesians 2:1-10

Wednesday          Galatians 2:11-21
Thursday              John 17:1-5

Friday                   Romans 6:15-23

Saturday               Romans 8:18-30

Sunday                 Acts 4:32-35; 1st John 1:1-2:2; Psalm 133; John 2019-31

Reflection: (silent and written)

Prayers for the church, for others, for yourself.

Hymn: "Make Me A Captive, Lord"

Benediction:  In these moments with You, my Lord, I have heard Your call to life.  O glorious call that awakens me, I am Yours and Yours alone.  Amen.