Easter 2021
Notes
Transcript
Something Good
Something Good
A woman climbed on the bathroom scale after two weeks of butterless toast and chilly jogs around the park. The needle was still stuck on the number where she'd started. This struck her as typical of how things had been going lately. She was destined never to be happy. As she dressed, scowling at her tight jeans, she found $20 in her pocket. Then her sister called with a funny story. When she hurried out to the car and angry that she had to get gas...she discovered her roommate had already filled the tank for her. And this was a woman who thought she'd never be happy.
The woman was robbed of happiness that morning because she believed she was destined to never be happy. If she had awakened with the opposite expectation that she was destined to be happy, she would have discovered at least an extra hour of happiness that morning, weight and all, as she looked forward to where such might come into her life!
We should walk around with joy in our heart, a smile on our face and great expectations in our mind. This should be the normal experience for those who know Christ. WHY??? We are destined to have joy now and have happiness (both now…and certain and eternal in the life to come) in Christ!
Something good is about to happen in your life — This phrase was the calling card of an evangelist some years ago. It is based upon very good theology. Jesus came to give us abundant life. The Father gives good gifts to His children when they ask of Him. All things work together for the good of those who love Jesus and are called according to His purpose (to be like Jesus).
On resurrection morning great expectations and happiness were far from the disciples of Jesus and the women going to the tomb that morning to prepare His body for proper burial.
Their eyes were wet with tears. They were worn out from their grief. They were disappointed, confused and broken. There was no hope…no expectation of anything good in their life.
It appears that such thinking surprised the angels who had rolled the stone away from the tomb entrance. They ask the women, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? Didn’t you listen when Jesus told you He would rise from the dead three days after His death?”
Herein lies the reason why so many live a life devoid of hope, joy and expectation of good. They haven’t listened to the words of Jesus.
If you choose to take lightly or ignore the words of Jesus you will live a life emptied of joy, hope and right expectations of what this life was meant to be.
What is it that you expect from the Cross and resurrection of Christ for yourself personally? How does it make a difference in your life?
God’s Workmanship
God’s Workmanship
In Christ Jesus — We have been born again, forgiven, cleansed and made new through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. The blood of Jesus was our propitiation.
Propitiation — The means by which we are forgiven. Christ’s sacrifice turns the wrath of God away from us and covers our sin.
Jesus is our expiation — atonement, purification, removal of sin and its guilt.
Expiation — Jesus is the solution for our sin. He purged it from us.
There is no more guilt for our sins. There is no more shame due us. There is no more condemnation due us. There is no more fear on account of our sins. There is no expectation that we will ever suffer any eternal consequences because of our sins against God. It was all taken care of at the Cross!
Because of the removal of our guilt we are now a new creation, born again and a work of art. We are God’s masterpiece in Christ Jesus.
No matter the mistakes I make in this life nothing changes to whom I belong and who I am. I belong to God and am His new creation through the blood of Christ.
This is my new, unchangeable, unalterable, undeniable identity.
Expectations
Expectations
So what should I expect for the future now that I am a new person in Jesus? John 10:27-28
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
I will never die. I may face a physical demise for a time as this body falls to the weight of the curse of sin. However, my soul goes immediately to the presence of my Lord.
Someday I am going to come back with Christ and see my body resurrected, recreated perfect apart from any curse of sin and my soul will rejoin it. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is our hope of eternal life. He was the firstborn from the dead…more will follow! Colossians 1:18
And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
So our expectation is now forgiveness and eternal life. What about the meantime???
What about this intervening period of time we call life on earth???
A Plan and Good Works
A Plan and Good Works
Our time here should be filled with great anticipation and expectation. Ephesians 2:10
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
God has saved us so we might be a part of what He is doing in the world. What is He doing? Glorifying Himself and leading others to salvation from sin and hope of eternal life!
We are ministers of reconciliation with Him. 2 Corinthians 5:18
Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,
We will have some hard times along the way but our life is filled with expectations of what God will do next…and what He might supply us along the way in the process. Matthew 7:11
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
Our life is filled with adventure and purpose. We can be a part of something that will have eternal impact.
Conclusion
Conclusion
So are you expecting something good to happen in your life today?
Do you see yourself as born again, redeemed, saved and free?
Do you see your life as one of eternal impact and purpose?
Or do you live in fear?
The women at the tomb and the disciples whom they went to tell of the resurrection of Christ were living in fear. Their life was paralyzed by it.
They feared the unknown, the Romans and death. All they had was paralyzing fear because they failed to understand and believe all that the Cross and empty tomb meant.
A person lives the whole of their life dominated by fear or faith and faith can only have its true work in those who have genuinely believed the words of Christ and given Him their life.
Three elements of personality are involved in making a decision to become a Christian, or in making any significant decision for that matter. They are the emotions, the intellect, and the will.
For example, a young man meets a young woman. They are immediately attracted to one another. They both say to themselves, "Now there is someone I'd like to marry." At that point, if the emotions had their way, there would be a wedding. But the intellect intervenes, questioning the impulsive emotional response. Would we be compatible? What is she really like? Can I afford to support her? Both conclude it would be better to take some more time and answer a few questions before they proceed. So the two begin spending more time with each other. He eventually concludes that she is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. Now his intellect has sided with the emotions on the idea of marriage.
But the final and heaviest vote remains to be cast&md;that of the will. It stops the march toward the altar with the questions, "Am I willing to give up this lifestyle for another? What about my freedom&md;is it worth the trade? Am I willing to assume the added responsibility?" The marriage will occur only when the will finally agrees with the emotions and the intellect. And so it is in coming to Christ.
So what of it? Have you, as a matter of your emotion, intellect and will truly believed God at His word and given your life to Christ?
Time will tell the truth of your answer. A life of fear or faith and an eternity in heaven or hell.
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