SEEKING THE HEART OF JESUS: A Heart that Accepts - Sermon outline (a blog post for a sermon to be preached at Kenwood Church in Livonia, Mi, on June 30, 2019)

SEEKING THE HEART OF JESUS: A Heart That Accepts (Jesus and the Woman at the Well) - June 30, 2019

Video - 5 Mins. Church Countdown Timer

Prayers

INTRODUCTION

A leper
A Centurian

Our disposable world
2.6 trillion tons of garbage in a single year
7,000 Empire State Buildings
We are the "disposable generation"
Unfortunately, that includes people as well
Friendships, marriages, employees, children, parents

By contrast, Jesus never wasted anything- a word, a moment, an effort, an opportunity.  Or a person.

In John 4, we find Jesus stepping over cultural norms, social mores, rules for polite company, expectations of a rabbi, well established taboos.  She was too valuable to throw away.

Video - The Woman at the Well

1.  AN INTENTIONAL ENCOUNTER

“So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.”
‭‭John‬ ‭4:3-6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

"So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee"
Good Jews went around Samaria.
Ethnically impure.

After the death of Solomon the Kingdom was split into the North and South
North is eventually carried off to Assyria with some left behind.
These intermarried with outsiders.
They accepted other religions.
They worshipped on a different mountain, Mt. Gerazim.

"Now he had to go through Samaria."
He did not have to.  He chose to.

He goes to the well at noon, not in the morning or evening when many people would have been there, with no bucket, by himself, to meet a woman.
Why did she deserve an audience with the King?

2. AN OPEN DOOR

Faux pas "false steps"
Social miscues
"Stupido Americano"
Jesus traveled through Samaria
Jesus met a woman, a Samaritan, alone, without her husband, asked something of her

“Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. ) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.””
‭‭John‬ ‭4:4-10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

She wanted water; He offered life.

A.  Strategic Timing
He was where only an outcast would be

B.  Spiritual Springboard
"Give me a drink" leads to living water, what He can offer

3. A DEEP LONELINESS

Melancholy
Alfred Edward Housman "To an Athlete Dying Young"
Country music - Restless Heart

““Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.””
‭‭John‬ ‭4:11-18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

A.  Moral Confusion
Jesus' comment about her husband turns the conversation to a personal one

4. A WELCOME INTO RELATIONSHIP

She tries to dodge the issue by bringing up politics or religion.
A guarantee to start an argument that will sidetrack this discussion

““Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.””
‭‭John‬ ‭4:19-26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

She would need to come to understand that Jesus was sufficient.

A.  Sufficient for Clarity (v. 22)
"You Samaritans worship what you do not know"
Earlier generations that combined various religions with Judaism

B.  Sufficient for Relationship (vv. 23, 24)
"God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

“The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
‭‭John‬ ‭1:9-14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This is Jesus' mission statement
C.  Sufficient for Understanding  (vv. 25, 26)
“I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

She hoped to understand some day when the Messiah came.

5. LIVING WITH PURPOSE

What do you life for?

“Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?” Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” They came out of the town and made their way toward him. Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?” “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.”
‭‭John‬ ‭4:27-35‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This is what Jesus lived and died for.

CONCLUSION

* She leaves her Water pot behind and goes back to Sychar.  When she had come,the water pot was central to her mission and the reason she had come to the well.  Now it is incidental.  She is on a different mission

* She declares Christ to the men of the town (v. 29).  Some argue that her past may have gotten their attention.  IF Jesus had exposed "all things that she had some" what might that expose about them?  Bert whatever was in their hearts they not only listen to the woman's claims but they also respond to them and . . .

* Many come to Christ, longing for Him to stay among them (vv. 39-42).  Unlike many others in Israel who rejected Jesus, when He came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, they received Him, and upon hearing His words, they believe in Him.  The Samaritans gladly embraced want the Jews have failed to understand--the Savior had come.

CHALLENGE

Jesus says He has accomplished His purpose for coming into the world
1.  To do the Father's will (v. 34)
2.  To reap a harvest of men and women (v. 35)

Of which, this messed up Samaritan woman is part of the harvest.

* Think how easily He could have ignored her-her pain was her problem.
* Think how easily He could have ignored her-she was racially inferior.
* Think how easily He could have ignored her-she was not one of the beautiful people.  Her life was a spiritual and moral mess.
* Think how easily He could have ignored her-she responded to Him with bitterness and sarcasm, not faith and appreciation.

“On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭9:12-13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

To do the Father's will.
To reap a harvest of men and women.

Go find one soul sick person this week.  Go.  Find.  Leaving.  Looking.

Public and private decisions.

SEEKING THE HEART OF JESUS: A Heart that Accepts - John 4:1-42 (a blog post for a sermon to be preached at Kenwood Church in Livonia, Mi, on June 30, 2019)

John 4:1-42 New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman

4 Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John— 2 although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3 So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.

4 Now he had to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph.6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.

7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.[a])

10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”

13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”

16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”

17 “I have no husband,” she replied.

Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband.18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

The Disciples Rejoin Jesus

27 Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”

28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him.

31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”

32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”

33 Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”

34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”

Many Samaritans Believe

39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers.

42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”

SEEKING THE HEART OF JESUS: A Heart that Accepts (a blog post for a sermon to be preached at Kenwood Church in Livonia, Mi, on June 30, 2019)

The story of the woman at the well is full of social taboos.  Jesus encounters a woman without her partner, in the middle of town, a Samaritan no less.  He certainly knew the implications of his behavior; yet, he moved forward with the encounter anyway.  He was bold and brash.  He seemed more concerned about this half-breed woman than the acceptable norms of his day.  In the eyes of many, he had just gone too far.

This story has always intrigued me because I am supposed to be like Jesus.  The problem is that I don't know what that looks like in light of this story.  Am I supposed to break social mores?  Am I supposed to take a pragmatic approach to serving others (the end justifies the means)?  Do I act in a way that shows my disdain or indifference for acceptable behavior?  Should I ignore the guiding principles of polite social culture? 

WWJD, indeed.

SEEKING THE HEART OF JESUS: A Heart that Marvels -Jesus and a Centurion sermon outline (a blog post for a sermon preached at Kenwood Church in Livonia, Mi, on June 23, 2019)

SEEKING THE HEART OF JESUS: A Heart That Marvels (Jesus and a Centurion) - June 23, 2019

Video - 5 Mins. Church Countdown Timer

Prayers

INTRODUCTION

Jesus has a heart that touches the untouchable.

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) - "To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary.  To one without faith, no explanation is possible."

1. SETTING THE STAGE

Chronological order of Matthew puts our story for today right after the story of the leper.

“When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.”
‭‭ Luke‬ ‭7:1-7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

A.  Elders, friends felt the centurion deserved consideration by Jesus.
1.  The centurion built their synagogue.  Possibly the same synagogue the leper would have been connected to.
2.  The elders spoke on his behalf.
B.  The man approaches Jesus on behalf of his servant.
1.  The centurion had compassion for his "property."

2. A SOLDIER'S STORY

“When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?””
‭‭ Matthew‬ ‭8:5-7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

A.  Military information
1.  There was a garrison in Capernaum.
2.  He was in charge of a backwater post.
3.  He was an extraordinary occupier.
"This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.”
Luke 7:7 NIV
B.  Slaves in the time of Jesus

1.  Servant in Greek, pais, is "a tender, familial term for a boy"
2.  Gaius, a Roman legal expert: "It is universally accepted that the master possesses the power of life and death over the slave."
3.  Varro: "The only difference between cattle, wagons, and slaves is that slaves can speak."
4.  Aristotle: "There can be no friendship or justice toward inanimate things; indeed not even toward a horse or an is, nor yet towards a slave.  A slave is a living tool, just as a tool is an inanimate slave."
C.  The Centurion's concern
Abigain Van Buren (Dear Abby): "The best index to a person's character is how he treats people who can't do him any good, and how he treats people who can't fight back."

3. A STATEMENT OF FAITH

A.  Jesus response

“And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭8:7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

B.  The Centurion's faithful response

“The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.””
‭‭ Matthew‬ ‭8:8-9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

1.  Knew of Jesus' inability to enter the home of a Gentile
2.  Humility
3.  Recognition of Jesus' authority

4. AN AMAZED MESSIAH

“When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.”
‭‭ Matthew‬ ‭8:10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

A.  Marveled is a Greek term that means "to be in awe and wonder."

"Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel."
Matthew 8:10 NIV

CONCLUSION

Faith outside the camp
A.  The leper - our own
B.  A Gentile occupier - "them"

Jesus reached out to the untouchable and served the faithful outsider.

CHALLENGE

Reach out to an outsider this week.  Meet their need.  Serve them.

SEEKING THE HEART OF JESUS: A Heart that Marvels -Jesus and a Centurion (a blog post for a sermon to be preached at Kenwood Church in Livonia, Mi, on June 23, 2019)

This week's message is about a centurion, a Roman officer in charge of 100 men.  His story is found in Matthew and Luke.

When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”  Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”  The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”  When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.  I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.  But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.
     Matthew 8:5‭-‬13 NIV

When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”  When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.”  Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.
     Luke 7:1‭-‬10 NIV

SEEKING THE HEART OF JESUS: Touch a leper this week

Untouchables are all around us even though my Sunday morning "Sermon Reflections" group said that on average they encounter no untouchables during a normal week.   To be fair, a minority of about 25% said they might encounter 1 or 2 per week.

I used to think of the church as a hospital for the spirituality sick to visit when they recognize their illness.  I now prefer a lifesaving station with lifeguards watching for  those drowning in this world.  I like the analogy but not the fit.   I don't think we are as attentive as we would hope that lifeguards would be.   We would welcome them but probably never search for them.

What would a church that is searching for untouchables look like?   How would you live life differently?  How many untouchables would you notice then? What does a church of  untouchables look like?  Would you want to be a part of that church?

SEEKING THE HEART OF JESUS: A Heart That Touches (Jesus and a Leper) - Outline (a blog post for a sermon preached at Kenwood Church in Livonia, Mi, on June 16, 2019)June 16, 2019

SEEKING THE HEART OF JESUS: A Heart That Touches (Jesus and a Leper) - June 16, 2019

Video - 5 Mins. Church Countdown Timer

Prayers

INTRODUCTION

Video - Danny Gokey Haven't Seen It Yet

Untouchables

1.  AN ISOLATING CONDITION

A.  Leprosy

““When a man or woman has white spots on the skin, the priest is to examine them, and if the spots are dull white, it is a harmless rash that has broken out on the skin; they are clean. “A man who has lost his hair and is bald is clean. If he has lost his hair from the front of his scalp and has a bald forehead, he is clean. But if he has a reddish-white sore on his bald head or forehead, it is a defiling disease breaking out on his head or forehead. The priest is to examine him, and if the swollen sore on his head or forehead is reddish-white like a defiling skin disease, the man is diseased and is unclean. The priest shall pronounce him unclean because of the sore on his head. “Anyone with such a defiling disease must wear torn clothes, let their hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of their face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ As long as they have the disease they remain unclean. They must live alone; they must live outside the camp.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭13:38-46‬ ‭NIV‬‬

B.  The finger of God

Numbers 12 Miriam and Aaron's rebellion

Miriam leprosy 7 days- God healed

2.  A MOMENT OF DESPERATION

A.  The critical moment

“A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.””

‭‭Mark‬ ‭1:40‬ ‭NIV‬‬

B.  The critical truth

“While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭5:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

3.  A KINGDOM ETHIC

A.  Action as a Kingdom ethic

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

‭‭James‬ ‭1:22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

‭‭James‬ ‭1:22‬ ‭KJV‬‬

B.  Jesus, our perfect example

“A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭1:40-42‬ ‭NIV‬‬

4.  AN UNEXPECTED RESULT

A.  Testimonial value

“Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭1:43-45‬ ‭NIV‬‬

B.  Kingdom results

CONCLUSION

Seek out the untouchables

CHALLENGE

Touch a leper this week.

SEEKING THE HEART OF JESUS: How Jesus Cares for Hurting People (a blog post for a sermon to be preached at Kenwood Church in Livonia, MI, on June 16, 2019)

I am beginning a new series this Sunday.  "Seeking the Heart of Jesus" will look at how Jesus encounters hurting people.  The goal of this series will be accomplished if you and I can identify (1)  the priority Jesus placed upon hurting people, (2) the ways in which Jesus cared for hurting people, (3) the impact his approach made upon hurting people, and (4) the steps we can take to care for hurting people.

I believe that we struggle to impact our world because we are "sowing our seed" in the wrong soil.  How often do we tell people who "have no need for a Savior" about their need for a Savior?  Don't get me wrong.  We all need Jesus.  There are many people, however, that do not recognize that need.  I think that Jesus spent time with those who knew they needed help from God.  The fertile soil of the hurting heart becomes a beautiful garden when the seeds of faith are planted there.

Let us explore the Word and see how Jesus cared for hurting people.

(This series is built upon the framework of the book, "Seeing  the Heart of Christ," by Bill Crowder.)

SEVEN ASSURANCES THE RESURRECTION GIVES: Final Outline (a blog post for a sermon that was preached at Kenwood Church in Livonia, MI, on June 9, 2019)

SEVEN ASSURANCES THE RESURRECTION GIVES - The Resurrection Assures Us of a Returning Redeemer-King - June 9, 2019

Video - 5 Mins. Church Countdown Timer

Video - Hope Knows Your Name//

Prayer

INTRODUCTION

New life

1. The resurrection of Christ assures us that God has accepted Christ's sacrifice for our sins.
2. The resurrection of Christ assures us that there is life after death.
3. The resurrection of Christ assures us that Christ is with us in the present.
4. The resurrection of Christ assures us that we have an advocate in heaven.
5. The resurrection of Christ assures us that we have the necessary power to live as God requires.
6. The resurrection of Christ assures us of the new bodies we can have some day.

1.  FROM THE MOUTHS OF ANGELS

“They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.””

‭‭ Acts‬ ‭1:10-11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

2.  OUR RETURNING REDEEMER-KING AND JUDGE

“For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.””

‭‭ Acts‬ ‭17:31‬ ‭NIV‬‬

3.  THE REASON FOR OUR HOPE

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."

‭‭ 1 Peter‬ ‭3:15‬b NIV‬‬

“And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15:17-28‬ ‭NIV‬‬

CONCLUSION

Live as people of hope.

CHALLENGE

Give an answer for the hope you have to someone who is asking the question.

SEVEN ASSURANCES THE RESURRECTION GIVES: O Glorious Day (a blog post for a sermon to be preached at Kenwood Church in Livonia, MI, on June 9, 2019)

"What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see" are lyrics I have known for more years than I care to mention.  However, they are true,  honest, accurate words describing my thoughts about meeting my Savior.

Do you look toward that day with dread or wonder, hope or fear, indifference or longing? 

SEVEN ASSURANCES THE RESURRECTION GIVES: The Soon and Coming King (a blog post for a sermon to be preached at Kenwood Church on June 9, 2019)

The red sky on the horizon scared this young (less than 2 months old) Christian more than I could have imagined.  I was riding a school bus with my teammates to a varsity football game in Ashland, KY.  The sky seemed just like what the return of Christ was supposed to look like.  At that moment the reality of my sin coursed through my veins and burned like a poison.  

Fear was my response to the notion of the returning King.  I feared the return of the One who loved me most.  I cowered at the thought of my life being exposed.  I was a good kid, but I was far from perfect.  I had skeletons in my closet.  I had shame.  I had guilt.  I had hopeless hope.

Many decades later I have been through scarier events, and I have grown more comfortable in the grace of my Savior.  I have learned that the shame, guilt, self-deprecation, fear, self-loathing, and uncertainty are common but not faithful responses to personal failure.  I have come to understand the hope I have in Him and not me.  He is my returning Redeemer-King.

I now look forward to the day that the One who knows the reality of who I am will come to take me home.  I now live looking to the sky, awaiting the return of the One who knows me and loves me still.  I now proclaim with the early church, "Lord, come quickly!"  I now embrace that which once scared me.  I await the return of our Redeemer-King!  I am ready!  Come quickly, Lord!

SEVEN ASSURANCES THE RESURRECTION GIVES - The Resurrection Assures Us of a Returning Redeemer-King (a blog post for a sermon to be preached at Kenwood Church in Livonia, MI, on June 9, 2019)

As surely as Jesus came from the grave and ascended to His Father in heaven, He will return again someday.  This was the hope of the early church and is still the hope of the church today.  We long for the return of our king.

"They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:10, 11

"For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
Acts 17:31

SEVEN ASSURANCES THE RESURRECTION GIVES - Sermon Outline from June 2, 2019

SEVEN ASSURANCES THE RESURRECTION GIVES - We Have the Assurance of the New Body We Can Have Some Day - June 2, 2019

Video - 5 Mins. Church Countdown Timer

Video - 2019 Easter Intro Video- Final with song at ending

Prayer

INTRODUCTION

New life

1. The resurrection of Christ assures us that God has accepted Christ's sacrifice for our sins.
2. The resurrection of Christ assures us that there is life after death.
3. The resurrection of Christ assures us that Christ is with us in the present.
4. The resurrection of Christ assures us that we have an advocate in heaven.
5. The resurrection of Christ assures us that we have the necessary power to live as God requires.

New life of marriage - working like I was a bachelor.  I was different, but I didn't live differently.

Already/Not yet

The cross with our notes from last week- not yet.

New notes- already

1. A New Hope

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3:20-21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We are in our old bodies and yet . . . 

1. The Limitations of the Flesh

“Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.”

‭‭ Romans‬ ‭7:20-25‬ ‭NIV‬‬

1. We Must Please God Either Way

"Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.”

‭‭ 1 John‬ ‭3:2-3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

‭‭ 2 Corinthians‬ ‭5:1-10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Video - Ain"t No Grave (Official Lyric Video)

1. A New Hope Indeed

“But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. Not all flesh is the same: People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor. So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man. I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

‭‭ 1 Corinthians‬ ‭15:35-58‬ ‭NIV‬‬

CONCLUSION

"He had the vision to understand that crucifixion was a slow death and behavior was often a slow change."

Vic Cale's describing Louie Weber.

"Fake it till you make it."

Live like you are already there.

CHALLENGE

“Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3:19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3:1-17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

SET YOUR HEART ON THINGS ABOVE

SET YOUR MIND ON THINGS ABOVE

Get rid of one distraction this week.  Make a choice.  Make a difference.

SEVEN ASSURANCES OF THE RESURRECTION: Old Ways and New Bodies. (A blog post for a sermon to be preached at Kenwood Church in Livonia, MI, on June 2, 2019)

Last week I asked you to write on a piece of paper " . . . , deliver me from . . ."  This week we will talk about the reality of our deliverance from whatever we wrote down.