Living in Victory
Easter Sunday • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 54 viewsThe problem with the church today is we live as though Jesus were still in the tomb
Notes
Transcript
We have sought answers in why the American church is dwindling and why so many churches are closing their doors. I have heard it said that 10,000 churches are closing their doors each year. I have to be honest I am not concerned about that. Why? Because a far more dangerous condition exists. Churches that are dead but still bringing in members and systematically killing them along the way. Im concerned with the lack of authority and power that Christians live in. I’m concerned that we operate as churches in Revelation 3:11-22
I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.
“ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ”
Churches keeping the doors open on churches that should be boarded up and shut down. Christians are living life as Christians who are afraid to stand firm on the Word of God. Christians walk around like they really dont believe that Jesus was real and only say enough to ensure that they get to go to heaven. The only hope for the church is that Christians begin to live like Jesus was real and that you really believe it and walk in it. This timid walking around like you are unsure about your faith must stop. Today you will see in Luke 24:13-34
That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”
Three aspects that the church, you, and me must live to make a difference in our world. To truly see the church become effective in America you must first Believe Jesus Is the Son of God, Second you must Believe that Jesus Is Alive, Thirdly you must Believe the Power of Christ In You.
Believe Jesus Is the Son of God!
Believe Jesus Is the Son of God!
This seems like a Sunday School answer and something that all of us should have down. The question though is do you really believe it? Now dont go answering this quick. Do you really Believe that Jesus is the Son of God? It is easy to sit in your seat this morning and say Yes! However lets look at what happened to 2 people who were with Jesus constantly. Luke 24:13-21
That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.
Have you ever been told something that you wanted to believe but just were not sure if you could believe it?
In my kids defense they are often times messed with by me. I will often ask them things like do you want to go to the zoo, or to the park, or to get something really cool? To which they will answer most the time with a yes and will get my response of Its nice to want things but you need a job to get it. You know normal dad stuff that makes them mad at me. This however can back fire on me when I really do get them something nice or want to take them somewhere. You can tell they want to believe it is real and that I did it for them but they are not quite sure. We took the kids a few years ago to Fun Spot and spent the week in Orlando but on the way there you could tell that the kids still were not sure that I was not pulling a prank on them. They acted excited but were not really willing to get really excited. They were convinced that I spent money on a hotel and some new clothes for the heat and that we packed for a week just so I could play a prank on them.
This is exactly how the church is operating now. You dont really believe Jesus was that Son of God. Just like His disciples you believe He was a good teacher, a prophet even. The problem with this line of thinking is that it is false. Jeus was not just a good dude. Jesus was not just a prophet, Jesus was and Is and Always Will be the Son of God! The Scriptures were clear about this.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,
For to which of the angels did God ever say,
“You are my Son,
today I have begotten you”?
Or again,
“I will be to him a father,
and he shall be to me a son”?
I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.
The problem with thinking that Jesus was anyone but the Son of God is that you now are not living in the Power of Jesus Christ. You are not letting the fact that Jesus died for you drive your life. The fact of the matter is that God gave Jesus all power becasue He was His Son. God did not give just anyone the power in the same manner that He gave Jesus power and to think that Jesus was a good teacher or a prophet and Not the Son of God is a false doctrine, and is in all purposes blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Do you really Believe that Jesus was the Son of God? Do you live like it? I am convinced that if we lived like Jesus was the Son of God and that we had a personal interaction with Him like we claim to have done then we would never cease to praise Him. We would not need Easter service to remind us of what Jesus did on the Cross but every day we would need to have muzzle put on us to keep us from talking about Him. You can no longer walk around with your head down acting like Jesus was not who He said He was. It is time for the Church to take a stand of confidence in who Jesus Is! Who cares if people think you are crazy? Who cares if people think you have lost your mind? Who cares if the science world says it is not possible! My God works in the impossible! Jesus Is the Son of God. Not only must you decide if you truly beleive Jesus is the Son of God, you must also believe that Jesus is Alive!
Believe Jesus Is Alive!
Believe Jesus Is Alive!
Believing that Jesus is the Son of God is part of the problem with the church in America. Too many people do not believe that Jesus was the Son of God he was just a good guy. The second problem is that more and more people do not believe that Jesus is Alive. Now before you go to judging others, ask yourself. Do you really believe it? Do you believe it? Not just say it but in your heart with all confidence believe it. Look what happened with the disciples who Jesus told specifically that He would be raised from the dead. Luke 24:22-27
Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
These disciples were saddended because they believed Jesus was dead! After spenidng time with Jesus, after seeing the miracles, after being witness to His power they believed Jesus was dead. The church today, you, me, we walk around as though Jesus laid down in that tomb and died and stayed there! No I dont pastor! OK prove it! When is the last time you prayed with someone in confidence for their healing? When is the last time that you stood in confidence that following through with what God called you to do would not ensure you were broke, poor, or hungry but filled with the Holy Spirit? If the church in America believed that Jesus was Alive then why do you not live like it? Why do you hold on to things like they are yours? Why do you act like you must have money stored away, that you must have big fancy buildings with steeples on top? Why do you believe that Jesus cares anything about your religious habits that are not drawing the world to Him? If in fact you belive that Jesus is Alive, why do you allow death to cause you anxiety or fear? If you in fact believe Jesus is Alive do you not beleive that He will keep you until the day that you have completed all He has for you here? If you belive that Jeus is Alive then why do you continue to chain yourself to your sins? You walk right back into pornography, drugs, addictions, malice, hate, envy? Why do you live like Jesus is still in the tomb? You want to know why the church is dying in America? Becasue you worship a fake and weak Jesus! My Jesus is alive! My Jesus heals today, my Jesus causes young people to prophesy, My Jesus causes the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you power to break language barriers! The church isnt dying because the world does not need or want Jesus, the church is dying becasue you dont believe that your Jesus is alive! Wake up church! it is time to stand in confidence that Our Jesus is Alive! He is not like prophets or good teachers who are rotting in their caves and caskets! He is at the right hand of the Father seated on His throne and interceeding for us at this very moment. My Jesus is Alive. Yes He died but NO he did not stay there. Why are families walking away from churches? Not becuase they dont believe that they need Him or want Him but the Jesus of the American church is weak and a push over! He has begun to be ok with peoples sins and their desire to want what they want. The Jesus of America has become a watered down good teacher. It is time to turn that Jesus in and get the Jesus from the Bible!
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Little Philip, born with Down's syndrome, attended a third-grade Sunday School class with several eight-year-old boys and girls. Typical of that age, the children did not readily accept Philip with his differences, according to an article in leadership magazine. But because of a creative teacher, they began to care about Philip and accept him as part of the group, though not fully.
The Sunday after Easter the teacher brought L'eggs pantyhose containers, the kind that look like large eggs. Each receiving one, the children were told to go outside on that lovely spring day, find some symbol for new life, and put it in the egg-like container. Back in the classroom, they would share their new-life symbols, opening the containers one by one in surprise fashion. After running about the church property in wild confusion, the students returned to the classroom and placed the containers on the table. Surrounded by the children, the teacher began to open them one by one. After each one, whether a flower, butterfly, or leaf, the class would ooh and ahh.
Then one was opened, revealing nothing inside. The children exclaimed, That's stupid. That's not fair. Somebody didn't do their assignment."
Philip spoke up, "That's mine."
"Philip, you don't ever do things right!" the student retorted. "There's nothing there!"
"I did so do it," Philip insisted. "I did do it. It's empty. the tomb was empty!"
Silence followed. From then on Philip became a full member of the class. He died not long afterward from an infection most normal children would have shrugged off. At the funeral this class of eight-year-olds marched up to the altar not with flowers, but with their Sunday school teacher, each to lay on it an empty pantyhose egg.
Phillip knew his Jesus was alive! Do you belive that Jesus is Alive? You must first believe that Jesus is the Son of God, secondly you must Believe that Jesus is Alive, but lastly you must Believe in the Power of Christ in you!
Believe the Power of Christ in You!
Believe the Power of Christ in You!
Read with me what happened in Luke. Luke 24:30-35
When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.
Did you see it? Did you see the power that the two disciples went in when they Beileived that Jesus was who He said He was and that He was alive? 7 Miles is the distance from Emmaus to Jerusalem. It does not tell us how quickly they got there but I would imagine it would break some records. When the two disciples decided to truly believe the Word and the Son the passion burned in their Hearts! Do you Believe in the Power or Christ in You? Does the Power of Christ in you druve you? Are your decisions based on what God wants you to do or how you think you need to take care of yourself. If you believe in the Power of God in you then you know and believe that the world has been handed to you and that there is nothing you cannot have it you ask. Not for your own good but for the good of the Kingdom of God. You want to know why they say that miracles were only for an appointed time? Becasue we dont have the faith to believe that they still should be happening. The Bible never set a time frame on miracles and healing, and the Power of God! We did! Those are mens words. Those words are there to make you feel better about not being used by God for His work becuase you do not believe in His Power in You! Wake up church. It is time to wake up! This weak, cold christianity must die and we must trade in our comfort zones for Gods zone. We must turn in our fear for His power. Quit worrying about what people will think when they see you give up something important to you to help someone else. Who Cares? It is time that Christians only care what God thinks. Why was it that the early church could sell all they had and ensure that no one else had any need? Becuase they believed that God would supply all their needs and they did not need the world to provide a thing for them. Quit caring if doing what God wants you to do will cost you your job! Follow God! Believe in His power. Believe in His ability to deliver you.Shadrack, Meshak, and Abendnego they didnt care what anyone else thought and they certainly believed in the Power of Christ in them! The American church is going no where until we turn in our idols and fake Jesus’ to worship the one and only Jesus. If you became a Christian to avoid Hell you may want to consider your heart today. If you becuse a Christian for what you though God would give you then consider your heart today. If you joined this church becuase you wanted a nice comfortable seat to sit in and you like the buildings and the grounds, turn in your idols and repent today. We cant wait another day, we cant wait another minute, we certainly cannot wait until next Easter. The change must happen today. What does the Bible say that the Power of Christ in you looks like?
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Jesus us no topical ointment for you to use when you need him and when the church wants Him. Jesus either lives completely in you or not at all. It is time that the church believes that Jesus is the Son of God, That He is Alive and that He lives in You. If you will trade in your topical Jesus that only lives on you when you need him to make you feel better or need something and trade for the Jesus of the Bible who lives in you the church in America will not die. Highlands Baptist Church will not have enough room and we will need to get rid of our buildings. It is time to seek out and worship the Jesus of the bible. The world changing Jesus!