Easter Message - Jesus Came to Save the World

A few weeks ago i made the statement from

Hero to Zero

A Short phrase to describe most of Holy Week.

To experience the Palm waving entry

the Temple is cleansed

Jesus is teaching the disciples for the last time, cursing a fig tree to teach a lesson

He is betrayed, arrested beaten and hung on the cross. and then placed in a borrowed tomb

Witnessing Friday The Cross.. His Death

and the Silence of Saturday --- Oh can you just imagine the depressive interactions of the disciples

anyone could understand that all they had hoped for

appeared lost.....

BUT

We know what happened on the third day!!

and we gather today to celebrate that

HE IS RISEN

I am reminded a an OT verse this morning

Isaiah 25:1 “1 O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you;

I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things,

plans formed of old, faithful and sure.”

God has always had a plan

Today is Easter and we celebrate the love and grace of God

That bring us the gift of eternal togetherness with God

We celebrate His Victory which became our Victory

We celebrate the Resurrection

Matthew 28:6 (ESV)

6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.

the presence — of our Lord, our Saviour

Able to reside inside of Us

Sitting at the Right Hand of God the Father because of the Cross

1 Timothy 1:15 (ESV)

15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

Amen

_________________________

But Easter and its Great message of Victory came at a price

Not 100.00 dollars

or a hundred shekels

Not even for a billion dollars

It came at the cost of Christ’s life

Romans 5:8 (ESV)

8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

It comes at the cost of your life

You must trade your life for His

Galatians 2:20 (ESV)

20 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.

It is not a cheap grace available from a bubble

Gum machine

or a vending machine

but

It was paid for with the life and blood of Christ

Our joy in Christ alone comes at the cost of a changed life

Changed life is a Christ Life

Jesus came to save the world

John 12:44–50 (ESV)

44 And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me.

45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me.

46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.

47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.

48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.

49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak.

50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”

Study Revelations.

There will be a judgment for those who are not in Him

and Rewards at the Bema Seat for us who love and abide in Him

Our mission is to do as the Son

Our mission is to die to self and live for others

I fail at this --

and if you don’t think you do you are missing the concept.

Dying to self is not being defensive about your actions.

it is hugging a dirty stinky person that just told you he has head lice

it is giving the last 10.00 in your wallet to serve another

It may be leaving a trespass against you UNanswered and UNRetaliated.

it may be having a hard conversation with a loved one

We often suffer from wanting to do Christianity

in Comfort and on our terms.

Truth is that is not a Christian life at all.

Have you seen it in our study of John?

Our mission have you seen and heard it

At Horizon

it is a church seeking to model of Jesus

We believe we exist to

Glorify God by Growing Others in Christ

Deeper than that though

We preach that everything we

Do must be for the Glory of the Father and His Son Jesus

We are a

Disciple ship church

Preach Him and Him alone

Because

He is your first love

He alone is worthy of your salvation

There is no other way to the Father except through the Son

Easter is the celebration of the Christ conquering death

We celebrate victory over Sin

Over The curse

And the God of Promise overcoming

We can overcome because of Him

Sin

Death

Worldly views

Worldly actions

Addictions can be crushed

Pain and hurt removed

We can be healed

All to Glorify Him

All because

John 3:16 (ESV)

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

We have seen the movie the passion of the Christ

We have seen the blood the punishment

we have all been guilty of living a life that doesn’t stretch us

We have all lied to ourselves about not being called to do something we know we are called to do

This can take accepting a lesser role in the church, but it is the one that we are called to do.

it may simply be choosing Church over the choice to sleep in

THE point is that

Jesus came to save the whole world all mankind

it wasn’t comfortable or with out pain

it was to Glorify God no matter what.

God is glorified by our progress not our perfection.

Jesus- Glorifys God by Growing Others in Him

Jesus has in just in chapter 12 shown us how to deal with

Four Groups of People

Our Inner Circle 1:1-11

Our family and friends the love who love us and the ones that betray us

Our sphere of influence 12:19

these are our like minded but different believe people.

like the Jewish pilgrims like minded in Jewish but missing the same mark of faith in Christ

Our Stretch Relationship

These would be your Gentiles

your visitors, your casual contacts

God fearers but not Christians

The Aggressive Disrupters

These are the haters

They have an axe to grind

They are your “jewish leaders your Pharisees” that you face in life.

The Hardest Part

Jesus came to save ALL

Our greatest testimony should be the way that we live our life

Colossians 2:6 (ESV)

6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,

our lives must be a model to our Faith

Here is a question for you from our verses

Do you fully BELIEVE?

Do you HEAR Him

and most importantly do you OBEY?

Hearing is not the goal

Doing is the GOAL!

are you all in for Christ?

are you living a life that is a first responder mentality?

are you dressed in your armour as a EMT, nurse or firefighter would be?

Does any one who sees you know by your armour that you are a Christian?

a first responder for Christ

1 Peter 3:15 (ESV)

15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

are you trained up to know the principals of the faith?

it is our mission to help you with this — are you engaged in a Discipleship Program

do you have the degree or certifications to do the work that you were hired for?

i don’t want a non trained Doctor working on me

nor do i want an untrained, uncalled Christian building up my training to live as Christ desires me to live.

Untrained Uncalled Christians lean on their understanding

We must learn to Hear and Obey God’s Words.

If you are trained up are you staying current with your CEUs

your continuing education credits

Again in life i want the best in a life and death situation

I want to know that the medical practitioner is trained and up to date on the work they are called to do.

Friends

Being Christian is a life journey

not a cross on the wall or one around your neck

Being Christian is

knowing Him and Him knowing You

it is listening and knows the light

John 12:46–47 (ESV)

46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.

47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.

Jesus is the WAY

Jesus is our TRUTH

JESUS IS THE LIFE

Being Christian is knowing that judgement is for the non believer, or the one walking in the world but still proclaiming Christ

There is a monumental difference between

Saying you love Christ

and walking in the world

and Loving Christ and walking in the light daily with Him

John 12:48 (ESV)

48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.

Listen again to our verses today

John 12:44–45 (ESV)

44 And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me.

45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me.

John 12:49–50 (ESV)

49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak.

50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”

Jesus came to save the world

on this Easter Day

we proclaim our thankfulness

for the

Sacrifice of Jesus on that Cross

Victory over Death

the Resurrection of our Lord

Will you say this with me today

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

Creator of Heaven and earth;

and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord,

Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into Hell.

The third day He arose again from the dead;

He ascended into Heaven,

sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty;

from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the Holy Christ Following Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

SENDING OUT

On this Easter Morning

May we be inspired to GO

To Glorify God in all that we do

May we be committed to being a First Responder for Christ

May we be willing to strengthen our weaknesses

and be BOLD in our Strength for His Purpose

Isaiah 25:1 “1 O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you;

I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things,

plans formed of old, faithful and sure.”

Amen