The Cross and Jesus as Lord

Jesus as Lord

Even if you cannot believe in the Resurrection you should want it to be True!

We live in a day where religion is a looked at as a matter of preference!

Belief is irresponsible and empty if it does not have Truth!

Go to the teller at a Bank and try to take money out of your account and the person at the teller say’s well sir I don’t feel like you have any money in your account. That’s just my opinion! I would say I don’t care how you feel I know I have money in the bank.

DID JESUS RISE FROM THE DEAD - This question is a matter of truth not preference.

If Jesus did not rise from the grave then we all need to go home this morning. But if he did then it has eternal consequences for every person in the sound of my voice today.

C. S. Lewis popularized the argument that Jesus was either a liar or a lunatic or the Lord. But, as Kyle Barton has shown, he didn’t invent it.

C. S. Lewis popularized the argument that Jesus was either a liar or a lunatic or the Lord. But, as Kyle Barton has shown, he didn’t invent it.

In the mid-nineteenth century the Scottish Christian preacher “Rabbi” John Duncan (1796-1870) formulated what he called a “trilemma.”

Christ either [1] deceived mankind by conscious fraud, or [2] He was Himself deluded and self-deceived, or [3] He was Divine. There is no getting out of this trilemma. It is inexorable.

Opening Up Matthew Resurrection (vv. 1–15)

The nineteenth-century American pastor T. V. Moore recognized the significance of this when he asked, ‘Why did not Christ rise in the presence of a crowd?’ After all, Christ’s death and ascension were public spectacles, which many people were present to witness. Yet the moment of resurrection was essentially private and hidden. There was no public display of life entering into the dead body of Jesus. Why did he not rise in the presence of a crowd?

Moore’s Answer: the secret resurrection places us all on the same level.

No on is put an any advantage. All must take the doctrine of the resurrection on the basis of Faith. The women must trust the Angels, the Disciples must trust the women; we must trust the disciples.

WE OPERATE EVERY DAY THAT THE PRINCIPLE OF TRUTH MAY ESTABLISH THE TESTIMONY OF EYEWITNESSES. We punish criminals even when we did not see the crime being committed, precisely because the evidence gives away the truth.

A fast growing movement took off and was formed nearly overnight that now makes up 1/3 of the worlds population claiming that Jesus rose from the dead even when it meant dying for that belief.

The Lordship of Jesus Christ

Just as the grass is green outside Jesus is Lord over your life whether you like it or not.

JESUS IS LORD

You did not make Him lord of your Life he is LORD.

Philippians “One day at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, and every tongue with confess that Jesus is LORD”

1. Jesus as Lord over Sin and Death

*Jesus reminds us that He has absolute power over LIFE and DEATH

OT referes to God as YHWH or ADONI were usually translated in the Septuagint. NT Greek version is Kyrios or Lord. So when Paul says that Jesus is the one Lord through whom all things come and “every tongue will confess that jesus Christ is Lord” He was using YWWH language to describe that the Lordship of Jesus is the unequaled status given to jesus by God the Father.

*If Jesus is Lord over all things living and dead then the reality of the cross and the resurrection are not just a matter of opinion.

Can anything in this world be proven with 100% accuracy.

Which of these is Most Plausible!

There is nothing in History that can be established with 100% accuracy.

Can we really know with 100% accuracy that GEORGE WASHINGTON was the 1st president of the United states is it possible that he was just a mythical figure that people invented to encouraged the citizens of a new country probably not plausible but possible.

One writer wrote that we cannot prove that we were all created 5 minutes ago with built in food in our stomachs and memories in our memory bank.

What can we establish with the most Certainty?

*Some say that Jesus didn’t even die on the cross

Muslims say that Jesus didn’t even go to the cross somebody who looks like Jesus went to the cross. That’s what Mohamed teaches in the Koran. (the issue of truth converges, one is right and the other is wrong) 6 century those closest to the situation confirmed it.

Jesus was

Jesus wasn’t really dead but hurt really, really bad. He fainted they quickly took him off of the cross and buried him so that no one would be the wiser, he regained consciousness and walked out of the tomb . This would have meant that Jesus underwent 6 intense trials, no sleep, brutal scourging, thorns thrust into his head, nails driven into his hands and feet, and after hours on a cross a spear thrust into his side, he was then wrapped in grave clothes, laid in a tomb guarded by Romans Soldiers, we are to assume then that Jesus hopped out of the tomb, nudging the stone out of the way, snuck past the guards and cooly went on His way.

Jesus tomb was not empty, the wrong tomb theory. The women that morning went to the wrong tomb and from that time forward everybody assumed that He had risen from the dead. This was a day that the last thing that the Roman government and Jewish leaders wanted was a supposed risen Messiah.

What if the Disciples stole the body of Jesus. (Conspiracy theory) This would mean that these disciples who ran away and hid outwitted hardened highly disciplined and skilled Roman Soldiers to remove the body. The whole idea is crazy to think of because their were many would be Messiah’s that would claim things and then be executed. The entire religious system set up on every level was against the idea of coming back into the body. The whole goal was to be free and liberated from the body.

The disciples were delusional when they claimed to see Jesus. These were simple men who did not have the scientific technology to understand the supernatural than we do today and in their pain and grief they were being mis-guided to thinking the saw Jesus and even talked/ate with Him. This would mean that hundreds of people that Jesus ate and drank with all had the same delusional vision. Paul writes just a few years afterwards that Jesus appeared to over 500 people many of who are still alive. God talk to them!

Example: Let’s say that Jordan Spieth calls me this last week in preparation for the Masters to go play a couple of rounds of golf with him and help him with his golf game. It was a busy week but I say hey for Jordan we’re buds why not. We were even on one par 3 and I hit a hole in one. He was so impressed that he asked me if I could be his caddie for the Masters this weekend. If you wanted to verify my story you could go to Jordan.

*To fabricate this story meant they would have faced getting their throats cut or worse yet being crucified.

IF JESUS DID IN FACT RISE FROM THE DEAD THE REALITY OF THAT IS STARTLING

*This is the Crux of our Faith

12 Facts of the Resurrection (most critical scholars believe these)

1. Jesus died by crucifixion.

2. He was buried.

3. His death caused the disciples to despair and lose hope.

4. The tomb was empty (the most contested).

5. The disciples had experiences which they believed were literal appearances of the risen Jesus (the most important proof).

6. The disciples were transformed from doubters to bold proclaimers.

7. The resurrection was the central message.

8. They preached the message of Jesus’ resurrection in Jerusalem.

9. The Church was born and grew.

10. Orthodox Jews who believed in Christ made Sunday their primary day of worship.

11. James was converted to the faith when he saw the resurrected Jesus (James was a family skeptic).

12. Paul was converted to the faith (Paul was an outsider skeptic).

Gary Habermas said , "I did a count recently of people who have written from about 1990 to-date [2009]. 75% of scholars today say that resurrection or 'something like it occurred.' Of that 75%, three to one say it is a bodily appearance. Ted Peters had a book that was published by Eerdmans a few years ago, and 20 out of 20 scholars in his book that he edited said 'bodily resurrection.' Higher critical scholars who are in the minority will still usually concede the appearance involved sight and was embodied.

2. Jesus as Lord of All

*Jesus Reminds us that he has absolute Authority over Everything

v. 18 “All Authority in Heaven and Earth has been given to Me”

Jesus has absolute Authority over EVERYTHING! Sin and death, Heaven and Hell!

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe that Jesus is Lord you will be Saved.”

What does it mean that Jesus has Sovereign Authority over you and Me.”

Just as the grass is green outside Jesus is Lord over your life whether you like it or not.

You did not make Him lord of your Life he is LORD.

Ephesians 6:24 ESV

Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.

Philippians “One day at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, and every tongue with confess that Jesus is LORD”

Ephesians 6:24

“With an Undying LOVE” - While Jesus is Lord of All he is also Lord for all. The goodness, kindness, love, and compassion of Jesus as our Saviour is also reflected in Jesus as our Lord.

Lord of the living and the dead. Oh Death where is your sting, Oh death where is your victory.” All has been swallowed up in the Victory of the Cross.

“To Love Jesus as Lord is to Love His Lordship”

v.9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him......

“One day at the name of Jesus every knew will bow and tongue confess him as Lord.

Romans 10:13 ESV

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Romans

“The Singular most important confession that we make as Christians and our relationship to Him is that Jesus is Lord.”

3. Jesus as Lord at the end of History

*JESUS REMINDS US THAT HE HAS THE LAST WORD!

We are not playing games this EASTER!

Do you Believe in the Historical Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I’ve had people tell me you know I used to believe in the story of Jesus but I don’t think I believe that anymore.

My response you have now come to the conclusion that Jesus did not rise from the dead. Oh no man I don’t know all about that! And I say you had better for darn sure make sure because you are heading in a very dangerous place.

Intellectual belief and the reality of the resurrection does not Save you from your Sins.

There are many people in Killeen Texas this morning in Churches much like this one who believe in the resurrection that are not Saved from their sins.

The reason I can say that with confidence is that even the devil himself believes in the resurrection and he is definitely not saved of his sins and will not be in the kingdom of Heaven.

If the devil himself was here this morning and I asked him to you believe that the bible is the word of God he would answer YES, do you believe that Jesus is the son of God he would answer YES, do you believe that Jesus died and physically rose from the grave he would answer absolutely YES, do you believe that Jesus is the only way to be saved he would answer YES, DO YOU REPENT OF YOUR SINS AND SURRENDER YOUR LIFE TO JESUS AS LORD!

THE LIE OF OUR CHURCH CULTURE - we have said believe in Jesus, say some prayer at some point in your life, get involved in church at some level and you will be saved. ITS A LIE!!!!!

There are many Christians that have believed half of Romans Chapter 9 and believe they are save and are not but have not surrendered to the absolute Authority of Jesus. This is what it means to confess Him as LORD!

BELIEF IS NOT A MATTER OF PREFERENCE OR OPINION

DO YOU BELIEVE IN THE HISTORICAL RESURRECTION OF CHRIST AND SUBMIT TO SURRENDER TO HIS ABSOLUTE LORDSHIP AND AUTHORITY IN YOUR LIFE!

*When you are lying in a hospital bed getting ready to breath your last breath the only thing that matters is have your REPENTED of your sins and Surrendered your LIFE to Jesus Christ as LORD and Savior not a convenient Savior on a cross who can get you your get of Hell free Card!

Preparing the Table