He Lives (2)

Curtis Gordon

Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

Luke 24:13–34

Easter

0 ratings

· 18 views

Notes

Transcript

He's Alive

Monday, March 27, 2017

11:10 AM

Easter is one of my favorite Christian Holidays. The reason being without a day of Resurrection there would be nothing to celebrate. And of all things the resurrection of Jesus Christ is something to celebrate.

"William Sangster (1900-1960) was a prominent evangelical Methodist minister in Britain. From 1939 to 1955 he pastored Westminster Central Hall, a prestigious Methodist church not far from Westminster Abbey in London. During World War 2 the basement of Sangster’s church was used as an air raid shelter. For 1,688 nights Sangster ministered to the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of all types of people who gathered there for safety. After the war he spearheaded a spiritual renewal movement in Methodist churches across the country.

In 1958, however, Sangster was diagnosed as having an incurable disease that caused progressive muscular atrophy. When he learned of the diagnosis, he made four resolutions: “I will never complain. I will keep the home bright. I will count my blessings. I will try to turn it to gain.” Later he wrote: “There have been great gains already from my sickness. I live in the present. I am grateful for little things. I have more time – and use it – for prayer.”

Over the course of two and a half years he experienced the gradual paralysis of his muscles, which left him with no voice and able to move only two fingers. With them he communicated with others by writing, but eventually even that became illegible.

On Easter morning, just a few weeks before his death, he managed to write: “How terrible to wake up on Easter and have no voice to shout, ‘He is risen!’ Far worse, to have a voice and not want to shout.”" http://www.vancechristie.com/2016/03/23/shouting-christ-risen-william-sangster/

One of my favorite authors on the life of Christ is James Stalker. The only problem with his writings is that he always ends with the death of Christ. I cannot figure out why or at least I have never found anywhere he goes on to tell of the resurrection. I know he believed it. But his focus is on the death. The death of Christ is important and we need to understand that the atonement was started on the cross, but it would have all been for naught had that tomb never burst asunder, and the light broke through.

The resurrection of Jesus was important to the Apostle Paul. He spoke of it and the cross nearly everywhere he went. In Acts 17 we find two somewhat different approaches of Paul as he tries to convince the world of the resurrection and its importance. Acts 17:1-3 when Paul visited Thessalonica he went to the synagogue of the Jews and reasoned with them for three days out of the scriptures that "Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead;"

Later on in the chapter 30-31 he appeals to their conscience and builds up his argument for the resurrection by again trying to reason with them about the resurrection of Jesus. In fact he said all the proof of what he was teaching and what Jesus taught hung on that one act of history. If the resurrection of Jesus never happened then all of what he believed and taught was in vain. But Paul a brilliant man, a man of many degrees, a scholar, a doctor of the Jewish law, never for one moment, since that point on the Damascus rode when Jesus himself stepped out of the shadows and said "Saul why do you kick against the pricks" doubted the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. He was so real he Heard Him, and the light was so bright that he fell from his donkey to the ground. He was changed forever not because a man who was dead came to talk to him, but because the "resurrection and life" came by and forever changed the history of the church. That is why the resurrection was so important to Paul - it was the means of his salvation.

If it wasn’t for the resurrection we could never say along with the apostle

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20

Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominon over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth he liveth unto God. Rom. 6:8-10

For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God… 2 Cor. 13:4

And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. (Aren't you glad it's not in vain - Hallelujah JESUS IS ALIVE - ALIVE FOREVERMORE!!!)

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection… Philippians 3:10

See also EASTER SERMON TOPICS Especially THIS

See also Chuck Missler First Session on Genesis Great insight into story have a copy in OneNote somewhere but can be found at

http://cobalt.rocky.edu/~hyla.thompson/bible_notes/01%20Genesis%20Notes.pdf

13 And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.

14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened.

15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.

16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.

17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?

18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?

19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:

20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.

21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.

22 Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;

23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.

24 And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.

25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:

26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?

27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.

29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.

30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.

31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.

32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,

34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.

From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+24&version=KJV>

Let me tell you again the story of Dr. Lloyd-Jones on one of his journeys to Wales. I have told it to you before, but not as accurately as I would have wished. I now have his actual words before me and what he experienced merits my telling you again. For me it is safe and it will not be wearying for you. He tells his story like this: here it is.

I remember preaching in Wales one Sunday in the early 1930s. I was preaching in a country place at an afternoon and then an evening service. When I finished the service in the afternoon and had come down from the pulpit, two ministers came up to me. They had a request to make. They said, “We wonder whether you’ll do us a kindness.” “If I can,” I said, “I’ll be happy to.” “Well,” they said, “we think you can. There’s a tragic case. It’s the case of our local schoolmaster. He’s a very fine man, and he was one of the best church workers in the district. But he’s got into a very sad condition. He’s given up all his church work. He just manages to keep going in his school. But as for church life and activity, he’s become more or less useless.”

“What’s the matter with him?” I asked. “Well,” they said, “he’s got into some kind of depressed condition. Complains of headaches and pains in his stomach and so on. Would you be good enough to see him?” I promised I would. So after I had had my tea, this man, the schoolmaster, came to see me. I said to him, “You look depressed.” He was like the men on the road to Emmaus. One glance at this man told me all about him. I saw the typical face and attitude of a man who is depressed and discouraged. I said, “Now tell me, what’s the trouble?” “Well,” he said, “I get these headaches. I’m never free from them. I wake up with one in the morning, and I can’t sleep too well either.” He added that he also suffered from gastric pains and so on.

“Tell me,” I said, “how long have you been like this?” “Oh,” he said, “it’s been going on for years. As a matter of fact, it’s been going on since 1915.” “I’m interested to hear this,” I said. “How did it begin?” He said, “Well, when the war broke out in 1914, I volunteered very early on and went into the navy. Eventually I was transferred to a submarine, which was sent to the Mediterranean. Now the part of the navy I belonged to was involved in the Gallipoli campaign. I was there in this submarine in the Mediterranean during that campaign. One afternoon we were engaged in action. We were submerged in the sea, and we were all engaged in our duties when suddenly there was a most terrible thud and our submarine shook. We’d been hit by a mine, and down we sank to the bottom of the Mediterranean. You know, since then I’ve never been the same man.”

“Well,” I said, “please tell me the rest of your story.” “But,” he said, “there’s really nothing more to say. I’m just telling you that’s how I’ve been ever since that happened to me in the Mediterranean.” “But, my dear friend,” I said, “I really would be interested to know the remainder of the story.” “But I’ve told you the whole story.” This went on for some considerable time. It was a part of my treatment. I said again, “Now I really would like to know the whole story. Start at the beginning again.” And he told me how he had volunteered, joined the navy, was posted to a submarine that went to the Mediterranean, and everything was all right until the afternoon they were engaged in the action, the sudden thud and the shaking. “Down we went to the bottom of the Mediterranean. And I have been like this ever since.”

Again I said, “Tell me the rest of the story.” And I took him over it step by step. We came to that dramatic afternoon—the thud, the shaking of the submarine. “Down we went to the bottom of the Mediterranean.” “Go on!” I said. He said, “There’s nothing more to be said.” I said, “Are you still at the bottom of the Mediterranean?” You see, physically he was not, but mentally he was. He had remained at the bottom of the Mediterranean ever since. So I went on to say to him, “That’s your whole trouble. All your troubles are due to the fact that in your own mind you are still at the bottom of the Mediterranean. Why didn’t you tell me that somehow or another you came up to the surface, that someone on another ship saw you, got hold of you and got you on board his ship, that you were treated there and eventually brought you back to Wales and put into a hospital?” Then I got all the facts out of him. I said, “Why didn’t you tell me all that? You stopped down at the bottom of the Mediterranean.” It was because this man was dammed up in his mind that he had suffered from this terrible depression during all those years. I am happy to be able to tell you that as the result of this explanation that man was perfectly restored.

Now I tell you this story simply in order to show you the condition of these men on the road to Emmaus. There they are: “We had thought . . . but, oh, what’s the use of thinking? They tried Jesus and condemned him unjustly. They crucified him. He died, and they buried him. And he’s in the tomb.” They were so certain of this that they had become oblivious of everything else and blind to everything else. And I have a fear, my dear friends, that that is the trouble with so many of us. We are so aware of the problems, so immersed in them, that we have forgotten all of the glory that is around us and have seen nothing but the problems that lead to this increasing dejection. That is my analysis of these men on the road to Emmaus (D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Setting Our Affections on Glory, Crossway, 2013, pp. 74-76). That is Dr. Lloyd-Jones on the state of these men.

He Lives To SeekHe Lives To Save

Hebrews 7:25

Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Perhaps as you look at our world today you wonder if God is still at work in such a way. I want to encourage you that God is, for in my work and ministry I have seen this provision. Having been involved in Bible smuggling in China, I was intrigued to learn of a man named Chris who had gone out from the UK to do the same. Every three seconds someone in China becomes a Christian, but there’s a real lack of the Word of God there. This is what happened to Chris: he and his team stood at the pickup point in China where they were to meet their contact, who would utter a password, and they would deliver their Bibles. They arrived with only minutes to spare, but the contact didn’t show up. Knowing they were being watched, the team started walking towards the edge of town as though leaving. Hot and tired, they stopped at a nearby park for a drink of water, rest, and prayer. It was hard to understand why after all the difficulties God had brought them through that something had gone so wrong. They had looked to God for provision and direction, and yet their mission had seemingly failed. Soon the team became aware of three very ragged and dirty men under a tree behind them. Chris felt the Lord leading him to go over with some water. When he offered it, one of the men suddenly spoke the password very clearly in English. The rest of the team hurried over in amazement and pieced together the men’s story from the little Chinese that they knew. Two years earlier, God had given a word to these Chinese men in one of their services that they should plan for this trip. God would lead them to this park, on this date, and have Bibles ready for them, which would be brought by white men from far away. Since they were all poor farmers, it had taken a long time for them to save the money for food and shoes for the trip. The men had walked for two and a half months, mostly at night to keep from being arrested. Coming from the far north of China near Mongolia, they had climbed a range of snowcapped mountains, traveled through the desert, and crossed several rivers without a compass or any knowledge of the country. All they could explain was that God had shown them where to go. How did they know the password? How could they speak it in English when they knew no English? How did they survive the heat and the snow without protective clothing? It could only be God. When the men saw the Bibles, they cried and praised the Lord for a long time. They had brought cloth bags with them to carry the Bibles home, and inside each one was a small watermelon that they had carried all those miles as a gift of appreciation. Even though they had been without food for several days, they didn’t eat a single watermelon. The team exchanged clothes with them and Chris explained what an honor it was to put on those dirty rags. The shoes were completely worn out, but the team chose to go barefoot and give up their own shoes. Many tears were shed as the team prayed for the Chinese and sent them back home with food and money for their journey.

Jesus is the God of abundance. He is the one within whom this provision, this abundance, is located. Look to him, behold him, and you will be amazed. Amy Orr-Ewing is EMEA Director for Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, and Director of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics in Oxford, England. http://rzim.org/a-slice-of-infinity/59737/

He Lives To Reign

Revelation 1:18

I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

CHECK OUT BRO. LARRY SMITH's ARTICLE NEXT PAGE - EASTER CELEBRATING JESUS' KEYS

Highlight (yellow) - Location 670

The greatest sermon in the Bible was never written down and never made it into print. We know where it was preached—on the road to Emmaus. We know when it was preached—just days after the resurrection. We even know who preached it—Jesus! Call it a teaser if you will, but the biblical text gives us no more than this: “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). You expect the next verse to read, “First, he went to Genesis and explained to them…then to Exodus, and he pointed out how he was…” Instead we are left to speculate and wonder. Yet one thing we can be sure of: Jesus himself preached himself from all the Scriptures.

Citation (APA): Heisler, G. (2016). Spirit-Led Preaching [Kindle Android version]. Retrieved from Amazon.com

As Harry Houdini, the Budapest born American by adoption stunt performer who is best remembered for his sensational escape acts, lay dying in November 1926, he made a deathbed pact with his wife Bess. He told Bess that he would try to reach her from the other world. For ten years, Bess kept a candle burning below Harry's picture in their home. Each year on the anniversary of his death, Bess gathered in some friends and held a séance hoping she would hear from her late husband. Needless to say, she never once heard a word from him. In 1936, she snuffed out the candle and declared, "That's it! Death is the end. There is nothing more. I now know that for sure because my Harry didn't speak."

If you miss church you can miss amazing things! Disciple Thomas missed meeting with Christ's people and as a result he was, in some ways, like Mrs. Houdini. After the crucifixion of Jesus, Thomas sat cheerless, lifeless, hopeless, down-spirited, and helpless as he gazed into death's darkness. Jesus was gone. Thomas witnessed it firsthand. What's more, it was the talk of Jerusalem on that Friday afternoon when the sky's darkness blanketed the earth. For Thomas, Jesus was no more. His master was dead! Kaput! Lifeless! Deceased! Finished! Thomas did not meet with the other disciples when they kept the Lord's command to keep on meeting, even as we do each Sunday that we might encourage each other in the faith Jesus gives us.

Why did Thomas not meet? We can merely speculate but it seems that a good guess would be that Thomas reasoned, "What's the use? He is gone." Whatever it was, Thomas was convinced that Jesus was dead -- never to live again. Thomas was afflicted with that ultimate, indescribable despair that sees no benefits in tomorrow.

It was not the first time that Thomas stood alone from the other disciples...

The rest of this sermon can be obtained by joining Sermons.com athttp://www.sermons.com/signup

From <https://mg.mail.yahoo.com/neo/launch?.partner=sbc&.rand=c87adnatssepr#mail>

Transcript of Chuck Missler from Genesis Bible Study session 1 Proof of authorship of Torah

is essentially