The Message At The Empty Tomb: Do Not Be Afraid

The Message At The Empty Tomb: Do Not Be Afraid April 17, 2022 The Message At The Empty Tomb: Do Not Be Afraid • Psalm 27:1 (NIV) — 1 The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? The Message At The Empty Tomb: Do Not Be Afraid • There Are Two Types Of Fear • Good Fear - Keeps Us From Dangerous Situations • Good Fear Is A God Given Emotion • Harmful Or Bad Fear Paralyzes Us • Bad Fear Is Uncontrolled -- It Is Destructive • Many People In Life Are Held As Prisoners Fear! Because Of The Message At The Empty Tomb: Do Not Be Afraid • Matthew 28:1–10 (NIV) — 1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” The Message At The Empty Tomb: Do Not Be Afraid • Mary And Mary Went To Look At The Tomb And Suddenly There Was A Violent Earthquake • It Was Very Frightening & Jarring • We Are Living In Times & Days That Are Very Shaky • We Make It In Times Of Shaking & Quaking Through Christ • Things May Shake Around Us – But God’s Truth Remains The Message At The Empty Tomb: Do Not Be Afraid • The Two Women Arrived At The Place Where Jesus Was Buried To Find Something Very Much Out Of Place • The Stone That Had Closed And Sealed The Tomb Was Rolled Back – The Entrance Of The Tomb Was Wide Open • The Angel Of The Lord Was Sitting On The Stone The Message At The Empty Tomb: Do Not Be Afraid · The Angel Of The Lord “Had An Appearance As Of Lightning His Clothing Was White As Snow” • The Guards Were So Afraid Of The Presence Of This Angel Who Had Been Sent From God That They Shook And Fainted The Message At The Empty Tomb: Do Not Be Afraid • Matthew 28:5–6 (NIV) — 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. • The Angel Addresses The Fear Of Not Finding Jesus Where They Had Left Him • Did You Forget What Jesus Said? He Has Risen, Just As He Said. • Jesus Is Not Here; He Has Risen! The Message At The Empty Tomb: Do Not Be Afraid • The Two Mary’s Were Going To The Tomb Not To Find A Risen Savior But To See The Place Where He Was Buried • They Fully Expected That He Would Be In The Tomb. • They Looked For Jesus Where He Would Not Be Found. The Message At The Empty Tomb: Do Not Be Afraid Two Places You Won’t Find Jesus Today: 1.YOU WILL NOT FIND HIM STILL ON THE CROSS 2.YOU WILL NOT FIND HIM STILL IN THE TOMB The Problem With Human Nature Is That It Does Not Know Or Comprehend The Ways Of God And Of His Divine Nature The Message At The Empty Tomb: Do Not Be Afraid 1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV) — 14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. •Until We Are Made Alive By His Spirit And Begin To Know And Live In The Newness Of That Life And Understanding: · We Don’t Understand Or Comprehend The True Nature Of Christ · We Can’t Understand Who He Is & What He Is Up To •We Need A Radical Transformation Of Our Lives By His Power The Message At The Empty Tomb: Do Not Be Afraid · Here Is The Problem: We Expect Him To Be Just Where We Left Him --He Is Not There · You Can Go to the Tomb – But You Will Find That It Is Empty · He Is Not Where You Thought He Would Be – No! · He Is Right Where He Said He Would Be! • The Reason Jesus Is Not Here ( In This Empty Tomb) He Has Risen -- Just As He Said The Message At The Empty Tomb: Do Not Be Afraid • What Jesus Says, He Does! • What He Promises, He Provides! He Said He Would Be Raised Back To Life • He Said It! • He Did It! • He Promised It! • He Provided It! The Message At The Empty Tomb: Do Not Be Afraid 4 Theories Of Unbelievers To Reject The Resurrection -- That Don’t Stand Up To Scrutiny “The Wrong Tomb Theory” • This Wasn’t The Wrong Tomb -- It Was The Empty Tomb! The Message At The Empty Tomb: Do Not Be Afraid The “Swoon Theory” • That Jesus Was Never Really Dead – He Woke Up Three Days Later And Rolled Away The Heavy Stone • There Were No Records Of Any People At Any Time Who Survived Crucifixion • He Did Not Swoon. He Died And Was All The Way Dead. He Was Resurrected Back To Life Through The Resurrection Power Of God The Message At The Empty Tomb: Do Not Be Afraid The “Stolen Body” Theory •The Disciples Stole His Body to Make Up a Story About His Resurrection •The Tomb Was Guarded By The Toughest Military Force Of The Day •Christ’s Follower Had No Weapons To Defeat Them •No Means To Deceive Them • Nothing With Which To Bribe Them – They Could Not Steal His Body! The Message At The Empty Tomb: Do Not Be Afraid “The Hallucination Theory” • The People Who Saw Jesus -- It Was All In Their Mind • “Hallucinations Are An Individual Event. If 500 People Have The Same Hallucination, That's A Bigger Miracle Than The Resurrection." •Jesus Was Seen By Over 500 People · In Several Different Places · He Spoke To Several Different People · He Even Ate With Them • His Was A Real Resurrection: Not A Fake, Not A Hoax, A Swoon, Not A Hallucination! Not The Message At The Empty Tomb: Do Not Be Afraid THE RESURRECTION IS --Jesus The Truth: · Being The Truth · Living The Truth · Rising In Truth JESUS CHRIST --Affirming His Place As The Messiah • Jesus Rose Up From That Grave In Eternal Resurrection Life The Message At The Empty Tomb: Do Not Be Afraid The Resurrection Is The Explanation For the Church’s Existence · If Jesus Body Was Still In The Tomb If He Was Still Dead · The Resurrection Would Have Been Rejected as Fake News •Because Of The Things that Took Place – & The Eyewitness Testimony •They Were Cut To The Heart -- THEY KNEW IT WAS TRUE! • They Repented & They Received Christ The Message At The Empty Tomb: Do Not Be Afraid Jesus Has Risen From The Dead Don’t Be Afraid • He Hasn’t Been Stolen Or Taken • He Isn’t Lost Or Misplaced • He Is Right Where He Said He Would Be • You Don’t Have To Worry Or Be Fearful. Have Faith! The Message At The Empty Tomb: Do Not Be Afraid • In That Moment Of Realization & Total Sensory Overload • The Angel’s Message – Is The Same As Jesus’ Message: • Don't Be Afraid!! The Message At The Empty Tomb: Do Not Be Afraid • The Greatest Battle Is The Battle Of Fear Vs. Faith • Fear Says: Danger Ahead—You Can’t Handle This • Faith Says: Jesus Is Alive & On The Throne • He Can And Will Bring Us Through Victoriously The Message At The Empty Tomb: Do Not Be Afraid There Is A Remedy For Fear : Faith • Jesus Isn’t Dead He Is Alive! • We Shut Down Fear With Faith • (Psa 138:8 NIV) The LORD Will Fulfill His Purpose For Me; The Message At The Empty Tomb: Do Not Be Afraid • Don't Be Afraid When Your Plans Get Turned Upside Down • Don't Be Afraid When Everything Around You Is Shaking • Don't Be Afraid In The Presence Of The Lord's Holiness • Don't Be Afraid When You Finally Realize The Eternal Significance Of What You Are Called To The Message At The Empty Tomb: Do Not Be Afraid •Come And See What Did They See In The Tomb? • The Tomb That Is Empty • The Clothes Folded Neatly This Is The Very Centerpiece Of Our Faith •Resurrection Life -- We Can’t Live Without It -- We Can’t Overstate It -- We Must Don’t Subjugate It -- This Is Our Faith The Message At The Empty Tomb: Do Not Be Afraid •GO AND TELL •“Come and see!” was followed by “Go and tell!” We must not keep the Resurrection news to ourselves. • Wiersbe, W. W. The Message At The Empty Tomb: Do Not Be Afraid · Do Not Be Afraid: Jesus Is Alive w/Resurrection Power · The Living One Will Bring Powerful Life To You · Nothing Impossible For Him --Don’t Be Afraid · Jesus Will Be Where He Said He Would Be · And Jesus Will Do What He Said He Would Do The Message At The Empty Tomb: Do Not Be Afraid This Is A Promise We Can Depend And Live On – Even In Shaky Times Like These -- He Will Be: • Our Victory In Battle • Our Supply In Famine • Our Strength In Our Weakness • Our Companion In Time Of Flood Or Fire. • One Who Knows, Cares, And Loves, In All Situations. • He Holds The Keys To Death, Hell & The Grave. The Message At The Empty Tomb: Do Not Be Afraid • The Message Of That Early Encounter At The Empty Tomb Rings Out To Us Do Not Be Afraid !!!!