220417 Ressurection Sunday

Luke 18:8 (NASB95) — 8 “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

Has Christianity failed? “will he find faith on earth?” IN his sermon, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shares that many critics of Christianity say that after nearly two thousand years since the establishment of Christianity, the world is still full of strife and conflict. The world is still full of war, poverty, and crime. Modern history has shown that, if anything, the world is only getting worse. What does all this mean for the claims of Christianity? Dr. Lloyd-Jones shows that the troubles of the world do not constitute an argument against the claims of Christianity as Christianity never claimed to solve all the world’s problems here and now. At the center of Christianity is Christ who died upon the cross in order to save sinners from the wrath of God and make them inheritors of eternal life in the age to come. In fact, the Bible teaches that people are fundamentally sinners who hate God and oppose His law. It is only by the gospel that they can ever be transformed. Christianity never claims that this world will be made perfect by the church, but what it does teach is that Jesus Christ will return on the last day, and He will make all things right.

Our opening Hymn this morning that we celebrate the Resurrection is

Revive us again,

Opening Prayer

It was the Last supper.

Jesus had washed the disciples feet.

He had Predicted His betrayal and told Judas to go quickly and do what he was compelled to do as Satan had entered into him. Leaving the disciples thought that Jesus simply sent him on an to errand

When Judas went out, so did Satan with him. the tension that satan produced for and in the moment was relieved. the disciples were not hindered by the influence of the adversary. there would be no, getting “behind me Satan” in this communion together as Jesus would lay out his instruction. and Laying out the Strategy that will seal the doom of Satan.

John 13:31–34 (NASB95) — 31 Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; 32 if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately.

the events that led to the cross was now moving quickly. Jesus spoke of the Glory

Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon 1392 δοξάζω

δοξάζω [doxazo /dox·ad·zo/] v

Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon 1392 δοξάζω

2 to praise, extol, magnify, celebrate. 3 to honour, do honour to, hold in honour. 4 to make glorious,

Jesus uses this word five times in two verses.

the greatest world changing event, and not just the world, but the entire cosmos will be changed, is about to take place at the cross. Something that not the disciples, nor the demons will realize until it has to come to pass. and the motivational drive that will bring glory to the Father and to the son will be, Love.

John 3:16 (NASB95) — 16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Romans 5:8 (NASB95) — 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Ephesians 2:4 (NASB95) — 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

2 Thessalonians 2:16–17 (NASB95) — 16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, 17 comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.

1 John 4:10–11 (NASB95) — 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Revelation 1:5 (NASB95) — 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—

The greatest act of Love, that the world had ever witnessed was about take place less than 24 hours away.

John 14:33 “Little children, ( hold on to what Jesus calls His disciples) I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

These will be Jesus’ last words. the last order.

Remember, you military men. what was the order when there was no other new instruction? and you were asking what do we do now? what were you to do?

“Follow your last command first”

the words to Love one another will be a vital role of the Christ follower in every generation to follow.

This Love is not the love how our society has defined it to be, but it is an unfailing powerful love that conquers all. It is virtue love that rests upon the integrity of who what God is and not what man is. that Love which has glorified God and His Son is the same glory that the followers of the Christ will exemplify.

Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon 2537 καινός

2537 καινός [kainos /kahee·nos/] adj. Of uncertain affinity; TDNT 3:447; TDNTA 388; GK 2785; 44 occurrences; AV translates as “new” 44 times. 1 new. 1A as respects form. 1A1 recently made, fresh, recent, unused, unworn. 1B as respects substance. 1B1 of a new kind, unprecedented, novel, uncommon, unheard of. Additional Information: For synonyms see entry 3501, neos.See entry 5852 for comparison of synonyms.

Kainos is something that is new. Something that is unprecedented. a powerful commandment. It will become the power of the Christian ethics

1 Corinthians 13:4–13 (NASB95) — 4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

this might have seemed confusing to the disciples for what did the Lord once say?

Luke 14:25–27 (NASB95) — , 26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. 27 “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

Well at one point Jesus, you speak of hating, (hyperbole) and now you talking about loving the brethren in a new way. Is this why it is a new commandment?

It is this unprecedented love that will become the true mark of the Christian of the Christ follower. It will be the calling card of the Christian and it will become that which will not that one says that on the basis of saying that they had believed or that they had been baptised and go to church or carry their bibles. the true mark of a Christian is whether they carry this mark that they Love the brethren.

1 John 3:14–15 (NASB95) — 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

1 John 4:20–21 (NASB95) — 20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.

And Jesus was not just talking about each other. The Disciples at that point was probably saying to one another.

“No problem! matter of a fact, it is a lot easier to not have to forsake my mother and my father sister and brother to follow Jesus and Love them.

No, this means not only do we love those whom we are attracted to but more so we love the unlovable. to love those who persecute you and who hate you. It will be the mark of the Christ follower that even when the Love of this will wax cold, integrity Love will endure.

Jesus taught in Matthew

Matthew 24:6–14 (NASB95) — 6 “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8 “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. 9 “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10 “At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11 “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. 12 “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. 13 “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. 14 “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

what is this enduring?

is it simply coping with the stress of the day?

It is standing firm. It is not yielding to the hate that surrounds one.

It is not returning evil for evil but loving one’s enemies and those who persecute you.

It is pressing forward in Love, when despite the hatred that is directed your way for following the commission set you before you by God that you because love for God and for the brethren you have picked up your cross and are following Him.

Point of Application:

Remember this. the world will seek to discredit you by leveling words of hate against you. Members of your own house will become your enemy.

why?

because of the righteousness that is being shined though you that is uncomfortable to others.

Micah 7:6 (NASB95) — 6 For son treats father contemptuously, Daughter rises up against her mother, Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; A man’s enemies are the men of his own household.

Matthew 10:21 (NASB95) — 21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.

You will be slandered, maligned, scrorned with a vileness that can only be from Satan himself.

why?

The adversary is seeking to knock the Christian off balance. to discredit his and her testimony, and to prove that Love does fail.

Always remember who the enemy is

Ephesians 6:12 (NASB95) — 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

John 13:36 (NASB95) — 36 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.”

was it that this was to be a lone journey for the the Lord that Jesus said this, that Peter couldn’t go, which would be true.

was it speaking of going to Hades and ascending to heaven, which was true.

or was it that Peter did not have ability to pick up his cross and follow Jesus. that where he said that he wanted to go he had not the heart to lead him there though at the time he thought he had.

Point of application: How many people who had been caught up in the moment of a church evangelical crusade had gotten caught up in the moment the excitement and ran down to the alter to say, “Lord I will follow you!” Are all saved by doing so? were you saved? do you carry the calling card that Jesus said to carry? do you love one another? Have you really gone where Jesus is, or did your feet carry you so far that your heart does not allow you to go any further?

Peter thought

“I Got this!”

“this Love thing is no problem. Give me a greater challenge, Lord!”

John 13:37 (NASB95) — 37 Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.”

it is the Lord who knows our hearts better than we know our hearts. Peter was not lying intentionally. He had good intentions. he spoke from the heart. the problem was is that he did not know how far his heart would take him when he made the claim.

Question: Can you trust your own claim? How do you know that you are saved? Oh I professed Christ. I may hate my neighbor and I may return evil for evil, I may lie cheat and steal, but I professed Christ and so I’m, Ok.

John 13:38 (NASB95) — 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times.

You see, Peter, when he went on and denied Christ three times, how often, and I’d say for at least most of us, saw it as Peter’s failure. and we look down upon that moment of weakness. as if we think that we could have done better.

but it was not as much of a failure on Peter’s part as much as it was a demonstration of what the Lord had spoken in that Peter was not yet equip to go and to pick up his own cross which was a cross not of condemnation but of a demonstration of love.

Peter so desperately wanted to follow Jesus. He was the stubborn rock. His intentions were good. did he not at least jump out of that boat and took a few steps and then sunk? Peter was like a little loyal dog is begging to go with the master but can’t.

How will Peter ever do it?

Love

the Love that Jesus will display by carrying His cross.

Leading up to the challenge of the Cross, Jesus knew the stakes.

He knew that the only hope to let peter and the others and us in, is by the way of the cross.

why was Jesus in such a turmoil later in the garden when sweat poured off of his head like blood droplets and petitioning his father that if there was another way that let that be it. Maybe it was not the fact of how bad it was going to hurt, but maybe it was that he knew the the stakes and that it was the last chance for those whom he truly loved, and it was a tall order for the flesh.

Early in the Gospel, John lays out the problem.

John 1:1–5 (NASB95) — 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

From John the baptist

John 3:31–32 (NASB95) — 31 “He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 “What He has seen and heard, of that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony.

and from Jesus himself

John 2:23–25 (NASB95) — 23 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. 24 But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, 25 and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.

Jesus knew the stakes. and perhaps in human weakness there arose a smiggin of doubt. there was angels there strengthening his human frailness. and when the Father fell silence, it was an affirmation to the son

“You Got this”

the beatings that Jesus took as skin and muscle was being torn from his body, it was not because of the evil of men when Jesus God could have stopped it, but it was because of Love for you and me that he says, “this one is for you. this is to demonstrate how much I Love you!”

the mocking and the beatings and the abuse, the closed fist slams against his face being blindfolded his face being bashed to the point of all recognition. With every hit Jesus was essentially saying

“this one I will take for you”

the hatred and the scorn of the people who shouted, “crucify Him, crucify HIm”

Isaiah 53:7 (NASB95) — 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.

“this one is for you!”

and as he was nailed and hung upon the cross Jesus said

“This one is for you.”

and then as much as the evil doers did to Jesus and we might scorn their evil then it was our turn at bat as our own sins against God were poured out upon his perfect Son who did no wrong to none of us. Every lie, ever cheat, every murder, every drunkeness, every foul word, every ounce of hatred and arrogance was our turn against Jesus.

Yes we were all represented right there on that hill. Represented by our own sin.

it was finally that Jesus gave up his spirit and he breathed his last after every last sin was accounted for.

what must the disciples felt?

oh, they understood that Jesus was going away. but to die? to die to them meant that he was not the Messiah. He could not fulfill all of the wonderful kingdom promises and where were they to go where Jesus said they would later go.

In there minds for three days and three nights they were anguished with a mixture of emotions and maybe even contempt for Jesus deceived them all. Love did fail. what good to them is a dead martyr. Jesus was no better with his intentions than Peter was.

So they thought.

on the third day the Lover walked out of the tomb and showed himself to the witnesses who testify that Jesus died was buried and rose again. and if he did exactly what he said was going to happen and do what no other human being from the beginning of time could not and did not do, then all that Jesus said about every thing else is true. and his commandments are good and valid. He is the way that we follow he is the truth and he is the Life.

Came the day after that, Jesus was found on the beach cooking breakfast for his disciples

It was there in His resurrected body, the one whom Peter denied three times that Jesus spoke to.

John 21:1–3 (NASB95) — 1 After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will also come with you.” They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.

Peter had decided after knowing and seeing the resurrected Christ and due to his own failure gave up on his own self, knowing how badly he had failed.

“I am failure. I will go back to what I know, I will never be a fisher of men after how I failed.”

John 21:3–6 (NASB95) — They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 So Jesus said to them, “Children, you do not have any fish, do you?”

Note what he calls them?

Little Children.

what did Jesus call them when he issued the command to love?

John 14:33 “Little children, ( hold on to what Jesus calls His disciples) I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

John 21 They answered Him, “No.” 6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch.” So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish.

this was the not the first time that this incident had happened. Luke 5

John 21:7–11 (NASB95) — 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish. 9 So when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have now caught.” 11 Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.

John 21:12–14 (NASB95) — 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples ventured to question Him, “Who are You?” knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and the fish likewise. 14 This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead.

John 21:15 (NASB95) — 15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” (do you love me more than your career your profession, when I told you before I was going to make you a fisher of men) He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My lambs.”

Peter could not carry on with the first commandment that Jesus gave about loving the brethren, for Jesus was not yet glorified in the heart of Peter. Peter could not go where Jesus would have wanted him to go because Peter and the others were not yet ready to go.

You may question your own faith, and may even think that you have failed when it comes to faith, no faith has not failed, it is that you have yet to come to realize the love for the Lord.

point of doctrine: Love and faith never fails, we just fail.

John 21:16 (NASB95) — 16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.”

How do we demonstrate our love for the Lord?

1 John 5:2–3 (NASB95) — 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.

what was the last commandment given prior to the cross

John 13:34 (NASB95) — 34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

Now remember as it were that Peter denied Jesus three times Peter is restored by his declaring his love three times but with a different kind of love on the third question.

John 21:17 (NASB95) — 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love (Phileo) Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.

Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon 5368 φιλέω

φιλέω [phileo /fil·eh·o/] v

Phileo is a personal love for a friend. the first two are integrity love virtue love that is a mandate. Our love for another is not an option. but the friend love is and option.

Jesus asked Peter,

“Are you my friend”

Peter responds

“Yes”

Then Jesus wants validation

“then obey me.”

it is that friendship the personal love for God and for his son that will take a person from looking outside of himself and upon the attractiveness of another. in this case the attractiveness of the perfect and glorified person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

and in doing so now Peter can go where his heart would not allow him to go before and he will go all the way to his own cross.

we cannot pick up our own cross until we firs look upon the one who carried His cross for us.

It became the Resurrection that validated every word that Jesus had spoken. It validated His own love for us. where the peoples own understanding would fail them, it was Jesus’ love that carried him through it all that they and you and I would look into the empty tomb and know that my Savior lives and because he lives I can face today and I can face tomorrow and I can return to my enemies as Jesus did for his enemies a demonstration of love. and I now forsake my own self pick up own cross and follow him.

our hymn prior to taking the bread and the cup will be Because he lives

At the end of the song I will ask Wiley Gunner Rhymer to come up to aid in distributing the bread and Michael to come come distribute the juice.

When I survey the wondrous Cross.