Increasing Awareness

Good morning Church!

Announcements:

We are not having Church tonight. Enjoy this Easter evening with your family!!!

Praise Reports:

I got to lead a man in prayer, as he rededicated his life to the Lord last week!!!

Prayer Requests:

Tithes

Children’s Church

Doxology:

This is my Bible. It is God’s Holy Word. It is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path, and I will hide its words within my heart that I might not sin against God! Amen!!!

Open Bibles To: Luke 24:9-34

Context

We have finally made it! We have finally arrived at the most Holy day on the calendar. For those who lived before Christ, it was the most anticipated day of the future. For those of us who have lived after the events of the Resurrection, it is the most important day of history. As we have previously stated, the entire framework of the Christian faith hinges on the events of this day, more specifically, the resurrection of Jesus.

Without the resurrection, we worship a God that is no different than any other man-made, powerless God of history, but if the resurrection did take place, our God is the one and only true, living God. The resurrection of Jesus sets Christianity apart from all others. It places our Lord and Savior on a different level. It proves who deserves to be worshipped and is the foundation of our faith.

With that being said, I fear that many today are still trying to worship a dead God. Their words, their actions, and their level of faith simply do not mimic that of scripture. They live their lives in fear of the darkness of this world, and have yet to experience the peace, passion, and purpose that comes from having a personal relationship with a living, breathing God.

Most people truly struggle in their walk with God because their faith is weak. I don’t say that to speak down on anyone, for I truly know what it is like to be there. I know what it is like to spiritually struggle in your life because of a lack of faithfulness.

You are constantly falling to the same old temptations that get you every time.

You are not leading anyone to Christ, or even making a spiritual difference in anyone’s life, because you are not even comfortable in your own walk with Christ.

You know deep down Christ died for your sins, but yet you struggle to tell others about the wonderful things He did for you.

Because of your constant failures as a Christian, you doubt on a regular basis whether you are even saved, even though you know what the Bible says.

Though you would never admit it, your belief is a burden instead of a blessing. And because of that, you secretly wonder if there really is anything at all to all of this spiritual stuff.

You see God move in ways that is unmistakable, but then you struggle to have faith in times of darkness.

You might be to the point to where you are more comfortable in the darkness than you are in the light, because every time you step towards the light, life gets harder, more complicate, and more confusing.

If this is you, or even partly you, I want you to know that you are not alone. So many people struggle in their faith. They know what the Bible says, and they know the right things to say. They show up at church every week with smiles on their faces, but they secretly suffer on the inside.

Listen to me, there is hope! There is a better life out there for you. It is possible to walk through the darkness of this world with your head lifted high and your heart full of joy. It is possible to overcome addictions, find peace for your soul, and be excited to live another day. It is possible for the broken pieces to be put back together. It is possible to have your Spirit calmed, your fear diminished, and your joy restored.

It is possible because Jesus got out of that grave!!!

If I am speaking to you this morning, I don’t doubt for one second that you have faith.

I just worry that your faith is in a dead God. Not a different God, but a dead God. Listen, I love to preach the cross of Christ as much as any preacher out there. I love what that cross represents!

It speaks of a God who loved His creation so much, that He was willing to leave His home in Heaven to live amongst men.

It speaks of a God who loved His creation so much, that He was willing to show us what love really looked like in person. He was mocked because of it. He was despised because of it. He was shamed because of it. He was ridiculed because of it.

It speaks of a God who loved His creation so much, that He was willing to give His life as a ransom for sinners though He Himself was indeed perfect. His blood became the atonement for our sin.

It speaks of a God who loved His creation so much, that He was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for us. He proved His love in death. He signed the contract in blood, and He did it all for us.

I love to preach about what my Lord and Savior did for me, but listen, it did not stop there. He did not stay in that grave. He did not die for good. Three days after He gave His life, He took it back again.

He didn’t take it back because He changed His mind. He didn’t take it back because it was too much for Him. He didn’t take it back because of unfinished business. On the contrary, He took it back in victory. Death could not hold Him. He took it back because there was no place for Him in death. He defeated death; He defeated the grave; He defeated sin. Our God is victorious!!!

That is why our faith must go beyond His funeral because His glory comes from beyond the grave.

We must praise Him for what He did on that cross, but we don’t worship the cross. We worship the Christ. If your faith stops at the cross, then your faith stops at death. We do not serve a dead deity, but a risen redeemer!!!

He’s alive!!! He’s alive!!! He’s alive!!! Our Saviour lives!!!

I want to show you a group of individuals in the Bible today, whose faith had stopped at the funeral. They were broken, defeated, and absolutely lost. They were like some of you. But this one event, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, changed their lives forever!!! I hope it does yours as well. Let’s go....

The title of the message today is “Increasing Awareness”. Read Luke 24:9-11

Content

Their Unbelief

The Women (vv. 9-11)

They went to the tomb expecting to prepare a corpse.

The Apostles (vv. 9-11)

They sat together in disbelief, even when the women told them what had happened. They allowed their expectations to overrule their experiences.

The Two Disciples (vv. 13-24)

They discussed amongst themselves and even admitted to Jesus that their hope was lost when Jesus was crucified.

If we are not careful, we can allow the past misery of our lives to overshadow our present miracles.

Jesus Interference (vv. 25-27)

Jesus shows them all things concerning the Christ from the OT scriptures. He teaches them that they can have faith in God’s Word! If Moses and the Prophets said it, you can believe it will come true.

As they learned of Christ, their faith began to grow. This matters not only in the resurrection of Christ, but in our resurrection as well. We must believe what God’s Word says.

Our faith is our anchor, but if you throw an anchor off into the water without it being tied to something, it will not do you a lot of good. Out faith is tied to our awareness of who God is. The more aware we are of who God is, the stronger our faith will be.

Jairus and his daughter. (Lay hands on my daughter)

The woman with an issue of blood. (If I could just touch the hem of His garment)

The centurion. (If you just speak the word…)

The Result of His Presence

Peace

They were sad before Jesus came, but after Jesus began teaching them from scripture, they went home and enjoyed a meal together.

Passion

They burned with passion inside their hearts as Jesus spoke to them.

Purpose

They ran out into the darkness and hiked 7 miles back to Jerusalem.

Commitment

Is there anyone here today who needed this message? Was this for you? Has your faith been cut short?