Apr 28, 2019
The Weak After Easter Sermon 4-28-19 AM
By: Bro. Matt
Series: Rise Up
"The Weak After Easter Sermon 4-28-19 AM"
 
Easter is such an awesome time of the year. We celebrate the fact that Jesus defeated death and rose from the dead. We hang out with family, which means that there is a lot of cooking and preparation that goes in to that. We have to make sure that the family looks good and matching for all the pictures that we will take. All while maintaining the other responsibilities of life. It often will leave someone feeling tired and weak.   Well put yourself in the shoes of the disciples and the followers of Jesus. Their King had just been brutally executed. The man that had been their biggest influence for the past several years was now gone. They had celebrated his triumphant entry, less than a week later watch his body be crushed and bruised on the cross, took him to a borrowed tomb, 3 days later found the tomb empty, and now they are locked in a room scared for their lives.   Moments and weeks like these leave us feeling exhausted and weak. But what happened to the excitement from a week ago? Easter, He is Risen, He is Alive, you know all the enthusiasm that came with Easter. The sad news is that some of us this week are locked in a room scared for our life, weak Christians just one week since the Greatest news ever told, He is Alive. We are a lot like the first disciples……   John 20:19–25 (NKJV) 19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” 24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”   Our text of John gives us a quick glimpse back to Easter and Christ’s resurrection. The disciples are huddled in fear behind a locked door when Jesus appears to them, and when he does - he not only reveals his resurrection, he breathes an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon them. Now, for some reason… Thomas was absent from the disciples. He didn’t get to see Jesus that night. Now the other disciples are sharing the wonderful news with him… “We have seen the Lord!” But what proof do they bring? Only their words. Thomas’ response is “Not gonna believe it till I see it.” This catches us up with the heart of today’s lesson. One week after Easter, the very same room where Jesus appeared before… Eleven disciples sit in excitement……..And Thomas… probably sitting with his arms crossed, legs crossed, and pouting.   You know that look your kids give you when you didn’t let them win…..   As Christians I’m sure we all can relate to Thomas at some point in our life. We feel like we pulled the short straw and that life just isn’t fair.   Weirsbe says, No sin is worse than the sin of self-pity because it removes God from the throne of our lives replacing Him with our own self-interest. It causes us to open our mouths only to complain, and we simply become spiritual sponges- always absorbing, never giving, and never being satisfied. And there is nothing lovely or generous about our lives.   This part of our human nature reminds me of a story I once heard of a man out on a glorious nature walk next to some beautiful cliffs and caverns. The walk, however, quickly turned cruel when the man… walking too close to the edge found himself tumbling down the side of one of the cliffs. Luckily, he managed to grab hold of a small tree growing out of the side of the cliff. Unluckily, it was too steep to climb up or down, he was far too high to jump, and he knew he was likely the only person for miles.   Having nothing to lose, he began to shout “Help. Is anybody out there? HELP!”   After a short while he heard a response, “This is God. I am here. Let go of that branch and I will catch you.”   The man contemplated this, and responded, “God… don’t you have a rope or a ladder?” God replied, “Put your faith in me. Let go of that branch and I will catch you.”   The man contemplated yet again, and after a long pause he shouted, “Is anyone else there?”   Luckily for Thomas and for us, that is not the end of the text. Thomas is not left sitting there doubting. Often times God shows us when we finally have “nothing to lose” when we finally surrender.   Weakness Turns to Redemption   John 20:26–29 (NKJV) 26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”   Jesus knew he doubted. Jesus knew he had been excluded from the special revelation the night he appeared to the other eleven. Jesus even knew what that whole last week must have been like for Thomas.   Just think about what Thomas must have been dealing with.
  • The only disciple left out.
  • The only disciple with nothing but words to go by.
  • The one disciple most like us today.
  Thomas, the one left out, spent that entire week wrestling alone with his doubts.   He could have rebuked them for their unfaithfulness and spinelessness the previous weekend, but He did not[1] Jesus does not lecture him, chastise him, or discipline him for doubting, instead Jesus wished him peace, and in his mercy, he gives Thomas what he needed to move beyond his doubt.   Jesus simply came to Thomas. He met Thomas right where he was at, and he promises to meet you this morning right where you are at. But he also promises not to leave you the same way you came.   No one has ever met Jesus and stayed the same.       Redemption Turns to Delight   John 20:27 (NKJV) 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”   Notice Thomas’s needs were met down to the letter of what he was asking for. When you really desire to know Christ on a deeper level, he will give you exactly what you need to dive deep.   Notice He has not had a conversation with Jesus about what all he needs, Jesus knows your every thought, need, and desire. And when it comes to your relationship with Him he has every resource available to help you move towards delight.   But the wounds meant more than identification; they also were evidence that the price for salvation had been paid and man indeed could have “peace with God.”   The basis for all our peace is found in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He died for us, He arose from the dead in victory, and now He lives for us.   In our fears, we cannot lock Him out! He comes to us in grace and reassures us through His Word. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend” (Prov. 27:6).[2]   These words ring clear this morning as we sit one week removed from Easter, all the hype is gone, all the emotions are gone, and we are left with these words, “Do not be unbelieving but believing.”   Once we believe …   Delight Turns to Declaration   John 20:28–29 (NKJV) 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”   I want you to go back to the day that Jesus set you free……. Can you go there…… The day that you surrendered control and asked Jesus to be the Lord and Boss of your life?   Thomas had been hurt, confused, because he didn’t know but Jesus was able to turn all his issues into Delight. We all have issues, this morning God wants to do a work in you.   When Jesus saw that the disciples’ fear had now turned to joy, He commissioned them: “As My Father has sent Me, even so send I you” (John 20:21). Keep in mind that the original disciples were not the only ones present; others, were also in the room.   You see, you can’t give someone what you don’t have.   John 20:21 (NKJV) 21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”   It must have given the men great joy to realize that, in spite of their many failures, their Lord was entrusting them with His Word and His work. They had forsaken Him and fled, but now He was sending them out to represent Him. Peter had denied Him three times; and yet in a few days, Peter would preach the Word (and accuse the Jews of denying Him—Acts 3:13–14!) and thousands would be saved[3]   The good news is that it’s one week after Easter and many of you are feeling weak, but you can trade that weakness in for dominance over every situation.   He is Alive, Risen, and He has enabled us with His Spirit to be able to be more than conquers. When you get a hold of that you will want to shout it from the rooftops, declaring Jesus is Lord.   [1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 392). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books. [2] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 392). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books. [3] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, pp. 392–393). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
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  • Apr 28, 2019The Weak After Easter Sermon 4-28-19 AM
    Apr 28, 2019
    The Weak After Easter Sermon 4-28-19 AM
    By: Bro. Matt
    Series: Rise Up
    "The Weak After Easter Sermon 4-28-19 AM"
     
    Easter is such an awesome time of the year. We celebrate the fact that Jesus defeated death and rose from the dead. We hang out with family, which means that there is a lot of cooking and preparation that goes in to that. We have to make sure that the family looks good and matching for all the pictures that we will take. All while maintaining the other responsibilities of life. It often will leave someone feeling tired and weak.   Well put yourself in the shoes of the disciples and the followers of Jesus. Their King had just been brutally executed. The man that had been their biggest influence for the past several years was now gone. They had celebrated his triumphant entry, less than a week later watch his body be crushed and bruised on the cross, took him to a borrowed tomb, 3 days later found the tomb empty, and now they are locked in a room scared for their lives.   Moments and weeks like these leave us feeling exhausted and weak. But what happened to the excitement from a week ago? Easter, He is Risen, He is Alive, you know all the enthusiasm that came with Easter. The sad news is that some of us this week are locked in a room scared for our life, weak Christians just one week since the Greatest news ever told, He is Alive. We are a lot like the first disciples……   John 20:19–25 (NKJV) 19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” 24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”   Our text of John gives us a quick glimpse back to Easter and Christ’s resurrection. The disciples are huddled in fear behind a locked door when Jesus appears to them, and when he does - he not only reveals his resurrection, he breathes an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon them. Now, for some reason… Thomas was absent from the disciples. He didn’t get to see Jesus that night. Now the other disciples are sharing the wonderful news with him… “We have seen the Lord!” But what proof do they bring? Only their words. Thomas’ response is “Not gonna believe it till I see it.” This catches us up with the heart of today’s lesson. One week after Easter, the very same room where Jesus appeared before… Eleven disciples sit in excitement……..And Thomas… probably sitting with his arms crossed, legs crossed, and pouting.   You know that look your kids give you when you didn’t let them win…..   As Christians I’m sure we all can relate to Thomas at some point in our life. We feel like we pulled the short straw and that life just isn’t fair.   Weirsbe says, No sin is worse than the sin of self-pity because it removes God from the throne of our lives replacing Him with our own self-interest. It causes us to open our mouths only to complain, and we simply become spiritual sponges- always absorbing, never giving, and never being satisfied. And there is nothing lovely or generous about our lives.   This part of our human nature reminds me of a story I once heard of a man out on a glorious nature walk next to some beautiful cliffs and caverns. The walk, however, quickly turned cruel when the man… walking too close to the edge found himself tumbling down the side of one of the cliffs. Luckily, he managed to grab hold of a small tree growing out of the side of the cliff. Unluckily, it was too steep to climb up or down, he was far too high to jump, and he knew he was likely the only person for miles.   Having nothing to lose, he began to shout “Help. Is anybody out there? HELP!”   After a short while he heard a response, “This is God. I am here. Let go of that branch and I will catch you.”   The man contemplated this, and responded, “God… don’t you have a rope or a ladder?” God replied, “Put your faith in me. Let go of that branch and I will catch you.”   The man contemplated yet again, and after a long pause he shouted, “Is anyone else there?”   Luckily for Thomas and for us, that is not the end of the text. Thomas is not left sitting there doubting. Often times God shows us when we finally have “nothing to lose” when we finally surrender.   Weakness Turns to Redemption   John 20:26–29 (NKJV) 26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”   Jesus knew he doubted. Jesus knew he had been excluded from the special revelation the night he appeared to the other eleven. Jesus even knew what that whole last week must have been like for Thomas.   Just think about what Thomas must have been dealing with.
    • The only disciple left out.
    • The only disciple with nothing but words to go by.
    • The one disciple most like us today.
      Thomas, the one left out, spent that entire week wrestling alone with his doubts.   He could have rebuked them for their unfaithfulness and spinelessness the previous weekend, but He did not[1] Jesus does not lecture him, chastise him, or discipline him for doubting, instead Jesus wished him peace, and in his mercy, he gives Thomas what he needed to move beyond his doubt.   Jesus simply came to Thomas. He met Thomas right where he was at, and he promises to meet you this morning right where you are at. But he also promises not to leave you the same way you came.   No one has ever met Jesus and stayed the same.       Redemption Turns to Delight   John 20:27 (NKJV) 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”   Notice Thomas’s needs were met down to the letter of what he was asking for. When you really desire to know Christ on a deeper level, he will give you exactly what you need to dive deep.   Notice He has not had a conversation with Jesus about what all he needs, Jesus knows your every thought, need, and desire. And when it comes to your relationship with Him he has every resource available to help you move towards delight.   But the wounds meant more than identification; they also were evidence that the price for salvation had been paid and man indeed could have “peace with God.”   The basis for all our peace is found in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He died for us, He arose from the dead in victory, and now He lives for us.   In our fears, we cannot lock Him out! He comes to us in grace and reassures us through His Word. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend” (Prov. 27:6).[2]   These words ring clear this morning as we sit one week removed from Easter, all the hype is gone, all the emotions are gone, and we are left with these words, “Do not be unbelieving but believing.”   Once we believe …   Delight Turns to Declaration   John 20:28–29 (NKJV) 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”   I want you to go back to the day that Jesus set you free……. Can you go there…… The day that you surrendered control and asked Jesus to be the Lord and Boss of your life?   Thomas had been hurt, confused, because he didn’t know but Jesus was able to turn all his issues into Delight. We all have issues, this morning God wants to do a work in you.   When Jesus saw that the disciples’ fear had now turned to joy, He commissioned them: “As My Father has sent Me, even so send I you” (John 20:21). Keep in mind that the original disciples were not the only ones present; others, were also in the room.   You see, you can’t give someone what you don’t have.   John 20:21 (NKJV) 21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”   It must have given the men great joy to realize that, in spite of their many failures, their Lord was entrusting them with His Word and His work. They had forsaken Him and fled, but now He was sending them out to represent Him. Peter had denied Him three times; and yet in a few days, Peter would preach the Word (and accuse the Jews of denying Him—Acts 3:13–14!) and thousands would be saved[3]   The good news is that it’s one week after Easter and many of you are feeling weak, but you can trade that weakness in for dominance over every situation.   He is Alive, Risen, and He has enabled us with His Spirit to be able to be more than conquers. When you get a hold of that you will want to shout it from the rooftops, declaring Jesus is Lord.   [1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 392). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books. [2] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 392). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books. [3] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, pp. 392–393). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
  • Apr 21, 2019Will Good People Go to Heaven? Sermon 4-21-19
    Apr 21, 2019
    Will Good People Go to Heaven? Sermon 4-21-19
    By: Bro. Phil
    Series: Rise Up
    Why Good People Won't Go to Heaven Romans 10:1-4 Dear brothers and sisters,[a] the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. 2 I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. 3 For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. 4 For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given.[b] As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.   “Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).   Will good people go to heaven?
    1. Because You Can Never Be Good Enough.
    “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved” (v. 1).   “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Good people don’t go to heaven–not even good people from other religions–because no one can be good enough.   
    1. Because Good People Are Deceived About The Reality of Their True Condition.
      “For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge” (v. 2). Religion tends to turn people into failures, hypocrites or both. Isaiah 64:6  “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” 
    1. Because Good People Think They Don’t Need Jesus.
    “Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes” (vv. 3-4). they came up with one of their own  
    1. Because Good People Wouldn’t Be Happy If They Did Go to Heaven.
      Are You a Good Person? Please accept my compliments on the good life you’ve been living. Every society needs fine people like you. Are you saved? Can a good person go to heaven? Yes, if he is willing to turn away from his goodness and trust Jesus Christ for his eternal salvation. As long as you cling to the slightest shred of your goodness, you’ll never see the gates of heaven. Once you let go of the rags of your own righteousness, you can be saved.
  • Apr 14, 2019Parade or Protest Sermon 4-14-19 AM
    Apr 14, 2019
    Parade or Protest Sermon 4-14-19 AM
    By: Bro. Phil
    Series: Rise Up
    Parade or Protest Palms or Picket Signs Crown Him or Crucify Him Hail Him or Nail Him Cheers and Tears Luke 19:28-45 Luke 19:28: After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone ask you, ‘why are you untying it?’ tell him, ‘the Lord needs it.’” THE CHEERS OF THE CROWD Everyone loves a parade.
    1. PAST: Jesus entered Jerusalem as a humble King
    “Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! See your King comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9)
    1. FUTURE: He will enter Jerusalem as a conquering King
    “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True...He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.” (Revelation 19:11, 13) “On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west…The Lord will be King over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.” (Zechariah 14:4,9) Learn the lesson of the donkey. “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong–so that no one could boast before Him.” (I Corinthians 1:27)
    1. THE TEARS OF THE KING
    Jesus was weeping–at His own parade! Why did Jesus cry that day?
    1. Jesus wept because of superficial belief
    Today, Jesus must certainly weep when He sees the shallow level of commitment in our lives.
    1. Jesus wept because of spiritual blindness
  • Apr 7, 2019Rise Up and Be Changed Sermon 4-7-19 AM
    Apr 7, 2019
    Rise Up and Be Changed Sermon 4-7-19 AM
    By: Bro. Phil
    Series: Rise Up
    What if there was not a Resurrection? Well, there was so…   RISE UP and be CHANGED   1 Corinthians 15:12-22   1 Corinthians 15:12-19  (NKJV)   12 Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?   13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.   15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise.   16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!   18 Then also those who have [a]fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiful.     PLAY: (Jayson??) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxH8Q8ue65o     what if that resurrection never happened…suppose that the Lord Jesus was still in that tomb?     That’s what Paul is talking about in our text.
    1. THE TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES OF A FALSE RESURRECTION
     
    1. Our Preaching is Profitless.
      - vs. 14, “and if Christ be not risen, our preaching is in vain.”   - Heart of the Gospel is this… 15:3-4, “That Christ died for our sins, was buried, and has risen again…according to the Scriptures.”  
    1. Our Faith is Foolish
      - vs. 14, “and your faith is in vain.”   “If we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God has raised him from the dead then you shall be saved.”  
    1. The Disciples are Deceivers
      - I Cor. 15:15, “Moreover, we are even found to be false witnesses of God,   because we witnessed against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise…”   - Hypocrites and Martyrs are not made of the same stuff…A man may live for a lie…but no one would die for a lie.  
    1. Sin is Sovereign
      - vs. 17, “And if Christ is not raised, your faith is vain and ye are yet in your sins.”   - No resurrection, No Savior…No Savior, no forgiveness…No forgiveness, no justification…   …No justification, no cleansing…No cleansing, you have to pay the penalty for your sins.   “Living he loved me, dying he saved me, buried he carried my sins far away, rising He justified, freely forever.   One day He’s coming, Oh glorious day.”  
    1. Death has Dominion
      - vs. 18, “Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.”  
    1. The Future is Futile
      - vs. 19, “If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.”   - Earnest Hemingway said, “It’s as though we are a colony of ants living on one end of a burning log.”   I have good news…Jesus Christ is risen and resurrected from the dead!!!
    1. THE TREMENDOUS CHANGES OF A TRUE RESURRECTION
     
    1. Through the Resurrection, a Statement was Made
    “It is finished.”
    • JOHN 20:6-7, “Simon Peter therefore also came, following him, and entered the tomb;
    •  
    • and he beheld the linen wrappings lying there, and the face cloth which had been on his head,
    •  
    • not lying by the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself.”
    - SILENT SIGNATURE
    1. Through the Resurrection, Sanctification was Mandated
      - Colossians 3:1-2: “If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”  
    1. Through the Resurrection, a Salvation was Manifested
      - I Corinthians 15:20-22: “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man (adam) came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.   For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.”   You called me from the grave by name You called me out of all my shame I see the old has passed away The new has come!   Now I have resurrection power Living on the insideJesus, You have given us freedom No longer bound by sin and darkness Living in the light of Your goodness You have given us freedom   That I'm dressed in Your royalty Your Holy Spirit lives in me And I see my past has been redeemed The new has come!   Now I have resurrection power Living on the inside Jesus, You have given us freedom I'm no longer bound by sin and darkness Living in the light of Your goodness You have given us freedom Freedom, You have given us freedom You have given us freedom, my chains are gone! Freedom, You have given us freedom You have given us freedom, hallelujah! Freedom, You have given us freedom You have given us freedom, my chains are gone oh o oh Freedom, You have given us freedom You have given us freedom, hallelujah!   Now I have resurrection power Living on the inside Now, I'm no longer bound by sin and darkness Living in the light of Your goodness You have given us freedom! Now I have resurrection power Living on the inside Jesus, You have given us freedom Now, I'm no longer bound by sin and darkness Living in the light of Your goodness You have given us freedom! (You set us free)   I have resurrection power (you set us free) Living on the inside Living on the inside! (You set us free) No longer bound by sin and darkness (you set us free) You have given us freedom You have given us freedom!     Songwriters: Ed Cash / Tony Brown / Ryan Ellis
  • Mar 31, 2019Rise Up 3-31-19 SERMON AM
    Mar 31, 2019
    Rise Up 3-31-19 SERMON AM
    By: Bro. Phil
    Series: Rise Up
    Rise Up You can’t have a resurrection until you have a burial
    1. JESUS’ BURIAL WAS CONDUCTED BY TWO UNLIKELY UNDERTAKERS
    2. Joseph had the courage to ask for the corpse of Jesus
    “As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body.” Matthew 27:57
    1. Nicodemus came into the light to help the Man who told him he needed a new birth
    “He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with the Jewish burial custom.” John 19:39-40
    1. JESUS’ BURIAL WAS PROPHESIED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
    “He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.” Isaiah 53:9 III. WHY IS UNDERSTANDING HIS BURIAL SO IMPORTANT? FINAL TRUTH: WHEN WE ARE BAPTIZED, WE IDENTIFY WITH JESUS “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Romans 6:4
  • Mar 24, 2019Rise Up O’ Men of God Sermon 3-24-19
    Mar 24, 2019
    Rise Up O’ Men of God Sermon 3-24-19
    By: Bro. Phil
    Series: Rise Up
    “Rise Up O’ Men of God!”
    Ezekiel 22:23-30 God has placed within the heart, hands, and soul of men incredible power to heal or hurt, build up or tear down, comfort or crush, and serve or enslave. When men decide to do something…something happens….good or bad Ezekiel 22:23 Again the word of the LORD came to me: 24“Son of man, say to the land, ‘You are a land that has had no rain or showers in the day of wrath.’ 25There is a conspiracy of her princes within her like a roaring lion tearing its prey; they devour people, take treasures and precious things and make many widows within her. 26Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. 27Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people to make unjust gain. 28Her prophets whitewash these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says’—when the LORD has not spoken. 29The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the alien, denying them justice. 30“I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. (Ezekiel 22:24-30 NIV) The walls are down in America today. It is time to rise up O’ men of God! We have gotten excited about temporal, transient things like sports, cars, and climbing the ladder of success instead of passionately pursuing the things that will last long after we are gone. The four character traits that will enable us to be men who can stand in the gap for our wives, children, church, community, and businesses. Repentance. Isaiah 29:13 13The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. Beliefs. “Men without an organized system of thought will always be at the mercy of men who have one.” We are in great need of men who know why and what they believe. Strength. The strength of a man is his passionate commitment to the Lord. 7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. (Psalm 28:7 NIV) 19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. (Habakkuk 3:19 NIV) 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13 NIV) Fellowship. Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. God has placed within the heart, hands, and souls of men incredible power. Power to shape the hearts of our children, power to bless our wives, power to restore our communities, power to strengthen God’s Church, power to glorify God in an unbelieving world.
  • Mar 17, 2019Rise Up…Surprise! Sermon 3-17-19 AM
    Mar 17, 2019
    Rise Up…Surprise! Sermon 3-17-19 AM
    By: Bro. Phil
    Series: Rise Up
    Rise Up…..Surprise!  That’s just like Jesus! He loved surprising people, especially those who had lost all hope. John 11:1-5 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. John 11:6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. God seems so slow sometimes, especially when we’re in a hurry. Most of us don’t like to wait, do we? John 11:7-8 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” What do you want to do? Get yourself killed! John 11:9-10 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” John 11:11-15 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” John 11:16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” Now, they all expect to die if they go back to Judah. John 11:17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. John 11:18-21 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. John 11:22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” John 11:23-24 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” Jesus said, “I AM the resurrection and the life.” Do you believe it? John 11:27-32 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” They wanted Jesus to raise Lazarus out of his sick bed, but Jesus had something far greater planned for Lazarus. DON’T BE SURPRISED BY HIS DELAYS. DON’T BE SURPRISED THAT HE LOVES YOU SO MUCH. John 11:33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. John 11:34-35 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. John 11:36-37 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” DON’T BE SURPRISED BY MIRACLES JESUS CAN AND WILL DO IN YOUR LIFE. John 11:38-39 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” John 11:40-43 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.”   John 11:44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” It was a miracle far beyond anyone’s imagining. Ephesians 3:20 puts it, “far more abundantly than all that we ask or think.” We want a fix on the old life when Jesus wants to give us a new one. We want a healing when Jesus wants to give us a resurrection.
  • Mar 10, 2019I Prophesy Life…Sermon 3-10-19 AM
    Mar 10, 2019
    I Prophesy Life…Sermon 3-10-19 AM
    By: Bro. Phil
    Series: Rise Up
    I PROPHESY LIFE…RISE UP “The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.” Ezekiel 37:1-4 “So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.” Ezekiel 37:7 God sets the prophet Ezekiel in the valley of dry bones for one purpose—to prophesy life. Everything in your life that has illegally been killed or died a premature death will live again! HAS IT BEEN DEAD TOO LONG? Some say yes “Is any thing too hard for the LORD?...” Genesis 18:14 VALLEY OF DRY BONES “And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.” Ezekiel 37:2 “And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.” Ezekiel 37:3 “So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.” Ezekiel 37:10 There is nothing so dead that God cannot bring it back to life. ABRAHAM—SARAH Genesis 17 ”[Abraham] being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb.” Romans 4:19 Abraham and Sarah were both old. In fact, Abraham was one hundred and Sarah his wife was ninety. The Bible says Abraham was the same as dead and Sarah’s womb was dead. In the natural, there was no way that Sarah could ever conceive and birth a son. She was past the age of child bearing. “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God…” Luke 18:27   What is in your life that needs to come back to life? LAZARUS John 11 Lazarus had been dead for four days. The human body begins to decay after three days, which means Lazarus’ body was already experiencing corruption or decay. “And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.” John 11:44   JAIRUS’ DAUGHTER RAISED FROM THE DEAD Mark 5 “My little girl is sick unto death. Please come lay Your hands on her and heal her that she may live.” “[Jairus] besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.” Mark 5:23 Jesus went with him, but the crowd was all around Him. He also stopped and healed a woman who had an issue of blood for twelve years. Before He arrived at Jairus’ house, someone came and informed Jairus that his daughter was dead and there was no need to trouble Jesus. Jesus was not afraid of death. He turned to Jairus and said, “Don’t be afraid, only believe.” “As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.” Mark 5:36 “And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly. And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.” Mark 5:38-39 He prophesied life to her and what happened? Death had to flee. ELISHA RAISES THE SHUNAMITE’S SON 2 Kings 4 THE DEVIL IS A LIAR “…Being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.” Romans 4:21 Your Best Is Yet To Come “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:18-19   CANCEL THE FUNERAL—HEZEKIAH Isaiah 38 “In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.” Isaiah 38:1 “Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.” Isaiah 38:5 Hezekiah’s funeral was cancelled. life. IF GOD KILLED IT, LET IT REMAIN DEAD Everything in your life that has been illegally killed or prematurely died will live again!
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