Living In Two Worlds

Living In Two Worlds

I John 5:1-5

GOOD FRIDAY! Why do we call it good? Was it not a horrible day? Was it not the darkest day in human history? For Christ it meant rejection, pubic ridicule, abandonment, and terrible suffering. Satan seemed to have the victory. What is good about that? Most of His followers cringed in fear and lost all hope. For them it was a day of defeat and gloom.

Why do we call it good? Because of what it provided for humanity. By shedding His blood, Jesus became the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world. He atoned for our sins on that day. He opened the way for us to be forgiven and adopted into His family.

WE LIVE IN A GOOD FRIDAY WORLD

1. Suffering abounds

2. Pain is everywhere

3. Heartache is all about us

They are universal, no respecter of persons, places, races, social standing, wealth, or religion.

WE LIVE IN A GOOD FRIDAY WORLD, BUT WE ARE EASTER PEOPLE!

1. We always look to the future

2. We are filled with hope

3. We know that this life is not all there is

4. We have a promise from the One who siad, “I am the resurrection and the life; he that believes in me, will live, even though he dies.”

Each year on opening day of baseball season, every team goes out with the hope of that being their year, the year when they win the World Series. As the season progresses, that hope will begin to fade for most teams, and by the All Star break the majority of the teams will have given up that hope--at least for that year. That’s the nature of the game.

The hope that we have received in Christ doesn’t change--no matter what we encounter in this life. It can’t be changed, because it isn’t dependent on us or our circumstances or anything we do, but on Christ, and what He has already done for us. As Peter put it, it’s imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. No matter what happens in this life, we can have that hope. Or as Paul put it, nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. That’s the nature of the glorious gospel.

YES, WE LIVE IN A GOOD FRIDAY WORLD, BUT WE ARE EASTER PEOPLE!

We live in two worlds, (1) the world of darkness, and (2) the world of light--God’s light!

WE LIVE IN A GOOD FRIDAY WORLD

1. Filled with hatred, war, and sin

2. Confusion reigns

3. Nations are in turmoil

4. Uncertainty lingers

Listen to these newspaper headlines:

PRIEST KILLS NUN IN SATANIC RITUAL

MAN RAPES TEN-YEAR-OLD GIRL

FAMILY OF SIX FOUND MURDERED

TERRORISTS KILL 39 IN TEL AVIV

WE LIVE IN A GOOD FRIDAY WORLD, BUT WE ARE EASTER PEOPLE!

1. We know Who’s really in control

2. We know where we are going

3. We know that God has a plan for the future of this world and humanity

4. We are not confused about who we are in Christ.

5. We know our purpose and goal

WE LIVE IN A GOOD FRIDAY WORLD

1. Disease is running rampant through our planet

2. AIDS is spreading

3. Bird flu is a threat

4. Cancer seems to be everywhere

WE LIVE IN A GOOD FRIDAY WORLD, BUT WE ARE EASTER PEOPLE!

1. Disease gives way to the Great Physician

2. Our bodies are under attack, but our spirits are guarded by the One who has set us free

3. Pain is temporary; one day we will have new bodies that will be free from decay and pain.

4. Sorrow and suffering will be banished

WE LIVE IN A GOOD FRIDAY WORLD

1. Darkness spreads across our land

2. The Prince of this world is smiling

3. Pornography is slowly becoming accepted as an art form

4. Child abuse is on the rise

YES, WE LIVE IN A GOOD FRIDAY WORLD, BUT WE ARE EASTER PEOPLE!

1. We are not filled with fear in spite of what our enemy may do.

2. We subscribe to I John 4:4: “Greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world.”

3. We choose to live by a higher standard that that offered by the world.

4. We are agents of light

5. We are the salt of the world

6. We can have victory over sin here and now because we have resurrection power at our disposal.

EASTER PEOPLE REMEMBER THE WORDS OF SCRIPTURE…

John 16:33: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

I Peter 2:9: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”