Series: Experience the Spirit
Theme: The Body of Christ needs to learn to experience the Spirit in their everyday lives so that they grow spiritually. We can learn to experience true spirituality as we see the Spirit at work in our daily lives and activities.
As we learn to recognize the Spirit and embrace His Spirit spiritual growth will take place in our lives.
Over the last few weeks we have been learning how to experience the Spirit in various dimensions of our life. The intent or focus of this series is to encourage all of us to be intentional about our spiritual growth.
According to researchers America possess the world’s largest infrastructure for implementing spiritual growth and assisting people in their spiritual development. This nation has about 450,000 churches according to Answers.com. There are 1,000’s of para-church organizations in the USA as well. We have an estimated 3,000 Christian Schools in this country with this number dwindling every year. We have seemingly unlimited Christian products, resources, and even experts in this country. We have 100’s of Christian radio stations and TV stations in the USA. We have more Bibles than you can imagine in this country with close to a 100 translations and versions of the Bible available today. We have more than we need to grow spiritually in this country, yet “Spiritual Maturity” is highlighted as the number one problem among Christians today by the Barna Research group in a 2009 study.
Many Christians cannot define or have a very hard time defining what Christian Spiritual Maturity is or even looks like. Yet, many will say that they want to grow into spiritually mature Christians.
We have learned the importance of the Bible in our spiritual growth.
We have discovered how we need recognize and experience the Spirit even at work.
We experienced the Spirit through prayer, praise and worship a few weeks ago as God’s Presence showed up in that service.
We stressed the necessity of listening to wisdom from above to experience the Spirit in our decision making process of life.
Experience the Spirit through conflict: We also talked about the importance of working through the process of conflict so that we grow spiritually through the difficult dimensions of life. We also made the choice to forgive someone who had hurt us which opens the door to experience the Spirit.
Experiencing the Spirit through Service: The Lord desires us to use our gifts in service to Him and when we do that we will experience His Spirit in the midst of our serving.
Last week Pastor Brian talked about how to experience the Spirit through pain and loss.
Today we are going to learn how to experience the Spirit in the Resurrection!
Sermon: Experience the Spirit in the Resurrection
Introduction:
Today is the greatest celebrated day of the Church of Jesus Christ. The validity and the message of Easter is what set’s Christianity apart from all the other religions in this world. It’s a day filled with joy, it’s a day filled with eternal expectations and celebration. Easter helps us to see what’s on the other side of the death. It spiritually communicates the message of hope, the reality of victory over death in this life. It shows what we can expect on the other side of this life. Easter is a gift given to us so that we can experience the Spirit in this life here and now and it’s a tool for us to use so that we can experience the resurrection of Jesus and His Spirit which is attached to it.
Today I want to talk about the three different time zones of Jesus.
But before I do I would like to talk a moment about time zones
There are 4 time zones in the united states and about 40 time zones world wide. These time zones have a specified time in them.
The rope time zone of your life in comparison to eternity.
Hands on Illustration: The long rope – red tape on one end of it.
Chan’s thoughts on how we live our life.
We do not live our life with the right view of time and our existence on this earth.
Our perception of life is dwarfed by the here and now of everyday life.
This week many in our country walked, worked, drove, talked, ate and never thought much aboutJesus last week on earth. Jesus last week on earth prior to his death was filled with mile marker time zones.
Here is a brief chronology of Holy Week:
Saturday
Arrived at Bethany
John 12:1
Sunday
Crowd came to see Jesus
John 12:9-11
Monday
Triumphal Entry
Matthew 21:1-9; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:28-44
Tuesday
Cursed Fig Tree
Matthew 21:18-19; Mark 11:12-14
Cleansed Temple
Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:45-46
Wednesday
Fig Tree Withered
Matthew 21:20-22; Mark 11:20-26
Temple Controversy
Matthew 21:23-23:39; Mark 11:27-12:44; Luke 20:1-21:4
Olivet Discourse
Matthew 24:1-25:46; Mark 13:1-37; Luke 21:5-36
Thursday
Last Supper
Matthew 26:20-30; Mark 14:17-26; Luke 22:14-30
Betrayed and Arrested
Matthew 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:2-12
Tried by Annas and Caiaphas
Matthew 26:57-75; Mark 14:53-72; Luke 22:54-65: John 18:13-27
Friday
Tried by Sanhedrin
Matthew 27:1; Mark 15:1; Luke 22:66
Tried by Pilate, Herod
Matthew 27:2-30; Mark 15:2-19; Luke 23:1-25; John 18:28-19:16
Crucified and Buried
Matthew 27:31-60; Mark 15:20-46; Luke 23:26-54; John 19:16-42
Saturday
Dead in Tomb
Sunday
Resurrected
Matthew 28:1-15; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-3
I. The dead zone: Good Friday – This Friday Pastor Thomas talked about experiencing the Spirit in the cross – the dead zone.
i. Scripture Text: Mark 15:33-39: 33At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?“—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.” 36One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said. 37With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. 38The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
ii. Jesus cry, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me!” is a desperate cry of loneliness. I believe this was the worst and the most horrible moment of the crucifixion for Jesus. When sin invaded His life and the Father walked away! He felt totally alone! His one cry reveals to us the depth of His suffering for us!
b. Mark’s Gospel reveals the one cry recorded by Jesus at the crucifixion. Mark’s Gospel is written from Peter’s view point and it only emphasizes one agonizing lonely cry.
i. Why would Peter only include in his account the one cry of Jesus on the cross? Could it be that Peter could relate to this point of the crucifixion. It stands to reason from what the other Gospel writers recorded that Peter was deeply impacted by this moment in time. His re-telling of what he heard about the crucifixion centers in on Jesus’ One cry. We know that He was not there because he had denied Christ the night before. He had fled and maybe he had already started heading back to his home town and back to his old trade of fishing. Maybe he remembers this time on the cross because of what he was doing at that same time. Could it be that he was at this horrible moment for Jesus walking back home in utter defeat. He was upset crying, weeping and having to face the separation between Him and Jesus? He had denied Jesus the one he loved! How could he have done that? Could it be this moment in time sticks out to him because he would have known the pain of being alone with sin rushing through over his life. He was facing it at the same time! Could it be that Peter knew how special Jesus relationship with ‘Abba” Father was? Peter being close to Jesus would have known how deeply the Father’s separation from Jesus would have hurt His Lord. He knew how lonely and hurtful it would have been for Jesus at this point in time. Peter knew the feeling when you are separated from the one you love the most? Remember Peter experienced what happens when you reject the Lord and fall into sin. He was even warned by the Lord but he fell prey to temptation and denied the Lord 3x and then the rooster crowed. He knew the pain and agony of it all. So he chooses to put in one lonely cry at the crucifixion. Maybe when he heard about the “One cry” from the others his mind reflected back to his nightmare of denial and the lonely feeling of rejection he experienced!
T.S. – So we move from the dead zone on Friday and Saturday to a rez zone on Sunday.
II. The Resurrection zone: What the resurrection of Jesus opened up in the Spiritual realm
a. Jesus experienced the Spirit in His resurrection from the Dead and it opened up the door for us also to experience the Spirit.
b. Quest Study Bible notes this about the question,” What changed at this pivotal point in history?”
i. The resurrection vindicated Jesus’ claims about himself, that he was the Son of God in the flesh, the fulfillment of God’s dealings with humankind. No longer would people have to follow rules and traditions to find salvation (Col. 2:20-23). The old covenant had been superseded by the new and the proof was in the resurrection. Because Jesus lives, he is the Messiah, the one to trust. Another way to look at this question is to ask what would be different if Jesus had not risen from the dead. If there had been no resurrection, Christianity as we know it would not exist. At most, Christians would be following the teachings of just another popular rabbi. His words merely would have joined the countless words of other religious writings. People would be left with no other option for salvation then to strive for absolute obedience. But the resurrection changed everything. People follow Christ’s teachings, not to BECOME saved, but because they ARE saved. They’ve discovered something even better than knowing WORDS; they’ve found what it means to know HIM! Because he was raised from the dead, we can be too. We can live-really live- both now and through all eternity (1463).
c. Our greatest joy should be in knowing that one day we too will participate in the resurrection like Jesus.
i. We too will experience the ecstasy of the resurrection. We will as Christ did defeat the power of death and sin and then ascend into Heaven like Jesus did. We too will experience the reality of Heaven. We too one day will meet Love face to face and we too will see things that we had only dreamed of.
ii. Yes we will one day proceed from here to eternity. We will leave this physical realm filled with hate, sin, destruction and evil and move into a spiritual state filled with love, joy, peace, and Jesus Himself. We will receive resurrected spiritual bodies. No more concern about physical elements to the body that will fade into the past. All this was made possible for us because of Jesus sacrifice and his willingness to follow the will and the plan of the Father.
iii. Yes the resurrection of Jesus is a crucial teaching of Christianity and it needs to be given first priority in our life and doctrine if we want to experience the Spirit.
d. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-11)
i. Scripture Text: 1 Corinthians 15: The Resurrection of Christ
1Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.
2By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
5and that he appeared to Peter,£ and then to the Twelve.
6After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,
8and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
9For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
11Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed
ii. ...17And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
iii. 50I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
51Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—
52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
53For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
54When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
55“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
57But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1. Jesus Resurrection is the key event which separates Christianity from all other religions in the world.
2. Jesus defeat of death sets this religion apart from all others in the world.
3. Without the Resurrection there would be no salvation, no redemption and really no hope.
4. The Resurrection of Jesus affirms that our faith is in the right person and in the truth.
5. Jesus resurrection paved the way for our resurrection – you could say Jesus built the road and the way that leads to our resurrection.
iv. Jesus Resurrection is not a myth but a fact and it is documented by 100’s of eye witnesses.
1. In the court of law one or two witnesses are needed to verify something is true or not. Jesus had 100’s testify to his Resurrection from the dead.
2. God confirmed his plan for this world when Christ rose from the dead and affirmed everything He had declared He would do.
3. It is the exclamation point of Jesus ministry.
4. It affirmed all His promises and verified His authenticity as the Son of God.
5. Remember Jesus is the only one in the history of the world to have done this supernatural feat.
a. This is why we need to place our faith and trust in Him
e. Quote from: Life Line - sermon from Preaching Today by Lee Eclov:
i. On this we can agree: Christ’s resurrection is the beginning of the end, from God’s point of view. The point of these verses is that Christ’s resurrection initiated a sequence of events by which all that is in rebellion against God, including death itself, will finally and forever be brought under. God’s sovereign authority, thanks to the mighty work of Jesus Christ. Look at the sequence: Christ, the first fruits, is made alive (v.23a). That happened when Christ arose. Then time passes. “Then, when he comes, those who belong to him” will be made alive (v.23b). Right now, Christians who have died are conscious and present with the Lord, but they do not have their resurrection bodies. Their spirits are alive but their bodies aren’t; they have not yet been resurrected. That will happen the moment Jesus returns. “Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father...” (v.24a). And the next phrase adds another stage: “…after he has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (vv.24b–26). This conquering of all God’s enemies happens before “Then the end will come.” Some believers see this as happening as part of stage one—Christ’s resurrection—because that was the victory blow over all God’s enemies. But God’s enemies are still at work and people still die. That’s why I think this destroying of God’s enemies happens after stage two—the return of Christ and the resurrection of his saints.
f. Illustration: Ravi Zacharias Says, "Changed Lives Show the Truth of Christ"
i. In his book Has Christianity Failed You? Ravi Zacharias points to one of the greatest proofs for the truth of Christ and the reality of his resurrection: the changed lives of Christians. He writes: During the course of nearly 40 years, I have traveled to virtually every continent and seen or heard some of the most amazing testimonies of God’s intervention in the most extreme circumstances. I have seen hardened criminals touched by the message of Jesus Christ and their hearts turned toward good in a way that no amount or rehabilitation could have accomplished. I have seen ardent followers of radical belief systems turned from being violent, brutal terrorists to becoming mild, tenderhearted followers of Jesus Christ. I have seen nations where the gospel, banned and silenced by governments, has nevertheless conquered the ethos and mind-set of an entire culture.Then in his own words Zacharias lists examples of Christ’s power to transform lives: In the middle of the twentieth century, after destroying all of the Christian seminary libraries in the country, Chairman Mao declared that … Christianity had been permanently removed from China, never to make a return. On Easter Sunday in 2009, [however] amp;hellip; the leading English language newspaper in Hong Kong published a picture of Tiananmen Square on page 1, with Jesus replacing Chairman Mao’s picture on the gigantic banner, and the words "Christ is Risen" below it.I have also been in the Middle East and marveled at the commitment of young people who have risked their lives to attend a Bible study …. I have talked to CEOs of large companies in Islamic nations who testify to seeing Jesus in visions and dreams and wonder what it all means. The British author A. N. Wilson, who only a few years ago was known for his scathing attacks on Christianity … celebrated Easter [in 2009] at a church with a group of other church members, proclaiming that that the story of the Jesus of the Gospels is the only story that makes sense out of life and its challenges. [Wilson said], "My own return to faith has surprised none more than myself …. My belief has come about in large measure because of the lives and examples of people I have known—not the famous, not saints, but friends and relations who have lived, and faced death, in light of the resurrection story, or in the quiet acceptance that they have a future after they die." Matthew Parris [a British atheist who visited Malawi in 2008] wrote an article titled "As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God." [Parris wrote], "I’ve become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa …. I used to avoid this truth … but Christians black and white, working in Africa, do heal the sick, do teach people to read and write; and only the severest kind of secularist could see a mission hospital or school and say the world would be better without it."
1. The above from Ravi Zacharias, Has Christianity Failed You? (Zondervan, 2010), pp. 105-107
g. The message of Easter and the point of the resurrection is that you have to die to really learn how to live.
T.S. – We see the reason for the death and resurrection of Jesus and that door that was opened but how does that apply experiencing the Spirit in the Resurrection.
III. The spiritual zone filled with life in the Spirit: How do you experience the Spirit through the Resurrection- just listen to the stories below.
a. A few case studies from the Bible will help us understand how we today can experience the Spirit through the Resurrection of Jesus.
i. Mary
1. Mark 16:1-11Luke 24:1-12
a. Do not fear!
b. He gave hope and drove out their fear.
c. Spread the news
d. Many did not believe because it sounded like nonsense.
ii. The disciples on the road to Emmaus
1. Luke 24:13-35
a. He walks with them
b. He listens to them
c. He reminds them of the OT prophetic promises and truths
d. He reveals himself
e. They said, “Our hearts burned within us (verse 32).”
f. They said, “He opened the Scriptures to us (verse 32).”
iii. Jesus appears to the disciples
1. Mark 16:14-18/John 20:19-23
a. Why are your troubled, in fear afraid of the Jews – I win I beat back the power of death and now give you life.
b. He rebukes their lack of faith
c. He rebukes their refusal to believe what the others have saw and experienced
d. He breathed on then and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit!”
e. He tells them to go tell the world this great news.
f. Why because then they too will experience new life and the power of the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead.
iv. Jesus appears to the disciples and for Thomas
1. John 20:24-31
a. “Unless I see the nail marks and his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and my hand in his side – I will not believe.”
b. He had to see with his own eyes
c. Jesus reappears a week later just for Thomas
d. Jesus tells him to stop doubting
e. He then tells us all that those who do not literally see him and believe will be blessed!
v. Jesus appears to the disciples 3rd time and for Peter
1. John 21
a. Jesus shows up at the lake as His disciples have returned their trade of fishing
i. He tells them where to catch the fish
ii. It’s a miracle catch of fish
iii. He cooks them breakfast
iv. He forgives Peter and reinstates Him
v. He tells him that he will die for the Gospel
vi. He then tells him follow me!
vi. I heard a story about a family that tragically lost three of their four children within just two weeks to a deadly, virulent disease. One child was left – a four year old boy. The family had buried the third child just two weeks before Easter. On Easter morning the parents and the remaining child went to church. The mother taught her Sunday School class about the resurrection of Jesus and the father read the Easter story as he led the opening Sunday School devotion. People who knew about their great loss wondered how they could do it. One family of the church were in the car on their way home after church when their 16 year old asked his father, "Dad, that couple must believe everything about the Easter Story, don’t they?" "Of course they believe it," said the father, "all Christians do!" The young man then said, "But not like they do!
vii. CYMBALA’S EASTER STORY: Jim Cymbala preaches at a church in the slums of New York. He tells the following story: It was Easter Sunday and I was so tired at the end of the day that I just went to the edge of the platform, pulled down my tie and sat down and draped my feet over the edge. It was a wonderful service with many people coming forward. The counselors were talking with these people. As I was sitting there I looked up the middle aisle, and there in about the third row was a man who looked about fifty, disheveled, filthy. He looked up at me rather sheepishly, as if saying, “Could I talk to you?” We have homeless people coming in all the time, asking for money or whatever. So as I sat there, I said to myself, though I am ashamed of it, “What a way to end a Sunday. I’ve had such a good time, preaching and ministering, and here’s a fellow probably wanting some money for more wine.” He walked up. When he got within about five feet of me, I smelled a horrible smell like I’d never smelled in my life. It was so awful that when he got close, I would inhale by looking away, and then I’d talk to him, and then look away to inhale, because I couldn’t inhale facing him. I asked him, “What’s your name?” “David.” “How long have you been on the street?” “Six years.” “How old are you?” “Thirty-two.” He looked fifty--hair matted; front teeth missing; wino; eyes slightly glazed. “Where did you sleep last night, David?” “Abandoned truck.” I keep in my back pocket a money clip that also holds some credit cards. I fumbled to pick one out thinking; I’ll give him some money. I won’t even get a volunteer. They are all busy talking with others. Usually we don’t give money to people. We take them to get something to eat. I took the money out. David pushed his finger in front of me. He said, “I don’t want your money. I want this Jesus, the One you were talking about, because I’m not going to make it. I’m going to die on the street.” I completely forgot about David, and I started to weep for myself. I was going to give a couple of dollars to someone God had sent to me. See how easy it is? I could make the excuse I was tired. There is no excuse. I was not seeing him the way God sees him. I was not feeling what God feels. But oh, did that change! David just stood there. He didn’t know what was happening. I pleaded with God, “God, forgive me! Forgive me! Please forgive me. I am so sorry to represent You this way. I’m so sorry. Here I am with my message and my points, and You send somebody and I am not ready for it. Oh, God!” Something came over me. Suddenly I started to weep deeper, and David began to weep. He fell against my chest as I was sitting there. He fell against my white shirt and tie, and I put my arms around him, and there we wept on each other. The smell of His person became a beautiful aroma. Here is what I thought the Lord made real to me: If you don’t love this smell, I can’t use you, because this is why I called you where you are. This is what you are about. You are about this smell. Christ changed David’s life. He started memorizing portions of Scripture that were incredible. We got him a place to live. We hired him in the church to do maintenance, and we got his teeth fixed. He was a handsome man when he came out of the hospital. They detoxed him in 6 days. He spent that Thanksgiving at my house. He also spent Christmas at my house. When we were exchanging presents, he pulled out a little thing and he said, “This is for you.” It was a little white hanky. It was the only thing he could afford. A year later David got up and talked about his conversion to Christ. The minute he took the mic and began to speak, I said, “The man is a preacher.” This past Easter we ordained David. He is an associate minister of a church over in New Jersey. And I was so close to saying, “Here, take this; I’m a busy preacher.”
1. We can get so full of ourselves that we miss the main point of Easter
viii. Easter points to the power of the spirit to resurrect people back from death to life.
1. Paul says “The same spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in you.” (Romans 8:11)
Show video of the Cardboard testimonies
Conclusion:
Bruce Larson said, “The events of Easter cannot be reduced to a creed or philosophy. We are not asked to believe the doctrine of the resurrection. We are asked to meet this person raised from the dead. In faith, we move from belief in a doctrine to a knowledge of a person. Ultimate truth is a person. We met him. He is alive-“
We all need to accept the invitation from heaven to look into the empty tomb and to see that he is no longer there. The rock has been removed out of our way so we can look in. When we choose to look into the tomb we should note the empty linen and the folded up burial cloth of Jesus. He is telling us that He is coming back. His appearances after the discovery by the women and the disciples to all his disciples plus 500 verify its authenticity. Jesus today is inviting us to become a part of this great miracle.
Jesus opened the door to eternal life and the defeat of death. There is no more curse for those who participate in the resurrection of Jesus. He invites you to personally come to Him and behold the power of the resurrection as described in Revelation. He is coming back sooner than most of us think - so this Easter accept his invitation now to be a part of this great day personally!
