Be Not Afraid
Easter 2013
Introduction:
A His story, Jesus, changed history.
1 We must all believe one of three things about Jesus: liar, lunatic, or Lord.
a If the claims He made were false and He knew about it, liar.
b If the claims He made were false and He didn’t know it, lunatic.
c If the claims He made (Messiah, Forgiver of Sin, Way) were true, He is Lord!
2 His resurrection proves His claims to be true!
a He didn’t faint, people didn’t image they saw Him, disciples didn’t steal His body (Those guys were sissies until they saw the Risen Jesus!)
b His body was never recovered and that is all that would have been required to squash any of this resurrection talk.
B Paul wrote in Rom. if one doesn’t believe that Jesus is alive then they are still lost, unsaved, still on their way to hell!
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. Romans 10:9-10 (NASB)
1 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;7 then He appeared to James , then to all the apostles;8 and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.1 Cor 15:3-8 (NASB)
a That’s a lot of people who saw Jesus with their own eyes!
b 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.15 Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ , whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised;17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 1 Cor 15:14-17 (NASB)
aa If He’s not alive were wasting our time, believing in a fairy tale.
bb Worse yet, we’re still going to hell, defeated now, the grave is the end of the road.
2 If He is ALIVE sin is defeated, death has died!
a We need not fear life, death, grave, eternity.
b We will be with Him forever and ever!
I Resurrection kills fear.
A 17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last,18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. Rev 1:17-18 (NASB)
1 John wrote during a vision he had while exiled on a Roman prison camp on the Isle of Patmos.
a When John felt the presence of God he lay in waste on the floor because of his sin.
aa He realized how Holy God was and how unholy he was.
bb The proper response is a posture of repentance, humility.
b Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid; . . .”
aa John had nothing to fear as He came into the presence of God because that same Lord had paid by His death the penalty of John’s sin.
bb 25 Jesus said to her, " I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" John 11:25-26 (NASB)
cc “ . . .because I live, you will live also. John 14:19 (NASB)
2 You ever feel guilty because you’ve dropped the ball in your faith?
a Who is the one who condemns?
aa 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised , who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Romans 8:34 (NASB)
bb 34 Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!-is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Romans 8:34 (MSG)
cc If you forgot to pray for you and your family today, don’t worry. Jesus did!
b Christ Jesus is He who died to remove your sin, guilt, every time you and I drop the ball of faith.
aa Guilt? Sure!
bb Jesus died for me, He is risen from the dead for me NOT TO MAKE ME MISERABLE.
cc He rose again for my justification to show that I am forgiven!
c He is all for me bowing in reverence; He’s against me cowering in fear, shame, guilt. . . HE DIED FOR ME SO I COULD APPROACH HIM WITHOUT SIN!
B Jesus said, “I AM the first and the last, and the living ONE . . .”
1 Jesus used the covenant name of God (Ex. 3.14.)
14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.' " Ex 3:14 (NASB)
a It’s the name Jesus used to calm the disciples in the middle of the storm when He approached them walking on water (John 8.58.)
58 Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am." John 8:58 (NASB)
b John had heard those same words, from that same voice before!
2 “the first & the last (alpha & omega; aleph & tav)
a He came out of eternity and He moves into eternity.
aa He is first because there was none before Him and there will be none to follow Him.
bb What’s the letter before “A”? Last after “Z”?
cc He was at the commencement and at the close.
b 2 Before the mountains were born Or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. Psalms 90:2 (NASB)
aa Everlasting means from the vanishing point in the past to the vanishing point in the future He is God.
bb 4 " Who has performed and accomplished it, Calling forth the generations from the beginning? ' I, the Lord, am the first, and with the last. I am He.'"Isaiah 41:4 (NASB)
cc 6 "Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: 'I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me. Isaiah 44:6 (NASB)
c After all the false gods have come & gone, Only He remains!
aa He is the living ONE.
10 Joshua said, "By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will assuredly dispossess from before you the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Hivite, the Perizzite, the Girgashite, the Amorite, and the Jebusite. Josh 3:10 (NASB)
2 My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. Psalms 84:2 (NASB)
10 Yet the number of the sons of Israel Will be like the sand of the sea, Which cannot be measured or numbered; And in the place Where it is said to them, "You are not My people," It will be said to them, "You are the sons of the living God." Hosea 1:10 (NASB)
bb If He is on your side, in your corner you have nothing at all to fear about anything!
cc 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? Romans 8:31 (NASB)
dd We don’t need to fear anything that this life brings us because HE LIVES!
d A disciple has zero reason to be scared, fearful, frightened because resurrection killed them all!
II Resurrection kills doubt.
A I was dead and behold, I am alive forever more. (Lit. I became dead)
1 “John, you saw me die. You were there by momma.”
a Jesus is fully God & fully man at the same time.
aa When He physically died on the cross, He died w/o ceasing to be God.
bb For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit 1 Peter 3:18 (NASB)
b He died on the cross because He loves you and wants to spend eternity with you.
2 He is now alive! Resurrected!
a If you ever doubt your salvation don’t forget the empty tomb.
aa His death was the only way our sins could be forgiven.
bb His resurrection proves your sins were paid for!
cc IL. Receipt at WM proves you purchased something; An empty tomb is your receipt.
b Because He lives I don’t have fear living or dying.
B He’s alive forever more!!
1 25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. Heb 7:25 (NASB)
2 He’s not dying again! Once was enough!
a Jesus disabled the trap of death, snare of the grave.
b He’s where He is going to be forever . . .ALIVE.
III Resurrection didn’t forget the keys!
A 14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. Heb 2:14-15 (NASB)
B When John wrote these words, the church/Christians were the minority in the Roman Empire. (Persecuted, ridiculed, outcast, minimalized, brutalized)
1 Today, the Armies of the Roman Empire have long since been silenced but the Kingdom of God marches on because our King still reigns.
a We will outlive any of this world’s governments, tyrants, fads & fancies. . . because our God has (and will) outlive them all!
b What is amazing is that Rome eventually surrendered to the one that their soldiers crucified.
aa Chi Rho is a symbol that was first used by Constitine.
bb After seeing previous military generals fall after they had prayed to a pantheon of gods, Constitine decided to pray to the ONE God.
cc He made his soldiers mark their shields with the symbol of the Chi Rho, the first two Greek letters in “Ch-r-ist.”
dd They went into battle and came out VICTORIOUS!!!
ee The wreath around the Chi Rho represents the prize that awarded to the winner of a race, victor!
ff Victory over death!!!
c Soldiers who had once marched Jesus to calvary, crucified Him on the Cross now walk under the banner of the resurrected Christ!
2 When we receive Jesus’ as our Savior, we too march under the banner of the one who has defeated death, hell, & the grave!
a Who has the keys, authority over the things that frighten us the most!
b He lets in those who He wants & WE HAVE ZERO FEAR IF WE PUT OUR TRUST IN HIM WHO HAS MADE DEATH HIS SERVANT!!!
C Jesus is bigger than whatever crisis you and I are facing today.
1 He’s bigger than divorce, unemployment, disease, addiction.
a He’s bigger than rape, abuse, your biggest bully.
b He’s bigger than losing your wife/husband/ death/children/innocense.
c He is the IAM! The Living One!
2 He will out live all of your pain, hurt, disappointment, discouragement.
a “I don’t that I have the strength, faith, hope . . .preacher!
b Jesus said, “I AM!”
aa I AM . . . Jehovah, King, Messiah, David’s Offering, that nothing is too hard.
bb I AM . . . The Lord, Almighty God, Shepherd, Door, I’m the good news to the bound & the poor.
cc I AM . . . righteous one, Lamb, Ram in the bush for Abraham.
dd I AM . . . ultimate sacrifice for sin, your redeemer, the beginning and the end.
ee I AM . . . High Priest, Christ, Resurrection, Life.
ff I AM . . . the bread, the wine, one in the midst of two or three.
gg I AM . . . hope, peace, joy, rest, your comfort, relief from your stress.
hh I AM . . . Strength, Faith, Love, Power, your Freedom from this very hour.
hh I AM . . . Tabernacle, Jubilee, I am your future so leave your PAST BEHIND!!!
c The future belongs to HIM!
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