Time Is Of The Essence

Easter Sunrise Service (March 31, 2013)

Chapel of Redemption

Acts 1:1-11

“Time Is Of The Essence, And Here We Stand Wasting Time”

John Teem Jr.

INTRODUCTION:

Good Morning everyone.

Is this not a Great Day to be Alive?

Are we not Blessed to be Living in America?

Do we not enjoy the Blessings of Freedom?

Well let us Praise the LORD today and every day.

FOR THIS IS THE DAY THAT THE LORD HAS MADE, LET US REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT!

We come together this morning in celebration of something that happened more than 2000 years ago.

A man named Christ Jesus was Crucified and buried thought to be rid of by those who rejected Him….

But on that first Easter morning more than 2000 years ago He rose from the dead never to die again.

We have written testimony today to confirm all this, there have been many eyewitnesses to this fact.

And now after all this time there are still millions upon millions all over this world who Worship and serve this Resurrected Christ.

On the other hand there are more than 5 billion people worldwide who are still lost in their sin:

They have either not yet heard the Word Preached to them or have not yet accepted His Word.

The Bible says that Faith comes by hearing the Word of God.

But how shall they hear unless someone is sent to tell them?

I want to Thank God in Heaven today for His Written Word

As well as the Freedom to Read it, obey it and Preach it.

Now let us take our Bibles and Stand for the Reading of His Word.

Turn with me to ACTS 1:1-11

I – THE MISTAKE

A - Concern about Political matters (Acts 1:6-7)

B – Complacency (Acts 1:10-11)

Self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies

*So the MISTAKE is not being focused on the MISSION.

II – THE MISSION

A – To be Obedient to the Command of Christ (Acts 1:2, 4)

In Matthew 28:18-19 Jesus Said:

“All Authority is given to Me in Heaven and on Earth, Therefore Go…

B - To be Empowered by the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:8)

Through Prayer, The Word, and Fellowship with one another (Acts 1:13-14; Acts 2:42, 46)

C – To Announce the Good News (Acts 1:8) To Preach/Proclaim the Gospel

Matthew 28:18-20

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Mark 16:15-16;

15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

Luke 24:46-49

Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”

*So the MISTAKE is not being focused on the MISSION

And the MISSION is to Proclaim the MESSAGE.

III – THE MESSAGE

A – The Message of Redemption

1 - We should give Witness to our Redemption

I Timothy 1:15

Christ came to redeem sinners of whom I am chief

Psalm 107:1-2

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever.

Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,

Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,

2 - We should show others the Way to Redemption

Proverbs 11:30

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.”

B – The Message of Reconciliation (To Restore a Relationship)

1 – Christ came to Reconcile man’s Relationship with God.

2 – We have been given the Ministry of Reconciliation.

II Corinthians 5:17-21

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ Reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the Word of Reconciliation.