Live with Faith, Hope, and Love!

Matthew 28:1-10 & John 11:25-26 (NAS95)

Nobody expected Jesus to rise from the dead. Nobody. 

Not the soldiers who were experts at the brutal art of crucifixion. Nobody survived.

Not the rulers who sentenced him to death. Nobody resisted their will.

Not the empire of Rome that dominated the world. Nobody in the capital even noticed.

Not the religious leaders. They were now rid of him once and for all.

Not His disciples. This was the end of their promising movement. 

Not the crowds in Jerusalem. Their hopes of a conquering hero were crushed.

Not the principalities and powers, the evil forces in high places, the ministers of hate and cruelty, that conspired to kill the Son of God.

Only Jesus knew, because He trusted His Father to keep His promise, to fulfill His purpose, to manifest His mercy, to save a lost world.

It was for the joy of a resurrection coming that He endured the pain, carried our shame, forgave His enemies, and gave His life as a sacrifice for us.

Jesus the Messiah, the Christ of God, died and rose again so that anyone who puts their trust in him can be rescued from sin and sadness, delivered from death and judgment, reawakened by the shock of this good news, and infused with hope.

On that morning, NOBODY imagined an outcome like this. But then there was no body in the tomb. 

Now EVERYBODY is invited to take the gift that fills our hearts, stills our fears, and transforms all of life with an undying, everlasting love.[1]

The Easter proclamation is God’s invitation into a personal relationship with Him through faith in Jesus Christ – it is God’s adoption of His Children at the great cost of His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, who shed His blood for the forgiveness of our sins. It is through the promise of resurrection and life, as proclaimed by Jesus’ victory over death that we can have life with God, for this life and in the life to come. Listen to the Gospel of Matthew 28:1-10 and let us commemorate the historical event for which we celebrate Easter:

Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.” And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

Let us pray.

Before Easter Sunday, Jesus promised in John 11:25-26, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” That is the question of the age – “Do you believe this?” It is a question that Jesus asks all people through the Holy Spirit, and I voice it to you personally today.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is our hope, not only for eternal life, but for today. It is important to realize this reality – there is more to the gospel of Jesus Christ than being saved from your sins so that you can enjoy eternity with God. While that is the best news ever proclaimed, the reality of the resurrection is that we are called to live with faith, hope, and love in this life, as ambassadors of Christ – we join with these first eyewitnesses of the resurrection to do exactly what they were told to do – “Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; … Don’t be afraid, go!”

This is the mission of the church of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18-20)! This is what we were saved to do. Jesus’ victory calls us to receive salvation, not only so we can be saved, but so that we can join with Jesus in His magnificent work. Paul taught us this amazing truth in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21:

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Let’s take a few minutes this morning to be reminded of the life we are called to live as the people who gather on Easter Sunday. As ambassadors of Christ, we no longer represent ourselves – we represent Jesus! There are three things I believe maturing ambassadors of Christ will exhibit in their daily lives if we are going to accurately exalt Jesus as crucified, risen, and coming again, through our lives. These three characteristics are found in 1 Corinthians 13:11-13:

When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

First, maturing ambassadors of Jesus are messengers of faith in Jesus Christ. Faith is the entrance to the life of Christ, and it is impossible to accurately represent Him apart from God’s grace at work in your through faith in Jesus Christ. As Paul taught in Ephesians 2:1-10:

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

It is only through faith in Jesus Christ that we can please God, as Hebrews 11:6 teaches us, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Faith is what marks our lives because it is only through faith that we can be pleasing to the Lord or manifest the good fruit of the Holy Spirit in other people’s lives, showing them the very character of Jesus Christ in our everyday lives – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Second, maturing ambassadors of Jesus are proclaimers of hope. Be different than the rest of the world – be a hope-bearer, not a doomsdayer! Anyone can focus on what is wrong – sin is like gravity! Just like when you step out of the second story window, when you hold a grudge or gossip about someone, you end up broken! Hope is a game-changer! I like to say that hope is my superpower because without hope in the God who keeps His promises, doing what God said He will do, I take matters into my own hands. This is the meaning of Romans 5:1-5:

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Apart from hope in God, I can’t demonstrate my faith! Hope gives us the courage to act according to our faith, and that is most clearly seen in our love, poured out to us in abundance!

Third, maturing ambassadors of Jesus are heralds of God’s love. John taught us this love in 1 John 4:7-19:

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us.

The greatest test of your faith is often found in your daily relationships and how you conduct yourself under stress. How are you loving others? This is the greatest sign of your faith and hope; it’s how you persevere in love for the gospel message of love. Here’s a practical teaching on how to be an ambassador of Jesus, from Galatians 6:1-2, “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.”

What is the law of Christ you ask? It’s love, as Jesus taught on the night He instituted the Lord’s Supper and washed the disciples’ feet, as an example of the kind of love we are to emulate. Jesus commanded in John 13:34-35, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

I return to the question that Jesus asked you, “Do you believe this?” Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and Savior of the world, who died on the cross for your sins, defeated death through His resurrection three days later, on the first Easter Sunday. Have you asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins and to fill that empty place with His Spirit, sealing you for the day of redemption. Do you believe this? If you do, are you living as an ambassador of God’s love?

To watch the complete service, CLICK HERE.

FOOTNOTE:

Heart of a Child

Matthew 18:1-5

1. Hide His Word

Psalm 119:11:  “I have hidden your word in my heart,
    that I might not sin against you.”

Much like when you save money back in a safe place to be able to buy a big ticket item, the same is true when we mediate and memorize God’s Word.

Psalm 78:4:    “We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders.”

       How will they know unless we tell them???

2. Hide to Seek

Matthew 6:6:  “But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”

Find a place to get away from the distractions of this life.

       Jesus did it, so you need to also!!! (Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16)

              Turn off the music, the phone, any distraction.

              There is a time for the music/worship, but you also need the “BE STILL” time.

ILLUS:     Intentional Time:  Sabbatical: Katie Kinnaird

TBH….this is a difficult one for me.

3. Seek to Find

Matthew 6:33:   “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

       Other translations…”Seek FIRST..”

       The worlds says there is a proper order for things…. First things first!

*This idiom is used to tell someone that more important things should be done before less important things.

With God, we are told to keep Him first, seek Him and we are promised that we will find Him.

Matthew 7:7-8:  “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

This is in no way a one and done thing

We have to daily be working on this, especially for us slow learners!

John 14:21:  “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

A Special Message

The Journey to 2030:

Unity in the Body of Christ!

Ephesians 4:1-16

“FBC desires to see communities thriving to the glory of God.”

“FBC desires to see communities thriving to the glory of God.”

We call you to the journey of experiencing the fullness of joy that Jesus promises each one of you, members of His one body. We understand that the Holy Spirit is the One transforming our stories as walk with Jesus; it’s a faithful journey to the destination of Christlikeness. It’s not always a straight journey, and it can be messy, but we must remain focused – eyes on Jesus!

In creating an atmosphere/culture of transformation for your journey, the leaders of FBC desire to, prayerfully (according to Acts 6:4), preach and teach clearly what it means for each of us (individually and collectively) to live as disciples of Jesus Christ so that we each can ensure we are heading in the right direction – intentionally becoming like Him in word and deed.

This will include what we provide, or partner with, for people on Sunday mornings (during Sunday school hour and in service) and Wednesday nights (youth, children, and adult programming available at the church), as well as what is available to you throughout the week in Bible studies and ministry gatherings.

The goal of such teaching is for each of us to have the mind of Christ and to know the will of God according to Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” This transformation is necessary for us to be actively engaged in the mission of God, to which Jesus calls all His followers to participate in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20).

Apart from our stories being transformed through the gospel of Jesus Christ we cannot be on the Journey with Jesus. This is a personal journey of discipleship, but it is never private; it is a call to the refreshing work of the Holy Spirit through the great community, called the church. As the leaders of FBC, we desire to empower both the individual and the corporate body, according to the teaching of the Body of Christ in the New Testament (i.e. Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12; and Ephesians 4).

Let’s read Ephesians 4:1-16. I’ll make a few comments, then call you to make some commitments as members of the one body of Christ.

There are two ways the force is structured in the US Army: conventional and unconventional. The conventional force has a heavy top-down approach, where no one moves, from top to bottom, without the top first passing down the order that had to move its way down the chain of command. The assumptions of this model are not complementary to the soldiers or their ability to innovate and adapt on their own. Unfortunately, most of the Army is structured this way.

The church is not intended to look this way! We are more like the unconventional forces of the army’s special forces and special operations communities, who empower every solider as a highly trained team member who can accomplish the mission without a lot of oversight. They are given a mission to accomplish, then entrusted with team leadership, to accomplish it in their specific areas of operation, as they have been chosen, trained, and sent to do. This is how the church is called to function, not only with Jesus, our Commander, giving us the Great Commission, and entrusting every congregation in every community of every nation to spring up and get the mission done in ways that are right and true to their time and location, but this is also true of every congregation, as the pastors and leaders empower the people to get the mission done in ways that are right and true to your household, neighborhood, and workplace.

We must structure ourselves to empower you, the soldiers of Jesus who have been chosen, need to be trained, and are being sent to live your life on mission for Jesus.

I am going to be focusing on discipleship; providing “pathways of grace” for you to grow in godliness (Christlikeness). May your life bear the good fruit of a transformed life through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thriving is more than an understanding of what is God’s best for my life, the church, and surrounding community, it is a call to full participation in that life through our 7 big words, on the banners behind you: gather, follow, rest, belong, love, service, and go. It is seeing our four core values, posted right here on the wall to my left, come alive in you.

We all have very little space on our calendars available, just as we all have more demands on our money, so we want to invite you to choose pathways of grace that will help you thrive and that will bring thriving to our communities through your unique contributions. 

I want to conclude with a thought I read a while back, “Our lives seem too crowded – too busy, we might say, were it not that after long hours of work we let entertainment and various addictions gobble up a good portion of the remaining time – to allow us to give sustained attention to the challenge of discerning the life truly worth living…It’s not just that we don’t know how to live meaningful lives. We don’t even seem to be able to focus for very long on the question” (source unknown).

The leaders of FBC want to help you focus on the abundant life of Jesus Christ; we invite you participate in the work of Jesus Christ to bring about your transformation, but we know that can only happen through your submission to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in your life. Jesus calls that His “easy yoke” (Matthew 11:28-30).

We invite you to join us on FBC’s Journey to 2030. To get out of the heavy yoke of the world and its definitions of thriving and to get into Jesus’ easy yoke and to walk with Him, in His way. We know it’s going to take a long time, but we are committed to the process of transformation that God will do in us and through us as we learn, step-by-step, to be about our Father’s Work in His Harvest fields.

May Jesus lead us on FBC’s Journey to 2030! To God alone be the Glory!

If you would like to watch Pastor Jerry present this message, Click HERE.

If you would like to watch the entire service including music, click HERE.

On Mission

Today is the International Day of Prayer

Matthew 28:18-20

John 17:17-18

John 20:21 “I am sending you…”

Video Short: Share Your Testimony – Tim Hawkins

Revelation 12:10-11

It’s all about the one who makes the miracle and makes it powerful!

Examples of ways / places you can serve.

They provide great opportunities in which you can share the Gospel.

He will call you out of your comfort zone.

Story: John & David who were willing to commit, to give up their freedom in order to share the Gospel with others. They were called. They were passionate for Jesus!

“May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering.”

Jesus is the Lamb that was slain. Our lives are the reward for His suffering.

If you would like to watch Keven present this message, Click HERE.

If you would like to watch the entire service including music, click HERE.

Proclamation, Preparation & Positioning

Deuteronomy 32:2-4; Ephesians 5:15-19; Philippians 4:5-9

Today is going to be a different type of Sunday. We are starting the service with each point of the message being reinforced with our worship in song. For those taking notes, the three key points are 1) Proclamation; 2) Preparation; and 3) Positioning. These three “P’s” will help us in both our prayers and our praise.

I. PROCLAMATION: Moses told the people of Israel

“Let my teaching fall on you like rain; let my speech settle like dew. Let my words fall like rain on tender grass, like gentle showers on young plants. I will proclaim the name of the Lord; how glorious is our God! He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!”

When we proclaim something, we are making it known to those around us. When we pray, we are to proclaim who God is to us. When we sing our praises, we are to lift our voices and proclaim the goodness and the greatness of our God. In Psalm 71:19-19, the psalmist David writes:

O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood, and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do. Now that I am old and gray, do not abandon me, O God. Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me. Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens. You have done such wonderful things. Who can compare with you, O God?

He also writes in Psalm 105:1-2:

“Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.”

And then in Psalm 145:4-7, we are told to:

“Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles. Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim your greatness. Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about your righteousness.”

Finally, we are encouraged by John, the beloved disciple in 1 John 1:1-2:

“We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us.”

So, as we prepare to lift our voices in worship, remember we are all to proclaim praise to the One Who was, Who is, and Who always will be.

Worship in Song 1: Living Hope, Goodness of God, Trust in God

II. Preparation: Preparation is important for both heart and mind.

QUOTE: “Proper preparation prevents poor performance.”

1 John 1:9:

Ephesians 5:15-19: ^“So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.”

*Previous verses warned us not to live like we used to, because we are to live our lives to please God.

“So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.”

However, we are also told in scriptures to bring everything to Jesus. 1 Peter 5:7 states:

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”

AND…we are to care for one another. Paul wrote to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 12:25:

“This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other.”

This is not an either/or thing, but rather a both/and. We as the church are to be here to help one another as we see Christ transforming people’s lives and their stories. BUT, it is also important that each person take responsibility to turn EVERYTHING over to God by preparing our hearts and our minds.

Worship in Song 2: Lavish, Who You Say I Am

III. Positioning: Surrendering our wants and desires

“Christ demands first place. There’s no room on the throne of your heart for two gods.”

– Billy Graham

Philippians 4:5-7:

“Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

I want to close out the service with a response time. Coming to the altar is not a sign that you have done something, but rather you making a public demonstration of presenting yourself as a living sacrifice, making sure that your sacrifice is still on the altar! Position yourself with a fresh surrender.

Worship Set 3: Hold On to Me, It is Well with My Soul

If you would like to watch the service in its entirety with the music, click HERE.

If you would like to watch just the message, click HERE.

Faith (And what it takes to live in Faith)

You can watch the message by clicking HERE.

Ed Bell, Husband, Father, Farmer and Speaker.

Little things make a big impact!

Deb and I were dating and thinking about getting serious. She had a former boyfriend who couldn’t take no for an answer. Deb was a nurse and had moved into an apartment. She invited me over to see it.

My life was changed forever on Sept 5, 1982.

Her boyfriend shot at the apartment and drove off. The police came and told us to stay put. I had driven the farm truck that weekend and I had a 22 rifle and took it into the apartment. Her boyfriend came back and broke all the windows out of the truck. He climbed up to her balcony.

Deb hid in the closet and dialed 911. He kicked at the sliding glass door. He had a trench knife and a large pistol. He dropped the knife as he kicked. The door latch broke and he came in. He said, “Kill me, Ed.” Ed had his rifle and knew he had the right to kill him. Ed wouldn’t kill him. He grabbed Ed’s rifle and Ed heard a “boom”.

They continued to struggle. Ed shot him in the leg and it made him angrier. Ed fell over and he shot Ed point blank while he lay on the floor. Ed tried to shoot him but the rifle jammed. He shot Ed again and hit him in the collar shattering vertebrae paralyzing him. It was a 44 special hollow point. The blood was pouring out of his body (he lost half of his blood supply) and Ed could hear it hitting the floor.

He was passing out and could hardly breath. He was sure he was going to die. He could only think of all of his dreams. He feared for his parents’ reaction. He even wondered if his science teacher was right – there is nothing after death. But he said “NO!, I believe in Jesus”. His sins passed before his eyes. “No, I believe in Jesus! I’ve got nothing but Jesus!” I remembered the song, Jesus Loves Me. The blood stopped!

He had to learn to do things all over again.

God has called Ed to till the soil and cultivate people whenever he gets the chance.

Ed took the chance to challenge us…

Romans 15:28-29

Matthew 16:24-26

Galatians 2:20

Isaiah 57:11-13

“Get planted where you are, grow, make fruit. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind – and tell the world.

It’s that simple. Do it now. Repentance isn’t you crying. It’s you changing.

You can watch the message by clicking HERE.