Resurrection Sunday

The greatest evidence for us Christian is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We believe everything about Jesus Christ because Jesus was risen from the dead.
It's God's approval that salvation genuine (for those who believe in Him will have eternal life).

1 Corinthians 15:16-19
16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have [a]fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

If there is a way to destroy Christianity then you have to prove that the resurrection of Jesus Christ didn't happen.

And there have been attempts disproving the Resurrection.
To prove that Jesus really died and wasn't risen from the dead, that his bones are still in his tomb.

One is from the first resurrection Sunday,

Matthew 28:11-15
11 Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened. 12 When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13 saying, “Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.’ 14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.

Recently, the Director of the famous movies Titanic and Avatar, James Cameron, He claimed to have found the bones of Jesus Christ, it maybe the greatest discovery but an fatal blow to the Christians.

The bones were actually discovered by a construction worker from a tomb with the inscription "Jesua, son of Joseoph, Mary, Matthew, Jofa and Judah, son of Jesua".

However, the archaeologists who uncovered the tomb found no connection to Jesus other than the name similarities.
But James Cameron's team insisted that these was different and used DNA evidence and Biblical studies to prove that the tomb belongs to Jesus and his family.

But after careful investigation of James Cameron claims it was proven to be false.

All of these claims are false, not true. Because the reality and what the bible says, Jesus Christ was risen from the dead and He is in heaven and in the hearts of the believers
and He will come back for His bride (the church, the believers) and judge the living and the dead.

Why is it significant or importance to Christians?

It's simply mean that our christian faith is not futile, that we're no longer in sins because we're washed by the Jesus blood (forgiven)

And we have eternal life in Him.
And we can continue to live for his glory and continue to spread His salvation.

Jesus Christ the Great Healer

Luke 5:31-32 (NKJV)
31 Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Whenever we have a problem about something, normally we call an expert to help us.
e.g. if you have clogged sink, you have to call a plumber to fix it, or someone who knew how to fix it.
if you are physically sick, you go to a doctor to help you find cure for your illness.

The same idea can also be applied with our spiritual condition, that we're sick, we're spiritually sick because of sin (sinfulness) and we need to cure it, and only the Lord Jesus Christ is the spiritual physician who can cure it (He is the cure). His ministry was to heal not only physical sickness but most importantly spiritual sickness (SIN). Because man can't cure its own sinfulness, and Jesus Christ has the cure.

Our spiritual condition:
Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 3:10-17
10 As it is written:
“There is none righteous, no, not one;
11 There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
12 They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”
13 “Their throat is an open [a]tomb;
With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;
“The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways;
17 And the way of peace they have not known.”

Jesus Mission (Healer and Savior):

PHYSICALLY:
Isaiah 35:5-6
5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
6 Then the lame shall leap like a deer,
And the tongue of the dumb sing.
For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness,
And streams in the desert.

Luke 5:15
However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.

SPIRITUALLY:
Jeremiah 3:22
22 “Return, you backsliding children,
And I will heal your backslidings.”
“Indeed we do come to You,
For You are the Lord our God.

Isaiah 53:5
5 But He was wounded[a] for our transgressions,
He was [b]bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes[c] we are healed.

1 Peter 2:24
24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose [a]stripes you were healed.

John 3:17 
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Verse 32, This is not the Godly righteousness but self-righteousness, these are the people who don't see their sinfulness and faults (e.g. Pharisees)
People who doesn't take responsibility for their actions, instead of seeing and admitting their fault, they blame others or make excuses.

Illustration:
Most of us have gone to a doctor's checkup?
In order for the doctor to administer the right prescription of medicine:
1. We need to acknowledge that we're sick and we need help for a cure.
2. Normally the doctor will ask questions and we have to answer it with all honesty.

Luke 18:9-14
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be [a]humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

What is Repentance?
In the New Testament, the key term for repentance is metanoia - It has two usual senses: a "change of mind" and "regret/remorse."

Repentance means "to turn from evil, and to turn to the good.", turning away from evil and returning to God.

It is the free sovereign act of God's mercy, and a conscious decision to turn to God (a turning that goes beyond sorrow and contrition).

.True repentance leads a person to say, "I have sinned" and prove it with a 180-degree change of their direction.
- Requires true brokenness.
- Repentance is NOT asking the Lord for forgiveness with the intent to sin again.
- Repentance is an honest, regretful acknowledgement of sin with commitment to change.
- Repentance leads us to cultivate godliness while eradicating habits that lead into sin.
- Repentance is only a condition of salvation and not the reason for salvation. 

Jesus can heal us physically, but most importantly we need to be healed spiritually.


Dr. Will Mayo, one of the brothers who founded the world famous Mayo Clinic, claimed to have seen  patients that by all standards were dead. “We knew they could not live. But I have seen a minister come to the bedside and do something for them that I could not do, although I had done everything in my professional power, but something touched some immortal spark in them and in defiance of medical knowledge and materialistic common sense, that patient lived!” (Source Unknown).

Jesus Counsels the Rich Young Ruler (Matthew 19:16-22)

Matthew 19:16-22
16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good[a] Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

17 So He said to him, [b]“Why do you call Me good? [c]No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

18 He said to Him, “Which ones?”

Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ 19 ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept [d]from my youth. What do I still lack?”

21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.


- A parallel story can be found also in Mark 10: 17-22 and Luke 18:18-23

- The rich young ruler came running and kneel (Mark) to Jesus, he was a young ruler and wealthy, we see his desire to learn about eternal how he can prepare for it, unlike the other pharisees who came to Jesus for wrong motives.

- The rich young ruler have what most don't have. He has the money (rich), the energy and the time because he's still young. But most people the illustration about "The system of life" holds the truth.

- The young ruler was a Pharisee since he believes in eternal life like Martha (John 11:24)  who believes in the resurrection of the dead.

- He believes that eternal life can be earned or worked-out by doing things or good things, and he wants to make sure that he gets it.

- Not only he is rich, young and have power, but lives his life in obedience to God's law's, that's why when Jesus told him to keep the commandments, he's response was "which ones"? verse 18

Application:

1. Perfect righteousness is the key to salvation, but nobody is perfect in the eyes of God,
Romans 3: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

that's why we need Jesus Christ perfect righteousness.

Salvation is God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ. You can't earn it by doing good works.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

2. The rich young ruler thinks that he's perfect because he has done all of God's commanded but he didn't realize the sins in his heart:
a. Idolatry - his riches and possessions
b. covetousness)
- He hoards earthly and not heavenly things

Matthew 16:26 ESV
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

What is God's Holiness?

1. What is God's holiness?

God's holiness is being set apart from His creation which means He is all powerful and perfect, while
man's holiness means to be set-apart for God's purposes. Man's holiness is based on the righteousness of God. Man can't be holy apart from the grace of God.

Common attributes of God that His creatures are not:

A. God is Omnipotent – He Is All Powerful
Psalm 33:6 “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.” – 

B. God Is Omniscient – He Is All-Knowing
Isaiah 46:9-10 “Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please”

C. God Is Omnipresent – He Is Always Everywhere
Jeremiah 23:23-24“‘Am I a God at hand,’ declares the Lord, ‘and not a God afar off? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him?’ declares the Lord. ‘Do I not fill heaven and earth?’ declares the Lord”

Habakkuk 1:13
Your eyes are too pure to look on evil;
    you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.
Why then do you tolerate the treacherous?
    Why are you silent while the wicked
    swallow up those more righteous than themselves?

2. What happens when people experience or sees the holiness of God?

A. We recognize our sinfulness, weaknesses, and shortcomings.
and that God is holy, powerful, perfect and righteous and we're not!

Isaiah 6:1-8
6 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
    the whole earth is full of his glory.”

4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Peter's confession, Luke 5:1-11


B. Leads to repentance.
Repentance is turning away from sins and turning back to God.

Luke 5:31-32
Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

3. God is holy, and He wants His people to be holy as well.
Mans holiness is not being perfect, but set apart for God's purpose.

Leviticus 11:45
Verse Concepts
'For I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.'"

1 Peter 1:15
but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;

4. How can we be Holy?
It is through our faith/belief/trust in Jesus Christ, it simply means once saved we're called to holy living.

2 Timothy 1:9  who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,

It's a big deal to God!
Holiness can be found 611 times
In the book of Leviticus it's mentioned 80 times

Illustration about Holiness:

Purity is More Precious Than Life
In the forests of northern Europe and Asia lives little animal called the ermine, known for his snow-white fur in winter. He instinctively protects his white coat against anything that would soil it. Fur hunters take advantage of this unusual trait of the ermine. They don’t set a snare to catch him, but instead they find his home, which is usually a cleft in a rock or a hollow in an old tree. They smear the entrance and interior with grime. Then the hunters set their dogs loose to find and chase the ermine. The frightened animal flees toward home but doesn’t enter because of the filth. Rather than soil his white coat, he is trapped by the dogs and captured while preserving his purity. For the ermine, purity is more precious than life. (Our Daily Bread, April 21, 1997).


Moody - Lighthouses don’t blow horns
D. L. Moody once said “A holy life will make the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns, they just shine.” (Source unknown)

Words have great impact in our lives and eternal destiny, James 3: 3-11

James 3: 3-11
3 [a]Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. 4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.

See how great a forest a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of [b]iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of [c]nature; and it is set on fire by [d]hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the [e]similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?

In chapter 2 of the book of James, the author teaches us that if we're genuinely saved our faith will result in good works.

If we're to grow in our faith:

1. We need to pay careful attention and check every word we speak.
And words are created by the help of the tongue. Words are associated with the tongue and this is why James used this as an illustration to drive his point, and also how words formed in tongue affects the way we live, tongue may be a small part of the bod, but it can affect our eternal destiny.

James used different illustrations to show how a small part can affect the whole thing.

1. Bits of the horses. (verse 3)
2. The rudder of a ship (verse 4)
3. The tongue from the body (verse 5)
4. Forest fires from a single spark (verse 5)

2. A genuine believer saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ is a new creature and live a life as it should. Born again in the spirit.

James used illustration that shows great contrast to prove his point:

1. Same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing.
2. Same spring opening, runs both fresh and bitter water.


2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5

3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God;

John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Ephesians 4:24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

The 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ

1. Peter (Simon Peter)
2. James, the son of Alphaeus
3. John, brother of James (son of Zebedee)
4. Andrew, brother of Simon Peter
5. Bartholomew or Nathanael
6. James, the son of Zebedee
7. Judas Iscariot
8. Jude or Lebbaeus Thaddeus
9. Matthew or Levi
10. Philip
11. Simon, the Zealot or the Cananite
12. Thomas

Matthew 10:2-4 (NKJV)
2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and [a]Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the [b]Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

What it means "Take Up Your Cross and Follow Him"

Matthew 16:24-28  (NKJV)
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. 28 Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

Taking up my "cross" means a life voluntarily surrendered to God.
- A. W. Pink

A genuine believer will always desire to follow Jesus Christ. It doesn't mean that you're forced to follow, but with a grateful, gladness and joyful heart he or she follows the Lord.

Luke 10:27
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

Psalms 63:8
My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.

And following Jesus Christ means also rejecting or denying the things that are not of God's (sins, the worldly pleasures and riches that hinders spiritual growth)

The nature of man will always seek the things of the world, lust of the eyes,

1 John 2:15-17
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Verse 25, means that whoever is focused determined to live earthly life, the comfort, the riches, the best health care,  the pleasures and sins of the world and without salvation of Jesus Christ, will lost it all through eternity.

Verse 26, the worth of all the riches, power and glory in this earth is nothing compare to eternity with Jesus Christ (salvation). 

Salvation can't be bought or exchanged by all worldly riches. Though salvation is priceless, but still paid in full, it was only purchased through (sacrifice) the precious blood of the one and only savior and Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

That's why we should not be blinded or mislead by the false hopes that this world offers, the riches, fame, pride of life and the glory that our flesh desires.

Material things not offer to God will just passed away, with no eternal value. Only what's done for Christ will last through eternity.

Matthew 6:19-20, 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust[a] destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Therefore, let our focus be in our eternal destiny, and not be consumed by things of the world. Yes we can enjoy God's material blessings but we should not neglect our eternal eternal life in Christ!

The bible speaks of two choices only, eternal separation with God (Hell) or eternal life with God.

John 3:16-17, 16 “For God so loved the world,[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

Matthew 25:46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Verse 27, Is an encouragement to all believers to always obey what the Lord has commanded His people even if means to suffer many things in the world, because He will reward the believers according to their deeds.

Believers not only saved (eternity with Him), but also God the righteous judge will reward his people.

1 Peter 5:4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Matthew 6:6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Revelation 22:12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.