Reformation

REFORMATION   

October 28, 2001

Romans 3:19-28   

"Living by Works or Faith?"   

The problem for Martin Luther was that of getting right with God. The issue continues to this day. How do I, a poor miserable sinner, a poor wretched sinner find the peace of God when my sins rise up to condemn me? How do I make peace with God? How do get things right with God. Our text gives us the answer.

1.      The whole world is involved - vv.23-24 - for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

We are all in the same boat. There is something common to each of us and that is our condition of sin. There is not one person on this earth who has lived the perfect life. We all are in the same lost condition. We are all sinners condemned to spend eternity separated by God. No one can escape this death sentence. We are all sinful lost creatures.

2.      The whole world is accountable to God – v.19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it speaketh to them that are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God:

The Law of God condemns each of us. The entire creation is held accountable to God. Each of us must stand before a just and holy God. What will we offer God when we stand before Him? Can our righteousness stand the test of His holiness? What can we offer Him?  Our sins make us silent before God.

3.      There is an inability of the Law to reconcile us to God - v.20 - because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for through the law cometh the knowledge of sin.

Our conscience condemns each of us. The Ten Commandments show us what we have done and what we have failed to do. Each of us stands condemned, accountable for what we have done in this life, in our “time of grace”.  Our deeds are all tainted with sin. Try as we might there is nothing we can do to make up for our sins and shortcomings. This inability of the Law to reconcile us to God leads us to end up in despair. As the question suggests who shall save us from this from this body of sin and death?”  We cannot find any way out except for the grace and mercy of God. James reminds us: “Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.”  How is this done? It can only happen by God’s grace and favor.   

4.      Reconciliation, it is a gift - v. 23 - for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;

Since all have fallen short of the glory of God. Since all have sinned. We are reconciled by the grace of God as a gift.  Reconciliation happens when we make our peace with God.  Since we have nothing to offer to God in exchange for our sin we seek what Christ has done. What does He have to offer? He offers to us His life.  He exchanges our sinful life for His perfect and holy life. He exchanges our inability to please God with His willing and active obedience. He makes us at one with God as He went to the cross, suffered and died in our place and then rose for our justification. He did this all to bring us back to God. He did this all to make us one with Him.

5.      This gift is all made possible by grace - vv.24-25 - being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:  whom God set forth to be a propitiation, through faith, in his blood, to show his righteousness because of the passing over of the sins done aforetime, in the forbearance of God;

Grace. “God’s riches at Christ’s expense” - That’s what grace is all about.  We are hid into the folds of Christ’s wounds and stripes. By His blood we are now made the true sons and daughters of the Savior.

Remember the words from our morning liturgy “for those who believe on His Name He gives the power to become the children of God and has promised them His Holy Spirit…He that believes and is baptized shall be saved. Now, that’s what it means to be saved by God’s amazing and wonderful grace.

6.      There is the necessity of faith to appropriate the gift - v.28 - We reckon therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. What does God ask of us? He only asks that we trust God and keep Him at His Word. We boast not in anything we have done or anything we have failed to do. We simply take God at His Word and trust that Word.  What word do we trust? Jesus put it best when He said in the Gospel of John:  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” {John 3:16-18}

CONCLUSION:        

By grace! On this I’ll rest when dying; 

In Jesus’ Promise I rejoice; 

For though I know my heart’s condition, 

I also know my Savior’s voice. 

My heart is glad, all grief has flown, 

Since I am saved by grace alone.

                                                            [TLH #373 stanza 7]

Trinity

Trinity Sunday
June 10, 2001
Numbers 6:22-27
"Blessing upon Blessing"

Introduction:  The Lord instructed Moses to bless the people of God.  God instructs Moses to instruct Aaron and his sons how God's people are to be blessed. For thousands of years whenever God's people have gathered together they have received a special blessing. This morning, let's consider the blessing of God.

1.     The Lord bless you and keep you

A.   The Lord bless you

1.   Why have we come here today?  There are countless things you could be doing with you energy and your time. Yet, you have made a commitment to be here this day. You have come to this place and at this time to receive a blessing from God.

2.   And a blessing you will receive. The Lord has given you His promise that He will in fact bless you. This is His promise to bless and not to curse. Remember the Savior’s words – “Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? Or {if} he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall {your} heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"  [Luke 11:11-13]  How true it is, the blessings of God are a guarantee to those who are His.

B.    The Lord promises to keep you

1.    Hold on! Hang in there! That can sometimes be a helpless and desperate cry of someone in trouble!  Life on this earth can be at times difficult at its best, frustrating and impossible at it worst! With the hymn writer we can say “I need Thy presence every passing hour”.  If there is anything I have learned from living here on this earth is the simple fact that we need God.

2.    We are far from helpless consider His promises to keep you. He says “I will never leave you and never forsake you” “I am with you always!”  He has promised to be near you. The writer to the Hebrews, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit gives us this assurance: ”Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, {even} Jesus our Lord,    equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom {be} the glory forever and ever. Amen.” { Hebrews 13:20-21}  The Lord’s promises are sure. He will bless and keep you always!

2. The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you

A.   The Lord makes His face shine upon you

1.  What face do we see when we see Him? Moses' face, we are told shone. It had to be veiled because his facial features changed as a result of seeing the Father face to face. What do we see when we gaze into the face of God.

2.  We see a shinning face because of the cross and empty tomb. Our sins have been forgiven because of Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection. Because of this reality, the cross and empty tomb, we have the guarantee of seeing a pleasant face of God.

B.    And be gracious to you

1.  We receive the Father's grace as a gift. “Salvation unto us has come by God’s free grace and favor,” says Martin Luther in his hymn.

2.  He is gracious - show too anger abounding in mercy. The Psalmist puts it this way:  “Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, {bless} His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit; who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; Who satisfies your years with good things, {so that} your youth is renewed like the eagle.” {Psalm 103 :1-5} 

3. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace

A.   His countenance

1.  The gaze of the king would often determine a victim’s fate. To look down meant death! But to lift up meant life - How will the King look at you?

2.   In Christ and only in Christ does the Father lift it up for us. Because of Jesus’ wonderful work on the cross the Father’s countenance is always lifted up!

B.    To receive His peace

1.   Peace which the world simply cannot give. The reason – the world is ever striving but will never achieve true and lasting peace.

2.   Peace which will last can only come from God.  We have peace because God is now at peace with Christ's work, with you, and also with the world.

CONCLUSION: By this blessing God's name; His stamp of approval is upon us and we receive a blessing - what a relationship we have with Him - what a blessing it is to receive the blessing of God!

Pentecost

Pentecost

June 3, 2001

John 15:26-27

"And the beat goes on"

Introduction:  "And the beat goes on…and the beat goes on" If you can remember that song, sung and made famous by the late Sonny Bono and the current Cher; well, it places you at an age in which you're probably more concerned about college payments and retirement funds then recalling the tender years of youth! It places you at an age of looking forward to seeing your last child move out of the house as you quickly dash to the hardware store to change the locks in the hopes that they don't have a change of heart! "The beat goes on…the beat goes on. Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain…Charleston was once the rage…the miniskirt's the current thing…Teenyboppers is our newborn king, the grocery store's the supermart"

 So, what as the point to that song? The more things change, the more they actually remain the same and keep constant.  "Little girls still break their hearts, And men still keep on marching off to war Electrically they keep a baseball score…Grandmas sit in chairs and reminisce, Boys keep chasing girls to get a kiss. The beat goes on…

 Technology and fads may change, but there remains the same old challenge, throughout all of life. Nothing really changes. Wise old Solomon had it right when he said "there is nothing new under the sun!"  We need this perspective of life; or we will find ourselves quite cynical as is displayed in Britney Spears' parity of this song when she sings: "Wait till you have reached the age Blah blah History has turned the page Blah blah"

Time has a way of marching forward, "the beat goes on" and yet it's the same old challenges that each of us must face.

You purchase a house, fill it with children and pets where there is constant commotion only to have the walls grow silent as the children grow and move out on their own and get on with their lives. But the return, to visit, each with two or three children of their own; sometimes louder then they were when they were young!  The beat goes on…the beat goes on!

Today, on this, the day of Pentecost John in our Gospel lesson tells us "the beat goes on…the beat of God's love for us as it is found in Jesus Christ. On that first Pentecost The Spirit of Christ; the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the church. This same Spirit is at work in our lives as the beat goes on…

I. The Spirit testifies about Christ

The Spirit is sent

1.      From the Father. The Spirit speaks not of its own authority; all is brought into a complete order. The Holy Spirit is sent by the Father to testify concerning Christ and His righteousness.

2.      Thus the Spirit is sent to bear witness concerning Christ. All that we know about Jesus Christ we know from the Holy Spirit. The Spirit bears witness through the testimony of the Scriptures. It is the Holy Spirit that bears a complete and total witness concerning the validity of Jesus Christ.

For the Spirit knows nothing but Christ

1.      He is the spirit of truth.  Therefore His testimony will bear out the faithful witness concerning Christ. All that we know of Christ is a true and faithful witness. That witness is proven to faithful and true, for it is a trustworthy and worthy witness.

2.      Therefore He bears witness to the truth. “What is truth?”  That was the question Pilate asked. The truth, is all that is found in Jesus Christ of which the Spirit bears witness. Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Me”. When we come to such knowledge of the truth it is the Spirit, which bears witness to this faithful saying.

Transition:  The beat goes on. As The Spirit bears and testifies of Christ so do we. As the Spirit knows nothing but Christ so you know nothing save Jesus Christ and Him crucified

II.  The Christian testifies about Christ

A.     You are sent

1.      From the Father – Pentecost is the birthday of missions. Where the Spirit said “Go!” and God’s people went.

2.      To bear witness – concerning the truth of the Gospel – the truth concerning Jesus Christ. Each believer is a witness to the truth.

B.     For we know nothing but Christ

1.      We bear witness to the truth – Every time we share Christ, we are bearing witness to the truth. Every time we mention His most holy name we are being a faithful witness. Every time we confess our faith in the words of the creed, in our own witness, we are bearing witness to the truth concerning Jesus Christ.

2.      For the Spirit speaks – No one can say that “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. You speaking and confessing the Lordship of Christ are speaking by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion: The beat of God's testimony through the Spirit goes on. The Father sent the Spirit so you could be sent.  Serve the Lord with gladness - that the Gospel may go on!

Ascension

Ascension

May 24, 2001

Matthew 28:20

"The Final Five"

The Final 5 Words of Christ. They are some of the most remarkable words ever recorded in sacred Scripture. They speak to us concerning the Savior's promises to us. They speak to us concerning our destiny. Consider them the last five words, which the Savior spoke to humans before He left this earth…"I am with you always!"

1.      I am with you

Jesus is always with you; He's by your side, He abides to guide and lead you. Many a friend may leave and desert us. Many may abandon us when we need them the most. Not so with the Savior He's always there. He is near to you. He has made His dwelling place in your heart. Many a friend may say "I'm just a phone call away…Jesus says "I'm but a breath away!"

You are never alone!  "I'm abandoned by God and by men," a man once cried out on his deathbed having realized that he had rejected everything spiritual in his life. Not so with those who have a relationship with Christ. You are never alone. No matter where you go; you won't go it alone. The Savior is near to you, promising never to abandon you, promising to never let you out of His sight. 

What a comfort. What an encouragement!

2.      Always! He's with you always!

To be separated from God is hell. Jesus’ cry from the cross was His agony of being "abandoned by God and by man" He cried from the cross: "My God my God…" (Ps.22)  He offered up those cries so that you and I would never have to experience the rejection, which comes from being abandoned by God. Always and forever you are with the Lord.  Always and forever you are in the safe and caring hand of your Lord and your Redeemer. What a comfort to know that you are in His safe and caring hand.

Forever Jesus is by your side. That relationship which the Savior began with you started at your baptism where you were clothed with Christ. It has continued on these many years up to this very hour. Jesus has forever bound Himself to you.  What's more He has set a plan by which you will spend eternity with Him.  How long is eternity? It's without end. It goes on forever. For the rest of your days you will be forever with the Lord.

CONCLUSION:  Many a person will be remembered for the last words they spoke before they left this earth. Jesus' words, spoken on the day of His Ascension will live on until He returns. Look at the back of your hand. There you have five fingers. Remember His promise spoken to you every single time you look at the back of your hands. Count the blessings one by one; "I am with you always!" Amen!

Confirmation

Confirmation Sunday

May 6, 2001

Psalm 23:6

"Your Future, Your Destiny"

INTRODUCTION:  So what is confirmation any way? We don’t find in Scripture any reference to a person being confirmed. So what are we doing here today? The closest parallel found in Scripture which would mirror or reflect the rite of Confirmation is the Jewish tradition of the Bar mitzvah; when a Jewish youth is considered an adult and responsible for his moral and religious life. Luke reminds us that this happened to Jesus in Jerusalem when He was twelve years old. {Luke 2:41-52}

Today, on the day of your confirmation, you are doing nothing more then affirming for yourself what you have been taught these many years. After being instructed in the basics of the Christian faith you are now affirming that you will remain faithful to your Savior for the rest of your lives. In short, you are confirming that the faith, given to you in your baptism, is genuine and sincere.

But what about the future?  What about tomorrow, next week, next month, next year? What about the future, how will you fare?  Will your faith continue to flourish and grow?  As the old adage suggests you must either “use it or loose it” so, what will you do?  If your faith is to grow and mature it will be tested, and, if there is anything that experience will teach us is that our faith is constantly being tested and challenged.  Like iron, which is tested by fire, it can become stronger.

As you faith is tested, you will be given means by which your faith can be strengthened. Those means are the Word of God, the Sacraments, and, of course, prayer. As you avail yourself to these means your faith will become strengthened. This is the Savior’s guarantee to you that He will fortify you with His gifts and blessings.

We live in a cynical world that asks “what have you done for me lately?”  Have you ever asked God that question? What is it that God has promised to do for you as you avail yourself to Him. The words of your verse for today explain to us what God in Christ has promised for you. In your verse for today let’s consider the Lord’s promise for you... 

I.                    David assures us that God has nothing but good in store for you.  “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…”[Psalm 23:6a]

A.    Goodness and mercy will follow you.

1.      Goodness – That’s God’s intention for you. When the Father created the world, as He looked at all which He had made, at the end of each day He declared it to be “good”.  When He looked at everything He had made He declared it to be “very good”!  That’s the Father’s intention for you – His goodness.   . This is what the Lord tells us through the words of the prophet Jeremiah when He says: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.” {Jeremiah 29:11-12}

2.       Mercy – That’s God’s attitude toward you. He looks not upon your sin but rather declares you to be righteous.  He decides and determines to act contrary to what we deserve according to our sins. He has compassion on us. He forgives us. He sets us free! His grace and every blessing come to you as He steadfastly guides and leads you.

B.     His mercy is new to you all the days of your life.

1.      Not for a season. We tend to limit our activities to small segments of time. A sports season lasts just a few weeks, summer break a few months, high school is but a few years. So it seems that a few think that the Father’s mercy is confined to a limited period of time. Not so! Listen to David’s response. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…”

2.      The Father’s mercy is new to us ever single day. Today is the day of the day of salvation – today is the appointed time. This is the day, which the Lord has made. David guarantees that the Lord’s mercy will be supplied to us each and every day of our life. His goodness will not fail you. No matter where you go His presence, purpose and power will be yours. Remember the Savior’s last five words, which He spoke to humans before He ascended into heaven. These words are for you this day and every day. The Savior reminds us “I am with you always…”{Matthew 28:20}

TRANSITION: The Father has good intentions for you.  How long will His goodness and mercy last? His guarantee is without any restrictions. They last forever. This is His guarantee to you. We don’t have to become suspicious of the Father’s guarantee.  There is no expiration date.  There is no fine print. His mercy will not wear out!

II.                 Your destiny is secure.

A.    The Savior has a plan for you.

1.      His plan for you is that you will spend eternity with Him in glory. Sometimes life in the here and now can seem like an eternity. With age, you will gain perspective, however, no matter how long you spend your life here on this earth; compared to our time spent with the Savior, it is as David describes it in Psalm “but a handbreadth” [Psalm 39:5] If there is one think I have learned is that life here is brief, limited, transitory…yet the Savior who has a plan for you, which will be fulfilled in your life, lives beyond time and space. His desire is that you would spend eternity with Him. There is an eternal perspective to His plan – The Father is in it for you for the long haul!

2.      There is a permanency linked to God’s plan. The question so many your age ask these days is: “can I picture myself doing this forever?”  You’ve been in school now ten years – if you finish high school, college and pursue a Masters’ you’re about half way through! You’ve got another ten years to go!  Then, you go to work – for another forty years!  But no matter what your plans may be, no matter what your future entails, the Savior will stay for you forever.

B.     The Savior’s purpose and plan for you is eternal.

1.      You will dwell with the Father forever. He will stay with you longer then any friend. His purpose and plan goes beyond time and space. His purpose and plan for you will follow you through this life only to accompany you in the life that is to come.

2.  Because the Savior has your future plans in story, we can say with all certainty that your treasure cannot be taken away from you. Your eternity is secure as long as you remain in the safe and steady hands of the Savior your good and gracious Savior.

CONCLUSION:  Remember the things that were taught you, cling to that which is good and remember the Savior walks with you today, tomorrow and for the rest of your life. Eternity stands before you. Walk with the Savior, He walks with you.  IN JESUS’ NAME. Amen.

Easter Dawn

Easter Dawn   

April 15, 2001 

Luke 24:1-11   

Reasoning Through the Resurrection  

Introduction:  The account of the resurrection according to St. Luke is devoid of the spectacular. There is no earthquake, no rolling away of the stone, any terrified soldiers, or even the appearance of angels. Luke presents for us the reality of the resurrection as it happened, as a cold, hard fact. Luke gives us reasonable evidence that the resurrection is a reality; he uses reasoning as proof of the resurrection. We need this account for our world today, as we can not have a reappearance of the risen Lord. Today is the first Easter of the 21st Century. How will the world today be convinced of the reality of the resurrection?  Let's consider the evidence.

The cold fact of an empty tomb v. 3 "And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus."

Many great religious and spiritual leaders have walked the face of this earth. Buddha Mohammed, Confucius, Abraham, Moses; just to mention a few.  They each share a common legacy. If you would go to their tombs you would find their bones, as they are all dead. You can not say that concerning Jesus Christ. When you go to His tomb, His grave, you will find it empty.

The empty tomb is a cold hard fact that confirms the resurrection. His body is no longer there. It has risen. What happened to the body?  The tomb is empty! A skeptical and doubting world will have to answer that question. We have an answer. The tomb is empty because Christ is alive. He is risen from the dead.

The logic of the situation v. 5  "And they said unto them, Why seek the living among the dead?"

We as Christians do not worship a dead Christ. We worship a living Lord. That is the logic of the situation. Why would you seek the living among the dead? They can not rise. They can not speak. They can not handle. They can not answer prayer. They can do nothing for they are dead.

Christ, to the contrary is alive forever. So why seek Him among the dead? Such logic should be extended to our prayers. If Jesus were dead then our prayers would be simply words spoken to the wind, or, at best, spoken only to ourselves. But when we speak we address a living and triumphant God. For what is prayer other then a heart to heart speaking with a living and triumphant Savior. Why would we seek Him among the dead? He is not there He is risen and living. He lives eternally to save us and to hear us when we pray. The logic of Easter suggests nothing else!

Trust in the words of Jesus vv.6-8 "…remember how He spake unto you when He was yet in Galilee, saying the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again. And they remembered His Words"

The resurrection did not happen as a fluke. It was predicted by Jesus countless times on many occasions. He had promised His disciples, on the third day that He would rise from the dead. He told them, "destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up"(John 2:19) And the Scripture is quick to remind us that this He was speaking of His own body. {John 2:21}

Jesus' predictions all came true. He promised us a resurrection and that is precisely what we got. He guarantees each and every promise. We can trust Him at His Word. When He makes a promise to us He is duty bound to keep His Word. He can do nothing less then keep His promises. Because He lives He will hear our prayers and answer them according to His perfect plan and design for your life. This you can count on Jesus will keep His Word!

Conclusion:  How do you react too an experience like the first Easter?  Can we today shard the women's experience? By faith we can!  Rejoice, then this day, He is risen, He is risen indeed hallelujah!

Easter

Easter Festival 

April 15, 2001 

Luke 16:19-31   

Is there life after death?  

Introduction: - Is there really life after death?  That is the question this world has been asking for centuries and, as we celebrate the first Easter of a new century, it is a question that is even more pertinent then at any other time. We are living in a declining society and many have observed that when a society begins to decay and decline it begins to lose hope. This can be reflected in our culture through art, television, and movies and in our past times.

Our declining and decaying society is rapidly becoming totally preoccupied with the subject of death. Consider please:

I. The findings

A.     Across the nations we have people quoted 

1.      Those who have experienced clinical death, where vital organs have ceased to function. 

2.      These people will be quick to tell you that they have had a "life after life" experience. What are we to make of this?

B.     Of these experiences there are a few observations for us to note. 

1.      Basically, they are all uniform. Each has a similar experience. 

2.      Included in these experiences are a sense of euphoria; open freedom; a review of life's events.

C.     What then are the results of such findings?  There are basically two.

1.      None were anxious to return. 

2.      None now fears death at all.

II. This must be fiction!

A.     To this discussion, and especially on this Easter, an exact definition of death is crucial to our discussion.

1. There are medical definitions, which describe to us that a person has died such as the loss of vital signs, brain waves, a heartbeat, etc. 

2. There is an actual definition of death that you and I as Christians use every day which is the separation of the soul from the body.

B.     What does this mean? 

1. It means that all these cases of "life after life" experiences were examples of clinical death. They were not cases of actual death. 

2. None of these people have actually returned from the dead. They were all near death experiences.

C.     So what are the results for this world? 

1. Confusion reigns supreme. 

2. People today are lacking in essential evidence of life after death.

III. What is needed today then, more then ever, are the essential facts.

A.     The fact remains that only one person has come back from actual death and has told us about it. 

1.      That one is Jesus Christ 

2.      The New Testament contains the record that He has given to us that we might know the truth of what awaits each and every one of us after we experience the reality of death.

B.     In our text for this morning there is much for us to consider by Jesus in His teaching. 

1.      There is something after death, which awaits all of us. There is life after death. 

2.      Life after death is in one of two locations; either heaven or hell. 

3.      He is real and awful. 

4.      There is no second chance after death. There are no "do overs" 

5.      There is no exchange of plans after death. Recall verse 26: "Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed; so that they which would pass from hence to you can not; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence." 

6.      Stations here and in the hereafter are not related. Wealth in this life does not guarantee wealth in the life that is to come. 

7.      Positions there are determined by decisions made now. Reject not, the Lord Jesus Christ!

IV. Our Future

A.     We must face the inevitability of death. 

1.      There is a difference between facing death and being preoccupied with death. We must learn to know the difference. 

2.      Physical death then is totally inescapable. The Bible reminds us that it is appointed for a man to die, once and then comes judgment.

B.     Thus we must be prepared for what waits us at death's door. 

1.      The Bible says it is necessary to be "born again" if we are to see heaven. 

2.      To be "born again" simply means to be "born from above". In other words, to be "born again" means to be born spiritually, to be born from God.  When were you "born again"?  You were born again when you were baptized into the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. St. Paul tells us that all of us who have been baptized into Christ have been clothed by Christ.  In your baptism you were buried with Him in His death and raised to new life by the power of your baptism.

Conclusion:  Don't get taken in by something untrue regarding life after death. Take the Word and the record of the only One who has ever come back and told of it. His Name is Jesus Christ and on this day we celebrate life; the life that He has given to us and that life that can not end! A Blessed Easter. Amen.