This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Trusting The Word", 4/28/2013

TRUSTING IN THE WORD

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3,9-17

 

STAND FAST ON THE WORD OF GOD

V:1. "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him."

 A. The word "beseech" is from the Greek word "erotao" which means to request, to

      desire, or to ask.

    1. The foundation of the request is the second coming of our Lord and savior,

 

        Jesus Christ.

 B. The object of the request is our eternal life with Christ.

      1. When Christ returns He will gather His elect to be with Him.

      2. Our hope should be focused on this.

      3. All of our earthly struggles will end with Christ.

      4. We have gained the victory in the midst of our struggles.

 

V:2. "That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand."

 A. Trouble is all around us and will continue throughout our lifetime.

      1. If we put our trust in the Lord and His promise, we have no reason to be

 

          troubled.

      2. The second coming of the Lord will be preceded by turmoil, destruction and

         

          false prophets.  Mark 13:7

         a. We should not be shaken by these occurrences because they have been foretold

             by the Lord.

  B. The Word of the Lord is complete with promises of blessings and curses.

       1. God blesses us according to our obedience.

       2. God punishes us because of our disobedience.

       3. God chastises those that He loves, so that we may learn, and not be troubled by

 

          the same.

  C. Today, many take the Word of God and pervert it to fit their personal agenda.

       1. We should not be shaken or surprised, because Jesus already said that it would

            be done.

       2. We must maintain focus and find joy in the second coming of the Lord.

 

V:3. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition."

 A. Prior to the return of Jesus there will be those who will teach a word

      that is different from the Word of God.

      1. We must be aware when this happens so as to not be deceived.

      2. An informed person easily identifies an imposter of the truth. 

 B. We should expect false teachers.

      1. Jesus will not come back until false teachers are in place and part of the

          Church has turned away from belief in the Gospel.

      2. We should not be surprised or deceived when this happens.

 

 

THE SIGNS OF THE FALSE PROPHET

V:4. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

 A. There are some signs of the false prophets.

     1. They will oppose the Word of God.

     2. They will exalt themselves above God.

 B. The false prophet will sit in the temple of God and proclaim to be God.  

 

V:9. "Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders."

 A. The false prophet will come under the influence of Satan working counterfeit signs

      wonders.

     1. He will claim to be Jesus and attempt to prove his claim with false miracles and

         signs.

  B. We must be sober and alert at all times because the Word will be perverted.

     1. It only with Word of Truth will one be able to determine if the word spoken

         is perverted.

 

V:10. "And with all deceit and unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved."

 A. The world prefers a lie rather than the truth of God.

     1. When the false prophet comes, the world will easily be persuaded to follow.

 B. The false prophet will claim unrighteousness as the way of God.

     1. Since unrighteousness is the nature of the wicked, the false prophet will have

         a ready audience.

     2. The wicked will choose unrighteousness over the truth.

     3. Rejecting the Word of Truth eliminates the possibility of being saved.

 

THE FATE OF DISBELIVERS

V:11. "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie."

 A. God will make it easy for those who choose the lie to believe the lie.

     1. The word "delusion" is the from the Greek word "planes" which means to stray

        or wonder about.

     2. God will give the evil-minded cause to continue with the wrong conclusion or

         opinion.

  B. God will loosen the minds of those who oppose the truth.

     1. The evil minded will not have the ability to determine the truth

 

V:12. "That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

 A. Those who refuse to believe the Word of God are damned to hell.

     1. When the truth is presented, we have a choice to believe or not to believe.

     2. Those who refuse to follow God, take pleasure in unrighteousness.

 B. When we have been exposed to God's Word, we cannot claim ignorance of the

       Word.

     1. God is tolerant with us while He draws us close to Him.

     2. However, there are those who will hear the Word and refuse to believe.

    a. They have fallen for the deception and cannot be changed.

 

THE FATE OF BELIEVERS

V:13. "But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth"

 A. We must give thanks for our belief.

    1. God made it possible before the foundation of the earth for all those who will

        believe in Him, to believe in Him.

 B. God's love for us was expressed before the foundation of the earth in His choice of

      us

       for salvation.

     1. It is only by His grace that we have the mind to believe in Jesus.

 C. We must be grateful that God chose us for salvation.

     1. We must thank God for others in the body of Christ.

     2. We must pray for others in the body of Christ.

     3. We must support and build up others in the body of Christ.

 

V:14. "Whereunto He called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."

 A. The Lord was good to the believers before the foundation of the world.

    1. He chose us to receive the Gospel message.

    2. He gave us the Gospel message.

    3. He molded our minds to receive the Gospel message.

 B. God made heaven available to us through the death of His Son on the cross.

     1. God made us partakers of the glory of Jesus Christ.

     2. God made Jesus our Lord.

 C. We were born in the world, but God called us out of the world.

    1. The method of His calling is His Word.

    2. God called us out of the world to save us from the penalty of sin.

    3. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

 

STAY FOCUSED ON THE GOSPEL

V:15. "Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle."

 A. We must study the Word to know the Word.

     1. We must determine our minds to believe the Word.

     2. We must determine our minds to follow the Word.

 B. No matter what is happening in the world, we have to trust the Word as our only

      guide.

    1. We have a history with God.

    2. We have personal testimony of the truth of the word.

 C. False doctrines will be taught, but we will stand fast in our belief.

    1. Those who do not stand firmly in the truth will wander after false doctrines.

 

V:16. "Now our Lord, Jesus Christ Himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace."

 A. Belief in the Word of God has everlasting benefits.

    1. We have Jesus as our Lord.

    2. We have Jesus as our Christ, the Messiah.

 B. We have God as our Father.

    1. We have the love of the Father.

    2. We have the grace of the Father.

    3. We have the hope of eternal life.

    4. We have the promises of God as our hope for living this life.

 C. We have the comfort that He has control over the events of our lives.

     1. We have the comfort that He will take care of us.

 

V:17. "Comfort your hearts, and establish yourself in every good word and work."

 A. Only the Word of God can give us comfort.

      1. We can only trust the Word to know the truth,

      2. God has provided us with the Holy Spirit to be our comforter.

      3. The indwelling Holy Spirit will teach and remind us of the Word of truth.

 B. Our faith in God should produce a desire in our hearts to serve God.

     1. Christians should actively study God's Word.

     2. Christians should be the first with a Word from God to others.

     3. Christ should actively apply God's Word in service.

 C .The word "lazy" should never be used to refer to a Christian.

     1. We should be hearers and doers of God's Word.

     2. There is comfort and joy in serving God.

     3. When we serve God, He will manifest His power through us, increasing

          our faith.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Week's Sunday School Lesson. "The influence of Jesus. Eternal Life", 4/21/2013

THE INFLUENCE OF JESUS, ETERNAL LIFE

 

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 5:1-11

 

V:13. "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope."

 A. The God we serve is one of understanding.

      1. If we true meaning of “death”,  we need not be afraid

      2. Those who don't understand the work of Jesus on the cross are cannot

 

           understand His promise.

 B. Those who don't know Jesus, lack hope beyond the present world.

     1. Death brings sorrow when you don't understand that it is part of God's plan for

  

         us.

     2. Those who died in Christ, Jesus are enjoying another life with Christ.

 

V:14. "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him."

 A. The requirement for hope is knowledge of God's Word.

    1. The foundation of hope is the death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

        a. Those who died in Jesus are in a quiet and calm disposition.

        b. They are experiencing no pain or sorrow.

    2. Just as Jesus died and was raised again, so do those who died with faith in Jesus.

       

 B. If we believe in Jesus, we must also believe in His second coming.

    1. At His second coming the Lord will bring the spirit of the dead in Christ with

 

        Him.

    2. Believers share Christ’s Destiny: heaven.

 

V:15. "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep."

 A. Death before the second coming of the Lord does not change the of hope of the

      resurrection.

    1. Those who are alive during the second coming have no advantage over those who

 

         as died in Christ.

    2. If we are living when the Lord comes we must be living in Him.

 b. The Lord is coming back for the living and for the dead in Christ.

    1. Those who are alive when Christ comes again are not honored above those

        who are asleep in Christ.

 

V:16. "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the arch angel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first."

 A. The Lord has a plan for the rapture of His Church.

    1. The Lord Jesus will show Himself with the full power of heaven.

    2. Jesus will come with a shout, a cry of excitement.

    3 .He will come with an arch angel (Chief angel). Judge 9, Rev 12:7, Dan 8:16

        a. The arch angels could be Gabriel, Michael or one of the seven mentioned in

            Rev 12:7 .

    4. He will come with music; the sound of a trumpet

    5. It will be an occasion for great joy.

 B. The dead in Christ will be raised first.

      1. They were first to enter the spiritual realm in faith and therefore first to be

 

          raised.

 

V:17. "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."

 A. This second coming of Christ will be miracle before our eyes.

     1. Those who are alive will be changed to be able to rise into the air with Christ.

     2. Out of these earthly bodies will be resurrected bodies that can be suspended in

 

        air.    1 Cor 15:52.

     3. The forces of nature that hold us to the ground will be dissolved in the

 

         resurrection.

        a. A supernatural flight will take place to lift us in to the heavens.

        b. There will be no need for spacesuits, spaceships or rocket boosters, just the

             power of the Lord.

 B. This new position in with Christ will be eternal.

       a. Our eternal hope rests with our faith in God's Word.

       b. Jesus will assemble all believers to Himself at one time.

 

V:18. "Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

  A. Faith in the promises of Jesus should bring us comfort in troubling times.

      1. Life is full of trials and tribulations.

      2. Our grief and sorrow give way to the peace and joy of the Lord.

  B.  Jesus paved the way for eternal life with Him.

     1. This is not our home. We are just passing through.

     2. Our time on earth is preparation for heaven.

 

Chapter 5

V:1. "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you."

 A. We live in the time and the season for the second coming of Christ.

    1. Christ commissioned the Church to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

    2. The Gospel started in Jerusalem.

         a. The Gospel has moved out to the ends of the earth.

         b. Missionaries and electronic media have taken the Gospel to many places.

   3.  Computers can quickly translate the Bible into any known language.

       a. People around the world can read the Bible in their own language.

 B. God is not limited by time or circumstances.

    1. He moves according to His plan.

    2. Wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes and major weather disasters are all signs

        

         that the end is near. Mat 24:6-8

    3. All of these signs are present in today's environment around the world. 

 

V:2. "For that you may know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night."

 A. The second coming of Christ will be unexpected.

     1. The work of the Lord in the Church will not be complete until He comes back.

     2. We know that there is much work to be done.

     3. We can see the suffering all around us.

 B. We are charged to spread the Word, which will draw His elect to Him.

    1. We should be busy while expecting His immediate return.

    2. Just as Jesus came to save the lost, we have an immense and present work in

        spreading the Word to the lost.

 

V:3. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape."

 A. It is easy to be complacent when our situation is calm and peaceful.

     1. It is easy to forget that Jesus will return when you are satisfied with yourself.

 B. Day in and day, out we exist.

     1. As yet another sun rises and falls and Christ, and Christ still has yet to come, it

         becomes less and less present in our minds that Christ is on his way

     2. As sure as woman delivering a baby will have birth pains, Christ is coming

         back.

  C. The "they" in this verse are those who will not believe in Christ.

       1. Their destruction is certain, but the time is not made known.

 

V:4. "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief."

  A. Believers have the Word of God and  never dwell in the dark.

     1. We do not know when Christ will return.

         a. We do know is that He is coming.

  B. We must wait with faith that Jesus’ return.

      1. We must live as though His return is immediate.

      2. We should always maintain fellowship with Jesus, perfecting ourselves in

           preparation for His return.

 

V:5. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness."

 A. We belong to Jesus and therefore are Children of the King.

     1. We are the family of Jesus. He will not leave us in the dark.

     2. We have His Word in print so that we can know His will for ourselves.

 B. Darkness is a choice: we choose darkness when we choose not to study His Word or

      or not to believe in His Word.

     1. To be in the dark is to be ignorant of His Word.

     2. God has gifted us with spiritual eyes to “see” His second coming.

  C. Through the power of the Holy Spirit we have a omnipresent teacher, always

       available to aid in our understanding.

 

V:6. "Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober."

 A. We have a an obligation to be constantly aware of the Lord's coming.

      1. We have a responsibility to be work toward the Lord's coming.

 B. The word "watch" is to be awake.

      1. We should actively anticipate of His return.

 C. The word "sober" means to refrain from abuse of wine.

      1. We should not abuse the privilege of our salvation by acting as if this is

           our home.

      2. We should not  forget that Jesus’ return could be in the next moment.

 

V:7. "For they that sleep, sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night."

 A. Night and day are made for each other.

   1. Christians should work during in the day, and sleep during the night.

   2. All of our work should be dedicated unto the Lord.

   3. The Lord gave us the night to rest.

   4. The night's rest is our time of rejuvenating before the next day’s work.

 

 B. Those who dwell in darkness do not know when to rest.

    1. They are drunk in the complacency of the belief that time is on their side.

    2. When they work, their work is not unto the Lord.

        a. The Lord has no need to give them rest because there is no work time in them.

        b. They worry and have no peace because their focus is on the world.

  C. People who dwell in the darkness are satisfied being in the dark because they don't

       know the joy of the light.

 

V:8. "But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation."

 A. Because we are Children of the day, we are commanded to wait for the

      second coming of the Lord.

 B. The wait is secure and sure in our faith.

     1. If we love the Lord, we will in continuously anticipate of His return.

     2. Faith in the Lord keeps us on course and protects us from ways of the world.

 C. Salvation is a free gift.

     1. During our time on earth, active faith feeds the hope in our hearts.

     2. Because we are grateful for this free gift, we serve the Lord with gladness.

 

V:9. "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ."

 A. Salvation is by appointment of the Lord.

     1. Jesus’ death on the cross was by appointment of the Lord for us.

 B. Not every person has been appointed by God.

     2. Through grace, he appointed some of us to salvation.

     3. He appointed some to wrath.

 C. Only God knows why some are appointed to salvation, and some to wrath.

1. We must rejoice in our appointment.

 

V:10. "Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him."

 A. Jesus is the reason for our salvation.

     1. We should be constantly mindful of the position we have in Jesus.

     2. We should be grateful for the grace of God that falls fresh on us during each

         moment of our lives.

     3. We belong to Jesus.

         a. Our lives are permanently tied to Jesus.

         b. He is our keeper.

     4. He keeps us whether living or dead.

 B. In Jesus we never die

     1. Even when we are dead to this world, we are alive in Jesus.

     2. We have eternal life with Jesus.

 

 

V:11."Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do."

  A. Given our eternal hope is in Jesus, we should encourage and uplift each other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "The Gift Of The Holy Spirit", 2/14/2013

HOLY SPIRIT; THE POWER OF THE CHURCH

 

Acts 2:1-13

 

V:1. "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place."

 A. Pente means fifty. Pentecost is fifty days after the resurrection of Christ.

     1. This was God's appointed time for the giving of the Holy Spirit to believers.

     2. They were all in one place awaiting the fulfillment of the promise of power

          given by Jesus.

          a. Whatsoever Jesus promised, we should anticipate.

     3. When believers gather, they should gather with their minds focused on the

          work of the Lord and all of His promises.

 B. God has pre-planned the place and the time for all events concerning His plan of

      redemption.

    1. When we are obedient to God's Word, miracles can take place.

        a. Jesus told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for a miracle.

   

V:2. "And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting."

 A. God reveals Himself to us by what He does through nature.

     1. He can disturb the elements of nature and localize the disturbance into one place.

     2. The sound like a rushing wind was heard only in the place where the disciples

         were gathered.

     3. They were all sitting in one house.

 B. You can hear the wind, but the wind cannot be touched.

     1. You can feel the effects of the wind, but the wind cannot be seen.

     2. The sound they heard was violent, but destroyed nothing.  

 C. When God appears, He fills the House.

     1. We should maintain our focus on the Lord, and thus be filled with the Lord.

V:3. "And there appeared unto them cloven tongues with the likeness of fire, and it sat upon each of them."

 A. They saw something with the appearance of fire resting on the head of each of them.

     1. The word "cloven" means divided or parted.

     2. God gave them a visual sign of the spirit that rested with them.

        a. The Holy Spirit is present in every believer.

        b. In the room, there were120 people.

 B. Wherever believers gather, the Holy Spirit is present.

     1. The word “tongue” is from the Greek word "gloossai" which means

          speech or language.

     2. The first spiritual gift given by God to the original disciples was

          the gift of language.

          a. The gift of language was the ability to speak a language different

              than their own, immediately and without any training.

    3. Notice that the text says it rested upon them and not within them.

         a. Our spiritual gifts are meant to be used for the glory of God.

V:4. "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

 A. They were filled with the Holy Spirit.

      1. The Holy Spirit dwells within every believer.

      2. They immediately began to speak other languages as directed by the Holy Spirit.

      3. The Holy Spirit gives us supernatural abilities. Isa 28:11

      4. The Spirit works through our obedience to the Word of Jesus.

           a. Because of their obedience, they were in Jerusalem awaiting the promise of

               Jesus.

           b. They assembled themselves together for worship and prayer.

           c. We must allow the Holy Spirit to direct us in the work of the Lord.

 B. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, each believer is enabled to do the

      work of the Lord.

     1. The Holy Spirit is not for our own personal use, but given to us in order to glorify

          the Father.

     2. Any gift we have comes not by our abilities, but by the Lord.

 

V:5. "And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven."

 A. To verify this gift of languages and the power of the Holy Spirit, God brought

     representatives from every recognized nation.

     1. These representatives were all religious men who believed in God.

     2. These men lived in Jerusalem, so they knew the people and their language.

 B. These men were familiar with the crucifixion of Jesus and the disciples of Jesus.

     1. Under Jewish law, something could be proven by the testimony of two or more

         witnesses.

V:6. "Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and they were confounded, as every man heard them speak in his own language."

 A. There are things that cannot be maintained as a secret.

    1. Word travelled that Jesus’ disciples were speaking in different languages.

    2. These devout men came to the place where the disciples were speaking, in order

         to witness the miracle themselves.

    3. These devout men were confused because common people were speaking

        different languages.

        a. Every devout man heard the common people speak in their own language.

     4. The Lord can use ordinary people in extraordinary ways.

          a. According to God’s will, we are empowered.

  B. When we devote ourselves to God, we become a power of which the minds of this

       world cannot understand.

     1. Under the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit, we are unlimited in what we

         can accomplish for God.

V:7. "And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, “Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?"

 A. The multitude of devout men had different languages.

      1. To hear common people speak in each of their languages was amazing to them.

          a. The Galilaeans were considered ignorant, rude and uncivilized. John 1:46

      2. These common people were not educated, and should not have had the ability to

          speak in their language.

        a. There was no multitude of teachers in Jerusalem who could have taught the

            common people these languages.

        b. If God has a mission for us, we need not worry about how it will be

            accomplished.

 B. When you witness a miracle, it should be discussed and shared with others.

     1. You must make your own determinations about God.

     2. Though two people may see the same thing, they may view it differently.

     3. People can experience the same thing, but have different beliefs.

 

V:8. "And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?"

 A. God is not limited in what He can do with us.

     1. Problems arise when we attempt to “see” our possibilities with our eyes.

     2. Faith in God is beyond human understanding.

 B. There is nothing that God cannot accomplish.

     1. There is nothing we cannot accomplish with God, if it be His will.

     2. God is more than the whole world against us.

 C.  This miracle was complicated.

     1. Unlearned men spoke languages other than their own.

     2. Men of many different languages each heard their language spoken at the same

         time.

     3. How can this be? God made it to be.

 Acts 2:9-11

9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,

10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,

11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

 A. Only God can bring men together from different countries and empower them with

       simultaneous understanding

    1.  Believers should hunger to bear witness to God’s work of miracles in their own   

         lives and in the lives of others.

    2. We should anticipate God’s miracles.

 B. The works of God are beyond the ordinary.

    1. Many things before us are miracles in the making.

    2. The air we breathe is constantly purified:  This is a miracle.

         a. The grass changes colors with the seasons: this is a miracle.

         b. There is sufficient food for all of the people of the world: this is a miracle.

         c. Cows produce milk to nourish their caretakers: this is a miracle.

    3. The miracles of God are never ending.

        a. The blood of one man atones for the sins of all the world: this is a miracle.

 

 V: 12. "And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?"

 A. The Holy Spirit is the power of the Church.

     1. God gives each of us different gifts to build His Church.

     2. Each believer has the responsibility to use the gifts given them toward the glory

         of the Father.

 B. All believers have a purpose in the body of Christ.

    1. Every believer should be actively involved in the mission of moving the Gospel to

        the ends of the earth.

    2. The Church, with the power of the Holy Spirit will survive every effort of man to

         destroy it.

    3. Believers have the hope of victory and eternal life.

 C. The miracles of God are foolish to the human mind.

     1. Only a spiritual mind can understand the works of God.

 

V:13. "Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine."

  A. In the middle of the mission, Satan is always trying to undermine the works of

       God.

      1. What the world can't understand about God, it cast off with foolish thoughts.

      2. If the disciples were drunk with wine, it would be more unlikely that they would

          speak a foreign language fluently.

 B. We should be thankful to God that He gave us a measure of faith.

     1. We should be thankful that that our faith is not left to us but to the power of the

          Holy Spirit.

     2. We should be thankful that He chose us to receive His Spirit.

     3. We should be thankful that the death of Jesus on the cross provides eternal

          life to all believers.

     4. Thank God for powering our lives with the Holy Spirit.

  

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

             

 

THE START OF THE CHURCH

 

Luke 24:36-53

 

V:36.  "And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you."

 A.  Jesus is the source of our peace.

      1. He is the peace between you and the Father.

      2. He is the peace between you and Him.

      3. He is the source of peace between you and other believers.

 B. Trusting Jesus brings peace in the mist of troubling situations.

     1. The eleven (disciples) were troubled by the death of their leader.

     2. They heard the reports of His resurrection, yet they were still troubled.

     3.  Lack of trust in the Word leads to a troubled mind.     

 C. Jesus is in the mist of whatever is going on in the life of believers.

     1. Our trust in Him ought to calm us down and assure us of the best outcome.

         a. We are commanded to be anxious for nothing.

 

V:37. "But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit."

 A. Some people are hard to convince.

    1. They had the testimony of the women and the men from Emmaus, yet they would

         not believe.

    2. They saw what looked like Jesus, but they refused to believe it was Jesus.

    3. They obviously believed in spirits.

       a. They immediately believed what they saw was a spirit.

       b. It was common in Old Testament times for Angels to appear in human form to

           God's chosen.

 B. Jesus is Spirit, but He chose to reveal Himself in human form. 1 Cor 15:45

     1. They could not grasp the reality that Jesus was alive and standing before them.

     2. We have to take hold of the reality that Jesus is always present when believers

         come together in His name. 

 

V:38. "And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?"

 A. When you refuse to believe the Word of Jesus, your mind will play tricks on you.

      1. When you refuse to believe the Word, you open the door for Satan to deceive

          you.

      2. Unbelief is an invitation to Satan to enter your life.

 B. We make our own trouble by not following and believing the Word.

     1. The Bible is our light.

     2. The only way to walk in the dark is to turn off the light.

 C. Out of the heart flows the issues of life.

     1. Put the Word of God in your heart and let confidence flow out.

 

V:39. "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have."

 A. There is always a way to arrive at the truth.

     1. You have to check it out for yourself.

     2. Jesus instructs us to take a look at Him.

     3. The disciple saw Him nailed to the cross.

         a. They observed the holes in His hands.

         b. They observed the holes in His feet.

 B. Jesus reminded them that a spirit does not have flesh and bones.

     1. There was something unique about His body.

        a. He could put it on and take it off in an instant.

        b. He walked through closed doors.

    2. The Word does not make common sense until Jesus enlightens us.

 C. Where two are more gathered in His name, Jesus is in the mist.

    1. I don't have to see Him to know He is present.

    2. It is our faith that gives us the spiritual sight to see Jesus.

    3. All of us need an experience with Jesus to grow our faith.

 

V:40. "And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet."

 A. If you study the Word, Jesus will make you know that He is real.

     1. The Word is Jesus and you will understand it through the power of the Holy Spirit.

     2. The glory of God is shown through His creation.

         a. To see His glory all you have to do is observe your surroundings.

         b. The work of the Lord is always before you.

         c. His glory is shown through His creation.

 B.  His hands represent our security.

     1. Our life is in His hands.

     2. All the provisions of life is in Jesus.

 C. His feet represents our walk.

     1. His walk is our way to heaven.

     2. Jesus is our role model.

 

V:41. "And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?"

 A. Faith in Jesus comes by discovery.

     1. There is joy in discovering who Jesus is.

     2. Your mind ought to wonder about the person of Jesus.

     3. The more we ponder who Jesus is, the closer we get to Him.

 B. Jesus knows how much it takes for us to have faith in Him.

     1. Spirits have no need for meat.

     2. The flesh needs meat for nourishment.

     3. To have faith in Jesus, we must believe He died and was raised from the dead.

     4. If what we see with our eyes causes joy, how much more joy will there be with

         belief?

 

V:42. "And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb."

 A. Jesus takes the ordinary to reveal the extraordinary.

      1. Food is ordinary, but Jesus is extraordinary.

      2. Jesus the extraordinary, brought Himself low for us to behold His Glory.

      3. Jesus knows us because He lived with us.

 B. When we share what we have with those in need, we share with Jesus.

   1. Jesus reveals Himself to us in our sharing.

   2. Our hearts are uplifted when we lift others up.

 

V:43. "And he took it, and did eat before them."

 A. Jesus our Lord and Savior takes time with us to enlighten and comfort

      us in our time of trouble.

    1. He is never to busy to visit with us.

    2. Jesus was about to be glorified by the Father, but His focus was His disciples.

 

V:44. "And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me."

 A. Jesus is one who keeps promises.

     1. The Old Testament is a complete prophecy of the coming of Jesus Christ.

     2. From beginning to the end of the Old Testament, all the prophecies.

         concerning Jesus Christ were fulfilled.

 B. We should take comfort in the prophecy of His second coming.

     1. We should take comfort in all the promises Jesus made to us in the

         New Testament.

     2. What He said would be done in the past was done.

     3. Therefore, we can be sure that His Word is true.

         a. We can be sure that His word is sure concerning us.

 

V:45. "Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures."

 A. It is the Lord that makes it possible for us to understand the scriptures.

     1. God has a time for us to understand certain parts of scripture.

     2. The disciples walked with and were taught by Jesus for three and a half years,

         yet Jesus kept them blind concerning His death and resurrection.

 B. Perhaps Jesus wanted His disciples to keep their focus totally on Him.

    1. His disciples needed to experience His crucifixion and death in their hearts

        so that the Good News of His resurrection would carry them through future

        trials and tribulations.  

    1. Once Jesus was resurrected, His disciples were allowed to see Him in

        the Old Testament prophecies.

    2. We need constant training in scriptures to  understand fully God's plan of

         redemption.

 

V:46. "And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day."

 A. Jesus planned His death and His resurrection on the third day.

    1. He suffered for our sins.

    2. He was raised on the third day for our redemption. 1 Cor 15 :21-22

    3. He was three days in the ground to reset the day of worship from Saturday to

        Sunday.

       a. By Jewish law, no work could be done from sun down Friday through sun rise

           Sunday.

       b. The work of atonement was completed by sun down Friday.

       c.  The Work of grace begin on Sunday.

 B. Christ was dedicated to His plan of redemption.

 

V:47. "And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."

 A. Jesus designed His plan of redemption to begin in Jerusalem.

     1. Jerusalem is God's Holy City.

     2. He designed and guided the building of the Temple in Jerusalem.

     3. He focused His time on earth on the cross.

     4. He planned the lives of all those who would participate in His unjust death.

 B. Jesus designed His plan of redemption so that redemption would be

      offered to the Jews first and then the Gentile nations.

     1. It is good to remember that God is always in control.

 

V:48. "And ye are witnesses of these things."

 A. The disciples were eye witnesses to the death and the resurrection of Jesus.

     1. We are not eye witnesses but we have been gifted with faith to believe

          in Jesus as our salvation.

     2. We have the testimony of the Law, the prophets and Psalms of the

          coming of Jesus Christ.

     3. We have the testimony of disciples of the life of Jesus.

 B. We have God's record of Jesus in His Word.

      1. We have our own witness of Jesus in our lives.

      2. We have the testimony of the Holy Spirit which lives within us.

 

V:49. "And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high."

 A. The Father empowered the Church with the Holy Spirit.

     1. Jesus gave His disciple the promise of power that enables every believer

         with the ability to resist sin.

     2. The supernatural power of the Holy Spirit was given first to the disciples of

          Jesus in Jerusalem.

 B. The giving of the Holy Spirit is the divine authority of the Church.

 

V:50. "And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them."

 A. Jesus assumed His new role as head of the Church by leading His disciples to

      the base of the Mount of Olives.

    1. Jesus is the leader of our lives.

    2. He leads us in the way of righteousness.

    3. He leads us according to the will of the Father.

 B. Jesus is the blessings of the Church.

    1. Jesus is our eternal blessings.

    2. Jesus intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father to provide us with all

        the blessings of life.

 

V:51. "And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven; And they worshipped him, And returned to Jerusalem."

 A. The completion of God's plan of redemption for man was the return of His Son to

      His right hand on the heavenly throne.

    1. All power over Heaven and earth was given to Him.

    2. The Father allowed Jesus to be brought low before men so that He could be

         highly exalted above men and angels.

 B. Jesus blessed us with a kingdom address.

    1. Jesus blessed us with the atonement for our sins.

    2. Jesus blessed us with a teacher to understand His Word.

    3. Jesus blessed us with His unselfish sacrificial love.

 

V:52. "And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy"

 A. His disciples worshipped Him.

    1.All believers should worship the Lord for what He has done for each of us

       individually.

    2. We ought to bless the Lord for our privilege to fellowship with Him.

    3. We ought to bless the Lord for eternal life.

 B. The disciples returned to Jerusalem.

    1. After worshipping the Lord, we ought to return to our homes,

        and serve the Lord with our hearts, minds and soul.

    2. We ought to let God use us as His vessels to spread the Gospel and use

         us as His workers.

 C. It ought to bring us great joy when we think about the goodness of the Lord.

     1. It ought to bring us great joy to serve the Lord.

 

V:53. " And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen."

  A. We have a duty and an obligation to praise the Lord.

      1. His praise should be continuously on our lips.

      2. Jesus is our role model.

           a. We ought to bless Him because we are grateful for His work on the cross.

 B. When we come into His sanctuary, we should have no other motives but praise

       worship and prayer.

 C. We ought to make it our main business to come into His house to fellowship.