An Easter Sermon for Children's Church

You may know many things about the death and resurrection of Jesus. You may know about the Man who was killed on the Cross. You may know that man. I do!

Or, maybe you don’t know anything about the story. You may have questions. You may be asking:

Did these things really happen?

Who was that Man on the Cross?

Why did He have to die?

Did He really come back to life?

What does it all have to do with me?

I hope to answer these questions over the next few minutes.

The Gospel – Good News

Paul the Apostle wrote these words in the Bible:

(Romans 1:1b-4 ESV) 1 …the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

These words speak of the gospel of God. Gospel means “good news”. And they say it is God’s gospel. It is “good news” from God. This “gospel of God” was promised by God “through his prophets in the holy Scriptures.”

In another place we read this about the gospel of God.

(First Corinthians 15:1, 3-4 ESV) 1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you… 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

There is a clear statement of the gospel:

Christ died for our sins and Christ rose from the dead!

That is the gospel. That is the “good news”.

The Bad News

But if you were listening close, in that clear statement you also heard some bad news. And it is that bad news that makes the “good news” so very good.

“Christ died for our sins.” Christ Jesus, the man who died on the Cross, “died for our sins.”

The bad news we must face is the bad news about “our sins”.

What is sin?

Have you ever lied? God said, “do not lie.” Lying is sin. That is why Jesus died; “for our sins.”

Have you ever stolen anything? God said, “do not steal.” Stealing is sin. That is why Jesus died; “for our sins.”

Have you ever disobeyed your parents? God said, “Honor your father and your mother.” Disobeying your parents is sin. That is why Jesus died; “for our sins.”

Sin is doing what God has commanded us not to do or not doing what God has commanded us to do. Everyone has sinned. The Bible says:

(Romans 3:23 ESV) 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the gloryof God,

The consequence of sin is death. The Bible says:

(Romans 6:23 ESV) 23 For the wages of sin is death…

The death this verse speaks of is an eternal painful existence in hell - separated from God and all that is good.

That is why Jesus died; “for our sins.”

Jesus, Our Sin, and His Death

Who is Jesus? How could He die for my sin?

There is one answer to both of these questions.

Our Scripture talks about “the gospel of God… concerning his Son.”

The reason Jesus could die for our sins is because he is the sinless Son of God. He is God in human flesh. Jesus…

“was descended from David according to the flesh”

He was the perfect Man who never sinned

And Jesus…

“was declared to be the Son of God”

Very God in human flesh. And he “died for our sins.”

How can we know that Jesus is the Son of God? That is what Easter is all about. Our Scripture says Jesus…

“was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead”

We know that Jesus is the Son of God because, after he “died for our sins” on the Cross, He rose from the dead. He came back to life.

Your Response

Do you still ask, “What does this have to do with me?

Well, nothing if you reject the good news. If you reject the Son of God’s death as payment for your sin, then it has nothing to do with you. You must pay for your own sin forever in hell.

But, if you receive Jesus and His death as payment for your sins then your sins are forgiven and you will live forever with God in heaven.

You must receive Jesus by faith. Faith is turning to Jesus in love and trusting in his death and resurrection for the forgiveness of your sins. And faith is turning from sin. This is called repentance. It means that with God’s help you live the rest of your life the way God wants you to live.

If you understand that you need your sins forgiven - if you believe that Jesus died to pay for your sins and that He rose again - if you are willing to turn from sin and trust in Jesus, you can receive Him now.

Prayer

If you would receive Jesus, tell Him so in prayer. Tell Jesus that you want to trust Him and turn from your sin. Tell him you want your sins forgiven. Tell Him you believe that he died for you and that He rose again from the dead.

Now tell me, doth this offend you?

The Word Became Flesh

“The Word”

Who was “in the beginning,”

The Word - Who “was with God,”

The Word - Who “was God,”

The Word - through Whom “all things were made,”

The Word - in Whom “was life,”

The Word - Whose “life was the light of men,”

The Word - Whose “light shines in the darkness,”

The Word - Whose light “the darkness has not overcome,”

The Word – Who is “The true light,”

The Word – “which enlightens everyone,”

The Word – Who “was coming into the world,”

The Word - Who “was in the world,”

The Word – Who “the world was made through Him,”

The Word – Who “the world did not know,”

The Word - Who “came to His own,”

The Word – Who “His own people did not receive,”

The Word - Who “to all who did receive him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God,”

"became flesh."

Now tell me, doth this offend you?

Thoughts On Hell (part 3)

Hell is a place of eternal conscious punishment. Unredeemed sinners, Satan and the fallen angels will forever experience the tormenting wrath of a holy God there. There will be no relief, no break, no end, and no hope. There are those who would say that sinners are cast into hell and experience its torments, but only temporarily. Either they will be annihilated or they will be paroled after serving a finite sentence. But the punishment of hell is not corrective purgative or rehabilitative.

Hear what Jesus said.

(Matthew 25:31-34, 41, 46 ESV) 31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world... 41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels... 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Jesus used the same word - “eternal” - to describe the punishment of the wicked as He used to describe the “eternal life” of the righteous. The punishment of the wicked is as “eternal” as the “life” of the righteous.


Now tell me, doth this offend you?

Thoughts On Hell (part 2)

Somehow Christians have gotten the idea that the fear of hell is an illegitimate motive for fleeing to the Savior. It is not. It is to save us from hell that the Savior has come.

QUOTE: Arthur W. Pink

Concerning the eternal punishment of the wicked there are few, it seems, who realize the vital importance of a ringing testimony to this truth, and fewer still who apprehend the deep seriousness of what is involved in a denial of it. The importance of a clear witness to this doctrine may be seen by noting what a prominent place it holds in the Word; and contrariwise, the seriousness of denying it is evidenced by the fact that such denial is a rejection of God’s truth. The need of giving this solemn subject a prominent place in our witness is apparent, for it is our bounden duty to warn sinners of their fearful peril and bid them flee from the wrath to come. To remain silent is criminal; to substitute anything for it is to set before the wicked a false hope. The great importance of expounding this doctrine, freely and frequently, also appears in that, excepting the Cross of Christ, nothing else so manifests the heinousness of sin, whereas every modification of eternal punishment, only serves to minimize the evil of it. (Arthur W. Pink, Eternal Punishment)

Thoughts On Hell (part 1)

For many the most objectionable doctrine of the Bible is the doctrine of hell. Even among professed Christians there are those who deny that it could really be eternal. Most Christians have never heard a sermon preached on hell. Preachers and teachers today avoid the doctrine of hell at all cost.

The reason seems simple. In a day when men “will not endure sound doctrine” (Second Timothy 4:3 KJV) and preachers prefer the acclaim of men to the pleasure of God, sound doctrine in general must go and the most difficult doctrines must go first. Hell is clearly one of the most unendurable doctrines. But it is certainly the teaching of the Bible.

We do not want to be among those who “will not endure sound doctrine.” We want to know, understand, believe, and proclaim the whole counsel of God. Even the most difficult doctrines.

Now tell me, doth this offend you?

Incarnate Mediator

Christianity is nothing if it is not historical. Christianity is all about a Person; a real Person. A man! He was a man who lived in history. He lived at a particular place. He lived at a particular time; “when the fullness of time had come” (Galatians 4:4 ESV). He lived in a particular way. A man! He was an utterly unique man - a man like no other man, yet a man.

God the Son became a Man. Jesus possesses from all eternity the nature of God. He is equal to the Father in power, knowledge, self-existence, and holiness. In every way the Son is equal to the Father; “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation” (Colossians 1:15 ESV). God the Son in His Deity is spirit. He is eternally the WORD of God. He never ceased to be all that the Father is. But in the course of human history - at a particular place and time - He assumed a second nature. He became a Man. He did not become half Man and half God. He never lost a single attribute of Deity. While He never ceased to be 100% God, He became a real Man. He became a Man in every sense, only without sin. From eternity He was one Person with one nature. At a particular moment in history He became one Person with two natures. He is the God-Man. He is not a mixture of the divine and the human. He is 100% God and 100% Man. He is the WORD become flesh.

Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.

All of eternity past looked forward to the events that began when God became Man. And all of eternity future will look back on the Incarnation of the Son of God as the greatest event in the history of mankind. The events that began with the conception and birth of Jesus Christ stand as the ultimate demonstration of both the justice and the mercy of our great God.

Jesus remains the God-Man. In His glorified state He forever retains His Humanity. This qualifies Him to be our Mediator.

(First Timothy 2:5 ESV) 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

As Mediator, Jesus can represent men to God because He possesses our human nature. Jesus can represent God to men because He possesses God’s nature.

“God sent forth his Son” (Galatians 4:4 ESV). “The Word became flesh” (John 1:14 ESV). God became a Man. The importance of this doctrine cannot be overstated. All Christian doctrine hangs on the fact that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. It is because of the Incarnation that we can know God. Had God not pitched His tent among us we could not know Him.

What an amazing thing that the God of creation would condescend to live among His creatures. Jesus lived the life of a man on earth for nearly three and a half decades. Think about it. He played. He laughed. He “increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52 ESV). He worked. He taught. He loved. He healed. He prayed. He wept. He died. He rose again! His life has had a greater impact on the world than any other person or event. The events of one Passover weekend at the end of His life changed the world forever.

Now tell me, doth this offend you?

The ESV Study Bible

Wednesday, October 15, 2008 will mark the publication of the ESV Study Bible.

I’ve been reading the English Standard Version for almost two years now and I am very pleased with it. I’m also excited to see the publication of this new study Bible based on the ESV.

“The ESV is a dream come true for me. The rightful heir to a great line of historic translations, it provides the continuity and modern accuracy I longed for. Now the scope and theological faithfulness of the ESV Study Bible study notes is breathtaking. Oh how precious is the written Word of God.” John Piper, Pastor for Preaching and Vision, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, MN

Now tell me, doth this offend you?

Justification Before God Apart from Human Effort

When Paul said,

(Romans 3:20 ESV) “by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight”

he eliminated all human effort as the way to justification.

5 minute video:

Now tell me, doth this offend you?

What's the Point?

There are those who, while affirming the Deity of Jesus, deny the doctrine of the Trinity. They are called modalists, since they believe that the Father Son and Holy Spirit are mere modes of the unitarian God. They teach that Jesus is the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

I have found in defending the biblical doctrine of the Trinity against this heresy, its adherents will not argue the point in dispute. They will accuse me either of tritheism or Arianism. But I affirm both monotheism and the Deity of Jesus Christ (as does the doctrine of the Trinity).

The real point to be argued is this, “Does the Bible teach that there are personal distinctions between the Father Son and Holy Spirit?” Since Trinitarians and modalist both affirm monotheism and the Deity of Christ, there is no reason to argue these points. But modalist almost universally want to argue these very points. This is because for them to argue the real point of difference (personal distinctions in the Deity) is a loosing battle.

So, they will argue, one God cannot be three gods. I agree! But that is not what the Bible teaches and it is not what Trinitarians believe. The Bible teaches that there is One God who is three Persons. If they want to say that One God cannot be three divine Persons, or, if there are three divine Persons that must mean that there are three gods, then they are arguing philosophically - not biblically.

For if the Bible teaches that there is only one God (and it does), and that there are three divine Persons (it does), then the three divine Persons must be the one God.

Therefore, the debate, to be of any use, must ask the question, “Does the Bible teach that there are Personal distinctions between the Father Son and Holy Spirit?”

Now tell me, doth this offend you?

Is Jesus God the Father?

I recently asked someone on another blog this question: “Is Jesus God the Father?” In response I got a chain of modalistic statements denying the personal distictions between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Modalism is a branch of unitarianism that teaches that there is only one person in the being of God. The apparent personal distinction in the New Testament between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are unreal. For the modalist then, the Father is Jesus and Jesus is the Holy Spirit. Christianity has always rejected this belief as heresy.

So I have a challenge to all who deny the personal distinction between the Father and the Son. Whether you are a oneness pentecostal or some other type of modalist I would like for you to help me understand a Bible passage from your perspective.

First, read the following passage from First Corinthians 15.

(First Corinthians 15:22-28 NASB) 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27 For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, "All things are put in subjection," it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. 28 And when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, that God may be all in all.

Now, go through the passage again and identify what person is being referred to be each use of a pronoun. Here is the passage with blank spaces provided.

(First Corinthians 15:22-28 NASB) 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when ____ delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when ____ has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For ____ must reign until ____ has put all ____ enemies under ____ feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27 For ____ HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER ____ FEET. But when ____ says, "All things are put in subjection," it is evident that ____ is excepted who put all things in subjection to ____. 28 And when all things are subjected to ____, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the ____ who subjected all things to ____, that God may be all in all.

Now tell me, doth this offend you?

Some More Basic Theology

Now this one Being who possesses all these attributes is Personal. But He is not simply Personal; He is Tri-Personal. Within the nature of this One all powerful Being are three distinct Persons: the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Bible teaches that God is a Triune Being.

The second Person within the Being of God entered time and space. God the Son became a Man. Jesus, God the Son, possesses from all eternity the nature of God. He is equal to the Father in power, knowledge, self-existence, and holiness. In every way the Son is equal to the Father.

(Colossians 1:15 NKJV) “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation”

God the Son is by nature spirit, and therefore, without physical form. He is not limited by time and space. He is eternally the WORD of God. He never ceased to be everything that the Father is. But in the course of human history - at a particular place and time - He assumed a second nature. He became a Man. He did not become half Man and half God. He never lost a single attribute of Deity. While He never ceased to be 100% God, He became a real Man. He became a Man in every sense, only without sin.

From eternity He was one Person with one nature. At a particular moment in history He became one Person with two natures. He is the God-Man. He is not a mixture of the divine and the human. He is 100% God and 100% Man. He is the WORD become flesh.

Now tell me, doth this offend you?

Some Basic Theology

Given the necessity for basic theology and the lack of understanding among most Christians (including most pastors), I want to consider some things about God. I am not a trained theologian. I am not a pastor. I am an average Christian. I love my God and I want to know Him more. Contrary to current opinion in the Church, I do not believe you can know God apart from knowing about God. To the degree that one’s knowledge of God is shallow and/or erroneous; to that degree one’s fellowship with God is shallow (and/or erroneous).

(1 John 1:1 NKJV) 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life; 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us; 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

According to the Apostle John having fellowship with God is contingent on receiving the things that were manifested to and witnessed by the Apostles.

The Bible is the only authority for telling us what to believe about God. As I said above, I am not a trained theologian. I am a student of the Bible. If I am in error, I am open to correction. I am not qualified to produce a Systematic Theology, but I have decided to declare on this blog some basic things about our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Let’s begin with the fact that God is infinite.

God is infinite in all of His attributes. This means that every quality God possesses He possesses it without limit. For example: God has power. How much power? He has limitless power. God has knowledge. How much knowledge? He has limitless knowledge.

We could go on and on with this exchange attribute after attribute. This format (and my skill) will not allow a full examination of the attributes of God. But let’s take it just a little further. The dimensions of time and space are the greatest limiting factors in creation. But God is infinite. God is eternal. Eternality is one of His attributes. Therefore, God is unlimited by time. God is everywhere present. Omnipresence is one of His attributes. Therefore, God is unlimited by space.

Saying God is eternal means more than that He has always existed. It means that He lives outside of time and sees the end from the beginning.

Let me illustrate this point. A book may contain events, people, places, and the passage of time, but when a man picks up the book he has all of that information in his hands. He can flip from page to page, from event to event. He can read about a particular person involved in a particular event, turn the page read a different passage, and then go back and read about that particular person and event again. History and the passage of time from beginning to end is like that book. God is like the man who holds the book in his hand, except God does not turn from page to page. He sees every person, place, thing, and event, in His eternal present tense. And God is not merely on the outside reading an authors words, He is the Author and He is in control.

(Isaiah 57:15 NKJV) For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, Whose name is Holy…

(Isaiah 46:9, 10 NKJV) “Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,”

When we say that God is omnipresent we do not mean that God is so large that He fills the universe, as if God were dispersed throughout the creation; a little bit here and a little bit there and a little bit everywhere. When we say that God is omnipresent we mean that God is present in His fullness at every point in the universe at all times. God is here with us in His completeness. At the same time God is as completely present everywhere else.

God is limited neither by time nor space because He is the uncreated pure Spirit.

(John 4:24 NKJV) God is Spirit, and those who worship Him, must worship in spirit and trust.

God does not possess shape or size. People have imagined a God made in the physical image of man; or worse yet, three physical beings with bodies like men. But this is not the God of the Bible.

There is only One Being who is by nature God. This One Being is Spirit, therefore, He is not a physical or special being. This Being is outside of the time-space continuum and is limited by neither time nor space. He is everywhere present in His fullness. He relates to every moment in time in His eternal present tense. He has infinite power. And He is totally separate from creation.

Now tell me, doth this offend you?

The Necessity of Basic Theology

Most churches today are filled with people who have little or no theological understanding. There has been a failure in many denominations and local churches to proclaim the great doctrines of the faith. Many Christian’s Christianity never goes beyond a list of does and don’ts, or a series of “how to’s” (how to: be financially successful, live a clean life, be a good husband, make friends and influence people…) So many people are left without a basic understanding of what the Bible is all about.

I am not calling for the accumulation of facts for the sake of knowing the facts. The doctrines taught in the Bible are all about our God and how He relates to this fallen creation. Knowing these facts without knowing God will not do you any good. But the Christian who does not “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18) will be weak and ineffective in the Christian life. It is necessary to know something about God to worship God. It is essential to know what God is like to effectively pray to God. It is impossible to tell others of a God we know nothing about. For Christians, then, theology is the most practical thing we can do.

Now tell me, doth this offend you?

How “Doth this Offend You?” Works

First, I want to say a few things about me. I’m married with anywhere from 1 to 6 children depending on how you count them.

My occupation is in law enforcement (and that’s all I have to say about that).

I’m involved in Christian ministry. I direct the Sunday morning children’s ministry program at my local church. I’m a disciple maker in an evangelism and discipleship training program with my local church. And I teach an adult Bible study at my home twice a month.

This blog will primarily focus on the Bible and theology. I write thing that interest me. If you read it and enjoy it, learn from it, or have any other reaction to it that will be secondary to my purpose. My purpose is to write whatever I want to write.

I will post twice a week (Tuesday and Friday) as my schedule allows.

The content will include my comments on current theological trends, excerpts from Bible studies I teach, and quotes from others I believe are worth quoting.

If you do happen to read this blog, let me know in the comments section. You can just tell me that you are reading, you can tell me that you like what you are reading, or you can tell me you don’t like what you are reading.

I also see this as a learning process for me. If I am in error in anyway that can be shown from the Bible please correct me.

You can comment on anything I write, but please tell me “Doth this Offend You?”