Episodes
Sunday May 10, 2020
The Resurrection: Part 4 – Hearing God’s Voice.
Sunday May 10, 2020
Sunday May 10, 2020
Message Summary:
Introduction from “The Resurrection -- Part 3: Jesus Gives Us His Great Commission Just Before His Ascension:
At Jesus last appearance to His Eleven Disciples as a group and just before His Ascension, Jesus gives His Great Commission to us and to His Disciples. In Matthew 28:16-20, Jesus commissions or, indeed, commands us: “Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”.
Jesus, in Matthew 28:16-20, has commissioned us and commanded us to: Go, Make Disciples, Baptize, and to Teach everything that he has taught us (e.g., the Bible, our walk with the Holy Spirit) to the “ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Remember again, that this commission and commandment (i.e. “as you go” in the original Greek) was the last thing that Jesus, as the Incarnate God-Man, told His Disciples and us before His Ascension into Heaven to become solely God again.
Because of the Resurrection and God’s Grace, we have the opportunity for Salvation and Eternal Life, and God has given this opportunity to others next door and around the world, through us, if we Go, Make Disciples, Baptize, and Teach!
Today’ Message – Hearing God’s Voice:
In John 10:1-18, Jesus presents the picture of the Shephard and the Shepherd’s relationship to His flock. Shepherding, in the First Century, was an intense and demanding occupation with the need for the Shepherd to lead and communicate with His sheep and to prevent “false shepherds” from stealing sheep. In communicating with His sheep, the sheep learn and listen for the Shepherd’s voice which protects the sheep from “false shepherds”. Jesus tells us, in John 10:7-11, that He {Jesus} is the Shepherd and only through and with Jesus can we enter into the Gate, which is our Salvation and Eternal Life:’ So Jesus again said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.’”.
Jesus tells us that the sheep will hear His voice; therefore, if we are followers of Jesus, we should hear Jesus voice – we are all called to be Jesus’ sheep.
How do we know the voice of Jesus our Good Shepherd? To hear and know Jesus’ voice, we need to consider: 1) we must “enter through the Gate” – the only “Gate” is Jesus; 2) we must be sheep (i.e. must be saved and have a personal relationship with Jesus) of the Good Shepherd to hear and distinguish His voice from the “false shepherds”; 3) we must learn to listen – God’s voice can present to us in many ways, especially through the Holy Spirit – the Holy Spirit gives us an insight into the mind of God and puts our mind in sync with God; 4) the voice of Satan is discernable from the voice and message of Jesus; and 5) we must obey the Lord as we listen – in the New Testament, the words “hear” and “obey” are the same, and God wants to guide and direct us.
Ultimately, God tells us: “Be still and know that I am God.”.
He is Risen, and He is alive today!
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! (Luke 11:13).
Scripture Reference (ESV): Matthew 28:16-20; John 21:1-14; Acts 1:8; John 3:3-8; John 10:1-27 ; Ezekiel 34:22-24,31; Psalms 23:1-6; John 5:25; Ezekiel 1:28; Ezekiel 43:2; 1 Kings 19:12; Isiah 30:21; Ephesians 1:17-18; Hebrews 3:7.
WEBSITE LINK: www.AWordFromTheLord.org/
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S SERMON VIDEO – “In the Uncertainty and Fear Surrounding Coronavirus America, Will You Speak Up, Publicly, About Your Personal Relationship with Jesus?”: www.AWFTL.org/watch
DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Saturday Apr 25, 2020
Saturday Apr 25, 2020
MESSAGE SUMMARY:
Introduction from “The Resurrection -- Part 1: What does the Resurrection of Jesus Have to Do with Us? What are the implications for humanity?
While we were still sinners, Jesus died for us. It is through Jesus’ death and Resurrection that we are able realize God’s Grace of Salvation from our sins and to gain our Eternal Life. Holy Week is all about God’s Grace; Jesus’ death on the cross; Jesus Resurrection; and our Salvation. All sinners need what Jesus did on the cross for us.
Fast forwarding two thousand years to today, what does the Resurrection of Jesus mean to us? The primary implications of the Resurrection on us and humanity today is the forgiveness of our sins – we can be forgiven only because of God’s Grace and the Resurrection, which made Jesus’ death matter and provide us a path to a continuing personal relationship with God. Jesus is alive on this Easter; and since His Resurrection. Jesus has been alive for us through God’s gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit permits our personal and eternal relationship with God, the Creator of the Universe. However, we receive these incredible gifts through our humble confession to God and our faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior – Jesus who has risen from the dead and is alive today.
Today’ Message: The teachings of our New Testament are Resurrection-Based. The implications of the Resurrection for us today include: 1) we are forgiven of our sins; and 2) we are able to have Eternal Life, which Jesus defined in John 17:3: “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." – Jesus gives credibility to His many pronouncements regarding God’s Grace and our faith providing us Eternal Life when He arose from the dead, as Jesus tells us in John 11:25-27: “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.’”.
In 1 John5:11-13, Jesus makes a powerful commitment to us as followers of Him: “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. That You May Know I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.". Do you have Jesus, the Son of God, as the focus of your life today? If so, then you have Eternal Life. If not, then why not?
He is Risen, and He is alive today!
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. (John 1:12f).
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): John 20:19-29; 1 Corinthians 15:20-22; John 11:25-27; 1 John 1:1-3; John 1:1-5; Proverbs 30:3-4; John 17:3; John 10:14-15; Matthew 7:22-23; John 3:16; 1 John5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14..
WEBSITE LINK: www.AWordFromTheLord.org/
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S SERMON VIDEO – “In Times of Uncertainty, Like Today, We Search for “Answers”; If You Are Filled with the Holy Spirit, You Have the Ultimate “Answer” Source!”: www.AWFTL.org/watch
DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Sunday Apr 19, 2020
Sunday Apr 19, 2020
MESSAGE SUMMARY:
The Resurrection: Part 1
What does the Resurrection of Jesus Have to Do with Us? What are the implications for humanity?
While we were still sinners, Jesus died for us. It is through Jesus’ death and Resurrection that we are able realize God’s Grace of Salvation from our sins and to gain our Eternal Life. Holy Week is all about God’s Grace; Jesus’ death on the cross; Jesus Resurrection; and our Salvation. All sinners need what Jesus did on the cross for us.
Jesus was dead. He was crucified on the cross because He claimed to be the Messiah – the Christ, and the Jewish leaders wanted Him dead. The Roman leaders wanted Jesus dead because he claimed to be a king. After Jesus was crucified, He was buried and sealed in a tomb under watch by Roman guard unit.
On the Sunday of Holy Week, some of the women go to Jesus’ tomb; but they find the seal broken; the stone rolled away; and the tomb empty. An Angel in the tomb tells the women that Jesus is no longer dead; He has risen. The women tell Peter and John, and Peter and John run to the tomb to find it empty. After Peter and John leave, the women return to the tomb and find two Angels in the tomb; and then Jesus appears to Mary who, initially, does not recognize Jesus. Jesus tells Mary to go tell the other Apostles that He is alive. Jesus appears to two people traveling the road on Sunday; and then Jesus appears again, after the Resurrection, to the Apostles in a closed room. The Apostle Thomas is not present, but Jesus reappears to the Apostles with Thomas present; Thomas proclaims to Jesus after doubting Jesus’ Resurrection: “my Lord and my God!”.
Over next forty days, Jesus appears to hundreds of people. Lastly, Jesus appears to the Apostles, on the Mount of Olives, where Jesus gave them the “Great Commission” (Matthew 28:18-20). Jesus appearances to people, after His death and Resurrection, proved to these people that He was who He said He was – the Son of God and the Messiah. With Jesus’ Resurrection, He arises from death as the Passover Lamb, “the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world!”.
Sometime later and after His Ascension into Heaven, Jesus appears to Saul on the Road to Damascus where Saul was going to continue his retribution against followers of Jesus. Saul is converted to a follower of Jesus and Saul the persecutor becomes the great Apostle Paul, and Paul had several encounters with Jesus over the years. Jesus is alive!
While people did not expect Jesus’ Resurrection, whenever He spoke of His impending death, Jesus always mentioned His Resurrection (Matthew 16:21). Even after Jesus’ three predictions of His death and Resurrection, the Apostles did not understand or accept Jesus predictions – the Resurrection was unexpected. The Resurrection did occur because Jesus was alive and died on the cross, and His life after His Resurrection is well documented. However, if there were no Resurrection of Jesus, there would be no Christianity, as Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:17-19: “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.". What is the point in following Jesus without His Resurrection? However, there was a Resurrection of Jesus, and His Resurrection is the point!
Fast forwarding two thousand years to today, what does the Resurrection of Jesus mean to us? The primary implications of the Resurrection on us and humanity today is the forgiveness of our sins – we can be forgiven only because of God’s Grace and the Resurrection, which made Jesus’ death matter and provide us a path to a continuing personal relationship with God.
Jesus is alive on this Easter and since His Resurrection. Jesus has been alive for us through God’s gift of the Holy Spirit who permits our personal and eternal relationship with God, the Creator of the Universe. However, these incredible gifts necessitate our sin confessions and our faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Jesus was Resurrected from death as the Passover Lamb, “the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world!”, as the Apostle John tells us in John 1:29-30: “The next day he {John the Baptizer} saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’".
He is Risen, and He is alive!
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM RIGHTEOUS IN GOD’S EYES. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21).
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Matthew 28:18-20; Matthew 16:21; Matthew 17:22; Matthew 20:18; Acts 4:2; Romans 4:25; 1 Peter 1:3; 1 Corinthians 15:14-19.
WEBSITE LINK: www.AWordFromTheLord.org/
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S SERMON VIDEO – “Do the Issues and Fears of Today Cause You to Ask: “Am I Going To Heaven”?”: www.AWFTL.org/watch
DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB