Week Four
Session 4
Jesus Christ - Part Two
The lesson begins at 31:35. Streamed live on Wednesday April 29, 2020.
Big idea
Jesus is your life.
The Weekly Challenge: Live out new life in faith.
"The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
Whence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead."
Grasping Truth
"The third day He arose again from the dead."
Jesus did not stay dead! We know this from Jesus' own predictions, the four testimonies of the Gospels, and literally hundreds of eyewitnesses. This matters because the resurrection is both the proof of forgiveness and the power for new life. It proves that Christ's sacrifice was accepted as atonement for our sins, and it's the power for new life because by it Christ conquered death so we could be raised with Him. In the resurrection of Jesus, we are made alive and are being renewed. Both Christ's death and resurrection are essential for the gospel.
Jesus is our life because we have new spiritual life through His resurrection!
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"He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty"
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We believe that Jesus went to heaven, which is more than a reason why we don't see Him now - it's good news for us! It's good news because He is still always with us, He is reigning from heaven, He is mediating for us, and it proves heaven is a real place we can look forward to.
Jesus is our life because He gives us confidence in spiritual life as He is near to us, gives us life, argues our case, and reigns over us!
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"When He shall come to judge the quick and the dead."
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Another way we could word this (worth far worse grammar) is "where Jesus will come back from in order to judge the living and the dead." Jesus is coming back one day to judge everyone who has ever lived. He will separate between those whose names are in the Book of Life (believes in Him) and those whose names are not. Enemies of Christ will be thrown in the Lake of Fire, and believers in Christ will spend eternity with Him.
Jesus is our life because in Him we have hope for eternal life, even through righteous judgment.
If We Let Go
Of His resurrection, we lose all hope at worst and all assurance at best.
If Jesus did not rise, then we have no hope that we will be raised from our deadness in sin or will be saved through judgment. If Jesus did rise but we're just not sure if it's true, we will spend our lives doubting the central claim of the faith we are trying to hold.
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Of His ascension, we will look for help everywhere else.
Somebody has to be in charge, and if we're not certain that Christ ascended and took His seat beside the Father, we will forever wonder who is in charge of our lives and we'll be afraid its someone who isn't on our side.
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Of His judgment, we will twist love, godliness, and justice.
A version of love that doesn't allow for judgment against evil shows a lack of love for the wronged party, who in the ultimate sense is God. If God should love people instead of judging sin, then God loves people more than He loves Himself, which makes Him an idolater. And it's unloving to warn people of the penalty for their sin.
Godliness without judgment creates a shallow, hollow image of what godliness is, It ends up looking a lot more like you and less like how God reveals Himself. If no one is worth judging, then people are the standard, not God - which makes us God, not Him. And, if we judge God for judging humans, then we have made ourselves Divine Judges - not removing judgment but changing who is judged.
God's justice without judgment for wrongdoing isn't justice at all. Imagine a judge who is too timid and nice to call anything illegal. He wouldn't be a very good judge. You may like it when it comes to your case, but we couldn't call it fair against a perfect standard, and certainly not if you were the wronged party!
Holding Fast
1. Believe strongly.
If you believe in the resurrection, you have the greatest proof in the world that Jesus is who He said He is and He can do what He said He would do for you. That gives a reason for strong faith.
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2. Live differently.
If you believe that the same power that resurrected Jesus resurrected you and is at work in you, then you will be motivated to live differently, will be changed to live differently, and will submit to the ways God wants you to live differently.
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3. Live boldly.
If you believe that Jesus ascended, you have a faithful Advocate, a loving Lord, and close Brother. That allows you to live a confident live in Jesus. Not one of guilt, shame, or worry, but of love, courage, and self-control.
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4. Warn constantly.
If you believe judgement is coming, you will be driven to warn your loved ones and your neighbors that they are under God's wrath which is coming. You'll share the good news of how they can be saved from the righteous judgment for their wrongdoing.
The Weekly Challenge
I believe...
Jesus is my life.
Therefore, I...
Will live out new life in faith.
Additional resources - to help you grasp and hold on to more
 'He Ascended Into Heaven' by Matt ChandlerLearn more about the ascension from this sermon from The Village Church. |
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