FBCWest 550 | Behold the Lamb of God Is the Living One
Recorded On: 04/09/2023
Bulletin
Hymn # 114 “The Lord Is Risen Today”
SCRIPTURE READING – Romans 8:22 - 29
Giving of Selves and Our Offerings
OFFERTORY PRAYER
OFFERTORY MUSIC – Pru Hungate
Praise and Worship
“House of the Lord”
“Living Hope”
“God You Are”
Proclamation of the Word
Message by Pastor Joe
“First Fruits”
“Behold the Lamb of God Is the Living One”
PRAYER TIME / Time of Reflection
“The Stand”
Benediction “There Is Freedom”
Sermon Notes
John 1:29 Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away sins
Luke 24:1 – 12 Jesus is the Living One and He is risen as he said. Unfortunately, His flowers would not initially believe and it seemed as nonsense
1 Corinthians 15:1 – 11 Witnesses to the resurrection
Revelation 7:9 – 17 A great multitude worship God and the Lamb of God is in the center. His blood washed the multitudes’ robe white, and He is our Shepherd
Scritpures
Transcript of Service
Good morning. We are. Coming here today to celebrate the historical fact, the one that was laid out. Centuries before this day. Going way back to Abraham. Abraham was told by God when he was childless and an older gentleman that he would not only have a child who would have the sentence by so many that. If you could. Count the stars in the sky. You could determine how many descendants or he had the child. I promise. When God told. Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. So he took Isaac and they took wood and they went up on a particular hill to do a burnt offering. And as they were climbing the hill. Isaac asked his father or I say the word. I see all that's necessary for to be offering, but I do not see the lamb. And Abraham responded to Isaac and said God himself. Will heal will provide for the lamb and so later in the story when I vicus braced on. The altar. Abraham goes to sacrifice Isaac. He doesn't think that God is going to stop him. His faith is such that even though Isaac is the child of promise, that God is able to raise him from the dead, but before he places him on he goes, God himself will provide the land and we are told after that that. There is a ram, not a lamb caught in the thicket, and they use that. And struck their sacrifice. Well, John. Many centuries before, as the forerunner to the Messiah. Having baptized Jesus and seeing Jesus in John chapter one, verse 29 says this.
The next day he being John saw Jesus coming to him and said behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. So this is the one who has been predicted to. Not only free Israel from its oppressor, but to. Eliminate sin and provide for forgiveness. And it's that Lamb of God that Isaac had been told by his father Abraham that God would provide. And so Jesus is that Lamb of God who takes away not just the sins of Israel, but the sins of Samaria. Area and are Persia. And of the United States and throughout the whole world, Jesus is is that lamb that takes away the sins of the world. And Jesus came and he ministered. And he was placed on a cross and crucified. And we. Remember that in our darkness service, celebrating that passion time when he suffered and died, so that as the passable lamb that he. Took away the sins. There was a time. When his disciples were discouraged. Because all of their dreams and all their expectations have been death, because their rabbi, their teacher, the one that they believed to be the king, who was the king. Was dead. But they hadn't even had enough time to prepare for his funeral for his proper, proper presentation of his body. And so the women.
After the three Sabbaths, the Sabbath of Passover, the Sabbath along oven bread, and the Saturday Sabbath, we're coming to the tomb to provide that care for his body that had not been able to be performed because of the oncoming of the resacas. But another interesting thing was happening. As the sun was setting. On that Sunday day. The priest. Cutting stock of. Hey, Bali. And they, as the sun would go down, they would wave that wheat and that barley as they first food offering. Acknowledging that God had provided the first fruits at that time, but also as a way of promising and expecting that the. Future Harvest would be. Brought into the storehouse. And so as the wind came, they said, but on the first day of the week, at early Dawn, they came to the tomb. That's been the women. Bringing spices which they have prepared and they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. But when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And while they were perplexed about this, behold 2 men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing. And as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he has risen. Remember how he spoke to you while he was still in Galilee? Vain that the son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified. And the third day lies again, and they remembered his word. And they returned from the team and reported all these things to the 11:00 and all the rest. Now there were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary, the mother of James, and also other women with them were telling these things to the apostles. But these words appeared. To them as nonsense, and they would not believe them. But Peter got up and ran through the tomb, sweeping and looking in. He saw the linen wrappings only, and he went away, to his home, marvelling at what had happened. Were the first people who are aware that Jesus had raised from the dead, or some women who had gone to prepare his body? Some of the reasons why we know that we can't. Be assured of these accounts. Is that if they were making this up?
You know that if you were writing the story, you would want to make yourself the hero, and so you would say, well, I always believed Jesus that he was going to do what he said. And I knew you're going to raise him with it, his apostles. Thought it was nonsense. The women were not even legally allowed to testify in a court. And yet they're the ones who are the first ones who saw the race. The absence of the body, and they were told that Jesus was risen. And why were they looking for the living one among the dead? And so. These things give us more assurance of what had happened. Also, if many times when there are myths that are prepared, they are done centuries later and in different locations, they've been wondering if all of a sudden in Rome there was this belief that Jesus had raised from the dead. You know it happened the third day after his crucifixion. In burial, there is no time passage before it could. We made-up and it was made-up and witnessed by people who were there in Jerusalem, not in Rome or some other place, and so these difficult and. And distinct. Testimonies tell us that we can rely on the historical resurrection of Jesus. We'll write in first Corinthians chapter 15. About the believability and the testimony of those who saw the resurrected Jesus. And so it that he writes to the Corn Church. Now, I may turn on to you, brethren, the gospel which are preaching you, which also you receive and which also you stand. Or I delivered to him as first important.
But I also received that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried and that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. So Paul's first demonstration of the witnesses is the scriptures that he says that Jesus. Died according to the scriptures, was buried and even ordered the scriptures was buried and rose again according to the scriptures. And so we know that this Jesus is the Messiah because what he did in his death, buried in a resurrection, was in conformity with what had happened and what was predicted. Of the Messiah. So for instance, there is another Antichrist who will someday be wounded with a head wound and raised. And that prediction will be according to the Scriptures, but he won't be Christ. He will be the Antichrist. And so the first testimony of the resurrection and the validity of it, is that the scriptures testify to it. But it goes on as and that he appeared to see who was Peter, and then to the 12 then.
So Paul says he appeared to that one who denied Jesus three times, and he also appeared to his disciples. And after that appeared to more than 500 brethren at one time, most of whom remained until now. But some have fallen asleep by falling asleep. Paul doesn't mean that they're they're taking a nap. He's saying that their bodies at rest, that they have what we call died, but they are present with Jesus and season. There is a number of people who saw. Jesus alive and there were in Jerusalem. At the time. So there is this opportunity that it's a well known. Back that Jesus was raised from the dead, we have the empty tomb. We have the scriptures, we have the eyewitnesses of the women and of the apostles, and 500 more. In addition to that, but then he doesn't stop there, he says.
Then he appeared to James and then to all the Apostles. And so there's, there's these continuing appearances of resurrection as a matter of fact, Jesus walked on the Earth after his resurrection for a period of about 40 days. And so this wasn't a oh, he appeared in an. With beating or two and then. Continued having. Contact with his disciples and these 500 and others for a period of 500 for 40 days, and he also appeared to James, his brother, who once thought he was crazy and now became a believer and a potential of a pillar of the church. He also appeared, and Paul doesn't mention this. He just says he appeared to be well, but he appeared to Thomas, who said he would not believe unless he saw the male imprints on the hands and the feet. And this fierce side because he saw his Lord dead. And he would not believe. And Jesus presented to him his hands and his feet and his side.
Thomas immediately said, my Lord and my. God and Jesus's response then was blessed. Are you because you've seen and believe, but how much more blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe? And those of us who know that Jesus has raised from the dead and believe how blessed are we because we didn't have to see? The hands and the feet and the side. We accepted the testimony of the facts. But that's not the last of the testimony. Then it says, for I am the least of the apostle and not fit to be called the apostle, because I persecuted the church.
But the grace by but by the grace of God, I am what I am and his grace toward me did not prove vain, but I labored even more than all the. All of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. The where they then it was I or they only preach. And so you believe all says I just gave you a list of the Apostles the Scriptures gave us a list of the women and the apostles. The all tells us about the 500. And then he says years later I had an encounter. With the resurrected Christ. And I believe and I am preaching him. And he's saying, I'm not laboring in vain because I am preaching you've resurrected Christ. So this is a day of celebration because. While our sins have been forgiven because of the lamb of God's sacrifice, we were not be sure, but that in fact took place. Unless Jesus rose from the dead, because then we know that the offering was pleasing to God. There is this sense. We know of the. Direction and Paul will later talk about in this very same chapter. That the crux of our faith. Is the resurrection of Jesus. And he says that if Jesus did rise from the dead, then our faith is in vain. We are still in our sins. We are still helpless people.
And so if Jesus rose from the dead. Been our faith. Is confirmed and it's not in vain. But if he didn't? And we're wasting all of this time celebrating. We're wasting all this time about being what we call Christians and attending church because we are just where we were before this happened. The Scriptures testify that he rose from the dead. The women testify that he rose from the dead. The apostles specified they arose from the dead. His brother specified he rose from the dead. The 500 testify he rose from the dead. The spirit testifies he rose from the dead. The empty tomb specifies the Rose from the dead.
All specifies he rose from the dead. And I testify that he rose from the dead. And as Paul said, that a Jesus didn't rise from the dead, that he then. With me. On life. That's a serious charge. You mislead what God is doing. And so our faith is founded on a historical fact. Our faith is founded on the fact that we don't run away from if Jesus didn't raise from the dead, then our faith is in vain. It is the central crux of what we believe that he rose from the dead. But he rose from the dead. And we talk about his return, and someday we will return. But there are things that are happening in heaven. And in Revelations Chapter 7, Solomon verse 9. It says this. And after these things, I looked, and behold the great multitude which no one could count from every nation, and all the tribes and peoples and tongues standing before the throne. And before the lamb pulled and white robes and palm branches were in their hands. Remember when John said, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, and here we see in heaven the sins having been taken away from the world because there is a great multitude that no one can count from every nation and tribes and peoples, and different tongues standing before the throne. And before the land and they are clothing, white robes. They are righteous. They are pure because of the blood of the lamb them and they are doing what we celebrated just a week. So on Palm Sunday that they're holding palm branches in their hands. And they cry out with a loud voice, saying salvation to our God, who sits on the throne and to the lamb that they're praising godfather, and they're praising God the son, the Lamb of God, and they are praising him. If you will Hosanna, thank you for our salvation. And all the angels were standing around with bone and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their face before their home and worshipped
God. Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and Thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever. So when the people of God are worshipping and praising him, the angels of God are joining in and yelling and crying out, saying blessing and glory and wisdom and Thanksgiving and all these and giving praise and honor for the land. Into our God. What a wonderful scene there must be in heaven to see that. And someday the believers will. When one of the elders answered and saying to me these who are clothed in white robe, who are they and where they come from, the other asked John a question as the decision saying, who are these people who were from every time tribe and patient and tongue worthy? When I say to him, my Lord, you know. Basically John is saying. You're asking me a question you already know, and I'm not sure the answer, but you tell me who they are. I'm not going to guess, but you already know you're not asking me to find information. You're asking me if I understand the information. These are the ones that come out of the Great Tribulation and they have washed their robes and made them white and the blood of the lamb. Again, the reason that they are in heaven is because of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. For this reason, reason they are before the throne of God and they serve him day and night in his temple, and he sits on the phone with, spread his Tabernacle over them. For these who have suffered. For his namesake. They are the ones who are going to have immediate access to the Lord in this temple. And that is he is going to, in essence, spread his Tabernacle, his tent, this covering over them. But when you hear about. All writing in other letters about sharing and the sufferings of Christ and the fellowship that that brings. Not only does it bring fellowship in the sense of who we are, sharing what Jesus had shared in some small part we have some understanding of what is happening. We also share. In that victory, and in that closeness that we are there, and when Jesus said, blessed are they or persecuted for my namesake. Look at the blessing that they are before the Lamb of God and before the temple, and his Tabernacle is covering them. And more than that. And they will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore.
Nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat. So all of the problems of life that had been beset us before are no longer problems. In this eternal life. There are those who claim that because of nanotechnology that we can perhaps live to be immortal. I don't believe that that's possible, but we'll set that aside. But even if it were. Here's the situation. You still have to deal. With the environment, it's hot. It's cold, it's raining. It's whatever. There are oftentimes aches and pains. There are disappointments. There are even in a in mortal situation. There's still accidents where people will be killed and all these things happen. And there will still be disappointments with friends and families and others. And there will be chairs and all of those types of things. Jesus isn't offering an eternal life of continuation of this life. He is offering an eternal life. Of one of being in his presence without the problems of this life. Or the land in the center of the throne. Will be their shepherd. The Lamb of God. Bowling the sacrifice. But he's the leader. He's the shepherd. He's the one who will lead them. He's the one who will protect them. He's the one who will find them. The green pastures and the living waters and the Stillwater, all these things that the Palms 23 talks about. The Lord is my shepherd. He continues to be our shepherd, even in eternity, and he will guide them to springs of. The water of life. And God will wipe away every tear. From their eyes. God personally.
Will see to it that. All the suffering that we have endured for him. He will. Ameliorate by wiping our tears. By dwelling in his house by having his covering over US and by Jesus leading us. And caring for. And making sure. That eternal life. Is my wife. We're looking forward to. So yes. Our faith. Is hinged upon his resurrection. And yes, we look for the day as he had told his disciples, that he'll return. But we also look for the day. That we would well in the House of the Lord. Because the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. Took away my sin, took away the sins of those who believe. And we. Was well in his mouth. And he will be our shepherd, the Great Shepherd one of the home.
If you are a believer. This is a day of great rejoicing for our sin, and our shames have been forgiven and we are free. And have been reconciled to God and our righteous. And are going to be made, sanctified and holy. But we will well in the presence of the Lord forever. It's not just a here and now, faith. It is a faith that will sustain us in the present and gives us a bright future tomorrow. Which are those? You don't want anything to do with God.
I find that sad, but if you will. Why would you want to be in heaven? You don't want to be in this press. And so often so many people are so proud of the fact. But they don't mean God. They don't. Believe that there is a God. And the greatest penalty and punishment in hell. I believe it's not the fire. Not the smoke. Not the worms, not the torn. The absence of the presence of God. And in heaven, it's not the angels, not the streets of gold, not the temple. It's the presence of God.
And the presence of the Lamb of God, or we will be able thing. His praises on eternity because we are there and white will because of his blood, because of his sacrifice, and we'll be able to stand and sing. We'll be able to bow and worship and give him praise because he is worthy of them and so much more.