The Benchmark of Faith [24mb]

(To download an mp3 file of this sermon, click on the title above. To listen now online, click on the play button of the audio player shown above.)

This is a sermon that was preached on Easter Sunday 2011 and based on the Scripture passage found in 1 Corinthians 15:14, 17.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

I certainly would not claim to be a carpenter or builder by any stretch of the imagination, but I have been taught a few basics about building. I’ve done many “honey-do” jobs around our house over the years; and I have some past employment experience working with contractors, as well as having contracted a few roofing jobs on my own. I’ve also “picked up” a few insights just by listening to others who were experts in the building trades.

I have learned what the term “bench mark” means, and learned how crucial a bench mark is for the construction of a building. “Benchmark” – has been defined as… a standard by which something can be measured or judged; a surveyor’s mark on a stone post or other permanent feature, at a point whose exact elevation and position is known: used as a reference point in surveying.

If we consider the term as it applies to the building of a new building, we understand how important it is to determine the proper measurements of elevation for the footers and foundations of any building. You would certainly want to have your bench mark on an object that is a permanent fixture. For example, you wouldn’t want to use an object that is subject to variation or change or you might end up with a foundation that has a different depth at one corner of the building than it does at another corner.

On this Easter Sunday morning, I would propose to you that the verses we read in our Scripture lesson earlier can teach us that the fact of the resurrection is the benchmark of the Christian faith and the Christian religion.

There are two main thoughts that I would like to leave with you today as we compare the fact of the resurrection to a builder’s benchmark.

1. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the benchmark of our corporate faith.

2. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the benchmark of our personal faith.

(Many of my thoughts in this message come from reading the works of many Christian apologists who have written numerous books defending the faith.)

1. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the benchmark of our corporate faith.

“If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain…”

The Apostle Paul is staking the very reason and purpose for preaching on the validity of the resurrection. Preaching or proclamation of the Gospel, whether it is one-on-one conversation or mass communication, has no basis if there is no resurrection.

Skeptics would have us believe that the reason the church got started was because of some over-zealous, yet misguided men decided to start promoting a myth that they desperately wished was true. They preached it over and over so much that they began to believe it themselves and they swayed others to “fall for it” as well.

The problem with that view is two fold:

a. During and after the crucifixion of Jesus the followers (including his closest disciples) were so forlorn, dejected and afraid that they basically went into hiding.

It seems as though they were so fearful and disappointed that I get the impression they wouldn’t have been emotionally capable of starting a sewing circle, let alone a world-changing, dynamic religious movement! They were apparently afraid of being arrested next, and we read that some even returned to their previous livelihoods. So, there is no evidence that they were brave enough and bold enough to go about proclaiming anything that might get themselves in trouble with the same authorities that had just killed their master and teacher.

b. They did not follow the usual pattern used by “myth promoters.”

In other words, they did not go to some far-away place to start teaching a myth where the listeners could not easily ask around or check out the facts of their stories, nor did they wait until enough years had passed so that their listeners would have little or no recollection of the events. As soon as they realized that Jesus was alive, they started immediately telling the news to anyone and everyone who would listen.

So, the resurrection was the early benchmark for the corporate church and body of believers. They understood that if there was no resurrection, then they had nothing to talk about. They understood that if there was no resurrection, they would have gone back to their previous employment and had nothing but pleasant memories of a time they met and heard a very unusual teacher. If the resurrection hadn’t really taken place, then the church would have never been started. If the church hadn’t been started, then we would not be meeting here today continuing the long chain of faith going as we celebrate and propagate the message – Jesus Lives!

2. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the benchmark of our personal faith.

“And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.”

Two things stand out here in this sentence:

a. “… your faith is vain” – i.e. worthless, good for nothing.

I’ll never forget hearing a recorded message by Josh McDowell, a popular speaker for many years on various college campuses around the country, and author of many books.

Josh talked about a college student who once told him after a lecture that he should not put so much emphasis on the evidences for the resurrection, but should just try to get people to seek a personal encounter with God; to have an experience that changes their life. He went on to say, “If people spend so much time studying about the resurrection, then learn someday that it really didn’t happen, then they will lose their reason for faith, if they haven’t had an encounter with God.”

McDowell responded with these words, “Good point!” “That’s exactly what the Apostle Paul said – ‘If Christ isn’t raised then your faith is vain.’”

Josh went on to explain, “If my faith isn’t based on the fact of the resurrection, then how do I know, when I’ve had this spiritual encounter you’re talking about, that it is the true God I have encountered and not just heartburn from something I had for dinner?”

I have had many moments of doubt and skepticism over the years in the past, but again and again my mind has come back to the things I have studied about the resurrection as well as other bedrock truths of our faith, and I am reassured once again that it is all real and true and trustworthy. Over and over the truth of the resurrection has proven to be the foundation or benchmark of my personal faith.

b. “… you are still in your sins.”

Not only do we have nothing to believe in that is solid and unwavering, but neither do we have any basis for deliverance or victory from sin. Christ’s victory over death and the grave is a victory for us all. It is not only a promise of victory over physical death, but a victory over spiritual death and bondage to sin. Cf. Romans 8:11.

Conclusion:

Dear friends, let me remind you on this Easter Sunday morning, that Jesus Christ is the only person in the history of the planet that has predicted his own death and his own resurrection and then carried it out just as He proclaimed.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the benchmark of our corporate faith and gives us the reason and purpose for gathering to worship and for preaching the message we preach. Without the resurrection, all we have are nice memories and beautiful stories of a man that seem to care deeply about other people, but we have nothing more. The assurance of the resurrection helps bind all believers everywhere in a common faith.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the benchmark of our personal faith and gives us the basis for everything else that we believe. If the benchmark “moves” then the whole “building” of faith crumbles. Without the resurrection, we can still have a lot of emotional experiences and warm fuzzy feelings over the Bible stories we hear, but we have nothing that holds us steady when we are assaulted by the storms of doubt and skepticism.

I’m extremely glad today to know that Jesus Christ is alive!

Let us stand and close our service today by singing the well-known and loved chorus of the song written by the Gaithers: “Because He Lives”

Our Wounded Healer [36mb]

(To download an mp3 file of this sermon, click on the title above. To listen now online, click on the play button of the audio player shown above.)

This is a sermon preached on Palm Sunday 2011 using the text in Isaiah 53:5.

Written Excerpts:

Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 

Introduction:

Today is Palm Sunday. We have been singing songs that emphasize the kind of praises that were offered to Jesus on His way to Jerusalem so many years ago. It was an exciting time. Many people undoubtedly recognized the similarities between the events unfolding before their eyes and the events prophesied centuries earlier by the O.T. prophets. As I have pointed out at other times, the crowd’s response apparently grew in intensity as more and more joined in the excited shouting and cheering.

But, as you know, crowds can be fickle. As the week wore on, the people apparently forgot about the excitement of that joyous day and eventually were swayed to the exact opposite sentiment as they cried out for Jesus to be crucified.

For the message today I wanted to move away from the scenes of that Palm Sunday to have us start thinking about the events later in the week. I want to focus for a little while on some of the words that were prophesied centuries before by Isaiah as he describes in vivid words the suffering of our Lord.

I do not want to take the time today to try an in-depth study of this marvelous passage that so eloquently depicts numerous pictures of our Lord Jesus Christ. To adequately do so, would require a detailed look at all the verses of this chapter as well as the last three verses of the previous chapter.

So, for the sake of time, I want to just share some brief observations of this single verse that I hope will vividly remind us of all that Christ has done in our behalf.

1.  The person referred to is the “Suffering Servant” that is first mentioned in 52:13.

There have been various theological debates about who this “servant” was. It is my understanding that some ancient Jewish scholars believed that it was a prophetic reference to the Messiah, but later scholars argued that the “servant” was a reference to Israel, (or a segment within Israel) who suffered greatly for their transgressions.

For us, there can be no doubt that the passage is speaking prophetically about the Messiah. Various references in the N.T. confirm that Jesus is the fulfillment of these verses. One of my professors in college pointed out that verse 8 clearly indicates that this is an individual person suffering for the transgressions of the collective group.

2.  His suffering was great and it was real.

"Wounded; Bruised; Chastisement; Stripes" - These words found in our text all have clear and direct meanings that speak of immense suffering. In one commentary the author says, “There were no stronger expressions to be found in the language, to denote a violent and painful death.” (Keil &Delitzsch)

Alexander MacLaren – “The intensity of the Servant’s sufferings is brought home to our hearts by the accumulation of [descriptions], to which reference has already been made. He was ‘wounded’ as one who is pierced by a sharp sword; ‘bruised’ as one who is stoned to death; beaten and with livid [welts] on His flesh.”

3.  His suffering was for us not for him but for us.

Look at the pronouns used here in this verse…

Our transgressions; Our iniquities; Our peace. There can be no misunderstanding in this verse. The anointed servant of God was not suffering for His own transgressions, iniquities and peace. It was all for us!

According to the very next verse (6), the LORD laid all of the guilt for all our iniquities upon Him.

Someone wrote a song that uses these words, “When He was on the cross, I was on His mind.”

This is the force of this truth here in verses 5 and 6. All of the sin, disobedience and rebellion against God in the whole world for all time was placed upon the Son of God as He died on the cross.

4.  His suffering was sufficient.

We are healed. The terrible suffering endured by the Son of God was adequate for the dilemma we were in.

The healing is primarily spiritual.

Is. 6:10 “   “Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed.”

1 Pet. 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

But it is also physical.

Matt. 8:16-17 “When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.”

All physical suffering in our world points back to the introduction of sin into our world in the Garden of Eden and the resulting curse upon humanity and upon the earth. Some have made the grave error of assuming that everyone who suffers is suffering because of some sin that they have committed. This is not biblical and is not always true.

Healing for the sickness and suffering in the flesh is certainly included in the atonement, but the healing for the sickness of the soul is far more important. Physical sickness will finally and permanently be eliminated in the glory of heaven, but the healing of the soul must be realized in this life in order to get to heaven.

Conclusion:

I usually do not read lengthy articles or stories from the pulpit, but I felt I wanted to share this story, "Want a Donut?" to close our service today. It circulated around by email a few years ago and I think it portrays in a limited way what this Scripture has been emphasizing.

Freedom from Fear and Dismay [31mb]

(To download an mp3 file of this sermon click on the title above. To listen now online, click on the play button of the audio player shown above.)

This is a sermon based on Isaiah 41:10 "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God..."

Written excerpts:

Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. 

The NASB reads: ‘Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Introduction:

Isaiah was a prophet of the Lord. His ministry consisted of receiving immediate messages from the Lord and then communicating those messages to the people of Judah, whether they were kings or subjects. In ancient times a prophet was not only someone who predicted future events, but he was a person who spoke the word of God with authority and divine commission. Adam Clarke also refers to prophets as the “general preacher of the day.” The word for prophet in the O.T. was also understood to represent someone who engaged in prayer and supplication.

Isaiah’s ministry spanned a period of approximately 60 years and the reigns of four different kings. His writings can be distinctly divided into two parts; the first 39 chapters  speak primarily of judgment and condemnation, while the last 27 chapters talk more about hope and salvation. The chapter we are looking at today (41) is located in the early part of that second section dealing with messages of hope and consolation.

In verse 10, God tells His people that they are not to be afraid or anxious. This is a distinct contrast to the messages of judgment and pending doom that were prophesied in earlier chapters.

One author [W.E. Vine], says there are at least three reasons for them not to be fearful or anxious – His Presence with them; His Relationship with them; and His Assurances for them.

I.          His Presence with them – “I am with thee.”

The first assurance God gives as the basis for freedom from fear and dismay (anxiety) is that He is present with them at all times.

This may seem like a contradiction to earlier predictions of judgment and discipline for their idolatry and the many ways they have forsaken God. But, Isaiah, like many of the other prophets, always holds out hope in the midst of condemnation. It seems as though God is providing the assurance that basically says, “Even though I chastise you for your unfaithfulness to Me, I will not abandon you. I will always be with you.” [Always a remnant.]

This promise of His presence resembles similar statements in other biblical passages.

A.  God promised His presence in military conquests. See Deuteronomy 20:1 and 31:6, 8. 

The context of these verses is a discourse by Moses giving instructions to the nation of Israel concerning their conquest of Canaan and the pagan nations in that region.

The spiritual application of this truth can be related to the battles and conquests that the child of God must be involved in on the spiritual level. We too, can be assured that our God will be present in the heat of the battles that we often refer to as spiritual warfare.

B. God promised His presence in trials and burdens.  See Isaiah 43:2.

There is so much that can be said about this familiar text in chapter 43. In fact I have another sermon that I have preached on this chapter. But I just wanted to reference it here as it portrays God’s presence with us in raging floods and fiery trials.

God not only will be with us in those circumstances, but He knows exactly how to keep them from overcoming us and destroying us. He knows how high to let the waters rise without overflowing us. He knows how hot to let the fire get without burning or scorching us.

C. God promised His presence for those who are carrying out His commands.  See Matthew 28:20.

 In the context of fulfilling the Great Commission, God promises to be with His children as they faithfully make disciples and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ across the world.

God hasn’t abandoned you today. Whatever grief, whatever suffering, whatever trials you may be experiencing, remember that just as God promised His presence to the people of Judah, He will also be with every person that has been united with Him through faith in Jesus.

II.        His Relationship with them – “I am thy God.”

Not only did God promise His presence to dispel their fears and anxiety, but He also reminds them of His relationship to them.

A. There is an idea of ownership or possession.

God has stated that He is their God. The implication follows that they are His children. All He is and all He can do is at their disposal.

I would compare this to a young boy who finds himself in the middle of a fight and his daddy shows up. No matter how poorly the fight may have been going before that point, now all the authority and power of the boy’s father is at his disposal.

In the previous chapter Isaiah cites all the qualities of the Creator God who made the universe. Now, in this chapter he has just finished describing how God raises up nations and puts down nations. He establishes rulers to accomplish His divine purposes. There is nothing that goes on, but what He allows it. Nothing frustrates or derails God’s overall sovereign plan for His people. He is greater than the idols of the pagans as described in verse 7. He is the Almighty God. And, He belongs to them and they belong to Him.

There is no relationship more important than one’s relationship with God. In the context of N.T. gospel, anyone who is born again and redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ is adopted into the family of God. We belong to Him. He is our Father. That relationship has all kinds of implications for us in terms of what God desires for us, how He delights in us, and what He is willing to do with us and for us.

B. This relationship is better and greater than any earthly one.

There are many similarities described in the Bible between our relationship with God and our earthly relationships. He is compared to father, mother and brother in various passages and biblical contexts. In all of these analogies and pictures, God is infinitely greater and better than any of the earthly relationships we can define or describe. God is the infinite, Supreme Being over the entire universe. He declares that He is God, but more than that, he is our God.

III. His Divine Assurances to them – “I will strengthen… help… and uphold you.”

Finally, God promises three different assurances to His people in order to dispel the fear and anxiety they might experience.

A. The assurance of His divine strength.

The idea that seems to be conveyed by this phrase is that God’s power is offered to those who find themselves in extreme moments of weakness. In those times and circumstances when they believed they could not go on, God provided divine strength to endure, to fulfill, to accomplish what they never thought was possible. Compare Isaiah 40:31.

B. The assurance of His divine assistance.

The word “help” is “a verb meaning to help, to aid. It means to support, to give material or non material encouragement to a person. God was the one who helped His people (Gen. 49:25). It is used mockingly of the inability of idols or pagan gods to aid their people (Deut. 32:38). It describes people helping each other to accomplish goals (Josh. 1:14; 10:4). (Complete Word Study Dictionary)

I get the picture of God coming alongside to give us encouragement and support and any type of guidance or assistance that we need to reach the desired goal and destination. This compares to the word “comforter” used for the Holy Spirit in John 16.

C. The assurance of His divine support.

“Uphold” is “A verb meaning to grasp, to hold; to support. It means to grasp, seize something, to take hold of a person’s hand (Gen. 48:17); a person (Isa. 41:10); a scepter or a pole (Amos 1:5, 8). It refers to grasping and supporting a person’s hands and arms (Ex. 17:12).” (Complete Word Study Dictionary)

The indication of this word implies that when we have reached the point of collapse; the point when we know we can’t go on, either emotionally or physically, God will reach down and grasp us to hold us up and carry us through the difficult and overwhelming trial.

There is some sense that these three assurances are somewhat synonymous and convey the same kind of messages. Yet, the conjunction “yea” (NASB- “surely”) implies a cumulative heaping up of one upon the other. Each one is added on to the previous one. (Keil &Delitzsch)

Conclusion:

Dear friends, today I felt God wanted me to give this message of encouragement. We have experienced the death of a dear friend and member of this church. Her passing has left us with an emptiness and sadness. In addition to that, another one of our members has received more disturbing news from medical tests that were done this week, this is on top of all the medical problems he and his wife have already been going through the past few years.

There are others who have been faced with sickness and injuries (we have had six different people in five different hospitals in the last week), plus others who have had medical tests, and I know there is a weariness and a discouragement that would overtake us if we listen to the Devil and if we merely look at our circumstances.

Listen to the words of the chorus to a song Bob and Nancy sang a couple weeks ago,

God is still on the throne, and He will remember His own

Though trials may press us and burdens distress us He never will leave us alone.

God is still on the throne, He never forsaketh His own;

His promise is true, He will not forget you, God is still on the throne.