Resurrection and Life

Campaigner Lesson. June 9 2008.

John 11:1-45 “I am the resurrection and the life”

Passage

Key = v25-26

“Resurrection and the life”

Define resurrection: rising from the dead, life after death

- key: what has to happen? Death

End of v25-26

- believes in Jesus and will be raised, what does this correspond with?

- believes in Jesus shall never die, what does this correspond with?

- what seems odd about this?

- this must be talking about two separate, yet connected topics

- Who is around: Crowd, Marth, Mary, Lazarus, Jesus (key technique to studying scripture, list characters and ask questions about them)

Lazarus

- describe Lazarus at the beginning of the story: dead

- at the end? Living

Jesus – cares for Mary, Martha, Lazarus; upset over death, stayed two days longer

- explain Jesus emotions through the story

- how do you think he reacted when Lazarus came out?

- excited that someone came back to life

Crowd – upset, sharing in pain

- how do they see Jesus? some believed, some didn’t

Mary- upset, believes Jesus has power, same mary who anointed Christ

- how does she see Jesus? How much power does she think he have?

- What is her level of faith?

Martha – upset

- how does she see Jesus? How much power does she think he have?

- power over death but here or later?

- Read v39

- what does Martha say? What is her faith in?

- how does Jesus respond?

- they rolled away the stone; did they know if it would smell? No, did it in faith

- what happens after?

- Jesus prays (lifted up his eyes)

- Lazarus is raised (man who had died, he was literally dead then raised)

- how would Mary and Martha respond?

- eyes were opened; bigger image of who Jesus is; not just for end times, but here and now (resurrection and the life)

How is the Jesus “the resurrection and the life” in the story?

- physically: he literally raised Lazarus, gave him life

- did Lazarus call out for help? No

- What did he do to deserve this? Nothing

- why was this done? To glorify God

- how is God glorified? People believing

- who gets the credit? God even though Mary/Martha sent for Christ

- so what are we supposed to take from this story?

- works on two levels: future and now

- how does this apply to our lives in the future?

- actual physical resurrection, we know we will be raised

- how does this apply to our lives now?

- spiritual

- compare lazarus to us; how is his role in this story a metaphor for our lives?

- were dead but now alive, God alone, we did nothing to deserve it

- how do you think his life after compared to his life before?

- doesn’t really; talk about life-changing (when a life-changing event happens, everyone notices)

- Our own spiritual resurrection must be the greatest moment of our lives

-if it isn’t, doesn’t mean we aren’t saved but it means we need to see the true reality of what happened

- how do we do this?

- see God for what he did; great God, sinful people

- meditate and think on it

- he is our resurrection!

- take off the linen strips, unbind ourselves (Lazarus alive but still bound)

- leave behind the grave clothes, the things that remind us and bind us to death

- brainstorm what binds us

- these things literally bind us; the devil convinces us these things are freedom, but in reality it prevents us from living

- not convinced? Try to not do these things; they suck you in

- live alive!

- he is our life!

- brainstorm ways to live (ways to serve God and others)

- we have freedom now to choose to live this way

- focus on/trust God, act in faith (see: Martha rolling stone away)

- Why did Christ do this?

- he loved us

- to glorify God

- so that others might believe!

- They see us living! It’s unmistakable from death! That is why we take off the death clothes and things that bind us because it doesn’t make sense to wear them anymore

- like Mary and Martha, when we see others raised, we can rejoice and grow

- Challenge: Live alive in the ways we talked about above!

PRAY!

Assignment: Read 12:1-11 and we’ll discuss it next time!

Living in the Light

Sermon. Carlisle Evangelical Free Church. Shad Baker.

I John 2:7-14

7 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

12 I am writing to you, little children,
because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake.
13 I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.
I write to you, children,
because you know the Father.
14 I write to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the word of God abides in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.

I. What God requires
not writing a new command
- old command is seen in v6
- God is concerned with how we live
-- from the beginning God cares about our actions because our live is made complete when we love each other
-- do we believe in God? The live like it
- God is not just concerned with our behavior but also our heart
-- good behavior is good but where is our heart?
-- we can cross every moral t and do ever legal i but still miss Jesus
--- miss the fact that we are to love
-- old command: live moral lives
-- new command: love
--- all commands can be summed up by: love
- obedience with love

II. Test of Light
Do I love my brother? (v9-10)
- can't be in light and hate brother at same time
- simple test: don't rationalize or try to stall the test
what does love look like?
- Christ
- culmination of his love seen in his death

III. How do I improve?
- CONFESS QUICKLY/IMMEDIATELY!
-- we must confess first
-- can't wait to confess till we're "clean"
--- if we do, then we will never return to Christ because it's impossible for man to clean himself up
- GET INTO LIGHT
-- must return to Christ
- PLANNED GIVING
-- plan to sacrifice (give up and NOT get anything in return)
-- plan to be unnoticed/unrecognized
-- plan to love and be hated for it
--- then we're with Christ
- REMEMBER GOD LOVES EVEN ME
-- I'm hard to love yet Jesus still puts up and sacrificed (gave up his life and did not get anything in return for a long time, and even now not the proper respect) for me while I was still a sinner
- old way (darkness/hate) is passing away
--Light is coming into the world

Walk as Jesus Did

Carlisle Evangelical Free Church. Shad Baker.

1 John 2:1-6
2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

- written to Christians so they won't sin


I. So that we don't sin
v1 - written word of God has power to keep us from sinning
-- Psalm 119:11 - put it in our heart
- not a natural strength, but supernatural
-- given to us by God wen we pray
- 3 ways to avoid sin:
1. Lots of Bible
2. Pray always
3. Be quick to confess (he will forgive...1 John 1:9)

II. The Defense Attorney for when we do sin
v1 Christ speaks to the Father in our defense
v2 the defense = Christ, our atoning sacrifice
- Christ is the only one who is pure and therefore the only one who can go before God
-- he enters our guilty plea
-- he has taken our punishment, penalty
--- "atoning sacrifice"
--- satisfies God's justice

? - why not sin continually because we know Christ will forgive us
- if we have that attitude, then we don't know the Lord
- if we know the Lord, then we know his love and sacrifice

III. Love made complete
v5 obedience completes love
- we love and obey bc he has loved us
-- our response to his love (songs are appropriate...Exodus 15:1-21)
-- completes the circle (His love completed/perfected; this is how it was designed to be)

3 Questions:
1. Do I believe in Jesus?
2. Do I confess sins to God?
- quick confession is crucial!
-- we can't wait to do good and then confess
--- what's the point? we can't clean ourselves up enough to come before God and we risk forgetting to confess, which is what Satan wants
3. Do I want to obey?
- If the answers are yes, then we are Christians!

From Real Deal to Real Joy

Carlisle Evangelical Free Church. JC Hicks.

1 John 1:1-4
1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

- writer has personal exp w/ Christ
--experience pushes him to pursue Christ more and tell others about it
- goal = complete joy

- God is for his glory
- God is for me
--gave his son to die for us out of his love
--if this is true then won't he care for us in the rest of our lives too?

- chasing happiness =
-- dissatisfied w/ circumstance
-- changing circumstances to achieve happiness
-- momentary bc our circumstances still bring us to focus on our own satisfaction

- what am I preoccupied with: circumstances or God?
- we can know realities of God from scripture
-- how does this change my perspective?
-- God is concerned for us but we're not the center of the world
-- Christ sent to glorify God by dying on the cross for our sins
--- our value is contingent on Christ

Practical ways to experience real joy
- have a relationship with Christ
- focus on Christ's love for us
-- recount what God has done for me daily
- examine what God has done and is doing

Is Mother's Day Biblical?

Carlisle Evangelical Free Church. Sermon.

Ephesians 6:1-3
6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”
- to whom does this passage speak?
-- to ALL

- honor and obey
-- because it is right
--we'll be rewarded

honor = an attitude, giving respect
obey = to follow an order
- they are not the same

1. Obey because it's right
- who is a child?
--not everyone but we still must obey authority
--not natural but right
---our political, religious, and social lineage makes us rebellious
--- God makes obeying right; God gave our parents to us
--- we'll always have authority above us
- key = "in the Lord"
--we are under God's authority ultimately
--- he has placed them above us
--- he is above all and his rule supersedes all

2. Honor because it's good for you
- we're to honor the authority in our lives
- honor means respecting
--it doesn't mean we have to agree with everything
-- if they are sinning or telling us to sin, then we honor/respect but don't follow because we are "in the Lord"
---God rewards us; they don't
- must care for them financially
-- I Timothy tells us we must care for our relatives or we deny Christ

Can we obey outside the Lord? NO!
- not naturally or historically inclined to obey
- Christ gives us the power to obey

3. Do everything "in the Lord" (in the bible 109 times)
- in the Lord like in the fortress
--cannot pull us from God because God has a hold on us
- how do we get in?
-- ask, seek, knock and we're invited in like children
- free to honor/respect others because we're in Christ and able to overcome our rebellious nature
-- encouraged to because God is the Lord of all and he'll reward us
- how can we honor those who don't deserve it?
-- in the Lord
-- He is at the top of our organizational/authority/power chart

When All You Have Is A Little

Carlisle Evangelical Free Church. Sermon. Shad Baker

We've become adept at giving excuses to everything: sales pitches, responsibilities
-we claim that failure is never our fault, but the result of something outside ourselves
- We even give excuses to God
--an excuse always claims some sort of poverty

3 Different Situations:
1. Criminal with no talent: Moses
[Scripture Exodus 2:11-4:17]
Exodus 2:11-15 = crime
- Moses became a quitter, a failure, and eventually humble
Exodus 3:7-8 - so GO
Exodus 3:10 - who am I?
Exodus 3:12 - doesn't matter, because I (God) will be with you
Exodus 4:1 - beginning of excuses and God's responses
- God is says he doesn't need us to be talented/rich/etc...JUST OBEDIENT
-- God will do the work
-- God PREFERS people who are not talented/arrogant so he gets all the glory
-- God isn't dependent on me/my talent/etc (no dependent on me at all/ever)
- no excuses, just give whatever we have no matter how little
-- God gave us exactly what we have
---it's insulting to say we can't give because we don't have enough

2. single mom with no money

2 Kings 4:1-7
4:1 Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” 2 And Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?” And she said, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” 3 Then he said, “Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few. 4 Then go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour into all these vessels. And when one is full, set it aside.” 5 So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. And as she poured they brought the vessels to her. 6 When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another.” Then the oil stopped flowing. 7 She came and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on the rest.”

- widow is poor and creditor is taking away sons
- Elisha say GO
-- be faithful with what we have
-- faithful in a little means we'll be faithful with more
---give what we've got
----God is looking for HEART OF FAITH not money/talent/etc
----God is not bound by our ability; he is not limited

3. Religious people with no food

Matthew 14:15-21
15 Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” 17 They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” 18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

- Jesus gives thanks for the little the had
- What is he teachings?
--he isn't bound by the resources we have
--he isn't dependent on us; we are dependent on him!
- it's insulting to god to claim God can't do as much with the little that we have
- we were created to do good works and share Christ
-- God gave us exactly what we need for that task

John 15:1-17
15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

- we can serve only because of Christ
- we could be the most talented/rich/etc but without Christ it doesn't matter
-- it's his work, not ours

We have an infinite God so why do we think he'd be limited by us? If he wanted he could speak and it'd appear, but he doesn't because he has given us all that we need already!

The Secret Life

Sermon. Carlisle Evangelical Free Church. Shad Baker.

Matthew 6:1-34

gift/grace - given because the receiver is loved
reward - given because of the receiver complete a task
- passage is about rewards

v1-4

1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Two types of rewards that we can seek:
1. given by people - honor/recognition/seen by
- includes good deeds done for the wrong reason
- these rewards don't last because people are fickle/limited
2. given by God - honor/recognition/seen by
- everlasting because God is everlasting

- value of the reward is determined by the giver (ex. president or a random guy off the street)

Challenge: Which reward am I working for?

v5-15

5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Two ways to pray:
1. Human - lengthy, fancy words
-trying to receive reward from and be noticed by humans
2. God's - short, sincere, length of words don't matter
- the Lord's Prayer would be considered pathetic by standards of TV evangelists (and me if I'm honest)

Reason for the difference:
- our prayers concerned with what others will think or trying to find the right formula to convince God to work on our behalf
- God's prayer is focused on God alone; God already knows what we're going to say before we say it and how he will answer it

Then why pray?
- for our benefit: reminds us of God's power/sovereignty, helps me reflect on person/situation
- must be focused on God, not gaining praise from others

v16-18

16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Two ways to fast:
- human: makes big deal out of it and makes it known to everyone; trying to receive human reward
- God: in secret, quiet; seeking God's reward

KEY: The way we choose is based on the rewards we value most. Which do I honestly want more? Am I living to please people and gather the things of this world? Or am I seeking after Christ and the reward he promised?
- we know that we will be rewarded but we don't know what it will be
--we are never told what the reward is so that we would work/live based on trust in God's character and promise and not a desire from our own greed/self-glorification
- salvation isn't a reward; it is a free gift. we are promised something else
- we can be sure that it'll be greater than anything we can think of but we must work in faith/trust

v19-24

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

must pick who I will serve because it is impossible to serve all of them
- can't ride two bikes at the same time.
- am I willing to serve without know the reward but trusting in Christ?
--am I child or teenager?
---child - told to do something and will receive a great reward in return? he will go do it
---teenager - told to do something and will receive a great reward in return? won't do it till the reward is revealed
----afraid of being short-changed; doesn't trust that he will be rewarded fairly
-----am I like this? Do I think God will be unfair with his reward? God has already generously given to me so why should I think he'll be anything else with his reward? must trust in the character revealed throughout scripture and in my life

v25-34

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

"spin" = a lot of movement but no progress, just a lot of wasted energy

- trust in God and the fact that he loves us
--seek first the kingdom of God and we'll be rewarded
--seek earthly things and we'll receive the earthly/fickle praise that is only fleeting and temporary

Where are my motives?
Why do I worry?
When I worry, where is my faith?
Am I worried about what others will think of me?
What rewards do my actions show that I'm working for?