What must I do to be saved?

God celebrated (“glorified”) the work and worth of Jesus Christ while He was on earth (John 8:54; 11:4). The ultimate act of celebrating the worth of Jesus was the resurrection from the dead (John 12:16). When Jesus is celebrated, God is celebrated (John 13:31).

The first day of each week, “with one accord with one voice” (Romans 15:6), we celebrate Jesus the Son, and God the Father. Paul’s prayer for the Christians in Thessalonica was that they would continue to celebrate Jesus (2 Thess. 1:11-12). We celebrate Jesus for all the things God supplies to us through Him (1 Peter 4:11).

We do not celebrate Jesus through manmade rituals – neither His birth, His life, nor His death. But it is eminently biblical to celebrate Jesus through God-approved acts of celebration – prayer, giving, the Lord’s Supper, Bible study, and singing.

Manmade rituals in worship (such as chorus singing or drama) are not acceptable to God (Matthew 15:3-9). Having said that, thanking God for Jesus becoming flesh is certainly appropriate. Studying the passages dealing with the virgin birth are appropriate. Yes, even singing songs that speak of the birth of Christ are very appropriate.

Without the incarnation, there could not have been a sacrifice for sin. No man, not even Moses himself, could have served as a sacrifice for sin (Exodus 32:31-33). “The soul that sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:20; Romans 6:23).

A member of the Godhead had to step out of eternity, into man’s world, “born of a woman, born under the Law” (Galatians 4:4), so that He could be tempted to sin (Hebrews 4:15). Having the moral fortitude of One who had been in divine glory throughout all eternity (John 17:5), Jesus said “no” to sin and, thereby, became the sacrifice for our sins. The Word has become flesh and still dwells among us (John 1:14; Colossians 1:27).

Yes, let’s celebrate Jesus through the means He has authorized.

Paul Holland

Satan can use our thoughts against us by making some false accusations against us in our own mind… I’ll talk more about that in a moment. As we study through God’s Word and take a look at Satan, we have seen three pictures of him so far… Satan wears subtlety, as we saw from Genesis 3. Satan wears shackles (Job 1 & 2). Last month, we saw that Satan wears pride, in the sense that he can use our strengths against us when we pridefully depend on our own strengths instead of the power from the Lord. Today, we look at the flip-side of that idea. That is, Satan can also use our weaknesses, our sinfulness, to discourage us, to accuse us falsely – to plant into our minds the lie that we cannot be saved. Our sins are so great or so frequent, there is no forgiveness.

God sent Israel into exile because of their sins. God caused them to remain there for 70 years – basically two generations. Israel has been sinful since the day God created them as a nation in Egypt! They have hardly lived one single generation without giving themselves to sin, especially to idolatry. It has been a considerable challenge for God to keep Israel faithful to Him through the years.

Joshua the high priest is standing before the angel of the Lord (3:1). The high priest, of course, is supposed to be the one who represents the people to God. He is the one who is supposed to make the sacrifices – especially on the Day of Atonement – that provide forgiveness of sins for Israel so they can be righteous in God’s eyes. But there is Satan in the picture “to accuse” Joshua! Satan wears false accusations; Satan is a liar and the father of lies Jesus tells us in John 8:44.

But Jehovah God speaks up and rebukes Satan (ver. 2). The One who “chose Jerusalem” rebukes Satan! Why? Because apparently Satan was telling the lie that Jerusalem could no longer be God’s city. Apparently Satan is telling Joshua the high priest that he can no longer be righteous in God’s eyes nor can Israel be righteous anymore in God’s eyes.

Jehovah told others – angels in the vision – standing before Him to remove those filthy garments from Joshua (ver. 4). Why? Because forgiveness of sins is available! Because righteousness in the eyes of God is possible!

In verse 8, the angel tells Joshua that he and his friends – perhaps other priests, perhaps the nation of Israel – are a symbol… Joshua, in particular, is a symbol of God’s servant, known here as the Branch (ver. 8). This word connects with the “root of Jesse” from Isaiah 11:1, so we know that Zechariah is seeing the Son of David, better known as the “Messiah” in this vision.

What is pictured here and in 6:11-15 is a man who will serve both as King and as High Priest! And there is only one man who is both King and High Priest! Jesus Christ! Verse 13 – “Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices.” There is only one man who is a priest reigning on His throne – Jesus Christ – and that is the whole message of the book of Hebrews!

Once again, in chapter 6 and verse 15, the angel tells Zechariah to share the message with Israel: “it will take place if you completely obey the Lord your God.” There is forgiveness of sins if you will “completely obey” the Lord God. Jesus governs as King and saves as Priest. He governs those He saves and He saves those He governs.

Don’t listen to Satan’s lies! You don’t have too much dirt that the blood of Christ cannot cleanse you! Listen to Jesus and do what He says to do.

Paul Holland

Not too long ago, in a recent report published by Barna Research, Flint is the 17th most “churchless” city in the country. Forty-five percent of her residents do not worship or belong to a church. The good news, in a sense, is that 55%, therefore, do worship. If for no other reason, belonging to a church (especially one with ties to the Christian faith) usually means a higher standard of morality, a better work ethic, closer family ties, etc.

The bad news, however, is that 45% of her residents do not worship anywhere. Do not draw the wrong conclusion. That does not mean these 45% are atheists. Actually, only about one-quarter of them are. The rest believe in God and about half of them believe in the divine nature of Jesus.

Think about the cities in the Bible: Babel, Sodom, Jericho, Jerusalem, Nineveh, Tyre, Sidon, Bethsaida, Capernaum, Ephesus, Philippi, Colossae, Athens, Rome. God loves the city.

As the human race populates, demographers estimate by the year 2600, there will be one human per square yard. More and more people will be living in cities.

In Luke 19:41, Luke writes simply that Jesus “saw the city” of Jerusalem. When Jesus looks at Flint (and her communities), He sees a face, a name, a life. Heaven is not compared to a countryside but it is compared to a city (Hebrews 11:10; Revelation 22:12-14).

“Our fathers stayed their minds on Thee, in village, farm, and plain; Helps us, their crowded, harried kin, no less Thy peace to claim. Give us to know that Thou dost love, each soul that Thou hast made, That size does not diminish grace nor concrete hide Thy gaze” (Roger Greenway).

You can begin a conversation by asking, “Do you worship God anywhere?” Be prepared to answer why you worship Him and why you worship Him the local church of Christ. Follow that brief discussion with an invitation.

Paul Holland

What do you collect? Here are the top 8 items that people collect that are the most valuable: coins, currency, stamps, sports cards, autographs, comic books, toys, and vinyl records.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:20-21: “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” The treasure we will have in heaven is of the ultimate value. Earthly treasures are not inherently bad; it’s just that they have no ultimate value either.

The context of Acts 20:35 is this… Paul was traveling and had come to Miletus and called for the elders of Ephesus. Paul gave them a long speech and reminded them that he held nothing back that was spiritually profitable to them. He taught them publicly and from house to house. He will say in 20:26 that he was “innocent of the blood of all men.” Paul warns the elders that false teachers will arise from among them, teaching error, and will draw away followers after them. At the end of that long discussion, Paul said in verse 35: “In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

But it seems to me that the teaching of Acts 20:35 is not hardly believed in our modern times: Is it more blessed to give than to receive? Across the board, research shows that people who claim to be Christian – across the board – give between 3-5% of their income. That shows that we simply do not trust the words of Jesus: It is more blessed to give than receive.

We love our family by constantly doing things for them.

Can a father love his family if he spends all his time and money on himself?

Does a man really show his love to God if he gives God the scraps out of his wallet?

God knows that if we are always on the receiving end, we tend to become warped and selfish. But if we give often and we give generously, our spiritual heart is enlarged and our Christian character develops more like Jesus.

Until we can honestly say that it is more blessed to give than to receive, we have not reached maturity when it comes to Christian stewardship.

If we want to grow, we will share what we have with others.

Paul Holland

It is hard to argue against the idea that America is, or has been, a “Christian” nation since it’s founding. Yet, when the American Religious Identification Survey came out a few years ago, everyone got excited that the number of Americans claiming “None” as a religion had doubled.

But, what about those “atheists” in America? George Barna is a Protestant who keeps his finger on America’s religious pulse. One out of four Americans who do not attend worship are either atheists or agnostics. That means that 75% of the “Nones” are not atheists. They simply do not worship anywhere on a regular basis!

Who are these skeptics? Barna reports that they are generally young (under 30), college-educated, women, and Asian-Americans. Hispanics have become more skeptical, as a group, but along with Blacks, they are still the least skeptical demographic.

Why are these skeptics skeptical? Barna reports three components: 1.) They reject the Bible; 2.) They do not trust the local church; 3.) The secular culture reinforces a secular worldview.

We need to show our family and friends that “church” is meaningful and worship actually enriches and changes our lives. The community has to see that our Christianity impacts our behavior toward the community in positive ways.

Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest” (Matthew 9:37-38).

Each of us needs to be a worker in the harvest. Jesus’ words are as true today as they were 2,000 years ago.

Paul Holland

Mark 16 opens with the women going to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus with spices. It was going to be one last act of service to the Lord they loved. N. T. Wright observed, “They were not going in order to witness Jesus’ resurrection. They had no idea any such thing was even thinkable. They were going to complete the primary burial. …They got the shock of their lives.” 

“…You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. 

He has risen; he is not here.” — Mark 16:6

Peter was the main character in Mark’s Gospel (other than Jesus!). His given name was Simon, but Jesus renamed him Peter, which means “Rock”. Outspoken, impulsive, open, a man of action, Peter was an inner circle friend of Jesus. He confessed his faith in Jesus, “You are the Christ” (Mark 8:29).

Peter proclaimed loyalty when Jesus revealed that they would all fall away. Mark 14:29-31 Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you…” Jesus knew the coming denials but loved Peter anyway. Jesus was crucified and buried. Peter was absent, buried in shame and remorse. But that was not the end of Peter’s story.

Peter doesn’t appear again in Mark’s Gospel until almost the very end. At the empty tomb, an angel tells the women, “Go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you” (Mark 16:7-8). William Barclay wrote, “How that message must have cheered Peter’s heart when he received it! He must have been tortured with the memory of his disloyalty, and suddenly, there came a special message for him. Jesus was far more eager to comfort the penitent sinner than to punish the sin.”

Tell Peter…those words open up the door to sinners and failures, people who fall short and can’t get it together, all the ragamuffins – all of us. Jesus doesn’t reject or leave us behind – He invites us to continue on along with him.

Jesus invites us to hope! Peter’s first epistle is saturated with the good news of the gospel.  They are words of hope! “…God … raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God” (1 Peter 1:20). 

Jesus invites us to an imperishable inheritance! In 1 Peter 1:3-4, Peter exclaims: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you…”

Jesus invites us to respond to his invitation! Peter explains our prescribed response to the resurrected Jesus in 1 Peter 3:21-22: “Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.” The response is ours to make, the power is in the truth of the resurrection! 

After Peter is restored on the sandy shore of Galilee, he never again failed to confess Jesus in his life! On the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, Peter declares fearlessly that “God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it” (Acts 2:24). 

The resurrection of Jesus is not an annual remembrance but a daily calling -a living in honor of the risen Savior! He is alive! He is Here! He is waiting for you! 

Peter’s story had a shaky start, but it ended in faith. Tradition says that he was crucified upside down – a request since he felt unworthy to be crucified in the same manner as his Lord. All of this was because Jesus would not give up on him. Go tell Peter! How will the story end for you today? Christ is Risen, He is Risen Indeed! His presence, your hope!

John Dobbs

“But coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe.” John 19:33-35

Of all the apostles, we know of only one who followed Jesus to Golgotha’s cross. John stood there by Mary, Jesus’s mother, even conversing with Jesus briefly (Jon. 19:27).  Both witnessed firsthand the cruel and inhumane act of crucifixion.  Finally, John saw the soldier jab the spear into his Lord’s dead body. The unimaginable horror of it all!  This apostle, whom Jesus loved, recorded these events “so that you also may believe.”

That Sunday morning, John would rush to the tomb, stand inside, and gaze upon the empty grave clothes, and “he saw and believed” (Jon. 20:7-8). The apostle John wanted you and I to stand where he stood, to see what he saw, and believe his testimony that Jesus died on the Cross and was raised from the dead. He wrote of these things “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name” (Jno. 20:31).

-Dennis Doughty

The resurrection of Jesus Christ was the final step in God’s payment for the sins of mankind. Speaking of our salvation Romans 4:25 summed it up with these words, “Who (Christ) was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (KJV). With His resurrection Christ “was declared the Son of God with power” (Romans 1:4). He now had the power over death which was foretold when God placed the curse on the serpent. “I (God, the Father) will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed (Christ); He (Christ) shall bruise your (Satan) on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel” (Genesis 3:15). Satan was going to bruise Christ’s heel by causing Him to die, but Christ bruised Satan’s head when Christ came forth from the grave. Until Christ arose from the dead, Satan had the power of death (Hebrews 2:14), but when Christ came forth from the grave, He struck a death blow to Satan’s power.

Other Old Testament Prophecies of Christ’s Resurrection

     “I (God the Father) will surely tell of the decree of the LORD; He said to Me, ‘You are My Son; today I have begotten You” (Psalm 2:7). Paul quotes this passage and said it was fulfilled when Christ was resurrected (Acts 13:32-33). Another psalm of David foretold Christ’s resurrection in these words, “For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay” (16:10). Peter quoted this passage proving that David was not speaking of himself, but of Christ and that Christ had been raised to sit at the right hand of God, the Father (Acts 2:25-35). Probably the greatest, most complete prophecy about Christ is Isaiah 53. In this passage, like the psalms quoted above, Christ’s resurrection was foretold. “But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a quilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand” (v. 10). Even though Christ was to be crushed, Christ would come back to life and see His offspring – faithful Christians.

The Importance of Christ’s Resurrection

     First, Christ’s resurrection was necessary so that people could be saved. As was noted above, “Who (Christ) was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (Romans 4:25 KJV). This is why Peter connected our salvation with Christ’s resurrection when he wrote, “baptism now saves you – not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience – through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (I Peter 3:21). This is what makes baptism so beautiful. We re-enact what happened to Christ. He died, was buried, and arose to walk a new life. When one is baptized according to the Bible, one dies to his or her sins, is buried in water to reach the blood of Christ, and then arises to walk a new life (Romans 6:3-4).

    Second, Christ’s resurrection is the foundation of the church. When Jesus asked His disciples who He was, Peter responded, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Jesus’ response was, “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Matthew 16:18). When Jesus died His soul went into the hadean realm (Acts 2:27, 31) but He came forth from that realm and because of that, was able to establish His church.

    Third, Christ’s resurrection is proof that wrongs will be punished. Paul proclaimed that truth to those in Athens in these words, “He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:31). Sometimes, life seems so unfair. It seems that the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer. It seems that the wicked get away with everything. Paul promises that the wicked will suffer the wrath of God (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10) but we are “to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come” (I Thessalonians 1:10).

    Fourth, Christ’s resurrection is proof that we will have immortal bodies in the next life. As Paul described the hope the resurrection of Christ gives us, he said that “Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep…Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming” (I Corinthians 15:20, 23). Our bodies are so weak and frail. They are not meant to live eternally. But God has prepared a special body for our next life. Paul described it this way. “So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body” (I Corinthians 15:42-44).

Our bodies will be like Christ’s resurrected body. It looked like His physical body (John 20:27-28), but was not limited by time, space, or what is material. He could go instantly from one place to another (Luke 24:31). He could appear in a room when the doors were shut (John 20:19).

By looking at these and many other facts, it’s no wonder that the resurrection of Christ was the greatest miracle! It’s no wonder that since we are given the promise of our resurrection that Christ’s resurrection gives us the greatest hope.

Today Christ is our Savior. On the last day He will be our judge. Is your spiritual life ready to stand before Christ? “For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

Wayne Burger

It takes a strong commitment, a deep, deep love for Jesus Christ to take Him over our familial relationships. I have recently read of a teenager, his name is given as “Tim,” but I presume that’s a pseudo-name. He found out that his dad was a drug dealer.

His parents were out of town and he called, speaking to his mom. She tried to make Tim feel guilty by saying that his accusations could destroy his family. As Tim pushed back, his mom blamed Tim for his father’s actions! She said that he had nice clothes, a car, and money because of his dad’s “business.” Again, Tim pushed back and his mom finally said something to the effect that Tim was “naive” and “impressionable.” And he was blowing things out of the water.

Tim did not want any of those nice things if it came at the expense of his dad doing something illegal and unethical. His parents finally kicked him out of the house and told him they were moving and would not tell him where.

Tim is making a life-style choice that reflects the integrity of his commitment. He knew he could not honor their choices. He also knew that he could not go back home because it would be a total compromise of his beliefs.

Tim was 17 years old at the time. But he was standing firm in his commitment to be a servant of Christ.

Being a Christian is not always an easy decision. Christianity is not always laughter and good times. Sometimes it is sadness and tears. To compromise, to blend into the crowd (even family) may make us feel better, but it separates us from our Lord and Savior.

Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

But He also said, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it” (Matt. 10:34–39).

The apostle of love, John, wrote: “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth” (3 John 4).

Contrariwise, there is likely nothing more painful than to know that one’s children (or parents) are not walking in truth. But Jesus will reward commitment to Him beyond anything we can imagine. Do you trust Him?

Paul Holland

This sermon can be viewed at:

https://youtube.com/live/HpqqUHXmg2o?feature=share

From what are you looking forward to rest?

Work?

People you work with?

Body aches and pains?

Temptations?

Sinful behaviors?

The Hebrew writer is talking to Christians who are being tempted to leave Jesus Christ and go back to the religions that were popular in their culture at that time. But the writer is urging them to reconsider their thinking because Christ and His gospel are supreme above all! Let’s feed our spirits on Hebrews 4 as we study the supremacy of Jesus.

FEAR WITH FAITH – 4:1-2:

It seem like a contradiction to suggest that we should “fear” with faith. But notice what the writer is saying. Because Israel did not enjoy the rest that God had promised them, because of unbelief and disobedience (3:17-19), so Christians need to fear that we don’t fall from our relationship with God. And the reason why Israel fell is because the word coming from the mouth of God was not united with faith in the heart of the Israelites. Some fear is healthy; there are things we need to have a healthy fear of, like rattlesnakes.

BECAUSE WE ARE ENTERING THE REST – 4:3-10:

In verse 3, the writer quotes from Psalm 95:11, just as he did at 3:11. But then in verse 4, the writer adds to the quotation from Psalm 95 a quotation from Genesis 2:2. The point is that God rested on the seventh day of the week of creation and He quit creating anything new. God has invited His children to join Him in rest, but the Jews could not do that because of their unbelief and disobedience.

The Hebrew writer’s main point is in verse 9: There remains a Sabbath rest – a rest comparable to God’s rest on the 7th day of Creation week – for the people of God. Once we enter God’s rest, then we can rest from our works as God did from His on the 7th day.

LET US BE DILIGENT TO ENTER THAT REST – 4:11-12:

Notice in verse 11 that the writer draws another conclusion: “Therefore.” Again, we see that we do not have that rest yet. We need to “be diligent” to enter that rest. The word translated “be diligent” means “to make every effort,” “to strive,” “to do all we can” to make sure we stay faithful to Jesus Christ. Because we don’t want to fall away just like the Israelites did.

The main application for today is clear: Christians need to nurture and develop a consistent devotional life. Reading the Bible should be a habit we incorporate into our daily and weekly routines. When we approach Scripture, we should come with expectancy, openness, and receptiveness, ready not only to hear from God but also to obey him.

LET’S STAY FAITHFUL! – 4:14-16:

Again, the writer draws another conclusion: “therefore.” He will spend more time later in the letter talking about Jesus as our high priest and the writer has already mentioned this a couple times before. But, since we do have a high priest who has “pass through the heavens,” that is, Jesus has already entered heaven, then “let us hold fast [tightly] the confession of our faith.”

Why? Because our high priest is not unsympathetic to what we experience in trying to stay faithful to God. Jesus does sympathize with our weaknesses. But He is also the one who was tempted in all things, but He was without sin. Incidentally, this point also proves that Jesus was 100% human since God cannot be tempted.

The final conclusion (this is the 5th one in this chapter!) – therefore (ver. 16) – let us “draw near” with confidence! You can make it to heaven! You can be pure and blameless and holy in the eyes of God! “Draw near with confidence!”

Why? Because His throne is a “throne of grace.” The throne on which God sits and rules is the throne that is characterized by grace! No, you don’t deserve to come into God’s presence. You will never, on your own, be able to make it into God’s presence! But, by His grace and through the blood of Christ, then we can come before Him with confidence and find mercy and grace to help us in our times of suffering and temptations.

Fear, with faith, because we are entering God’s rest! Let’s be diligent and stay faithful.

Paul Holland