Worship Minimovie: The Reality of the Resurrection

April 16, 2017 | Genesis 22:1-14: Where is the Lamb? - Easter 2017

Here is the sermon from Easter morning at the regular worship service taken from Genesis 22:1-14:

Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” ² He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” ³ So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. ⁴ On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance. ⁵ Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.” ⁶ Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. ⁷ Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” ⁸ Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.
 
⁹ Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. ¹⁰ Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. ¹¹ But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” ¹² He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” ¹³ Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. ¹⁴ Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the Lord it will be provided.”

Audio


For more:
February 7, 2016 | Mark 2:1-12

Worship Minimovie: After Easter

Here is the worship minimovie from Sunday morning.

Worship Minimovie: A Resurrection Story

Here is the worship minimovie from Sunday morning:

Worship Minimovie: A Very Special Easter

Here is the minimovie from Sunday.

March 25, 2016 | John 19:28: The Word of Suffering

On Good Friday I was given the opportunity to speak at Farmdale Baptist Church at a community worship service that featured seven speakers each addressing one of the seven final sayings of Jesus from the cross. I was given the fifth saying, "I thirst" from John 19:28. The sermon is only eleven minutes long. You will find it below. To listen to all seven of the sermons, click here.

²⁸ After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, *said, “I am thirsty.”

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Notes


For more:
March 27, 2016 | John 20:19-31 - Doubting Thomas?: Why Thomas' Faith is stronger than most on Easter Sunday - Easter 2016
April 5, 2015 | Zechariah 3:1-10 - Easter 2015
Ravi Zacharias' 12 Arguments For the Historicity of the Resurrection
5 Books on the Cross and Resurrection

March 27, 2016 | Luke 24:1-12: Was the Resurrection Necessary? - Easter 2016

Early Resurrection Sunday we met for an (After) Sunrise service. Here is my sermon from that service taken from Luke 24:1-12.

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. ² And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³ but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; ⁵ 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? ⁶ He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, ⁷ saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” ⁸ And they remembered His words, ⁹ and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. ¹⁰ Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles. ¹¹ But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them. ¹² But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he *saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.

Audio
Notes


For more:
March 27, 2016 | John 20:19-31 - Doubting Thomas?: Why Thomas' Faith is stronger than most on Easter Sunday - Easter 2016
April 5, 2015 | Zechariah 3:1-10 - Easter 2015
Ravi Zacharias' 12 Arguments For the Historicity of the Resurrection
5 Books on the Cross and Resurrection

March 27, 2016 | John 20:19-31 - Doubting Thomas?: Why Thomas' Faith is stronger than most on Easter Sunday - Easter 2016

Here is the sermon from the morning Easter worship service taken from John 20:19-31.

¹⁹ So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and *said to them, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰ And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹ So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” ²² And when He had said this, He breathed on them and *said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.”

²⁴ But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

²⁶ After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus *came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁷ Then He *said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” ²⁸ Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹ Jesus *said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

³⁰ Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; ³¹ but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

Audio
Notes


For more:
April 5, 2015 | Zechariah 3:1-10 - Easter 2015
Ravi Zacharias' 12 Arguments For the Historicity of the Resurrection
5 Books on the Cross and Resurrection

5 Books on the Cross and Resurrection

Obviously Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday is a golden opportunity to reflect and meditate on the meaning of the cross and resurrection. I pray it is a daily exercise. Below are five books that I have read and found to be excellent resources in no particular order (except for the first one).

John Stott The Cross of Christ

This is a classic that should be read at least once by every Christian. This book inspired an entire sermon series on the various motifs of the cross such as the Temple, the Battlefield, and others.

Adrian Warnock Raised with Christ: How the Resurrection Changes Everything

Of all the books I have read on the reality and the doctrine of the resurrection this is by far the best. Warnock presents a strong case for the resurrection's historicity as well as looks at its prediction in the Old Testament and the role it plays in the theology of the New Testament. This is an invaluable tool for every pastor certainly and it is written in a way that the average Christian could grasp.

N. T. Wright, The Resurrection of the Son of God

Though this is more of an academic work, it remains as one of the most thorough and important works on the resurrection of Christ. Its a thick volume (numbering at 740 pages), but virtually no rock is left unturned. Wright, as a theologian, has his weaknesses, but when it comes to this subject, Wright proves himself to be quite the scholar.

Steve Jeffery, Michael Ovey, and Andrew Sach, Pierced For Our Transgressions: Rediscovering the Glory of Penal substitution

This is the book to read regarding the doctrine of penal substitution. The authors tackle the biblical evidence and survey what theologians of the past have said regarding the doctrine. Perhaps most helpful is their critiquing common arguments against penal substitution like the more recent "divine child-abuse" blasphemy.

Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears, Death by Love: Letters from the Cross

In my opinion, every pastor should be aware of the contents of the book (though the first chapter is admittedly weak and problematic). The reason is because it forces ministers to view all of pastoral challenges as remedied by the cross. Each chapter reflects a unique challenge Driscoll has faced and ministry. He then writes a letter to those he is ministering to pointing them to the cross. Throughout the book, the authors apply the doctrines of redemption, propitiation, expiation, Christus Exemplar, and many others. This is an important model for pastors to always follow. Preach. The. Cross.

Others worth mentioning:

• John MacArthur, The Murder of Jesus
• Mark Dever and Lichael Lawrence, It is Well: Exposition on Substitutionary Atonement  
• D. A. Carson, Scandalous: The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus
• Richard D. Phillips, ed., Precious Blood: The Atoning Work of Christ
• John Piper, Fifty Reasons Jesus Came to Die  
• Mark Dever and J. I. Packer,  In My Place Condemned He Stood: Celebrating the Glory of the Atonement 
• R. C. Sproul, The Truth of the Cross  
• James Beiby and Paul Eddy, eds The Nature of the Atonement: Four Views

Ravi Zacharias' 12 Arguments For the Historicity of the Resurrection

In his sermon He is Risen given at the 2013 Ligonier Conference (video below), Ravi Zacharias offers twelve arguments in favor of the historicity of the resurrection.

1. The disciples eye-witness experience where they saw and touched.
2. The early proclamation the resurrection.
3. The transformation from fear to martyrdom
4. The empty tomb
5. They proclaimed the resurrection in Jerusalem itself.
6. No one was able to produce the body.
7. The existence of the church founded by law-abiding Jews.
8. The change of the day of worship to Sunday
9. The conversion of James.
10. The conversion of Saul of Tarsus.
11. Why on earth would they have put the evidence in the mouths of women?
12. Why would Jesus claim He was going to rise bodily when He could have claimed He was going to raise spiritually?

For more:
April 5, 2015 | Zechariah 3:1-10 - Easter 2015

Worship Minimovie: Easter Daybreak

Here is the video we played in worship Sunday.

April 5, 2015 | Zechariah 3:1-10 - Easter 2015

Below you will find the audio and notes from Sunday morning in which we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus taken from a unique passage: Zechariah 3:1-10.

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. ² The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” ³ Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel. ⁴ He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” Again he said to him, “See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.” ⁵ Then I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the Lord was standing by.
 
⁶ And the angel of the Lord admonished Joshua, saying, ⁷ “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘If you will walk in My ways and if you will perform My service, then you will also govern My house and also have charge of My courts, and I will grant you free access among these who are standing here.

⁸ Now listen, Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you—indeed they are men who are a symbol, for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the Branch. ⁹ For behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua; on one stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave an inscription on it,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. ¹⁰ ‘In that day,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘every one of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and under his fig tree.’”

Audio
Notes

April 5, 2015 | Zechariah 3:1-10 - Easter 2015

Below you will find the audio and notes from Sunday morning in which we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus taken from a unique passage: Zechariah 3:1-10.

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. ² The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” ³ Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel. ⁴ He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” Again he said to him, “See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.” ⁵ Then I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the Lord was standing by.
 
⁶ And the angel of the Lord admonished Joshua, saying, ⁷ “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘If you will walk in My ways and if you will perform My service, then you will also govern My house and also have charge of My courts, and I will grant you free access among these who are standing here.

⁸ Now listen, Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you—indeed they are men who are a symbol, for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the Branch. ⁹ For behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua; on one stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave an inscription on it,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. ¹⁰ ‘In that day,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘every one of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and under his fig tree.’”

Audio
Notes