April 12, 2020
Rose of Sharon Baptist Church April 12, 2020
Church Service Notes
Sunrise Service
For this sunrise service, I would like to walk through the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ
Luke 23: 20-26 In these verses, we find our innocent Savior being condemned to death by Pilate at the demands of an angry mob.
Luke 23:33-46 These verses detail the crucifixion of Jesus. We find our Savior on the cross, loving us, calling on God to forgive us, and offering salvation to the thief on the cross
Luke 23:50-56 These verses describe our Savior’s burial. He is certainly dead at this point and is buried by Joseph of Arimeathea, as witnessed by the women who would later seek to provide the traditional burial rites for the body of Christ.
Luke 24:1-12 In these verses, we see the miracle of the empty tomb. The women and later, Peter and other disciples are perplexed to find the tomb opened and the body of Jesus gone.
Luke 24:13-27 Jesus appears to two of His followers on the road to Emmaus. As He walks with them, He addresses their sadness and explains the truth of the Scriptures to them before opening their eyes to recognize Him.
Luke 24:30-34 The two followers of Jesus report their encounter to the disciples. In verse 34, they declare, “The Lord is risen indeed”. Aren’t you glad we serve a risen Savior!
In 1 Peter 1:3-9, Peter details the hope we can have in the resurrection. In verse 3, Peter tells us we have a lively hope in the resurrection of Jesus. In verse 4, we see that as Christians, we are promised an inheritance in heaven through the resurrection of Christ. In verse 5, we see that inheritance is secure in the power of our Lord. It is not dependent on anything on our part. In verse 6, Peter tells us to rejoice greatly because of the hope we have and the inheritance that awaits us. In verses 7-9, Peter tells us that even though we will experience trials in this life, it is all part of becoming closer to our Lord Jesus and maturing in Christ. Through it all, the Lord gives us joy and the salvation of our soul. In joy, we celebrate the resurrection of our Savior and this gift of salvation every day of our lives!
10 AM service
Scripture: Luke 24:34-47
This morning, we will look at Jesus’ interaction with the disciples after His resurrection. One of the first things we see in verse 36 is that Jesus offers peace in the resurrection. When Jesus appears to the disciples gathered together in fear, the first thing He says is “Peace be unto you”. What a comforting statement from Jesus who in the midst of all circumstances offers peace. The disciples had denied Jesus, abandoned Him, and hidden away from society. Peace was probably absent from them at that time. Then, seeing the body of a man they thought was dead had to invoke fear. The Bible says they thought they saw a ghost. Yet Jesus offers them words of peace and comfort. Whatever circumstance you find yourself in today, I want you to know you have the same offer of peace in the Lord Jesus. This peace of Jesus is one of the things we celebrate on Easter.
In verse 47, the passage tells us we also celebrate the remission of sin in Jesus. The remission of sin is the forgiveness of our sins. It is wonderful to know that our sin debt is paid in full by Jesus. No sin is too great or beyond the payment of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. The penalty of sin is upon all people and is something we have no hope to overcome apart from Jesus’ sacrifice. Even one sin committed by us makes us imperfect and separates us from our holy, perfect God in Heaven. In order for sin to be forgiven, there must be a death. In the Old Testament, animals had to be sacrificed repeatedly to pay this payment of death for the people’s sins. However, the Lord had a new plan for us by sending Jesus to die on the cross as the ultimate sacrifice. Jesus was the perfect lamb who never sinned. He died on the cross as the perfect sacrifice. His death is sufficient to cover all our sins. For the person who puts their faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior, the Bible tells us they will be forgiven of their sins. The Bible tells us the blood of Jesus washes our sin white as snow. This forgiveness is made possible by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. We celebrate that forgiveness on Easter.
I also want us to take note of another part of verse 47. The verse tells us we must preach in the name of Jesus to all nations, not only the remission of sins but also repentance. We must preach teach and preach repentance, encourage repentance, and be obedient to repent ourselves. Repentance is an ever present theme throughout God’s Word. Repeatedly in the Old Testament, God calls His people to repent. John the Baptist preached repentance. Jesus Christ called for people to repent. The apostles continued to call for repentance. In Peter’s sermon at Pentecost following the resurrection of Christ, he calls for the people to repent. Repentance is when we turn from sin and start following God. We have much to repent from, I believe, as a world, nation, church, family, and individuals. We need to repent from idolatry—all the things we put of higher importance than God, whether it be security, entertainment, comfort, pleasure. Nothing should be more valued, important, and worshiped than our Lord. We need to repent from pride that says we are greater than God and don’t need His help. We need to repent from our hatred for people that have different opinions, backgrounds, and politics than us. We need to repent, as a nation and world, from the abortion of children that kills thousands and thousands of lives a year. We need to repent from redefining God’s Word. There are many people in the world—in churches, leadership positions, families—that are continually trying to redefine the truths of God’s Scripture to fit their own motives. People are trying to redefine marriage beyond what God has established between a man and woman, to redefine salvation as works based, to redefine what is right and wrong to whatever feels good in the moment. The Word of God is truth. It is not to be added to or taken away from. It is not to be twisted out of context. As Christians, we must get back to the Word of God and be obedient to it. Easter is many things. It is peace. It is forgiveness. It is the way of salvation. It is a time of repentance. I encourage you to seek from the Lord what He would have you repent from today and commit to doing so. Celebrate the miracle of Easter, not just today, but every day through the gifts so freely given by the death and resurrection of our Savior!
In Christ’s Love,
Charlie Tucker