The Power of the Resurrection

Written by Pastor Brett E. Castle

from Philippians 3:7-11, audio available: "The Power of the Resurrection"

This sermon was originally used on Easter Sunday April 8th, 2012 during our Morning Services.

1) We come to this time and place on this Lord's Day to celebrate the most important event in the history of mankind.

a) Do we really believe the resurrection of Jesus the Christ is something more than a one day celebration of eggs, bunnies, and new clothes for this truth, promise? This reality is life changing, and impacts eternity.

b) We are here today on this Lord's Day to celebrate Hope, that is lived out in everyday life, and reaches into forever.

2) We are not here just for an Easter Celebration; we are here to celebrate the power of the resurrection of Christ.

a) Jesus is not on the cross. He is not still in the grave. He is alive and again one with the Father.

c) In verse 4 of this chapter Paul talks about what he calls "confidence in the flesh", as the path to death.

I) On Resurrection Sunday we see that all "the stuff", and "things" worked for in the flesh are walking the pathway of loss.

1) My beloved church we are in this place of worship to celebrate the power of the One True God of the Bible, and the free gift He won on Calvary's Cross, and offers to us who will but call upon His name.

a) Hear the truth and let it set your heart, mind, spirit, and life free, we are not here to celebrate a day, but a way of life.

b) Paul was very, very religious, but found no peace, or real purpose in living rules and laws without knowing God personally.

2) All the gains in a false religion based on man's works, Paul counted as garbage when he found the Living Lord & Savior Jesus the Christ.

⁸ More than that, I count all things to be loss ^[a]in view of the surpassing value of ^[b]knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, ^[c]for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,

a) We often forget Paul lost all his material things that he'd worked for all his life when he accepted Christ on the Damascus Road recorded in Acts 26:24. It cost Paul much to come to Jesus.

b) On this great day we too must see that all we have to give up to follow Christ is nothing but the trash of the world.

c) Paul's own "treasure" in the flesh brought glory to him personally, but did not bring glory to God, and true peace and meaning to this life and the next.

[Paul found the true power of the ressurection]

II) It often costs for people to come to Christ, but we are here this Lord's Day to celebrate the wonderful gains we found in accepting and living Christ Jesus.

a) Our man Paul lost his religion and his reputation, but he gained a personal relationship with God in Christ both in this life and the next.

b) But also all he gained the Christian religion and with it the power of the indwelling of God's Holy Spirit and all it brings into living.

2) Please hear the Word this Easter Sunday, Christ did not change who Paul was, just "WHO's" he was.

⁹ and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,

a) When Paul trusted & accepted Christ as Lord & Savior, he lost his own self-rightousness, and gained the rightousness of Christ and all that power brought into this life and the after-life to come.

b) The message of Easter is "I'm not working to go to Heaven, I'm working because I'm going to Heaven" and the desire to bring God's glory to Earth until I am with Christ in eternity!

III) When we become Christians it is not the end for us, but only the beginning.

1) The joy & power Paul found in coming to Christ was so thrilling that Paul counted all other things nothing but garbage in comparison. No wonder he had joy that was above all other thing and circumstances.

a) The power we see Paul gain in Christ is the ability to look at life though the eyes of the Father, by the Son, in the Power of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God.

b) It is not just the Day of Easter but the life way Easter point to in the Living Christ that we are here to celebrate this Easter Sunday.

Obedience, the Son's Lesson

Written by Pastor Brett E. Castle

from Mark 1:9-11, audio available: "Obedience, the Son's Lesson"

This sermon was originally used April 1st, 2012 during our Morning Services.

1) Our Lord's "love in action" can be summed up in one word, "Obedience"

a) One of the biggest lessons that God in Christ came to teach and model for all that claim to be Christians was to be obedient to the Father's Will.

b) Children are constantly being told to do things they don't understand.

2) When we are in the family of God we fall under the authority of the Father, and as the Head of the Family he has not only the right, but the obligation to tell us what to do.

a) This picture of obedience touches me because it is Jesus living out His love for the Father, by the Power of the Holy Spirit, and that is an example for all of us here seeking a Word from God this Lord's Day.

b) It is through obedience we find real harmony, joy, love, and peace in this life and the next.

I) We have to trust the authority and motives of the One commanding us if we are going to follow their commands.

1) The test of faith is to obey when it is hard, when we don't want to, when it is painful, when we see no reason or don't understand the "whys".

a) The walk in Christ and with Him is started with the small steps of faith lived out in total and complete Obedience.

b) Don't miss the truth and fact of total and complete submission.

2) Jesus had no reason to step into the water in order to be baptized because John baptized out of remission of sin.

Matthew 3:14-16

¹⁴ But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” ¹⁵ But Jesus answering said to him, “Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”

What seems small in the flesh is often big in the Holy Spirit.

II) The pleasing love of true obedience opened the very door of Heaven and does so today.

1) First, Jesus answered the call to come from Nazareth to the river Jordan.

a) When God the Father calls us out we must answer the call! (Have you answered the call to Salvation by stepping out and coming to Christ?) 

b) It is hard to be public about our faith, but Jesus stepped out in front of the crowd on the Jordan River, and he calls us to do the same today.

2) Then Jesus stepped out into the water on faith. (The first act or test of faith is to be baptized. It does NOT save us, but is a public profession of faith.)

a) Even the simple acts of obedience are a test of our attitude, and call for sacrifice.

Mark 1:10

¹⁰ Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens ^[a]opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him;

1) It is often the first steps of faith that bring about the opening of Heaven and then our own eyes of faith "fly open".

a) This one final step of going into the water brought the voice of pleasure in the Father.

b) This one step on to this stepping stone opened Heaven but it also opened the pathway to the cross of Calvary.

I wonder how many times over the next 40 days, would Jesus play this moment back in order to strengthen his faith.

a) Each step of obedient faith builds on the last, and leads to the next. When we refuse to obey, we miss the steps of God's Will, and often step out of His Will.

b) Jesus came to teach us Obedience. How well are you at following?

Alone Does Not Have to Be Lonely For Christians

Written by Pastor Brett E. Castle

from John 16:30-33, audio available: "Alone, is Not Lonely for Christians"

This sermon was originally used on March 25th, 2012 during our Morning  Services.

1) We live in a time and place in the history of mankind when we fear being alone. Often we like the noise, we fear "the quiet", then we have to be alone and that means facing one's self.

a) The Gospel tells us that Jesus often went to "lonely places". He went for prayer and time alone with His Father.

b) To those looking at His actions from the flesh, Jesus was alone, but to the Christian we know He was not alone.

^"32 Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me." -NASB

2) Jesus, God in the flesh, came to set the perfect example by His alone time with His Father. Should we not do the same?

There are as many reasons that we can't find the time to be with our Lord as there are people.

I) Our Lord is doing His best get His followers to prepare for the events and time when He is taken to the cross and they scatter.

1) Our Lord starts out in our text by reinforcing the followers' faith.

^"30 Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from God.” ³¹ Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe?" - NASB

a) We all need a reminder of who it is we believe in, and who our God is.

b) Jesus' words end the chapter with reinforcement.

"but take courage; I have overcome the world"

2) The exasperation in the statement of verse 31 is best conveyed by the wording, "you believe at last"

a) The followers of Christ have just taken a great step forward in faith and true "freeing understanding".

b) Jesus continued to tell them what will happen, "³² Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered..."

II) Please hear me in the Spirit of God's Holy Power. It is not hard to be disappointed in God's plans. God's plans are not always our's in the flesh.

1) Blackaby calls this a "Crises of Belief" or faith and we all have them in our lives if we live in the flesh long enough.

a) Jesus tell them and does His best to get them ready for His death. I have learned we are never ready to let death claim a loved one.

How often do we hear "They lived a good life, it was just their time." Perhaps, but as a family member I really wish they were here longer.

b) A "Crises of Belief" or faith is a hard and very lonely place to be and live out life.

2) When strip down all the emotion like anger, pity, hurt, and pain, we see a purpose for loneliness, Jesus, and us.

a) The purpose is to spend time alone with the Father or with Abba, "Daddy"

b) As I read these scriptures I see my Savior God, "alone" on the cross of Calvary with my sins on Him.

III) When all is dark, when all have fallen asleep, when the "midnight hour" is swallowing you, hear your Lord's voice, "but take courage; I have overcome the world."

1) Every time we let loneliness take over our feelings we let Satan in, and we have lost sight of our personal, caring, sympathetic (He knows loneliness) and loving caring Father.

a) Even if no other in all eternity understand or care, the Father does.

Illustration: I can think of nothing more "alone" than watching your "only begotten Son" die the death of the cross.

b) The same arms of the Heavenly Father that Jesus as the Son, fled to when He was lonely are the same loving arms that wait for you.