100428: What does it mean to be a Christian?

What do you do as a Christian?

- Glorify God

- Share our testimony and strengthen other people’s faith.

- Own relationship with God and how you interact with other people.

→ Look for evidence in the Word

2 Corinthian 4:7-12

*4:11-12

o Carrying death = carrying death of Christ (you are cleanse by Christ’s blood)

Sinning, giving up yourself to Christ (death to the old self)

o Outwards comes life (and out of that comes life)

What does the new self do?

2 Corinthian 12: 7

2 Corinthian 12: 10

Will not take trials / tribulations from you, but it won’t break in (sides of the jar, sides of the clay), it will not break you.

→ Pleads to take away the problems. But God says,” My grace is enough.”

→ Weakness (my power is made perfect in weakness)

→ “for” is a connecting word to say they will explain it more later.

Mathew 11:29

“Take my yoke upon you and LEARN FROM ME”

→ 1) Becoming a Christian (take my yoke upon you)

2) Being a Christian (LEARN FROM ME)

Mathew 16:24: Famous version of “take my yoke” = becoming a Christian

Ephesian 5

“Be imitators of God” (imitate Christ)

→ Christ had to carry his cross.

→ your cross: death and be born again, follow his footsteps and be like him.

Give up your life for God.

3 John 11

→ How do you define good and evil?

→ Proverbs 15:33

2 Corinthians 8:7

What does it mean to give? What do you give?

2 Corinthians 9: 6 – 15

→ Giving comes from the heart

→ Giving: tiding (10% of income: money, things)

→ the beginning is from the heart: so if your heart is in the right place.

Should not be reluctantly or under compulsion (as in forced to pay taxes)

→ 1 Samuel 16:7 (giving from the heart)

David: Youngest, smallest and weakest

(picture of Christ)

→ Luke 20:45 (worshipping from the heart)

Philipians 2:1-11

→ Be humble. Remove egocentric. Being one in spirit and purpose.

How: consider others better than yourselves => think of yourself less than others => you are a servant

Only the humbled are honor

So far we have covered that being a Christian means…

Your Heart is in the right place to give, be humble, be a servant and do not judge in the idea of imitating God.

Psalm 1:12

1 Corinthians 4:1

Christians shouldn’t judge. PERIOD. Do not judge. Not yourself. Not others.

So you don’t judge yourself poorly. Or greatly (which would leave to self-righteousness)

Galatians 3:26 – 4:7

→ We are equal. We are also a child, subject to guardian and trustee. We are no better. No one is better than the other. => Ties back to why we should not judge.

James 2

 Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (The Golden Rule)

 No favoritism. Don’t judge.

 Law that gives freedom vs law that does not give freedom

Law of condemnation: Exodus (ex. 10 commandments) => expose your sins.

Law gives freedom: through grace and faith, redeems you from your sins.

*The Beatitudes: Mathew 5

Speaking of attitude:

Those who are poor will be made rich in the NEXT life.

(For if you are already rich in this life, there is nothing more to obtain.)

Proverbs 20:23

The LORD detests differing weights, and dishonest scales do not please him.

100414: Resurrection and Rapture

Easter

- celebrates the resurrection of Christ

- death of Christ is on Good Friday

- Palm Sunday (Sunday before the death of Jesus): Jesus arrived in Jerusalem on a donkey through the east gate, with people laying palm leaves on the ground before Jesus, signifying the triumphant arrival of the humble king

- Last Supper (occurs over Passover, which spans a week)

John 20: The Empty Tomb

1Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

* Mary Magdalene: She is a woman and also a prostitute—two statuses that were looked down upon back then; i.e. if this testimony was made up, the author would’ve picked a more “credible” source

* “… the other disciple, the one Jesus Loved…” = John, the author; because of his close relationship to Jesus, his perspective provides additional testimonies not seen in other gospels

* Theme of John: Jesus’ divinity and “person” of Jesus (due to John’s closeness to Jesus)

* Theme of Matthew: written to Jews

* Theme of Mark: literary gospel

* Theme of Luke: historical book; book to the gentiles

16Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).

* Why Aramaic? This would imply she may be a gentile

17Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

21Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”22And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

26A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” 29Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

* Possibilities for Mary couldn’t touch Jesus but Thomas could:

1. Only men can touch Jesus

2. Jesus has returned from his Father: e.g. Jesus could not have received the Holy Spirit from God had Jesus not gone to Heaven first

Matthew 27:52

The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

* Jesus went down to Abraham’s Bosom prior to his resurrection, brought up saints on that 3^rd day in the morning (seen by Mary); these saints probably ascended to Heaven rapidly afterwards due to the lack of further reported sightings

* Reasons why Jesus needs to be cleaned/returned to his Father before He could be touched: Christ is the High Priest, therefore has to remain clean until He enters Heaven; Leviticus 16 on Day of Atonement; parallels between what Aaron had to do to enter the Holy of Holies versus what Jesus need to do to enter Heaven’s Holy of Holies (note how Jesus’ clothes were found folded up…)

John 21: Jesus and the Miraculous Catch of Fish

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God.

25Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

Luke 24: The Resurrection

11But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.

40When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43and he took it and ate it in their presence.

44He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”

45Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46He told them,“This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

The Ascension

50When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.

Acts 1:1-11 Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven

1In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach2until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5For John baptized with^a water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

6So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

7He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

9After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

10They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

* Jesus ascended twice into the Heaven: 1) in secret (when he ascended with the saints from Abraham’s Bosom); and 2) in public on Mount Olive; hence, from the above scripture, Jesus is thought to descend twice from Heaven: 1) in secret (i.e. the Rapture); and 2) in public on Mount Olive, splitting it in half, for His thousand year reign