March 26-27, 2005, John 2, Selected

JESUS UNCENSORED!
A SUPERNATURAL CHALLENGE!

*** John 6:35 “Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”
[New International Version]

***John 8:12“Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." [NIV]

*** John 14:6 “Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” [NIV]

*** John 2:16 “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" [NIV]

*** John 2:18-20“Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?" Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" [NIV]

*** John 2:21-22 “But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.” [NIV]

IT’S ALL ABOUT EASTER!

1. THE RESURRECTION IS THE FOUNDATION OF OUR FAITH!
***John 20:19 “On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews.” [NIV]

WHAT SENT THEM OUT WITH THEIR HEARTS ON FIRE WAS THAT THEY SAW JESUS:
DEAD AND ALIVE!

BUT WHEN A GUY SAYS THAT HE WILL DIE AND COME BACK TO LIFE IN THREE DAYS AND DOES IT… SIGN ME UP!

*** Acts 2:22-24, 32 “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” 32God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.” [NIV]

*** Acts 2:37-38 “Peter's words convicted them deeply, and they said to him and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?" Peter replied, "Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” [New Living Translation]

*** Acts 2:41 “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” [NIV]

*** Acts 4:1-4 “The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.” [NIV]

*** 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 “Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…” [NIV]

2. THE RESURRECTION IS THE FOUNDATION FOR OUR FAITHFULNESS!
***1 Cor. 15:58 “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” [NIV]

· JESUS LIVED TO VERIFY HIS IDENTITY!
· JESUS DIED TO VANQUISH OUR SIN!
· JESUS ROSE TO VALIDATE OUR FAITH!