Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ! Blessed Resurrection to you! Today's Word of Faith is He is risen just like He said!

What an awesome scene the scripture unveils to us in Matt.  28:1-10! Two Marys have come to visit the tomb, and they are met with the strange occurrence of a violent earthquake, caused by an angel coming down from Heaven. He single-handedly rolls away a stone that I would imagine was intended to be too heavy to be moved by ordinary men! Too heavy for men to break in, and to heavy for anyone hiding inside with the corpse of Jesus to escape. 

On top of that, after rolling back the stone the angel simply sat on it! The scene is incredible! The guards are so shaken by the dazzling presence of the angel that they are horrified to the point of paralysis! And then the angel says to the women, "Do not be afraid. I know who you're looking for, but He is not here. The Jesus you saw crucified has risen, just as he said." He then invites them to see for themselves, and to then go quickly to tell his disciples that Jesus had risen from the dead and was going ahead of them into Galilee!" It was as if the angel had played a game of tag and cried, "You're it!" "Now I have told you," he said. The angelic messenger had passed on the good news to the first human carriers of this message. 

The two unsuspecting women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, when suddenly Jesus meets them and greets them! Not a ghost, nor a vision, they both clasped his feet and worshiped him. Jesus repeats the instruction, "Do not be afraid..." They were to tell the disciples to meet the Risen Lord Jesus the Christ in Galilee.

If we were to consider all the horrors that we witness on almost a daily basis, we would find ourselves afraid or numb and so desensitized to the pain of our existence that we wonder if we're really still alive. But as Jesus said to the two Marys, he now says to us, "Don't be afraid my sisters and brothers, I have risen just like I said I would! I have kept my promise to neither leave you nor forsake you!" Jesus tell us by application in John 10:10, "I have come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly." The limitations of our finite existence that often caused us to feel vulnerable, insecure, even helpless have been dealt with by our awesome savior!

 So this morning we come to celebrate the fact that Jesus the Christ has already proven through His resurrection that He has no limitations.The reality for us is that when we put our trust in God through Jesus Christ, we also have no limitations, because the Word of God is true. It is secure and firm. We can stand upon the promises of God. As the Apostle Paul was inspired to write, we truly "can do all things through Christ who strengthens us." Philippians 4:13

And as our focus remains heavenward this morning we encounter the greatest witness of the certainty of God's Word. God the Father had a righteous requirement for the sin of mankind that he knew mankind could not meet! So he sends his Son, who is fully God, to be born of a virgin woman, who is fully human so God’s righteous requirement would be filled by the one who would be born into this world sinless, fully God and fully Man! His Word declares that "His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways far beyond our ways!" The God we serve is limitless! Now the Son – the second person of the Trinity, the Logos, or the Word made flesh – Jesus the Christ showed us the way to live a life without limits, as he lived a sinless life, performed miracles, as he healed the sick, raised the dead, fed multitudes with two fish and five loaves of bread, and gave sight to the blind to prove that he was the Christ – not only sinless, but blameless – Jesus is Out of the box, because there is no box that can contain the creator of all that is. Limitless, because He defines the limitations of every created thing. 

If that wasn't enough he showed us the greatest love ever known in that while we were yet sinning,and lavishing in our own personal boxes, amassing chasm after chasm for ourselves, Jesus paid a sin debt with his life that he didn’t even owe, because we owed a sin debt that we couldn't even pay – Hallelujah! On the Cross of Calvary Jesus pronounced the boundary line of our delusion! He declared that enough is enough! Jesus drew the line and declared that death would be given a final death blow, that nothing would be able to separate us from relationship with the Godhead - Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!  

So when the enemy thought he had succeeded in putting Christ in a box by the hands of religious Pharisees and the government of Rome, after seeing what they perceived to be a lifeless shell placed in a borrowed tomb. After covering the body with 100 pounds of spices and oil drenched linen. After rolling a huge stone that took several men to put it in its place. After putting Caesar’s seal on the tomb, punishable by death if touched. 

Early one Sunday morning – three days after they buried him in borrowed tomb, Jesus the Christ breached the binds of death, and GOT UP AND LEFT THE TOMB! He performed what most thought was impossible! And the profundity of it all is that, because Jesus Got out of the box, because Jesus exceeded our expectations, because Jesus moved beyond the fathomable, you and I can get out of the box, we don't have to be afraid anymore, you and I can exceed our expectations, you and I can move beyond the fathomable, you and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!!! Hallelujah to the Lamb of God! "We don’t have to slay any lamb anymore! We don’t have to sprinkle any blood on the door. Someone has taken the place of the lamb. His name is Jesus Christ the Great I AM!!!"

There are seven words that communicate the good news of this passage, however we often miss four of them. The angel declared, "He is Risen... just like He said." The angel was reminding us that this resurrection moment was never supposed to be a surprise to anyone! Jesus said in the book of John in the 10th chapter, "I am the Good Shepherd, and I lay down my life for my sheep... No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father." The angel was sent on a mission to remind them of what Jesus said, because it illustrates and thus confirms the divine authority and trustworthiness of Jesus the Christ!

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ declares that only He who created life, can resurrect it after death. The resurrection declares that Jesus is LORD! He has risen from the dead - just like He said - and he is LORD! Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! So be not afraid my sisters and brothers. Our Jesus is alive and well!

The resurrection of Jesus is a testimony to the resurrection of human beings, which is a basic tenet of the Christian faith. Unlike any other religion, Christianity alone possesses a founder who transcends death and who promises that His followers will do the same. His Word is good! All other religions were founded by men and prophets whose end was the grave. As Christians, we take comfort in the fact that our God became man, died for our sins, and was resurrected the third day. Even the grave could not hold our God. He lives, and He sits today at the right hand of God the Father in Heaven alive and well, and interceding for you and for me. His power is available for you and I to walk in victory! Truly we have no limits through Jesus Christ our Lord, our Savior, and our Redeemer. Hallelujah to the Risen King! 'Til the next time, may the Lord God bless you real good!

Blessed Resurrection,
Pastor B.
FaithWorks Christian Fellowship
Proving God at God's Word

1After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

 2There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

 5The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

 8So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

We have a common trend in America. It’s the idea of our need to expand our horizons. To look at things from a fresh perspective. To find out a new agenda or develop a new plan. We call this term “getting out of the box.” The funny thing is that we often look to other people who are stuck in their boxes to see how they’re getting out. And we find ourselves deeper in boxes. In the midst of our box we begin to search for the next big thing that can help us to get out of our boxes. Someone may have felt unsatisfied with their life, may have felt unproductive in the things of life and went and made an emotional purchase of an IPod or IPad or the Galaxy Nexus. Camped outside the store, because not only did you have to have it, you had to be the first to have it! And in an attempt of trying to look like they were part of the Out of the box crew, they put themselves deeper in a box. Worse we put ourselves in boxes when we try to conform to the trends of this world. Romans 12 states: Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. But we'll come back to this scripture.

Now, many of us work in offices or in cubicles in our various vocations. How interesting to think that while the higher ups are saying, “try to think outside of the box,” most of their employees are physically stuck in a box all day!

The box is how we see things. How we have always seen things. It refers to how you have tended to think your whole life and the statement, “think outside of the box” is a term to make you think beyond what you normally think. Shift your paradigm, move beyond your limitations. This morning we come to celebrate the fact that there are no limitations in Christ Jesus. We truly can do all thing through Christ who strengthens us.

And as our focus remains heavenward this morning we encounter the greatest witness of not just thinking outside of the box, but getting outside of the box. God the Father had a righteous requirement for the sin of mankind that he knew mankind could not meet! So he sends his Son, who is fully God, to be born of a virgin woman, who is fully human so God’s righteous requirement would be filled by the one who would be born into this world sinless, fully God and fully Man – God’s thinking is totally Out of the Box. His Word declares that His thought are not our thoughts and His ways far beyond our ways! Look at your neighbor and say God is out of the box! Now the Son – the Logos, or the Word made flesh – Jesus the Christ showed us the way, as he lived a sinless life, performed miracles as he healed the sick, fed the multitudes and gave sight to the blind to prove that he was the Christ – not only sinless, but blameless – Out of the box.

If that wasn’t enough he showed us the greatest love ever known in that while we were yet sinning, he paid a sin debt with his life that he didn’t even owe, because we owed a sin debt that we couldn’t pay – Hallelujah! Out of the box. The whole time they were trying to bind Jesus and put Jesus in a box that could never contain him! But God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and his ways above our ways – God lives in the realm of “out of the box.” God is a supernatural visionary. He see things in his mind and speaks them into existence – Out of the Box!

And when they thought they had succeeded in putting Christ in a box! After seeing what they perceived to be a lifeless shell placed in a borrowed tomb. After rolling a huge stone that took several men to put it in its place. After putting Caesar’s seal on the tomb, punishable by death if touched.

Early one Sunday morning – three days after they buried him in “the box,” where his body would have already began to smell had he not been covered in 100 pounds of spices and oil drenched linen, had he been dead as they supposed, Jesus the Christ GOT UP OUT THE BOX! He performed what most thought was impossible! And the profundity of it all is that, because Jesus Got out the box, because Jesus exceeded our expectations, because Jesus moved beyond the fathomable, you and I can get out of the box, you and I can exceed our expectations, you and I can move beyond the fathomable, you and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!!! Hallelujah to the Lamb of God! We don’t have to slay any lamb anymore! We don’t have to sprinkle any blood on the door. Someone has taken the place of the lamb. His name is Jesus Christ the Great I AM!!!

Today we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection witnesses to the immense power of God. The Resurrection declares that the God who is the creator of the very universe has power over all things – even power to raise the dead. If he did not have such power, he would not be a God worthy of our faith and worship. But today we can declare “My Jesus is Alive and Well! He’s alive, he’s alive, he’s alive, he’s alive, he’s alive and well!

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ declares that Only He who created life, can resurrect it after death. Jesus said in the book of John in the 10th chapter that he was the Good Shepherd who would lay his life down! No man could take it from him, but he would lay it down and could pick it up again. The resurrection declares that Jesus is LORD! He has risen from the dead and he is LORD! Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Not only that, the resurrection declares only Christ can remove the hideousness of our sin and reconcile us out of the boxes of bondage to sin that we have created for ourselves, into a relationship with the fullness of the Godhead where there are no bounds.

The resurrection of Jesus is a testimony to the resurrection of human beings, which is a basic tenet of the Christian faith. Unlike any other religion, Christianity alone possesses a founder who transcends death and who promises that His followers will do the same. All other religions were founded by men and prophets whose end was the grave. As Christians, we take comfort in the fact that our God became man, died for our sins, and was resurrected the third day. Even the grave could not hold our God. He lives, and He sits today at the right hand of God the Father in heaven alive and well, and interceding for you and for me.

Blessed Resurrection,
Pastor B.
FaithWorks Christian Fellowship
Proving God at God's Word