Death: Defied, Defeated and Destroyed by Christ

Jesus was not merely revived, but He was ressurected. Jesus went through death and has gone out the other side alive, victorious, and in a new existence.

I. Jesus defied death
-He did not run from death or cheat death
-He went through death, faced it, and came out of it

II. Jesus defeated death
-Defeat is to render the enemy powerless in himself
-Jesus freed us from being enslaved by the fear of death
-Those who die in Christ will be raised up again in our future hope because of what He did on the cross--therefore we do not need to fear the second death
-Because of what Jesus has done, He has shown the power of ressurection over death

III. Jesus destroyed death
-During the great white throne judgment, death itself will be thrown to the lake

*based on Heb.2:14,15
by Dr. David Dean

All you need is love

4 kinds of love:
1. Eros--physical attaction
2. Phileo--love among friends or boy-girl relations, conditional and limited
3. Storge--exclusively for filial relations
4. Agape--concern for others, unselfish, committed, willing; not emotional but deliberate

5 Reasons why we should love
1. God's very nature is love
-It serves as the motivation and action for us (vv8, 16b).
-We need to behave like him, where the sone is a mirror of the Father.

2. God paid a high price to show His love (vv.9,10)
-We don't deserve to be saved, but He gave it anyway.

3. We grow in maturity when we love (vv.17,18)
-We become perfect, growing spiritually.

4. Loving others is proof of His dwelling in us (vv.12, 13, 16)
-It is the Spirit within us that empowers us to love

5. Loving others is proof that we love God (vv.19-21)
-We must show our love for Him by showing His love for others through us.

*based on 1John4:7-21
by Rev. Alex Uy

The true and only door

Functions of a door: entrance, exit, protection

There are 2 kinds of "gate" in their time--a physical wooden gate in a rented kural or the shepherd himself at the entrance of a cave.

Three important lessons from Jesus, the gate:
1. Jesus us the gate of salvation
-There is no other way to get to heaven. not all roads lead there. Christianity is an exclusive belief.
-Only by faith in Jesus can we get to heaven (John 14:6, Acts 4:12, 1Tim2:5)
-His death was all inclusive, open to all tribes and tongue (Matt11:28)

2. Jesus is the gate of protection
-Satan is the predator (1Pet5:8)
-We are commanded to resist the devil (James 4:7)
-Jesus enables us to flee from temptation (1Cor10:13)
-We must be conscious to keep ourselves in God's will and not just tolerate attacks.

3. Jesus is the gate of satisfaction
-Life with Jesus leads to greener pastures (Ez34:14, Ps23:1, Jn10:10)
- Abundance does not necessarily mean material wealth, but that life becomes meaningful.

*based on John 10:10
by Rev. Alex Uy

No excuses

What makes us fall under God's wrath? Why can't we be excused from it?

1. Because knowledge of God is readily available. Each of us is given as equal opportunity to know God...
-through creation--which showcases God's eternal, powerful qualities (v. 19, ps. 19:1-3, job 12:7-9)
-through man's conscience--who knows within itself that there is a moral keeper, who is God.

2. Because we have failed to honor God or giving the honor due Him, thus substituting things in the image of man and animals for the real God.

3. Because we deliberately sin against God.
-This is a product of man's disobedience and not honoring Him.
-God will let us go through with our sins when we desire to commit them, not that God intends that we sin, but that He allows us to have our own choice.

While we may be spared from the wrath of God as believers, many are still lost in their sins, so we must take responsibility in sharing His Word.

We must see the gravity of sin, as God's redeemed people, and should no longer allow it to dominate us. Instead, let us forsake our sins and choose to please God.

*based on Romans 1:18-32
by Rev. Alex Uy

Hand it Over

There are many reasons why we must commit our lives to Jesus. We should hand our life completely to Him because:
1. He loves you and always has your best in mind
-He set Himself apart from other shepherds at that time since He was willing to sacrifice everything for His sheep.
-From the Old Testament, God has been described as a Good Shepherd by David, Ezekiel, Isaiah.

2. He never intends to dominate, deceive, or destroy you.
-He takes care of His sheep, entering through the gate with the plan to care and fend for the sheep.

3. He will not desert you in times of crisis and dangers.
-Though with legitimate access to the sheep, the hired hands only work for the money.
-However, Jesus' attitude differs from the others because He willingly will be with us through and through.

4. He seeks to lead you to favorable places and opportunities.
-He knows our needs and leads us to the right direction, exactly the place that they need.

5. He will guard you with His life, at all cost.
-He provides what we need at the end of the da.
-When the day is over and sheep are placed in the pen, He is willing to die for our sake.

*based on John 10:1-20
by Rev. Dr. David Go

Be Wise

Wise men were wise because they were:
1. Worshippers
- They knew who to worship (Luke 1:46).
-They went great lengths to worship.
-Worship is obeying God's Word.

2. Indulgent
-They were generous givers.
-They went to worship and offer gifts, wanting to bless Jesus.
-They gave the best gifts that they can offer.

3. Sacrificial
-They traveled a long distance in inconvenient and difficult terrain.

4. Evangelists
-They shared the good news (Prov. 10:1).

*based on Matthew 2:1-12 and 1Cor. 3:19
by Rev. Eugene Hao

Pursuing a personal Jesus

Jesus is a personal God. This Jesus is worth pursuing.

Three main characters of the event:
1. John, the Beloved
PAST: Last we see him was from the foot of the cross
PRESENT: He ran faster, bent down and looked. He has heard Jesus personally and has gone with Him. As he saw the empty tomb, he believed.
FUTURE: John sees the future glory of Jesus in a vision

2. Peter, zealous and passionate, impulsive and direct
PAST: Before this scene, he denied Jesus thrice, then wept bitterly
PRESENT: When he got to the tomb, he went inside to see the situation for himself, and he believed.
FUTURE: Peter speaks to thousands and many believed.

3. Mary Magdalene
PAST: Prior to this, Mary was with the dead body.
PRESENT: Jesus spoke to her as she was cring, and comforted her.
FUTURE: She was the first to see the ressurected Jesus.

It is clear that blood was necessary so there will be forgiveness of sin. However, why did Jesus have to die?
-Jesus had to rise from the dead to prove His deity (Rom1:4). This sets him apart from all other prophets.
-Jesus rose from the dead to show that He had power over death (Rom6:9)
-His ressurection demonstrated that our sins have been personally forgiven (1Cor3:13)

*based on John 20:1-18
by Ptr. Andrew Jorgensen