Alive Forevermore

7/21/2019 Alive Forevermore

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ALIVE FOREVERMORE (SUNRISE)

12 Then I turned to see the voice that so!e "ith #e$ And havin% turned I sa" seven

%o&den &a#stands' 1 and in the #idst o the seven &a#stands One &i!e the Son o Man'

c&othed "ith a %ar#ent do"n to the eet and %irded a*out the chest "ith a %o&den *and$1+ ,is head and hair "ere "hite &i!e "oo&' as "hite as sno"' and ,is e-es &i!e a &a#e o

ire. 1/ ,is eet "ere &i!e ine *rass' as i reined in a urnace' and ,is voice as the

sound o #an- "aters. 10 ,e had in ,is ri%ht hand seven stars' out o ,is #outh "ent ashar t"oed%ed s"ord' and ,is countenance "as &i!e the sun shinin% it its stren%th$ 1

And "hen I sa" ,i#' I e&& at ,is eet as dead$ 3ut ,e &aid ,is ri%ht hand on #e' sa-in%

to #e' 45o not *e araid. I a# the First and the Last$ 16 I a# ,e "ho &ives' and "as

dead' and *eho&d' I a# a&ive orever#ore$ A#en$ And I have the !e-s o ,ades and o5eath$

Reve&ation 171216 (N89V)

43eho&d' I a# a&ive orever#ore$: ;ith those "ords <hrist %ives air#ation to

the truth "e %ather here to ce&e*rate this #ornin%$ A&& "e can do in &i%ht o theResurrection is to si#&- %ive than!s to =od$ ;e can certain&- *e %rateu& or the thin%s

<hrist did' "itnessed to in the ;ord7 that ,e c&eansed the &eers. that the dea "ere

#ade to hear. that si%ht "as %iven to the *&ind. that the du#* cou&d sea!. that there"as co#ort or the sad' accetance or the outcast' and hoe or the hoe&ess$ 3ut ,is

sacriicia& death and Resurrection are the thin%s ,e did #ost "orth- o our raise and

than!s' or "ithout a cross and a Resurrection' there "ou&d not even *e a church$

I$ 4I AM ,E ;,O LIVES' AN5 ;AS 5EA5:

5urin% this Lent season' as durin% each Lent season' I have tried to oint to thecross as the center o our aith$ <hrist>s death on the cross is the cu&#ination o a&& that

%ave #eanin% to ,is &ie$ ,is &ast "ords ro# the cross "ere' 4It is inished$: ;e #iss

the #ar! i "e ai& to understand that ,is death "as ,is %reatest urose in &ie$ ;hen"e understand that' then "e *e%in to understand "h- so #an- a&se teachin%s raise

o*?ections to <hrist>s death and@or ,is Resurrection$ The truth o the =ose& "itness

#ust stand or a&& at these t"o oints7 (1) 5id 9esus in act die on a cross And (2) ;as

,e in act raised ro# the deadOne o*?ection "as raised *- the =nostics' a %rou that e#er%ed durin% the irst

and second centuries' that 9esus did not rea&&- die$ Their su%%estion "as that the *od-

seen on the cross "as a #ere she&&Bthe siritua& *ein% "e ca&& 4the <hrist: haddescended on 9esus at ,is *atis# and &et at ,is cruciiCion$ To understand their

o*?ection' it he&s to understand *asic =nostic *e&ies$ At the heart o the =nostic s-ste#

is a dua&it-' a searation *et"een "hat is &esh and "hat is sirit$ This *e&ie #ade the erson o <hrist a ro*&e# that had to *e eC&ained ro# the outset' since a tru&- hu#an'

tru&- divine i%ure' in their s-ste#' "as utter&- i#ossi*&e$

A #ore recent o*?ection is the 4s"oon: theor-' "hich su%%ests that 9esus did not

rea&&- die' *ut on&- s"ooned' or ainted' on the cross$ This theor- a&so su%%ests that ,e



"as revived *- the coo&ness o the to#*' and %ot u' ro&&ed a"a- the stone' and "a&!ed

out$ That>s a rett- s&ic! tric! or a #an "ho had *een *eaten ha& to death' &ost &ar%e

a#ounts o *&ood' had si!es driven throu%h his eet' and ver- &i!e&- had a sear thrustthrou%h ,is heart$ 3esides' even ,is o"n "ords in this assa%e reute that theor-7 4I a#

,e "ho &ives' AN5 ;AS 5EA5$:

,is death "as rea&$ Not on&- "as ,is death rea&' it "as the "orst !ind o death "ecan i#a%ine$ And this death "as #ade even #ore hideous or ,i#' "hen "e consider

"ho ,e is$ I this "as the "orst death that cou&d haen to a hu#an *ein%' then ho"

#uch #ore %rueso#e or one "ho "as the ver- Son o =od' the 8in% o %&or-$ ;hat atre#endous chas# *et"een the *eauties and %&ories o heaven and the &ace ca&&ed S!u&&

,i&&$ ,is death "as not on&- rea&' it "as #ore rea& than an- death ever *eore$ Not on&-

"as ,is death rea&' it "as done vo&untari&-$ Understand the hideousness o this death'

understand it "as done *- <hrist>s "i&&in% choice' and -ou "i&& understand the a%on- o=ethse#ane$ The &itera& #eanin% o our ree trans&ation o 4I "as dead: is 4I 3E<AME

dead$: There is a vo&untariness and a "i&&in%ness "raed u "ithin that idea o

*eco#in%$ <hrist ,i#se& "itnessed to ,is o"n vo&untar- oerin% o ,i#se&7

*eorehand' in ,is state#ent' 4No one ta!es #- &ie ro# #e' *ut I &a- it do"n o#-se&:. and on the cross' "hen ,is &ie is not ta!en a"a- ro# ,i#' *ut ,e sa-s rather'

4Into -our hands I co##end #- Sirit$:

II 4I AM ALIVE FOREVERMORE:

Not on&- do "e have the certaint- o the death o <hrist here' *ut "e a&so have the

certaint- o ,is Resurrection$ The- ro&&ed a stone in ront o the to#*Bthe- ut a sea&

on the to#*Bthe- stationed so&diersB*ut the %rave cou&d not ho&d ,i#$ O course'

there have *een so#e o*?ections that 49esus "asn>t the irst to co#e *ac!$: TheeCa#&es %iven are the Shuna##ite "o#an>s son' 9airus>s dau%hter' the "ido" o Nain>s

son' and LaDarus$ 3ut the one si%niicant dierence *et"een 9esus and a&& those others is

that the- a&& RETURNE5 to the %rave$ 9esus sa-s in this teCt in Reve&ation' 4I a# a&iveFOREVERMORE$: ,is Resurrection to a heaven&- eCistence "ith a %&oriied *od- is

not to *e conused "ith revious resurrections o earth&- *odies to an earth&- eCistence$

III$ 4I ,AVE T,E 8ES OF ,A5ES AN5 OF 5EAT,:

9esus is the Lord over death and the %rave$ ;e certain&- have in this assa%e

severa& o"eru& state#ents concernin% the risen Lord$ 3ut not does ,e sa-7 4I a# theirst and the &ast:. 4I a# ,e "ho &ives:. 4I a# ,e "ho "as dead:. and 4I a# a&ive

orever#ore$: ,e a&so sa-s7 4I have the !e-s$: I "as re#inded o a %a#e "e used to

&a- "hen I "as a 3o- Scout' ca&&ed 4Stea& the F&a%$: Our troo #et in a church "hichhad a &ar%e "ooded area *ehind it$ On #oon&it ni%hts in the "ar#er #onths' "e "ou&d

choose u tea#s and &a- the %a#e$ ;e had a "e&&trave&ed ath "hich "as the dividin%

&ine *et"een each tea#>s territor-$ Each tea# had a "hite c&oth to use as a &a%$ Theru&es "ere that the &a% cou&d not *e #ore than 1 eet ro# either side o the trai&' and

had to *e &aced so#e"here in &ain si%ht' uncovered$ The o*?ect o the %a#e "as to

snea! into the ene#->s territor- and stea& the &a% and %et *ac! to -our o"n territor-

"ithout *ein% catured$ I catured' -ou "ou&d *e &aced in an area that served as a



rison$ The %a#e ended "hen so#eone sto&e the other tea#>s &a% and #ade it *ac!

sae&-$ The inevita*&e shout at the end o the %a#e "as' 4I>ve %ot the &a%G I>ve %ot the

&a%G: A&& the risoners "ou&d then *e reed' and victor- "as dec&ared$In a #anner o sea!in%' that is eCact&- "hat 9esus did *- ,is death and

Resurrection$ ,e "ent into the ene#->s ca#' sto&e the !e-s' and ca#e *ac!$ And here

in this assa%e' ,e #a!es the roc&a#ation o victor-7 4I have the !e-sG: The risonersare a&& reed$ The %rave is no &on%er a risonhouse to "hich death ho&ds the !e-$ 5eath

need no &on%er *e eared7 4Since then' the chi&dren are sharers in &esh and *&ood' ,e

a&so ,i#se& in &i!e #anner artoo! o the sa#e' that throu%h death ,e #i%ht *rin% tonou%ht hi# that had the o"er o death' that is the devi&' and #i%ht de&iver a&& the# "ho'

throu%h ear o death' "ere a&& their &ieti#e su*?ect to *onda%e: (,e*re"s 271/)$

9esus <hrist too! the "orst s-#*o& o suerin% ever !no"n on earthBthe crossB

and #ade it a s-#*o& o the %reatest triu#h$ ,e too! the thin% that %ives %reatest earB deathBand #ade it the door"a- to our %reatest hoe$ Hraise =od toda- or a risen' &ivin%

LordG

Alive Forevermore

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