Bible Text: Ephesians 1:1 | Pastor: Pastor Mike | Series: Epheisians | In 2006, the first year Pastor Mike came to Waldport First Baptist Church, he preached through the book of Ephesians. Now, almost 13 years later, he feels called to do it again. It was the first book he was thoroughly taught as a brand new believer in 1978 by a group of elders at a weekday bible study. This book is very appropriate for new and old believers, giving instruction personally and also for the church. Today an overview of the book will help us get us started on the journey.

05-12-2019 – Ephesians 1:1

Background & Overview of Ephesians

no sermon notes

Pastor: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: John | Here is the outline to help you follow along. Read the full sermon with a click below.

5.05.19 ~ John 21:15-25,

Jesus’ Final Words to Peter

Deuteronomy 10:12-13, “What does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the Lord’s commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good.” (Mark 12:30-31)
Read John 21:15-17… Three times Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him; twice with agapaó, once with phileó.
Peter all three times answers with phileó.
Jesus wants Peter to care for, feed and shepherd His sheep [“pasture My lambs”]. As an under shepherd (1Peter 5:2), Christ is Chief Shepherd (1Peter 5:4).
Read John 21:18-25… Jesus tells Peter that in the future, he will be taken prisoner and crucified.
Then Jesus says to him, “Follow Me!”
In Christ’s death He brought glory to the Father; in Peter’s death he will bring glory to God.
Peter turns around, sees John, then asks Jesus, ‘Lord, what about him’? Jesus says to Peter, what does it matter to you if I want John to stick around longer, it is really none of your business. “You just follow Me!”
Some people thought that John would not die at all. But that is not what Jesus said or meant, in fact, John died at the end of the first century, in exile.
Actually, John was Peter’s companion, from the Day of Pentecost through the first part of the book of Acts, as they were constant companions.
John was eyewitness to the things he has written about and is basically saying, “It’s the truth.”
In John 20:31, we are given the reason for this record of Jesus’ life and ministry, “These things have been written that you may believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and believing might have life in His name.”
John closes his (John 21:25) gospel with, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.”
John was not omniscient, he was just a man who love and served the Lord. He had no idea about the fascinating technological future of the world, with internet, Google Search, and the Cloud.
John didn’t know about that, but he did know that if everything Jesus ever did was written out in full, and everything He ever said was recorded, the world wouldn’t be able to contain the full story.
But you know, one day we will be with the Lord in heaven, and we will have an eternity to ponder these things. But for now, we have God’s marvelous, supernatural, and authoritative revelation to us in the 66 Books of the Bible, along with His Holy Spirit who lives in us, protects us, provides for us, and works to conform us to the character and nature of God’s Son, as He reveals the thoughts and intents of our hearts.
In our Lord’s last words to Peter, we are made aware of God’s great and merciful love for all of His sheep.
Jesus Christ was crucified for our sins, and raised from the dead to demonstrate the eternal life, which is given to everyone who repents of sin, confessing Christ as Lord, believing in Him as Savior.

Bible Text: John 21:1-14 | Pastor: Mike Hale | Series: John | Here is the bulletin insert. Full sermon is a click below.

4.28.19 ~ John 21:1-14,

Jesus Appears to Some Fishermen.

Read John 21:1-5… After the events of chapter 20, the
disciples traveled to Galilee (see Mark 14:28); Jesus also told the women, Sunday morning (see Mark 16:7).
There are seven apostles in this story: Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, John and James, and two others, possibly Philip and Andrew.
The disciples were told (Matthew 28:10, 16), “Go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.” “The eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated.”
Peter told the other six, “I am going fishing,” and they went with him, fishing all night, catching nothing.
John 16:32, “Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home.” In 1Thessalonians 4:11, his own = “your own business.”
These men followed Jesus to become fishers of men (see Matthew 4:19-20; cf Luke 9:23), to preach the Good News of Jesus (Acts 1:8).
As they head in, the sun is coming up, and Jesus is standing on shore, but they don’t recognize Him, until He says, “Children, you do not have any fish, do you?” “No.” Read John 21:6-14… The Lord calls out to put their net on the right side of the boat, immediately their net is full. John says, “It is the Lord.” Peter jumps in the lake! The other six, dragging the net, finally reach shore and get out, Jesus has a fire with fish and bread cooking.
Jesus tells them to bring some of their fish, so He can add them to the meal; Peter pulls up net full of fish.
John tells us, this is the third time Jesus has revealed Himself to the disciples since He rose from the grave, as John’s gospel records (see John 20:19-20, 26-29).
These seven couldn’t catch their food, but the Lord demonstrated to that He was still taking care of them, providing, even when they couldn’t even catch fish, apart from His provision.
1Corinthians 1:26-31, “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, ‘Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.’”
1Timothy 1:12-1, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.”
Ephesians 2:3-5, “Among them [sinners] we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),” 8-10, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
Although these guys were dull minded, weak and sinful, the Lord used them for His glory, just as He uses us, when we commit to pray, obey His Word, and share the message of Jesus Christ: Crucified, Resurrected, and Coming Again, to take us to be with Him in heaven.

Bible Text: Mark 2:1-11 | Pastor: Pastor Mike | Series: Easter | This is the insert for the bulletin. For the full sermon, click below.

4.21.19 ~ Mark 2:1-11

Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life

Read Mark 2:1-11… A paralytic man is lowered through the roof, by four men, Jesus tells him his sins are forgiven.
The Pharisees considered that to be blasphemy, for only God can forgive sins. Jesus tells the man, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? Ans he did!
How does this relate to the resurrection of Jesus?
1Peter 3:18, “Christ died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.”
Jesus died on a Friday, was placed in a tomb, but Sunday morning His body was not in the tomb.
Read Matthew 28:1-15… Either Jesus rose from the dead, or someone took His body. Who could that be?
1. The Jewish Leaders (Matthew 27:62-65) pressured Pilate to seal the tomb, to keep the body in the grave.
2. The Roman Guards stationed at the tomb, made sure Christ’s body remained.
3. The Disciples wouldn’t move His body, for without the resurrection, there was no hope of eternal life.
See Matthew 17:22-23; Mark 8:31; Luke 24:44-48; John 14:1-3, 29
When you repent of your sins and trust Christ’s death as payment for your sins, you receive salvation; His resurrection demonstrates God’s power and authority over sin, death, and judgment (Romans 10:9-10).
John 10:17-18, “I lay down My life so that I may take it again. 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.”
Christ’s death provided forgiveness; His resurrection demonstrated that He alone provides eternal life.
See John 11:25-26, 39-44… Jesus freed Lazarus from the bonds of death, declaring he had eternal life.
See Romans 8:1, 38-39.
The resurrection is not just an event. It is a Person. 1John 5:11-13, “And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
Celebrating the Resurrection isn’t just looking at an event in the past, the Resurrection should impact our lives every day.
Jesus is the hope for all who believe in Him. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.”
If you know that you have eternal life, praise God!! But if you are unsure, settle it right now, right here.
Admit to God that you are a sinner.
Repent of your sins, ask God to forgive you. Believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior – that He
died for your sins, and rose from the grave to proclaim victory over death and judgement.
Pray [talk to God] continually.
Read God’s Word daily, obey what you understand. Participate in a Bible Believing, Teaching, and
Practicing Church, serving through word and deed to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is the only Way [to God], the only Truth [of God], the only Life [from God]! And He is coming back to take us to be with Him forever.
Good news, the best news, He is Risen!

Bible Text: Luke 23:34 | Pastor: Pastor Mike | Study the significance of Jesus’ last seven sayings from the cross!
(Please note: there is a glitch the last 2 1/2 minutes of this sermon recording.)

4.19.19 ~ Luke 23:34

Why It Is Called Good Friday? 

1. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

-Luke 23:34

When you consider all that had happened to the Lord already, His unjust arrest,
a variety of mock trials, beatings, blasphemous contempt spewed out by the Jewish
people, the religious leaders and the soldiers, as they mocked Him.
And how does our merciful Lord respond, He asks the Father to forgive them,
when by all rights He could have brought judgment down upon them.
Paul said it this way (1Corinthians 2:8), “None of the rulers of this age
understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

Acts 2:22-24 says, “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.”

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that
whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were
still sinners, Christ died for us.”

2. “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

-Luke 23:43

There were two criminals being crucified, one on either side of the Lord. One of
them yelled insults at Jesus, the other saying, that although they deserved the
punishment they were receiving, Jesus was innocent of any crime. Then the
criminal speaking reverently about Jesus asked Jesus to remember him when He
came into His kingdom, and Jesus affirmed that the man would be with Jesus in
heaven, for he had clearly believed in Christ as Lord.
Jesus knew that His death was imminent and that He would soon be in heaven
with His Father, and so, Jesus used “paradise” as a synonym for “heaven.”
Paul says (2Corinthians 12:4), “[that he] was caught up to paradise [where]
he heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell.”
John writes (Revelation 2:7), that all genuine believers in Christ “will eat from
the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”
So, paradise is the place of blessing and reward where all Christians go after
death, or at the “rapture,” to live with God forever.

3. “Dear woman, here is your son,” [John] “Here is your mother.”

-John 19:26–27

Consider all that Jesus had gone through the previous 5 days: At the beginning
of the week they praised and adored Him, but today, they cried out for Him to be
crucified. Jesus was betrayed, mocked, dishonored, beaten, unjustly sentenced and
nailed to a cross.
And now, on that cross, Jesus expresses His love and care for His mother by
entrusting her to John, “the disciple whom He loved.” And from that very hour John
took Mary into his own household to care for her as his own mother.
What great love Jesus displayed for His widowed mother, and what
responsibility He gave to His disciple John, whom He favored. This same John
would outlive all the other Apostles.

4. “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?”

-Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34

This is a quote from Psalm 22:1, looking ahead to the time when Jesus would
take upon Himself the sins of the whole world, paying for them by His own shed
blood.

Isaiah 53:5, “He took upon Himself our sins.”
1Corinthians 15:3, “He died for our sins.”
2Corinthians 5:21, “Even though He knew no sin, He became sin on our behalf.”
Galatians 3:13, “He became a curse for us.”
Hebrews 9:26, “He has done away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.”
1Peter 2:24, “He took our sins in HIs body on the cross.”
1Peter 3:18, “He died for sins, once for all.”
1John 4:10, “He became the propitiation [atonement, appeasement] for our sins.”

The Father had to turn away as Christ took sin upon Himself, and God’s wrath
was poured out on Him.
Habakkuk 1:13 says God cannot look upon wickedness [sin] with favor, and so,
the Father had to turn away from His own Son, in a sense withholding fellowship
from Him..
The fellowship the Father had with the Son had to cease while Christ became sin
and God poured out His wrath upon Him. Jesus was now alone, cast away, forsaken
and abandoned by the Father, for the one and only time in all of eternity.

5. “I am thirsty.”

-John 19:28

Jesus didn’t want to drink the sour wine, it couldn’t quench His thirst, or deaden
His pain, for He was only minutes away from death. Notice in the first part of John
19:28, “knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be
fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” This is referring to Psalm 69:21, “for My thirst
they gave Me vinegar [sour wine] to drink.“ Jesus hastens the end to come!

6. “It is finished.”

-John 19:30

Jesus’ cry, “It is finished!” is one Greek word, pronounced teh-tel-es-sty
[tetelestai]. This phrase was part of everyday life and language in Jesus’ time.
When a servant completed a difficult task that his master had given him to do,
he would say to his master teh-tel-es-sty [It is finished]!
When the Jewish people went to the temple with their sacrifice, the High Priest
would examine what had been brought and would use the Hebrew equivalent of “It
is finished!” in order to express, “Your offering is accepted, you have fulfilled your
obligation and reasonable offering.”
When a merchant at the market place made a sale and payment was handed to
him, he would say teh-tel-es-sty, i.e., “I am satisfied with your payment.”
Jesus had taken our punishment for sin; He had cancelled all our sin debt by
paying it Himself, with His own life, everything was complete and finished according
to the sovereign will of God the Father in heaven.
Sin separates us from God, if we want to go to heaven to be with God, the curse
and condemnation of sin must me removed. God sent His Son for this purpose.
Jesus died on the cross to get rid of the power of sin to condemn us. Salvation is
complete. “It is finished”.

Isaiah 53:5-6, “He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our
iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by his wounds
we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our
own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Romans 3:23-24, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are
justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

Romans 10:13 “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Jesus’ proclamation, ”It is finished,” is God’s sovereign and eternal verdict for all
who believe in Jesus Christ, having become victorious over sin, death and judgment
through God’s One and Only Son.
Everything is complete. “It is finished!”

7. “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.”

-Luke 23:46, cf. Psalm 31:5

The Son of God accomplished all the Father had for Him to do, to fulfill all
righteousness, to secure salvation and redemption for all who believe in Him. But
notice, Jesus says “I commit My spirit into Your hands.”
God the Son gave up His spirit, Jesus’ life wasn’t taken from Him, nor did He
just expire; His body was going to die when He sovereignly chose for it to die, but
His spirit would be with the Father in heaven.

John 10:17-18, “I lay down My life–only to take it up again. No one takes it from
Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and
authority to take it up again.”

As Jesus hung on the cross, there was total darkness from noon to 3 pm, as
God’s wrath was poured out on the Lamb of God. Once Jesus had taken full
punishment for the sins of the world, the communion He had with the Father was
restored, for the work He had come to do was now finished and redemption had
been granted to all who believe in Him (John 10:28), “I give eternal life to them,
and they will never perish.”

That is why such a horrible, dark, and sorrowful day is called “Good” Friday.

Pastor Mike Hale

Bible Text: Mark 11:1-11 | Pastor: Pastor Mike | Series: Palm Sunday | Here is the bulletin insert: For full notes, click below.

4.14.19 ~ Mark 11:1-11,

Passion Week Begins!

Jesus presents Himself as Messiah ~ reveals Himself as God’s Lamb ~ hands Himself over to be arrested ~ gives up His spirit and dies ~ is buried, only to rise from the grave, demonstrating eternal life.
Apart from God’s original act of creation, when everything was made that has been made, the story of the crucifixion and resurrection of God’s One and Only Son, is by far the most marvelous, majestic, and miraculous narrative in the Bible.
The OT has many prophecies that were fulfilled during Passion Week, concerning the suffering and death of God’s Son, the fulfillment of God’s sovereign plan to make restitution for sin, while providing salvation.
Exodus 12:46… None of His bones broken
Psalm 16:8-11… He would rise from the dead.
Psalm 22:16… His hands and feet would be pierced. Psalm 22:18… Lots would be cast for His garments. Psalm 69:21… He would be given vinegar to drink. Psalm 110:1… He would ascend into heaven.
Isaiah 53:1-12… He would be despised, led like a lamb to slaughter, pierced for our sins and put to death. Zechariah 9:9… He will enter Jerusalem on a colt. Zechariah 11:12… He would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver [Exodus 21:32, the price of a slave]. Zechariah 13:7… His friends would desert Him.
Read Mark 11:1-3… Jesus (and the 12) came near Olivet, where Judas betrayed Him, bringing guards and soldiers to arrest Him (cf. Matthew 26:36, 45-50).
It was from Olivet that Jesus ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9-12), and where He will return (Zechariah 14:3-5), and everyone will see Him (Revelation 1:7). Matthew 21:2 says there was a mare, and her colt.
Read Mark 11:4-7… Matthew 21:5 includes Zechariah 9:9, “Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
Read Mark 11:8-10… The people show respect and praise to a king (2Kings 9:12-13); accepting Christ’s claim as their Messiah-King.
Matthew 1:1, “The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”
Matthew 2:1-2, “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.’”
Matthew 27:11, “Jesus stood before the governor and the governor asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ ‘Yes, it is as you say.’”
The people threw down their outer garments and palm branches (cf. John 12:13), symbolic of their hope for their Messiah-King to free them from Roman oppression.
The people shouted (Mark 11:9) “Hosanna!” This is a prayerful request, expressing adoration, praise, and joy.
Psalm 118:25-26, “O LORD, save us; O LORD, grant us success. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD, from the house of the LORD, we praise You.”
Jesus [Yeshua] means “God saves,” “God’s Salvation,” Mark 11:10 has in view the Davidic Kingdom, when the Messiah-King rules on earth for 1000 years.
Matthew 21:10-11, “When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, ‘Who is this?’ And the crowds were saying, ‘This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.’”
Read Mark 11:11… Jesus looks around in the Temple; He then returns to Bethany for the night.
Jesus had given His disciples a preview of what would happen in Jerusalem (see Mark 10:32-34).
On Thursday of Passion week, in the upper room with His disciples, Jesus instructs them, doing away with Passover, replacing it with the Lord’s Supper, He is the Lamb of God, His own blood would be shed for sins. 2Corinthians 5:21, “God made Christ who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (Romans 3:23-24; 6:23; 5:8; 8:1; 10:9-10, 13).
Mark 11:9, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

Bible Text: John 20:19-31 | Pastor: Pastor Mike | Series: John | The audio is not currently available.
This is the bulletin insert. For full sermon notes, please click below.

4.07.19 ~ John 20:19-31,

Jesus Appears to the Eleven

Read John 20:19-23… The disciples behind locked doors, Jesus appears (Luke 24:39), “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”
Did Jesus give them the Holy Spirit at that time?
See John 14:16-17, 25-26; 15:26-27; Acts 1:4-5, 8).
On the day after Jesus’ baptism, John said (John 1:32-34) he saw the Spirit of God descend and remain on Jesus; setting Jesus apart as the Messiah.
Ten days after Jesus’ ascension back to the Father, the Holy Spirit came to indwell the believers in Jerusalem.
Look at verse 23… Jesus isn’t saying the apostles have been given authority to forgive sins; Scripture is clear (cf. Mark 2:1-12) only God can forgive sins.
However, Christians can declare that all who genuinely repent of their sins, believing in Christ, will be forgiven by God; and all who reject Christ as Lord and Savior will die in their sins, as Jesus said (John 8:24), “unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”
The authority given to the Church comes from the Word of God, as we proclaim the message of forgiveness through Christ alone.
Read John 20:24-25… Thomas, called Didymus, was not there, but later he made a strong statement that he wouldn’t believe until he could touch the nail wounds on Jesus’ hands or the spear wound on His side.
Read John 20:26-29… The next Sunday, the Lord appears again, this time, Thomas was present. The Lord immediately invited Thomas to touch His wounds, so that he might believe. We are not told as to whether or not Thomas reached out and touch the wounds in Christ’s body, but more importantly, we have Thomas’s strong confession of belief in the risen Christ, God’s Son, as the Messiah (verse 28), “My Lord and my God!”
2Corinthians 5:21, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Hebrews 9:22, “according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”
Hebrews 10:3-7, “But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, ‘Sacrifice and offering You have not desired, but a body You have prepared for Me. Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.’” 10, “By this will we have been sanctified [made holy] through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” 12, “He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God.” 14, “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” 17, “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
Read John 20:30-31… This account of Jesus’ life is a first person record of what God did through Christ, to provide us with forgiveness and eternal life.
1John 1:1-3, “From the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life —and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.”
John’s narrative has been written so that you might believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and by believing you may have eternal life in His name.
God loves you, He turns no one away! Jesus Christ’s death can set you free from the penalty of sin; His resurrection provides eternal life?
Why wait any longer? Repent of your sins, confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, and you will be saved.

Bible Text: John 20:1-18 | Pastor: Pastor Mike | Series: John | This is the bulletin insert to help you follow along the sermon. Full sermon notes are a click below.

3.31.19 ~ John 20:1-18, The Empty Tomb

Read John 20:1-10… It is Sunday (cf. Luke 24:1), the day after the Sabbath (cf. Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:1).
The synoptic Gospels record a variety of women who come to the tomb that morning (cf Mark 16:1-2). Mary M came in the dark, the tomb was open, she ran to get Peter and John; other women arrived at the tomb, angels appeared, announcing Christ’s resurrection (cf. Matthew 28:5-6; Mark 16:5-7; Luke 24:4-8); these women told Peter and John (Luke 24:11, “But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them.” Luke 24:12, “Peter saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened. Read John 20:11-18… Mary, at the tomb, is weeping, two angels ask her “why?” She said, the Lord is gone and I didn’t know where He was. Then saw Jesus standing there, but did not recognize Him, perhaps because of His resurrected body (see Luke 24:13-16; John 21:1-10).
Jesus says her name, she recognized Him (cf. John 10:27) saying, “Rabboni!” (cf. Mark 10:51, blind man). Mary fell at His feet, holding onto Him. What did she know (see John 14:1-3, 16-20; 16:7, 11)?
John 15:15, “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.”
Our relationship with God is as the child of a loving father, as brothers and sisters in the Lord:
John 1:12-13, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God… born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
John 3:3, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:6-8, That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Through the Christ’s death and resurrection, we become sons of God (Ephesians 1:5), “He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself.”
How does that happen?
Ephesians 1:13, “after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit.”
1Corinthians 12:12-13, “For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized [immersed, placed] into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” 27, “Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.”
Colossians 1:15-20, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.”
Hebrews 11:2, “For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren [His brothers and sisters].”
Galatians 3:26-28, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Bible Text: John 19:31-42 | Pastor: Pastor Mike | Series: John | Use this index to follow along; full sermon notes are found below.

3.24.19 ~ John 19:31-42, Jesus is Laid in a Tomb

Read John 19:31-37… The Jews request Pilate expedite the death of the crucifixion victims, as it was not permissible to have dead bodies hanging after sundown, let alone on a Sabbath day, and especially on a high Sabbath day.
Deuteronomy 21:22-23, says a man guilty of a capitol crime must die, be hung on a tree, and buried on the same day.
Why break their legs? To expedite their death.
John 19:32 says the soldiers broke the legs of the two criminals, but not Jesus, as He was dead.
A spear was used to pierce the pericardium, thick blood came out first, and then the watery plasma, giving postmortem evidence that our Lord died of heart failure due to shock and constriction of the heart by fluid in the pericardium.
Jesus gave up His own life (John 10:17-18), after completing His work; the Jews repeatedly tried to kill Jesus (Matthew 2:16; Luke 4:28-30; John 5:16-18; 7:1; 8:37, 40, 59; 10:31; 11:53) but it was not yet His “hour” (John 17:1).
Not breaking Jesus’ legs (John 19:36) fulfilled Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12; Psalm 34:20 – the ultimate Passover Lamb, God’s Son.
John 19:37 partly fulfills Zechariah 12:10, the complete fulfillment will happen at Revelation 1:7.
Read John 19:38-40… Isaiah 53:9,“His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death.”
Joseph of Arimathea a secret follower of Jesus, was (Matthew 27:57) a rich man, (Mark 15:43a) a member of the Sanhedrin, (Mark 15:43b) waiting for God’s kingdom, (Luke 23:50-51) didn’t agree with the Sanhedrin’s condemnation of Jesus.
Joseph asks Pilate for Jesus’ body. Nicodemus helps remove and prepare Jesus’ body for burial: a mixture of myrrh and aloes (in powdered form) was used to prepare Jesus’ body.
We are told (Luke 23:55-56) that some of the women followers of Jesus went and got more spices and perfumes and brought them also to prepare Jesus’ body for burial.
It seems strange that these women, Joseph and Nicodemus, go to such trouble preparing Jesus’ for burial. It doesn’t seem like they believe He is going to come out of the tomb alive.
Read John 19:41-42… Jesus is laid to rest in a new tomb (Matthew 27:60) that belongs to Joseph of Arimathea, carved out of the rock, to be sealed with a large stone against its opening.
Preparation day almost over, Jesus’ body must be buried, for at sundown all work must cease.
There is a much more important reason that Jesus must be buried before she start of a new day (Matthew 12:40) Jesus said, “just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
Jews considered any part of a day as a whole day (cf 1Kings 12:5, 12; Ester 4:16; 5:1). Jesus would be in the tomb three days: part of Friday, all of Saturday, part of Sunday.
We see the sovereign hand of the Lord even in the events surrounding His death: none of His bones were broken, the Jews looked upon the One they had pierced, and although Jesus’ body should have buried in an unmarked grave among other criminals, He was buried in a rich man’s tomb.
Even in death, the Lord is still sovereign!

Bible Text: John 19:17-30 | Pastor: Pastor Mike | Series: John | Use this outline to help you follow along. The full sermon notes are below.

3.17.19 ~ John 19:17-30, Jesus is Crucified!

Read John 19:17-22… Jesus couldn’t carry His cross, so Simon (cf. Matthew 27:32; Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26), carried it to Golgotha [Hebrew,“skull place” [Greek, Kranion; Latin, Calvaria] (cf. Numbers 15:35).
Galatians 3:13, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written (cf Deuteronomy 21:23), ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’”.
It was about 9am, when Jesus was nailed to a cross, where he would endure a slow, agonizing death.
Read John 19:23-25a… Soldiers cast lots for Jesus’ tunic (verse 24), fulfilling Psalm 22:18.
Read John 19:25b-27… Luke and Matthew tell us:
Luke 23:35, the Jews were “sneering at Him, saying, ‘He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One.’” Matthew 27:39-40, others “hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads and saying, ‘You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.’”
John records that he and four women were standing near the cross: Jesus’ mother (Mary), her sister (Salome, Matthew 27:56; Mark 15:40), another woman named Mary (she is thought to be the “other Mary,” in Matthew 27:61; 28:1; Luke 24:10, who is the mother of James, son of Alphaeus, Luke 6:15; Acts 1:15) the wife of Clopas (a variant of Alphaeus, ), and lastly, Mary Magdalene.
In the midst of His own pain and suffering, Jesus entrusts His mother to His beloved disciple John.
Read John 19:28-30… Jesus, “knowing that all things had already been accomplished,” fulfills Psalm 69:21b. After receiving the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!”
Read Mark 15:33-37… At 12 noon, darkness covered the [Earth], lasting until about 3 pm, at which time Jesus cried out, My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?”
2Corinthians 5:21, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf.”
Romans 3:24-25, “being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith.”
Hebrews 9:22, “all things are cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness,” Hebrews 10:8-10, “…‘sacrifices for sin You have not desired, nor have You taken pleasure in them (which are according to the Law)’, ‘He takes away the first in order to establish the second’ …‘we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.’”
Acts 2:21, “And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Acts 4:12, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
1Peter 3:18, “Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
God the Father and God the Son are in heaven. God the Holy Spirit indwells all who repent and confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, making them God’s children.
Romans 8:9, “if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”
1Corinthians 3:16, “Do you not know that …the Spirit of God dwells in you?”
Romans 10:9-10, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” 13, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Is God speaking to your heart, don’t turn away: Admit you are a sinner. Believe Jesus died for your sins. Confess Jesus as Lord and Savior. Demonstrate new life in Christ: read His Word and obey what you understand, pray to Him, fellowship with His children by participating in a God-honoring church, and tell others about Him.
That is the Good News of the Crucifixion of Christ!