2 Tim., Pt. 3 (The Resurrection, the Gospel, and the Reign)
 
The Resurrection, the Gospel, and the Reign 2 Timothy 2:8-10, Part 3 By Pastor Dan Kennedy © October 4, 2015 www.pastorkennedy.com What we believe has huge ramifications. For the students that stood up and confirmed that they were Christians this past week, when confronted by a murderer demanding to know their faith before he shot them, their belief in Christ was a matter of life or death. The belief in Jesus Christ has also been a matter of life and death for those men, women and children with knives to their throats, or guns to their heads in Syria, Iraq, Iran and many other parts of the world, who have faced cruel martyrdom. There will come a day when everyone will stand before Almighty God. The reality of what we believe will have profound Eternal Consequences. The “Gospel” Reveals the Promised Messiah for the Salvation of the World In the second chapter of his letter to Timothy, the young man Paul was mentoring to become a pastor in the Early Church, the Apostle Paul declared a brief statement about the “Gospel message”, or “Message of Good News” he preached everywhere he went. Salvation’s Foundation: “The Gospel” 2 Timothy 2:8-10 8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 2 Timothy 2:8-10  Remember: ¬ Jesus Christ, (The Identification of the Messiah’s Person) ¬ Raised from the dead, (The Proclamation of the Messiah’s Power) ¬ Descended from David. (The Authentication of the Messiah’s Position) ¬ This is my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. ¬ But God’s Word is not chained. ¬ 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. Note the progression of the Apostle Paul’s “Good News of the Gospel” that he preached everywhere 1. The Identification of the Messiah’s Person: Jesus Christ. 2. The Proclamation of the Messiah’s Power: Jesus’ Victorious Resurrection. 3. The Authentication of the Messiah’s Position: Jesus descended from David and will Reign as Lord and Coming Everlasting King. 4. The Declaration of the Good News – “The Gospel” 5. The Eternal Salvation for those who Believe. “Good News” The first four books of the New Testament are called “the Gospels”. Why are they given that name? They explain in detail, from four different vantage points, the life of Jesus Christ, the world’s Messiah. Luke, the physician, wrote the third “Gospel” - Luke (and the book of Acts), out of a desire to explain to a dear friend, who trusted Luke and wanted him to clarify the authenticity of Jesus being the promised Messiah. Jesus’ miraculous incarnation and virgin birth, life, miracles, death, resurrection and coming King, confirmed His being the Messiah prophesied by the prophets from the beginning of time. Luke wrote this as one who was not one of Jesus’ chosen disciples, but one who was a close, unbiased observer of the life and miracles of Jesus and those who followed Him. Let’s take a closer look at the first four verses of his letter in which Luke introduces a respected, but questioning friend Theophilus, to the certainty of Jesus Christ as the Messiah, Savior and Coming King of kings. Luke 1:1–4 To Theophilus 1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. “That you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.” All of us need “certainty” regarding the things we should believe – especially when it comes to things taught regarding the eternal destiny of our soul! If we have questions about Jesus Christ we should read the Gospel of Luke – and each of the Gospels! Luke, the physician, continues his letter to Theophilus recounting: The birth of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus (as prophesied “in the spirit and power of Elijah” – Luke 1:17). The miraculous Virgin Birth of the Incarnate Jesus Christ (Luke 1:26-2:21). The life of confirming miracles performed by Jesus, including His death for our sins, burial and resurrection, conquering sin and death for those who would believe in Him. What is a Definition of “the Gospel”? εὐαγγέλιον [euaggelion] “Gospel”: “The Gospel is the glad tidings of salvation, delivering us from the power and penalty of sin, through Jesus Christ, the Messiah.” 1. What is the heart of the Message of the Gospel? Repentance and Forgiveness of Sins Luke 24:46–47 46 and [Jesus] said to them [His disciples - following His Resurrection], “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” 2. To whom in the world should this Gospel Message be given? All Nations of the World Matthew 28:18–19 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”… Luke 24:47 (Scripture repeated from the first point) 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations… 3. What happens to those who respond to the Message of the Gospel? Believers are Empowered to Have Salvation (Righteousness, Forgiveness of sins before God, and Eternal Life with God!) Romans 1:16 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. • Believers in Christ have the Right to become Children of God John 1:12 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, • Those “In Christ” are a New Creation 2 Corinthians 5:17 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 4. Where is the Clearest Summary of the Gospel found? 1 Corinthians 15:1, 3-6 1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand... 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Restatement of the Key Verses for Today: 2 Timothy 2:8-9 8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. Why is there such a strong emphasis on “the Resurrection of Jesus Christ” in the New Testament? 2 Timothy 2:8a 8 Remember Jesus Christ, Raised from the dead… How Important is the Resurrection? • How Universal is Death? • Is Death Avoidable? • Is Life clearly Limited? What is the Purpose of Death? • How final is death, to human life? • Why was death allowed to exist? • Why do all things decay? • What initiates decay? The Absence of Life! • What formulates “life”? • Is “life” a mere attribute of the physical body? • Life evidences attributes that cannot be replicated merely by the physical brain or other tangible physical aspects in the body. • What are the attributes of living life? The profoundness of our human body and the complexity of life all around us constantly reminds us of things that cannot be explained without the supernatural power of God. An incomprehensible Universe exists beyond our amazing world. With our most sophisticated space telescopes we can focus on the vast universe surrounding us and estimate billions and billions of galaxies, each with billions and billions of stars, and we have never been able to see its end. There is a relatively thin layer of atmosphere around the earth. Without this layer of atmosphere and oxygen, no life could survive. This is just one of a host of complex elements that God has created to sustain life on earth. Not only is there profound complexity seen in the physical bodies of human beings and in the world and universe around us…there is another amazing unexplainable phenomenon that each of us have. • We are Conscious Beings Living in Profound Organic Bodies! o We think. o We have Consciousness. o We reason, o We communicate, o We plan, o We respond, and have our own opinion o We perceive right from wrong, o We organize, o We innovate; We philosophize, o We have discernment and premonitions, o We propose and project potentials, o We create and build o And through it all we have our own unique Emotion!… Life without consciousness has no meaning. But…We are also Frail.  We may all seem strong at certain times of our lives, but even the most healthy, strong, robust, wealthy and brilliant among us eventually become sick and die…so unfortunately, in all honestly, we really are frail people – everyone is only a few heartbeats, a few breaths and brainwaves away from death…and we all die. We live here in our non-permanent “tent”, if you will, on our temporary “campsite” in this natural “space station” flung into perpetual motion around the sun, tilted just right so we could have seasons. We touch, we see and tangibly walk on the surface of this earth, and each of our physical bodies will turn back into dust one day. Conscious Life Our conscious life, on the other hand, is eternal and will return to God. “Though our outer nature is wasting away our inner nature is being renewed day by day.  … We look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."   2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ”… 2 Corinthians 5:10a Our conscious life is eternal and will return to God. Good and Evil… • Good exists and evil exists. • Like our own consciousness, we cannot see good and evil, but we know first hand that both exist, and they affect our life profoundly. • Each of us has a dilemma. • God, our Creator, is Good and He is Holy – but I am not. • I experience guilt because I know I have done wrong things. • How can I be reconciled to my Creator, a Holy God? • The wrong we have done has separated us from our Creator. • We need to be reconciled with our Creator. 2 Corinthians 5:20b “We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” Reconciliation with God We are reconciled with God when we receive by faith God’s gift of Salvation that He has provided for us through Jesus Christ’s death on the cross. This is “The Good News of the Gospel!” Isaiah 53:5-6 5  “But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed. 6  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Death • What brings the formal conclusion of life on earth for both good and evil? • What initiates the beginning of eternal life in reward for the redeemed and judgment with damnation for the wicked? • What is the last enemy to be destroyed? (1 Cor. 15:26) • What is going to happen to death itself? o In the End, into what place are thrown death and Hades? (Rev. 20:14) Comprehension of Death and Eternal Life • How much do we comprehend that we could die at any time? o How many of us feel we will continue on in life without interruption? o Who are those who most clearly seem to understand the frailty of life and the frank certainty of death? It may be that primarily in cases of long and serious illnesses that we begin to comprehend the certainty of our personal death. o What do the deaths of other people remind us? We understand from the reality of other people’s death, that we too may die, but we always tend to discount death as being a relevant possibility for us. • We cannot continually comprehend the terminal aspects of life – if we did… what do we call those who continually live in morbid states of speculation: We would live in continual paranoia! • How can we be realistic about the certainty of death without becoming paranoid? o We can be reconciled to God! o We can put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ for the cleansing and redemption of our sins. o We can trust Him to take us to live with Him for Eternity! o We can live for Him and share His Gospel with others while accomplishing God’s individual purpose for our life in this world. With this personal, purposeful focus on eternal life, we are more keenly aware of the critical necessity of Resurrection. Resurrection • How important is Christ’s Resurrection? • How does Christ’s Resurrection relate to our resurrection? • How critical…how extremely important is the resurrection from the dead? • Will there be a resurrection from the dead for everyone, regardless of whether or not we want to be raised from the dead? o Did we choose whether or not to be born? o Do we choose when we die? Jesus Christ will Reign as King! Jesus is the Coming, Legitimate, God-Ordained, Eternal King 2 Timothy 2:8-9 8 Remember (Timothy, future Church leader): ¬ Jesus Christ, (The Identification of the Messiah’s Person) ¬ Raised from the dead, (The Proclamation of the Messiah’s Power) ¬ Descended from David. (The Authentication of the Messiah’s Position) This is my gospel! - Paul, the imprisoned Apostle of Jesus Christ Most often we associate several of the following verses with Christmas and the blessing of Christ’s birth, but the emphasis of these verses is not on Christ’s birth, but on His Reign…His eternal Reign. Verses such as these prompted the Jewish scribes to look past the First Coming of the Suffering Messiah, as found in Isaiah 53, to the Second Coming of that same Messiah, as King of kings and Lord of lords. With fresh perception read the “Christmas Passages” with an eye on our Messiah’s Second Coming and Reign! Micah 5:2 2  But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. Isaiah 9:6–7 6  For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7  Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. 1 Corinthians 15:24–26 24 Then comes the end, when he (Christ) delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. Revelation 19:11–16 11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. (John 1:1-2, 14) 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. • The Resurrection • The Gospel and • The Reign Salvation’s Foundation: Belief in “The Gospel” 2 Timothy 2:8-9 8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John wrote about Christ’s Life, confirming He is Messiah, and the Apostle Paul preached everywhere “the Good News of the Gospel”: 1. The Identification of the Messiah’s Person: Jesus Christ. 2. The Proclamation of the Messiah’s Power: Jesus’ Victorious Resurrection. 3. The Authentication of the Messiah’s Position: Jesus descended from David and will Reign as Lord and Coming Everlasting King. 4. The Declaration of the Good News – “The Gospel” 5. The Eternal Salvation for those who Believe. The Solid Rock By Edward Moat 1. My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand. 2. When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil. 3. His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay. 4. When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne. Refrain: 
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand. http://www.pastorkennedy.comshapeimage_2_link_0