(An excerpt from Pastor Chris Durkin's sermon on December 14th 2025).

LUKE 2:8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

In the period between Old Testament and New Testament. In the time between Malachi and Matthew. The Lord had not spoken and no new Word from God had been given.

After four hundred years of prophetic absence. After four hundred years of Heaven’s seeming silence. Now in Luke chapter 2 the Hosts of Heaven erupt with a really big birth announcement!

A baby is born and His arrival means:

#1.   Good News.

#2.   Great joy.

#3.   For all people.

First, it is important to note where this child is born. Why does the Christmas Hymn call it “Little Town of Bethlehem?” Because of a prophecy made seven centuries before the first Christmas.

MICAH 5:2 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.

In this little country; in this little town; a Ruler sent from God would be born; and this Ruler not only existed before he was born. In fact, this Ruler existed even before Bethlehem itself existed! In the fulfillment of Scripture, the Ancient of Days was born in Bethlehem.

Luke tells us in verse 8 these events happened right outside of Bethlehem. I have been to the precise place where this happened. This valley is arid, hilly, windy, and there are no trees. In fact, from the shepherd’s field Bethlehem still seems small today.

If you were going to predict where the King of Kings would be born, you would not guessed Bethlehem.

If you were going to guess who would hear the news of His birth first, you would definitely have not thought of shepherds!

At this point in Israel’s history, the vocation of a shepherd had sunken to the bottom of the social scale. They were considered uneducated and unskilled.

Shepherds had to constantly care for the sheep and were not able to adhere to all the extra ceremonial laws and cleanliness stipulations that Pharisees were imposing on the people.

Because of this, shepherds often felt like religious outcasts and social outcasts. At this time, shepherds were viewed as dishonest, unreliable, and unsavory characters. In fact, their reputation was so maligned they were not allowed to testify in court!

This is the beautiful Biblical paradox of Luke 2.

We see Angelic Heavenly Hosts, who abide in the perfect presence of God HIMSELF, give this message to lowly shepherds. Shepherds who are afraid to even step foot in a temple made by man!

Besides Joseph and Mary, they are the first witnesses of the Messiah’s birth, and the Pharisees wouldn’t even let them testify in court.

It is not only to these people, but also in this vicinity, that Heaven erupts with joy at the birth of the Savior:

According to Jewish tradition it was in this precise vicinity, Israelites would search for offering lambs to be sacrificed on the Day of Atonement.

What these Shepherds didn’t realize, is not only are they themselves sheep, but in that manger they found the Passover Lamb of God.

In fact, he was born to take away the sin of the world.

He was born so we might be born again!

The Bible says, "When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God." -Galatians 4:4-7

(An excerpt from Pastor Chris Durkin's sermon on December 7th 2025)

LUKE 2:1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

 Who was Caesar Augustus? Well, his real name was Caesar Gaius Octavian. He was the adopted son of Julius Caesar and became his heir. Augustus was an immensely powerful ruler and effective monarch. He ended the civil wars in Rome and ushered in PAX ROMANA. This “Roman Peace” was a time of relative prosperity and stability, which was solidified through force and fear, taxation and executions.

Because he was Julius Caesar’s adopted son, one of Augustus’ titles was “Son of God." Luke now presents the contrast between Jesus the Son of the Most High God, and Augustus son of Julius.

Jesus whose Kingdom will spread over all the world; whose Kingdom will bring true, lasting, eternal peace; who died to save us upon a Roman Cross; who rose again defeating death; it is JESUS who is actually and truly the Son of God!

He is the better Savior and better Ruler than Augustus could ever be.

According to Luke 2 Augustus decrees that there will be an empire-wide census. These censuses were conducted every 14 years in ancient Rome, and their purpose was simple: taxation and intimidation.

How serious did the subjects of Augustus Caesar take this census? Joseph was willing to travel with his very pregnant wife 80 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem… and they were not driving in an fast, comfortable SUV!

According to historical records, the penalty for not appearing for the census was severe. Even Roman Senators could lose their power if they disobeyed the census. Rome could confiscate your property, have you scourged, imprisoned, or even consign you to slavery. This would lead to massive upheaval, stress, and social unrest. In fact, censuses often led to revolts and warfare.

It would be in the midst of this societal chaos and upheaval, that the Lord sovereignly planned for the Savior to be born!

Joseph had to go back to Bethlehem to register for the census, not only because that was his city of origin, but because God was fulfilling a prophecy made 700 years before the first Christmas.

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. -Micah 5:2

In Micah chapter 5 we see three powerful truths: 

1. The Lord gave a precise location where this Ruler would be born,
2. The Lord proclaims this ruler is being sent directly from Him,
3. The Lord reveals that before this ruler is born, He always existed!

What are the implications of this for our study of the birth of Jesus in Luke 2?  

God used the powerful man in the world, Augustus Caesar, as a mere pawn to fulfill His Word.

God used the most powerful nation, Rome, as a simple tool to fulfill His Word.

God used a time of widespread upheaval and global political unrest in the census, as a historical channel to fulfill His Word.

The savior WILL be born in Bethlehem, and the Augustus’ and Quirinius’ had no idea God was using them to fulfill His Word!

Proverbs 21:1 The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.

Jeremiah 1:12 Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it.

Do you think God is STILL doing this today?

Do you think everything happening globally and locally today, is not only under God’s sovereign command, but being used to fulfill His Holy Word? Yes!

This is what theologians have described as the PROVIDENCE of God.

Author and commentator, Jerry Bridges, described God's providence in this way: We may say that providence is God’s orchestrating all events and circumstances in the universe for His glory and the good of His people.

The Word of God describes it perfectly in Romans 8:28: 

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

# 1. The Bible says we are all sinners in need of saving.  “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

#2. The Bible says God shows the depth of His love for us in the cross of Jesus Christ. “God shows his love for us in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

#3. The Bible says our sin deserves death, but through faith in Jesus Christ we receive eternal life as the free gift of God! “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

#4. The Bible says we must surrender to Jesus’ lordship over our lives, turn from our sin and return to God the Father. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

How do I respond? Repent and believe! Jesus died on the cross and rose from grave so you might know eternal life. Salvation is the free gift of God received by grace through faith. If you want to receive this gift of salvation cry out to the Lord today for forgiveness and new life!

“Heavenly Father, give me faith to believe. I know you are Holy and I know I am a sinner. Please forgive me Lord of my sin. Today I turn from my sin and I return to you. Today I believe Jesus rose from the dead. Today I trust in Jesus as my Savior and Lord. Please fill my heart with your Holy Spirit and help me to follow you. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.”

Most of the visitors who travel to Israel do not see themselves as tourists. More than a mere vacation, millions of people travel to Israel every year as part of a spiritual pilgrimage.

They make a spiritual pilgrimage to Israel to visit the place where the Bible proclaims God became man in Bethlehem. You can stand in the vicinity of where the Cosmic Creator of the universe was born as a tender, fragile baby.

They make a spiritual pilgrimage to Israel to visit where our Immanuel, “God with us,” died for us in Jerusalem. Our all-powerful Creator demonstrated His love for us as He bled and died on a Roman cross.

Last year I had the honor of traveling to the Holy Land with my good friend Pete Hegseth. The purpose of this trip was to film a documentary on the life of Jesus from the very places Jesus lived, died and rose from the dead.

As hundreds of millions of Christians begin to reflect on the passion of Christ during Holy Week, here are some powerful ways the Holy Land confirms the infallible witness of Holy Scripture:

1. The Triumphant Entry of Jesus: In the documentary we walk the very steps which Jesus walked when the crowd shouted “Hosanna” on the first Palm Sunday. We also walked the southern steps leading into the temple which are remarkably preserved to this day. As Reuven Doran, Director of Sar-El academy explains in the documentary, “If we had the technology to scrape the DNA content over these steps, you would find the DNA of the Son of God!”

2. The Garden of Gethsemane: On the downward slope of the Mount of Olives you are still able to visit the place where Jesus cried out to His “Abba Father” the night before he was crucified. There are olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane today that are nearly one thousand years old. From the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus could see the location where the Romans guards would nail him to a tree. The Bible says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree” (Galatians 3:13). Jesus knew in the Garden of Gethsemane that the curse proclaimed in the Garden of Eden could only be broken on the cross.

3. The Via Dolorosa: In the Old City of Jerusalem today you can walk the Via Dolorosa, which means “the sorrowful way.” You can retrace the steps where Jesus was scourged beyond human semblance (see Isaiah 52-53). You can walk the same route where Jesus carried the cross to Golgotha (“the place of the skull”). From sorrow to the skull, from condemnation to crucifixion, the Via Dolorosa is the painful path the Son of God walked to save us from our sin. This, my friends, is the love God has for you.

4. The Garden Tomb: Outside the northern gate of the city lies a place many historians believe could be the actual location of both Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Adjacent to a hill that looks like a skull lies a garden tomb that could be what the Gospel of John described two thousand years ago: “Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid” (John 19:41). Golgotha and the Garden Tomb confirm with amazing detail the historical accuracy of Holy Scripture.

In the end a visit to the Holy Land leads us to dive deeper into Holy Scripture. There we learn how our Holy God saves unholy sinners through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Pastor Steve Lawson once said, “The stone was rolled away from the tomb, not to let Jesus out, but to let the world in.”

Even if you are not able to literally step foot into the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem, you can make that spiritual pilgrimage in your heart. The Bible says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).

Visiting the Holy Land is a remarkable experience, but greater still is the final Promised Land where Jesus will wipe away every tear and make all things new! (Revelation 21:1-5).

The sermon recorded in ACTS 13 is the first recorded sermon of the Apostle Paul in all the Bible!

Paul taught the totality of Old Testament revelation leads us to this life-changing, eternity-altering New Testament truth: There is FORGIVENESS and FREEDOM through FAITH in Christ!

From Patriarch to Prophets, from David to John the Baptist, Paul proclaimed all Old Testament roads lead to Jesus.

It is through this man Jesus there is forgiveness.

It is through this man Jesus there is freedom.

VERSE 38 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this manforgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. 

1. Through HIM – through his perfect life, through his substitutionary death, through his victorious resurrection – the penalty of sin has been paid in its entirety. No addition to Jesus is needed.

2. By HIM – EVERYONE who believes is freed from EVERYTHING which the Law of Moses could not free us from. Any addition to Jesus is slavery.

 This message was so powerful that we hear the reaction here in ACTS 13:42… ACTS 13:42 As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath. 

What an amazing reaction! I remember when I preached MY FIRST SERMON… people were not begging for more, but begging it would end!

Shouldn’t the reaction to Paul’s sermon be the reaction of every single one of us every time we hear the Good News? Why isn’t it?

Before we travel back in time two thousand years ago, lets pause and go two thousand feet up.

Do you ever ponder the size, the scope, the majesty of the universe? There is NO WAY everything came from nothing.

Do you ever marvel at the beauty of the earth? Not only its phenomenal precision, not only its remarkable function, but its breath-taking, awe-inspiring beauty.

There is no logical way of avoiding everything we see in creation, every single day, every single second, points to a Creator.

The Bible presents this Creator as a Heavenly Father.

He is Heavenly – reigning and ruling over all. He is also a Father – perfectly loving and perfectly just. The Bible says you were created BY Him, For Him. To love him and be loved by Him.

The Bible proclaims… There is no greater joy, no greater knowledge, no greater pleasure, no greater love, than to be loved by our Heavenly Father.

Then why do so many people refuse to believe? Why do so many people reject Him? Why do so many people rage against Him?

In the today’s sermon we will see the reaction to Paul’s sermon and get some insights into the question, “Why do people not believe the best news the world has ever heard?”

In today’s passage, we will see after Paul preaches… Many will rejoice in the Gospel. Many more will reject the Gospel.

It becomes perfectly clear, both then AND now, there is no such thing as a neutral response to the Gospel.

ACTS 13:42 As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath. ⁴³ And after the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who, as they spoke with them, urged them to continue in the grace of God.

The immediate reaction seemed very positive. Many of the Jewish people gathered in that synagogue in Antioch begged Paul and Barnabas to come back. As they followed Paul and Barnabas out of the synagogue Paul urged them to continue in the “GRACE of GOD.”

This is not some mere religious salutation.

They had erroneously believed the Old Testament taught salvation through good works.

Paul proclaimed salvation only by grace received through faith in Jesus Christ. It’s all grace. They must believe it and continue in it.

⁴⁴ The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. ⁴⁵ But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him. ⁴⁶ And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. ⁴⁷ For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

From Sabbath to Sabbath, talk must have spread all over Antioch because verse 44 says THE ENTIRE CITY gathered to hear the word of the Lord.

Wouldn’t be remarkable if God did this in Colts Neck? An entire city, men and women, parents and children, pouring into church to hear about forgiveness and freedom in Jesus Christ!

This reminds me of another time at another city, where throngs of people gathered outside the gate, they waved palm branches, they sang Hosanna the Lord saves, they proclaimed, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” The city was Jerusalem. The moment was the triumphant entry of Jesus.

JOHN 12:19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”

In just one we week’s time, the world would go from shouting in acclamation “Hosanna” to shouting in rage, “Crucify Him!”

Once again, in a remarkably short amount of time here in Antioch in Acts 13 the crowds will go from wanting to hear more of the Gospel to many of them rejecting the Gospel.

Why is that? What happened? The people were easily deceived by worldly religion.

The religious establishment was once again jealous of Jesus and once again began to infiltrate the crowd and spread lies about Jesus.

Many of us have had a similar experience. When we were saved; when we truly believed and were born again; we ran to our previous religious tradition and expected them to rejoice with us!

Tragically, for many of us, this was not our experience.

Author and theologian RC Sproul explains how after the Lord saved him and the joy of Jesus flooded his soul, he immediately went to the pastor of his old church to share the good news of what had happened. This “pastor” proceeded to completely dismiss RC Sproul’s salvation. This “pastor” then went on to tell him how the resurrection of Jesus was just a myth. RC Sproul said it felt like a dagger in his heart.

Why do many people walk about from the forgiveness and freedom of Jesus Christ? Because the do not know the Word of God they are easily deceived by worldly religion.

Let me be as clear as I can: IRONICALLY and TRAGICALLY one of the primary reasons people reject Jesus is NOT because of RELIGIOUS BELIEVERS but because of RELIGIOUS UNBELIEVERS.

As I once heard a pastor say, there are three kinds of believers in every church: 1.The UN-believers 2. The true believers 3. and the make believers.

It is possible to have an external veneer of religion and simultaneously be spiritually dead on the inside. Jesus described the Pharisees of his day as “white-washed tombs.” Beautiful on the outside, but on the inside, filled with dead man’s bones.

When these RELIGIOUS UNBELIEVERS control religious traditions, and you can be sure its happening all over the world today, they keep people locked up in a system of guilt, of doubt, and of confusion. Tragically, millions of people follow them because they are too distracted by the world to study God’s Word.

Paul experienced this in his day and said it would happen in our day…

1 TIMOTHY 4:1-5 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared… 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.

What is Paul’s message to those who were trying to thwart God’s Word and subvert the Gospel’s expansion in Antioch?

VERSE 46 “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.

VERSE 50 The Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. ⁵¹ But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. 

Paul speaks boldly to the crowds…

Since you are thrusting aside this forgiveness, this freedom,

Since apparently you do not think you need eternal life!

We are going to shake the dust from our feet and go to those who also need to hear this message – the Gentile sinners!

This leads us to the second reason why people reject Jesus.

They wrongly believe they don’t need eternal life.

They wrongly believe they don’t need Him.

As they thrust aside Jesus Christ, they wrongly believe judge themselves unworthy of eternal life. Clearly the issue here is not they feel guilty and unworthy of eternal life, it is precisely the opposite.

Eternal life is not worthy of their time,

Eternal life is not worthy of their attention,

Eternal life is not worthy of their devotion.

How did Elton John describe it in his song Tiny Dancer?

Jesus freaks

Out in the street

Handing tickets out for God

Turning back

She just laughs

The boulevard is not that bad

Paul, a believing Jew himself, then turns from those who should have received Jesus with the most joy to the people we would LEAST expect to receive Jesus with joy – Gentile sinners!

ACTS 13:48 nd when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.⁴⁹ And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region.

Verse 48 tells us the Gentiles instantly begin rejoicing and glorifying what?... The word of God. The Word of God prophesied the coming of Messiah in the Old Testament. The Word of God proclaims the victory of the Messiah in the New Testament. In other words… He is here! He has arrived! His name is Jesus!

Your wait is over. Your search is over. There is no one that will follow Him. There is no one that will surpass Him. There is no one who can compare to Him!

Repent of your sin, return to the Father, and trust in His Son for salvation!

And when you do… what does the Bible say?

You were appointed by God to believe and receive eternal life. Meaning this then is not just a religious ritual but a divine appointment

The Bible says… We love because he first loved us.

The Bible says... While were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The Bible says… Before the foundations of the world, God chose you.

EPHESIANS 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world

At the beginning of this sermon we asked the question, “Do you ever ponder the size, the scope, the majesty of the universe?”

The Bible says that before God created the sun and the stars, before God created the oceans and mountains, before God created the Grand Canyon and Aurora Borealis, before God created every flower, every field, every fountain, God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world.

Do not thrust this aside. Do not consider eternal life unworthy of your immediate attention. Do not merely settle for thin, superficial, worldly religion…

Even if others reject you, God will never reject you. Even if others dismiss you, the joy of Jesus will rise up to overcome the pain. Even if others don’t follow you, you will be filled with the Holy Spirit.

ACTS 13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

For nearly fifty years our generation, our society, and our children have been told abortion is healthcare and terminating a pregnancy is a constitutional right.

 For nearly fifty years there have been brave advocates who were willing to stand up and say, "No. Abortion is not healthcare because a baby is not a disease."

 On June 24th of 2022 the Supreme Court overturned a ruling decided on January 22nd 1973, declaring there is no constitutional right to an abortion and each state should decide its policies based on democratic processes.

 After decades of peaceful advocacy, scientific support, patient partnership, constitutional backing and prayer - lots and lots of prayer - I am filled with joy to utter these words, "Roe v Wade has been overturned!"

 What a historic day for our society and what an remarkable victory for life!

 Nearly 63 million babies have been aborted since the original Roe v Wade ruling. This number is almost too big to comprehend. The loss of life is unfathomable. The death toll, unthinkable. This is primarily not a political issue. This is a moral and Biblical issue.

 The Bible says:

 God fearfully and wonderfully knit us together in our mother's womb (Psalm 139:13-16).

 God knew us in our mother's womb (Jeremiah 1:5).

 God entered our world in a young mother's womb (Luke 1:26-45).

 Children are a blessing from the Lord (Psalm 127:3-5).

 We are to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves (Proverbs 31:8).

 See also: Matthew 19:14, Matthew 25:40, Psalm 22:10, Deuteronomy 30:19-20, Leviticus 18:21, Exodus 20:13.

What the Bible proclaims, biology also confirms: 

 At conception the baby has a new DNA that has never been seen before and will never be duplicated again.

 At conception her physical traits have been determined, (her gender, her hair color, eye color, etc.).

 Her heart begins beating at 21 days... before most mothers even know they are pregnant.

 After three weeks we can hear her heartbeat and we can see her eyes and ears on an ultrasound.

 After six weeks we can see her fingers and toes.

 After eleven weeks we can see her smile.

 After thirteen weeks she can hear her mother's voice.

 After twenty weeks we know she can feel pain.

 After twenty weeks she can survive outside of her mother's womb.

 (For an accessible resource on these issues, see "Why Pro-Life?" by Randy Alcorn).

Despite what the Bible says, what the biology says, or what the constitution says, overturning "Roe" will lead many to rage. Many of our friends, family, workmates and social media connections will not see this as "justice rolling down like water," but oppression raining down like fire. They will be angry. They will feel righteous in their anger. Our cultural elites will stoke the flame of this fury and, tragically, many of our young people will not know there is another way... a better way. This better way is follow the One who said He is the way, the truth and life - Jesus Christ! (John 14:6)

 We as Christians need to faithful, to be firm, to be wise, to be humble, and to not be surprised when the world rages against righteousness. 

 In the end, how could the overruling of Roe v Wade be anything but God's mercy upon a society that does not deserve it?

 Our salvation is found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our trust is in the Word of God.

Our hope is in the Promises of God.

All of this is rooted in the very character of a Holy God who is also a Good Father.

 Praise be to the Holy God, our Good Father, who brought this remarkable change to protect the most vulnerable... May His Will continue to be done and may justice continue to "roll down like waters."

Humbly and Gratefully Yours,

 Pastor Chris Durkin

After all the issues the church in Corinth faced, persecution without and sin within, Paul finishes his letter with what is of first importance – the Gospel!

Christ Died for Our Sins… according to the Scriptures.

Christ Was Buried… according to the Scriptures.

Christ Was Raised on the Third Day… according to the Scriptures.

Paul is saying the Gospel is of utmost importance.

The Gospel is not just the "ABC"s of the Bible, it is the A-Z of the Bible. The Gospel is not a mere diving board into the Bible. No, the Gospel is the whole pool. Paul is saying all the Bible finds its center, its anchor, its culmination in the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Jesus said this of Himself as well. In JOHN 5:39-40 Jesus proclaimed this truth: "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life."

Jesus claimed Himself to be the Son of God, sent by God, one with God, the Great I Am, greater than the Temple, greater than the Sabbath, and the fulfillment of all of Scripture.

All the Bible points to Jesus Christ! The Old Testament prophesies of Jesus. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John present Jesus. The rest of the New Testament proclaims Jesus.

So if all the Bible proclaims the Gospel, where do we find the first time it is pointed to? 

If all the Bible proclaims the Gospel, who is the first one to proclaim it?

The Gospel is first proclaimed in this passage, Genesis 3:14-15. And the first one to proclaim it is God Himself! The early church would call this the “proto-euangelion,” which means the first gospel.

MARTIN LUTHER once said, This text embraces and comprehends within itself everything noble and glorious that is to be found anywhere in Scripture.

CHARLES SPURGEON also explained, This is the first gospel sermon that was ever delivered upon the surface of this earth. It was a memorable discourse indeed, with God himself as the preacher and the whole human race and the prince of darkness for the audience.

Immediately after Adam and Eve’s fall. Immediately after sin is introduced into God’s good world. Even in the midst of God pronouncing His right judgment on sin, God Himself proclaims the Good News. More than just a description of a garden snake, the rest of the Bible is the redemption story of how someone from Eve’s lineage will crush the head of the serpent.

GENESIS 3:8-9 says, "And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”

It is important to note the contrast in how God speaks to Adam and how God speaks to the serpent. Whereas God pursues Adam after humanity's fall, there will be no questions asked of the serpent. There will only be the pronouncement of a curse.

Verse 9: But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”

"Where are you Adam?" From the beginning this reveals how Christianity is distinct and different from every worldly-religion and self-salvation project. Adam sins and then God pursues him.

Griffith Thomas once said:

"It is the call of Divine Justice, which cannot overlook sin.

It is the call of Divine Sorrow which grieves over the Sinner,

It is the call of Divine love, which offers redemption for sin."

God knew where Adam was. God knew what Adam had done. God was asking Adam, "Where are you?" so Adam would confess what he had done.

Psalm 139:7-8 says, "Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?  If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!"

Jeremiah 16:17 reveals, "For my eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from me, nor is their iniquity concealed from my eyes."

God comes with a question, but He also comes with truth. The truth is God knows you better than anyone else and God loves you more than anyone else.

In the Garden of Eden this was not a clothing problem; this was not a food problem; this was not a self-esteem problem; Adam's problem was a sin problem.

Do you hear God asking you the same question? Because Adam's problem is also our problem. God calls out to us, "Where are you?" Not geographically, but spiritually.

If you have lived a life of unrepentant sin. If you have lived a life following your way and not God’s way. If you have denied God’s Lordship over your life. In the end, if you have rejected the cross of Christ there will not be a questoin, there will only be condemnation.

As Revelation 20:11-12 reveals, "Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done."

Here is the bottom-line: Either we will die in our sin and face God’s judgment, or we will die in Christ and know everlasting life. Either our judgment day is awaiting us in the future, or our judgment day happened 2000 years ago on the cross when Jesus atoned for our sin.

The invitation is simple: repent and believe. Turn from your sin, put your trust in Jesus and recieve everlasting life.

Ephesians 2:4-5 explains the good news, "God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved."

The question God asked to Adam was meant to lead to confession and repentance. Instead we see defiance and deflection. Instead of Adam saying to God, “I have sinned, show mercy on me.” Adam dares to say to God, “You sinned!”

GENESIS 3:12 says, "The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”

What a different Adam in Genesis 2 than in Genesis 3. After partaking of the fruit of the Tree of Good and Evil, Adam's knowledge of evil contaminated his knowledge of good.

Sin impairs our vision.  We become blind to God’s goodness and we become blind to our own evil. Eve blamed the Evil One. Adam runs from God and blames his wife. Instead of praising God for his wife in Genesis 2, now Adam is blaming God for his wife in Genesis 3. Adam not only deflects blame to Eve, but Adam has the audacity to blame God himself!

There is good news though... To be under God’s curse is to experience God’s judgment, but it does not leave you out of God’s reach.

GENESIS 3:13-15 says, "Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

God doesn’t ask the serpent any questions, there is only condemnation. To eat dust means to taste defeat (see Isaiah 62:25, Micah 7:17). The Devil will always eat dust. Evil has not won. Evil will not win. Evil cannot win!

As the Bible proclaims, Jesus broke the power of the curse by becoming the curse for us. "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse" (Galatian 3:13).

When we trust in Christ for salvation, the victory of Jesus becomes our victory!

As Romans 16:20 says, "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you." This all begins back in Genesis 3 when in the midst of the curse, the Bible points to the victory available to us over the curse in Jesus Christ our Lord.

# 1. The Bible says we are all sinners in need of saving. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23.

#2. The Bible says God shows the depth of His love for us in the cross of Jesus Christ. “God shows his love for us in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:8.

#3. The Bible says our sin deserves death, but through faith in Jesus Christ we receive eternal life as a free gift of God! “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 6:23.

#4. The Bible says we must surrender to Jesus’ lordship over our lives, turn from our sin and return to God the Father. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” Romans 10:9.

HOW DO I RESPOND? Repent and believe! Jesus died on the cross and rose from death so you might know eternal life! If you want know you are forgiven and redeemed, cry out to the Lord in prayer: “Heavenly Father, I know I am sinner and I know you are holy. Please forgive me of my sin and give me faith to believe. Today I turn from my sin and I return to you. Today I believe Jesus rose from death and I turn from the graveyard of my sin. Please fill my heart with your Spirit and help me to follow Jesus. Amen.”

Why does the empty tomb still matter?

With wars in Eastern Europe, soaring inflation, fear of sickness, frustration with government, rampant deception and constant distractions... why is it important to gather on Resurrection Sunday and remember the empty tomb?

The simple truth is this: without the resurrection, there is no hope. 

Without the resurrection, there is no hope for the church. No hope for our society. No hope for your family. No hope for humanity. If Jesus did not rise, then the Bible is not true. If Jesus did not rise, then we won't rise either. If Jesus did not rise, then all there is to this life is this life. 

The Bible places it all on the Resurrection: "If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith" (1 Corinthians 15:13-14).

Conversely, if Jesus DID rise, then everything changes! Not only has Jesus robbed the grave of its power! Not only has Jesus overcome our sin! Not only has Jesus crushed the head of that serpent Satan! We also have the hope of being with our Heavenly Father forever and ever! 

Gather with us this Resurrection Sunday so you can know true lasting hope and so we can all be reminded that this life is to be lived in light of eternity.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade." -1 Peter 1:3-4

"Afflicted…"

"Perplexed…"

"Persecuted…"

"Struck down…"

In this broken world, sometimes our bodies feel like weak earthen vessels. 2 Corinthians 4 describes our bodies as cracked, fragile, flimsy jars of clay.

Jars of clay were the throwaway containers of the ancient world. The expected lifespan of a jar of clay was just a couple of years. They were used to store olive oil, wine and grain. These earthen vessels were a daily part of life, but were ultimately expendable. A jar of clay would be equivalent to tupperware in today's society.

To put it simply, no one in the ancient world would become despondent if their jars of clay were broken.

Similiarly, no one in our society today would lose all hope if they misplaced their tupperware. 

Yet why is it that our physical health seems much more important to us than our spiritual health today?

It is true, our bodies are miraculous gifts from God. The Bible says our bodies were designed fearfully and wonderfully in our mother’s womb by God (Psalm 139:13-14).

Each face and fingerprint is unique.

Each person’s DNA was designed to the last microscopic detail by our Creator Father.

God made bones to be strong, eyes to see, hears to see, hearts, minds and internal organs to work together in a physiological symphony.

Yet due to the Fall, sin has introduced death to the once good and perfect planet God created. Now that the virus of sin has infected every part of creation, James 4 says life is a vapor, Psalm 144 says life is a breath, Ecclesiastes 3 says all come from the dust and to the dust all return.

2 Corinthans 4 proclaims we are jars of clay, but there is treasure inside these fragile bodies. Even as our bodies betray us, Christians have new life, abundant life, ETERNAL LIFE in Christ Jesus our Lord! For those who believe in Jesus and are born again, we become the temple of the living God (1 Corinthians 3:16)!

This treasure is greater than anything inside Fort Knox.

This treasure is greater than anything inside Buckingham Palace.

This treasure is greater than any treasure this world can offer - it is even greater than perfect health.

This treasure reveals our real source of power.

This "SURPASSING" power has the power to surpass the weakness of our flesh. It has the power to give us strength in times of sickness, peace in our pain, virtue while battling viruses, and even hope while facing death itself. That is why the Bible can say we are…

Afflicted, but not crushed.

Perplexed, but not given to despair.

Persecuted, but not forsaken.

Struck down, but not destroyed.

As one pastor put it…

Christians are squeezed, but not squashed.

Bewildered, but not befuddled.

Knocked down, but not knocked out!

2 Corinthians 4 concludes, "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison"!