The High Ridge Church of Christ Podcast

RESURRECTION THEOLOGY

Sun, 24 Apr 2011 14:39:00 -0500

1) THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST DECLARES THAT HE IS THE SON OF GOD AND VINDICATES THE TRUST HE PLACED IN THE FATHER!
a) Rom 1:2-4 "...the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord."

1) GOD'S HOLY, JUDICIAL WRATH AGAINST SIN HAS BEEN EXHAUSTED!
a) Rom 4:25 "He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." 
1) ALL THE EVIL IN THE WORLD HAS BEEN DEFEATED AND JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL!
a) Acts 17:30-31 "In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."

1) ALL THE EVIL IN OUR HEARTS HAS BEEN DEFEATED TOO!
a) Eph 1:18-22 "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come." 
b) Eph 3:16-19 "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." 
1) GOD'S RESURRECTION POWER IS PERFECTED IN OUR WEAKNESS!
a) 2 Cor 12:9 "But he said to me, " My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." 
b) 2 Cor 13:4 "For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God's power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God's power we will live with him to serve you." 
1) WE HAVE THE HOPE OF RESURRECTION GLORY!
a) 1 Cor 15:51-58 "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality."   Vs. 58 "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 
b) Rom 8:11 "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

NEW LIFE AND A NEW NATURE

Sun, 10 Apr 2011 15:30:37 -0500

1) WE WERE BY NATURE THE OBJECTS OF WRATH!
a) Eph 2:1-3 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath."

1) GOD HAS GIVEN US A NEW NATURE!
a) Eph 2:4-6 "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved."

1) MY NEW NATURE DEMANDS A FRUITFUL NEW WAY OF LIVING!
a) Gal 5:19-26 "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other." 
b) Eph 4:22-24 "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."

1) JESUS CHRIST WILL REMOVE OUR OLD NATURE AND GIVE US A NEW ONE THAT IS FREE FROM LAW AND SIN!
a) Col 2:11-14 "In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross."

Springtime And New Life In Romans 6

Tue, 5 Apr 2011 08:31:28 -0500

Rom 6:1-18 "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin - because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey-whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."

1) PAUL'S DEFENSE OF THE GOSPEL DEPENDS ON OUR ACCEPTING HIS ENLIGHTENED VIEW OF BAPTISM AND HE ASSUMES WE WILL!
a) Rom 6:3-4 "Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death IN ORDER THAT, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, WE TOO MAY LIVE A NEW LIFE."

1) (Vs.6) "KNOW that our old self was crucified with Him"
a) I there is no true repentance, there is no real conversion!

1) (Vs.11) "COUNT yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus"
a) We must accept that our baptism is a SPIRITUAL REALITY! 
b) Eph 2:1 "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins... 6 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus..." 
c) With God's continual mercy, everyday is Spring and a new beginning! 
1) (Vs.13) "OFFER yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness"
a) "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship." 
1) (Vs.17-18) "THANKS be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."
a) Though our trusting, penitent obedience to the gospel is essential to new life, ALL GRATITUDE MUST BE TO GOD ALONE for His indescribable gift! 
b) Rom.6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the GIFT OF GOD is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

1) WE MUST ACCEPT GOD'S GIFT TO ENJOY IT!
a) Acts 22:16 "And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on His name."

The Unction & Function of Priests

Sun, 20 Feb 2011 18:49:44 -0600

1) THE OLD COVENANT PRIESTS HAD THE UNCTION FROM GOD BUT MANY DID NOT PERFORM THE FUNCTION OF TEACHING GOD'S LAW!
a) Mal 2:7-8 "For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth men should seek instruction-because he is the messenger of the LORD Almighty. But you have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble; you have violated the covenant with Levi," says the LORD Almighty."
b) Ezek 22:26 "Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them." 
1) JESUS CHRIST IS OUR NEW COVENANT HIGH PRIEST!
a) Heb 7:23-27 "Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest meets our need-one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself."

1) CHRISTIANS ARE A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS SERVING UNDER CHRIST!
a) Rev 5:9-10 "And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." 
1) NEW COVENANT PRIESTS FUNCTION THE SAME AS THE OLD. WE TEACH AND OFFER SACRIFICES TO GOD, BUT OUR SACRIFICES ARE NOT TO REMEMBER OR ATONE FOR SIN, BUT TO GIVE THANKS AND PROCLAIM THAT SIN HAS BEEN FORGIVEN!
a) Rom 12:1 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship."
b) Phil 4:18 "I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God."
c) Heb 13:15-16 "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise-the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." 
1) NEW COVENANT PRIESTS TEACH BY WORD AND DEED!
a) 1 Peter 2:4-6 "As you come to him, the living Stone-rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him - you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  VS.9-12 "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." 
1) THE OLD TESTAMENT PRIEST TAUGHT GOD'S HOLINESS IN THE LAW AND HIS GRACE IN THE SACRIFICES. CHRISTIAN PRIESTS TEACH GOD'S HOLINESS, JUSTICE AND GRACE IN THE GOSPEL!
a) Rom 15:15-16 "I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit."

YOU CAN BE A HOLY PRIEST BY UNCTION AND FUNCTION BY OBEYING THE GOSPEL OF OUR HIGH PRIEST JESUS CHRIST TODAY!

DOES GOD REALLY LOVE THE WORLD?

Sun, 13 Feb 2011 14:48:08 -0600

John 3:16-18 "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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."

1) God Loves The WORLD Of Creation!
a) Ps 136:5-9 "who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever. who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever. who made the great lights, His love endures forever. the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever. the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever.

1) God Hates The WORLD Of Organized Evil!
a) 1 John 2:15-16 "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world-the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-comes not from the Father but from the world."

1) God Loves The WORLD of Human Beings Created In His Image!
a) Eph 3:14-19 "For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

1) SOME PEOPLE DOUBT THE EXISTENCE OF GOD'S LOVE!

1) JESUS SAYS GOD REALLY LOVES THE WORLD!

a) THE FACT - "God so loved the world" 
b) THE ACT - "That He gave His one and only Son"  
c) THE PACT - "That whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" 
d) 2 Cor 5:14-15 "For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died." 1 John 2:2 "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." 
1) JESUS CHRIST DIED FOR EVERYONE AND THEREFORE GOD LOVES EVERYONE AND CALLS EVERYONE TO ACCEPT HIS GIFT OF GRACE!

Mark 16:15-17 "He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."