Millersport Covenant Church Sermon Podcasts Pastor Steve Bush and others

Psalm 19 speaks to what theologians refer to as general revelation and special revelation as it describes what God has made and likewise authored. General Revelation refers to God's visible handiwork as seen in His creation, His Devine fingerprints upon all He's made--from galaxies and supernovas to molecular structures and nuclear physics. Special Revelation is God's direct communication with people, through dreams and visions, miracles, prophets, personal visitations, and especially through His written Word. While we can't look up at an eclipse or constellation and know that murder and adultery are sinful in God's eyes, His revealed Word leaves no doubt. Hebrews 1:1-4 speaks to God’s grandest reveal of all: "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom also He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So He became as much superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is superior to theirs." (NIV) So God's Epic Revelation is His very own Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and our Lord...

In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus peels back the veil of what happens when people die. Some believe His story to merely be a parable; others do not. But Jesus told it and we needn't second guess its validity. God's Word supersedes all our cultural beliefs, superstitions, and sensational tales--both for this life as well as the life to come. Jesus' story is about a poor beggar named Lazarus, hungry and afflicted with sores. It also features a man of great means, which upon his front gate the destitute Lazarus is laid. Then both men die. Lazarus goes to Paradise while the rich man is sent across the chasm to Hades. The story juxtaposes eternal agony with eternal ecstasy. It's cryptic beyond the pale! The Great News is that Jesus has made THE WAY for us to be with Him forever in Paradise. He not only died for our sins that would've sent us to hell, but rose from the dead to affirm His atoning sacrifice. Quoting David in Psalm 32, Paul writes in Romans 4:7-8: "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.” (NIV) Yes indeed, those in Christ have been BLESSED beyond measure and that means BLESSED forevermore!

The Scriptures give us a few glimpses into heavenly scenes from guys like Isaiah and Ezekiel, not to mention from the Apostle John in the book of Revelation. While these visions are extraordinary as they describe angelic beings and heavenly creatures that make naked baby angels seem cartoonish, their commonality are descriptions of the majestic glory of being in the holy presence of Almighty God! The sights and sounds of celestial songs and thunderous prophetic declarations leave no doubt that this is a PLACE made by God, for God, for His honor and His glory! The eyewitnesses who chronicled what they saw make God's already amazing grace seem all the more amazing! Why? Because He's made a way for us to be there with Him some day! That WAY has been made by Jesus! John 14:6 says: "Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (NIV) But will we be reunited with our dearest Loved Ones & Friends who died in Christ? Rest assured-absolutely! But far exceeding this will be the euphoric, unimaginable bliss of being ushered into the majestic, glorious, and holy presence of Almighty God! And there will be no better place in all the universe to be than THERE!

In writing to the church in Corinth where some began to doubt the resurrection of Jesus (not to mention their own) the Apostle Paul pens the following in 1 Corinthians 15:17-20: "And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died." (NLT) Saul of Tarsus, before he became Paul, was a rising star among the Jews. He viciously sought to snuff out the followers of Jesus and became famous for doing so. Then one day on the way to do more of the same he encountered the risen Christ personally. He was blinded so he could see! From then on his message of Jesus was no longer bad news, it was GOOD NEWS! And of course he'd lose his life for proclaiming it. Along with Paul's treatise on resurrection in the 58 verses of 1 Corinthians 15, we have four Gospel accounts that affirm Jesus’ rising from the dead along with numerous Scriptures in the NT and Old. The preponderance of evidence is overwhelming. But until hearts encounter our Lord personally, all this may be hard to embrace. But to those who doubt, disbelieve, or curiously ponder, pray for the gift of faith, for eyes to see, for a heart to understand. Pray until you can peer inside that vacated grave and see it empty as it truly is. The ramifications of our Lord's empty tomb are both transformational and eternal...

As Jesus mounted a donkey and rode into Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday, Luke 19:41-42 reveals: "And when He drew near and saw the city, He wept over it, saying, 'Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.'" (ESV) Besides seeing Jerusalem as it was that day (and far into the future), Jesus also saw the hearts of all the people with crystal clear clarity and He knew what was about to take place in just a few days. He knew shouts of Hosanna would turn to cries for His crucifixion. He also knew that though they were unable to comprehend what would bring peace between them and God, He knew it would take a cross to achieve it. Colossians 1:19-20 puts it this way: "For in Him [Jesus] all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross." (ESV) One week from this triumphal ride into the Holy City, He'd make His second grand entry, this time from an empty tomb, even more triumphant than the Sunday before! And yes, Hosannas are still in order and shouting them, likewise...

1 Peter 3:13-16 says: "Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ." (NLT) Being bold and courageous never goes out of fashion. Nor does sharing the Good News about Jesus. The Bible tells us so... And we know all Spirit-led witnessing endeavors must be bathed in prayer, implemented with divine wisdom, and carried out with great mercy and love. For 2,000 years believers have gone forth to spread the Gospel and sometimes they've gone to dangerous places where harm, rejection, and death were either possibilities or probabilities. It's also true that somewhere along the line someone laid aside their inherent fears and found the courage to convey the Message of Christ to us. For this we not only rejoice with great gladness but with that same gladness we find the courage to go and do likewise...