Weekly Update – April 6th, 2023
In many ways, the remembrance of Maundy Thursday and the celebration of Easter Sunday are two of the most significant days in the life of our church. Don’t get me wrong here, every time we gather as a church is significant in our lives because it provides an opportunity to encourage one another and proclaim Christ. But our gatherings this week specifically focus on what is at the center of our faith with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So then it is with this vein that I would like to offer 5 reasons why Jesus came to die and rise again, adapted from a helpful book titled 50 Reasons Jesus Came to Die by John Piper.
First, Jesus died to bring eternal life to all who believe on Him. Jesus made it plain that rejecting the eternal life he offered would result in the misery of eternity in hell: “Whoever does not believe is condemned already….the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:18, 36). But for those who trust Christ, the best is yet to come. “No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Second, Jesus died to bring us to God. “Gospel” means “good news,” and it all ends in one thing: God himself. The gospel is the good news that at the cost of his Son’s life, God has done everything necessary to captivate us with what will make us eternally and ever-increasingly happy—namely, himself. “Christ…suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).
Third, Jesus died to show God’s love for sinners. The measure of God’s love is shown by the degree of his sacrifice in saving us from the penalty of our sins: “he gave his only Son” (John 3:16). When we add the horrific crucifixion that Christ endured, it becomes clear that the sacrifice the Father and the Son made to save us was indescribably great! The measure of his love increases still more when we consider the degree of our unworthiness. “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Our debt is so great, only a divine sacrifice could pay it.
Fourth, Jesus died to reconcile us to God. The reconciliation that needs to happen between man and God goes both ways. God’s first act in reconciling us to himself was to remove the obstacle that separated him from us—the guilt of our sin. He took the steps we could not take to remove his own judgment by sending Jesus to suffer in our place: “While we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son” (Romans 5:10). Reconciliation from our side is simply to receive what God has already done, the way we receive an infinitely valuable gift.
Fifth, Jesus died to absorb the wrath of God. God’s law demanded, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5). But we have all loved other things more. This is what sin is—dishonoring God by preferring other things over him, and acting on those preferences. The seriousness of an insult rises with the dignity of the one insulted. Since our sin is against the Ruler of the Universe, “the wages of [our] sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Not to punish it would be unjust. So God sent his own Son, Jesus, to divert sin’s punishment from us to himself. God “loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation”—the wrath-absorbing substitute—“for our sins” (1 John 4:10). Then God publicly endorsed Christ’s accomplishment by raising him from the dead, proving the success of his suffering and death.
The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are events that serve the cornerstone of our faith. They deserve to be declared through our words and their effects deserve to be demonstrated in our lives. I pray that during this holy week, we might be mindful of their significance and faithful in communicating them with every opportunity the Lord prepares for us.
Serving Him with You,
Pastor Michael Nelson
Written by Pastor
Michael Nelson
Fighter Verse for the Week
"Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts!" - Psalm 96:6-8
Announcements:
Maundy Thursday: Come tonight and remember with us the final night of Jesus’s life before his death and resurrection. We will sing, hear a short message and take the Lord’s Supper together.
Funeral Service for Helen Yoemans: Some of you will remember Helen Yoemans. The visitation and funeral service for Helen will be held on Friday, April 7th, at Longview Funeral Home. Visitation will begin at 10am with the funeral to follow at 11am.
Easter Special: Practice for a special Easter song will be held at 6pm on April 8th. If you would like to participate, please let Martin know. You can listen to the song HERE. The song will be performed in the Sunday morning service on Easter Sunday, April 9th.
Easter Schedule: Come celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ with us on April 9th. That morning we will begin with our annual Easter Breakfast at 9:15am followed by our Worship Service at 10:30am. There will be no nursery during this service. More information is available HERE.
Passion Week Devotionals: This week devotionals will be posted, Monday-Friday, as we look forward to remembering the death of Christ and celebrating his resurrection. You can find those videos posted HERE.
Secret Church: On April 21st, beginning 6:00pm, we will join David Platt via simulcast for an intense evening of Bible study and prayer. The study for this year will be over the book of Jonah. Sign up this Sunday if you would like to be a part of this. You can find out more about Secret Church, HERE.
Annie Armstrong Easter Offering: Every year at this time, we raise funds to support missionaries all over North America who are serving with the North American Mission Board (NAMB). This year, First Baptist Church is seeking to raise $8500. We have already received $5,216 towards this goal. You can give on Sunday mornings through one of our offering boxes located in the foyer or the welcome center. Just mark your envelop as “missions” or “Annie.” Or you can give online HERE and choose “missions” under the Fund tab. You can find more information about this offering HERE.
Harry’s Hay Days: On Saturday, May 6th, from 10:00am-4:00pm, First Baptist Church will be participating in the citywide festival called, “Harry’s Hay Days.” We will be hosting carnival games, face painters, balloon artists, Chick-fil-A, and more, right here in our parking lot. Put this date on your calendar and look for a sign up sheet in the weeks ahead.
Vacation Bible School: Mark your calendar. This year, we will host Vacation Bible School on Monday, July 10th-Friday, July 14th from 5:45-8:00pm. More information to come…
Volunteers Needed: Volunteers are still needed during the 10:30am nursery time. Check the update or email the office for more information on how you can serve.
Awana
Join us for Awana Bible Clubs on Wednesday nights. Dinner is at 6:00pm and Awana Clubs are from 6:30-8:00pm.
Equipping Hour
There will be no Equipping Hour this Sunday. Join us for breakfast at 9:15am.
Giving
To Give Online, Go HERE.
You can also mail your offering to: 1416 Main Street, Grandview, MO. 64030
Home Groups
Home Groups typically meet on the first and third Sunday of each month. Please contact Pastor Michael if you would like to join a Home Group. You can find more information HERE.
Prayer
An updated Prayer Guide can be accessed HERE.
Prepare for Sunday
Guide for Worship can be found HERE.
Worship Service
Worship Service begins at 10:30am on Sunday mornings. Nursery care for children ages 0-4 years is available during the worship hour.
Livestream
Continue to join us at 10:30am on Sunday mornings.
Facebook live: HERE.
YouTube: HERE.
Join us and invite a friend or family member to watch with you.
Sunday School
Children and Youth Sunday School take place at 9:15am on Sunday mornings.
Ages 0-4 meet in the nursery suite.
Grades K-3rd meet upstairs in U-5.
Grades 4th-6th meet upstairs in U-6.
Grades 7th-12th meet downstairs in the youth room.
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