LIVING IN THE LIGHT OF THE RESURRECTION. Dale A. Matthews, MD First Light: March 16, 2016

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1 LIVING IN THE LIGHT OF THE RESURRECTION Dale A. Matthews, MD First Light: March 16, 2016

2 2015: A PUNCH TO THE GUT

3 ANNUS HORRIBILIS

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5 Dorothy J. Matthews ( )

6 WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH

7 A MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCE: Santiago, Chile

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22 BACK IN THE SWING

23 BACK FROM THE LEDGE

24 BACK IN BUSINESS Dale A. Matthews, MD Executive Healthcare Services South Lakes Drive Suite 204 Reston, VA Phone:

25 BACK TO THE BASICS Each year, at the beginning of the golf season, Jack Nicklaus would return to his golf instructor, Jack Grout, to check his fundamentals: grip, stance, alignment, posture, balance and ball position.

26 WHY DID ALL THIS HAPPEN? Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Cor 1:3-4)

27 THE PURPOSE OF SUFFERING For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him, we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. (2 Cor 1:8-10)

28 WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT? For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters to James, the apostles, and then to Paul himself, the least of the apostles (I Cor 15:3-9)

29 THE RESURRECTION IS OUR ONLY HOPE (I)f Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied If the dead are not raised, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. (1 Cor 15: 14-19, 32)

30 GOD S PURPOSE IN EASTER The Lenten season, culminating in Easter, is a season of love. It is God s time to show us how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that we may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Eph 3:18-20).

31 OUR PURPOSE IN LENT Self-examination Repentance Prayer Fasting Self-denial Reading and meditating upon God s Word (Book of Common Prayer)

32 OUR RESPONSE TO EASTER Live in the light of the Resurrection and prepare for the power it releases in you. Keep your eyes, mind, and heart fixed on eternity, while keeping one foot on this earth.

33 LIVE IN THE LIGHT OF THE RESURRECTION

34 THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Phil 3:10-11

35 JARS OF CLAY (W)e have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this allsurpassing power is from God and not from us We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. (2 Cor 4:7, 10-11)

36 SPIRITUAL RENEWAL Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 2 Cor 4:16-18

37 OUR RESURRECTION 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. 1 Cor 15:51-52

38 OUR CITIZENSHIP IS IN HEAVEN Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Phil 3:20-21

39 KEEP EYES, HEARTS & MINDS FOCUSED ON ETERNITY

40 FIX EYES ON THE UNSEEN So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Cor 4:18

41 SET HEARTS AND MINDS ON THINGS Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Col 3:1-2 ABOVE

42 TAKE HOLD OF ETERNAL LIFE But you, man of God pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Tim 6:11-12

43 DO IT ALL FOR GOD And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Col 3:17 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Cor 10:31

44 WHOLLY CONSECRATED TO HIM The world has yet to see what Almighty God will do with, and for, and through, and in, and by a man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him. (Henry Varley) By God s help, I aim to be that man. Dwight L. Moody

45 DELIGHT IN THE LORD Take delight in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Ps 37:4

46 GRACE AND PEACE Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Rom 1:7

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48 TABLE TALK 1. What part of my life needs resurrection this year? 2. How can I live in the light of the Resurrection? 3. How can I keep my eyes, mind, and heart fixed on eternity? 4. What holds me back? How can I overcome these barriers?