Message for THE LORD'S DAY MORNING, August 27, 2017 Christian Hope Church of Christ, Plymouth, North Carolina by Reggie A. Braziel, Minister The Three Greatest Days In History Psalm 118:24 NKJV Please open your Bibles to Psalm 118 and let's read verse 24. Psalm 118:24 (NKJV) P R A Y E R This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. ********************************* Introduction I want to talk to you for a few minutes this morning on the subject: The Three Greatest Days In History. According to Biblical dating, this world is approximately 6,017 years old. That means approximately 2.2 million days have passed since God created this world we live in. Over the course of those 2.2 million days, there has been lots of great days. - The day the Wright Brothers flew the very first airplane at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina was certainly one of the greatest days in history because their invention completely revolutionized travel and transportation all across the world.
-That day in July of 1969 when Neil Armstrong became the first human being to ever set foot on the moon was certainly one of the greatest days in history. -And what about... * The day HENRY FORD invented the first automobile? * Or the day BENJAMIN FRANKLIN discovered electricity? * Or the day THOMAS EDISON invented the light bulb? * Or the day JONAS SALK discovered the cure for polio? * Or the day the first successful OPEN HEART SURGERY was performed? * Or the day America gained her INDEPENDENCE from the British? All of these were great days, but none of them even come close to being The Three Greatest Days In History. As our scripture In Psalm 118 says, This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. Well as you are going to see, we have every reason to rejoice in the three greatest days in history. Well let's look at these three days shall we? The First of our Three Greatest Days in history is...
I. The Day JESUS WAS BORN Please turn with me in your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke, chapter two. And let's read verses 1-7. Luke 2:1-7 (NKJV) 1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. 4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into 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 wife, who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 1. Every day hundreds of thousands of babies are born into this world. Some of those babies will grow up to be great doctors...or great teachers...or great artist or musicians...or great athletes...or great inventors. But only one time in the entire history of this world was a baby born that was destined to become the Savior of the whole world.
2. No other baby was ever born of a virgin. No other baby was ever born to live a perfectly sinless life. No other baby in all of history was born with the mission of saving the world. 3. At the time Jesus was born three fifths of the world's population were slaves. At the time He was born the world was under the oppression of the cold, ruthless Roman government. Women were treated like personal property and children were viewed as a burden. 4. But Jesus changed all that. He transformed the way the world viewed women and children. He torn down racial walls and social barriers. He gave hope to the hopeless, and help to the helpless, love to the unlovable, and forgiveness to sinners. 5. By His example, Jesus taught us that true greatness is found in humility and serving others, rather than being served. 6. No man ever born in all of history has had more impact upon the world than Jesus. He is the subject of more books...more poetry...more literature...more music...and more art than any other human being ever born. 7. I think you can now understand why The Day Christ Was Born is truly one of the five greatest days in history!
The Second of our Three Greatest Days in History is... II. The Day JESUS DIED FOR OUR SINS Please turn with me to the Gospel of Matthew, chapter twenty seven. And let's read verses 27-31. MATTHEW 27:27-31 (NKJV) 27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. 28 And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29 When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! 30 They they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified. 1. Normally, we do not think of the day of someone's death as a great day do we? When we think of the day one of our loved ones died we certainly don't think of it as a great day. When we think of the day a dear, close friend died, we don't think of the day of their death as a great day. It wasn't a great day when Abraham Lincoln died, or John F. Kennedy, or those 3,000 plus souls in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
2. There are certainly many things about the day that Christ died that weren't great. The manner in which Christ died certainly wasn't great! In fact, out of all the ways a person can die, being nailed to a cross would certainly have to be one of the most painful and gruesome ways to go. 3. But what makes the day of Christ's death one of the greatest days in history is what He accomplished that day through His death on the cross. (a) The death of Christ proves just how much GOD LOVES us. John 3:16 (NKJV) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (b) The death of Christ PAID for a SALVATION we could not afford. Romans 5:6 (NKJV) For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (c) The death of Christ made it possible for us to be RECONCILED with God. Romans 5:9-10 (NKJV) Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
(d) The death of Christ made it possible for us to be FORGIVEN of all our SINS. Ephesians 1:7 (NKJV) In Him (Christ) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace... (e) The death of Christ made it possible for us to inherit HEAVEN as our eternal home. Philippians 3:20 (NKJV) For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 4. Charles Haddon Spurgeon said it so eloquently... When you see Christ going up the Mount of Doom, you see man going there; when you see Christ hurled upon His back, upon that wooden cross, you see the whole company of His elect there; and when you see the nails driven through His blessed hands and feet, it is the whole body of His Church who there...in their substitute, are nailed to the tree. Now the soldiers lift the cross and dash it down into the socket prepared for it. Everyone of His bones is dislocated, and His body is thus torn with agonies that cannot be described. Tis manhood suffering there; 'Tis the Church suffering there, in the substitute. And when Christ dies, you are to look upon His death, not as His own dying merely, but as the dying of all those for whom He stood as the scapegoat and substitute. (Classic Sermons on The Cross of Christ, p. 17, Hendrickson Publishers, Grand Rapids, MI, Copyright 1990)
5. Had Jesus not died on the cross our lives would have no meaning. We would have no purpose, no future, and no hope. 6. This is why The Day Jesus Died is one of the greatest days in history. The third of our Three Greatest Days in History is... III. The Day JESUS AROSE FROM THE DEAD Please turn with me to I Corinthians the fifteenth chapter. And let's read verses 12-19. I Corinthians 15:12-19 (NKJV) 12 Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is empty. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up----if in fact the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most miserable.
1. What Paul is saying in these verses is quite simply this: If Christ did not resurrect from the dead as the scriptures tell us He did, then everything we have ever believed...everything we have ever preached... everything we have ever taught...everything that we have ever hoped for is absolutely meaningless. 2. Our whole Christian faith is built upon our belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. If Christ did not raise from the dead, then Christ's death and His burial lose their meaning. 3. If Christ did not really resurrect from the dead on the third day then He is no different than Buddah, or Mohammed, or Confucius, because they are all still in their graves too. 4. If Christ did not really resurrect from the dead you and I can Kiss eternal life...and our heavenly home...and our hope of being reunited with our Christian loved ones GOOD-BYE! 5. But just as quickly as Paul posed this horrible thought, he quickly dismisses it. I Corinthians 15:20 (NKJV) But now CHRIST IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD and has become the first- fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
6. Brothers and sisters, the resurrection of Christ changes EVERYTHING! -Christ's resurrection means you and I can face our death with hope and confidence. Jesus says in John 11:25,26 (NKJV) I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believes this? -Christ's resurrection also means we can face the death of our Christian loved one's with hope and confidence, knowing that we will see them again on that glorious resurrection morning. Paul writes in I Thessalonians 4:13,14 (NKJV) But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. It was a great day WHEN JESUS WAS BORN! It was a great day WHEN JESUS DIED FOR OUR SINS! It was a great day WHEN JESUS AROSE FROM THE DEAD!
C O N C L U S I O N As I bring today's message to a close let me make a point of application. These Three Greatest Days In History have meaning to you and me personally, because the greatest day of your life and my life is connected to the Three Greatest Days in History. During the course of your lifetime you have had many great days! And I'm sure you have also had more than your share of not-so-great -days too! -It was a great day when you were born. -It was a great day when you spoke your very first words and took your very first steps. -It was a great day when you started to school. And it was a great day many years later when you graduated from school. The day you got your driver's license...the day you got married...the day you had each of your children and grandchildren...and the day you retired were all great days! But if you lived to be a thousand years old, you will have no greater day in your life than the day you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior! The decision you made that day was the wisest and most important decision you will ever make in your earthly lifetime!
Perhaps there is one here this morning who has never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Perhaps you have thought about it and wrestled with that decision for a long, long time! Why delay it any longer? Why not make today the greatest day of your life by coming this morning to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?