James Richards

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Sunday Morning Service

Jeremy Richards

Copalis Community Church

05 April 2024

Bible References

• Romans 8:6-11

Audio MP3 PDF

All right, well, we were in Austin, and it was a beautiful trip. We worked ten to 13 hours a day if we could. Jeshuan started complaining about nine or ten, it seems, but welcome, Jess. Glad you're here. God bless you.

Okay, so we're going to be in Roman. So I was thinking about the resurrection, and so I'm going to share a little bit also about the resurrections, maybe just a little bit different way.

Romans chapter eight. We're going to start, and then we'll pray in Romans chapter eight, verse eleven.

Romans 811. But if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who dwells in you. Let's pray. O Father Lord, we come to you, Lord. Thankful for this time, but also calling out for life.

Life, life, lord. Eternal life, Lord. That's the cry of our soul, Lord. The world is crying out around us, but our heart's desire is for life, Lord. I just pray you would help us to see that here, to be able to call out for it, but also to be able to receive it in Jesus name.

Amen. So when we look at Christ's resurrection, as I looked at it, there's three general areas or ways that we can look at it. The first one being a historical view of Jesus resurrection, the second, an emotional view of Jesus resurrection, and the third, a mystical view of Jesus resurrection. They all are biblical, they all are valid. They all have their place.

So let's just start as we look at it, as we go towards the mystical view of Jesus resurrection. Let's just look first at the other two. So if we want to turn to first corinthians, Paul talks about the historical view of Jesus resurrection. Christianity is different from other religions in many different ways. But one of those ways is the standpoint of viewing an actual event in history.

Paul says in chapter 15, verse twelve, regarding this specific historical event, that Christianity rises and falls on whether or not a specific actual event historically happened. That is different from many other religions. They're based on a collection of teachings, of people saying one thing of experiences, but whether or not that thing can be proven true or false doesn't seem to affect whether or not Muhammad really went to the al Quds mosque or the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, or whether Joseph Smith really did receive those golden tablets in the park. But Christianity is absolutely dependent on one historical fact. In verse twelve of one corinthians, chapter 15, it says, now, if Christ is preached that he has been raised from the dead.

How do some among you say that there is no resurrection from the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty. And your faith also is empty. 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. Christianity, as a relationship with God or a religion, is absolutely founded upon a historical event of a man having been crucified and. And been put in the grave for three days, rose up from the grave. Well, what is the difference between your and I's view of our, the religion or the Bible that we say we follow versus that of the Koran or of the Mormon religion? They say that Mohammed flew on al Barak, his faithful white stallion in the spirit, landed upon the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

And there, al Quds mosque. I believe it's al Quds stands today at the end of Ramadan. Thousands of Muslims going there to pay homage to this place. They say that he landed. Or how can we know that Joseph Smith really did get these tablets?

Is there a way in which Christianity is historically accurate, where every other religion fails in their interpretation of their prophet? Can we know that Jesus was really rose from the dead? Is there a way to understand? Now, you may have an idea, or another one, but is there a biblical idea that we can look to that proves that the raising of Jesus from the dead was historically accurate? So we're going to back up just a little bit to chapter 15, verse, verse three.

Chapter 15, verse three. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. First of all, in our view of the historicity of Jesus actually rising from the dead, we have two main proofs to look at. Number one, that it was prophesied about beforehand that he was rise from dead. That scriptures talk about it.

That is our primary proof. And then in verse five, it says, and that he was seen by Cephas and by the twelve. After that, he was seen by over 500 brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that, he was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then, last of all, he was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

The reason we can look about whether or not we can trust that Jesus rose from the dead physically is found in these statements here. First of all, that we have the scripture backing that up. But then he was actually seen by individuals. The reason this is so important, because these individuals had to give testimony of whether or not they actually saw Jesus rose from the dead or not. But can we take their testimony as proof?

Can we trust them that Jesus actually did rise from the dead? First of all, he said that he was seen by Cephas and then by the twelve. If we look at these twelve individuals, we can look at their life. If you remember, after Jesus had been rose from the dead, he was walking along the beach and he was restoring Peter to his position. He said, you know, Peter, do you love me?

Do you love me? Do you love me? Right? And then Jesus says to Peter, I tell you the truth, one day they're going to stretch out your hands and lead you to a place you do not wish to go. Speaking of Peter's approaching death, Peter and also all the other twelve apostles continued throughout all of their life preaching the message that Jesus actually did rise from the dead, and they were witnesses.

The reason that's important for us to look like is because has there ever been anybody who was willing to die for something they absolutely knew to be a lie? No. Any individual who was convinced and knew for certain that there's been a lot of people that have lied. But when it came to a life or death situation, those people would always choose their life over the lie. But the twelve apostles give a significant testimony that what happened actually was true, that they actually saw Jesus rose from the dead in different ways.

It says that he was seen by 500 brethren, some of these who were still alive during the ministry of Paul. They could accurately be a witness in person account that what has been told them actually did happen. If it were a lie, these 500 people would have been witnesses to say that were untrue. We see that he was also seen by James and then by all the apostles. And then last of all, he was seen by me and meaning Paul.

But it should also be a testimony. The last thing that should be a testimony to you and I that Jesus Christ as rose from the dead is that he is doing a work in our hearts, that these are accurate, that Jesus historically really did rise from the dead. And being risen from the dead, he commands a certain place in our attention, in our life, in our country, as a result of that historical rising that no one else has. There is no one else that has risen from the dead and is still alive except Jesus Christ. And he commands our attention.

I've been astonished at people recently who know absolutely nothing of Jesus Christ. I am just boggled. I've been in the contact with two people, and not only do they not want to do anything, know anything about Jesus Christ, they know nothing, but they don't want to know anything. They're. What has affected western civilization more than anything else is the religion of the people who have founded that.

And what's affected their religion has been none other than Jesus Christ. And yet many people now in our culture, there is growing up an age when young people don't know anything about Jesus Christ. I think that's a tremendously sad thing. There has been no one, I think most christians would say there's no greater role model. There's no one greater to look to.

There's no one kinder, there's no one more beautiful. There's no one that encourages a greater degree of affection for other people. And somehow this person who has a greater, even if you just look from the historical standpoint, has a greater perspective than anyone else. Largely, our culture is becoming unaware of him. What a tragedy, what a grave injustice to people.

Do not know anything about the greatest person who has ever lived. People have no problem teaching about a lot of crazy people, but you don't ever see Jesus on the Google button.

The only person who's ever risen from the dead and is alive today. It is a historical Jesus that we see. It is a historical Jesus where you can prove that he rose from the dead. It is proof that he lives. But it is not just a historical Jesus.

It is also an emotional, there is an emotional view of Jesus resurrection that is also important. If we go to Luke, we see that part of it comes after the story of the remote road to Emmaus, where two disciples were walking with Jesus, unaware. And jesus revealed himself to them, and they were running from Jerusalem. Now they are returning to Jerusalem after Jesus had revealed himself to them in Luke 24. And they came with the statement, when they return to the disciples, the group of disciples who are all huddled together in verse 33, chapter 24 33.

So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem and found the eleven. And those who were gathered with them, gathered together, saying, the Lord is risen, indeed. And it has appeared to Simon. And they told about these things that had happened to them on the road and how it was that he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.

In verse 41. If we skip, he said, but while they still did not believe for joy and marvel, he said to them, have you any food here? So they gave him a piece of broiled fish and some honeycomb, and he took it and ate it in their presence. And so here we see an emotional view of Jesus resurrection, one of. Of amazement, the.

And marveling and joy. And it would be similar. My dad talked about my mom dying, and the amazing thing it would be if she somehow came back to life, how emotionally that would affect my dad or my family. Well, in the same way, if Jesus rose from the dead, it would affect us emotionally. Their teacher, the one they walked with, their friend and their counselor, who had been them, who they had seen do miracles and.

And so many marvelous things, was now back in their presence. How emotionally powerful that would be to them. And it should be. But there is a different view of Jesus that is different than if Muhammad came back from the dead. There is something more valuable than just the seeing of something amazing happening or have your friend back in your comfort or your career.

There is. It would be similar to what happened in Iceland. And there was a volcanic eruption, right. And to look at that and to see the display of the power and majesty, look at it and see what it does is one thing, but to gain from it is another thing. The Icelanders, seeing the lava come down the mountain, thought quickly, and they buried pipes in the ground.

And then as the lava covered the pipes, they were guaranteed hot water for years to come as a result of the lava holding that heat, and they had free hot water. It's one thing to take a historical view of Jesus and benefit from it, which is right. It's beautiful to know and with certainty. I can believe that there is an actual fact. There was a real person named Jesus, and he actually rose from the dead.

It's a beautiful thing to have that faith in something accurate. It's another beautiful thing to have an emotional view of comfort, to take the teachings of Jesus, to study them, to look at them, to look at his life and his example. What a wonderful thing. But it's an entirely different thing to gain from them spiritually. And so I want to talk a little bit about the mystical view of Jesus resurrection.

Now, mystical does not mean magical. It means mysterious. It means mysterious because it is something that you and I cannot comprehend with our brains. It is something beyond humans intellect or reasoning. It's not something we compromise.

It doesn't make that. It doesn't say that it's not reality. It only means that we cannot fully understand it, like the Trinity. If we could understand it, we would have to have an ability to understand things as much as God does. If we could understand God.

He would be a very small God. If some of you have tested your powers, of your intellect before, you recognize they're not quite as great as maybe you had once thought they were. I used to be convinced I was always right. Now I'm wondering if I ever am, especially having children.

I got a call, and Zach told me. He's like, I'm buying a motorcycle. I was like, oh. And we had a conversation. And amazing how amazing.

You think you're right until life passes you by a little bit and you start wondering. But there is a mystical view of Jesus resurrection that if we don't possess it, is like believing a certain fact that, though wonderful, though convinced that it actually happened, is good. Though having an emotional view of Jesus resurrection is beautiful, to gain from his teaching and to receive that comfort of how he treated his disciples. But if that relationship never extended to the disciples in a mystical way, Christianity would never have made the impact that it did. They would have had their teacher back, they would have had their friend back.

But if Christ's spirit wouldn't have actually worked in their hearts, Christianity would have been a failure. They would have died, and we would not have continued in the same spirit. So we're going to look at that mystical view of Jesus resurrection in Romans chapter eight. But in order to do that, in order to gain a little bit of an appreciation of what that spirit that rose Jesus Christ from the dead does in the life of a believer, we first have to know what is in the individual to be delivered from.

So we're in Romans chapter eight, verse seven. Romans, eight, seven.

We're starting in verse six. It says, for to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace, because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. When I view myself or see myself in the position of teaching other people in my own mind, I see myself a certain way, and two goals that I have in my heart that I want to accomplish, and one is the attack on the carnal way of doing things. I see in some ways Samson going out with a jawbone and attacking hip and slaughter the ideas that lead to people's downfalls, that are the things that cause destruction in their own life, that hurt people, that drive them away from Christ, that bring into our culture things that are ungodly and hurt generations succeeding. I see there's a desire in me to preach against things that harm people.

I know in my kids sometimes with this thing, with the motorcycles with my kids wanting motorcycles. There's this someone in me that just wants to try to convince people as much as possible to avoid things that may cause them harm. But I'm not a young person anymore, and so there's this struggle that's going back and forth to me. But this also relates spiritually that I want to be a part of undermining the forces of wickedness in our generation. It says, for to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

And the other side of that coin is a desire to point people towards the fullness of life that is found in Jesus Christ. On that last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called in a loud voice, ho, if anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. For as the scripture is said, out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water. There is a counterfeit that is drawing people away. They said, Jesus said, the thief does not come but to steal, kill and destroy.

But Jesus said, I have come that you might have life, and it is in abundance. Yes, that Jesus is what he is calling to. The life that he is calling to does mean a forsaking of all that we have. It says that he who finds his life will lose it, but he who loses his life for my sake in the gospel will find it. This is about life.

I remember this great story, the pilgrim's progress. The evangelist came and talked in the city of destruction and said, this city is doomed to destruction. It sure happened that Christian heard it and says, what do I do? And he said, you have to flee this city. So Christian got in his mind after this was weighing on him, was like, what do I do?

Finally, he made up his mind, I'm leaving the city of destruction. I am leaving. I want life. But his family called out, his neighbors called out, and he went back with them back to the city of destruction. But that spirit which was working in the christian, in this allegory, this story was working.

And finally he decided, I can't take it anymore. And he went out of the city of destruction. He was crying in his heart. It was life, life, eternal life. He put his fingers in his ears and he refused to hear the cry of his friends calling him back to his sin.

He wanted life, life, eternal life. The carnal mind is enmity against God. It is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. The problem you and I have is our carnal mind is by nature at enmity or at war with God. They do not and cannot work together we have been infected with the curse.

A curse so damaging and demeaning, so ugly and so bitter. Something that tells us that war with God is pleasure, this horrid thing that infects our flesh, that drives people into destruction and leads us into warfare with God. But it is not subject to the law of God. It can't walk in communion with God, it says in verse eight. So then those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

There has to be some other way to find walking with God. It has to be outside of our flesh. We're going to start looking at what that is. In verse nine, it says, but you are not in the flesh, but in the spirit. If indeed the spirit of God dwells in you.

Now, if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, he is not his. We see that the only way to walk and have life is to walk by the spirit of God. There is the spirit of carnal nature and a spiritual nature. The only way to have life is to have this spiritual nature in us, it says, but some of us are confused. I recognize there's a danger, but what if I make a mistake?

What if I sin? We have to recognize as we look in this walking in the spirit does not depend on whether you sin or not. Walking in the spirit does not depend on whether you mistake or you trip or your fall. We see that walking in the spirit, the kind of life that brings real life to us only, is dependent on whether or not the spirit of God dwells in you. The only basis or background or foundation of walking in the spirit is not how well you walk.

Anyone say amen? Anyone made a mistake? The only basis of walking in and receiving the fruit of the spirit is only dependent on whether God's spirit lives inside of you. Some people have beating themselves up this week. Some people feel pretty low because they feel like the spiritual life was dependent on what they did.

They felt like their lifestyle, how they lived, was how, whether or not they could experience a spiritful life. No, I'm of the absolute conviction that a sinful person, a sinner, is closer to the throne of grace than anyone else. That the individual who has just sinned, stained by sin, making other people ugly and hurt, is closer to God than anyone else, that they are the closest to see God's face. It's only dependent on whether God's spirit dwells inside of you.

But it says, now, if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, he is not his. If you do not have God's spirit in you, there is no amount of effort that can lead you to a spiritual life. There is no amount of effort that can bring you into God's life. There is no amount of right you can do. There's no amount of the right number you can roll on a dice over and over.

You cannot come into a spiritual life unless God's spirit is in you. Verse ten. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness. Yes. That work, that walk which God is calling to you is not easy.

He calls us into that gate that leads upward. It's a difficult one. It's a narrow gate. It says that he who loses his life for my sake and the gospel, that life which Christ is calling people to today, is the same call that he's always called people to do. Lay down your life, take up your cross and follow me.

If you think it's easy, if you think it's going to church on Sunday, if you think he only asks for half or a quarter of your life, then we're betraying those people who have walked before us, who gave everything. This is a call that is calling to you. I want all of you. But if you're willing to walk with me as a sinner, as a broken person, I, Jesus says, will give you life. What kind of life will he give us?

Just how powerful is that life that he will place inside of us? What should we expect if I call out to him and allow him into my life? Verse eleven. But if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who dwells in you. We have an example of what this spirit does in the life of an individual who he goes into in this mystical union.

What did the spirit accomplish in Jesus number one? He accomplished a physical purpose. Jesus had been dead for three days. Some of us got problems, you know, not all the church is under 20 anymore. And so you hear some groaning going on.

Anyone been in this church? Right? You hear some. Just a little limping going on, right? Anyone hear that?

Like, someone is talking about canes or a lot of stuff going on, something serious. Something's really not to be made fun of, but people really got some issues. But I would like to just stack up your issues next to a decomposing Jesus.

That same spirit which rose Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies. We can't use an excuse, the compromised body that we are currently in, because that same spirit which did a work in Jesus is wanting to do a work in you. Yes. It may not be running the marathon, but that doesn't matter. That's not your calling.

He has a calling for your body. If he could raise Jesus from the dead, surely he can give life to your body. But that's not all he did. He saved Jesus from hell. You say, how is that but your and I sin, the punishment of which is life in hell.

The condemnation that was on all of us, he took on his shoulders. And that spirit which raised Jesus Christ from the dead was more than capable of overturning that sentence and leading him in a spiritual life. So you and I are struggling with the weight of our sin, condemned in different times in ways and having our past beared on upon us. Just to say that weight which you are bearing as a result of your decisions or others cannot be compared to that weight which fell fully and squarely upon the life of Jesus Christ. And if the same spirit who raised him from the dead, I also believe that he will give victory over hell in your life, but also the ability to live a spiritual life.

That same spirit who rose Jesus Christ from the dead gave jesus the power to live victoriously, that he is also able to give life to your body on earth. Today we were talking Thursday about that great union of men and women which happens between marriage and children. And it says in corinthians that the Lord is for the body and that he will raise us up by his power. That life which the spirit of God does in our life is raising up our flesh. This body which is so ugly and decrepit and hurting, he raises it up by his power to accomplish a physical work on this earth to impact other people for his kingdom.

I would just want to read this one more time and then to say one more thing. It says, but if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who dwells in you. You say, well, that's a mystical word. It's something I don't understand. It maybe is a new thought.

I would only say the christian message without this is not a message. It is Christ in you, the hope of glory. And you say, Jeremy, how could Christ dwell in me? Well, first of all, I would say he can't dwell in you unless you ask him that. A person says, jesus.

Jesus says, behold, I stand at the door and knock. That he is an individual wanting to change your life, that he has been preparing. He has sustained you. He has laid the groundwork. It is him actually doing the work.

But there is a whether, which side of the aisle you dwell on as far as free will and such. There has never been a person who didn't come to Christ willingly. I would just say, if Christ is drawing you, it's because he's doing the work. Answer him. Invite him into your heart.

I believe when you see your carnal nature, when you see the ugliness of your person, when you see your sins stacking up, it is time to say, Jesus, I want you in my life to say it willingly, that if you confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth and believe in your heart, you will be saved. I believe when Jesus comes into us, when his spirit spirit comes into us, he immediately makes a difference in the life of that individual. I want to just encourage you. Do you know if the spirit of God dwells in you? If you don't, that's a perfect time to say, Jesus, I want your spirit in my heart.

I want you to live in me, to take control of me. He who comes to him must come to him as Lord. And in my experience, what the Bible's taught and as we look at christian history, that he's the Lord to have, who would you trade him for? What other person would you rather have as Lord of your life? Do you think you're a good judge?

Do you think you can see the future? Can you handle your flesh? Can you take your own sins upon your own neck and pay for them? Could you strike yourself on the cheek enough times? No.

Who better than Jesus to be the Lord? And I would just say, if he's not your lord, he wants to be. Invite him into your heart. Spirit of God, come into my life. Take control of my life.

I want to be your servant, and so I'm going to leave that with you. As we look at Easter in this season, I just pray you look at that mystical work which God is doing in Jesus, but also through Jesus in our lives. Let's pray. O holy Father, Lord, we do come to you, Lord. That's the reason we're here, Lord, because of that work which you did in Jesus Christ, raising him from the dead.

We appreciate that historical work that you give us something, a foundation that we can trust with our minds, Lord, and emotions. Thank you for presenting us with such a beautiful person, a teacher, a master, a rabbi, lord. But thank you also for that spiritual work you do in our hearts, raising us up by the same power in Jesus name. Amen.