The Church in Noble - Cornerstone
March 31, 2024 - 10:00 Service
      • Bible Trivia
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  • Doxology
  • Christ Arose
  • Jesus is Alive
  • ILLUST: Basketball nets - spoils for the victory
    READ: Mark 12:1-11 - Parable of the Vine-grower
    Jesus summarizes the battle, the war being waged, through a simple parable of God’s love for the world
    In the parable, the vine-growers assumed killing the son would rid them of having to deal with the vineyard owner
    This parallels God’s relationship with people, and their response to His love
    Why send the son?
    Why send Jesus? Good question…
    Because Yahweh desired reconciliation, restoration of relationship
    Time after time after time - He sent people to invite others to His kingdom
    You today, are hearing an invite to that Kingdom
    QUESTION: What is YOUR response to God’s love?
    You’re in church today? No really, what is your response to God’s love?
    You have rejected the Cornerstone…OR
    You have built your life around the Cornerstone
    Either way, your life shows your choice
    BUT…You have to decide who your life is about
    You have to decide on a Champion - the battle, the war, is all around us
    It started in Genesis 3:15 - the promise of a Redeemer, Messiah, after the Fall
    Genesis 3:15 NASB95
    And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
    Yahweh vs Satan
    Yahweh vs the world
    Yahweh told Satan that Satan would get his licks in, that the “seed” - the Redeemer, Messiah - would have His heel bruised -
    but that Satan would have his head bruised, a crushing, blow of total defeat
    But when?
    Satan fell, this created being, chose self over Yahweh, and convinced angels to follow
    Satan became the god of this world
    2 Corinthians 4:4 NASB95
    in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
    Satan sought to entice people to follow him, in essence, by following themselves - convinced angels, remember?
    Satan’s tactics/plans/goals
    Clever, cunning, deceptive (not playing ‘fair’)
    2 Corinthians 11:14 NASB95
    No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
    Use others to teach false Gospels, opposed to Christ
    Always seeking more and more people
    1 Peter 5:8 NASB95
    Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
    Encourage people make a practice of sinning, rebellious to Yahweh
    But the choice is on each person
    We cannot blame Satan for our sin
    We cannot blame Satan for our not following Jesus
    Down through history - captured in the 6000 years or so in the Bible
    Satan has used this world, its weapons (lies, deceit, pride, love of self), to try to block Yahweh’s plans - and Yahweh responded with His plan
    Some examples:
    Adam and Eve - pride
    Yahweh responded with promise
    Cain and Abel - anger, sin, selfishness, lack of repentance
    Yahweh gives Adam and Eve Seth, a Godly line of faithful
    The Flood, rampant immorality and other wickedness
    Yahweh had Noah build an ark, foreshadowing Christ
    Babel - arrogance, self-sufficiency; people refused to scatter and populate the earth
    Yahweh confused the language, to populate His world - people were spared
    Yahweh has ALWAYS had the best interest planned for His crowning achievement - humans
    Yahweh has the best interest for YOU
    YAHWEH’S PLAN ALWAYS INCLUDED THE DEFEAT OF SATAN AND HIS WORKS
    Over and over, God warned, promised, warned, promised
    And the fight had to be settled
    Champion Warfare - explain
    Not often utilized, there a few accounts in history
    Most notably David vs Goliath
    Philistines sent out their biggest and best - their champion
    David steps up
    You can read what David says in 1 Samuel 17: 45-47
    “I AM GOING TO REMOVE YOUR HEAD FROM YOU”
    And David does just that
    Then David goes to Jerusalem, then controlled by the Canaanite Jebusites
    And David shows them the head of Goliath - 1 Samuel 17:54
    David will soon conquer the city, His city, City of David, where Jesus comes
    “Goliath of Gath” - from the words “Gola Gotha”
    It is speculated that David buried Goliath’s head on a hill outside Jerusalem - a valiant show of victory
    This hill, outside Jerusalem - Golgotha - the place of a skull
    Goliath was the enemy of God’s people - defeated by God, through David
    Why did Yahweh send Jesus?
    1 John 3:8 (NASB95)
    The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.
    Yahweh sent His CHAMPION
    Genesis 3:15 (NASB95)
    He shall bruise you on the head…
    Satan is the enemy of God’s people
    Jesus dies on a cross, on Golgotha - His “heel bruised”
    John 12:32 NASB95
    “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.”
    Jesus, on that cross, was lifted up, for all to see
    To see - Not His defeat, but His victory!
    Like David - “Hey, here is the head of your champion!”
    Jesus - “Hey, Satan, watch this!”
    “Bruise my heel, it’s all planned out”
    “Your head…CRUSHED!”
    Sunday morning, that tomb is empty
    Jesus is alive
    Death has been defeated
    Satan’s works are destroyed
    Jesus - our CHAMPION
    Sent on a mission - destroy the works of the devil
    The resurrection - the ultimate sign of VICTORY
    But what is that victory?
    FORGIVENESS
    Satan cannot defend against FORGIVENESS
    THAT is the point of the resurrection
    Forgiveness is freely available to everyone…who asks
    And Satan will encourage you not to ask
    Rely on yourself, live like the world, take what you can
    Die in your sin, and be with Satan forever
    Satan thinks the fight is still on
    The resurrection shows that victory is complete
    But there DOES remain one battle, for the ultimate prize
    The ultimate prize - is YOU
    Satan wants you - lost or living like it
    Jesus died and rose again for you
    1 Thessalonians 4:13ff explains the hope of believers
    1 Corinthians 15 as well
    CLOSE
    David used a stone
    Jesus used a cross
    The battle is over, the victory is certain
    You have to decide if you will claim that victory
    It’s called repentance - turning from the world, and toward Yahweh, looking to the cross
    Rejoicing in the empty tomb
    Nothing compares to repentance and forgiveness
    Luke 15:7 NASB95
    “I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
    Like the parable we opened with
    Yahweh has sent the son to be the Savior of the world
    1 John 4:14 NASB95
    We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.
    The resurrection means Jesus WINS!
    “The world” = every single person who ever lived, is living, and will ever live
    “The world” includes YOU
    TODAY - You are invited into the Kingdom
    TODAY - I announce your invitation to ask Jesus to be your Savior
    And He will say YES when you ask
    ​
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      • Genesis 3:15NASB95

      • 2 Corinthians 4:4NASB95

      • 2 Corinthians 11:14NASB95

      • 1 Peter 5:8NASB95

      • John 12:32NASB95

      • Luke 15:7NASB95

      • 1 John 4:14NASB95

  • Praise The King
  • Living Hope
  • Because He Lives
  • O Praise The Name
The Church in Noble - Cornerstone
cornerstone@wabash.net
618-723-2779
https://cccnoble.faithlifesites.com
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