Sunday, April 4, 2021 AM

To Sunnyside Baptist Church here on a beautiful Easter morning. We're glad that.

You can join us. It's been a little while since we've done this on Easter morning so it's good to be back together again. We're gonna get started with a few announcements this morning. Because it's Easter no evening service tonight so spend some time with your family and friends.

Wednesday we have dinner here at the church and then at 630 prayer time but there will not be tagged this week for the kids. Prayer time and Bible study for the adults but no tag for the kids this week.

And then looking ahead Saturday April 24th here at the church we're gonna have a brief workday from 8 to 10 30 in the morning. More details coming on that in the future. This week's fighter verse is from the book of James James chapter 1 verses 2 and 3.

Count it all joy my brothers when you meet trials of various kinds for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. Next Sunday night in the evening service Michael's gonna have a little Q &A session for us so if there are any it's kind of an open topic if there's any questions that you would like to have answered or addressed feel free to email those to him his email address is in your bulletin.

Also coming up on April 17th on Saturday from 2 p .m. to 4 p .m. there's a wedding shower for Hannah Horner and Daryl Hamilton here at the church. They're registered and that's in information's in the bulletin as well.

Operation Christmas Child is continuing. April's donation requests for yo-yos, jump ropes, and small puzzle sets. There's some still some needs for some tag donations for some crafts that they need to do and a few needs still in the nursery during the the summertime programs that we have going on at church.

All right any other announcements before we get started with worship this morning? We are gonna have a time of quiet prayer and preparation. Dwight will then lead us in prayer and then immediately after.

That we're gonna have a few baptisms this morning. Father we have come together to celebrate the resurrection of your son the Lord Jesus our Savior the one who loved us and gave his life for us. Help us to celebrate in spirit and in truth.

May we experience the joy in the Holy Spirit as we celebrate. Father we have every reason to celebrate what you've done for us through your son the Lord Jesus. Help us to sing your praises to give you the sacrifices of thanksgiving for all that you've done through your son the Lord Jesus.

And Father I thank you for these that are being baptized this morning. What a blessing it is. Help us to be faithful to pray for them that they might continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of your son the Lord Jesus.

Focus our eyes this morning on your son the Lord Jesus. Help us to put aside the distractions of this world and keep our eyes on your son the Lord Jesus. When we leave this place may we be faithful witnesses for your son.

In his name I.

Pray. Amen. Well it's my joy this morning to baptize three of my children. We have.

Been rejoicing in God's work of grace in the life of Sophia and Abigail and Emmett for quite some time now. And especially with our sweet Sophia and all of the struggles and things when she's really been learning to trust in the Lord and to cry out to the Father and trust in Christ.

So it's my joy to baptize Sophia this morning. Sophie you are my daughter but you are also my sister in Christ. I'm glad that you want to declare your faith and trust in Jesus today for all to see. So in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit I baptize you my sister.

Buried with Christ in Bethlehem, raised to walk in.

Newness of life. Well Abigail is very much a believer in Jesus Christ trusting.

In him for the forgiveness of her sins and her hope of resurrection. And it's been a joy to see her grow in Christ and it's my joy to baptize her today. So Abigail I now baptize you in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Buried with Christ in baptism, raised to walk in newness of life.

Emmett is a an incredibly serious young man about some things and one of those things is about his faith in Christ. And he is very conscious of who Jesus Christ is and how he has been saved and calls upon the name of the Lord very often in his prayers.

Very thankful every time we ask what he's thankful for. He's thankful for Jesus, his death upon the cross and his forgiveness of sins. So Emmett my brother in Christ I baptize you now in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit buried with Christ in baptism, raised to walk in newness of life.

Nathan we are so proud of you and happy in your decision to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. So because of your profession of faith and your desire to walk in obedience in baptism, it is my great joy and honor to baptize you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Hallelujah! Wonderful on this Easter Resurrection morning. Would you stand with me for I'll call to worship. Our passage this morning is found on Psalms chapter 61. We'll be reading verses 5 through 8.

Read with me together. For you O God have heard my vows. You have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. Prolong the life of the King. May his years endure to all generations. May he be enthroned forever before God.

Appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him. So will I ever sing praises to your name as I perform my vows day after day. Our first song this morning is the Resurrection Hymn. It's in your little black hymnals, Hymns Modern and Ancient.

I think it was 105. Reading.

This morning will be in 1 John chapter 2 starting in verse 18 reading through verse 29 the end of the chapter. 1 John chapter 2 beginning in verse 18. Little children it is the last hour and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming even now many Antichrists have come by which we know that it is the last hour.

They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that none of them were of us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One and you know all things.

I have not written to you because you do not know the truth but because you know it and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ. He is Antichrist who denies the Father and Son.

Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either. He who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you have you heard from the beginning abides in you you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.

And this is the promise that he has promised us eternal life. These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you but the anointing which you have received from him abides in you and you do not need that anyone teach you.

But as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things and is true and is not a lie and just as it is taught you you will abide in him. And now little children abide in him that when he appears we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

If you know that he is righteous you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of him. This is the Word of God would you pray with me. Oh Heavenly Father Lord God we thank you for this day the day of resurrection of our Lord and our God Jesus Christ.

We thank you for the promise in him eternal life. We thank you for the forgiveness that he brings Father. We thank you for the hope and the surety of being held in him by your grace and by your mercy forever and ever not by our own strength our own works but by your grace we are held in Christ.

Thank you for drawing near to us for sending your love upon us when we were very much unworthy. Thank you for loving us while we were yet sinners and thank you for changing us from the inside out and it's in Christ's name we pray amen.

You may be.

Seated. Continuing with our song service we have a trio of songs to sing about our risen Lord. So if you would turn to before we sing those songs though we're going to have some reading. So if you would turn to page 214 in your blue hymnals and we'll read all this together page 214 read with me.

In the end of the Sabbath as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week Mary and the other Mary to see the sepulcher. And behold there was a great earthquake for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat upon it.

His countenance was like lightning and his raiment white as snow. And for fear of him the keepers did shake and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the woman fear not ye for I know that ye see Jesus which was crucified he is not here for he is risen as he said he is not here he.

Has risen alleluia. No question about it. Best day of the year please open your.

Bibles to first Corinthians chapter 15. First Corinthians chapter 15. The title of the sermon this morning is not in vain not in vain. We pray for us father. I thank you for gathering us together on this day and we give you glory.

We give you praise for your son Jesus Christ. We thank you that you have given him to us as our Savior and as our sovereign as our Redeemer but you have raised him to reign over us and we give him glory this day.

I thank you for hearing our prayers and receiving our worship and being delighted in our obedience. All for the sake of your son Jesus Christ the one with whom you are well pleased. It is in his name that we pray all this.

Amen. The last day is at hand. My calendar has run out. I know nothing more in my Bible. Quote number one. Quote number two. Of all the signs described by our Lord as presaging the end of the world some we see already accomplished.

For now we see the nation rises against nation that they press and weigh upon the land in our times as never before. Earthquakes overwhelm countless cities. Pestilence we endure without interruption. Quote number two.

Quote number three. What terrible wars both foreign and domestic. What pestilences famines and quakings of the earth. First quote was Martin Luther 1532. Second quote Gregory sixth century. Third quote Tertullian second century.

You thought it was yesterday didn't you. You thought it was 2020. Yeah I know. You did. Sounds like today huh. The world the church the gospel. This is just God's Vietnam. Right. Failed enterprise badly planned out.

What are we. We're just waiting out in Saigon for the last Huey to get us out. Is that the perspective of the believers in the Word of God. I'm gonna read one verse for you. I'll read the others later.

Verse 58 1st Corinthians 15. Stand with me. I want you to hear this verse to stand in honor of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And let's hear what he has to say. Verse 58 1st Corinthians 15. This is our verse for today.

Therefore my beloved brethren be steadfast immovable always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Praise be to God. You may be seated. Christ is risen. And so my preaching is not in vain and your faith is not in vain.

Christ arose the third day and nothing has been the same since. Anyway you cut it. The curse sin death and the devil have been on the retreat before a reigning and victorious Savior. And the present bombardment though troubling is desperate cover fire and shall only serve to rally the Saints to the standard of our Savior.

He will win the day and he will win every day to the last day. And he'll win that too. And so my shell-shocked brothers and sisters slogging through the mud and the trenches of our present trouble. Today is a day of hope.

This time is a time of hope. But we live in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ 2021. This is his year this is his world these are his days. We live in hope because Christ is risen. We must take the trouble to hope.

So many can't be bothered to hope anymore. But because Christ is risen let us take the trouble to hope. Let us first of all believe our hope that is made clear. Our hope made clear. There were a lot of discouraging problems and there are many reports of woe in Corinth.

They did not live in an easy place. They did not have an easy culture in which to preach the gospel. They they did not live in easy times in terms of the the socio-political global issues. Lots of discouraging problems.

Many reports of woe in Corinth. Their labor however was not in vain. Why. Because of Christ risen from the dead. So let's begin with what we know. Let's begin with what we know. Not with what others know not with what others are so dead certain 100 convinced about doom and gloom.

But let's start with what we know that God has revealed what he has caused us to know through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. What is it that we know. We think we know our trouble. But I don't know if we do Paul's choice of word here.

Therefore my beloved brethren be steadfast to movable always abounding in the work of the Lord. Knowing that your labor see the word labor is not in vain in the Lord. This word sometimes just gets translated trouble and other verses sometimes and it's a great translation for the word.

It's just trouble but it's also labor. It's the kind of bruising labor trouble filled toil. They had a lot of trouble in Corinth and we've got a lot of trouble now in Corinth. They had division they had immorality they had unwarranted intrusion by the civil government.

They had bad doctrine they had idolatry. And they had a lack of proper decorum and proper order in their worship services. And they had despair. Well the church of today has all that too. I'm sorry to break it to you.

We're not special we're not unique. They had trouble. We have trouble. And they had labor to do. And we have labor to do. There is the labor I think first of all of prayer. This is a neglected labor in our time.

You know at the beginning of the of a life as little else a child can do but cry. All the baby can do is cry. And as we think about it at the end of the life of a saint all that's left for us to do is to pray.

This is the most basic labor that we have is to pray. And let us be engaged in the labor of prayer. Let us take the trouble to pray. There is the labor of prayer. There's a labor of evangelism of confronting people in their sins and calling them to trust in Jesus Christ is the only Savior of the world.

There is a labor of making disciples of telling people. And indeed Jesus said to to teach the nations what he has commanded and to obey discipleship. There is the labor of making disciples. There's a labor of preaching and teaching.

There is the labor of gathering together as the Saints to worship together and encourage one another. There is the labor of the household the labor of managing our households and and raising up children and husbands and wives loving one another.

The labor in our neighborhoods the labor in our communities. There is labor all around. Our labor is simply this taking up everything that belongs to Christ as stewards of God and then turning it to the advantage in the fame of Christ.

That is our labor. He said. Well what. What is it that belongs to Jesus. Everything the Bible is relentless with this word that everything is from Christ and through Christ. And for Christ he is the heir of all things we are told.

All authority has been given to him in heaven and on earth. So we take up everything that is Christ's that we are stewards of and we turn it to his advantage to his fame. That's our labor. Why would we take the trouble.

It's the word here. Your trouble is not pointless. Taking the trouble is not pointless in the Lord. Your labor is not vain in the Lord. Why would we boy you should go to a lot of trouble to love your children to raise them.

That's a lot of trouble trying to disciple someone trying to counsel them with the Word of God. You should go to a lot of trouble to try to find ways to evangelize the lost. We should go to a lot of trouble to gather together in one place and and rejoice and fellowship with one another as a family in Christ.

Boy we go to a lot of trouble. Why do we take the trouble. Because of our triumph. Because of our triumph our labor is not in vain. I mean all the trouble we go to in loving and reconciling and proclaiming and praising and loving spouses and raising kids and doing righteousness and speaking truth.

It is all not in vain. How many even some in the name of Jesus would say that all such taking the trouble is pointless empty fruitless ineffective devoid of truth. I mean haven't you seen the news. I mean how.

How can you get around the news. It's the news. You can't argue with the news. The news is the news. And the news says that we are no longer in a society where labor for Christ will succeed. The news says it's pointless.

However because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ our faith is neither futile nor is our struggle filled obedience in vain Christ is risen. So we in that hope take the trouble. We take the trouble and we take it gladly.

This is what we know. Well how do we know it. How do we know Jesus rose from the dead. And how do we know that. Therefore our labor is not in vain. How do we know this. And we just insist on it enough say it over and over out loud enough until it becomes true.

We are not irrationally defiant like some fool atheist. And we are not devotedly insane like some cross-dressing pronoun hawk. Our hope is not feed a currency. It is solid gold. You can't ignore it. Our labor is not in vain.

Why. Let's consider the light of Christ's victory and the love of Christ's community here in our text. Therefore my beloved brethren be steadfast and movable always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Therefore based upon what. Based upon what Paul has been writing about all through chapter 15 which is the resurrection of Jesus Christ the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Therefore our labor is not in vain.

Why. Because of the effects of Christ's reign. Verse 54 through 57 just the previous verses. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption and this mortal has put on immortality the resurrection the resurrection of the dead then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written death is swallowed up in victory.

Verse 55. Oh death where is your sting. Oh Hades. Where is your victory. The sting of death is sin. The strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore therefore be steadfast and movable always abounding in the work of the Lord. Knowing that your labor is not in vain. Consider also our participation in Christ's preeminence. Verse 20 of chapter 15.

Backing up a little bit more. But now listen. Christ is risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death by man also came the resurrection of the dead.

For as an Adam all die. Even so in Christ all shall be made alive. Catch that everybody in Adam dies. But everybody in Christ will be raised to eternal life but each one in his own order. Christ the firstfruits afterward those who are Christ's at his coming.

Well Christ has been risen from the dead that's the firstfruits of the harvest. So we're next those who are in Christ as surely as Christ rose from the dead. So we're going to be raised from the dead.

Verse 24. Then comes the end when he delivers the kingdom to the to God the Father when he puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign till when till he has put all enemies under his feet.

And the last enemy that will be destroyed is death. Therefore therefore be steadfast immovable. Therefore your labor is not in vain because Christ is risen and he's reigning and he's winning and he will win.

Therefore take the trouble. Your labor is not in vain. Not only the effects of Christ's reign but also the evidence of his resurrection the evidence of his resurrection. Verses 5 through 8 of chapter 15.

And this is important because in our verse verse 58 it says knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. And that word knowing. And there's about three or four words in the Greek. For knowing this one is the one you know because you saw it.

To know through sight. To know through sight. Verse 5. Well verse 4. And then he was buried and he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. And that he was seen by Cephas then by the twelve.

After that he was seen by over 500 brethren at once of whom the greater part remained at the present but some have fallen asleep. After that he was seen by James and that by all the Apostles. Then last of all he was seen by me also as by one born out of due time.

You see he rose from the dead and everybody saw it undeniable. Paul's writing in a moment when they anybody could go and check the firsthand eyewitnesses. He knows and everybody else knows it. Jesus rose from the dead.

It is undeniable point of fact. And so this is how we know. This is how we know because of the evidence of his resurrection and we are not to be our currency is not one that can be destabilized by wars and rumors of wars and disasters and tyrannies and fears of men and fears of death.

Christ rose from the dead. It's indisputable. And therefore he's reigning and he's winning and he will win. Therefore therefore be steadfast be immovable abound in the work of the Lord. Not only do we know this in the light of Christ's victory we also know it in the love of Christ's community.

Look how Paul writes to the church in Corinth. He says. Therefore my beloved brethren my beloved brethren. Paul loves these people and they're a mess. They are just the worst. They've got all sorts of problems.

And Paul loves them. He loves them and he wants to direct their hope. Do you love your brothers and sisters in Christ. Then direct one another's hope to the risen Lord Jesus Christ. Don't deter hope. Don't discourage hope.

Direct one another's hope to Christ. This is the point that is being made in Hebrews chapter 10. When we are not to forsake the assembling ourselves together as is the manner of some where are we to be doing.

We're gonna be holding fast to the confession of our hope. We are gathering to direct our hope to Christ. Cares about the news in the love of Christ's community. The beloved brethren come together to direct one another's hope to Christ and of course he is our victorious Lord.

We see look though we abound in the work notice the work of the Lord and that our labor is not in vain in the Lord. The labor we have to do is of the Lord and it is in the Lord. Ephesians 2 tells us that we are God's workmanship that we are created in Christ Jesus for good works and we are to have hope.

How can we not have hope when our labor it is of Christ and for Christ and in Christ the risen one. It is very important for us to remember that Jesus Christ is Lord not pragmatism. Pragmatism the expected materialistic outcome the expected outcome based on a worldview wherein is nothing but numbers and matter and percentages and rolling the dice.

What's a good chance. This is going to succeed or not. Pragmatism is not Lord of the church. Well that's never gonna work. Pragmatism is not Lord of the family. Well what works best. Pragmatism is not Lord of the state.

Jesus Christ is Lord not the expected materialistic outcome. That's how we believe in our hope made clear. Now we must work out our hope in fear. Therefore my beloved brethren be steadfast immovable always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Now this move that is made here from considering the resurrection of Jesus Christ and then our labor that is as natural as God speaking let there be. And it was and in good order throughout the New Testament time and again we are compelled to consider the resurrection of Jesus Christ and then from that exalted place of honor that Christ has then to consider how we shall now live time and again.

A great meditation for you this afternoon this week. Philippians 2 verses 5 through 13 and following to consider the the humility of Christ as he suffers in our place and for our sake even obeying his father even to the point of dying upon the cross.

And for this reason God highly exalts Christ and gives him a name which is above every name so that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord to the glory of God.

The therefore do all things without murmuring and disputing. What. So here's how you now live in light of the resurrection of Jesus Christ in light of his exaltation. Now. Here's how you love one another.

Here's how you live here. Here's how you go about your life. I think more poignant. A passage that illustrates the same as Hebrews 13. The benediction of Hebrews chapter 13 verses 20 and 21. Listen to how we go from the resurrection of Christ to how we shall now live now.

May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you complete in every good work to do his will working in you what is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory forever and ever.

Amen. Do you see that because Jesus is has been raised from the dead therefore now everything is different. Now all the blessings of God through Christ may come to you. So fear the Lord. Think first of his exaltation.

Think first of Christ's standing as our exalted head. He stands as the one who was dead but is alive forevermore holding the the keys of death and Hades. He's the first and the last the Alpha and the Omega.

His status should be our primary consideration. To fear God to reverence Christ means we think of him first. We think of him first. And then we think of what is going on in our lives and all around us.

And what direction do we go. The status of Jesus Christ the risen one the exalted one the reigning one. He should be our consideration of whether or not we take the trouble to do what take the trouble to do what.

Well there's two things here the working out of our hope and fear in this verse there's two things. One is the first one is hold fast. Hold fast in light of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Therefore my beloved brethren be steadfast immovable just in case you didn't understand what steadfast means.

But actually the second is an acceleration of the first steadfast what's what's what's the idea. This is something the Corinthians needed to to think about. Corinth was a kind of a unique city in the ancient Roman Empire situated between two different seaports.

They were a truly a melting pot of all types of tribes and tongues and and cultures. And they had a lot of things going on. Things were always changing in Corinth. There was always a new form of morality always a new God to worship and so on.

It was a very metropolitan place. Paul says hold fast be steadfast immovable. And in what regard. In what regard. Well first of all consider the trouble of being steadfast. If you want trouble in this life just be uncompromising and stalwart about anything about anything.

But if you want a posse of troubles take an unbudging hope-filled stand for Christ and you'll have all the trouble you want. There's two words here steadfast immovable. The idea is you tie up and drop anchor.

The idea is that you plant yourself and you don't move a muscle. You dig in your heels all the way up to your neck. About what. Well given the context of the chapter how about the resurrection. For there are some among them who were saying there was no resurrection from the dead.

That's impossible. That isn't it. With our worldview how can there be a resurrection from the dead. That's foolishness. How about they hold fast concerning the resurrection of of Jesus Christ. How about they hold fast concerning the gospel that was proclaimed beforehand in the scriptures.

That they not move a muscle away from the person and work of Jesus Christ. How about they be steadfast concerning the faith once for all handed down to the Saints. How about we be steadfast and immovable.

About public preaching and Christian gatherings and singing hymns and taking communion. And how about telling these self-righteous civil magistrates who try to force themselves upon the bride of Christ to go jump in a lake and if they repent and find refuge in Christ along the way will show up and baptize them.

Cautions 123. Continue in the faith grounded and steadfast unmoved from the hope of the gospel which we have heard which has been preached to every creature under heaven. Someone is disagreeing. Oh now that sounds good but that kind of inflexibility just won't work.

Well miss hopeless. We serve a risen Savior not a thousand dead tyrants. What does he he wants us to do. Work out our hope and fear. Hold fast and press on two things. Hold fast and press on. Dig in and keep on your toes.

Not only is our steadfastness not in vain because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ but also we may abound in productiveness for Christ. Why. Because Christ is risen from the dead we can press on. Look it says therefore my beloved brethren be steadfast immovable always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord we may abound and we may abound at all times in the work that he has saved us for for the work that he has especially prepared for us.

What work is he especially prepared for me. And Spurgeon somewhere said that well if you're a cricket for all the glory of God if God made you a cricket then do what crickets do. We may in the resurrection life of Jesus Christ abound.

This is a word which means the spill the banks. To spill the banks. Not only are we to be steadfast cutting deep running deep as a river a river which can never be displaced or removed but also we are to be on the move.

We are to be spilling the banks and rushing forward in the work of Christ. It is not hopeless. It is not in vain. There is there is a there is purpose and meaning to what we do for Christ in the name of Christ because he is risen from the dead.