Sermon by Pastor Ng Swee Ming on Easter Sunday 8 Apr 2012

2. JIM O-Neill
65 yrs old

6. JEHOVAH SHALOM
– The Lord is
Peace
JEHOVAH
SHAMMAH –
The Lord is There
today – JEHOVAH
TSIDKENU –
The Lord Our
Righteousness

7. Meaning :
“The Lord Our Righteousness”
Why for Easter is it important to
know & understand that -
“The Lord Our Righteousness” ?

9. Definitions / Meanings :
Righteous :
• Morally upright; Cannot do wrong;
Without guilt or sin
Righteousness :
• The state of being righteous; Pure; Holy

10. Righteousness describes -
God Himself.
His character, conduct, actions, words ...
Everything that God is, thinks and does
RIGHTEOUSNESS IS GOD
&
GOD IS RIGHTEOUSNESS

11. Jehovah Tsidkenu - the Lord our Righteousness
So - #1 God is “Righteous”
Job asked (Job 9:2 NKJV)
“.... how can a man be righteous
before God?”
Question:
Am I Righteous before God ?
Are you Righteous before God?
Can I / you be Righteous before God ?

12. Rom 3:22-26 (NLT)
22 We are made right with God by
placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And
this is true for everyone who believes,
no matter who we are.
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall
short of God's glorious standard.
24 Yet God, with undeserved kindness,
declares that we are righteous. He did
this through Christ Jesus when he
freed us from the penalty for our sins.

13. Cont Rom 3:22-26 (NLT)
25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice
for sin. People are made right with God
when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his
life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice
shows that God was being fair when he
held back and did not punish those who
sinned in times past,
26 for he was looking ahead and including
them in what he would do in this present
time. God did this to demonstrate his
righteousness, for he himself is fair and
just, and he declares sinners to be right in
his sight when they believe in Jesus.

14. #2 All Men Are Born Sinners
Rom 3:23
For EVERYONE has sinned;
we ALL fall short of God's glorious
standard.
standard.
Rom 6:23
For the wages of sin is death,...
MAN SIN DEATH

15. EXCEPT Jesus Christ
1 Peter 2:22 "He (Jesus) committed no sin,...”
1 John 3:5 But you know that he (Jesus)
appeared so that he might take away our
sins. And in him (Jesus) is no sin.
sin.
2 Cor 5:21 God made him (Jesus) who had no
sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might
become the righteousness of God. God.
HOW can this be ? :
Matt 1:18,20 Conceived by the Holy Spirit ...
Matt 1:23 Born of the virgin Mary ...

16. MAIN PROBLEM
#1 RIGHTEOUS GOD
&
#2 sinful man

17. This is why we need “Good Friday” ...
Why did Jesus, born without sin have to die ?
Rom 3:25a For God presented Jesus as the
sacrifice for sin....
A RIGHTEOUS GOD cannot just overlook SIN
PRICE for SIN need to be paid
Jesus died to pay the price for my sin
Jesus died to pay the price for your sin
Jesus died to pay the price for the sin of all
mankind ...

18. #3 : Jesus PAID for OUR SINS
On Good Friday ...
Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross
Rom 3:25 For God presented Jesus as
the sacrifice for sin.
Rom 5:8 But God demonstrates his
own love for us in this: while we
were still sinners, Christ died for us.

19. Also on Good Friday ...
#4 : Barrier of SIN between God &
Man removed.
Rom 3:24-26 Yet God, with undeserved
kindness, declares that we are righteous.
He did this through Christ Jesus when he
freed us from the penalty for our sins. ...
God did this to demonstrate his
righteousness, for he himself is fair and
just, ....

20. #5 By BELIEVING in JESUS
Q: How then can you & I
obtain the benefit of
Jesus’ sacrifice ?
Rom 3:22 We are made
right with God by
PLACING OUR FAITH in
Jesus Christ. And this is
true for everyone who
BELIEVES, no matter
who we are.

21. #5 By BELIEVING in JESUS
Rom 3: 25-26 “... People
are made right with
God when they
BELIEVE that Jesus
sacrificed his life,
shedding his blood....
he declares sinners to
be right in his sight
when they BELIEVE in
Jesus.”

22. #1 : God is Righteous
#2 : All Men Are Sinners
#3 : Jesus Paid the Price for Sin
 My sins ...
 Your sins ....
 The Sin of All Mankind ...
#4 : Barrier of Sin is Removed
 The SIN BARRIER between
a RIGHTEOUS GOD and
SINFUL MAN is broken
#5 : Just Need to Believe and
Trust in Jesus

23. Just Believe !!
It is too easy...

24. the wisdom of the ancient Chinese...

25. the wisdom of the ancient Chinese...

26. the wisdom of the ancient Chinese...

27. God’s Word says ...
John 1:29 "Look, the
"Look,
Lamb of God, who
takes away the sin
of the world!
world!
RIGHTEOUSNESS results when
‘we’ are willing to come under
the “Lamb of God”
and have our sins forgiven ...

28. Good Friday must have Easter Sunday...
1 John 4:9
God showed how much he loved
us by sending his one and only
son into the world
so that we might have
ETERNAL LIFE through him.

29. Good Friday must have Easter Sunday...
ETERNAL LIFE :
What, How, Where, When ...
John 17:3
Now this is eternal life:
that they may know you, the only
true God,
and Jesus Christ, whom you have
sent.
sent.

31. #6 ETERNAL LIFE is a GIFT.
GIFT.
Rom 6:23
For the wages of sin is death,
But the gift of God
is eternal life
in Christ Jesus our Lord.

32. What ‘If’ there is no Easter Sunday ?
1 Cor 15:13-21
15:13-
If there is no resurrection of the
dead,
then even Christ has NOT been
raised.

33. What ‘If’ there is no Easter Sunday ?
And if Christ has not been raised,
our preaching is useless
our faith is useless
we are false witnesses about God
our faith is futile
we are still in our sins
those who have fallen asleep in Christ are
still lost
our hope in Christ is futile
we are to be most pitied....

34. “BUTs” are IMPORTANT
1 Cor 15:20
BUT ...
Christ has indeed been raised
from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who
have fallen asleep....
asleep....

35. So the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on
Easter Sunday is important ...
Confirm that
1. Jesus truly is God’s Son ...
Luke 24:7 'The Son of Man must be
delivered into the hands of sinful
men, be crucified and on the third
day be raised again.'"

36. So the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on
Easter Sunday is important ...
2. Death is no longer to be feared
1 Cor 15:54-55
15:54-
"Death has been swallowed up in
victory.
Where,
Where, O death, is your victory?
Where,
Where, O death, is your sting?” ...
sting?”

38. 2 Cor 4:4-6
4:4-
The god of this age has blinded the minds ...,
so that they cannot see the light of the gospel
of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
... For God, ... made his light shine in our
hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of
the glory of God in the face of Christ.

39. #1 : God is Righteous
#2 : All Men Are Sinners
#3 : Jesus Paid the Price for Sin
#4 : Barrier of Sin is Removed
#5 : Just Need to Believe and
Trust in Jesus
#6 : Eternal Life is a GIFT
A GIFT can be ACCEPTED
or REJECTED.
It is a Choice
It is YOUR Choice ...

40. What will you do ?
Rev 22:17
And let him who hears
say, "Come!" Whoever is
thirsty, let him come; and
whoever wishes, let him
take the free gift of the
water of life.

41. A Poem :
Once
I owed a debt I could not pay
God has a Love that will not stray
So at the Cross of Calvary
My debt and God's Love met
God paid the debt - I could not pay
I got a Love that will not fray.

42. A Poem (cont):
(cont):
Now
You too owe a debt you cannot pay
God still has a Love that will never stray
So at the Cross of Calvary
Your debt and God's Love met
God paid the debt - you cannot pay
Will you not receive His Love,
this is my prayer.