Let me begin this morning by thanking you all for joining us in celebrating our 2nd anniversary. I believe that I can confidently say, two years ago, I never dreamed that we, as a church, would be where we are today. Looking back over these past few years, we certainly have a lot to thank Him For.
Paul, in writing to the church in Corinth, reserves chapter 15 to specifically deal with some issues that had risen. Mainly, the issue of the Resurrection of Christ. You see, if the Greeks had a problem understanding the crucifixion of Christ, they would definitely have a problem dealing with the Resurrection of Christ.
So, Paul is writing to the church in Corinth to remind them that the message he is sharing now is the same message he shared at the very beginning – the message hasn’t change. Can I say this morning, the message that we began to share here at Rally Point Biker Church is the same message today that it was 2 years ago when we began – LOVE GOD AND LOVE EACH OTHER – and that message hasn’t changed.
Chapter 15 Paul is making what is probably the strongest case for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ in all the Bible. Then, after talking about death and the sting of death, Paul finishes with these words, “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore (because of that, in light of that), my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
Paul has decided that he is going to give all the thanks to the LORD from whom the victory over death, hell, and the grave come from.
Listen, you and I certainly need to give God thanks for the things He is going to do – in our lives, in the life of our church, and we can do that through faith – But we also need to give God thanks for the things He’s already done in our lives. Truth is, if He never does another thing for me, He has already done more for me than I ever deserved. So, I’m going to thank God for what He has done, regardless whether or not He does anything else.
If God never blesses me again, if he never does another thing for me, I get to stand up here this morning and say, “I’VE GOT SO MUCH TO THANK HIM FOR.”
WE’VE GOT SO MUCH TO THANK GOD FOR BECAUSE THE STORY NEVER CHANGES (v.1)
Paul says in verse 1, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand.”
Over the past 2 years, we’ve had some things change. The size of our crowd has changed; our seating arrangement has changed; Our sound equipment has changed; the place our kids learn has changed; Our music changes from time to time; the way we conduct the services has changed.
But do you know what hasn’t changed?
The story of Jesus Christ NEVER changes
How the perfect, sinless Son of God was born of a virgin, came to bear my sins and your sins on Calvary’s Cross, how He suffered, and bleed and died for your and I, and how He rose from the grave on the third day with victory over death hell and the grave and is now at the right hand of the Father where He makes intercession for you and I THAT NEVER CHANGES.
The Word of God NEVER Changes
“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my Words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35).
God NEVER Changes
“For I am the LORD, I change not” (Malachi 3:6). He is the same yesterday, today, and forever!
Paul is saying to the church in Corinth, “This is the message we are declaring to you, this is the message we are standing on.” Two years down the road – that’s the message Rally Point Biker Church is standing on.
WE’VE GOT SO MUCH TO THANK HIM FOR BECAUSE HE STILL REIGNS (V25)
I look at all the struggle and trials, and heartache our church has been through over the past two years and the one thing I realize is there is nothing that has happened in the life of our church, in my life or in your life that has caught God off guard. Nothing has caught Him by surprise.
You know why? Because He is still on His throne! Verse 25 says, “For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.”
The Bible tells us that “Heaven is His throne, and earth is His foot stool.” I can picture my dad years ago when He come home from a long day of work. He’d sit in his favorite chair and throw his legs up on the footstool. At that point of his day, my daddy didn’t have a care in the world.
So when I think about God sitting on His throne and His feet kicked up on the earth, He doesn’t have a care in the world – He’s got this! He has you and I in His hand and we have nothing to worry about – HE IS IN CONTROL – HE REIGNS!
But that is hard for us to get a grip on though isn’t it, because we won’t to take care of everything on our own. One lesson I have learned in my life is that you can’t always take care of it; you can’t always fix it; you can’t always pull yourself up by the boot laces – BUT GOD CAN.
WE’VE GOT SO MUCH TO THANK HIM FOR BECAUSE WHETHER WE LIVE OR WE DIE – GOD HAS IT ALL UNDER CONTROL (V. 51-56)
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.”
John 14 Jesus tells us, “I go to prepare for place for you,” How many of you believe that to be true? And then He said, “If I go to prepare a place for you, then I WILL come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.”
I’VE GOT SO MUCH TO THANK HIM FOR
WHEN I LOOK AROUND AND SEE
THE GOOD THINGS HE DOES FOR ME
I KNOW I’M UNWORTHY OF THEM ALL.
FOR HIS BLESSINGS HE FREELY GIVES
I OWE MY LIFE TO HIM
I’VE GOT SO MUCH TO THANK HIM FOR.
CHORUS
I’VE GOT SO MUCH TO THANK HIM FOR
SO MUCH TO PRAISE HIM FOR
YOU SEE HE HAS BEEN SO GOOD TO ME
AND WHEN I THINK OF WHAT HE’S DONE
AND WHERE HE BROUGHT ME FROM
I’VE GOT SO MUCH TO THANK HIM FOR
SOMETIMES WHILE ON THIS WAY
I KNEEL TO STOP AND SAY
THANK YOU LORD FOR ALL YOU’VE DONE FOR ME.
ONE DAY I’LL REACH SWEET HEAVEN’S SHORE
OH PLEASE LET ME KNEEL ONCE MORE
I’VE GOT SO MUCH TO THANK HIM FOR.
Fighting for My Pea Patch 