The Living One - Week 30: The Inheritance

Awake Us Now

Scripture: Acts 20:32-38

Pastor continues with the story of Paul’s talk with the leadership of the church in a gathering in the town of Miletus - it is Paul’s farewell speech to this group of believers. Paul finishes his time with these friends and leaders with them all in prayer together. There are tears as the leaders are grieved at knowing they will not see Paul again. Paul knew he had complete his work here and in the surrounding cities and areas. The chapter closes with them walking him to the ship to leave.

But let’s focus on one of the words from Paul’s speech as it draws to an end. He talks about our inheritance in Christ.

What does inheritance mean in the Bible? The biblical definition of inheritance is speaking of what God gives to us through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:13-14 tells us that when we believed in Christ, Christ identified us as His own by giving us the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the guarantee that Jesus will give us the inheritance He promised and that He has purchased us to be His own people.

1 Peter 1:3-4 tells us of an inheritance that comes to us through the death and resurrection of Christ and is an inheritance that can never perish or fade away.

Jesus’ death and resurrection is the heart of our inheritance. BUT there’s more!

The Essential Fundamentals of the Faith: 1. Deity - Jesus is true man and true God 2. Death - Jesus, the Lamb of God, through His death, paid for our sins on the cross 3. Resurrection - Jesus’ resurrection assures we too shall rise. The resurrection is God’s declaration that the sacrifice of Jesus is accepted. 4. Return - Jesus is alive forever more and is coming back. His second coming- He’s coming back for us.

These fundamentals are pointed to in the Old Testament, and are fulfilled in the New Testament.

Jesus’ return is the heart of Paul’s teaching and Christ’s return is what assures us of our inheritance.

Are you doubting the Resurrection of Christ? Dr. Gary R. Habermas is a scholar of the resurrection of Christ and has written several books. Here are two we suggest for those wanting to read about the evidence of Jesus resurrection:

“On the Resurrection: Evidences” And “On the Resurrection: Refutations”

Anthony Flew, a renown atheist debated Gary Habermas. Several years later Antony rejected atheism because the evidence for God is convincing.

The evidence for the existence of God and for the resurrection of Jesus is powerful and convincing. Many people have never examined the evidence but instead they have just bought into what they’ve been told by the world rather than the things they could have discovered.

What does it mean for us that Jesus is alive? What is our destiny? It is NOT as a spirit in heaven. The Bible teaches the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.

Pastor sites these verses for what the New Testament says about the: Deceased Believers Luke 23:43 - in paradise Philippians 1:23 - with Christ, better by far 1 Thessalonians 3:13-14 - asleep

BUT on our destiny we read in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 1 Corinthians 15:22-26, 51-52 Titus 2:13-14 John 5:28-29 that:

1. Jesus will come down from heaven with a trumpet call and a loud voice of the archangel 2. The dead will rise 3. We will be with the Lord forever 4. A new heaven and a new earth 5. Death will be destroyed 6. We will all be changed in the twinkling of an eye - imperishable!

Our destiny is to be raised to life forever with God with transformed glorified bodies in a new heaven and a new earth - ALL things new.

May the truth that we too shall rise anchor us in our faith in God and give us strength in opposition, joy in the face of loss and assurance in the face of death.

https://www.awakeusnow.com

Check out the video on our website https://www.awakeusnow.com/living-one

Check out the video on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTaaqrC3dMOwUarSm3uJrzLI4thAJNXQj

Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.