I want to talk about truth and the search for truth…
 
When Jesus was about to be crucified I think some of the most important words He ever spoke were said in John 18:37-38
37 Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." 38 Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?”
 
See Pilate asked “What is truth?” because to Pilate truth was “relative”…
 
“Life is good” said the rich man and that was true to him…
 
“Life is unbearable” said the slave and that was also true to him…
 
There is a difference between an accurate interpretation of an individuals circumstances, their feelings about their circumstances, and the truth…
 
Each of us have a set of circumstances that can be accurately interpreted, they can also be interpreted by our feelings, and then there is the truth about our circumstances…
 
One thing you can do to help you evaluate which one is leading you is to remember that the truth changes everything that follows it…
 
For example if the the first words of the bible are “TRUE” watch what happens to everything that follows…
 
Genesis 1:1 says…
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth
 
See, if this is true everything that follows is affected by this truth…
 
If its true then God exist and God existed before the beginning making Him eternal and everything including human beings has been created by God and according to His will…
 
This truth is not “relative” to where you live on this planet or who has raised you or how much money you have or whether you are free or a slave…

Let’s look again at what Jesus said to the Roman Governor that appeared to have authority over Him and had Him bound and was about to make a decision on whether He would live or die…
 
I want us to look at it in the light of the truth of Genesis 1:1 though…
 
In John 18:37-38 Jesus says:
 
I am a king
 
For this cause I was born
 
for this cause I have come into the world
 
that I should bear witness to the truth
 
Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice
 
So…
 
I am a king…
 
If this is true the question is who is He the king of or where is His kingdom?…
 
We know that He is the king of the place that existed before the heavens and the earth were created…
 
We also know that He is the king of all who dwell there and of all here on earth who put their faith in Him as Lord and Savior…
 
For this cause I was born…
 
If this is true His birth and kingship had a “cause” or “purpose” and were not happenstance or random…
 
We know that the “cause” or “purpose” of His birth was to save sinners from eternal damnation to hell and to offer men and women a place in His kingdom…
 
for this cause I have come into the world…
 
If this is true He was alive outside of this world and “came into the world” from wherever that place is…
 
We know that He had to come into the world in order save us, making us the “cause of His coming into the world”…
 
Where Jesus is from there is no death to conquer so in order to conquer the death that plagues man He had to come into the world as a man…
 
that I should bear witness to the truth…
 
If this is true then truth needs witnesses…
 
We know that in many cases the truth is never heard because there are no witnesses or there are no witnesses who are willing to come forward and testify…
 
Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice… 
 
If this is true then men and women who were not always that way can become men and women of truth…
 
If this is true it also means that we can in fact hear the voice of Jesus…
 
I want you to think about this for a second…  We’ve looked at 3 verses of truth so far this morning and it’s enough to change everything…
 
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and at a point in time God came into the world in order to testify of His kingdom and offer fallen men and women forgiveness of their sins and thus eternal citizenship in His kingdom…
 
Think for a second how that affects the rich man and his perspective on life…
 
and the slave and his perspective on life…
 
how should it affect you and your perspective on life and your circumstances and your feelings this morning…
 
If its true, like I said it changes everything doesn’t it…
 
Whether you want it to or not the truth about heaven and hell and sin and forgiveness will impact you…
 
However, the truth about salvation will not impact you positively unless you seek it and accept it as truth…
 
Acts 10:1-8
1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, "Cornelius!" 4And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, "What is it, lord?" So he said to him, "Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. 6 He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do." 7 And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually. 8 So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.
 
This man was not yet saved but he was searching for truth…
 
His glass looked pretty good but we know that it was still glowing bright blue under the light because of unforgiven sin…
 
Because he was looking for truth and trying to honor God in the best way he knew how God said He would show Cornelius what he needed to do…
 
It’s funny how Cornelius sent servants to go and get Peter…  It just reminds me that God doesn’t need to change who we are or a lot in life in order to reveal Himself to us…
 
Now lets connect the truth seekers with the witnesses who are called to confess and testify…
 
Acts 10:9-22
9 The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. 10Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance 11 and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 13 And a voice came to him, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat." 14 But Peter said, "Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean." 15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, "What God has cleansed you must not call common." 16 This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again. 17Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate. 18 And they called and asked whether Simon, whose surname was Peter, was lodging there. 19 While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are seeking you. 20 Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them." 21 Then Peter went down to the men who had been sent to him from Cornelius, and said, "Yes, I am he whom you seek. For what reason have you come?" 22And they said, "Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you."
 
God will always connect truth seekers with witnesses…
 
The question is will witnesses testify and will seekers accept the truth?…
 
Acts 10:23-29
23 Then he invited them in and lodged them. On the next day Peter went away with them, and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him. 24 And the following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, "Stand up; I myself am also a man." 27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many who had come together.28 Then he said to them, "You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. 29 Therefore I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me?"
 
See God didn’t work out every detail of what either one would do or say He just put them in the same place and said “seeking and testifying will work itself out”…
 
Cornelius tells Peter about His dream and then this…
 
Acts 10:34-43
34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35 But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. 36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ--He is Lord of all-- 37 that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39 And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. 40 Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42 And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. 43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins."
 
Peter says Himself that he was called to be a witness and Peter shares the truth about the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus…
 
and Peter ends by saying “whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”…
 
So let me show you what happens when seekers and witnesses come together and truth is proclaimed…
 
Acts 10:44-48
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, 47 "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" 48And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.
 
Salvation… Confirmation by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit… and Baptism…
 
Always but in a different degree lately in this church I have been overwhelmed with the need for truth…
 
There is power and hope and life in the truth…
 
John 14:6
6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
 
This is not relative truth… it’s absolute truth…
​

Last week we started our series “Relative Righteousness" built upon Albert Einstein’s “Theory of Relativity”… E=mc2…
 
Einstein’s theory was that the constant of “c2”, which is the speed of light squared, would produce a certain amount of energy or “E”…
 
The amount of energy or “E” is relative to the “m” in the equation which represents mass…

So as you can see the “m” is very important and last week we saw how Jesus represents the “mass” in God’s equation…

It is only fitting for Mother’s Day that the “m” in our equation represents “Mother’s"…
 
Mother’s show us Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit alive in someone in such a special way…
 
I’ve always said that its hard to find a greater honor and miracle than God choosing to partner with women in order to bring life into the world…
 
The great challenge for Mother’s is to bring life into the world and then to do all that they can to sustain and protect it while the enemy and this world do everything they can to destroy that life…
 
I want to look at the “Relative Righteousness” of two mothers… One was a young and fertile woman and the other an older barren woman…
 
The “E” or energy or moving of the Holy Spirit produced in their lives is “relative” to each of these mother’s particular circumstances…
 
We can all serve the same God and see dramatically different impact but that’s not always because of sin or lukewarm living…
 
Sometimes its just because we all have different circumstances and the timing of God is in His hands not ours…

Luke 1:5-12 & 24-25
5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years. 8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
 
24 Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, 25"Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people."
 
How can we be “Blameless” and “Barren”…  We cannot believe that our barreness is always due to unrighteousness… or lukewarm living...
 
So many mother’s are trying to figure out what they did wrong and they need to seek the Lord for clarity and understanding to see where they may be carrying burdens that don’t belong to them…

She spent a lot of years preparing to be a mother… even though she thought the training was preparing her for life without children…
 
A mother’s job is never over and that means God still has some training for every mother…
 
She continued to honor the Lord… While not pretending the pain and reproach wasn't real…
 
She supported her husband and honored his ministry… She didn’t withhold from God because she felt that she had been slighted or mistreated or she had suffered unfairly…
 
She hid or humbled herself instead of boasting… She said The Lord has given me a child and the Lord will remove my reproach…
 
So let’s look at the other woman in this chapter…
 
Luke 1:26-31 and 34-38
26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" 29But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.
 
34 Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" 35And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible." 38 Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
 
Highly favored and blessed among women…  She was young and pure and just falling in love and getting engaged…
 
In the worlds eyes and in the churches eyes who had the more difficult road and life?… So why a child so quick for Mary and after so long for Elizabeth?…
 
How can this be?  The “Appropriate Response”…  The “E” or power of the Holy Spirit will come upon you and He is able to accomplish the impossible…
 
She was troubled but encouraged not to be afraid...
 
Let it be to me according to your word… We have to strive to continue to “Respond Appropriately”…
 
Now I want to look at what these children would do with their lives and who they would become, in many ways, because of their mothers…

Let’s look at Elizabeth’s boy John first…
 
Luke 1:14-17
14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
 
The mother’s ability to shape and mold the lives of their children is another unexplainable miracle of God…
 
Elizabeth raised John in a way that proved she believed what she had heard God promise about her boy…
 
Mother’s can hear God speak about their children’s future if they will just slow down and listen and then be strong and bold enough to act on what they've heard…
 
How many times do you think John heard the voice of his mother saying “son you are called for greater things than wine and strong drink”?…
 
and how about Mary’s boy…
 
Luke 1:32-33
32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."
 
So the woman with the long season of barreness had to raise her son to live pure and the woman with the early pregnancy had to raise her Son to be God and save the world…  It’s all “Relative” right…
 
How many times do you think Jesus heard the voice of His mother saying “son, stop trying to act like you’re not perfect”?…
 
The same way there is something eternal about the Fatherhood and Childhood we find in God, I believe there is also something eternal about the motherhood He exposes us to…
 
1 Corinthians 15:45
45 And so it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
 
I think the spirit of motherhood is a life-giving spirit that any woman who desires it can have and develop and exercise in the lives children young and old…
 
In the end both of these mother’s we looked at today lost their children to satan and this world and death in the physical…
 
It still hurt these women beyond measure but they were filled with the Spirit of God and learned to hope in the resurrection…
 
Mother’s live and love in this life but the best of all mother’s never stop preparing their children and themselves for eternity…

Einstein's famous equation, E=mc2, implied that matter and energy were equivalent and, more specifically, that a single particle of matter could be converted into a huge quantity of energy...
 
E represents units of energy… m represents units of mass… c2 is the speed of light squared, or multiplied by itself…
 
For "Relative Righteousness" think about E or energy representing the Holy Spirit…
 
There is a power and energy that comes from the Holy Spirit that is undeniable…
 
Acts 1:8
you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you
 
So E or the Holy Spirit is = to mc2…
 
The m represents Jesus because He is the “mass” or substance or body in the equation…
 
John 1:14
the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory
 
Colossians 1:15
15 He is the image of the invisible God
 
Hebrew 11:1
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
 
Jesus is the substance or “mass” of what we’ve all hoped for… He’s the answer to our problem with sin…
 
AND… He is the evidence or of things not seen like “E” the Holy Spirit…

So E the Holy Spirit is = to “m” Jesus… which leaves us with c2…
 
c2 represents the speed of light multiplied by the speed of light…
 
While God the Father and God the Son are different in personality they are also One in the same…
 
They are 1 God so c2 is literally God multiplied by God…
 
John 14:9
He who has seen Me has seen the Father
 
John 17:22
the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one
 
When Jesus, who is the image and mass and substance of God, making Him God is multiplied by God the Father they are = to the Holy Spirit in all His power…
 
Not the two of them are as powerful as the Holy Spirit but the two of them are the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is the two of them…
 
So why is this series titled “Relative Righteousness”…
 
The way Einsteins equation really works is that the only variable that ever changes is “m” or the mass…
 
It can be small or large and when that changing variable is multiplied by the speed of light squared or c2 the amount of “E” or energy produced is proportional or “relative”…
 
So if “m” is small you get those little white “popper’s” you get from the ice cream man…
 
If “m” is a little larger you get an illegal “M80” from Mexico…
 
and if “m” is fairly large you get and “Atomic Bomb”…
 
So too little and there is no impact and too much leads to destruction…
 
The key to Jesus being “m” is that you have “perfection” every time… righteousness every time… holiness every time… perfect love every time… perfect knowledge and wisdom every time…
 
But when you and I represent the “m” or mass, 10 times out of 10 we end up with no impact or becoming a weapon of mass destruction…
 
We spend so much time comparing our “mass” to non-believers and other believers and there is truly not much value in that…
 
It makes us bitter and defensive and critical and self-righteous…
 
2 Corinthians 10:12
12 For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
 
Our “mass” and “righteousness” is as filthy rags when compared to the Lord…
 
The first thing I want to establish in our series is that the goal is not for you and I to become better “masses” but to be transformed into the “mass” and substance and image of Christ…
 
2 Corinthians 3:16-18
when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
 
This scripture means that when we turn to the Lord the veil that separated us from God is removed and we enter into the freedom the Holy Spirit gives…
 
The freedom the Holy Spirit gives is the freedom to lay down our lives or our “mass” and be transformed into the perfect “image” of God…
 
Colossians 1:27
27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory
 
This is the mystery of all mysteries that Christ can live in us through His Spirit and give us the perfect “mass”…
 
I also felt really strongly that as we start our new series we need to talk about “Appropriate Responses”…
 
What is it that makes you watch your language around certain people like a Pastor?…
 
Why is it that you have self control in those moments and even when you slip you ask forgiveness or you beg pardon?
 
Even the “Relative Righteousness” of a man or woman of God with an “imperfect mass” prompts a certain response from people...
 
That response isn't asked for but the offender somehow knows its deserved…
 
I don’t ask people to watch they're language around me but they usually feel its an “Appropriate Response”…
 
I’m glad that people might see something good or honorable or “relatively righteous” in me but the thing about the righteousness of God is that it is anything but “relative”...
 
God is Holy and Righteous and Perfect in an infinite and beyond relative way...
 
Here’s the question… How can we become men and women that give God the “Appropriate Response” when we are in His presence… and literally beg His pardon (repent) when we don’t…
 
Philippians 2:10-11
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
 
The response that is prompted from all who enter His presence should be far beyond that prompted when entering the presence of a man or woman with “Relative Righteousness”…
 
Every one in heaven, on earth, or in hell bow before Jesus and confess Him as Lord…
 
Problem 1.  The “Appropriate Response” isn’t prompted because many of us are unaware of His presence…
 
Genesis 28:15-16
15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you." 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”
 
Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it…
 
This is definitely an issue for non-believers but its also true of many believers…
 
We just don’t believe He’s always around and we don’t recognize His presence…
 
As you read through the gospels Jesus was constantly encountering people who were unaware that they were in the presence of God so they could never give the “Appropriate Response”…
 
Most of the time people challenged Him and ridiculed Him and took from Him and ate from what He provided and listened to Him without making a decision or taking any action…
 
Every now and then someone would encounter Jesus and Jesus would reveal to them that is God and they would have the “Appropriate Response”…
 
They’d leave their boats and nets and follow Him…
 
They’d return to Him at night seeking more understanding…
 
They’d leave His presence and go into the temple to worship and testify…
 
They’d be so humbled they’d wash His feet or anoint His body…
 
This idea of Jesus having to reveal Himself as God before people would give the “Appropriate Response” leads me to problem #2…
 
Problem 2.  The appropriate response is unattainable from unregenerate men and women...
 
We are not prompted to keep from using vulgar language or prompted to apologize for offending our hearers sensitivities when we are unsaved because we don’t care...
 
When we haven’t been changed by the presence of God we are not prompted to refrain from sinning and we are not prompted to apologize to God or repent for being who we’ve become…
 
John 16:7-13
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. 12 I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
 
This scripture is telling us that the “E” in E=mc2 will convict us and give us revelation…
 
The Holy Spirit shows us who Jesus is and reveals that we are in His presence…
 
and the bar for the “Appropriate Response” becomes so high that we are immediately aware that it is unattainable...
 
Right then the question most of us ask is "can I get out of the presence of God and forget this guilt and this involuntary response I feel compelled to give but know I am unable?"...
 
The question we must at some point ask is... "Is there a way to stay in His glorious presence and respond appropriately when I'm prompted to do so?”…
 
I pray that this church and every church remembers that this is the question we are here to answer… and the answer is yes…
 
You can be saved and transformed and regenerated and born again…
 
Earlier I shared Philippians 2:10-11 with you which is what the “Appropriate Response” is…
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
 
and the very next two verses Philippians 2:12-13 are how to do it…
work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
 
Be saved and Christ IN you the hope of glory, will by His Spirit from within you give you a desire AND ability to “Respond Appropriately” to His presence…
 
Let's finish with a story of an “Appropriate Response”…
 
Luke 17:11-19
11 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13 And they lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" 14 So when He saw them, He said to them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. 17 So Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?" 19 And He said to him, "Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

Only 1 of the 10 gave an "Appropriate Response" for having come into the presence of God and experiencing His healing/saving power...

I hope the Spirit of God has spoken to many of you and empowers you to give an “Appropriate Response” as you are truly in the presence of the great and awesome God right now…
 
He is promising change and transformation if you will have Him…
 
Respond to your condition of being far from God by asking Him to come close!

“Living Beyond The Grave” is not an easy thing to do...

1 Peter 1:3-11
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls.10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you,11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating
 
Verse 10 said… Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you…
 
Definition of Prophet: A person who speaks by divine inspiration or as the interpreter through whom the will of a God is expressed.

So this story is about a Prophet named Elijah and his disciple who was also a Prophet named Elisha…
 
2 Kings 2:1-23
1 And it came to pass, when the Lord was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 2 Then Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to Bethel." But Elisha said, "As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!" So they went down to Bethel. 3 Now the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, "Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today?" And he said, "Yes, I know; keep silent!"4 Then Elijah said to him, "Elisha, stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to Jericho." But he said, "As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!" So they came to Jericho. 5 Now the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came to Elisha and said to him, "Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today?" So he answered, "Yes, I know; keep silent!" 6 Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to the Jordan." But he said, "As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!" So the two of them went on. 7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood facing them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8 Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground. 9 And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?" Elisha said, "Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me." 10 So he said, You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so." 11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!" So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. 13 He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, "Where is the Lord God of Elijah?" And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over. 15 Now when the sons of the prophets who were from Jericho saw him, they said, "The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha." And they came to meet him, and bowed to the ground before him. 16 Then they said to him, "Look now, there are fifty strong men with your servants. Please let them go and search for your master, lest perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has taken him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley." And he said, "You shall not send anyone." 17 But when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, "Send them!" Therefore they sent fifty men, and they searched for three days but did not find him. 18 And when they came back to him, for he had stayed in Jericho, he said to them, "Did I not say to you, 'Do not go'?" 19 Then the men of the city said to Elisha, "Please notice, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the ground barren."20 And he said, "Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it." So they brought it to him. 21Then he went out to the source of the water, and cast in the salt there, and said, "Thus says the Lord: 'I have healed this water; from it there shall be no more death or barrenness.' " 22So the water remains healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.23 Then he went up from there to Bethel;
 
So Elijah and Elisha started and ended at Bethel…
 
Bethel was the first place God took Abraham to when He called Him and Abraham built an altar there…
 
When Jacob left His father Isaac he slept in Bethel and encountered God there…
 
Genesis 28:10-19
10 Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. 12 Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: "I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. 14 Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you." 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it." 17 And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!" 18 Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. 19 And he called the name of that place Bethel;
 
So Bethel is the house of God and gate of heaven where angels ascend and descend…
 
Jesus calls Nathanael to be a disciple and John 1:51 reads…
He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
 
Jesus says “I AM the house of God and the gate of heaven”… “I AM Bethel”…
 
I AM the beginning and where you must come to encounter God and see the truth with your own eyes…
 
Elijah and Elisha move on to Jericho which represents the place where there is no victory without a supernatural move of God…
 
Joshua 5:13-14
13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, "Are You for us or for our adversaries?" 14 So He said, "No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.”
 
This is Jesus appearing and declaring that “I have now come” because this is a battle that only the Lord can fight and win…
 
See we meet Him at Bethel but we realize how much we need Him at Jericho…
 
This is the battle for “Life Beyond The Grave” that Jesus fights in Jericho and we can do nothing to obtain that life on our own…
 
If He doesn’t fight that fight and give us the victory we die… and if we don’t go from Bethel to Jericho and bow down before Him in worship like Joshua did we die…

As if that isn’t hard enough Elijah says to us we still have further to go…
 
2 Kings 2:5-8
5 Now the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came to Elisha and said to him, "Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today?" So he answered, "Yes, I know; keep silent!" 6 Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to the Jordan." But he said, "As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!" So the two of them went on. 7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood facing them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8 Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
 
The Jordan is the place of baptism…
 
It isn’t enough to meet Jesus in Bethel… and it isn’t enough to come to Jericho where you realize you are helpless without Him…
 
We have to be baptized into the death of Christ and come up on the other side raised in newness of life…
 
Matthew 3:13
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.
 
Romans 6:3-13
do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead
 
Now that Elijah and Elisha have been to and through Bethel and to and through Jericho and to and through the Jordan…
 
2 Kings 2:11 says…
11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
 
"Then" is when we begin "Living Beyond The Grave" and it only happens once we've been to Bethel, Jericho, and the Jordan…
 
In John 14:2-4 Jesus says…
2 In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know."
 
Jesus has gone to prepare a place for each of us and He says we know “the way”… and  the Prophet Elijah has shown us “the way”…
 
You’ve been to Bethel at some point in your life and heard and seen the truth of who Jesus is…
 
You’ve come to your Jericho and you know that without a supernatural move of God there is no hope for you to win the battle for your soul…
  
Come to the Jordan and be baptized… Go all in, come to the other side, and start “Living Beyond The Grave” now…