CrossBridge Church Westbury, NY

He is Risen // 2. He is Risen

Matthew 28:1-10

Today is Easter Sunday.  Some call it Resurrection Sunday because it's the day we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave. But there are many who still don't believe. Their lives are filled with doubt, despair, and uncertainty.  

Have you ever found yourself locked in darkness and uncertainty, in which you doubted everything you had assumed to be true and started to feel the despair close in on your life?  Your life came down to one ultimatum: “Either Jesus is true, or He's a fraud.” For these ladies in our passage and many of us, it's Jesus or nothing. 

In this passage you may ask, “What's God doing?" He's building a foundation for faith that is based upon His Word and His promises, that is solely focused on the Lord Jesus Christ. A belief in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ that is central to our faith. Do you believe in the resurrection? Let's look at our text in Matthew 28:1-10.

-Pastor Terry

He is Risen// 01. Triumph to Tears

Luke 19:28-44

This Sunday is Palm Sunday, the day in which the church recognizes the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem. We call it the Triumphal Entry. It also marks the beginning of His last week of life. This event brings great insight and also great misunderstanding. The great insight is that He really is who He says He is. He is "the King who comes in the name of the Lord". He is the Messiah, the Son of David, the long-awaited Ruler of Israel, and God's fulfillment of all His promises. However, the great misunderstanding was that Jesus would enter Jerusalem by His sovereign power to take His throne and set Israel free from the oppression of Roman rule and authority. This is not why Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.

This was a day of special joy for the followers of Jesus. But it came only days before the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The believers didn't know what was coming but Jesus knew. Not only does today's text describe the Triumphal Entry, it also shows us the compassion and tears that Jesus shed looking out over Jerusalem. Let's look together at Luke 19:28-44 to see what God's Word has in store for us.

-Pastor Terry

LUKE// 37. Did You Hear the Gospel?

Luke 8:1-15

In our text today, Jesus uses a parable to teach why some accept and believe the message of the gospel but others do not. We understand that the Word of God is powerful in every situation, yet not all people are equally prepared to hear the message and incorporate it into their lives.  

In this text the message is clear: Listen carefully when you come to hear the gospel! Be ready to listen completely with both your ears and your heart. In order that the gospel take root and bear fruit. So, let’s open to Luke 8:1-15.

-Pastor Terry

LUKE // 36. Doubts Arise

Luke 7:18-35

Do you ever struggle with doubt? Do you doubt when you're in the middle of painful circumstances? Do you doubt even when you know you shouldn't? I think I can say that all of us, at some time or another, have found ourselves doubting. In today's study we're going to take a look at John the Baptist and his struggle with doubt. Yes, John the Baptist the forerunner of Jesus Christ. In Luke chapter 7 we'll find John stuck alone in a prison cell and he has been assaulted by horrible, accusing thoughts about who Jesus is. Had he been wrong about Jesus?

In our text we'll see that John sent two of his disciples to pose a question to Jesus: "Are You the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" Many are struggling with doubt today and they are wondering if Jesus Christ is really who He says He is. Is He the Messiah and the Son of God? Let's look at this passage together today.

-Pastor Terry

LUKE // 35. Our Sins are Great. God's Forgivenness is Greater

Many people, both believers and non-believers alike, have an incorrect view of who Jesus is. Some believe He was just a prophet, while others believed He was a good moral man. Some believe Him to be the Son of God who came strictly to die for our sins and then went back to heaven and has left us alone. Some believe He is angry with them and many believe He requires them to be perfect before they are able to have a relationship with Him. Luke however, identifies Jesus as "The friend of sinners" (Luke 7:34). The one who paid the debt of sin. Today, it is my prayer that everyone in our church gathering will walk away with a greater biblical understanding of who Jesus is. 

DISCIPLESHIP// 7. A Troubled Disciple in Paradise

LUKE// 34. Jesus the Messiah

As we return to our study in the Gospel of Luke, we are reminded that Luke is a physician and a travel companion of the apostle Paul. He’s a scholar who gives attention to detail who has searched out diligently, and traced accurately, every possible detail to give us a precise account of the life and events of Jesus.  

It is here in Luke 7 that he has recorded for us two stories that are designed to help us to make much of Jesus. Throughout Luke's gospel, and the other gospels, the writers are driving home the point that Jesus is the promised Messiah that Israel has been looking for and he is more fully developing their admiration for Jesus. He’s doing that by showing us God's compassion, God's power, and God’s plan all incarnated perfectly in Jesus. 

Let’s look together today at our text in Luke 7.1-17

-Pastor Terry

DISCIPLESHIP //6. Last Words

As a church we are focused on what it means as well as what it looks like to be an “Unashamed Disciple”. The first week Pastor spoke on the necessity for each of us to “Know People’s Stories!” If we are going to be unashamed disciples then we need to engage the people God has put in our lives. We need to enter into the messiness that is people. We need to know who they are, what they believe, where their struggles are, and help connect them with God’s story. Pastor Nate then spoke about the necessity for each of us to “Know God’s Word” so that we may we connect people to God’s story of redemption and walk with them through the ebb and flow of life. 

Last week we were reminded of the reality that being a disciple of Jesus “Comes at a Cost.” Today we will take a look at Jesus’ Last Words to His disciples before He ascended to Heaven. From Jesus’ last words I hope we are all encouraged to see His glory and are therefore moved to worship Him through the making of disciples. 

-Pastor Matt

DISCIPLESHIP //5. The Cost of Discipleship - A Disciple is One Who Knows the Cost

Luke 14:25-33

We've been studying the past several weeks on what it means to be a disciple. Specifically, what it means to be an Unashamed Disciple.  Today we will look at the cost of discipleship. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said it this way, "Salvation is free but discipleship will cost you your life!”

What does that mean for you and me?  As we look into our text, we’re going to find that there’s a cost to being a disciple of Christ.  So, it’s natural for us to ask, what is the cost?  Let's look together at the scriptures to learn what the cost of discipleship is to us.

-Pastor Terry

DISCIPLESHIP // 4.Can You Handle a Sword? - A Disciple is One Who Knows

As we continue our series on being as disciple that is unashamed, we wanted to take some time to talk about the importance of the word of God in the life of a disciple. We must realize that the life of every disciple is a battle. Ephesians 6:12 makes it clear that this isn’t a regular battle against flesh and blood but a spiritual battle.  If we are to engage in this battle we need to be armed and ready.  

Hebrews 4:12 describes the word of God as a sword that is sharper than any sword. It is the type of spiritual weapon we need for the spiritual battle we are in. Not knowing how to handle the sword of the Lord makes us vulnerable to the attacks of sin and Satan. To be fully engaged in the war against sin we must know how to handle The Sword! I hope you are encouraged by this message to see your Bible in a new light and to be a disciple that knows the word.

-Pastor Nate