The resurrection of Jesus is more than a historical event. The resurrection of Jesus is a confrontation of faith. Do you believe that He is the resurrection and life?

This interaction between Martha and Jesus is dripping with emotion. Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha, had a close and affectionate relationship with Jesus. Verses 33-36 tell us that when Mary met him, accompanied by many mourners, he was deeply moved, and when he came to the tomb, he wept. The sisters are grieved by the loss of their brother and disappointed that Jesus had not arrived in time to heal him from his sickness.

There is a tendency to read this passage and focus primarily on the emotions. However, God is doing more than ministering to emotions in this passage. In God’s providence, he was providing an opportunity to demonstrate His glory and call his disciples to a deeper faith and belief.

Martha acknowledged that she believed in the resurrection on the last day, but this belief was academic and did not influence how she experienced the grief of the moment. Jesus called her to personally believe that he alone is the source and power of resurrection and eternal life. Many people, like Martha, acknowledge Jesus's resurrection, but what does it mean to have faith and belief that Jesus is the resurrection and the life? This passage exposes the insufficiency of knowledge alone and the requirement of faith and confession.

Having faith and belief that Jesus is the resurrection and the life is:

- More than an acknowledgment of fact.

- Believing that in Jesus alone is salvation.

- Confessing Jesus as Christ and Lord.

Ben Smith is the pastor of Central Baptist Church, Waycross, GA.

This sermon was originally preached on 4/20/2025 for Resurrection Sunday.

Books and downloadable PDFs of Pastor Ben’s sermon notes are available at http://bensmithsr.org/resources.

For more information on Central Baptist Church, visit www.cbcwaycross.org.

Everyone who has been saved by God is being sanctified. God begins the work at the moment of salvation and continues the work until it is fully completed when he raptures the church.

The fundamental truth to understanding 1 Thessalonians 5:23-28 is that God is the one who saves and the one who has, and is, and will completely sanctify every believer when he raptures the church. The church is a congregation of people who have been saved and are being sanctified. How are you, as those who have been saved and are being sanctified, to live in the present?

Paul concluded his letter with a prayer for sanctification, instructions for living faithfully, and a blessing of grace. All three of which teach how the redeemed are to live in the present.

Ben Smith is the pastor of Central Baptist Church, Waycross, GA.

This sermon was originally preached on 4/13/2025.

Books and downloadable PDFs of Pastor Ben’s sermon notes are available at http://bensmithsr.org/resources.

For more information on Central Baptist Church, visit www.cbcwaycross.org.

The work of salvation transforms how you relate to those whom God has put in authority in the church, your brothers and sisters in faith, and how you live in the world.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-22 are the final instructions of Paul's letter. From the start, Paul encouraged the church that they were doing well and demonstrating true evidence of faith. These instructions are not a rebuke of sin or an identification of error or heresy in the church but an encouragement to continue to grow in the faith.

How Christians live and relate to one another in the church directly relates to how effective they are in God's work and their continued sanctification. Many things can hinder sanctification, but none are more destructive than an unhealthy church and unhealthy relationships in the church.

This passage teaches three categories of instructions for how Christians are to live, relating to the leadership of elders, ministry to one another, and living according to the will of God.

Ben Smith is the pastor of Central Baptist Church, Waycross, GA.

This sermon was originally preached on 4/6/2025.

Books and downloadable PDFs of Pastor Ben’s sermon notes are available at http://bensmithsr.org/resources.

For more information on Central Baptist Church, visit www.cbcwaycross.org.