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This is an exposition of the story of Christ’s miraculous feeding of the five thousand. This event is very rich in spiritual lessons for every child of God. Perhaps that is the reason why this miracle of Jesus is recorded in all the four Gospels (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-13).

There were more than five thousand people who were as hungry as hunters, and there was no way of providing enough food for all of them. To make things worse, it was also not possible for the people to get back to their homes quickly, as they had come from very far to be with Jesus.

The disciples felt helpless and anxious about the situation. But our blessed Master was not ruffled by this enormous need of the crowd to have food to eat. He was compassionate and concerned, yet calm and confident. So John recorded, “When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do” (John 6:5-6).

The Lord Jesus Christ knew exactly what He ought to do to feed that huge hungry crowd. He knew what He would do to solve that desperate situation. He had all the knowledge and power to feed everyone in the crowd and send them home, full and satisfied. Then, a very canny Philip tried to answer Jesus’ question, “Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” He quickly did a calculation of the cost of food for such a large crowd, and said to Jesus, “Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little” (John 6:7).

Why did he mention that two hundred pennyworth of bread would not be enough? In fact, it was a large sum of money, which was about eight months’ wages. (One denarius was a day’s pay for a common labourer; two hundred denarii therefore represent about eight months’ wages.) It was sufficient to provide for a large family for more than eight months. But even such a large sum was not enough to feed this huge crowd. Philip could not think beyond the mundane activities of the market place. He was totally lost, and he had no idea how they could carry out their Master’s wish to feed the hungry crowd. Philip needed to believe that the Lord is able to do that which seems impossible in his mind.

Suddenly, the Lord’s work of provision began to unfold. “One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto Him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?” (John 6:8-9). Andrew brought to Christ a boy who had five barley loaves and two small fishes.

This was so much lesser than Philip’s mention of two hundred pennyworth of food. The boy’s food was extraordinarily disproportionate to the need. Then why did he mention the boy’s five loaves and two small fishes? It must have been an amazing intervention of God’s providential hand. Against all logic, as it appeared, Andrew talked about what he had found.

Again we must wonder, “How did he find the boy in the crowd?” “Who was that boy?” “Was he a peddler who tried to make some money after having sold all he had except the five loaves of bread and two fishes?” “Or was he a hungry boy in the crowd who was about to eat the food packed by his mother?” We have no answer to these questions.

Nevertheless, we see the providence of God helping Andrew meet this boy in such a huge crowd and then bring him to the Lord. Is it not also amazing that the boy was willing to part with his food? Let us, therefore, believe in His providence. To meet the needs of His work, the Lord can even use a little boy.

The boy was willing to part with his food. There is no doubt that he gave the food to the Lord, for we read that “And Jesus took the loaves” (v. 11). The boy was not selfish, but generous. If the lad had considered his own need as most important, he would not have given that food to Jesus. But now because he had given his food to Christ, it became a blessing for him as well as the thousands who were around him.

Until the boy expressed his willingness to give his food for Christ’s use, he was an unknown lad to most people. So Andrew introduced him to Jesus, saying, “There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes” (v. 9). But his anonymity was not a hindrance to his contribution.

So, may you be rest assured that if you are willing to serve God, you need not be afraid that obscurity will ever prevent you from doing it. Do not say, “Nobody knows me, I don’t think I can be of any help to the huge challenges before us.” Just come forward to do what you are capable of for His glory. If you would avail yourself to the Lord, God would use you for great purposes.

The boy’s gift appeared very trivial. Andrew commented, “What are they among so many?” Likewise, some may judge your contributions to be very small too. Now, I dare say, do not let anybody, even Satan, discourage you from giving of yourself to the Lord. You may hear voices such as, “What is the use of you trying to do anything? You cannot serve God.” Do not let any such discouraging voices affect you.

God will honour your loving and ready gift to Him, even though man might first despise it. You may face the derision of men, but afterwards you will be used of God. Let us take note that though some considered the boy’s gift as rather insignificant, the Lord Jesus Christ thanked God for the boy’s food and then commanded it to be distributed to the people who were seated. His blessings made the small gift of the boy sufficient for all the people who were gathered around Christ. The miraculous provision continued until all the five thousand were fed and twelve baskets full of bread were left over.

Jesus cares for the hungry and needy through every contribution that comes out of a willing heart. He manifests His goodness and glory through our gifts to bless the humble and the needy. Praise the Lord!

Sermon Text: Psalm 9
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 8th May 2022

We live in a ‘selfie-world’!

Man’s tendency to boast about himself has been on shameless display on social media, such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The craze of snapping self-portraits and posting them on social media has caught on with a generation enamoured with self-promotion. Some even say, “My day is not complete until the selfie is posted.” Alas, the narcissistic tendencies of man have found a platform for free expression in social media! Self-centredness and an excessive desire to be admired by others are plaguing our modern society.

Though self-boasting seems to give self-satisfaction, those who are engaged in it are unaware of its maladies. They are deluded by the vainglory of self-praise. They pride themselves on their looks, abilities, achievements, willpower, and self-righteousness. Scripture warns us that “in the last days perilous times shall come” when “men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud,” etc. (2 Timothy 3:1-2).

Disdainful Speech of Self-Boasting

To boast about oneself is to talk in a bragging manner, and is manifested by prideful speaking about oneself and about the things one possesses or does. God disdains this and regards it as vile and abominable. A boastful person is depicted as wicked, materialistic, arrogant, vulgar, accursed and suchlike. “For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth. The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them. He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity. His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity” (Psalm 10:3-7).

Scripture tells us that prideful, swelling speech characterises Satan (Isaiah 14:12-15), Antichrist (Daniel 7:8, 11, 25; 8:11; 11:36-37; Revelation 13:5-6), false teachers (2 Peter 2:18; 1 Timothy 6:4), and many churchgoers of the last days (2 Timothy 3:1-2; Jude 16), as well as all that are wicked (Psalms 17:9-10; 73:8-9). The apostle Paul classifies the proud and the boasters in the same category as the haters of God (Romans 1:30). It is then obvious that the persistent habit of self-boasting is a sure mark of the unregenerate person. Hence, no child of God should indulge in it.

Self-boasting is a sin that affects people of all ages – children, youths and adults alike. The book of Proverbs cautions us against boastful speech. It is depicted as foolish utterances of an egoistic person, which will surely lead him to his own dishonour. The overall perception about boasting that the wisdom of Proverbs gives, is that it is not only unwise but also destructive. Self-exaltation will not lead to real, lasting excellency or advantage. So, God’s people are exhorted to avoid all forms of prideful talk. Consider the following admonitions from the book of Proverbs:

• Do not engage in self-praise: “Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips” (Proverbs 27:2). A man who praises himself is one who cannot feel happy until he hoists himself above others. That is certainly not a pretty sight. It is better that we be focused on getting our life and efforts to be praiseworthy before the Lord and His people, rather than praising ourselves. As it has been said, “Self-praise is no commendation.” To be commended by others is certainly to one’s credit and enhances one’s reputation. But to engage in self-commendation will result in one’s own hurt and disgrace! Hence, the apostle Paul also reminds us: “For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth” (2 Corinthians 10:18).
• Do not boast about tomorrow: “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1). A person should not praise himself concerning what he will do the next day, simply because he really has no way of knowing for sure what will happen. Never arrogantly presume the future! The apostle James highlights the folly of disregarding this truth when he admonishes those who exult in self-assured planning: “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil” (James 4:13-16). Our ignorance of tomorrow and inability to control tomorrow’s events should stop us from boasting about our future enterprises!
• Do not boast about your unjust gains: “It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth” (Proverbs 20:14). This verse depicts a shrewd buyer who unjustly downplays the value of a product in order to get it at a low price, and then brags about the “cheap deal” that he has managed to “snatch” out of the seller. However, God’s children ought to be reminded that all our business dealings and affairs of life should display the glory of our heavenly Father rather than material glory. Rather than profit-making, our lives and activities should manifest fairness, equity, justice, righteousness, grace and compassion. Our desire must be singularly for divine virtues and glory, instead of material wealth and its accompanying glamour!
• Do not boastfully speak of a gift not given yet: “Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain” (Proverbs 25:14). “False gifts” are gifts promised but not given. False promises of gifts are truly like clouds without rain which leave many eager and expectant farmers devastated. What great disappointment and distress false promises have inflicted on others! We must not boast of what we have promised, which remains an empty promise until it is delivered! In other words, we should not boast of a promise that we have not made good yet. Neither should we make any promise if we know we cannot follow through its delivery.

From the above selected admonitions from Proverbs, God’s people indeed must beware of and avoid all forms of boastful speech. Finally, we must also realise that prideful speech leads to violence and punishment: “In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride” (Proverbs 14:3a). The foolish talk of a person, who is arrogant, hardened and thick-headed in his ways, results in him being punished with a rod. Unguarded words of arrogance can also engender violence, and can act as “a rod” hurting others. So, let us guard our speech, and let it be rid of a self-exalting spirit that troubles others and ourselves.

“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2). This apostolic charge to Timothy has reverberated down the ages to us through the pages of the Holy Scriptures. This is the mandate to the church and her leaders to pass down the sound doctrines of the Scriptures to each coming generation.

From the time the Lord called me and appointed me as the pastor of Gethsemane Bible-Presbyterian Church, it has been a passion in my heart to be obedient to the mandate of 2 Timothy 2:2. Having been in the ministry for about three decades, my prayer and passion to be an instrument in God’s hand to fulfil this biblical mandate has only increased. Hence, I am grateful to God for the opportunity to be part of the ministry of Far Eastern Bible College to this day – and in addition, for our church’s efforts to establish GBI ministries around the world in preparing a new generation to carry on the work of His Gospel kingdom.

During the past two and a half years of the pandemic, the Lord has continued to enable me to teach and guide online those who join GBI’s Pastoral Biblical Studies (PBS) in matters of theology. This course was conducted with the special intention to equip and strengthen those whom God has called to proclaim the Word and feed the flock. Six preachers (from Singapore, China, the Philippines and India) have been joining this weekly study. We pray that they will all be faithful expositors of God’s Word in their God-appointed places, and be instrumental in God’s hand to prepare another group of godly men for the ministry in the years to come.

Please find below the testimonies of two participants who had joined the Pastoral Biblical Studies. God willing, more testimonies will follow in the coming weeks’ bulletins.

—Pastor Prabhudas Koshy

Pr Kelvin Lim

Thanks be unto the LORD for the privilege to be part of Gethsemane Bible Institute’s Pastoral Biblical Studies (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:18).

• It has been a blessed time of learning God’s Word together with fellow preachers from our mission churches.
• The lessons from Systematic Theology (e.g. Ecclesiology, Revelation and Inspiration of Scripture, Canon of Scripture, Preservation of Scripture), and the in-depth study of certain selected passages in the Bible, were indeed divine blessings unto me.
• The passionate discussions on various topics were as what Proverbs 27:17 describes: “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”
• At times, the truths taught were not easy to comprehend, yet are necessary so that we might grow together in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
• Furthermore, this class could also be a platform for us to build rapport with and update one another regarding our ministries for the Lord in His vineyard.
• May the glorious Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ be declared unto every sinner whom we shall come into contact with, and may the perfect Word of God be taught in many churches unto every saint, that they may be established in the faith according to the high calling of the LORD our God. To Him be glory for ever and ever, Amen!

Pr Donald dela Cruz

I praise the Lord for enabling me to join the Pastoral Biblical Studies of Gethsemane Bible Institute. I appreciate the many lessons I’ve picked up during the duration of the online course. Our current class is about the preservation of the Holy Scriptures. Generally speaking, nobody in the Christian realm questions the inspiration of the Holy Bible, except liberal scholars and their followers. However, it is not the case with the preservation of the Scriptures. The majority of Christians today do not believe that God has preserved the Bible in the original languages. The most striking lesson to me in the current course is that “God will preserve His inspired Words for the sake of His people.” The reason is found in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” Herein we have the divine promise concerning not only the inspiration, but also the preservation of the Scriptures. If God would have allowed the perversion of His Word, then in the present times, we would not have His perfect Word to enable us to be “throughly furnished”!

Studying God’s Word in preparation for the ministry is very different from studying while you are in the ministry. The topic was already discussed when I was studying full-time at FEBC. While I am familiar with the topic, the re-learning of the doctrine of the Scriptures provided a wide perspective of its significance and benefits in the ministry. The topic becomes relevant to me because of my experiences while serving in the ministry. I have seen cultic churches, such as Mormons, deceiving people with their strange doctrines. Some people in my locality asked me about their claims on the Book of Mormon and others. I replied that God has only given us one Book for our instruction and that is the Holy Bible. I warned them that the Mormons exalt the work of a man (Joseph Smith’s book), rather than the work of God (the Bible). That alone should ring alarm bells in the hearts of true believers!

I had also encountered a Christian who has read the work of Peter Ruckman. He was so impressed by the writings of Ruckman that he adhered to his doctrine that the King James Bible (English Translation) is superior to the Scriptures in the original languages. Praise God that I was refreshed by the online classes on how we come to the position that the Hebrew and Greek Texts underlying the KJV Bible are the preserved texts of the inspired Scriptures. I highlighted to him that when Jesus and the apostles spoke about the Scriptures, they always referred to the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek texts. Inspiration for Bible inscription (the Spirit-inspired writing of God’s revelation) ended with the Book of Revelation, and therefore the KJV Bible is a faithful English translation of the inspired original language texts.
I praise the Lord for the manifold blessings I have received from these studies. As an additional blessing, I am also strengthened by the testimonies of the other missionaries. I am full of joy when I see other preachers attending the classes, especially the Lord’s servant from China. There are many unique struggles in every mission station. Hence, to have this opportunity to hear about God’s work in other “corners” of His vineyard is very refreshing. Praise the Lord for sustaining His servants!

Sermon Text: Psalm 8
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 1st May 2022

Today, with much thanksgiving to God, we publish the testimonies of the first batch of three students who are completing their course in GBI, Vizag. We praise the Lord for the enabling grace upon Pr Sujith Samuel who has laboured assiduously for the past 5 years to set up churches and GBI in Visakhapatnam (Vizag) and its vicinities. Let us pray earnestly for open doors for those who are trained to preach.

Pastor Murthy James

Greetings in the name our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! I’m Pastor Murthy James, a student who is completing the course in Gethsemane Bible Institute.

Firstly, I thank God for the opportunity to study in GBI. I feel very blessed to complete the course in this institute. During the course, I have learnt a lot of spiritual truths that help me a lot in my biblical thinking. As I attended the lectures on many doctrinal subjects during the course, they gave me a clear-cut understanding of the Scriptures. Really, this period of study in GBI has been a very wonderful period in my life that enhanced me spiritually to serve the LORD.

I was very motivated to learn about TULIP (5 points of Calvinism), and I am still very excited about the truths it imparted to me. Oh, how essential are those doctrines! It taught so clearly God’s election, depravity of man, salvation by faith alone, the eternal security of believers, etc. In addition, I greatly benefited from the course on Systematic Theology taught by Rev. Dr Prabhudas Koshy, who explained theological topics in a very efficient and devotional manner. While learning the doctrine of Ecclesiology, I learned biblical truths concerning the church and its government, which would certainly help me in my pastoral ministry to organise and guide the church. The classes on the doctrines of Pneumatology, Eschatology and all the other topics were interesting, and helped to mould my Scriptural understanding on those topics.

Likewise, learning Westminster standards, taught by Pr Sujith Samuel, a faithful servant of God, was also a great experience in His Word. Every subject (including the online courses from FEBC) of each semester was very profitable. The topics taught were essential, which deepened my understanding of the Holy Scriptures and also increased my spiritual devotion. Learning from God’s revelation in His Word filled me with fear towards God and excitement to serve Him.

As I graduate, I thank God for His help and guidance through the entire course. I am also thankful to each faculty member who has taught me with utmost efforts and with God’s love. May God bless the organisers of GBI, and use the ministry of GBI to expand His kingdom on earth. Please pray for me and my ministry work.

Kattu Praveen Kumar

My name is Kattu Praveen Kumar. I was born in a Christian family and I lived in K. Kotapadu village for 34 years. After receiving Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour, I was later baptised on 8th April 2007. In 2008, while I was fasting and praying, I was overwhelmed by the reading of the Word of God from Psalm 45:4 – “And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.” It excited and strengthened me, filling me with a great desire to be in God’s ministry, and I began to consider God’s work and the church ministry.

In those days, my idea of ministry was to do whatever I can in the church, like cleaning the church and preparing everything for the worship, helping the poor and needy who are within and outside of the church, preparing and encouraging the believers for outdoor evangelistic meetings, etc. I would also do my best to help the families of those who went to be with the Lord, and those who are getting married with necessary arrangements. However, I was not spending much time in reading and studying the Bible on my own. In 2015, I attended a 6-day seminar conducted by Haggai International. In that seminar, I have learned about integrity, leadership and evangelism. Then I experienced great struggle in my heart to choose between my job and the ministry. There was a lot of pressure from my family, but my desire was to be in the ministry. In that same year, my elder brother Vinod sent me to a Bible college run by the Church of Christ in Visakhapatnam. However, I could not agree with their doctrinal stand, and I stopped going to the college.

Then in 2017, when Pr Sujith Samuel came to Kotapadu, my native village, I heard his message. When we conversed, he encouraged me and asked me to spend some time with him in fellowship. This was also the time that I was studying the books of Ezra and Nehemiah with my church youths. Through that study, my desire to serve the LORD in the ministry started increasing. When Rev. Prabhudas Koshy came to Visakhapatnam in June 2018, he asked me, “Are you ready to serve God?” I replied him that I was ready. Then Pr Sujith encouraged me to study in the Bible Institute, which he started in the city. With his encouragement, I enrolled in GBI, and I was the first student there. Although I had to stop (after only one week) due to some severe problems, God gave another opportunity a year later (July 2019) to return to GBI and continued with my studies. By the grace of God, I studied for the past three years in GBI.

It was, firstly, an opportunity to correct myself in many areas of my life according to His Word. Through GBI, I came to understand what the ministry of the church is all about, and the importance of the Word of God in the ministry of the church. I learned how to study the Word of God, how I should apply its truths in my life, and how I should preach it in the church. I am also thankful to learn how to preach the Gospel to the unbelievers. All these encourage me a lot to look forward to the ministry.

I thank God for the following who have been used by the Lord: our local pastor, Rev. G. E. Stephenson, my family who encouraged me to undergo training, and especially Rev. Prabhudas Koshy and Pr Sujith Samuel for giving me the privilege to study at GBI (even though my study was disrupted for a year).

Joyson Kumar Chinchani

My name is Joyson Kumar Chinchani. I am from the state of Odisha. Though I was born and brought up in a Christian family, I was lost in the world, living a worldly life. By the grace of God, on 22nd November 2010, I was led to attend a prayer meeting and listened to the Word of God. I was convicted of my sins there and then, acknowledging that I am a sinner. I sought God for the forgiveness of my sins that I have done in my past, and I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour.

Then I wanted to know more about Jesus Christ. I started to desire to attend a Bible college to learn more of His Word. By the grace of God, through my elder brother, in 2011, I had an opportunity to study in a Bible college in Secunderabad. While I was studying there, I got baptised. I studied there for two years. After completion of my studies, I did not join any ministry, but took a job in a company because of the severe financial crisis my family encountered.

However, I was sure about my calling to serve the Lord in the ministry. In the year 2017, through my elder brother, I came to know Pr Sujith Samuel and Rev. Prabhudas Koshy. My brother and Pr Sujith conducted a pastoral training in my hometown. The teacher was Rev. Koshy. When I had an opportunity to talk with Rev. Koshy, he asked me to come to GBI, which was being organised in Visakhapatnam, and study His Word. I was happy that such an opportunity was available, and immediately I said “yes” to it.

Subsequently, on 6th August 2018, I joined GBI. I am thankful to God for learning His Word in GBI. By His grace, I am about to complete my course, and I wish to serve God according to His will, seeking His guidance upon me and my family.

Sermon Text: Psalm 7
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 24th April 2022

Today, as we commemorate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, it behoves us to meditate on the importance and blessings of that amazing event in the earthly life and ministry of the Lord Jesus. To stir our minds to rejoice with thanksgiving, I would like to share with you the fivefold significance of Christ’s resurrection.

First, Christ’s resurrection proved His divine Sonship.

The apostle Paul wrote concerning Christ, who “was made of the seed of David according to the flesh”, that He was “declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Rom. 1:3-4). It’s not that Jesus Christ wasn’t the Son of God prior to His resurrection. He is the eternal Son of God (Ps. 2:7, 12; Pr. 30:4). When Christ came in the flesh, He set aside the full expression and use of His divine glory and prerogatives. Paul explains it in Philippians 2:5-8 this way: “Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

Certainly, His virgin birth, miracles and teaching all bore witness to His deity. The ultimate, irrefutable evidence of the divine Sonship of Christ was the power with which He resurrected from the dead. His bodily resurrection from the grave on the third day was the supreme demonstration of His divine power over sin, death and Satan. Such power can only belong to God, and thus His resurrection proved beyond all doubt that He was indeed God the Son. In fact, Peter asserted in his sermon on the day of Pentecost that Christ being the Son of God, it was impossible that He remained dead in the grave – “Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it” (Acts 2:24). It was not possible for Christ to be held by death. Death and grave could not keep the omnipotent Christ under their power. He rose from the grave, as a divine declaration that Christ – who was crucified and died – was indeed the Son of God, truly divine!

Second, Christ’s resurrection guarantees our justification.

Romans 4:25 declares that Christ “was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification.” Because His resurrection has secured our justification, we are no more under God’s condemnation. So, Romans 8:34 asks, “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” His resurrection and ascension guaranteed the cancellation of God’s handwriting that was against us because of our sin. Colossians 2:13-14 says, “And you, being dead in your sins…, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us…” If Christ did not resurrect, we would still be in our sins. 1 Corinthians 15:17 says, “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.”

Third, Christ’s resurrection assures us that our Saviour now lives and intercedes for us.

This truth is taught by the apostle Paul in Rom. 8:34 – “Christ that died… is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” Heb. 7:25 testifies that Christ’s present intercession on the right hand of the Father in heaven is an assuring truth – “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” The risen Christ now lives in heaven to intercede for us. Heb. 9:24 explains it thus: “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us”.

Fourth, Christ’s resurrection power renews and empowers us to live a new life.

The apostle Paul explains this truth in Romans 6:4 – “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” All of us, who have been united to (“baptised into”) Christ by the Spirit baptism at the time when we first trusted Him, are dead with Him to sin and are spiritually raised up to live a spiritually new life in Christ. Later, in Rom. 6:8–11, Paul further describes the new life in Christ – “Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” We are not the same people we once were. We who were dead in our trespasses and sins have been made alive together with Christ (cf. Eph. 2:2, 5)!

Fifth, Christ’s resurrection grants us a glorious hope of our future resurrection.

1 Cor. 15:20–23 declares, “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.” Likewise, the apostle Paul instructs us in 1 Thess 4:13–14, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” In the words of the apostle Peter, it is the “lively hope” that Christ’s resurrection pledges unto us – “… his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Pet. 1:3).

Sermon Text: Romans 8:34
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 17th April 2022

Sermon Text: Luke 23:32–43; Romans 5:6–9
Speaker: Pr Cornelius Koshy
Date: 15th April 2022