July 8, 2018

There is a vast difference between visiting somewhere and abiding there. When you visit, its a purposeful short-term stopover; but to abide means to move in, remain, and stay regardless of difficulty or trial. And this is certainly true in our spiritual lives—do we abide in Christ or do we merely show up for a short visit? In this message, Pastor Eric Ludy discusses the single most important thing ever: Jesus Christ and how He alone is to be the center, the preeminent, and the focus of the Christian life. As you learn about the four major earthquakes of the New Testament, you will discover that Christ is to be the epicenter of your life.

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sermon notes

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MIDDLE
And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain . . . For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
Revelation 5:6; 7:17

For the Lamb which is in the midst (ana + mesos) of the throne . . . Revelation 7:17
For the Lamb which is in the center of the center of the throne . . . Revelation 7:17

IN THE CENTER OF THE CENTER

For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
1 Corinthians 2:2

THE EPI-CENTER
Epi – upon, on top of, founded on
Kentron – the middle, the center, the midst

• That which occupies a cardinal point, something situated on center in the position of greatest importance.
• The point on the earth’s surface vertically above the hypocenter or focus of an earthquake – the point where an earthquake or underground exploding originates.
• The central point of something, typically a difficult or unpleasant situation and often the place of greatest damage.

THE EPICENTER OF THE WORLD

THE EPICENTER OF HISTORY

Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
Matthew 27:50-54

THE TWO GREAT EARTHQUAKES IN THE GOSPEL

1. The Cross
2. The Resurrection

And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
Matthew 28:2

THE SECRET TO UNDERSTANDING THE SCRIPTURES
Live, breathe, study, reason, and interpret from this spot, the most dangerous place on Earth.

Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.” So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. The place in the Scripture which he read was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth. In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.” So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.
Acts 8:26-35

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:3

IN CHRIST
Jesus is meant to be entered, like a door, like a strong tower, like clothing, like a house. He’s the place we are to live and call home.

THE PLACE OF THE EARTHQUAKE
The Place of our Rescue, the Place of our eternal living, The Place of Suffering, The Place of Victory, the Place of War, The Place of Peace, The Place of Agony, The Place of Joy

Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body.
John 2:19-21

ARE YOU WILLING TO CALL THIS DANGEROUS PLACE HOME?
• Are you willing to sell all other property and move here to this place?
• Are you willing throw away everything that can’t coexist in this Divine and Heavenly home?
• Are you willing to move into a place where the sound of war will be the background score to your life?
• Are you willing to choose the ignominy that is associated with this location? For those of this earth call those that dwell here fools, idiots, the off-scouring of the world, refuse, garbage, ignorant, small-minded, intellectually- inferior.
• Are you willing fall in love with this place, cherish it has your eternal dwelling, and covenant to never leave – whether in sickness or in health, whether living in plenty or in want, and whether amidst bomb blasts or the cooing of turtledoves?
• Are you willing to make the epicenter of the most Dangerous Earthquake in Universal History your dwelling place?

THERE IS ONLY ONE HOUSE
Out of all the real-estate on Earth, this is actually the lone option

. . . By man came death . . . in Adam all die . . .
1 Corinthians 15:21-22

. . . By man came also the resurrection of the dead . . . in Christ shall all be made alive.
1 Corinthians 15:21-22

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.
1 Corinthians 15:21-22

Lie not one to another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.
Colossians 3:9-10

COME TO THE CENTER AND LIVE … ABIDING!
The Difference Between a “Visit” and “Abiding”
• A Visit – a stopover, a short term excursion, a stay that is not intended to be permanent
• Abiding – moving in, remaining, deciding that this is the spot, staying no matter the challenges, adapting to whatever the house demands, and cherishing and caring for the place as if it is your very own.

THE THIRD EARTHQUAKE OF THE GOSPEL

The Cross
The Resurrection
The Indwelling

And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
Acts 4:31

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him . . . Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
John 14:21,23

But First . . . We must go to the Center of the Center and make Him our forever home

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:16

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except you abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue you in my love. If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
John 15:4-11

THE FOURTH EARTHQUAKE OF THE GOSPEL

1. The Cross
2. The Resurrection
3. The Indwelling
4. The Return

And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south.
Zechariah 14:4

THE CENTER OF THE CENTER
His Name is Jesus!

Built to Deliver the Word of Truth . . . um . . . Perfectly Believing the Word of God and What the Word of God Made Flesh Has Accomplished

As hunmas, we dno’t aaeppr to be the bset crryaing dvecies for the mssaege of Hvaeen. Do we? Why deson’t God use aegnls insetad? Or, for taht mtater, why deson’t he jsut do it Hseimlf? Why dsoen’t He jsut cmoe dwon in a cluod of glroy and boom wtih a vocie of thnuder? But, He has, ineedd, cheson us, in all our julmbed weankess, to be His iedal comnimucaoitn vesesls. That siad, if He is gonig to use us, He msut frist esblatish two thnigs in our lfie. Frist, a frim beielf in the Wrod of God in txet. And senocd, a frim beielf in the Wrod of God mdae flseh and waht that Wrod of God in flseh did for us two thsounad yreas ago on taht Crsos. Wehn tohse two thnigs are estiablhsed, it’s the equlavient of haivng the frist leettr and the lsat leettr of eevry wrod in tihs pagarraph fiexd and estiablhsed. The stfuf in the mildde is otfen jubmled, but the meassge wlil stlil peferctly get thourgh the imferpect vsseel. Ins’t God azaming?