ARISE

1. In February of 1976, the Canadian government did something strange.

2. Canadians put 300 fat Canadian geese on an airplane and flew them to Florida.

3. Apparently these geese were so pampered in Canada, officials didn’t think they would or could fly south.

4. Those birds should have arisen and gone on their own, but they got a free plane ride instead.

AS WE LOOK AT THE BIBLE, ONE OF THE WORDS WE COME FACE TO FACE WITH IS “ARISE.”

a) In the Old Testament we find this term about 120 times.

b) In the New Testament arise is used about 40 times.

c) God has told both sinners and saints to arise (get up, go).

2) Today we want to look at arise in the New Testament.

3) We start with where the New Testament begins, the book of Matthew.

4) By the time of Mt. 2, Jesus was born.

5) Herod was aware of Jesus’ birth, and he was worried.

6) King Herod told wise men to find the Christ child and bring a report back to him.

7) These men obeyed God rather than man, and God knew King Herod would try to kill the Lord.

a) Because of the circumstances, a message came to Joseph.

b) Mt. 2:13 – READ.

c) Several points come from the arise in this verse.

d) First, we see an emphasis on male leadership in the family.

e) Joseph was the one who received a divine message.

f) It was Joseph who was charged with getting his family together and getting them to safety.

g) Arise also tells us that God is interested in the security of His people.

h) If we are a Christian, God is concerned about our welfare.

i) Finally, the word arise is often applicable to a whole family.

j) Sometimes everyone in a household needs to arise

8) If we meet a family that is not worshipping God or doing things correctly (and there are many),

9) God’s will is that the entire household to arise.

10) Heaven’s will is not for some or all the children in a family to attend worship without mom and dad.

11) It is not God will that grandma and grandpa bring the children while mom and dad stay home.

12) God wants everyone to arise. Such is also the case when it comes time to serve God.

13) In our homes and families, a good word for us to remember and use is arise.

14) Next on my list is Mt. 17:7, an account that describes the transfiguration

15) Jesus took some people who were quite close to Him—Peter, James, and John.

16) These four went to a “high mountain” and Jesus was “transfigured.”

17) This past week I noticed something about the transfiguration.

18) Luke describes it, but in his description he omits the word transfiguration.

19) If you are in the Wednesday night class, I hope to one day offer a reason for his omission.

20) Today is not the time to explore why he wrote in the way he did.

21) Verse 5 of Mt. 17 tells us that during this event a voice was heard and a cloud appeared.

22) Those with the Lord were scared and they fell to the ground (verse 6).

23) Verse 7 is the passage we want – READ.

a) From verse 7 two points grab our attention.

b) First, when we are in the presence of God, it is a time of and for reverence.

c) We live in a culture where praise to God is often joined with irreverence.

d) Something like a rock concert is frequently called worship or praise to God.

e) When Christ’s people were in the presence of God on this occasion, they had to “arise.”

f) They arose because they were overwhelmed by the majesty and the power of God.”

g) Worship is not to be dull, but it is a time to be solemn (serious).

h) A second point from Mt. 17 is that Christ makes God an ally for us, not a power to dread.

i) More than once Jesus told people to “come.”

j) If we choose to be a Christian and we live faithfully, we can arise in the presence of God.

k) We can have full assurance and confidence in God and no fear about being before Him.

l) If we do not make the right choice, we are not going to arise. We are going to fall and fall in fear.

m) Instead of standing up in confidence, we will be looking for a place to flee but find none.

24) Arise is a word that should fill Christians with hope and peace.

25) Also in the book of Matthew is another important text, Mt. 24:11.

26) Jesus said false teachers would arise before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

27) This happened, and today this problem still exists.

28) Many religious groups and teachers have arisen to teach false doctrine.

29) Just because a person professes to be a preacher does not mean he is teaching the truth.

30) Just because a religious group bears the name “Christian” or “church” does not mean it is right.

31) The existence of a teacher or group is no proof that he or it is pleasing to God.

32) Not only are there false teachers and groups, but there are false Christ’s.

a) As Jesus continued to talk about the destruction of Jerusalem, He said this in Mt. 24:24 – READ.

b) Christ means “Messiah” (the anointed one—the savior).

c) Jesus said false saviors world come into the world.

d) History shows that this is true, and these kinds of people keep coming.

e) Many doctrines, groups, and even saviors arise, but they are not from God.

33) From the book of Matthew, I direct your attention to the book of Luke, Lk. 7.

34) Jesus was close to the city of Nain; many were with Him.

35) His travels brought Him into contact with a funeral procession.

36) A woman had lost her son.

37) Not only did she lose her son, she lost her only son.

38) Jesus had compassion. He said to this woman, “stop crying.”

39) After these details we come to verse 14 – READ.

a) A person was dead, but Jesus said arise.

b) What happened? Verse 15 – READ.

c) Jesus said arise and the dead obeyed Him.

d) A time is coming when this very same thing will happen, only on a much larger scale.

e) Jesus will one day say to all the dead, arise.

f) Jesus will speak the word (Jn. 5:28-29), and all will be resurrected.

g) Arise says to Christians, Christ is coming for us and all others, and He will not fail.

h) As Jesus raised a single young man, so He will raise the entire world.

40) Later in Luke (11:8) Jesus offered an unusual illustration.

41) He spoke of a family that was all settled in for the night.

42) After the family was in bed, there was a knock on the door.

43) A friend was asking for food.

44) To summarize this illustration, Jesus said the home owner would arise and help the friend.

45) If a human being arises to help a needy buddy at an inconvenient time, what about God?

46) If we can give good gifts (Lk. 11:13), what about God?

47) Heaven will arise to aid the saved. This fact should comfort us.

48) From Lk. 8 we jump to Lk. 15 where Jesus told another interesting story.

a) A young man decided to leave home.

b) For a while things went well; then the child fell upon hard times.

c) After several things went poorly, the young man said, “I will arise.”

d) The young man did as he said. What did his arising do?

e) It brought him back to his father’s house and care.

49) We sometimes find wayward members of the church.

50) They may look at themselves and say, “I should come back; I need to come back; I will be back some day.”

51) What can or what should we say to someone who makes these kinds of statements?

52) Jesus gave us a one word answer: arise. Get up. Come back now.

53) Not tomorrow, not next Sunday, not in a year. Do it at this moment.

54) From a single word we can learn so many good things.

55) After the gospels we find this term in Acts 8:26.

56) An angel of the Lord told Philip to arise and go see a Bible study prospect.

a) In our lives, doing God’s will is sometimes put on hold.

b) We see a project and think, “I will do that tomorrow, next week, before the end of the month.”

c) Acts 8 has a useful word for us: when something comes up, arise and do it.

d) When we look at this word, it appears that God has a fondness for the word arise. He likes it.

e) In Acts 9 (9:11), the person who taught Saul was told to “arise.”

f) Ananias (the Bible teacher) didn’t wan to arise. He said, “God I know about that man.”

g) Ananias thought that staying seated (where he was) was the best choice.

h) We can be just like him.

i) We can make a whole list of reasons for not arising to do God’s will.

j) God’s response to Ananias was, “go” (Acts 9:15).

57) Arise is used in Acts 8. It is used in Acts 9. Would you believe it is also found in Acts 10?

58) Peter was told to arise in Acts 10:20.

59) Peter was not only a preacher, he was an apostle.

60) If an apostle was told to arise, do we ever need to say this word to ourselves/others?

61) Again and again we find this term being applied to the saved.

62) It is a small but such a helpful word in our day-to-day lives.

63) Arise is also applied to those who are not Christians.

a) Acts 22 is one of the places where we read of Saul’s conversion.

b) While still in his sins Saul was told to arise so he could be baptized.

c) We often find good hearted people who have been exposed to the truth.

d) They are taught, but something keeps them from taking that last one or two steps.

e) What does God think about a person who is in this position?

f) Heaven’s message to a non Christian is, arise. Now. Get up and do the rest of God’s will.

g) As the old saying goes, “there is never a better time than the present.”

h) God wants people to obey, and obey now.

64) We generally use the word arise to call people to activity.

65) From a state of sleep, an alarm tells us to arise.

66) A recovering hospital patient may eventually be told, “it is time to arise”—get up.

67) Arise to go home or arise to start therapy.

68) Parents may tell their children—arise—it is time to go into the world and make your own life.

69) In the spiritual realm, God tells those who are not right with Him, arise.

70) Come to the Father (Lk. 15) to become a Christian or to restore you relationship with heaven.

71) For Christians, we need to arise each day and do God’s will to the best of our ability.

72) In just a moment we are going to stand and sing a song.

73) If anyone needs to arise in the sense of coming to God, please let us know and let us know now.

74) Today is the right day to respond to the invitation being offered.

75) If you will arise, do it now as we stand and sing.