(This message was preached the Saturday night before Palm Sunday.)
Tomorrow morning kicks off the busiest week in the Christian calendar. Palm Sunday we remember the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. He cleanses the temple by throwing out those who sold animals for sacrifice and the money changers. He has several days filled with wonderful teachings and then we have what we now call Maundy Thursday. That is the night that Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, instituted the Lord’s Supper and prayed in the garden before being betrayed and arrested. Good Friday we remember His time in front of the Sanhedrin, then Pilot, then His crucifixion, death and burial. Then on Sunday we will celebrate His resurrection.
Like I said, it is a big week, called Holy Week by many Christians.
Since we do not have services through the week here it seems like I need to pick what I consider to be the highlight of the week. There is so much good material but there is certainly one part that stands out to me.
II Corinthians 5:12-21
For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. 13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
I. Compelled
It is the heart that matters most, but people do see the outside before they get to know what is inside. Sometimes Pentecostal believers may act in peculiar ways during worship. People respond differently to an encounter with the Holy Spirit. When we are spending time in the presence of God our eyes should be on the Lord and not on each other. When we preach and teach, hopefully, things are more straight forward. We need to speak in ways that can be understood by all. Through all of it we are compelled by the love of Christ; whether in worship or in preaching and teaching.
II. A New Creation
The person who we were has been replaced with the person whom we are becoming in Christ. The opportunity for a new beginning is a central promise of scripture. The old man dies and we are born again as a child of God.
III. Reconciled
A central part of this new life is the fact that we have been reconciled to God. We were separated from Him because of our sin, but through Jesus Christ we can be reconciled with God. On our own we could not make this happen. It was necessary for God to reach out to us.
IV. The Main Event
“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us”.
We cannot begin to comprehend what this phrase truly means. Jesus as God or man had never sinned. He understood temptation, but He had never given in to sin. Yet He took upon Himself the sins of the whole world. The penalty for our sins was laid upon Him. Exactly what this entails we can only speculate. We do know that Jesus in the garden recognized the cost and asked if it could pass from Him, but if not, may the will of God be done.
There was, and is, no other way.
Salvation is only through Jesus and belief in Him who died for us. (John 14:6)
Everything else in Holy Week is important, wonderful, beautiful and special, but without the death of Christ on the cross we would still be left in our sins.
Thank you God.
Thank you Jesus.
Make Room
January 15, 2015The Christmas story never grows old. Each time that we read it something different stands out to us. Today is Christmas Day and the scripture reading is from Luke chapter two.
Luke 2: 1-20
I. Peace, Goodwill to Men
Peace to Earth.
Humanity deserves judgement. We have sinned. We have turned away from God. We have abandoned His laws and denied His existence. Yet God so loved the world that He sent His son into the world to be our savior. God offers us forgiveness, instead of judgement. He offers us a peace that this world does not understand, and that this world cannot take away.
Goodwill toward men.
God offers us an abundant life. To choose to follow God is to choose the better path. God loves us and wants what is best for us. Part of that life is learning how to live and act justly. This past year in our country there has been much unrest, much turmoil, much conflict in the pursuit of justice. God offers us a better way. We are not to detach and let the world go its own way. We are to engage, to be salt and light in the world. We are to be the hand of God extended to those who live in darkness. We should pursue peace and justice in our world. May God help us to express His goodwill towards humanity.
II. No Room for Them
This is an eloquent symbol of many people today. Just as there was no room for Mary and Joseph in the inn, so there seems to be no room in people’s lives today for Christ. We are busy with so many activities that prayer, scripture, and church are frequently squeezed out of people’s lives.
Our government, in the name of separation of church and state is busily pursuing the removal of religious symbols. It is all that much more important that Christians do all that they can do to keep Christ in the forefront of their lives. The light should shine in the darkness.
We should make room in our lives for Christ, so that we can be a living source of peace, goodwill towards all people.
These are the sermon notes from 12/25/14. Any advertisements that might appear are placed by WordPress. I have no control over them, nor do I receive any money from them.
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