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Sermons from the Chardon church of Christ
Episodes
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Monday Sep 02, 2024
Monday Sep 02, 2024
Luke 9:51, John 12:34
INTRO: Good morning church. Our text today is taken from Luke 9:51 and John 12:34. Let’s first look at Luke 9:51 – “Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem,” [NKJV]. Next in John 12:34 we read, “The people answered Him, "We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, `The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this Son of Man?''”.
When we read the four gospel records, it is evident almost from the beginning of His earthly ministry, Jesus was destined to die on the cross. We saw this last time as we examined sacrifice, and saw that the sacrifices under the Mosaic Law were only a shadow of the perfect sacrifice to come, Jesus Christ.
There are numerous prophetic indications of this event. These prophetic indications, well known to us, were also well known to the people of Jesus day. Yet at that time these indications were not fully understood.
We recognize that from the beginning of His earthly ministry He is destined to the cross. We also recognize that even before He came in human form He was destined to die as a sacrifice for our sins. However when Jesus spoke of His death, reactions were varied and sometimes what He said was misunderstood.
For example, His disciples were adamant that such a thing should not befall Him. The people of that day were certainly confused about the Messiah and as we see in our reading of John 12:34 they believed that “Christ remains forever”. The passages they might have had in mind are Psalm 110:4; Isaiah 9:7; Ezekiel 37:25; and Daniel 7:14. In all of these, the everlasting dominion of the Messiah is implied or stated. This morning as we continue this series we are going to be looking at, “on the way to the cross”.
I. LET US BEGIN BY LOOKING AT PROPHECY...
A. As we do so, keep in mind that the people of His day did not understand the idea of a crucified messiah. The people’s idea was that the law said He’d abide forever and that He would establish an earthly kingdom over which He would reign for eternity. They did not comprehend that the Christ could be crucified.
1. We begin in Genesis 3:15 – Many believe this is the earliest prophetic saying about the ultimate death of Christ. Here God is speaking to Satan after the transgression of Adam and Eve and He says: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” - “you shall bruise His heel”. Satan would bruise the heel of the coming Messiah but it is not a mortal wound. On the other hand the Messiah, the woman’s seed, would deliver a mortal wound to the head of Satan. Satan was responsible for taking Jesus to the cross because of our sin. This was the bruising of the heel. Not a mortal wound, yet from the physical perspective it was, but what Jesus did on the third day was to rise from the dead.
2. Now lets look in Isaiah 53:12, in this chapter concerning Christ, we read, “Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” – Keeping that in mind, turn with me to Luke 22:37 – where Jesus says “For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me: `And He was numbered with the transgressors.' For the things concerning Me have an end.” - “numbered with the transgressors”
3. Look at the first part of the verse of Daniel 9:26 – “And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself;…” Jesus taught His disciples in Mark 8:31 – “that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed,…” - “Messiah shall be cut off”
4. In the book of Psalms there are numerous prophecies. In Psalm 22:16-18 – “16. For dogs have surrounded Me; The assembly of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; 17. I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. 18. They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.”
a. We can see this in Matthew 27:35 – “Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: "They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.''”
b. Also in John 20:25, this is what is written about Thomas, “The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord.'' But he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.''”
c. Next we read in verse 27 “Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.'” - “they pierced...”
d. We read in Psalm 34:20 – “He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken.” And in then John 19:36 – “For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, "Not one of His bones shall be broken.''” - “not one of them is broken”
5. Let’s compare Psalm 40:6-8 - “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened; Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require. Then I said, "Behold, I come; In the scroll of the Book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.''”
a. With Hebrews 10:7-10 - “7. Then I said, `Behold, I have come in the volume of the book it is written of Me to do Your will, O God.' '' 8. Previously saying, "Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them'' (which are offered according to the law), 9. then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.'' He takes away the first that He may establish the second. 10. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” –
b. “I delight to do thy will”. Marvelous prophesy. Hundreds of years before Christ came in the flesh; specific things are said concerning the death of Christ. Those prophesies were then referred to by Christ and the New Testament writers to confirm that He is the fulfillment.
6. In Psalm 41:9 – we read something which to me is one of the sadist of the prophetic references, “Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.” … Of whom does this prophesy speak? Jesus says in John 13:11,18 – “11. For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, "You are not all clean.''' Then in verse 18, "I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, `He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.'”
7. We turn next to Zechariah 12:10 – “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they have pierced; they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.”
a. In the New Testament John 19:33-37 – “33. But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35. And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. 36. For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, "Not one of His bones shall be broken.'' 37. And again another Scripture says, "They shall look on Him whom they pierced.''”
b. “whom they have pierced” The way to the cross was strewn with prophetic notice!
B. From our point of view in retrospect, these things seem so clear, so obvious. These were also well known to the disciples in Jesus’ day – they were known to be Messianic in nature. Yet the people had in their minds that the “Christ abideth forever”, and they applied this to a physical expectation rather then spiritual. They did not grasp that the Christ would be crucified.
1. From the very beginning we see that Jesus is on the way to the cross, and it was not a question of would He be sacrificed... but when.
2. Would you open your bibles to Acts 2:23 – In this memorable sermon on the day of Pentecost following the resurrection of Christ, the apostle Peter and others speak concerning the events in Jerusalem on that fateful day “Him, being delivered by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;” - As we look at this historically you and I are not surprised. We know about the prophecies and we look at them with a fuller understanding then did the people of that time.
3. We know that what happened in Jerusalem on that Friday was the fulfillment of prophecy. Can you imagine how staggering this must have been for them to realize that they had crucified the Messiah? The sermon that day continues and when they come to this realization they say, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” The response was they were told “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins;”.
4. Later in the book of Acts we read about this man from Ethiopia who asked Philip for help in understanding some scripture. Acts 8:32-35 – “32. The place in the Scripture which he read was this: "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so He opened not His mouth. 33. In His humiliation His justice was taken away. And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.'' 34. So the eunuch answered Philip and said, "I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?'' 35. Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.” - “of whom does the prophet say this”. All of these prophecies bring us to Jesus Christ and the crucifixion.
II. THEN, THERE WAS WHAT JOHN THE BAPTIST SAID We looked at this awhile ago but turn with me now to John 1:29,36 – “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
A. “…the Lamb of God”. If we had no other information, what John says here might be somewhat obscure to our modern western mind.
1. But as we realized from our look at sacrifice, to the people of that day the mention of a lamb and sin would be very clear. They knew about sacrifice concerning a lamb and sin.
2. Here we find Jesus at the very beginning of His ministry and here is the indication He is going to die as a sacrifice.
B. Let’s look at some verses in Genesis 22:7-8,13. Here we have the incident involving Abraham, and his son Isaac. We know God told Abraham to take his only son to a place He would tell him and Abraham was to offer Isaac there as a burnt offering. We also know that God had promised that though Abraham’s seed God would make a great nation.
1. “7. But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!'' And he said, "Here I am, my son.'' And he said, "Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?'' And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.'' And the two of them went together.”
2. Going to verse 13 – “Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.”
3. Every time I have read this I have wondered if these words “God will provide himself a lamb...” were prophetic? Perhaps, I really don’t know, yet I do know that what God did for Abraham in providing him a sacrifice, He has done for all humanity! The lamb God provided was Jesus Christ. "Behold the lamb of God".
4. We studied 1st Peter recently, and in these verses are some of the noblest scripture in the entire Bible. In these are references to Christ, the Suffering Servant, as depicted in Isaiah 53. – 1st Peter 2:21-24 “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: "Who committed no sin, nor was guile found in His mouth''; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness by whose stripes you were healed.”
III. ON THE WAY TO THE CROSS...
A. There were three and a half years of “ministry”.
1. 3 ½ years filled with touching people’s lives. Peter’s mother-in-law who was ill, the widow whose son was being carried out for burial, over and again we see how He touches the lives of people.
2. 3 ½ years of teaching about the kingdom of God. Think of all the parables about the kingdom.
3. 3 ½ years of challenging contemporary views of religion. This religion we know was no longer the pure Law of Moses but had been changed by man.
4. 3 ½ years of growing criticism from spiritual leaders of His day.
B. It was also three and a half years sprinkled with comments about His death. His own comments. Let’s look at some of these.
1. Matthew 16:21-22 – “From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!''” - We see Peter immediately rejected such an idea. His disciples refused to accept what Jesus showed them about His coming death on the cross.
2. John 2:18-22 – “18. So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?'' 19. Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.'' 20. Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?'' 21. But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22. Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.” - Again, words prophetic and misunderstood. Words that toward the end of His life that would be remembered as an accusation against Him... yet, He never was speaking of that building, that temple of stone. He was speaking of His body.
3. John 3:14-15 – “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”. - Words so easy for us to understand in retrospect ... but words that were so unwanted then.
4. John 12:32-34 – “32. "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.'' 33. This He said, signifying by what death He would die. 34. The people answered Him, "We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, `The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this Son of Man?''” – Here they understood but refuted as incomprehensible—a crucified Messiah!
5. Luke 22:19-20 – “And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.'' Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.” - “my body...my blood” “which is shed for you”. So clear this is to us.
C. Jesus was always on the way to the cross. There was always the cross “looming” in Jesus’ future.
1. Also in Luke chapter 9 verse 51 – “Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem,” - We notice the words “when the time had come...” What we need to understand is that God had a time line. There was a schedule to keep. It is not given to us to understand the time line or the schedule, but what we can understand is that there was a time when it was the right time for Jesus to die on the cross.
2. From the beginning (yes, even from before time began) this was an appointment Jesus would keep. On the way to the cross? Folks, Jesus was always on the way to the cross!
CLOSE: I cannot imagine living and working usefully with such a thing as crucifixion looming over me. I tell you, folks, I would be a “basket case”. Jesus knew that this event would benefit all of humanity ... He knew it was necessary for Him to die as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. He willingly went to the cross in the knowledge that He would be raised the third day. That did not alter the horror of the cross ... but it made it worthwhile to Him.
He knew that the way of the cross leads home—just as it does for us. There is no way to the Father but by the way of the cross, by way of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus. There is no way home but by the way of the blood of our Savior. In the marvelous wisdom of God, a plan was devised by which you and I can know that we are cleansed by the blood of Christ.
This marvelous plan of God involves death, burial and resurrection. In baptism this resurrection become ours personally, for we enter into the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ when we are buried in the waters of baptism, and through faith in God are raised to walk in newness of life. You will find this recorded in Romans 6:3-5. The way of the cross still leads home.
It is one thing to think of “on the way to the cross” as an historic event, but there is something else there for us personally. Don’t see this only as a lesson, though it is one. If we see it only as a lesson, we will miss the point of the cross. This applies to us… to you and me. We are offered the opportunity of the cleansing, of forgiveness because of the sacrifice of Jesus in atonement for our sins. He died in our place. It is up to us to respond to that. It is up to you to accept the offer that is made for cleansing and forgiveness by making His sacrifice yours, which you do when you are baptized.
God extends the invitation “come”, to everyone. To those who are in need of accepting the way, and to those who need to find their way back. If you are in this assembly and there is any way in which we can give you assistance, we invite you to come while we stand together and while we sing.
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Adopted from Sermon by: Cecil A. Hutson
Friday Aug 30, 2024
Tuesday Aug 27, 2024
Tuesday Aug 27, 2024
Revelation 22:17
One day in college, the teacher had stapled answer sheets to the back of every test by mistake.
A few minutes after passing the tests around, his phone rang and he stepped out. Everyone had noticed the answer sheet, and the class decided that they would all use it and then tear it off after completing their test.
Hopefully he would never notice.
So, after finishing his test, one of the top students in the class named SAM checked each of his answers to the key and noticed they were all correct except for the last one. Each student was to draw a flow chart for a process. Of course, the answer sheet stated, "answers will vary."
SAM drew his flow chart, tore off the answer sheet and walked to the front podium to turn his test in. When SAM got to the podium he was curious of what everyone else had drawn for their flow chart.
INSTEAD of DRAWING some form of a chart many of the other students just wrote the words "ANSWERS WILL VARY."
TODAY I WOULD LIKE TO FOCUS ON A SPECIFIC WORD
• What is God's most compelling word?
• What is the word that echoes in every part of the Bible?
• What was the word that God spoke to man before He destroyed the earth with a flood?
• What is the word that prophets & apostles cried out so often?
• What is the word that brought Peter to Jesus?
• What is the word that He spoke to little children, & to the weary & the heavy-laden?
• What is the word that brings the Bible to a close with its final invitation?
• Listen to these words, which are almost the last words in the N.T.
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!”
And let him who hears say, “Come!”
And let him who thirsts come.
Whoever desires let him take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:17)
Yes, you have figured it out. That word is "Come."
There are commandments & warnings & promises in the Bible, for God is a God of righteousness & truth; but sounding like a refrain among all the other voices is the voice of invitation, "Come."
I. NOAH & THE FLOOD
The first time that the word "Come" is used in the Bible is when it is used with Noah. Noah stands out in the history of mankind. He is first mentioned at a time of great crisis.
The whole earth was corrupt before God. And when we see what is going on in the world around us we wonder how that world could have been more corrupt than our world today.
But today's wickedness, terrible though it is, is somewhat relieved by the lives & earnest prayers of those who are faithful to God. Were it not for that, God might indeed be ready to destroy the earth once again.
But back in Noah's day, the Bible says; 5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5)
Because of this universal wickedness, God decided to cleanse the world & start all over again. Noah was commanded to build an ark to save himself & any others who were willing to be saved. In the obedience of Noah, in spite of all the ridicule he must have received, we have one of the greatest examples of faith recorded in the Bible.
Ages afterwards it was not forgotten, for the writer of Hebrews lists Noah in God's hall of fame, & says, 7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. (Hebrews 11:7)
When the ark was finished, God said to Noah, "Come into the ark, you & all your family.” Then, when Noah & his family were safely in, the Bible says, "the waters rose & increased greatly on the earth . . . & all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered . . . Every living thing that moved on the earth perished . . . Only Noah was left, together with those who were with him in the ark." (Genesis 7:18-23)
ILL. If you go into the Catacombs at Rome today, where the early Christians laid their dead, the picture that you will see most often as a symbol of the Christian's hope & faith is that of the ark floating upon the waters. The ark was also the symbol of the Church.
And still the message of God to a perishing world is what God said in the beginning, "Come into the ark."
When we urge people to come into the church, remember this is not our invitation, but God's. God said to Noah before the flood destroyed the world, "Come into the ark." And in Revelation, when the long battle with sin & darkness is over, John heard the voice of God saying, "Come; the Holy Spirit & the Bride say come."
II. CHRIST & BARTIMAEUS
It was a bright spring morning at Jericho. Blind Bartimaeus finds a sunny spot against the wall & waits to see what the day will bring him. As he sits there he hears in the distance the hum of voices & the shuffling of feet. He soon realized that it was more than the usual street traffic. So, he begins asking those hurrying by, "What is going on? What is the excitement all about?"
Someone answered, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by!" "Jesus of Nazareth!" thought the beggar. "I have heard of him. Some say that He is a good man.
Others say that he is an impostor & evil. But I have heard that he is able to do great miracles, & that he has even opened the eyes of the blind. If he was able to do that for others, then why not for me?"
With hope rising in his heart, Bartimaeus waits until it sounds as if the center of the procession is near. Then, lifting up his voice, he cries out in a shout that is heard above the murmur & hubbub of the passing multitude,
"Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
His cry was so loud that the Bible says that the people in the front of the procession started telling him, "Bartimaeus, keep still!" Who were these people?
Were there other beggars who were perhaps frightened that his cry might bring the magistrates down upon them?
Or could it have been the leaders of the city, whose official welcome had been loudly interrupted by the cry of Bartimaeus? Maybe they were Pharisees who didn't like the idea of Jesus getting all this attention in the first place. We don't know who they were, but I do know one thing. It's a bad thing not to come to Christ yourself, but it is worse to stand in the way of others.
If you will not come yourself, be sure that you do not hinder others.
But the more the bystanders rebuked Bartimaeus, the louder he cried, Jesus, have mercy on me." Hearing the cry, Jesus stood still. Many other shouts & voices were being sounded, but that was the one Jesus heard. "And Jesus stood still."
The moment Jesus stopped, I imagine that the chief men of the town began to make apology. "This is only one of our town beggars. We had given strict orders that all beggars be removed from the street, & we are sorry that..."
But Jesus broke in on their apologies, by saying, "Call him, & tell him to come to me." They looked at Him in astonishment, & then seeing that He meant it, hurried towards the place where Bartimaeus was sitting.
Now that Jesus had called for him, all those who had been telling Bartimaeus to keep quiet changed their tune. Now they are all civil & kind. "Here is your cloak," said one. And another, "Here is your staff." And another, "Give me your hand, & I'll help you to your feet."
But Bartimaeus jumps to his feet, & casting his heavy cloak aside, hurries in the direction of Jesus. What a scene! Jesus, the Light of the world, standing still, & the blind beggar all atremble & excited, standing before Him!
Jesus knew what Bartimaeus wanted, & yet He asked, "What do you want me to do for you?" What was the wish of Bartimaeus? Did he answer, "Lord, that you should take these rags from me & clothe Me in fine garments?"
Or "Lord, that you should make me a rich man who will never have to beg again?"
No, that was not what he asked for. What he asked for was, "Lord, I want to be able to see.” He wanted to see the sky that men say is so blue, & the hills of Moab beyond the Jordan, & the Dead Sea, & the Temple of God in Jerusalem.
“Lord, give me sight! Open my eyes." Then Jesus said to him. "Receive your sight. Your faith has healed you." The word "Come" is not used here, except when it is said that the beggar came to Jesus.
But that is what Jesus asked him to do. He called for him to come to Him,
& the beggar came. It was the last time Jesus ever went through Jericho.
If Bartimaeus had not called, if he had not come to Christ that morning, his eyes would never have been opened.
Always for someone Jesus is passing by for the last time. Maybe even for someone here this morning He is passing by for the last time. Once again He sends this message, "Call him to come unto Me." Christ invites you to come.
III. THE LAST "COME" IN THE BIBLE
There are so many other times when the invitation to "Come" is given in the Bible. 16 But Jesus called them to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. (Luke 18:16)
Or how about His words to all those who labor & are carrying heavy loads,
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.." (Matthew 11:28)
ILL. Often, on the final night of a revival, when the last stanza of the invitation hymn has been sung, many evangelists will ask to sing one more stanza to give someone just one more chance to respond.
So God says to the apostle John, “Don’t close the book, John, until once more I can invite sinners to come.”
Maybe God is inviting you today. Maybe He’s giving you one more opportunity to come to Christ
A. Who invites sinners to come?
1. The Holy Spirit invites. The first work of the Holy Spirit in the human heart is to convict men of sin and point them to the Lamb of God. It is He who brings about repentance and faith which culminates in our salvation.
Paul told King Agrippa that when he was on the Damascus road, “14 And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?
It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ (Acts 26:14)
What were those goads? Like a sharp stick or pin pricking the flesh the Holy Spirit had been pricking Saul.
You who are unsaved have had those same sharp pricks on your conscience, too.
2. The church invites. The “bride” invites you. We do many things in & through the church. But the chief task of the church is to win souls,
& everything we do should have the winning of souls as its ultimate aim.
3. Every hearer is to invite. “Let him who hears say, Come.” We sing about the Promised Land & ask the question, “Oh, who will come and go with me?
I am bound for the Promised Land.”
Are you going?
Are you on the way to heaven?
Then tell someone else.
You’ll become a happier & stronger Christian.
B . Who are invited?
1. Those who are thirsty are invited. “”Whoever is thirsty, let him come.”
This means everyone who is dissatisfied with life & its pleasures,
everyone who is tired of sin, everyone who wants peace in his heart.
Zacchaeus, who climbed a tree to see Jesus, was thirsty.
The tax collector who cried out, “God be merciful to me, a sinner,” was thirsty.
The sinful woman at the well was thirsty.
And the world is full of thirsty people today.
The trouble is that many are trying to quench that thirst at the wells of the world, wells that can never satisfy.
2. “Whosoever will” is invited. This is the same “whosoever will” that we find in John 3:16.
It is an invitation extended & salvation offered to anyone & everyone.
3. Those who desire to be saved are invited. If in your heart you desire to drink of the water of life, you are invited to come.
C. What is the invitation?
1. It is to take the water of life. Christ provides the water.
He offers it to you, but it is up to you to take it. When you are desperately ill & the doctor offers you medicine, you take it or you die.
When you are sick in sin & the Great Physician offers you the only remedy for sin, you take it or you die.
2. The water is free.
“Whoever wishes, let him take of the free gift of the water of life.”
If you have money on this earth you can stay at the best hotels, you can eat the most expensive food, wear the finest clothes, ride in the highest-priced cars and on the largest jet planes.
But you can get to heaven without money and without price.
God is not trying to sell you anything.
He is trying to give you salvation & eternal life.
INVITATION: Oh, what a Savior we have!
He can save the highest & he can save the lowest.
He invites you to come to Him today.
I have talked to you about the last invitation in the Bible.
It could be the last invitation for you, also.
Will you accept it?
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Saturday Aug 10, 2024
Ephesians 2:4-8
INTRO: Good morning church. In the last few lessons we talked about the importance of understanding the cross. That understanding of the cross will affect our behavior. The Bible studies and sermons that we have are most often with an eye to what we need to do. They are application oriented. That is a good thing, but we do not as often study the cross which is the underpinning for everything else. Next we talked about the plan of God and the need for the cross. That need is our sin, our transgression of God’s law. Today I want to turn our attention to God’s love.
Please open your bibles to the book of Ephesians 2:4f – “4. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5. even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6. and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7. that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,”[NKJV]
I have always been awed by the unfathomable love of God. I recall the words of the apostle John at 1st John 3:1 where he wrote “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!...” Among the things which that wonderful statement declares, is the expression of John’s awe of the amazing love God has for us.
Has mankind always lived in such a way that this love is deserved? No, certainly not. Indeed generation after generation of human history has evidenced the fact that mankind is ungrateful and rebellious. God has loved the unlovable! In loving the unlovable, Jesus went to the cross. We can not think of the love of God without thinking of the manifestation of that love on the cross, in its effect and purpose. Oh yes, “behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us”. So that we, you and I, should be called the children of God. What I would like us to do this morning is to think in view of mankind’s historic rebellion and ungratefulness, about the desire and the love of God.
I. THE HISTORY...
A. Let’s begin in the garden of Eden
1. It was there you recall that God told the man “… Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
2. How clear was God’s instruction to the man! Yet soon we see Eve and Adam eating of that tree and sin enters the human experience. We might wonder, is this to be the end of humankind? For indeed, the nature of God’s law, the nature of absolute justice, might well have justified God saying “it’s enough”. God’s love and God’s desire did not bring human history to an end.
3. There were, it is true, consequences of sin. There were things that had to be done because of the violation of the law and mankind has to bare these consequences. Yet it was not the end because that was not God’s desire, not God’s wish. Because of God’s love He permitted human history to continue.
4. Last time when we looked at 1st Peter 1:20 Peter says about Jesus, “He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.” God knew that humanity would sin. And He made a plan for our redemption and set it in motion.
5. In Genesis 3:15 – In what has been described as the first announcement in biblical history of the coming of a savior, we see evidence of the love and the desire of God. To Satan God says “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” I understand that we say “that is a bit obscure” and how could Adam and Eve have understood that God was speaking of a time way in the future of a savior? I suspect they did not understand that. You and I have this wonderful opportunity of looking back historically and of realizing what God was telling Satan, obscure as it might seem, certainly he knew what it was all about. It speaks of the love and the desire of God in the future tense.
B. What about in the days of Noah.
1. Genesis 6:5-7 – “5. Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7. So the Lord said, now listen to this, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.''” There was nothing in this period of history that would have commended humankind.
2. The Bible says that every intent of the thoughts of man were only evil continually. “Here we see the total corruption of humanity. Furthermore, there were no men anywhere (with the exception noted in Genesis 6:8) who varied from this pattern; and there was no occasion when any man left off the mental pursuit of wickedness! It would be difficult to devise a sentence that would any more effectively portray the corruption of humanity than does Genesis 6:5”. (Coffman)
3. Certainly it seemed that this would be the end for humanity – If I read this correctly, God considered putting it to an end. God announced the summary punishment and destruction of all on the face of the earth; but before announcing what was to happen. He indicated Noah was an exception, through whom a new beginning for mankind would come.
4. Genesis 6:8 – “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” Here was one man in what was otherwise a cesspool of humanity. One man! One righteous man. God sees this one righteous man and God’s desire and love was to preserve him and his family. God could have done something different. He could have gathered Noah to Himself and then destroyed the earth, but He did not. You see the love and desire of God is for mankind. (cf. 1st Peter 3:20 – “who formerly were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.”)
C. Let’s look at the days of Abraham.
1. Genesis 12:1-3 – Here are the words around which scripture revolves as far as history is concerned. “1. Now the Lord had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. 2. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. 3. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.''” I wonder, did Abraham comprehend all that was said here? In my human thinking I would doubt that he did. He may have understood about the great nation. What about those words “in you all families of the earth shall be blessed”?
2. Whether or not Abraham comprehended the vastness of the meaning of those words, you and I know in retrospect, that those words represent one of God’s great promises, and are evidence of God’s great desire and love for humanity.
3. Galatians 3:8 – Here the apostle Paul sites that very passage to tell us that this is the declaration of the gospel to Abraham. “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the nations by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed.''” This was a proclamation of the good news, the Gospel, to Abraham! The good news of God’s love and God’s desire to be reconciled to humankind. The reconciliation that would take place in the form of the possibilities presented by the cross of Jesus Christ.
4. God had a plan. He has always had a plan. God’s patience has been tried and tested over and over again in the period between Genesis chapter 3 and now. Even in the testing of His patience, He has a plan!
D. Then in the days of David.
1. 2nd Samuel 7:12-16 – Here is God speaking to David through the prophet Nathan. “12. When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. 15. But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” As I read these words I find no mention of the savior or messiah or redemption or reconciliation. Yet, in these words, I’m thinking now of the history of God’s relationship with mankind, against the backdrop of mankind’s ungratefulness and rebellion,… what I see in these words are facts that are going to relate so deliberately to mankind’s future history. Of whom does God speak?
a. “I will set up your seed after you” We know that Solomon was not “set up” after David, but during David’s reign, and the authority of David was the key factor in the enthronement of Solomon.
b. “I will be his father, and he shall be my son”. Not even an angel of heaven deserved such a line as this, much less Solomon. The inspired author of Hebrews makes that fact absolutely indisputable. “To what angel did God ever say,”… “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son?” (Hebrews 1:5).
c. I need to mention, the words cited in Luke 1:32-33 the annunciation to Mary about the birth of Jesus. “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” So this was a prophecy.
2. The point is:
a. God’s mercy is not going to depart from the offspring of David.
b. And that David’s “throne shall be established for ever”.
3. That brings me to the great point here. God’s still has a plan and that plan is moving forward.
4. God still has love and desire and a plan for mankind. This will not be deterred or overturned. The plan involves David and his seed, and a throne and a kingdom.
E. That brings us to the days of Isaiah
1. Isaiah 9:6-7 – Here we read of this king and this kingdom. “ For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”
2. Hundreds of years have passed from 2nd Samuel chapter 7 to Isaiah chapter 9. Hundreds of years of wickedness, and rebellion and idolatry and forsaking God have occurred.
3. Yet, here is Isaiah speaking of a coming King and kingdom in terms and descriptions which are filled with hope ... and evidence of God’s plan.
4. It is true that a lot of things have transpired. Notice however the words “the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this” - the plan goes on.
5. God’s love will not be turned aside. God’s plan will not be short circuited. God’s plan involves the coming King and the kingdom.
F. Finally in the last of the books of the prophets, in the days of Malachi.
1. Remember that many, many years have passed from Isaiah to Malachi.
2. In Malachi 4:2 – “But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves.” God still speaks of One Who will come to bless humanity.
3. If sin is the malady (and it is), this One will come with “healing” as Malachi says here, in His wings. The remedy for sin will be found in Christ. All of the ungratefulness, the rebellion, the sin that man has done, has not swayed God from His purpose, His plan. The Sun of righteousness will arise the prophet says. Jesus is coming.
4. From Eden to Malachi the theme has been the desire and love of God.
II. WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS MEAN?
A. God could have just said so many times “enough is enough”.
1. The nature of law and absolute justice certainly indicate that.
2. But into that place comes the love and mercy of which Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:4 – “… God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,”
3. Oh yes, sin has temporal consequences which cannot be “waived”, that is true ... but one of the consequences of sin, the eternal separation from God is not necessary because of the cross of Jesus Christ. When I say is not necessary, what I mean by that is each of us can make a choice.
B. God’s desire is for reconciliation.
1. Yes, there will come an end to all things. Peter writes about it in – 2nd Peter 3:10 – “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.”
2. We have no idea when it will come - but come it will. To all the people that are saying “these are the signs of the end of time” “these are the signs which herald the coming of the Lord”, the nicest thing I can say is that they are terribly mistaken. They have not read their bibles correctly and carefully. Yes, there will come an end. According to Matthew 24:26f Jesus explains “But of that day and hour no one knows, no, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”
3. Because there will come an end, it is our pleasure and our privilege to proclaim the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We can speak of the love of God and the mercy of God, of the grace and forgiveness of God, because though there is an end coming, in the intervening period still it is God’s desire for reconciliation.
C. God’s love is filled with grace, mercy and forgiveness
1. I cannot review God’s history with man without being sobered and awed by the amazing love and mercy that God has shown to us. It is everywhere found in the scriptures.
2. As I review that history I come to the conclusion that all of this is pointing ahead to Jesus Christ, that One, that King, that Messiah, that Savior, of whom God spoke through His prophets for hundreds of years. – I mentioned to you earlier of the announcement in Luke and how the words of the prophets are fulfilled. Read with me now. Luke 1:31-33 - “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
3. Who can forget the words of John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”— or “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)? The wonderful, matchless love of God, evidenced in the cross.
D. Still, there must be a response from each of us to God’s grace, mercy and love. It requires that each individual make a decision about their relationship with God.
1. “Universal salvation” is not the way it is ... or, will be! God is not going to save without regard to a persons choices in their life.
2. The response may be called “obedient faith” (see Acts 6:7 - “And the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.”) Faith requires obedience.
3. In Acts 18:8 we find a great illustration of this obedient faith. “Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.” There folks, is obedient faith.
CLOSE: Clearly, folks, God desires that we be reconciled to Him. He loves you; He cares about you; He does not want you to be separated from Him for eternity. His love, however, allows you to make the choice. You still must chose. What do you want? Where do you want to spend eternity?
I would this morning, urge in the most loving way, and most concerned way that you make the decision today to respond in faith and obedience to what God teaches in His word, and receive this reconciliation which is His desire to give. If you believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God, if you will repent of your sins, if you will confess the name of Jesus, and be buried with Christ in baptism; your sins will be forgiven, you will be admitted into the body of Christ, and added to the church of our Lord. You will be a child of God. And you will be able to say “Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon me that I should be called a child of God.”
God has blessed us with many things; the ability to choose is one of them. He has also blessed us with the ability to learn, given us His word and this wonderful universe to learn from. In addition He has given us in this ability to choose, the ability to change our minds as we learn. We see this all the time as we study the natural world and learn more. Perhaps as a Christian you have grown in knowledge and found a correction is needed to return to the path of reconciliation.
If you need to come in obedience this morning I would pray that you do so while we stand and sing.
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Adopted from Sermon by: Cecil A. Hutson