Journey to the Cross and Beyond (Part #6)

Romans 1:16-17

Easter is the crowning jewel of Christianity and what most distinguishes it from all other world religions. What the Superbowl is to football, the World Series is to baseball, Wimbledon is to tennis, The Final Four is to college basketball, and the Masters is to professional golf...the resurrection of Christ is to Christianity. It is the pinnacle of the Christian faith.

Without the resurrection all we have is a dead martyr that is powerless to save the soul or change the life of a single person. This is the reason we celebrate His resurrection every Sunday and why Easter is a special recognition of this momentous event.

Most preachers have been studying, planning and preparing for months for this special day. They’ve been looking for the most effective/creative/powerful/profound way to make the greatest impact on as many people as possible, since it’s likely more people will be in church on Easter than at any other time of the year.

It is what has consumed much of my down-time for the last several weeks, as well, when I wasn’t preparing for other messages. But, that all changed in a specific way a little over a week ago...(tell the story).

“And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.  And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5)

It is not our persuasiveness that saves; it is the Gospel itself that saves. Proclaiming the Gospel is like letting a lion out of its cage. (originally alluded to by D.L. Moody) Once the lion is out, he needs no help from us. When the lion is turned loose, it will take care of itself.

“If the gospel is, itself, mighty to save, the power of God resulting in salvation, then we need but to proclaim it, in simplicity, in purity, and in dependence upon God, who will by His Word save men.” (Dr. Bob Deffinbaugh)

1. What is the Gospel?

1. The word “Gospel” is used in different contexts to announce good news:

• A. The victory achieved in battle.
• B. The wedding of a couple.
• C. The birth of a son.

2. When used about Christ it announces the Good News that He is Lord and Savior of all mankind!

3. In spite of what you may have heard, the Gospel is about more than just the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. That is the heart of the Gospel, but a heart is incomplete without a body. There is a context into which the work of Jesus fits and without which the story doesn’t make complete sense.

4. The Gospel is the outworking of God’s redemptive plan that began in eternity past (Acts 2:23) and culminates with God the Father being God for all, in all, and through all, with His Son Jesus Christ glorified as the One through Whom the Father is glorified. It fulfills/resolves the story of Israel through whom the Messiah was delivered to be the Savior of all mankind.

5. Scholar, N.T. Wright says, “...the gospel itself, strictly speaking, is the narrative proclamation of King Jesus...Or, to put it yet more compactly: Jesus, the crucified and risen Messiah, is Lord.” It is, “an announcement about the true God as opposed to the false gods....To announce that YHWH was King was to announce that Caesar is not.” (--which is part of the reason he says he is not “ashamed of the Gospel,” seeing it wouldn’t have not been well received in Rome for this very reason.)

• It may be that there were people in Rome who despised the simplicity of the message (there were certainly some elsewhere, Acts 17:32; 1 Cor. 1:18, 23).
• This had not deterred Paul previously and it wouldn’t deter him now.
• “Paul had been imprisoned in Philippi, chased out of Thessalonica, smuggled out of Berea, laughed at in Athens. He had preached in Corinth where his message was foolishness to the Greeks and a stumbling-block to the Jews, and out of that background Paul declared that he was proud of the gospel” (William Barclay).

• To say that he is “not ashamed” is really a litotes, in essence meaning the opposite is true.

6. Paul states in the opening verses of Romans that Jesus is, “...declared to be God with power...by the resurrection from the dead.” (Romans 1:4)

2. Why do we need the Gospel?

Because...”it is the power of God unto salvation...”

• Power is the Greek word, “dunamis” which gives us our word “dynamite.” That’s not the idea of the meaning here, though, as first century readers wouldn’t have understood it that way. Nor is it the right image of the “power of God” because dynamite is usually considered destructive, not constructive. The image Paul is conveying is that there is an inherent power in the Gospel itself to change people’s lives.

• When defining “power” in the biblical context of the Gospel it should be understood as resurrection power.

“...the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places...” (1 Corinthians 1:18-20)

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” (Romans 8:11)

The effect of salvation...

1. Positionally:
• salvation is a general term that encompases every aspect of our relationship to God: Justification, Redemption, Reconciliation, Sanctification, and Glorification.
2. Practically:
• Our salvation includes many wonderful truths:
1. We are saved from wrath (5:9)
2. We are saved from hostility to God (5:10)
3. We are saved from alienation from God (Ephesians 2:12)
4. We are saved from sin (Matthew 1:21)
5. We are saved from being lost (Luke 19:10)
6. We are saved from futility (1 Peter 1:18)
7. We are saved from “a yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1)
8. We are saved from false religion (Colossians 1:13)
9. We are saved from a corrupt generation (Acts 2:40)

• Unfortunately, the modern “gospel” portrays God as being more lonely and in need of our companionship rather than righteously angered by our sin. In this aberrant gospel man is not represented as a rebel under the wrath of God and destined for eternal torment, but rather as one who could use a little assistance in making his life more fulfilling and satisfying.

3. Presently:
• Many Christians understand that they have no hope of heaven apart from the price Jesus paid on their behalf.  But aside from gratitude for his sacrifice they see little connection between what Jesus did then and how we can live today. But, the resurrection was not only a supernatural event for Jesus, it also opened new possibilities for everyone that would become a follower of Jesus. When Jesus was raised from the grave by the power of God...the power of His resurrection life was made available to all who received Him. (cf. Romans 8:11) Certainly, Jesus came to save us from our sins, but He also came to enable us to live Godly lives that can look substantially like his life.
3. How should we respond to the Gospel?
Paul makes it clear that this life/soul saving power is only available to those that “believe.”


1. It is universal (“to everyone”)
2. It is unmatched
Every religion says, “Do these things and you’ll live,” but Christ says, “It’s done...you are alive.”
3. It is uncomplicated (“who believes”)


Closing Illus: Paul/Silas and the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:20-33)

Consider This...

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:8 NLT)

There are two central truths that are learned through the sufferings of Christ. The first is just how much God hates sin and requires that it be punished. The second is how much God loves us and showed it by giving His Son to pay our sin penalty. Don't forget the clear testimony of scripture...Christ was dying for "sinners." And, it was the GREATEST display of LOVE known to mankind...EVER!

Consider This...

We no longer see your miraculous signs. All the prophets are gone, and no one can tell us when it will end. (Psalm 74:9 NLT)

It's possible for people to reach such a low estate that they feel as if they have been abandoned by God. The reality is that when this happens it's not God Who has left them, but they who have left God! If He seems distant and the place where you are living feels like a barren spiritual desert, it's time to turn your heart back to Him. If you seek Him with all your heart...you will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13).

 

 

Consider This...

Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city. (Proverbs 16:32 NLT)

Since scripture teaches that it takes tribulation/trials to develop patience (Romans 5:3) it's not usually a virtue that people are quick to seek from God. However, a lot more things are accomplished through patience/perseverance than they are through power. The people that know how to persevere while waiting on God's intervention...will succeed in time. And, they will develop a tenacity of spirit that gives them a power the "powerful" may never know!

Consider This...

Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18 NLT)

We all know the dangers of being arrogant and prideful, but did you know that some so-called humility can be equally destructive? True humility is not constantly running yourself down or belittling yourself. Neither is it dragging yourself around with a long face and slumped shoulders with the words, "woe is me" repeatedly falling from your lips. That kind of self-deprecating behavior only draws greater attention to the supposedly "humble one," which is the very definition of pride. The kind of humility that God desires is when we recognize that everything we have and everything we are is a gift from Him and then we thank Him for those gifts.

Consider This...

Don't make your living by extortion or put your hope in stealing. And if your wealth increases, don't make it the center of your life. (Psalm 62:10 NLT)

No truer words can be said about what's wrong in America than these words from the Psalmist's pen. As individuals and a nation we have too often made our material gain "the center of [our lives]" and in the process turned our backs on God. Wealth can be a blessing or a curse depending on where we place our trust.

Journey to the Cross and Beyond (Part #5)

Isaiah 53:1-12

Introduction:
When you’re studying Isaiah 53 it’s like you are standing on holy ground (Exodus 3:5)

There are approximately 80 references to Isaiah in the NT and most come from this chapter. It is quoted or alluded to more than any other chapter of the OT.

This chapter has been called, “The Gospel according to Isaiah.”

It deals with the Suffering Savior...Jesus Christ. Had the religious leaders of Jesus day recognized that Jesus was the fulfillment of this chapter they would have accepted Him as their Messiah. The problem was that they weren’t looking for a Suffering Savior they were looking for a Conquering King to throw off the Roman oppression and restore Israel’s national sovereignty.

To illustrate that this chapter is about Christ...tell the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8).

D.L. Moody described the paradoxes of this chapter: “Despised, yet accepted and adored. Poor, yet rich. To die, yet to live.” He indicated that “The Rabbis said there must be a double Messiah to fulfil this chapter.”

The context of this chapter really begins in Chapter 52:13-15 and is made up of five stanzas or sections containing three verses each.

1. A Surprising Savior (52:13-15)
2. A Rejected Savior (53:1-3)
3. A Suffering Savior (53:4-6)
4. A Righteous Savior (53:7-9)
5. A Sovereign Savior (53:10-12)

Read through the chapter and point out that every aspect of Christ as found here:

• Christ’s birth (53:2)
• Christ’s life (53:3)
• Christ’s suffering (53:4-6)
• Christ’s death (53:7-8)
• Christ’s burial (53:9)
• Christ’s resurrection (53:10)
• Christ’s exaltation (53:12)

As this prophetic chapter reveals, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus was no accident. This was the work of our sovereign God to provide salvation/redemption for all mankind (Acts 2:23)

Illustration:

• Look to the cross and see its width…it is wide enough to include you and everyone else, too.
• Look to the cross and see its length…it is long enough to reach you where you are.
• Look to the cross and see its depth…it is deep enough to give you life and life more abundant.

No matter how you look at it, or how you measure the immeasurable love of God…you will find that it is more than enough for anyone who would approach this God of grace and mercy.

According to Isaiah...Christ brings at least four things to us through His suffering:

1. Peace (v. 5)
1. ...With God

• cf. Romans 3:10-18; Ephesians 2:1-3
• Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1-2)
• cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17-19

2. ...With others

• For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. (Ephesians 2:14-18)

According to Isaiah...Christ brings us:

2. Healing (v. 5)

• This is actually best understood as a metaphor for the forgiveness of our sins.
• It has been argued by some that physical healing is in the atonement (and it is in the eternal scheme of things), but to suggest that God must heal today on the basis of this passage is an unfortunate misreading of the obvious intention of the text. The entire context deals with the problem of our transgressions and iniquities and the means of our peace that we may be spiritually healed.
• That is certainly how Peter explained the text:

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 deceit 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. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (1 Peter 2:21-25)

• In view of the spiritual provision that is met by the atonement of Christ, it should be understood as, “by his stripes we are forgiven.”

According to Isaiah...Christ brings us:

3. Righteousness (v. 11)

• Justification is a legal term that indicates someone who is declared righteous, even though they are still in a sinning state.
• It involves the imputing of Christ’s righteousness to us.
• Jesus took our sins and gave us His righteousness.
• For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
• One of Paul’s favorite phrases is, “in Christ.” Our righteous standing before God is because we are “in Christ.”
• “And raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:6)
• For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26)
• For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:22)
• There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)
• For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)
• Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

According to Isaiah...Christ brings us:

4. Intercession (v. 12)

• The intercession here refers to Christ pleading for men before the Throne of Mercy as our Redeemer and High Priest.
• The “intercession for transgressors” began on the cross and it continues until the last day.
• Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. (Romans 8:34)
• Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. (Romans 7:25)
• My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (1 John 2:1)
• Moses interceded for his people and offered his life in exchange for them. This is an example of what it means for Christ to intercede for sinful mankind. (cf. Exodus 32:32)

Closing Illustration:
Bryan Chapell tells this story that happened in his hometown: Two brothers were playing on the sandbanks by the river. One ran after another up a large mound of sand. Unfortunately, the mound was not solid, and their weight caused them to sink in quickly.

When the boys did not return home for dinner, the family and neighbors organized a search. They found the younger brother unconscious, with his head and shoulders sticking out above the sand. When they cleared the sand to his waist, he awakened. The searchers asked, "Where is your brother?"

The child replied, "I’m standing on his shoulders"

With the sacrifice of his own life, the older brother lifted the younger to safety. The tangible and sacrificial love of the older brother literally served as a foundation for the younger brother’s life.

Jesus took our place on the cross. We are standing on the shoulders of the salvation God has made possible through His Son. What a sacrifice! He didn’t have to do it! He chose to do it for each one of us!

Journey to the Cross and Beyond (Part #2)

Text: Luke 19:1-10
Title: Journey to the Cross...and Beyond (Part #2)

Jesus passes through Jericho, a location 1,000 feet below sea level, headed to Jerusalem, which is 2,400 feet above sea level. This is Christ’s final journey to Jerusalem where he will be crucified and raised from the dead.

Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector, which probably means he was the “commissioner” of this district of Jericho with other tax collectors working under him collecting the taxes. This would mean that he not only received his own wage, but made commission on all the other tax collectors, as well. All tax collectors were despised by their fellow Jews because they were viewed as collaborators with the Roman government, which oppressed them. They were also guilty of extorting money from their fellow countrymen by forcing them to pay taxes well beyond what Rome required. This is the means by which tax collectors enriched themselves.

Zacchaeus embodied two facets of the nation’s populace: the outcast/despised on the one hand and the proud/self-sufficient on the other. Both needed the Savior.

Three Important Reminders for Broken People:

1. God says I matter...even though I feel small and insignificant.

A. He was small in physical stature.

B. He was small in the “view” of others...because he was a tax collector.

• Despite this man’s wealth and official power, he is unable to penetrate the crowd.
• The tree he climbed was a Ficus sycomorus, i.e., the fig-mulberry. It grew in the Jordan valley to a considerable height; the low, spreading branches made it fairly easy to climb.
• Zacchaues runs ahead and climbs up in the tree to see Jesus. It is highly unusual for a wealthy Jewish man to run, let alone climb a tree. Any sense of pride that he normally might have exhibited as an official of power and wealth was totally gone.
• He was hungry for something that was missing in his life and he had not found in the other avenues of life where he had searched.

2. God gives me hope...even though others have written me off.

A. He commands Zacchaeus to come down from the tree. Jesus takes the initiative in helping Zacchaeus!

B. He went to eat at Zacchaeus’ house.

• In this culture, to eat with a person who had ill-gotten gain was viewed as if that person were “a partaker in the crime.” One of means they used for dealing with a person like Zacchaeus was to shun him. Some Jewish Rabbis said that you didn’t even have to treat tax collectors as human beings, but as animals.

C. The essence of what it means to be lost (19:10) is that you are separated from the One Who gives meaning, purpose, and value to life...now and in eternity!

3. God won’t give up on me...even though I’ve done some really bad things.

A. Zachaeus’ life was dramatically changed by the power of the Gospel.

• The law required a penalty of one-fifth as restitution for money acquired by fraud (Lev. 6:5; Num. 5:6, 7), so Zacchaeus was doing more than was required. The law required 4-fold restitution only when an animal was stolen and killed (Ex. 22:1). If the animal was found alive, only two-fold restitution was required (Ex. 22:4). But Zacchaeus judged his own crime severely, acknowledging that he was as guilty as the lowest common robber.

B. “Salvation has come to [you]” (19:9). Notice how he addresses Jesus Christ as “Lord” (19:8).

• Zacchaeus was changed through an experience with Christ, not a command of Christ!

• “When you meet God in Jesus Christ you get swept up into a story of such cosmic drama and beauty that you are forever changed.” --J.D. Greear

• Nobody is beyond the grace of God and anybody can become His child...by faith in Jesus Christ! He’s still changing lives!