Better late than never! Church was amazing on Sunday, two great services. Paul Benger brought an excellent message in the morning entitled, ‘Finding Joy Together’.
Philippians 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near
Philippians 2:18 – So you too should be glad and rejoice with me
Philippians is a book full of ‘joy’, the word joy and rejoice appears seven times. It’s a letter from Paul written to a people who not in the prefect of circumstances but a people under Roman rule.
This is a letter of encouragement and partnership. ‘Share my joy…we’re in this together!’
People in life are desperate to find joy.
Philippians 1:3-7 – I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me
So much of modern life revolves around ‘ME’. Today’s gadgets, iPhone, iPod and social networking sites, facebook, twitter - they connect us together ‘virtually’. When we connect together for real (the church) is where life flows. Iron sharpens iron.
We make a way for one another, we spur one another on. There is no way I would be the person I am today without others. Those that challenge me, encourage me and spur me on.
Joy is not just for my personal circumstances but in community, together. Joy is found in partnership together not in isolation.
Philippians 2:2 – then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose
Strife is a joy killer. But joy is made complete when we are together, one mind, one purpose, thinking the same way (we don’t have to always agree on everything!)
One spirit, great attitudes towards one another, generous hearts…we’re in this together building a great church with Jesus!
Three ways of finding joy ‘together’…
1) We find joy together when we partner with God’s vision
Many churches are dead because they are divided. We’re in this together not separate groups doing their own thing.
We find joy when we are in partnership together. Each of us playing our part…we’re in this together. This us our culture, as that grows our joy will grow!
‘The purpose of our salvation is for God to lavish his grace on us and spend forever doing it’ (John Piper) - This is true, what is also true…
‘The purpose of our salvation is to position and equip us to partner with God in His redemptive rescue mission for the planet’. (Paul Benger)
We celebrate with one another, lifting people’s lives!
2) We find joy together when we find confidence in God’s purpose
Philippians 1:6 – being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus
Confident! This was not written to individuals it was written to the church. At CLC we’re confident that He who began a good work…he’ll finish what he has started.
There are seasons in our lives and in the life of the church. Whatever season we are in let us not be laid low by S.A.D. (seasonal affected disorder). God wants us confident in any season we find ourselves in.
Joy is in our church. We’re not a SAD church!
3) We find joy together when we share together in God’s grace
Philippians 1:7 – It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me
We know the grace of God together; we share in it together and not just as individuals.
God is for us…we’re sharing the grace the favour of God together! I’m not good on my own left to my own devices. The church does me good!
We find joy together when share the grace of God together.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
To Boldly Go
Church was excellent this morning. Andy Marsh was speaking for the first time at CLC and brought a great message entitled ‘To Boldly Go’.
John 4:1-42 (The Message)
Jesus was travelling from Jerusalem to Galilee. He took the shortest route and went through Samaria. The Jews would have normally taken the long route around Samaria to get to Galilee.
What was wrong with Samaria? The Jews and Samaritans did not get on. The Jews despised the Samaritans, looked down at them because they were of mixed race.
Why go through Samaria? He was taking the shortest route to save time. He may have been taking the safest route to avoid the Jewish leaders who were looking to oppose him. The main reason though is that Jesus was on a mission, today was the day he would meet with the Samaritan woman at the well.
What was the reason for John recording this event? 4 reasons,
- The importance of the route Jesus had chosen
- The personal message that Jesus had for the Samaritan woman
- The consequences of this message
- The importance of this meeting in contrast to his meeting with Nicodemus in the previous chapter
What so special about this meeting? Jesus was meeting with a woman, culturally not the done thing. She was not just any woman though, she was going to the well at noon the heat of the day and she was alone (the norm would be that the women would all go together to draw water). Maybe this was because of her reputation. She may have been an outcast, alienated from her people as well as the Jews.
Why did Jesus want to speak to her? It was her appointment with the Lord. Jesus wanted to meet her need. He had compassion for her. He has compassion for you also no matter who you are or what your past is.
Here Jesus met with a woman, of a hated mix race, of questionable morals and in a public place. A woman with no self-worth, no love, and yet she was about to have a life changing experience and not just her but her whole village as well!
She found hope and a future. Her past and her present were not going to determine her future as she surrendered her life to Jesus. This was true for her and it is true for you today!
What happened in the meeting? We see her needs both spiritual and physical were identified by Jesus and met. Her physical need was to get water and Jesus knew there was something more. He used other needs to meet the real need!
Jesus knew the issues he knew everything about her. Never worry about not being good enough…Jesus knows all about you and wants you to have a ‘full’ relationship with him. Let us not allow barriers to go up to prevent that happening.
The woman tried to avoid the issue at first by talking about religion. Don’t let us get distracted by religion.
Then came the revelation of who Jesus was. John 4:25-26 - The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."
Then the acceptance of who he was. She accepts him for who he is. She receives the ‘free gift’ of salvation, so often we can have difficulty valuing something that is free.
The extremes - Jesus is for all! He meets with Nicodemus, the religious ruler in the previous chapter, and then with the Samaritan woman shortly afterwards.
God finds us worthy whoever we are. He seeks us out. He wants a relationship with us…not religion.
Jesus saw the value on her life even though she couldn’t. Grace says…you count, you matter, you important!
The consequences of the meeting
John 4:39-42 – Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Saviour of the world."
She went from her meeting with Jesus and back into her town…many believed because of what she said. What an incredible change must have happened in her life. They were amazed at her transformation!
We need to recognise the compassion Jesus showed to the Samaritan woman and to many others.
‘Evangelism with out Compassion is just Expansionism’ – Jeff Lucas
We make a difference in people’s lives as we show love and compassion. Never despise the small things that we do for people…we may not realise it straight away but those small things will make a huge impact in their future!
John 4:1-42 (The Message)
Jesus was travelling from Jerusalem to Galilee. He took the shortest route and went through Samaria. The Jews would have normally taken the long route around Samaria to get to Galilee.
What was wrong with Samaria? The Jews and Samaritans did not get on. The Jews despised the Samaritans, looked down at them because they were of mixed race.
Why go through Samaria? He was taking the shortest route to save time. He may have been taking the safest route to avoid the Jewish leaders who were looking to oppose him. The main reason though is that Jesus was on a mission, today was the day he would meet with the Samaritan woman at the well.
What was the reason for John recording this event? 4 reasons,
- The importance of the route Jesus had chosen
- The personal message that Jesus had for the Samaritan woman
- The consequences of this message
- The importance of this meeting in contrast to his meeting with Nicodemus in the previous chapter
What so special about this meeting? Jesus was meeting with a woman, culturally not the done thing. She was not just any woman though, she was going to the well at noon the heat of the day and she was alone (the norm would be that the women would all go together to draw water). Maybe this was because of her reputation. She may have been an outcast, alienated from her people as well as the Jews.
Why did Jesus want to speak to her? It was her appointment with the Lord. Jesus wanted to meet her need. He had compassion for her. He has compassion for you also no matter who you are or what your past is.
Here Jesus met with a woman, of a hated mix race, of questionable morals and in a public place. A woman with no self-worth, no love, and yet she was about to have a life changing experience and not just her but her whole village as well!
She found hope and a future. Her past and her present were not going to determine her future as she surrendered her life to Jesus. This was true for her and it is true for you today!
What happened in the meeting? We see her needs both spiritual and physical were identified by Jesus and met. Her physical need was to get water and Jesus knew there was something more. He used other needs to meet the real need!
Jesus knew the issues he knew everything about her. Never worry about not being good enough…Jesus knows all about you and wants you to have a ‘full’ relationship with him. Let us not allow barriers to go up to prevent that happening.
The woman tried to avoid the issue at first by talking about religion. Don’t let us get distracted by religion.
Then came the revelation of who Jesus was. John 4:25-26 - The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."
Then the acceptance of who he was. She accepts him for who he is. She receives the ‘free gift’ of salvation, so often we can have difficulty valuing something that is free.
The extremes - Jesus is for all! He meets with Nicodemus, the religious ruler in the previous chapter, and then with the Samaritan woman shortly afterwards.
God finds us worthy whoever we are. He seeks us out. He wants a relationship with us…not religion.
Jesus saw the value on her life even though she couldn’t. Grace says…you count, you matter, you important!
The consequences of the meeting
John 4:39-42 – Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Saviour of the world."
She went from her meeting with Jesus and back into her town…many believed because of what she said. What an incredible change must have happened in her life. They were amazed at her transformation!
We need to recognise the compassion Jesus showed to the Samaritan woman and to many others.
‘Evangelism with out Compassion is just Expansionism’ – Jeff Lucas
We make a difference in people’s lives as we show love and compassion. Never despise the small things that we do for people…we may not realise it straight away but those small things will make a huge impact in their future!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Missions Sunday
Great time in church today. It was our Missions Sunday where we shared about our Missions giving in the past year and also presented the church with our commitment to missions giving over the next year.
It was great to have our friends with us from City Hearts House (Sheffield) and Betel.
We also continue to support the Ground Level Network Overseas Missions, Links International and Compassion.
We also heard a great message from Duane White (Beyond These Shores) about what it is to have a Missions Addiction! To be addicted to Jesus and His Cause.
Three things that will be effected by our Missions Addiction...
It will change your speech.
How we pray, how we communicate with others. Make us more outward thinking...it's not about 'me'.
It will change where you Go!
What moves you? What gets you going? We will be compelled by the Holy Spirit to go. Get a vision for the world.
It will change what you do with your money.
Refocuses our thinking when it comes to how we give, where we give etc. See opportunities and take them!
It was great to have our friends with us from City Hearts House (Sheffield) and Betel.
We also continue to support the Ground Level Network Overseas Missions, Links International and Compassion.
We also heard a great message from Duane White (Beyond These Shores) about what it is to have a Missions Addiction! To be addicted to Jesus and His Cause.
Three things that will be effected by our Missions Addiction...
It will change your speech.
How we pray, how we communicate with others. Make us more outward thinking...it's not about 'me'.
It will change where you Go!
What moves you? What gets you going? We will be compelled by the Holy Spirit to go. Get a vision for the world.
It will change what you do with your money.
Refocuses our thinking when it comes to how we give, where we give etc. See opportunities and take them!
Sunday, March 08, 2009
God in HD - The Scandalous Love of God
Paul Benger completed our series “God in HD” today in church with an excellent message entitled The Scandalous Love of God.
Hebrews 1:3 – The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven
When we look at Jesus we see what God is like. Jesus reveals God in high definition.
We’ve seen in the news recently about the scandal of ex RBS boss Sir Fred Goodwin and the pension he is to receive - £693,000 per annum despite RBS poor performance…£25 billion deficit.
There is an even bigger scandal than that…Jesus is involved and we are involved. Our debt was much bigger than £25 billion! God stepped in and didn’t leave us in a position where we couldn’t pay. Through Jesus Christ his son he gave us life…eternal life…forgiveness…this was the scandal of the cross.
Romans 5:7-8 – Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us
This was the price that was paid to purchase our lives so that we could live the life we were meant to live. It cost the Father his only son.
God saw you and me…he saw a future, he saw a hope…he gave his life so that we might live.
This is the Grace of God giving us what we don’t deserve. We think about this everyday that we are living the life we don’t deserve…the gift of eternal life.
We’ve had a debt wiped out, one we could never pay.
The cross of Jesus was the scandal. In his last few days he says these words,
John 12:27-28 – “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again”
He doesn’t draw back from his calling. Showing us the love of God…the scandal…God in high definition as clear as you can get it.
“You loved a people undeserving”
1 John 4:10 – This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins
Three qualities of this Scandalous Love of God…
God’s love is scandalous because it is ‘undeserved’
We could never earn God’s love. Imagine a father saying to his child, “manage to keep all of these rules then I will love you”. He just loves his children anyway! No matter what we do God keeps on loving us.
Our love is so often ‘conditional’, and yet God loves us ‘unconditionally’. Don’t spend energy and effort to earn God’s love…he wants to show us the futility of trying to earn his love. This doesn’t eliminate hard work…but accept his love and don’t try to earn it.
Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. It’s a gift!
Remember the Samaritan woman at the well. She was ‘undeserving’ and she knew it…she must have told it so many times. Yet Jesus comes and says to her, ‘Ask me and I will give you living water’.
God’s love is scandalous because it is ‘unchanging’
Romans 5:8 – But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us
He didn’t wait until we deserved it…he just loved us! He doesn’t change now that we know him. It isn’t God who opts-out, we’re the ones that opt-out.
We waver, we change…God’s love never changes. The glory of God can be seen in your life as you accept his unchanging love for you and be all you were meant to be!
Malachi 3:6 – I the LORD do not change
God’s love is scandalous because it is ‘unrestricted’
It can be difficult as a parent to know what to do in bringing our children up. When to step in and help or when to let them grow and find things out for themselves.
Because of God’s unrestricted love for us…
Romans 8:31-39
If God is for us who can be against us?
It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Let us stop condemning ourselves and carrying the weight around with us.
We are more than conquerors through him who loved us!
Nothing shall separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus - There is no ceiling to what God wants to do in our lives…He’s lifting it off of you!
We can struggle with this truth about the grace of God. The love of God reaches the places where we think it never will.
Jesus spoke to the criminal on the cross beside him, ‘today you will be with me in paradise!’
His love can reach us at any time, any point, any place…it is never too late.
1 Peter 2:24 - He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed
Hebrews 1:3 – The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven
When we look at Jesus we see what God is like. Jesus reveals God in high definition.
We’ve seen in the news recently about the scandal of ex RBS boss Sir Fred Goodwin and the pension he is to receive - £693,000 per annum despite RBS poor performance…£25 billion deficit.
There is an even bigger scandal than that…Jesus is involved and we are involved. Our debt was much bigger than £25 billion! God stepped in and didn’t leave us in a position where we couldn’t pay. Through Jesus Christ his son he gave us life…eternal life…forgiveness…this was the scandal of the cross.
Romans 5:7-8 – Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us
This was the price that was paid to purchase our lives so that we could live the life we were meant to live. It cost the Father his only son.
God saw you and me…he saw a future, he saw a hope…he gave his life so that we might live.
This is the Grace of God giving us what we don’t deserve. We think about this everyday that we are living the life we don’t deserve…the gift of eternal life.
We’ve had a debt wiped out, one we could never pay.
The cross of Jesus was the scandal. In his last few days he says these words,
John 12:27-28 – “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again”
He doesn’t draw back from his calling. Showing us the love of God…the scandal…God in high definition as clear as you can get it.
“You loved a people undeserving”
1 John 4:10 – This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins
Three qualities of this Scandalous Love of God…
God’s love is scandalous because it is ‘undeserved’
We could never earn God’s love. Imagine a father saying to his child, “manage to keep all of these rules then I will love you”. He just loves his children anyway! No matter what we do God keeps on loving us.
Our love is so often ‘conditional’, and yet God loves us ‘unconditionally’. Don’t spend energy and effort to earn God’s love…he wants to show us the futility of trying to earn his love. This doesn’t eliminate hard work…but accept his love and don’t try to earn it.
Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. It’s a gift!
Remember the Samaritan woman at the well. She was ‘undeserving’ and she knew it…she must have told it so many times. Yet Jesus comes and says to her, ‘Ask me and I will give you living water’.
God’s love is scandalous because it is ‘unchanging’
Romans 5:8 – But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us
He didn’t wait until we deserved it…he just loved us! He doesn’t change now that we know him. It isn’t God who opts-out, we’re the ones that opt-out.
We waver, we change…God’s love never changes. The glory of God can be seen in your life as you accept his unchanging love for you and be all you were meant to be!
Malachi 3:6 – I the LORD do not change
God’s love is scandalous because it is ‘unrestricted’
It can be difficult as a parent to know what to do in bringing our children up. When to step in and help or when to let them grow and find things out for themselves.
Because of God’s unrestricted love for us…
Romans 8:31-39
If God is for us who can be against us?
It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Let us stop condemning ourselves and carrying the weight around with us.
We are more than conquerors through him who loved us!
Nothing shall separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus - There is no ceiling to what God wants to do in our lives…He’s lifting it off of you!
We can struggle with this truth about the grace of God. The love of God reaches the places where we think it never will.
Jesus spoke to the criminal on the cross beside him, ‘today you will be with me in paradise!’
His love can reach us at any time, any point, any place…it is never too late.
1 Peter 2:24 - He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed
Sunday, March 01, 2009
God in HD - Messiah
We continued this excellent series “God in HD” today in church. Mark Wilkins brought a great message on Jesus being the Messiah.
‘I believe in God revealed in Jesus of Nazareth’ – Tom Wright, Bishop of Durham
Messiah = Anointed One = Christ
Judaism believed that the Messiah would be the coming king to liberate Israel and rebuild the temple. They believed he would be a military leader to free them of their occupiers. Yet it was Jesus Christ stood before them who was their Messiah.
Matthew 5:17-18 - "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished”
Luke 24:25-27 - He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
Within the Old Testament there is 322 verses about the coming Messiah. Isaiah wrote 700 years BC about the kind of Messiah he would be.
Isaiah 53:4-7 - Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
They believed that the Romans were their true oppressors and that the Messiah would liberated them from them. Yet Jesus revealed the true oppressor was their sin and that is what he wanted to free them from.
Romans 8:2-5 - Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
Sin is the oppressor and Jesus the Messiah comes to save us from our sin. God’s heart has always been to intervene and save his people. We see throughout the Old and New Testaments…this has always been his plan. Today people can still miss that. That Christ wants to save us from our sin, we may feel we’re not good enough, and yet Jesus has made a way. A way possible for us to have a relationship with God, to find freedom in Christ!
What motivated the Apostle Paul? Romans 9:2-4 - I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises
It grieved Paul immensely…for the people to know Christ and the freedom he gave. It weighed heavy upon him.
We’re so grateful for what God has done for us and yet it breaks our heart to see those around us in need of a Saviour. Just like the Apostle Paul, let us get close to God’s heart and be broken for those around us.
Ephesians 5:1 – Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children
Imitate God - Capture his heart for the people who are lost and far from him.
God has saved us, to be all that he wants us to be today…and not just the future. Salvation is not just getting your ticket out of here! He wants us to be all that Jesus was to people.
Matthew 20:1-16
The Parable of the workers in the vineyard…
- It’s never too late
- Even the unwanted are welcome
- The reward is the same
- It’s never about work
- Be gracious (don’t write people off who God hasn’t)
The Messiah…God’s heart is to save people whoever they are…even if they are 5 o’clock people. Let us have the same heart for people.
‘I believe in God revealed in Jesus of Nazareth’ – Tom Wright, Bishop of Durham
Messiah = Anointed One = Christ
Judaism believed that the Messiah would be the coming king to liberate Israel and rebuild the temple. They believed he would be a military leader to free them of their occupiers. Yet it was Jesus Christ stood before them who was their Messiah.
Matthew 5:17-18 - "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished”
Luke 24:25-27 - He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
Within the Old Testament there is 322 verses about the coming Messiah. Isaiah wrote 700 years BC about the kind of Messiah he would be.
Isaiah 53:4-7 - Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
They believed that the Romans were their true oppressors and that the Messiah would liberated them from them. Yet Jesus revealed the true oppressor was their sin and that is what he wanted to free them from.
Romans 8:2-5 - Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
Sin is the oppressor and Jesus the Messiah comes to save us from our sin. God’s heart has always been to intervene and save his people. We see throughout the Old and New Testaments…this has always been his plan. Today people can still miss that. That Christ wants to save us from our sin, we may feel we’re not good enough, and yet Jesus has made a way. A way possible for us to have a relationship with God, to find freedom in Christ!
What motivated the Apostle Paul? Romans 9:2-4 - I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises
It grieved Paul immensely…for the people to know Christ and the freedom he gave. It weighed heavy upon him.
We’re so grateful for what God has done for us and yet it breaks our heart to see those around us in need of a Saviour. Just like the Apostle Paul, let us get close to God’s heart and be broken for those around us.
Ephesians 5:1 – Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children
Imitate God - Capture his heart for the people who are lost and far from him.
God has saved us, to be all that he wants us to be today…and not just the future. Salvation is not just getting your ticket out of here! He wants us to be all that Jesus was to people.
Matthew 20:1-16
The Parable of the workers in the vineyard…
- It’s never too late
- Even the unwanted are welcome
- The reward is the same
- It’s never about work
- Be gracious (don’t write people off who God hasn’t)
The Messiah…God’s heart is to save people whoever they are…even if they are 5 o’clock people. Let us have the same heart for people.
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