In Mark 15:24-39, as Jesus hung there on the cross, dying for you and for me...the people in the crowd were taunting him, mocking him and saying things like, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save!" (vs. 31) . Back in verse 24, we see the soldiers and others at the very foot of the cross, gambling (casting lots) for His garments, determining what every man should take... and to get the whole picture, we need to also look at Luke's Gospel, chapter 23, verses 33-34:
(Internet Photo)
33. "And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him,
and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.
34. Then Jesus said,
"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do...."
And here is where the real message begins...
1. If Christ could forgive them...surely we can forgive others...
2. If we have ever felt unworthy to enter God's House of praise...remember that Jesus Christ is bigger than any sin we could ever commit...
3. In Matthew 5:44, Jesus said to "Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you."
4. Are we forgiving others? We can't do this on our own...we need to ask Jesus to forgive us so that we can forgive others...
5. Are we growing in our walk with Christ? That should make us more humble...
6. Jesus offered Himself as the Sacrifice for our sins...He was the "scapegoat" that carried away our sins...He is our sin offering... (see Leviticus 16:5-11 for more information about the "scapegoat")
7. Jesus cleanses our consciences...He gave Himself to win forgiveness in God's mercy...His offering won God's forgiveness for us
8. Jesus has gone before us...He made atonement for the entire human race...there is no longer a gap between us and God...Jesus entered the most holy of holies to secure our redemption for all time....
9. Jesus died to set us free...this is the story of the church...
The question is...
Is it YOUR story?
At the close of this message we sang the following song, which truly touched my heart.
I am including it here as sung by Keith Green. It was written by his wife, Melody Green:
There is a Redeemer,
Jesus, God's own Son,
Precious Lamb of God, Messiah,
Holy One,
Jesus my Redeemer,
Name above all names,
Precious Lamb of God, Messiah,
Oh, for sinners slain.
Thank You oh my Father,
For giving us Your Son,
And leaving your spirit,
'til the work on earth is done.
When I stand in glory,
I will see His face,
And there I'll serve my king forever,
In that holy place.
Thank You oh my Father,
For giving us Your Son,
And leaving your Spirit,
'til the work on earth is done.
There is a Redeemer,
Jesus, God's own son,
Precious lamb of God, Messiah,
Holy one,
Thank you oh my Father,
For giving us your Son,
And leaving your Spirit,
'til the work on earth is done.
And leaving your Spirit,
'till the work on earth is done.
(Sermon Notes from FUMC, Interlachen,FL, 3/18/18, Pastor A.C. Myers)
Always learning things here.
ReplyDeleteI thank you for visiting and always encouraging. I feel the same way about your posts...I love the way we are all sharing from our own lives and experiences to encourage and lift each other up in so many special ways. Thank you for your friendship. I see it as a precious gift.
DeletePam, thank you so much for sharing your sermon notes here. I can't imagine that anyone would object to that because we just never know what God might speak to our hearts about as we read your notes. I love the hymn and when I really concentrated on the words it is full of the redemption story. Thank you, dear friend, for sharing. xx
ReplyDelete"If Christ could forgive them...surely we can forgive others..."
ReplyDeleteYes, amen.
Keith Green's story is so sad to me...
It was sad that he died so young...but his life and music continues to have an impact on people every day. My son Matthew, who died at the age of 41 from cancer, was truly influenced at a young age (teen) by Keith Green's music...he had every one of his albums and even sang one of the songs to his wife at their wedding reception. (Love With Me). We also played several of his songs at Matthew's memorial service. When I hear any of his songs, I think of my son Matthew, and thank God for the Godly influence of Keith Green on his young life. I often have said that when Matthew got to heaven, I know he was looking for Keith Green right after meeting Jesus! So, to me Keith Green's story is triumphant...sad for his family, but victory for him.
Delete(Imagining how it looked when your son met Keith)
Delete:)
Pretty exciting, I'm thinking!! Matthew was truly a "fan"...
DeleteWonderful, wonderful sermon Pamela. I'll be posting a few posts like yours all next week starting with Palm Sunday. Thank you for sharing with us my friend. Have a day of blessings.
ReplyDeletePamela, I'm finding your sermon notes so inspiring and uplifting. Thank you for sharing these lessons, perfect for us to reflect upon as Easter approaches.
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you, my friend!
Thank you for continuing to share your sermon notes, Pam. The notes are touching the hearts of many. The song, "There is a Redeemer" is a wonderful song of worship and praise at any time but particularly now.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!