Memorial Day Weekend and Trinity Sunday!
Introduction:
A. Tomorrow is Memorial
Day!
1. This is a day
when we as Americans remember those who have died in defense of our
country and our freedoms.
a. Some of those
are remembered by monuments that have been built in honor of the
dead of a certain war.
b. Others we
remember by visiting the cemetery where they are buried.
2. We owe a lot to
these people and it's fitting that we should pay them honor!
B. Christianity has its
own war heros, but there is one who stands out above all the rest. Without His contribution, the war against sin would not have been
won!
Trans.
I want to remember this war hero this morning! To do that we won't go to a tombstone over his
grave, but we will go to an empty grave because he is not there!
Prayer
Luke 24: 1-7 and Rom. 8:19-27
I. As we approach the grave this morning, let's remember the things that led to the grave!
A. First, we must go back
to the beginning because that is where it all starts.
1. In the beginning God created humankind! Whether you take Genesis chapters 1&2
literally or whether you believe that God did it through the process of
evolution as Theocratic Evolutionist believe, God did it!
2. God didn't want humankind to have to serve God, so God gave them a
choice; God wanted humankind to want to serve God!
3. But we chose not
to serve God! I say we because if you
will go back to when you became of the age of accountability you will realize that you
too had a choice, and you chose to sin!
This choice separated us
from God!
B. God didn't want to
leave it here; God still wanted us to have a chance to start again, so God placed
Godself in Mary's womb. "And
God became flesh and dwelt among us . .
."
C. So Jesus was born!
1. Not to the family
of a king which He deserved!
2. But to the family
of a carpenter!
3. He never had much
of this world's goods, but He showed us that didn't really matter!
D. Jesus showed us how to
live! He showed us how to love! He is our best revelation of what God is
really like!
E. Then Jesus gave his
life for you! I say you because this
is a personal thing. If you or I had
been the only one lost, I believe He'd
still have given his life to save
us!
1. You know, if I
were going to die for someone, I believe I'd want to go the quickest
and least painful way!
2. But Jesus didn't;
he went probably the most painful way!
a. The charges
of course were drummed up; he was guilty of no crime, but he felt
our guilt!
b. He was beaten
practically to death!
c. He was
laughed at and ridiculed!
d. He was nailed
to the cross and hung there to die while everyone turned against
him.
1) Even the
father (God) turned His back on Him.
2) This
must have been the most agonizing thing He faced while on
Earth!
F. Then Jesus was placed
in the tomb. A borrowed tomb at that!
G. So you see this
morning we owe a lot to Jesus! He suffered
a lot for us!
II. So let's approach the tomb this morning and remember Him!
A. Oh, wait; he's not there; the tomb is empty! Just like he said it would be!
B. What does this mean?
1. Does it mean
someone stole the body? That's what the
guards claimed!
a. But if
someone stole the body, how did they remove the stone? How did they get around the guards? Pilot thought he had taken precautions against
this!
b. And wouldn't
the guards have been successful in killing at least one of the
thieves? But they have
nothing to show for their claims!
2. What about all
those that claim they saw Jesus after this happened?
a. This must all
mean that Jesus did arise just like He said he would!
b. He must have
been truly God!
c. The price
must be paid for my sins, so I can be put back in a relationship with
God if I receive Him! Sin has been conquered!
d. If Jesus can
raise Himself up, then I can believe He can raise me up
also! This life isn't all
there is!
III. Christ has been raised!
Christ has ascended! The Spirit has
come to the Church!
We have celebrated all of this on past Sundays!
A. Our second
passage gives us our Trinitarian view of God!
B. Paul has
just preached Jesus for salvation in the
scriptures leading up to
this! Just as I have today!
C. Here he says, we wait
in hope! The Spirit helps us in our.
weakness! The Spirit intercedes for us!
D. Then Paul says, God
searches our hearts and the Spirit
intercedes according to
God’s will!
E. The God head all works
together that we might know and come
to God! Thanks be to God!
IV. Coming back to our thoughts of the ultimate war hero that
Christians
should remember today; you see we really do owe
a
lot to Jesus this Memorial Day!
A. We owe Him our
gratitude! He did something for us we couldn't
have done on our own!
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that
not
of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8&9).
B. We owe him our lives,
our lives in service. Not dead!
Also: Rom. 12:1&2
Conclusion:
A. As we encounter Jesus
at the table this morning, won't you
come this morning and
receive Jesus into your heart and
ask for God's forgiveness
because of what Jesus has done?
1. As we remember what Jesus did, we don't profit unless
We go beyond that and
receive what He has done as a sacrifice
for our sins!
2. The funny thing
about all of this is we have the
best end of the
deal!! If you have never made a
commitment, won't you do
that this morning?
3. If you do, let me
know so I can help with your new
walk with Christ!
B. Maybe, as we encounter
Jesus at the table, you need to pledge
to go deeper as a result of
gratitude for what Jesus has
done for you? You can do that this morning too!
Prayer of Confession
Service
of Communion
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