A Heavenly Surrender!

 5^th Sunday in Lent!

Introduction:

 

A.   How many have seen an old Western Movie where someone waves a white flag to show that they were surrendering?

 

B.   This meant that they had given up and would yield to

the enemy, going with them peacefully.

 

C.   It put their life on the line because they didn't know  what the enemy would do to them!

 

Trans.

With this idea in mind of surrender, let's look at "A  Heavenly Surrender."

 

                            Prayer

                         Matt. 26:47-56

 

I.   The cause of the Conflict.

 

A.   Judas betrays Jesus, a friend who had walked with

Jesus. Yet, a human being who fell to the temptation,

A terrible thing to do (vs. 47-50)!

 

B.   But before we get too hard on Judas, let's consider another reason for the conflict.

 

C.   How many here are without sin?  The real cause of the Conflict was and is Sin!  People had chosen and still choose sin.

 

          1.   God has created us with free will!

 

          2.   All of us at some point have chosen sin!

 

          3.   That sin separates us from God; our sin breaks

the image of God within us!

 

     4.   God wanted to provide a way of reconciliation, to

restore us back to Godself!

 

II.  To win a conflict, what do we do?

 

A.   The first thing we think of is to fight to the finish.

 

B.   That is what Peter thought (vs. 51-52)!

 

C.   Peter believed that Jesus was the promised one, and he was ready for Jesus to establish his Kingdom - NOW!

 

III. Jesus didn't have to surrender (vs. 53).

 

A.   As the song goes, "He could have called ten thousand angels to destroy the world and set him free!" That is basically what Jesus says here.

 

B.   But Jesus saw one important problem with doing that:

he would win the conflict for Himself but not for you

and me!

 

1.   Something had to be done to put us back in

relationship with God; to forgive or erase our

sin!

 

a.   We can’t just turn over a new leaf and live

without sin from here on.

 

              b.   We can’t earn our way back to God with good

works!

 

          2.   In what Jesus did on the cross, God did what

needs to be done for us to be forgiven and made

right with God!

 

          3.   God did it! God made a way! God, incarnate in

Jesus Christ, reconciled us to Godself!

 

V.   Christ going to the cross fulfilled prophecy!

 

Read  -  Isaiah 53:5-12

 

VI.  So that is why Jesus made "The Heavenly Surrender!"

 

A.   The mockery of a trial.

 

B.   The beating.

 

C.   He surrendered to it all!

 

D.   He went all the way for us!

 

Conclusion:

 

A.   Jesus has made a way for us to be put back in

relationship with God.

 

1.   The next step is up to us; what will we do?

 

2.   Will we respond to God's grace by accepting what  God has done through Jesus?

 

B.   Judas had walked with Christ within the inner circle

of Christ's friends and supporters; yet, he betrayed

his Lord!

 

     1.   Next Sunday, we will do the 30 pieces of silver  offering as we shift to the passion to remind us  of Judas’ betrayal!

 

a.   Will we do that and then walk away and

betray Christ the next week?

 

b.   Will we walk away and betray Christ this

week?

 

2.   For today, Judas' fall is a constant reminder

that we always retain our free will and can turn

from God.

 

3.   Have we as Christians betrayed our Lord by the

Way that we live?

 

C.   As we encounter Christ at the table this morning, do

we have unreconciled sin in our lives?  We can make

things right today!  We can accept what God has

done for us in Jesus! We can recommit our lives to

Christ so that we can live closer to God in the future

than we have in the past!

 

Prayer of Confession

Service of Communion

 

Lessons About Sin!

 4^th Sunday in Lent

 Introduction:

 

     A.   It seems that it is quite difficult for us to learn              lessons about life the easy way.  Too many times we

          are told but we still have to learn ourselves!

 

     B.   Doing our own thing, having our way, enjoying the

          sinful things of life are often just too enticing for

          us to resist.

 

     C.   This morning, I want you to look with me at some hard

          lessons about sin.

 

                            Prayer

 

              Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 and John 8:2-11

 

I.   A look at the scripture.

 

     A.   Jesus is in the temple courts teaching.

 

     B.   The Pharisees, wanting to trap him, drag with them a             woman caught in the act of adultery.

 

     C.   They turn to Jesus and say, "The law of Moses commands           that this sinful adulteress be stoned to death; what

          do you say?"

 

     D.   Jesus, knowing they were trying to trap him, bent down           and began to write on the ground.  We have no idea

          what he wrote. Some have guessed that maybe he was

          writing a list of their sins, but we really don’t

          know.    

 

     E.   After they persistently questioned him, he finally

          rose up and looking at them made this sobering

          statement: "LET ANY ONE OF YOU WITHOUT SIN, THROW THE

          FIRST STONE AT HER."

 

     F.   Then he stooped down and wrote on the ground again.

 

 

     G.   One by one, starting with the oldest, the self-

          righteous Pharisees began to leave.

 

     H.   Jesus got up and asked the woman where her accusers

          were.

 

     I.   She told him they were gone.

 

     J.   Then Christ told her that he did not condemn her and

          that she should go and leave her life of sin.

 

II.  What can we learn from this woman's sin?

 

     A.   We know very little about this woman in particular.

 

     B.   From life we know that she fell into a common sin.               She had committed to a monogamous relationship and had           not kept that commitment!

          1.   She probably never thought of the consequences.

          2.   All she saw was the pleasure of the moment.

 

     C.   Look at what this attractive sin did to her:

          1.   It gave her - her moments pleasure.

          2.   It caused her to be caught and exposed before the                entire crowd.

          3.   It cost her - her reputation because while Christ                forgives people often do not.

          4.   It may have cost her - her family.

 

     D.   This poor woman had to learn her lesson the hard way:            sin hurts, destroys, and separates.  Sexual sins are

          never worth the moments pleasure.

 

III. What can we learn from the sins of the self-righteous?

 

     A.   These men were the ones who really felt they were

          relatively "sin-free."

 

     B.   They were so caught up in their own way of doing

          things that they could not accept Christ.

 

     C.   The sin of selfish pride caused them to reject Christ

          and even look for a way to discredit him.

 

     D.   It led them to use this adulterous woman.  They were

          not concerned with bringing her to justice, but they

          were using her to try to trap Christ.

 

     E.   Their self-righteous attitude would even have led them

          to stone her to death if Christ had not been wiser

          than to fall in their trap.

 

     F.   They, like too many good people, had not learned that

          judging, and selfish pride are terrible sins.

 

     G.   Judging others is God’s job.  When we judge others, we

are setting ourselves up as God!  When you think about

it, this might be the ultimate sin!  How can we ever

grow if we think we have arrived?

1.   Many messages have been preached about the sins of this women.

2.   Many messages have been preached about her being forgiven by Jesus and what it means to go and sin no more.

3.   But I think one of the most important messages here has to do with the attitude and sin of the accusers!

4.   They did not repent but turned and left when confronted with their sin!

     a.   They couldn’t see their sin.

     b.   In our first scripture today, the older

brother was arrogant, proud of what he had

done, bragging on his faithfulness and how

good he was, and ready to judge his brother

and thought his brother should get what he

had coming to him.

              c.   Again, many times this is missed in this

passage, but he couldn’t see his sin, and

when the story ends, he is on the outside

separating himself from the love of his

father. He hadn’t yet come back!

5.   Oh, that we can be mindful and aware of our own sin that caused Jesus to have to die and not always be just looking at others!

 

IV.  Let us learn these lessons about sin.

 

     A.   What can we learn from what we have heard here today?

          1.   That sins of pleasure end up bringing you nothing                but misery.

          2.   That sins of self-pride cause us to hurt the very                people we claim to want to help.

          3.   That a proud attitude that makes us sit in

              judgement of others generally means we are far

              from being in the will of God ourselves.

 

     B.   Hear this loud and clear:  Romans 6:23 a

              "For the wages of sin is death"

          1.   It doesn't matter what particular sin you commit;                you are walking a road to disaster.

          2.   It may seem like the good times now, but sin

              always costs us more than it is worth!

 

     C.   Also, hear this loud and clear:  Romans 6:23 b

              "but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ

              Jesus our Lord."

          1.   Living right gives us the freedom to enjoy this                  life: no hangovers, no morning after guilt, no

              fear of some contagious disease.

          2.   Living right allows us to concentrate on our own

growth in Christ instead of looking around and

judging others.

          3.   And as life begins to draw to a close, a life

              lived right leads us to a life everlasting.

 

Conclusion:

 

     A.   Many of you have already learned first hand the hard,            cruel lessons about sin.

 

     B.   Some may not yet have been convinced that sin

          eventually causes you to pay too dearly for the so

          called fun.

 

     C.   Is there anyone here this morning who needs to bring a           life burned and hurt by sin to a Lord who still looks

          and says, "I forgive you; I don't condemn you; go and

          leave your life of sin."

 

     D.   We can do that as we encounter Christ at the table

this morning!      

 

Prayer of Confession

Service of Communion

Have We Been Crucified?

 

Introduction:

 

     A.   "Have We Been Crucified?"

 

     B.   Crucifixion was a form of death as you recall in the            Ancient World!  It was the way Christ was killed!

 

     C.   Paul says he was crucified with Christ!  Are we?

 

     Trans.    Let's look today and see!

 

                            Prayer

                         Gal. 2:19 & 20

 

I.   What does Paul mean: Crucified with Christ?

 

     A.   He couldn't have literally meant he had been killed

          with Christ.

          1.   We know that it was two thieves who were killed                  with Christ.

          2.   We know Paul was alive here when he writes this!

 

     B.   Could it be that he meant, as a Christian, the old

          self had been Crucified, and now, he had risen to walk           in a new life with Christ.  "Old things are passed               away, behold all things . . . ."

 

II.  To Crucify our old selves, since we are made up of many     parts, we must Crucify many parts.

 

     A.   We must Crucify our feet!

          1.   A Christian shouldn't go the same places as                      before.

          2.   But a Christians new feet should take them to the                house of God and to the business of God!

              a.   visit the sick

              b.   help others

              c.   visit the unchurched

 

     B.   We must Crucify our hands!

          1.   A Christian's hands shouldn't be used to hurt                    people.

          2.   They should be used to help people as Christ                     helps through them.

          3.   They should be used to fold in prayer.

          4.   They should be used to work for the Lord.

 

     C.   We should Crucify our ears!

          1.   We need to watch what we listen to!

          2.   Christian's shouldn't, as much as is in their                    power, listen to things that are against Godly                   principles!

              a.   Dirty jokes - Do we bend an ear to listen to                    them?

              b.   Provocative music

              c.   Gossip - Again, do we bend an ear to hear                       it?

          3.   But we should instead listen to God.

              a.   in prayer

              b.   through the Spirit

          4.   We should listen to peoples needs and pain;                      Christians being willing to listen shows people                  that God is willing to listen and loves them!

 

     D.   We should Crucify our eyes!

          1.   Watch what we look at.

          2.   As a Christian, we shouldn't use our eyes to lust                after something that isn't ours (as much as is in                our power).

          3.   But we should use our eyes to look for God; one                  place to find God is in the Bible.

          4.   We should look for ways to help others!

 

     E.   We should Crucify our Tongues!

          1.   Watch what we say!

          2.   As a Christian, on the most part, we shouldn't                   use our tongues:   

              a.   to spread gossip

              b.   to tell lies

              c.   to swear

          3.   But we should speak up for God in our lives by                   the way we live and what we say. 

          4.   It isn't always easy to tell what to do, but with                Christ controlling our tongues, we'll say the                   right things!

 

     F.   We should Crucify our hearts!

          1.   A Christian shouldn't have a cold, resentful                     heart with bad motives.

          2.   But a loving, merciful heart with good motives.

 

III. How Can We Do All This?

 

     A.   By saying no to our old self every day and yes to the            leading of the Holy Spirit each day!  It is a yielding           to the Spirit of God!

    

     B.   Paul says it this way:

          ". . . not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life              which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of             the Son of God . . . ."

 

     C.   Saying yes to Jesus!

 

Conclusion:

     A.   Have we been Crucified with Christ or are we trying to           let our old self live along with the new self?

 

     B.   The scriptures say it won't work!  We can't have 2               masters.

 

     C.   Oh, yes we will all fail from time to time; we won't             be perfect!

          1.   But do we choose to fail?

          2.   Do we choose Satan?

          3.   Do we willfully go against what we know God wants                for our lives?

 

     D.   If we do, we haven't been Crucified with Christ.

    

     E.   As we encounter Christ at the table this morning, do

you need to say yes to Jesus?  After you receive

communion, do you need to come and kneel at the cross

for prayer this morning?

 

Prayer of Confession

Service of Communion