Scripture reading: Acts 13:36-39, John 12:27 Hebrews 2:1, 6-7, 14-15, John 15:13
INTRO: Isn’t it time to take off the facade, and just be real with each other? cant we realize that it is these very attitudes that actually hinder us from being ministered to, u see when we think we are to good or perfect, then we tend to think we don’t need help? hence we wont humbly ask for help, for we must first realize that we need help before he can help us! I must realize that I have faults, hurts, frailties, & that we need each other? the bottom line is people are hurting, people are vulnerable and valuable! people need to love and be loved!
Sure we make mistakes and hurt others maybe we should stop to consider the consequences? not so much to us? ( who do the hurting) as to others? (who are the ones being hurt) Sometimes saying Im sorry is not enough it does not undo the damage? the power of life and death is in the tongue! James said both sweet water and bitter ought not come out the same mouth.
maybe we should take time to remember this is the church of God not a social club? not a gossip station? when a sinner comes to church he/she should find a place of refuge! a shelter from the world, a place of refuge not rejection! hope not hurt! the gospel not gossip! friends not foes!
Mans greatest need? is not to be saved? but to be loved! The greatest lesson life can teach? is the need for people to be loved, accepted, unconditionally, to be acknowledged, “ WHAT IS MAN THAT THOU ART MINDFUL OF HIM?” yet how many of us realize that life is a divine gift? But God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us..” for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God..” Romans 5:6-8 (read) thank God he did? or we would be lost forever.. it was love that drove him to the cross!
Hence as important as it is to be saved? it is more essential that we be loved! for u could literally have heaven and still be empty without love?
guess Id better back that up with an illustration! think about the rich of our world who have everything yet still they are empty inside?
you read about them all the time marriages torn wife strife, bankrupt thru greed etc, or take the famous movie stars, the superstars, & sports hero’s of today, they have it all?
anything they want yet u hear of them often, suicides, broken marriages, etc..
so you see they could sorta have a little heaven and still be empty inside?
did you realize that there are saints in the church that feel empty and unloved? because people, brothers and sisters don’t treat them with love and Christ likeness...hello!
Yes salvation is important but ‘ the greatest of these is love
“ Oh don’t get me wrong people need to be saved from this sin sick world!
I wouldn’t want to imagine or think of some friend or family member who ended up in hell, and what that would be like? ever wondered what it sounds like in hell? .....
( as they think if only I would have listened? if only I repented?
IF ONLY.. BUT ITS TO LATE, TO LATE ..)
Love you see will either draw you into a loving relationship with Jesus Christ or a damming relationship with the devil?
that’s why so many people are trying to fill their emptiness with the things of this world? all because people want to be loved and accepted?
“ for he that liveth of the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that liveth of the spirit ..life everlasting”
He is the way, the truth and the life” in other words we cant be satisfied outside of him, there is no real substance to life without relationship with Jesus and his love abiding in you.
“ love not the world neither the things that are in the world.. if any man love the world the love of the father is not in him” 1st John 2:15
What we should realize is God offers hope and healing, forgiveness and restoration! that in all our blunders, frailties, failures and frustrations, that there is one who still loves us, who still cares, ..
who waits patiently for our return.. his love is for reals
! “ for God is faithful and just to forgive if we confess” faithful is he hath called you who also will do it” for the which cause I also suffer these things nevertheless I am not ashamed... for I am persuaded that he is able to keep what I have committed unto him against that day”
Realize its not Gods will for us to live in misery, shame and sin, despair and discouragement, in our failures and faults, but rather to live the victorious life! to shout the victory!
Confession is the key! “repent for the kingdom of god is at hand,.. for now is your salvation nearer than you think? “ seek ye the lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near..”
But the world on the other hand offers no hope? healing or help? no future?
nor answers? “ In the world you shall have troubles but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world” my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth..” they hated me and they shall hate you”
In others words let me say it again there is no hope, no joy, no peace, or substance outside of Jesus “ for I am the way, the truth, and the life“ “except a man be born again..”
And so as a consequence of this kind of this kind of living? our world is hurting, but not hopeless! while our streets, homes, schools, and places of employment, and yes sadly even some of our CHURCH’S are filled with wrath, anger, strife, bitterness, and hurt?
this ought not be so for the church! nor the apostolic holy ghost filled saint of God! “ for we are more than conquerors we are overcomers”
Its time for the Church to rise to the occasion! to stand in the gap, to refuse to allow the enemy any ground!
This is the church triumphant! the church victorious! the church glorious! realize “ If God be for you who can be against you” greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world” no weapon formed against you shall prosper..”
Hey our church’s should be a place of refuge from despair! a place of shelter and care, concern and comfort! hope and help! prayer and power!
Say saint if you find yourself feeling alil sad, mad or always stressed? depressed? check your heart? your priorities? our hearts need to be filled with the gospel not gossip, some folks just need a fresh dose of the holy ghost!
Jesus said there “where your treasures are there will your heart be also” for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” Jesus will give u peace! in the mist of your trials and troubles, joy thru your tribulations, a dance when you have no dance! a shout when there is no reason to shout! “
its Christ in you the hope of glory! joy unspeakable and full of glory” out of your bellies shall flow rivers of living water..” there for with joy shall you draw water from the walls of salvation”
hey any of you got that kind of joy? any body got a shout! got a dance! a clap! you wont find it in traditions, rituals or routine? only in Christ!
maybe some of you don’t have a shout? no joy? hold on there’s hope for you!
Hey friend don’t count your present situation or sufferings as abandonment don’t count your self all alone? “ for I will never leave you nor forsake you” when the enemy comes in like a flood the spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard..”
( that standard is holiness which = separation which = protection!)
“ If God be for you who can be against you” for a small moment I have forsaken you but with everlasting kindness will I gather you” Isaiah 54: 6-8
Sure there may be times when it feels like all have forsaken you, all have given up hope in you, everyone seems against you? no one cares? understands? but your bible saids: “They shall fight against you but not prevail!” no weapon formed against you shall prosper”
Now lets look at a biblical example of love from Gods perspective, yes the greatest failure ever was Satan! but next to him would have to be the betrayal by Judas? as found in the gospel of John chapter 13:21-31, Notice: what was the significance of the sop? it was not till after the sop that Satan could enter Judas? vs.27, why?
According to Jewish custom the sop is a very important and sacred custom or ritual that is observed in the Jewish homes of today, it is normally given first to the most highly honored and significant individual in the home during the breaking of bread?
in this way the home owner honors his guest by preference of the order of the sop?
So what was Jesus saying to Judas by giving him the sop first?
in short he was offering forgiveness, love unconditionally, an opportunity to repent? he was saying I know you are going to betray me and cause me the most horrific and painful death one could imagine but I choose to love you despite, to honor you, to forgive you..
So you see Satan could not have Judas till Jesus officially let go which happened after the sop when Judas refused to repent hence Jesus said “ go.. and what thou doest do quickly..” there is no greater love”
Perhaps another look at Calvery would be beneficial to us, to recall his sacrifice! his pain! what he endured to save us! to restore and redeem us!
for how soon we tend to forget? how many times do we take him for granted? my home? my automobile? my life? my food? my health? my family and friends? my sight, the air I breath?
“ for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth ..should have ever lasting life..” John 3:16-17, “ now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour “
It was his divine purpose to suffer that we would have freedom, life and love.. hope and help..
Lets look as he walks up that dusty thorn strewn path called the via de la rosa, with the heavy painful weight of the cross on his shoulders, the cross which bore our sickness, misery, despair, shame, and sin, & disease, he’s battered n beaten, bruised n broken beyond recognition, watch him as he falls, not given a hand to help him up but rather a swift kick to hinder & insult, along the way he is spit on, slapped, mocked and ridiculed! as he falls again someone yells get up Jesus thou son of God? ha ha, ( they laugh) with that he struggles to rise again, as the blood falls to the ground he thinks to himself this bloods for you!
I know your counting on me, I will not fail you! so he continues on to that lonely heart breaking, weary final mile, to the place of death and torment that awaits him, despite the agony and rejection, pain and ridicule, he finishes his course.
And finally arrives, he is stripped of his clothes as if to take his dignity, but his dignity not deity could not be robbed for he himself layed it aside willingly to put on frail humanity, he left the palace for a prison, royalty for rags, left his glorious mansion for a gutted out fly infested urine smelling manger.. but on with the story or is it just a story? so there he is! he is violently thrown to the ground & offers no resistance, as his hands, hands that once sculpted mountain ranges, hands that once caressed and soothed the wounded and hurting, hands that once fed the thousands, and feet that went were others dared not, feet that went the extra mile when others wouldnt? feet that would not abandon nor run from hurts nor the needs around him, are now rudely nailed to the cross, that would now be the only support he would know or have? rejected by society, mocked by the religious know it alls, ostracized by his family, neglected by his love ones, laughed at by demons, LOOK at him!
as he hangs there naked before all humanity, nothing to hide, its not a pretty sight to see, his body broken n battered, his face marred beyond recognition, oh what a beating it must have been? now birds of prey pluck at his eyes and face, gangrene sets in the wounds, his body begins to swell, his bones now out of joint due to the rough treatment and weight on the cross now collapse, tettonic spasms, severe charley horses and cramps sends his body into violent convulsions, now mucous, blood and spit flow down his face, and mixed with the loss of bowel control, urine, fecal matter, and vomit wash over his body and down his legs and into the festering wounds causing stinging acidic pain, and due to a swollen thorax and collapsed lungs he is unable to inhale thus breathing is impared.
He has to lift himself upon the cross in order to breath placing pressure on the metetorsil area where the rusted nails are sending a searing, most unbearable jolt of pain up his body, this with each breath he takes..and yet despite his great pain and agony? he still finds time to reach for one more soul, still about his daddy’s will, (that none should perish) “this day thou shall be with me in paradise”
according to a coroners report : cause of death is listed as “ he died of a broken heart” aka a pericardial affusion..
A story of love from a small town city:
The story is told of two little girls the best of friends:
They did everything together, even wore the same clothes and at times ate off the same plate. They were known everywhere as the two inseparable friends? & though they just live houses down from each other they were constantly with each other at one house or the other, many times spending the night together, the best of friends? they seldom ever fought, but when they did they were quick to make friends again.
The story goes that one day as they were playing in the back yard of the older friends home, they became bored with the routine surroundings and decided to go & collect pretty rocks and daisies along the tracks near their home, u see they had a backyard with a wooden fence & if you’ve ever had one then u know at times the boards can become loose & can be swung back n forth to let you out to the other side?
hence they were able to leave the backside of their home & just as they were leaving the younger girl grabbed her favorite doll & off they went to begin their hunt, & as they were walking along the tracks she dropped her doll in between the tracks? & as she bent down to grab it, it became wedged in the tracks, she then placed her foot on the tracks to help her pull at the doll & as she pulled her foot slipped and then became wedged in the tracks in place of the doll?
At this point she begin to call for her friend, trying to pull her foot out but to no avail, but just as her friend came to help, they could hear a faint sound of a train whistle blowing in the distance, her friends said she would have to leave to go and find some help! while the other friend cried out please don’t leave me, help me! your my friend!
She replied but i have to find someone to help us! but you promised you would never leave me alone! please help me!
With that she tried to pull her foot out again but could not, the sound of the whistle was getting louder and louder! closer and closer! she began to get frantic and pace back n forth, she would jump off the tracks then back on, as her friend crying all the more pleaded please don’t leave me your my friend!
But I have to find help, no please, crying all the more frantically, she stepped back on the tracks and tried again but to no avail, by now the train was very loud and you could hear the screeching of the wheels, & smell the burning smoke, then with her friend crying and screaming the older girl jumped back on the tracks then looked back at her lovely home?
Then looked at the quickly approaching train, she then glanced at her friend, back at her home, back at the train, her friend again, then up toward heaven, and back at her weeping friend, it was at this point that she bent down on her knees and took her friend in her arms hugging her close. Looking into her eyes and saw a smile come to her face?
She then looked at the train one more time, then glanced toward heaven and then again at her friend holding her close, & in a moment, in a moment..
they were both taken out into eternity!
The newspaper headlines read: “NO GREATER SACRIFICE! “ friend lays down life for a friend?
This story could have been any one of us, u see I was once stuck on the tracks of sin & the train filled with the consequences of my sin sick life was quickly headed my way, filled with the cargo of despair, sickness, disease, hopelessness, & an eternity without God, I could do nothing to free myself, Then Jesus came along & gave his life for mine, his pain for my gain, his brokenness for my wholeness, his rejection for my acceptance, his hell for my heaven! his royalty for my rags, his divinity for my frail humanit
This story Addresses 4 groups of people:
THE UNSAVED
THE BACKSLIDDEN
THE HURTING
THE SAVED?
THERE’S SALVATION
THERE’S RESTORATION
THERE’S HEALING
THERE’S JOY
Prepared by : George R. Nava 2170 e. Market st. Stk, Ca phone -46-59731