04/18/2019
This week we will be remembering and re-enacting Jesus being led to be crucified. When they came to a place called “the Skull,” the Roman soldiers crucified Jesus, with one criminal on his left, and one on his right. When Jesus was hung on the cross, He was lowered to the level of a criminal. He was brought down to the same level as two criminals. Many people were mocking Christ, including the two criminals. Luke tells us what one of the criminals said: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!!” “If you’re the Messiah, the Son of God, like you say you are, why don’t you get out of this situation?
Why do we need to re-visit the Thursday and Friday events of Holy Week? Because we need to remember that we too mock Jesus and we too need to repent, ask for forgiveness and receive the grace that God intends through His Son Jesus Christ. We have more in common with the criminals than we would like to admit. In the eyes of God, all of us really are criminals. All of us have led lives of disobedience and rebellion against God.
“Do things this way,” God says. And we say, “No, I’ll do things my way instead.” We live lives that violate God’s will over and over again. We even blaspheme our Savior. When things don’t go our way, we say to Jesus, “I doubt that you are the Savior. I doubt that you are the Son of God. Prove it!” It is because of sin that Jesus suffered...sins of the Jews, sins of the Romans, and sins of you and me.
One man hanging beside Jesus changed his heart. Could our hearts be changed also?
Hope to see you at the Holy Weeks services before celebrating the resurrected Christ!
Pastor Patti
Archived Posts
The Rest of the Story
I mentioned Russell Conwell in Sunday’s message. He was a famous preacher, educator, and lecturer. His sermon/lecture “Acres of Diamonds” was turned into a book and sold rather well. I used Conwell’s illustrations to talk about sharing the good news of Jesus with those closest to us first—family, friends, coworkers, and church family. The wider world is our ultimate aim, but until you invest in the people God has already put in your life, you are unlikely to have much success.
No One Said It Would be Easy
To love Jesus first is to learn to love all the other people in our lives with greater intensity and less selfishness
What’s Saved Is Often Lost
Here’s the benediction we didn’t have time for yesterday (Sunday, November 3). It’s one of my favorite quotations (portions of a newspaper column). I hope you find it as inspiring as I have
Leftovers Continued…
It’s not just the fact that God is un-impressed by our leftovers, it actually goes deeper than that. In a sense, Jesus is passionately and purposely opposed to anything leftover. To be a follower of Jesus Christ is to work diligently to make sure that in the end nothing at all is left over.
Less Stuff and Fewer Wants
Here’s a point I left off Sunday’s sermon due to time and length. In dealing with an Entitled mindset it is very helpful if you can Reduce Materialism and Consumerism.
Entitlement Can Hit You in Ways You Might Never Suspect
The people of God (Israel) were chosen by God to fulfill a unique calling—to be a light to all the other nations of the nations of the world. God chose them because of their willingness to be used by Him for His purposes. But after a while the Israelites began to think that they were chosen--not because with God they could fulfill a special purpose--but because they were a special people, uniquely favored and loved for who they were.
What Kind of Love Do You Have For God?
In Sunday’s message about Job, I talked about how important relationship is when it comes to getting answers to our questions about God. The question that Job is really being tested on is this: can he love God for who God is—or does he only love God for what God can do for him?