Sunday Sermon
sunday morning 11th July 2010
Mark 15v25-47
The message that Jesus came into the world to give is a great message!!
Jesus tells us that God is great, God is good, God is love.
That God loves the world - Jesus is proof of that.
Jesus said things like “i have come that you may have life”...
Jesus came into the world to give us life with God.
· But in order for us to have life, he had to lay down his life for the world!!
1 John 3:16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
This is the story of what happened as he finally laid down his life for us:
1) Hanging there for all to see v25
They actually took Jesus and hung him up on a cross!!
Crucifixion was a way of constraining someone to one place until they died.
John 3:14-15
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
Here on the cross Jesus is lifted up for all to see.
App
A) the story of the snake being lifted up is found in Numbers 21v4-9.
There the Israelites sin then repent and seek forgiveness.
God forgives; all the people have to do is look to the snake and be healed!
Jesus picked up on that picture to describe what his death on the cross was all about.
Jesus hanging on the cross is the image that God wants us to look at and consider.
All morning Jesus was on the cross, and anyone who passed by could see him.
We too are called to cast our minds back and visualise Jesus hanging there beaten and bleeding for us.
B) V29-32 what will you do with Jesus hanging there?
Most of the people who saw him mocked him!!
Made fun of Him, laughed at Him!!
Maybe you are laughed at because you are a Christian, Jesus warned us that would happen.
2) Darkness for all to fear v33
But as the story continues: darkness covers the land for the next 3 hours.
From noon until 3pm.
What a time this must have been. How afraid the people must have become!
There is no record of mocking during this period!
The light of the world was dying on the cross, the physical light was going out too!!
People must have started to question what they had done.
App
What are we to make of this 3 hours of darkness?
Consider what the bible tells us about Jesus:
Colossians 1:16-17 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
· We are told that Jesus is the one who made the world and the one who keeps it all going!
2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
· as Jesus died on the cross taking our sin: the world reflected that dying, that death!
What a terrible thing sin is!
The three hours of darkness should make us fear sin and its consequences!!
The great Good News is that God loves us and wants to save us, he has shown us that in Jesus, but if we reject God, all that will be left for us is this terrible darkness, that is life without God and all his goodness!
3) Torn curtain for all to be saved v38
Then the three hours of darkness finish with a loud cry and His death!
This, however, is not terrible defeat but glorious victory v37.
Just look at how he dies, not the exhausted death of a crucified criminal, but with the triumphant shout of a conquering King!
What does it all mean?
1) He has taken then punishment that our sin deserved.
2) He has experienced the outer darkness of Gods forsaking him.
3) In dying Jesus has dealt with our sin.
Why was sin such a problem that Jesus had to deal with it in this way?
Because it blocked us from entering life with God.
That is what the temple curtain is all about.
That curtain stopped the common people from entering the place where God dwelt.
But now that curtain is gone!!
Jesus ripped it down!
Saying in effect: life with God is now available for all who would like it!!
App
So what are you to do?
a) recognise that life without God, and doing your own thing is no good!
It is not what you were made for.
It is destructive and will lead to death.
b) then look to Jesus and see him dealing with your sin on the cross!
See him there in those first 3 hours for all to see, then in the three hours of darkness paying for your sin.
c) finally trust in him.
Rely upon him every day of your life. Live your life with God.
That is why Jesus died, so that you could live your life with God!! That is the good news!
You don’t need to go it alone! You can live with God!
sunday evening 11th July 2010
Joshua 2:
Joshua has just been commissioned by the Lord to take Israel into the promised land.
He has been told to be bold and courageous and has been promised the Lords presences as he obeys.
We saw him already jumping to the task by sending the word out to get the people ready to go.
Now that the nation is being mobilised he sends out two spies on a secret scouting mission:
1) useful Kingdom Spies: the spies are sent: v1-7.
· Scene1: v1-7
Joshua sends out the spies they get to Rahab and hide there.
The king finds out and tries to get the spies but Rahab sends them off on a wild goose chase!
Then the city gates are closed!! Sense of security for those inside!
But inside are the spies!!
a) Joshua sends out spies
b) the king sends to Rahab to get the men
c) she hides the spies and sends the kings men on a wild goose chase!
App
We saw last week that Joshua’s commission to take the promised land has been passed onto the Church to go and take the nations by making disciples.
But what are we to do? How are we to go about fulfilling the Great Commission?
The first thing is we need to go and get on!!
We need to “go” into the world.
Fulfilling the Great Commission means we need to be active in the world.
But as spies!
In other words we don’t get involved in the world to simple join the world, we get involved to save the world!!
We go to make disciples. Which is what these two spies did!
The spies were preparing the way for the kingdom of Israel, we are to prepare the way for the Kingdom of Heaven!
2) Kingdom Favour: the work is balanced in our favour v8-21
· Scene2: v8-21
Rahab acknowledges the state of her own people at the thought of Israel’s attack.
She then seeks assurance that she and her household will be kept safe when the attack comes!
The men agree under certain conditions then escape out the window
a) Rahab reveals he faith – “i know..” v9-11
b) demands that she and her family are saved v12-13
c) the men agree to save her and work out the deal v14, 17-21
d) then they escape v15-16, 22
app
A) as we go, God goes before us!
In the big bad world God already has his chosen people.
Who would have thought that the very place where the spies go, is the place where the new disciples are waiting!
As we go we are to make disciples, and the great encouragement is that God is making them before us.
Rahab had faith: she knew the land was given to Israel, she knew the history of the Exodus, but above all she knew Yahweh was God!!
Knowing all these things she asked for salvation!
B) As we go we need to tell the message:
Making disciples is about telling people who God is and what he has done for us.
Rahab had knowledge. She had learned what God had done, then she had come to faith in Him. Tell what God has done.
c) as we go remember every individual counts!
Rahab was a prostitute! A disreputable person, morally corrupt!
But God saved her! Every individual is important to God – even you!
There are no “wrong sorts of people” with God!!
3) Kingdom encouragement
· Scene 3 v23-24
The spies debrief with Joshua and affirm the great opportunity before them.
a) v23 debrief. The men go back to Joshua and tell him all that happened.
b) v24 their faith in Yahweh and the coming victory. The “whole land” is there for the taking.
Their trip served to encourage the move forward!
Not like the last time when the spies came home and discouraged the whole nation!
That led to 40 years of wilderness wandering.
App
a) As spies we need support and fellowship from one another.
We are told to encourage one another : Heb 3v13
Encouragement and fellowship is vital for us as kingdom spies!
b) but where do we look for encouragement? V24.
We need above all to continually trust in God! He is the One who is our encouragement.
God’s plans and purposes never fail, his Kingdom is one day going to rule supreme for all to see!
