Fleshing out our Salvation

As I mentioned on Sunday, this year of sermons (so far) has taken us in a direction, as a congregation, that I find valuable. I challenge you to go back through your notes, or even go back through the blog posts and you will see a theme!

Because He Gives - A God who does something for us that we can't do for ourselves. (John 3:16)
Because He Loves - A God who loves people who don't deserve His love. (John 3:16)
BOASTING in the Greatness of the Lord - Serving a God with unlimited power and vast love for us (Ephesians 3:14-21)
Listen! Act! Walk! Committing ourselves to listen to what God says to do and then just do it! (Leviticus 8:23)
Who Needs Holiness Anyway? - Experiencing the blessings of serving God comes with responsibility to obey His commands--all of them! (Leviticus 11:44-45)
From Desperation to Destination - We serve a God who doesn't know the meaning of impossible. (Exodus 14:10-15)
Job Opportunity - We have an opportunity to influence those around us and bring them to the Lord. (Matthew 9:35-38)
How To Avoid Paying Up - We are to look different, act different, and believe differently than the world around us. (Romans 12:2)
What Will I Give Him? - You can't serve two masters or focus on two things at once. (Matthew 6:24)
What is it Worth? - Giving something up to get something better. (Matthew 13:44-46)

I want to use this post to summarize the past many weeks.

• God's powerful. We are weak.
• God loves us and we don't deserve it.
• He requires two things: Be obedient, and be different from the world.
• We are the light to those in our sphere of influence. When we obey and don't "fit in" we are more likely to draw them to the Light.
• We cannot hold onto two things at one time. We must give up one, in order to get the other.

It seems to me that what God has been trying to say to us is that because of the great salvation that has been purchased and given to us freely, our response should be to give EVERYTHING and obey Him completely.

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us." I Peter 2:9-12

Talk to me...what are your thoughts?

John 3:16 - Because He Gives

Thanks, once again, to Max Lucado for the inspiration for this message. This has been a good study, I believe.

Here's a recap of this morning's message. We were born into sin and with no resources within us to rid ourselves of our sinful condition and the consequences. We were helpless to help ourselves and we needed a Savior.

Not only were we unable to help ourselves, but there was no person among us who could deliver us from our sinful condition. Prophets, priests, religious leaders alike--none of them could release us from our sinful plight. Why? Because they, like us, were born with unholy hearts.

We needed help. We needed a Savior and we needed one who was without sin and was willing to be the solution to our problem.

"For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

The part I really love is found in Paul's second letter to the Church at Corinth.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God."
II Corinthians 5:17, 21

Imagine that tomorrow morning you wake up and turn on the TV to catch up on the news. Maybe you're watching the Today Show, and you are surprised to see Matt Lauer make an amazing announcement. Something along these lines:

"Good morning everyone. Thanks for joining us this morning. If you are driving an old clunker, you will want to pay close attention. Go out to your car right now and bring it down to the Rolls Royce dealer in your town. You obviously have no money to buy a decent car, or you would have done so. Therefore, the Rolls Royce dealer has taken pity on you and wants to exchange your clunker for a brand new Rolls Royce. No strings attached. All you have to do is admit your car is a piece of junk, and accept the free gift. Do this immediately, even if you have to tow it in."

That is a transaction that makes no sense. You have nothing except a worthless car and you exchange it for a car worth $150,000!

In essence, that is what Jesus did for us. He basically took our sinful hearts on Himself and in exchange He gave us a new heart. A clean heart. A heart that has been forgiven of sin.

That is something amazing and wonderful, isn't it? Through no action on our part, we have received forgiveness and can now walk as "new creations" because "the old has gone, and the new has come."

God makes healthy what was sick!
God makes right what was wrong!
God makes straight what was crooked!

Talk to me! What are your thoughts?

John 3:16 - Because He Loves

(Thank you to Max Lucado for the inspiration for Sunday's sermon!)

God greatly loves us and He showed His love by giving. He decided to love, and then demonstrated His love with an action.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16

He chose us.

"For He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight."
Ephesians 1:4

He didn't choose us because we earned it. We didn't enter a "God's Most Desirable People" competition. He just chose us because He wanted to.

"God wasn't attracted to you and didn't choose you because you were big and important. The fact is, there was almost nothing to you. He did it out of sheer love, keeping the promise He made to your ancestors." Deuteronomy 7:7-8

Have you ever wondered why God chose the Israelites to be His people? It's pretty clear that it wasn't because they were all that holy or attractive or earnest. They were a mess. They were "stiff necked" (stubborn) and rebellious. They always had an idea that they deemed better than God's idea. Their idea of serving God was to do what they wanted until things got really bad, and then they would cry out and repent. God would forgive and restore, and then the cycle would start all over again.

If I had been God, I would have gotten tired of that after about 500 years or so. Okay, maybe sooner than that.

God chose them because He chose them. Humanly speaking, there was no reason. He could have chosen a people with more wealth, more population, or any number of "bigger, better, or more" that you can think of. But instead He offered them Himself and the privilege of being His chosen and beloved.

God chooses who He chooses, and thankfully we are included in His choosing. Let's face it, God doesn't get a prize when He chooses us, but miraculously He views us that way.

Let me end with lyrics from a song we sang on Sunday.

How Deep The Father's Love For Us
Stuart Townend

How deep the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

(That reminds me of the quote from Max Lucado: ""Junkyard wrecks and showroom models share equal space in God's garage.")

How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts no power no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

Is there anything more awesome than God's love?

God loved.
He gave.
We believe.
We live.

It's as simple as that. What are your thoughts?