SERMON - WHERES THE SCARS?
INTRODUCTION:-------- Once there was a very disobedient, willful boy whose behaviour greatly hurt his parents, particularly his mother. To curb this behaviour, his father would spank him, but this did not prove very effective. Then one day his father took him out to the old barn and explained that he was going to try something different. Instead of spanking him, he was going to drive a big spike (or nail) into the barn door whenever his behaviour hurt his mother. Because the boy was very bad, the barn door was quickly covered with spikes. When this regime proved ineffective, the father decided to try something different. He suggested that every time the boy did something to please his mother the father would pull out a spike. For some reason the boy caught on to this idea, and before very long there were few spikes left in the door. When the day arrived for the father to pull out the last spike, he called the boy to him, to witness and celebrate the accomplishment. After pulling out the spike, he turned to his son, and, in confusion, saw that his son was weeping.------ "Boy," he said. "I thought you would be happy. Here you have turned yourself around, and done so much to please your mother. What's the matter? All the spikes have gone." "Yes Dad," he replied sobbing, "The spikes are gone, but the holes are still there."------------------------------- TRANSITIONAL STATEMENT: The consequense remain, whether you live in God's forgiveness or not, your sin still causes pain and chaos!----------------------- 1.HIGH PLACES ------- "The high places were not removed from Israel. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was loyal all his days" (2 Chronicles 15:17). ------ (Explain high places - Hezekiah) Asa was not completely obedient in the outward, visible areas of his life. He was obedient in what he considered the most important areas, but he was not entirely right. Beware of ever thinking, "Oh, that thing in my life doesn't matter much." The fact that it doesn't matter much to you may mean that it matters a great deal to God. Nothing should be considered a trivial matter by a child of God. How much longer are we going to prevent God from teaching us even one thing? But He keeps trying to teach us and He never loses patience. You say, "I know I am right with God" -- yet the "high places" still remain in your life. There is still an area of disobedience. -------Do you protest that your heart is right with God, and yet there is something in your life He causes you to doubt? Whenever God causes a doubt about something, stop that something immediately, no matter what it may be. Nothing in our lives is a mere insignificant detail to God. Are there some things regarding your physical or intellectual life to which you have been paying no attention at all? Perhaps its apart of you now, its normal to you. If so, you may think you are all correct in the important areas, but you are careless -- you are failing to concentrate or to focus properly. --------You no more need a day off from spiritual concentration on matters in your life than your heart needs a day off from beating. As you cannot take a day off morally and remain moral, neither can you take a day off spiritually and remain spiritual. Though it is the inside that counts, the inside can only be worked on, the fruit can only grow, the inner only mastered by the visual struggle on the outside. Of the Abundance of heart, the outside shows. God- wants you to be entirely His, and it requires paying close attention to keep yourself fit. That much more on Communion! It also takes a tremendous amount of time. Yet some of us expect to rise above all of our problems, going from one mountaintop experience to another, with only a few minutes' effort. Hezekiah proved His zeal for God by taking the time to destroy All high places! Asa tryed being faithful without, where are you?----------- Re 5:6 ¶ And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. -------------Like that little boys barn, Jesus still bears the marks of the cross as consequence for your sin! Where are you disregarding Christ's Nail scars? Where are you ignoring your sins consequences? Like Asa, where are your high places still standing? Php 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;--------------- 2. CRUCIFIED------------- Joh 21:19 This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. -------------- He is signifying the death that would glorify God!! Do you ever look at your life with this kind of commitment and zeal! This is what is required, and it took more than one "Follow Me"! This is the last time Jesus asked Peter, Three years earlier Jesus had said, "Follow Me" (Matthew 4:19), and Peter followed with no hesitation. The irresistible attraction of Jesus was upon him and he did not need help to do it. Later he came to the place where he denied Jesus, and his heart broke. Then he received the Holy Spirit and Jesus said again, "Follow Me" (John 21:19). Now no one is in front of Peter except the Lord Jesus Christ. The first "Follow Me" was nothing mysterious; it was an external following. Jesus is now asking for an internal sacrifice and yielding (see 21:18). ------------- You may be sitting here today and you've said yes, I'll follow Jesus, like Peter. Yet your still bound by the devils temptations, the enemies sins, your own dark habits, the worlds lures and you still say you follow Jesus!? Jesus is now asking you for an internal following, sacrifice and yielding. Between the two times Peter denied Jesus with oaths and curses (see Matthew 26:69-75). Like Peter's first "Yes", you;ve denied Jesus and cursed Him by habits that contradict and choices that shame, today is communion He is asking for a stronger commitment. Proof in your victory over sin, love for brothers and boldness to the world. Tuesday is our fast and intercession, is it too much to ask, to sacrifice and get together to seek God? Peter came completely to the end of himself and all of his self-sufficiency. There was no part of himself he would ever rely on again. In his state of destitution, he was finally ready to receive all that the risen Lord had for him. ----------John 20:22 ". . . He breathed on them, and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit' ". We need the continual filling of the Spirit to live this life as a follower.----------- Ga 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet 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, who loved me, and gave himself for me. ------------The only way you can follow Him as He requires, No matter what changes God has performed in you, never rely on them. Build only on a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ, and on the Spirit He gives. All our promises and resolutions end in denial because we have no power to accomplish them. When we come to the end of ourselves, not just mentally but completely, we are able to follow the way He meant. We are able to share our own scars of victory, thats what it takes to follow Him, to follow Him right to the cross!!-------- Heb 12:3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. 4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. ----------- Show me your hands, wheres the nail scars? When you've been crucified with Christ then there is now only One who directs the course of your life, the Lord Jesus Christ. Then you constantly live in awareness of the terrible consequences of sin, and the focused desire to truly live as a follower of Christ! Don't let His scars be powerless, look at them, and destroy your high places of sin and look for your own sharing of His nail scars! Are you willing to bear the scars? Will you look hard at your sins? Will you admit the consequences? Will you tear down the high places and put up a cross!?-------------- Php 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
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