We've been going through a series at church called "The Arrival". It's been a study of the different characters involved in the birth of Jesus and how it effected them, whanged their world, what their perspective was etc.
Last Sunday we spoke about Joseph. I've never heard a sermon about Joseph the step father of Jesus before so i was curious as to where this was going to go.
The message was centered around Matthew 1:18-25 which says :
"Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus."
- Joseph was legally engaged to be married to Mary. It wasn't like to day where you can date someone, propose to be married but still anytime before you are married decide 'nah, bored with them, i'm moving on'
As he was legally engaged to be married to her there was a binding contract binding them together. To break that contract would take going through a local court. Engagement in this culture had both ethical and moral implications for both parties.
- This passage calls Joseph a godly man. He was a man of good reputation and integrity. His name was clean. As a lowly carpenter he had made a name for himself by obeying the laws of his God.
Mary all of a sudden was knocked-up! (by God nontheless - try explaining that one). Joseph as a godly man could not marry her and tarnish the name of himself but also the God he worshipped. Culturally she could be dragged through the courts and humiliated, she could be stoned or cast out of their society. Doing any of these things would be completely justifiable and certainly expected. Because of his godliness however; Joseph decided it would be better to put her away (divorce her) quietly, so as not to humiliate her.
Joseph had plans of godliness, a business to maintain and also a godly name for himself - a pregnant fiance would not only disrupt all those, but probably ruin them for good. But God steps in....
The " angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Joseph had animportant decision to make at this point: Keep to the status quo, maintain a good name for himself, keep a good business going, put her away quietly or obey the voice of God and face the possibility of a life of public rejection and shame.
Joseph obviously decided to keep his fiance, marry her, and even wait until the child was born to have sexual relations with his wife. By obeying the voice of God, Joseph had surrendered all he had know and there was much more to come.
Joseph was to care for, to provide for and to protect a child that was not his own, but was actually the child of God. He had the responsibility to name the child 'Jesus" because He would save His people.
Obviously Joseph didn't have all the pieces to the puzzle, he didn't know he would have to flee to Egypt to protect Jesus, then go to Nazareth as well. What piece he did have however; was the piece of obedience. And that was the only piece he would need.
Joseph is spoken to and directed by the angel of the Lord a few more times in his life and every time he obeys and has to uproot everything and move to a new location.
Obeying God is not always convenient, and it may even mean giving everything you know up without any clear direction, but it is always best. Joseph is a clear example of how God can rock your world in a way you never thought possible, for a reason you may not completely understand.
About Me
- RUBENNOEL
- I'M A YOUNG BUSINESS PROFESSIONAL, WITH A PASSION FOR CHRIST. PERIOD!
Friday, December 16, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Vol. 10 Jesus-Intervention time!
- Mark 5:21-43
This passage is a sandwiched story. Jesus had just come back from crossing the sea (calming it) to cast out the legion of demons in the caveman.
He returns with His disciples to the other side of the sea and the crowd was still gathered to see Him and hopefully see some miracles.
Jairus asks Jesus to heal his daughter to which he agrees then this happens: And he went with him.
And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
(Mark 5:24-34 ESV)
- We've seen a few things so far in this book, one of which is - to be a disciple of Jesus you have to be with Him, and also do what He does.
- In this story Jesus was completely overwhelmed with the crowd, they all wanted something from Him and He went to Jairus (v.22 - Jesus isn't a the god of coincidence, but the God of Purpose)
- Everybody in the crowd has swarmed Jesus and an unclean woman reaches out in faith to touch His rode.
- For 12 years she had been bleeding. She was unclean, a social outcast, she would ring a bell like a leper so everybody knew she was filth.
- She had seen every doctor possible and spent all her money trying to get healed. Today was her day though. Jesus was here and as she rushed through the crowd touching every person on her way that had cast her away, looked down on her, gossiped abt her and rejected her; she reached out in a final hope and in Faith touched Jesus - knowing she was leaving that crowd a new person. She was going in with filthy rags and being made new. (v.26)
She was at the end of her rope and needed a Jesus-Intervention; and she got it!
- She had probably heard about Jesus healing the man with the withered hand earlier, and unlike everybody else who was there for the freak show out of curiosity touching Jesus everywhere they went, she reached out in faith and expectance!
- As soon as she touched Jesus she was made new, she was healed. Her filthy rags were cleansed.
- Jesus says to His disciples "somebody touched me", to which they said "are you serious? everybody's touched You"- but Jesus knew something else had happened. Somebody had not only been healed, they had been saved. Somebody had been infiltrated by the Holy Spirit.
- The woman speaks out and tells Jesus her whole story and the crowd goes quiet. they're probably embarrassed that their outcast has caused a 'bother' to Jesus. After hearing every detail of her story, and caring about every detail of her story Jesus says “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
(Mark 5:34 ESV)
- she had already been healed by this time but what Jesus meant was continue in your Grace journey, live as if you've been healed!
Moments with Jesus are to be entered in Faith expecting to come out of them changed. We all need Jesus interventions and then to continue as if they've occurred.
This passage is a sandwiched story. Jesus had just come back from crossing the sea (calming it) to cast out the legion of demons in the caveman.
He returns with His disciples to the other side of the sea and the crowd was still gathered to see Him and hopefully see some miracles.
Jairus asks Jesus to heal his daughter to which he agrees then this happens: And he went with him.
And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
(Mark 5:24-34 ESV)
- We've seen a few things so far in this book, one of which is - to be a disciple of Jesus you have to be with Him, and also do what He does.
- In this story Jesus was completely overwhelmed with the crowd, they all wanted something from Him and He went to Jairus (v.22 - Jesus isn't a the god of coincidence, but the God of Purpose)
- Everybody in the crowd has swarmed Jesus and an unclean woman reaches out in faith to touch His rode.
- For 12 years she had been bleeding. She was unclean, a social outcast, she would ring a bell like a leper so everybody knew she was filth.
- She had seen every doctor possible and spent all her money trying to get healed. Today was her day though. Jesus was here and as she rushed through the crowd touching every person on her way that had cast her away, looked down on her, gossiped abt her and rejected her; she reached out in a final hope and in Faith touched Jesus - knowing she was leaving that crowd a new person. She was going in with filthy rags and being made new. (v.26)
She was at the end of her rope and needed a Jesus-Intervention; and she got it!
- She had probably heard about Jesus healing the man with the withered hand earlier, and unlike everybody else who was there for the freak show out of curiosity touching Jesus everywhere they went, she reached out in faith and expectance!
- As soon as she touched Jesus she was made new, she was healed. Her filthy rags were cleansed.
- Jesus says to His disciples "somebody touched me", to which they said "are you serious? everybody's touched You"- but Jesus knew something else had happened. Somebody had not only been healed, they had been saved. Somebody had been infiltrated by the Holy Spirit.
- The woman speaks out and tells Jesus her whole story and the crowd goes quiet. they're probably embarrassed that their outcast has caused a 'bother' to Jesus. After hearing every detail of her story, and caring about every detail of her story Jesus says “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
(Mark 5:34 ESV)
- she had already been healed by this time but what Jesus meant was continue in your Grace journey, live as if you've been healed!
Moments with Jesus are to be entered in Faith expecting to come out of them changed. We all need Jesus interventions and then to continue as if they've occurred.
Vol.9 God the Deliverer in suffering
II Cor 1:8-11 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.
- Paul was led to write this letter by the persecution he was receiving from the very people who he had dedicated his life to serving, by the churches he had started.
- He endured all that he did for the sake of the gospel.
- Instead of cursing God, he blesses God openly for these trials (v.3), and he counts it a blessing to share in Christ's sufferings.
*God ALWAYS works out what He believes to be best for our lives - Sometimes though; we want to make that decision ourselves.
God intends to bring redemption through whatever situation or hurt life or sin throws our way!
- Suffering is not a respector of persons, but Jesus is the Redeemer of persons.
God created us in His image enough to know what the difference is between right and wrong.
- We decided to do wrong, and so sin entered the world; and brought with it pain and corruption, taintedness and injustice.
- We experience the result of that original sin daily, but as believers we have teh hope that God will retore all this to himself and to its original state. God is the only One that can bring good out of evil.
v.8 Exeedingly Burdened - Paul was at the brink of breaking, but he knew God would provide the strength an assurance he needed to press on.
* Paul's Gospel-Patterned suffering could have been seen as failure, but i t was all a part of God's plan for his life and ministry.
- God was using these difficulties and afflictions to teach Paul to rely on Himself.
Suffering Asks us = "On Whom do you rely?
- What if God is trying to use my suffering to undermind my self reliance so He can show Himself strong on my behalf?
God really is all i need because He is the One that raises the dead to be alive in Him.
God can raises our pasts from the dead, our marriages from the dead, careers from the dead, bitterness from the dead - to experience redemption; we first have to die to ourselves and to our sin to have a New Life in Christ.
v.11 - Others can help this journey through their prayers, then those people will rejoice in our deliverance and resurrection - The more people that pray for our afflictions, the more people will rejoice in God's workings.
- Paul was led to write this letter by the persecution he was receiving from the very people who he had dedicated his life to serving, by the churches he had started.
- He endured all that he did for the sake of the gospel.
- Instead of cursing God, he blesses God openly for these trials (v.3), and he counts it a blessing to share in Christ's sufferings.
*God ALWAYS works out what He believes to be best for our lives - Sometimes though; we want to make that decision ourselves.
God intends to bring redemption through whatever situation or hurt life or sin throws our way!
- Suffering is not a respector of persons, but Jesus is the Redeemer of persons.
God created us in His image enough to know what the difference is between right and wrong.
- We decided to do wrong, and so sin entered the world; and brought with it pain and corruption, taintedness and injustice.
- We experience the result of that original sin daily, but as believers we have teh hope that God will retore all this to himself and to its original state. God is the only One that can bring good out of evil.
v.8 Exeedingly Burdened - Paul was at the brink of breaking, but he knew God would provide the strength an assurance he needed to press on.
* Paul's Gospel-Patterned suffering could have been seen as failure, but i t was all a part of God's plan for his life and ministry.
- God was using these difficulties and afflictions to teach Paul to rely on Himself.
Suffering Asks us = "On Whom do you rely?
- What if God is trying to use my suffering to undermind my self reliance so He can show Himself strong on my behalf?
God really is all i need because He is the One that raises the dead to be alive in Him.
God can raises our pasts from the dead, our marriages from the dead, careers from the dead, bitterness from the dead - to experience redemption; we first have to die to ourselves and to our sin to have a New Life in Christ.
v.11 - Others can help this journey through their prayers, then those people will rejoice in our deliverance and resurrection - The more people that pray for our afflictions, the more people will rejoice in God's workings.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Vol.8 The Real You - Your life in God's Mission
Last Sunday we had Jason Malone speak at church as the final sermon in our Real You Series. Nuff Said! (here are my sermon notes, obviously mostly in point formation)
http://media.southsidefellowship.org/audio/sermons/20110925.mp3
Ephesians 2 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
- The Decentrilization of the church is God's brilliant design.
- In Ephesians Paul gives us a look at what a non-believer's life looks like, thhen what a transformed life looks like.
THERE IS A MONUMENTAL CHANGE IN OUR LIVES WHEN WE MEET JESUS
- v.1-3 You cannot be rescued, if you do not what from.
- v.4 - BUT GOD - God steps in and begins our rescue Himself.
- Before God steps in we were lost, but He brings us to light.
- If we find ourselves worried and oppressed abt other things apart from God's mission, We are living below our position as His rescued missionaries.
- God's LOVE defines us - not those things we worry about.
God's Gospel offers us:
* New life when you were dead
New Freedom when you were in Bondage
and a New Passion when you were condemned*
v.8 Grace is God doing good to us when we deserve the opposite.
"Grace is costly for the giver, shocking for the observer, and traumatic to the receiver" - Tim Keller
- We are trophies of God's Grace into this sinful world
- God uses us and our situations to display His grace to those around us.
- Each and every one of our grace-stories is different, to the glory of God and His mission.
* Pursue God Yourself - Make Him a priority
* Live in a Biblical Community with other Christ followers - for the sake of those who don't know Christ
* Discover and engage in your Spiritual Gifts continually
* Invite people into your Grace-Story
http://media.southsidefellowship.org/audio/sermons/20110925.mp3
Ephesians 2 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
- The Big idea of the Bible is that God is on a mission of Redemption - Through His church.- The Decentrilization of the church is God's brilliant design.
- In Ephesians Paul gives us a look at what a non-believer's life looks like, thhen what a transformed life looks like.
THERE IS A MONUMENTAL CHANGE IN OUR LIVES WHEN WE MEET JESUS
- v.1-3 You cannot be rescued, if you do not what from.
- v.4 - BUT GOD - God steps in and begins our rescue Himself.
- Before God steps in we were lost, but He brings us to light.
- If we find ourselves worried and oppressed abt other things apart from God's mission, We are living below our position as His rescued missionaries.
- God's LOVE defines us - not those things we worry about.
God's Gospel offers us:
* New life when you were dead
New Freedom when you were in Bondage
and a New Passion when you were condemned*
v.8 Grace is God doing good to us when we deserve the opposite.
"Grace is costly for the giver, shocking for the observer, and traumatic to the receiver" - Tim Keller
- We are trophies of God's Grace into this sinful world
- God uses us and our situations to display His grace to those around us.
- Each and every one of our grace-stories is different, to the glory of God and His mission.
* Pursue God Yourself - Make Him a priority
* Live in a Biblical Community with other Christ followers - for the sake of those who don't know Christ
* Discover and engage in your Spiritual Gifts continually
* Invite people into your Grace-Story
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Vol. 7 - Glorious Day by Casting Crowns
I was listening to this song this morning, i hope it moves you as much as it did me.
One day when Heaven was filled with His praises
One day when sin was as black as could be
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin
Dwelt among men, my example is He
Word became flesh and the light shined among us
His glory revealed
Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day
One day they led Him up Calvary’s mountain
One day they nailed Him to die on a tree
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He
Hands that healed nations, stretched out on a tree
And took the nails for me
One day the grave could conceal Him no longer
One day the stone rolled away from the door
Then He arose, over death He had conquered
Now He’s ascended, my Lord evermore
Death could not hold Him, the grave could not keep Him
From rising again
One day the trumpet will sound for His coming
One day the skies with His glories will shine
Wonderful day, my Beloved One, bringing
My Savior, Jesus, is mine
Oh, glorious day
One day when Heaven was filled with His praises
One day when sin was as black as could be
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin
Dwelt among men, my example is He
Word became flesh and the light shined among us
His glory revealed
Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day
One day they led Him up Calvary’s mountain
One day they nailed Him to die on a tree
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He
Hands that healed nations, stretched out on a tree
And took the nails for me
One day the grave could conceal Him no longer
One day the stone rolled away from the door
Then He arose, over death He had conquered
Now He’s ascended, my Lord evermore
Death could not hold Him, the grave could not keep Him
From rising again
One day the trumpet will sound for His coming
One day the skies with His glories will shine
Wonderful day, my Beloved One, bringing
My Savior, Jesus, is mine
Oh, glorious day
Monday, October 3, 2011
Vol 6 Cross to the other side...
I decided i wanted to share some of my thoughts and notes from our Young Professionals bible Study group last night. We've been studying the book of Mark, and discussing what Kingdom Living looks like.
Mark 4: On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
Jesus had at this point called out His disciples - very publically, healed a few people and proclained that the Kingdom of God was finally here. Using parables He taught them eternal truths. They followed Him, they were curious. They kinda knew He was different, but surely weren't sure why.
So, like obeying Him to follow, when Jesus said "lets cross over" to the other side in this boat - They were like 'sure thing'. He was their leader, so far things were going fine for them so why not?
Well as the story goes Jesus falls asleep down below deck and Hid fishmen friends, the strong zealot, the powerful tax collector etc are left to battle some rising wings.
They row and row. They probably started throwing things overboard and screaming ran down stairs saying to Jesus - Don't you care we're Perishing? (WOW)
I guess i never thought abt this until We discussed it last night. What they were saying was "You called us to leave our net, and we did. You publically declared us to be your followers, all twelve of us and so we've been following you for a while now. So today you're like "lets go over there" and just like that when things get tough you bail"?
They weren't questioning whether or not Jesus could calm the storm - Cause by their reaction they obviously hadn't even considered that possibility. They weren't questioning His sleeping habits. They were questioning Whether or not He cared.
It's interesting that at times of worry although i know God is able, although i know He is loving and faithful and merciful - sometimes i find myself screaming for a little sign; a sign that He cares.
Jesus get's up and calms the sea(easily), turn and says "Why the little faith?" (Why didn't you believe?)
I've definately been through enough inn my life to know not to ask that question anymore. I hope next time there's a storm instead of screaming at Jesus "Don't You care that i'm perishing?" I say "So um, time to get out and walk across?" :)
Pastor Brian Onken said this last night during bible study as a side note; 'If you are not used to hearing the voice of Jesus when the sea is calm, you're not going to hear Him over the raging sea'!
Mark 4: On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
Jesus had at this point called out His disciples - very publically, healed a few people and proclained that the Kingdom of God was finally here. Using parables He taught them eternal truths. They followed Him, they were curious. They kinda knew He was different, but surely weren't sure why.
So, like obeying Him to follow, when Jesus said "lets cross over" to the other side in this boat - They were like 'sure thing'. He was their leader, so far things were going fine for them so why not?
Well as the story goes Jesus falls asleep down below deck and Hid fishmen friends, the strong zealot, the powerful tax collector etc are left to battle some rising wings.
They row and row. They probably started throwing things overboard and screaming ran down stairs saying to Jesus - Don't you care we're Perishing? (WOW)
I guess i never thought abt this until We discussed it last night. What they were saying was "You called us to leave our net, and we did. You publically declared us to be your followers, all twelve of us and so we've been following you for a while now. So today you're like "lets go over there" and just like that when things get tough you bail"?
They weren't questioning whether or not Jesus could calm the storm - Cause by their reaction they obviously hadn't even considered that possibility. They weren't questioning His sleeping habits. They were questioning Whether or not He cared.
It's interesting that at times of worry although i know God is able, although i know He is loving and faithful and merciful - sometimes i find myself screaming for a little sign; a sign that He cares.
Jesus get's up and calms the sea(easily), turn and says "Why the little faith?" (Why didn't you believe?)
I've definately been through enough inn my life to know not to ask that question anymore. I hope next time there's a storm instead of screaming at Jesus "Don't You care that i'm perishing?" I say "So um, time to get out and walk across?" :)
Pastor Brian Onken said this last night during bible study as a side note; 'If you are not used to hearing the voice of Jesus when the sea is calm, you're not going to hear Him over the raging sea'!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Vol. 5 - Forgive Just as God in Christ Also Has Forgiven You
This is a sermon by John Piper i was drawn to today in search of answers from the Lord.
But recall the little poem of John Bunyan:
And that includes the "flying" of forgiveness. So I want God to show us our gospel wings this morning. Forgiving is a flying you can do in the power of the gospel. In fact six feathers are enough for this flight—three on one side and three on the other make two strong wings for gospel-flying—or gospel forgiving.
There are two wings. One wing with its three feathers is what Christ did for us before we even existed. And the other wing with its three feathers is what God did for us in our own lifetime. So if you are drawing the sermon today, you need to draw a bird with two big wings each having three feathers, and then write on each feather one of the things God has done so that we can fly with forgiveness to each other.
1. God Loved Us with a Special Saving Love
Ephesians 5:1, "Be imitators of God, as beloved children." And verse 2: "Walk in love, just as Christ also loved you."
The first feather in the wing of gospel-flying—gospel forgiving—is the unspeakable reality of being loved by God. But to feel the force of this, you need to know that this is not merely the general love that God has for all the world—the love that gives life and breath and food and rain and protection and family and job and many evidences of his truth and power and greatness. It is an amazing thing to be loved like that, and should cause us to turn to him in gratitude.
But if that is all you know of the love of God, your gospel wings will be weak. This text speaks of love like a Father has for a child and love that moves Christ to take our place in death. Now that is something more than the general love of God for the world. That is a saving love—a love that goes beyond the offer of the gospel and actually undertakes to save us effectively, infallibly. It does what needs to be done to get us forgiven and saved.
Here is the evidence for this: in Ephesians 1:4–5 Paul says that this love of God chose us for adoption as children of God.
So the first feather in the wing of gospel forgiving is the feather of God's special saving love—call it covenant love. It is not mere general love. It is love that fixed personally, particularly on you as an individual and chose you and pursued you and brought you to himself, because he means to have you. If you get gripped by being loved like that, you might only need one feather to fly.
The second feather is
2. Christ Gave Himself for Us as a Sacrifice
Ephesians 5:2b, "[Christ] gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God."
According to Ephesians 2:3 we were all by nature children of wrath. We all deserve to perish and be punished in hell for the sins of our thoughts and imaginations and attitudes and tongues and hands and whole bodies. But the covenant love of God for us moved him not only to choose us but to give his Son as a sacrifice in our place: "Christ gave himself up for us"—that is, in our place, so that we don't have to perish. "He became a curse for us" (Galatians 3:13).
To feel the full force of this and to make the feather really strong for flying, we need to realize again that this is not merely a general thing Christ did the same for everybody. Ephesians 5:25 says, "Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her." In other words Christ's giving himself up to die as a substitute for the church is part of a covenant love that he has for his bride.
In love he chose you to be his bride and in love he lays down his life for you. You, individually, particularly, were in view as the goal of his loving and his dying.
Chuck Colson told the story (at the 1994 Ligonier Conference in Dallas, Texas) of a prison camp where 20 men came in from digging and lined their shovels up on the wall as they always did for the counting. When they were counted, the officer found only 19. He demanded that the one who didn't bring his shovel step forward. None did. Then he threatened that if no one stepped forward, he would choose ten men at random and shoot them. A young man of about 19 stepped forward and was immediately taken a few paces away and shot as an example to the others.
But then as they were dismissing, the shovels were counted again and there were 20 after all. The officer had miscounted.
The difference between what that boy did for his friends and what Jesus did for you is that Jesus knew which ten men he was dying for and he knew that we were all unworthy. But he did it anyway, because he had a very special covenant love for you that is far above human love.
The first feather is that you have been loved with a special saving love. And the second feather is that Christ gave himself as a sacrifice to take your place so that you will never perish.
The third feather for gospel-flying (forgiving) is
3. God Was Satisfied with Christ's Sacrifice
Ephesians 5:2b, "[Christ] gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma."
When Paul calls the death of Jesus for us a "fragrant aroma" to God he means that God was satisfied with what Christ did. He did not look down and say, "You can't do that. You can't die for others. Every person has to bear their own guilt. Don't be so foolish to think you can take the curse and condemnation of another." On the contrary, the Father looked down and (with tears in his eyes, I think) took tremendous pleasure in the honor that the Son gave to the Father in obeying his commission—the Father had sent him (John 3:16).
So Christ did not die in vain. God received his offering. It satisfied the Father's justice. It removed God's wrath and judgment.
That's the wing of God's work before you were born:
1. God Put Us in a Saving Relationship with Christ
God put you into a saving relationship with Christ, so that you are united to Christ like a vine is united to the branch.
Ephesians 4:32b, "Forgive each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you."
We are "in Christ." That means we are in a relationship with Christ—we are united to Christ—in a way that makes us acceptable to God because he is acceptable to God. How did we get into this relationship? 1 Corinthians 1:30 says, "By [God's] doing you are in Christ Jesus." God awakened faith in our hearts and put us into a saving relationship with Jesus (cf. Ephesians 2:10, 13; Romans 16:17).
If he hadn't done that, all his other work (loving us, giving his Son to die for us, being satisfied with the Son's sacrifice) would have been in vain. But he did it. He is doing it all. His love will not be frustrated in pursuing you for himself. His personal, individual, particular love is moving him all the way. Nothing will stop him from saving you.
So the first feather in wing #2 for gospel-flying is God's putting you into a relationship with Christ like a vine in a branch.
2. God Adopted Us and Made Us Rightful Children
The second feather for gospel-forgiving is that God adopted you into his family and made you a rightful child of God.
Ephesians 5:1, "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children."
In other words realize that when God united you to Christ, you became with Christ a child of God. And heir. This is what God had been aiming at all along. Ephesians 1:5 says that "God predestined us unto adoption."
Some parents have children accidentally. And if they are cruel and heartless parents, they might even tell their children they didn't want them. But God has no unwanted children. They are all planned—from eternity, with great expectation and joy. They are all pursued. Christ's death is like an unspeakably high payment through heaven's Micah Fund.1
The second wing of gospel-flying in wing #2 is the truth that you are loved not just in some random, general, impersonal way, but as a child of God that he sought out and adopted at great cost.
3. God Forgave Us for Our Sins
Finally the third feather in wing #2 for gospel-flying (forgiving) is that God forgave you for your sins.
Ephesians 4:32, "And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you."
And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.Last week I talked about what forgiveness is—what it looks like and what it's not. I quoted Thomas Watson's definition which included
- resisting revenge,
- not returning evil for evil,
- wishing them well,
- grieving at their calamities,
- praying for their welfare,
- seeking reconciliation so far as it depends on you,
- and coming to their aid in distress.
How Do We Truly Forgive? Gospel-Flying
This week I'm asking, how can we do that? What gives us the freedom and the ability and the incentive and the power to forgive those who sin against us? Some of you have been wronged so deeply and hurt so badly that forgiving would be as great a miracle as flying.But recall the little poem of John Bunyan:
Run, John, run, the law commandsTwo wings, six feathers.
But gives us neither feet nor hands,
Far better news the gospel brings:
It bids us fly and gives us wings.
And that includes the "flying" of forgiveness. So I want God to show us our gospel wings this morning. Forgiving is a flying you can do in the power of the gospel. In fact six feathers are enough for this flight—three on one side and three on the other make two strong wings for gospel-flying—or gospel forgiving.
Two Wings, Six Feathers
I find all six feathers in these three verses (Ephesians 4:32–5:2),And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.There are two wings in this text for gospel-flying—just like a bird has two wings. Each wing has three feathers. All six feathers are things God the Father and God the Son have done for us without our help. They are all works of his sovereign grace. I am talking to Christian believers now. If you are not one yet, I hope you will listen and be drawn in. What I am describing here about gospel-flying (forgiving) is yours freely if you will lay down the weights of unbelief and trust Christ.
There are two wings. One wing with its three feathers is what Christ did for us before we even existed. And the other wing with its three feathers is what God did for us in our own lifetime. So if you are drawing the sermon today, you need to draw a bird with two big wings each having three feathers, and then write on each feather one of the things God has done so that we can fly with forgiveness to each other.
Wing #1: What God Did for Us Before We Existed
The first feather in this wing is this:1. God Loved Us with a Special Saving Love
Ephesians 5:1, "Be imitators of God, as beloved children." And verse 2: "Walk in love, just as Christ also loved you."
The first feather in the wing of gospel-flying—gospel forgiving—is the unspeakable reality of being loved by God. But to feel the force of this, you need to know that this is not merely the general love that God has for all the world—the love that gives life and breath and food and rain and protection and family and job and many evidences of his truth and power and greatness. It is an amazing thing to be loved like that, and should cause us to turn to him in gratitude.
But if that is all you know of the love of God, your gospel wings will be weak. This text speaks of love like a Father has for a child and love that moves Christ to take our place in death. Now that is something more than the general love of God for the world. That is a saving love—a love that goes beyond the offer of the gospel and actually undertakes to save us effectively, infallibly. It does what needs to be done to get us forgiven and saved.
Here is the evidence for this: in Ephesians 1:4–5 Paul says that this love of God chose us for adoption as children of God.
[God] chose us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 he predestined us to adoption as sons.So God has loved you with a love that is precious beyond words because it is a love that he gave you before you were born and that moved him to predestine you to be a child of God in holiness.
So the first feather in the wing of gospel forgiving is the feather of God's special saving love—call it covenant love. It is not mere general love. It is love that fixed personally, particularly on you as an individual and chose you and pursued you and brought you to himself, because he means to have you. If you get gripped by being loved like that, you might only need one feather to fly.
The second feather is
2. Christ Gave Himself for Us as a Sacrifice
Ephesians 5:2b, "[Christ] gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God."
According to Ephesians 2:3 we were all by nature children of wrath. We all deserve to perish and be punished in hell for the sins of our thoughts and imaginations and attitudes and tongues and hands and whole bodies. But the covenant love of God for us moved him not only to choose us but to give his Son as a sacrifice in our place: "Christ gave himself up for us"—that is, in our place, so that we don't have to perish. "He became a curse for us" (Galatians 3:13).
To feel the full force of this and to make the feather really strong for flying, we need to realize again that this is not merely a general thing Christ did the same for everybody. Ephesians 5:25 says, "Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her." In other words Christ's giving himself up to die as a substitute for the church is part of a covenant love that he has for his bride.
In love he chose you to be his bride and in love he lays down his life for you. You, individually, particularly, were in view as the goal of his loving and his dying.
Chuck Colson told the story (at the 1994 Ligonier Conference in Dallas, Texas) of a prison camp where 20 men came in from digging and lined their shovels up on the wall as they always did for the counting. When they were counted, the officer found only 19. He demanded that the one who didn't bring his shovel step forward. None did. Then he threatened that if no one stepped forward, he would choose ten men at random and shoot them. A young man of about 19 stepped forward and was immediately taken a few paces away and shot as an example to the others.
But then as they were dismissing, the shovels were counted again and there were 20 after all. The officer had miscounted.
The difference between what that boy did for his friends and what Jesus did for you is that Jesus knew which ten men he was dying for and he knew that we were all unworthy. But he did it anyway, because he had a very special covenant love for you that is far above human love.
The first feather is that you have been loved with a special saving love. And the second feather is that Christ gave himself as a sacrifice to take your place so that you will never perish.
The third feather for gospel-flying (forgiving) is
3. God Was Satisfied with Christ's Sacrifice
Ephesians 5:2b, "[Christ] gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma."
When Paul calls the death of Jesus for us a "fragrant aroma" to God he means that God was satisfied with what Christ did. He did not look down and say, "You can't do that. You can't die for others. Every person has to bear their own guilt. Don't be so foolish to think you can take the curse and condemnation of another." On the contrary, the Father looked down and (with tears in his eyes, I think) took tremendous pleasure in the honor that the Son gave to the Father in obeying his commission—the Father had sent him (John 3:16).
So Christ did not die in vain. God received his offering. It satisfied the Father's justice. It removed God's wrath and judgment.
Be ye glad, O be ye glad!
Every debt that you ever had,
Has been paid up in full by the blood of the Lamb,
Be ye glad, be ye glad, be ye glad.
Words and Music by Michael Kelly BlanchardGod was satisfied with the blood of Christ. That's the third feather in the first wing of gospel-flying and forgiveness.
1980 Paragon Music Corp.
(ASCAP)/Gotz Music (ASCAP) ICS. ARR. UBP.
Of The Benson Company, Inc., Nashville, TN.
That's the wing of God's work before you were born:
- God loved you with special saving love;
- Christ gave himself for you as a sacrifice; and
- God was satisfied with Christ's sacrifice. Your debt is paid.
Wing #2: What God Did for Us During Our Lifetime
The other wing for gospel-flying has three feathers in it also.1. God Put Us in a Saving Relationship with Christ
God put you into a saving relationship with Christ, so that you are united to Christ like a vine is united to the branch.
Ephesians 4:32b, "Forgive each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you."
We are "in Christ." That means we are in a relationship with Christ—we are united to Christ—in a way that makes us acceptable to God because he is acceptable to God. How did we get into this relationship? 1 Corinthians 1:30 says, "By [God's] doing you are in Christ Jesus." God awakened faith in our hearts and put us into a saving relationship with Jesus (cf. Ephesians 2:10, 13; Romans 16:17).
If he hadn't done that, all his other work (loving us, giving his Son to die for us, being satisfied with the Son's sacrifice) would have been in vain. But he did it. He is doing it all. His love will not be frustrated in pursuing you for himself. His personal, individual, particular love is moving him all the way. Nothing will stop him from saving you.
So the first feather in wing #2 for gospel-flying is God's putting you into a relationship with Christ like a vine in a branch.
2. God Adopted Us and Made Us Rightful Children
The second feather for gospel-forgiving is that God adopted you into his family and made you a rightful child of God.
Ephesians 5:1, "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children."
In other words realize that when God united you to Christ, you became with Christ a child of God. And heir. This is what God had been aiming at all along. Ephesians 1:5 says that "God predestined us unto adoption."
Some parents have children accidentally. And if they are cruel and heartless parents, they might even tell their children they didn't want them. But God has no unwanted children. They are all planned—from eternity, with great expectation and joy. They are all pursued. Christ's death is like an unspeakably high payment through heaven's Micah Fund.1
The second wing of gospel-flying in wing #2 is the truth that you are loved not just in some random, general, impersonal way, but as a child of God that he sought out and adopted at great cost.
3. God Forgave Us for Our Sins
Finally the third feather in wing #2 for gospel-flying (forgiving) is that God forgave you for your sins.
Ephesians 4:32, "And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you."
Review
Before you were born (wing #1):- God has loved you with a special, personal, saving love from all eternity.
- His Son gave his life for you to take the place of your judgment.
- God was satisfied by the substitute and sacrifice of the Son. The debt was paid.
- God brought you to faith and put you in a saving relationship with Christ.
- God adopted you into his family as a child of his own.
- And God forgave all your sins and there is no condemnation.
Run, John, run, the law commandsIt bids us forgive—and give us gospel wings. If you believe in your heart that God has done all of this for you and in you, you will fly. You will forgive.
But gives us neither feet nor hands,
Far better news the gospel brings:
It bids us fly and gives us wings.
Closing Remarks from Charles Spurgeon
Charles Spurgeon tells how his heart was set on wing by the pardon of God:My life was full of sorrow and wretchedness, believing that I was lost. But, oh, the blessed gospel of the God of grace came to me, and with it a sovereign word, "Deliver him!" And I who was but a minute before as wretched as a soul could be, could have danced for the very merriment of heart. And as the snow fell on my road home from the little house of prayer, I thought every snowflake talked with me and told of the pardon I had found, for I was white as the driven snow through the grace of God.2But years later he added this:
To be forgiven is such sweetness that honey is tasteless in comparison with it. But yet there is one thing sweeter still, and that is to forgive. As it is more blessed to give than to receive, so to forgive rises a stage higher in experience than to be forgiven.3It rises higher because it is gospel-flying. Spread your wings with me in these days at Bethlehem and let's fly together.
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