Sunday Sermons
THE CROSS
By Pastor Dave Wilson
Mar 16, 2008, 22:03

The Cross
Four Steps to Heaven!
Palm Sunday LK 23 2008

Man’s attitude toward Jesus…
1. Crowd/ Multitude!

2. Judas!

3. Peter!

4. Pontius Pilate!

5. People & Rulers: LK 23:35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One."

6. Soldiers!

-How would you respond if you were Jesus?
LK 23:34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

7. Thief: LK 23:39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" V40 But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence?

4 Steps to Heaven!

1) We must fear God! V40 But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God,"
Prov. 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge

2) We must recognize we are lost without Christ!
LK 23:40 But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? V41a We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve…

-ISA 6:5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
Rom. 3:10 As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one.

Rom. 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

3) We must recognize the righteousness of Christ!
LK 23:41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."

2 Cor. 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

1 Peter 2:22 "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." V23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. V24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

4) We must claim Him as Savior & Lord!
LK 23:41 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

Rom. 10:13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

JN 3:16 "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. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

5) Result of these 4 steps: LK 23:43 Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

Conclusion
1. Do you fear God?
2. Recognize your lost state – guilty needing forgiveness!
3. Recognize Christ’s righteousness – innocent for guilty!
4) Have you claimed Him as Savior & Lord!
5) What is preventing me from being saved right now?






































Gleanings from John
Branded 3/ /08 JN 4:1-42

JN 4:4-42 I’d like to tell the story…
“V4 He had to go through Samaria.”

Four truths...
Truth #1: I cannot hide my P from God.

First step toward the truth: Be honest with yourself and be honest with God.

Truth #2: Jesus knows all about me and He still L me.
-Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.

Second step toward the truth: Believe the one who knows you best, loves you most.

Truth #3: My sin has C ! Someone said sin is fun on credit. Fun now - pay later.
Gal 6:7 “Whatever a man sows, that will he reap.”

Third step toward truth: Understand that God loves us just the way we are but He loves us enough not to leave us that way.

Ques: Would it have been love for Jesus to know all about this woman, then leave her in that condition?

Truth #4: Jesus is the only one who can S my deepest need.

V10 “If you knew who I was you would have asked me and I would have given you living water.
V14 “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst again. But the water I give shall become inside a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

You say, “I’d love to have this thirst satisfied. How?”

-You have to take the final step. You must admit your emptiness. You have to say, “Jesus, I’ve tried to fill my life every other way and I’m still thirsty.”

Conclusion…
-Can you be honest with yourself and with God?
-Admit your thirst and accept Jesus’ offer of satisfaction.




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