Christ’s sufferings and ours

say how this works. Most often,
almost always. John grabs the passage that I’m
at least supposed to be in the following week and he does a
great job and kind of trying to read the progress that I’m
making or lack thereof. And what he does is he’ll grab
the. Grab the passage and essentially
draft out of that is a theme that comes from the passage that
I’m preaching, but this week is exactly the opposite. What
happened was I knew that I would be traveling. I knew that I’d
be preaching and had a lot of time away, and so I wanted to
preach from the well as soon as I saw the theme that John
had already lit upon that of Christ and his sacrifice on our
behalf and the salvation that we have because of that. I knew
exactly the passage that I wanted to preach. First, Peter is an
interesting book we spent no little time in this book, and
it is a book that really details the suffering that the people
to whom Peter is writing in a very scattered sense. Peter is writing
to a number of people that are already beginning to feel the
effects of persecution. They will ultimately feel the
effects of persecution from the Roman Church, but at that moment
they were feeling the effects of persecution from Jewish believers
and from heathen. But soon they would feel the
fires of persecution that were advanced by the Romans. Let me just illustrate to you
as we course through this book, just in a flyover fashion, what
I mean when I say that this is a book of suffering, this is
a book of written to those who are suffering already. If you
have your book open to if you have your Bible open to First
Peter, turn to chapter one just for the first few verses. Peter
writes, Peter, and if the Saints remember, we spent three weeks
on that word. Just detailing that this is not
the same man that we find in the Gospels. In fact, we called
this the Apostle, the series, the Apostle of a Grace Changed
Life. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ to those who reside as
aliens. scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia, Bithynia, who were chosen. Now. When Peter writes and uses
that word aliens in our modern year, we might even think that
he’s speaking of those who were foreigners in the land. That’s not at all what Peter
implies. And you can tell how broadly he’s writing Pontus,
Galatia, Cappadocia, huge, vast areas. He’s talking to any Christians
who were already under persecution. And when he uses that word aliens,
he doesn’t use that in the same way that the modern ear hears
it. They’re not talking about illegal
aliens. They’re talking about spiritual
aliens. Spiritual foreigner foreigners,
they were heavenly people living in an ungodly world. They had
different interests. They had different priorities.
They had different methods of doing things, different affections,
different loyalties, different comforts, different goals. They
were aliens in every sense of the word. Glanced down, if you
would, just a few verses, verse six. Where Peter continues addressing
them, and he says in this and specifically he’s talking about
their salvation in this salvation wrought by God, You greatly rejoice
and well, they should, even though now for a little while, if necessary,
you have been distressed by various trials. That the proof of your
faith being more precious than gold, which is perishable, even
though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and
glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. He pictures
the soul as being in a crucible where it is burning off the dross
of sin so that it may be purified, glorified for God. But he points out that one of
the means that God is using is that even though now for a little
while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials. The trials, he points out, are
temporary. They’re necessary. They’re distressing. They’re varied. They come in
all shapes and forms, but they’re purposeful. God has a design
on those trials. Turn over to chapter 2. All I’m
pointing out is that Peter is writing here to a people who
are already suffering. They’re already under distress
and they have been for some time. Chapter 2, verse 11. Beloved,
I urge you as aliens and strangers And he doubles up on that word
and points out the fact that not only are they aliens, but
they are strangers. They’re not going to be recognized.
They’re not going to be welcomed. In a very great sense, he goes
on to point out in that same verse that they ultimately will
slander you as evildoers. It was the first century Christians
that were essentially called cannibals because they practiced
communion. in celebrating the body and blood
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul addresses the same thing
in chapter 219-21, where he essentially calls us to follow in Christ’s
pattern of suffering. Turn, if you would, though, to
chapter 3 verse 13. In chapter 3 verse 13, he takes
up again this subject of suffering. where he gives them essentially
a guide, a manual for those who are already oppressed, and he
gives them keys or principles for a right response in the midst
of that suffering. Look at verse 13. Who is there
to harm you if you prove zealous for doing what is good? In other words, if you are about
what is good, if you are in pursuit of God and his good things, and
you suffer, who ultimately can bring you harm. But even if you
should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed
and do not fear their intimidation and do not be troubled. But sanctify
Christ as Lord in your hearts, always ready to make a defense
to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that
is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence. And keep a good
conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those
who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
For it is better, if God should will it, that you suffer for
doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. Suffering
is a part of the Christian life, and again and again and again,
Peter addresses it. Look at chapter four, chapter
four. Chapter four, verse one, therefore,
since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also
with the same purpose. In other words, he says, you
too need to be prepared to suffer in the flesh that is in these
earthly bodies because he has suffered in the flesh has ceased
from sin. So is to live the rest of the
time in the flesh no longer for the loss of men, but for the
will of God. But the time already passed is sufficient for you
to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued
a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousals, drinking
parties and abominable idolatries. And in all this, they are surprised
that you do not run with them into the same excess of dissipation
and they malign you. That’s the nature of this particular
trial that he brings before them. Ultimately, they’ll give an account
to God. One last passage, there’s many more than this even, but
turn to chapter four, verse 12, glance down. Where Paul writes,
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you,
which comes upon you for your testing as though some strange
thing were happening to you. We can’t be caught off guard.
We can’t think that God maybe has lost control and that this
thing has spun out of the spool of madness that the world offers. And somehow it spun off and centrifugal
force has carried this trial directly to me as if out of pure
happenstance. Paul says that’s couldn’t be
further from the truth. God designs our trials. He sifts
them through his loving and sovereign fingers. And any difficulty that
comes into our life, we know that God knows of it. We know
that God is aware of it. We know that God has a design.
Look at verse 13. But to the degree that you share
the sufferings of Christ, not every suffering is. When you’re
speeding down the freeway and the lights go on, that’s not
the suffering of Christ. But to the degree you share the
sufferings of Christ merely by naming his name, keep on rejoicing
so that at the revelation of his glory, you may rejoice with
exultation. If you are reviled for the name
of Christ, you are blessed. Because the spirit of glory and
God rests upon you, but by no means let any of you suffer as
a murderer. That’s not the sufferings of
Christ. or a thief or an evildoer or a troublesome meddler. And
you think of the four of that list, you know what the prominent
one is today? Troublesome meddler. We maybe
don’t struggle with murder, hopefully. Maybe you’ve left off your thieving
ways. Maybe by God’s grace, you’re
no longer an evildoer that every one of us thinks that we need
to be able to solve everybody else’s problems. You know that
not even Jesus Christ obligated himself. Remember, he’s preaching
in the midst of preaching two brothers having a quibble about
their inheritance, interrupt Jesus and want him. And Jesus
says, who made me your arbiter? Who made me the judge of your
situation? Well, there’s proof I could jump
into any passage and begin to preach it, we’re not going to
do that, we’re going to go back to first Peter, chapter three of
establish the fact that Peter’s writing to those who are suffering.
Peter is writing to those who are already in the world suffering
greatly. And I want to go back to chapter
three, verse 13. Where Paul has made this point
that We need to remember who we serve. We are going to suffer
that all the while we need to remember who we serve. Look at
verse 13. Who is there to harm you if you
prove zealous for what is good? And you’re in the midst of trial,
look up and remember that God has your back. God has designed
this. God will equip you. God will
sustain you. And if you perish, you go to
heaven. Remember who it is you serve.
There in that passage, Paul goes on. Rather, Peter goes on to
remind us that we are to be assured that the smile of God ultimately
awaits us. That even if we suffer for the
sake of righteousness, we’re blessed. We’re to be calm and composed
in the midst of these sufferings were to be devoted to God were
to be in complete submission A submission that ultimately
issues forth in proclamation to the world. It’s a testimony
as the world watches us go through this with this uncanny peace. That alone is a testimony to
a watching world. And then finally, Peter summarizes
and he says, be clean, be innocent. Be absolutely innocent in those
charges that are attempted or tempted to be leveled at you,
you cannot you cannot be guilty in those things, be innocent
in those charges, be above board, be completely a man or a woman
who is on the indictable. And then he uses. An illustration
to drive home the point. But it’s not just any illustration,
it’s the greatest illustration that he could have made. It’s
the illustration of Christ. It’s the illustration of what
Christ himself experienced. Look, if God’s people would at
verse 18. And if you want to go back and pick
up the simple sentence, it’s really simple. Verse 13, who
is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But
even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you
are blessed. Do not fear their intimidation. Do not be troubled,
but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts and keep a good conscience. Verse 16, for Christ also died. That’s the simple illustration. The interesting thing is, is
that literally it says Christ also died, the King James, in
order to maintain the theme retained that word suffered. But you can clearly tell by what
Peter is doing here, this for that he uses points the readers
back immediately to the previous passage, this is Paul or Peter’s
argument here. This is Peter’s argument to take
people back and really to give them the reason that we can endure
suffering is that our Lord Jesus Christ has already endured far
worse. And the Lord Jesus is absolutely
aware of what we’re enduring here on Earth. Hebrews makes
the same point. Hebrews 12 for you have not yet
resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against
sin, which one of us has been crucified. What is in view here, of course,
is the atonement. It is the it’s not just suffering,
it’s not just that Christ was arrested and mistreated. It’s
not just that he suffered the indignities of being carted around
and and run through this trial system. But it’s the atonement
is the element of Christ’s work and specifically his death that
makes possible the restoration of fellowship between believers
and God. It’s what brings a sinner back
into a right relationship with God. Many of you know that I
love the confession where the confessions are good, they are
excellent in here. Listen to this. The office of
mediator, the Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake. He
underwent the punishment due us, which we should have borne
and suffered, being made a sin and curse for us, enduring the
most grievous sorrows in his soul and most painful sufferings
in his body, was crucified and died. That’s how Jesus suffered.
So when the King James notes that Jesus suffered like we are
expected to suffer, ultimately what the King James points out
that Jesus’ suffering was a suffering unto death. It doesn’t take anything
away from that. That’s an echo of the very purpose
for which Christ came. Matthew 20, 28, just as the Son
of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his
life as a ransom for many. Ephesians 5, 2, walk in love
just as Christ also loved you and gave himself up for us as
an offering and a sacrifice to God, a fragrant aroma. This didn’t
catch Jesus off guard. This suffering that Jesus came
to endure, it wasn’t a surprise to Him. Jesus
knew exactly what He was coming to. He was coming to suffer. He was coming to die. You say,
well, what good is that to us? Just a good example of someone
who would really be able to keep a stiff upper lip in a difficult
situation. Is that what we need? What do
you see all that we gain from the suffering of Christ? What
are the blessings that we have? Because of the cross that Jesus
Christ endured. First of all, Jesus Christ sacrifice
his suffering on our behalf was satisfactory. You shrug your shoulders and
you say, what does that mean? Look at the passage. 1 Peter 3.18 says, Christ also
suffered for sins. In other words, this answers
the question, why did Christ die? Why did Christ die? Christ died for sin. This talks
about the propitiatory element, the cause of Christ’s death was
sin, it was a sacrifice. Saints of God know that in the
Old Testament economy, God required animal sacrifice to symbolize
the need to atone for sin by the death of an innocent substitute. And, you know, I don’t need to
be too graphic here. They would have the lamb brought
into the home. The lamb was like a pet. It was cute and clean
and sweet as much as a lamb can be. And they brought it in and
it became the family pet. And then on that day. On that day, it was slaughtered.
And in an instant, God’s people would know the terrible nature
of sin, that sin was so bad that an innocent needed to be sacrificed
for the sake of sin. There were many such sacrifices.
Exodus talks about the sacrifice of a bull. Each day you shall
offer a bull as a sin offering for atonement. Leviticus one
all the way through verse six. He shall lay his hand on the
head of the burnt offering. It may be acceptable for him
to make atonement on his behalf. He shall lay slay the young bull
before the Lord. On and on throughout the Old
Testament and no wonder by the time we get to Isaiah 53, we
know exactly what’s being spoken of. We know the imagery of sacrifice
when it says all of us like sheep have gone astray. Each of us
has turned to his own way, but the Lord has caused the iniquity
of us all to fall upon him. We knew the imagery. By the time
you get to Isaiah, you know well the imagery of the sacrifice,
you know well the imagery of propitiatory atonement. And when
it says that our sin, the iniquity of us all fell upon him, we know
that he became the scapegoat, the one that would take our sin
and bear it upon himself. Paul wrote about this. In more
recent days, in our consideration of The book of Romans, Romans
five says that while we were still helpless at the right time,
Christ died for the ungodly. Christ took on sin, and when
it says that Christ also died for sins, it means not only sin
in a general concept, but he died for the specific sins that
you and I have committed. For one will hardly die for a
righteous man, though perhaps for the good man, someone would
even dare to die. But God demonstrates his own
love toward us in that while we were yet sinners. Christ died
for us, I get so sick of hearing people talk about so-and-so and
their potential. Last Lord’s Day, I heard just
a stomach turning statement. That we need to remind people
of of their great potential before God. We don’t know what people
are in their sinfulness. We don’t know what they are. Christ suffered for sins. Christ suffered not for his own
sins because he hadn’t committed any, not a one. Christ suffered
for the sins of his people. Christ gave himself as an offering
for our sin. Hebrews 5.1 says it this way. Speaks of Christ as a representative. Every high priest. Taken from
among men is appointed on behalf of men and things pertaining
to God in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant
and misguided since he himself is also beset with weakness and
because he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins. As for the
people, so also for himself. Now, what he’s pointing out there
is that every priest would go in before God to offer atonement
for sin, not only for the sin of the people, but even for himself. But not Jesus. Jesus Christ went
in to offer sin, offer atonement for sin, not for his own sin,
but for yours and for mine. These sacrifices were Atoning,
they were to wipe off sin, but it was only temporary. These
sacrifices that were repeated in the Old Testament. Jesus Christ
took on these sins as if he had committed himself. Thomas, pardon me, Thomas Watson
said it this way. The great Puritan said our guilt
being transferred and imputed to him, he suffered the penalty
which was due us. He appeared to put away sin by
the sacrifice of himself, the paschal lamb, a type of sin which
could not be done away with without blood. It was propitiation. It
was payment. We see that throughout the scriptures. The point to Christ is having
died for sin. 1 Corinthians 15, 3, speaking
of the gospel, I deliver to you as a first importance, but also
I receive that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures.
Galatians 1, 4, who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver
us out of this present evil age. Romans 8, 3. For what the law
could not do, weak as it was to the flesh, God did, sending
his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh as an offering for
sin. He condemned sin in the flesh.
Perhaps one of my favorite verses in all of the New Testament,
Second Corinthians 521, he that is God made him that is Jesus
Christ, who knew no sin. To be sin on our behalf that
we might become the righteousness of God in him. And it was satisfactory. The sacrifice of Christ was satisfactory,
it met God’s demand, it paid the penalty in full. See, far
beyond our current understanding of the word satisfactory, you
get a satisfactory in school, it’s not a great thing, right? Even a goat offered up was satisfactory
for a time. See, Christ wasn’t the first
ever to die. Christ wasn’t even the first
to die for sins. Criminals die for their sins
all the time. But Christ was the first to die for the sins
of others and the only one able to do that. Christ died for the
sins of the world. For God, the death of Christ
was satisfactory, it was absolutely acceptable. It was enough. It was perfect in God’s eyes.
There’s a second blessing that accrues to those who look to
Christ. The blessings of the cross of
Christ are not only the fact that Christ’s sacrifice on the
cross was satisfactory, but it was sufficient. This answers
the question of frequency, how often are we going to have to
go and repeat this? How satisfactory was Christ’s death? Because a
goat would last for a while. Look at verse 18 again. For Christ
also died for sins once for all. See, these sacrifices demanded
by the law, they were offered almost daily. Year to year. Leviticus 5.7, which verse we
just peeked at. If he cannot afford a land, then
he will bring to the Lord his guilt offering for that which
he has sinned. Two turtle doves, two young pigeons. One for a
sin offering, the other for a burnt offering. You have to go and
repeat this over and over again. As one described it to atone
for sins, the Jews slaughtered millions of animals over the
centuries during their annual Passover celebration, as many
as two hundred and fifty thousand sheep would be sacrificed. But
Jesus Christ’s one sacrificial death ended the insufficient
parade of animals. No wonder Hebrews one three,
that incredible opening of that incredible book. He is the radiance. He, that is Christ, is the radiance
of His, that is the Father’s glory and the exact representation
of His nature and upholds all things by the word of His power.
When He had made purification of sins, He sat down. Not because He was weary. He
sat down because His work was finished. It was perfect. He
sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. But it says in this passage,
once for all, it doesn’t mean for all people. And we could
spend we could spend an entire day just talking about that issue.
It’s talking about once in its all sufficiency for anyone for
whom Christ died. Points to the fact that the one
sacrifice of Christ compared to all the repeated sacrifices
in the Old Testament economy, this one offering was good enough
for all time. In this one little word, Peter
paints a picture that the book of Hebrews spends chapters and
chapters and chapters unfolding to us. Turn, if you would, to Hebrews
chapter seven. And I’ll try not to steal any
of my brother’s thunder. Hebrews chapter 7, look at verse
26. It was fitting for us to have
such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners
and exalted above the heavens, who does not need daily, like
those high priests, to offer up sacrifices for his own sins
and then for the sins of the people, because this he did once
for all. when he offered up himself. Jesus
Christ’s sacrifice needs never to be repeated. Once, and it was finished. Turn
to Hebrews 9. Look at verse 11. When Christ
appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered
through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made
with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, and not through
the blood of goats and calves. Through His own blood He entered
the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
Turn, if you would, to Hebrews 9, verse 24. Christ did not enter
a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one,
but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God
for us. Nor was it that he would offer himself often as the high
priest enters the holy place year by year with the blood that
is not his own. Otherwise, he would have needed
to suffer often since the foundation of the world. But now, once at
the consummation at the ages, he has manifested. He has been
manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Turn
over to Hebrews, Chapter 10, and we’ll end there. We’ll end this point there. By
this, verse 10, by this we have been sanctified through the offering
of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Every priest stands
daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices
which can never take away sins. But he, having offered one sacrifice
for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God. Again,
the confession is so abundantly clear here, the Lord Jesus, by
his perfect obedience and sacrifice of himself, which he through
the eternal spirit offered once to God, has fully satisfied the
justice of God. What an amazing statement. The blessings of Christ begin
to unfold to the child of God. Not only was Christ’s sacrifice
satisfactory, it was also sufficient, but thirdly, Christ’s sacrifice
for us on the cross was substitutionary. I know at this point that’s almost
simplistic, but that’s exactly what Peter is doing here. He’s
drawing a picture of us of how wonderful this sacrifice of Christ
was. Look at this verse 18. Christ
also died for sins once for all the just for the unjust. The righteous for the unrighteous,
the nature of a holy God. Died for the nature of those
who are whole, unholy and sinful. Again, Thomas Watson nailed it.
When he painted the picture of humanity, we by our sins, had
infinitely wronged God, and could we have shed rivers of tears
and offered up millions of holocausts and burnt offerings, we could
have never pacified an angry deity. Therefore, Christ must
die. That God’s justice may be satisfied. Jesus Christ underwent the punishment
due us. It was our punishment that Jesus
Christ took on. It was substitutionary. It was in our place. He died
the just on behalf of the unjust. Christ didn’t become a sinner. Instead, God the Father treated
Christ as if He was the sinner. Puritan pastor said it this way,
he said, thus it appears how necessary it was that Christ,
the mediator, should be both God and man. That sometimes befuddles
us. What’s the big deal? OK, Jesus
was born of the Virgin, you know. We count that as almost, you
know, just a pleasant Christmas story, some legend. It’s absolutely necessary. Thus,
it appears how necessary it was that Christ should be both the
mediator, both God and man. For had he not been man, he would
not have been a fitting sacrifice. And had he not been God, the
sacrifice would not have been sufficient. He was made sin,
for he could no other way be made sin than by inward pollution
or outward reputation. He was most free of pollution
that he might undergo for us the punishment due sin. Jesus
didn’t become a sinner. Jesus took on the sin of the
world and bore it. Another said it much more simply,
had he not been free from sin. He could not have taken the place
for sinners. Under the Old Testament economy,
the sacrifices were absolutely required to be without blemish.
Remember, Jesus Christ was perfectly sinless. First, Peter addresses
that chapter two, verse twenty one, Christ suffered for you
who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in his mouth
while being reviled. He did not revile and return
while suffering. He uttered no threats, but he
kept entrusting himself to him who judges righteously. He was the righteous one, Isaiah
53, 11. As 2 Corinthians 5, 21, which
verse we just read, He made him who knew no sin to be sin on
our behalf. Hebrews 4, 15, one who is tempted
in all things as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 7, 26, a
high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners
and exalted above the heavens. No wonder at the consummation
of the Reformation, Martin Luther looked up and said,
Lord Jesus, you are my righteousness. I am your sin. You have taken
upon yourself what is mine and given me what is yours. You have
become what you were not so that I may become what I am not. Speaking
of the righteousness of God. See, Paul said it. We looked at this verse a moment
ago while we were still helpless. At the right time, Christ died
for the ungodly. Christ, the righteous, died for
we who are unrighteous. For sinners. It was substitutionary. It was in our place that Christ
died and suffered. Spurgeon Said it well when he
said in one word, the great fact which the Christian Christian
hope rest is substitution. The vicarious sacrifice of Christ
for the sinner, Christ’s suffering for the sinner, Christ’s being
made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of
God in him. Christ’s offering up a true and
proper substitutionary sacrifice in the place of as many as the
father gave him. who are recognized by their trusting
in Him. This is the cardinal fact of
the gospel. What a great truth. That Jesus
Christ died in our place. There’s a fourth blessing as
we close. What are the blessings of the
cross of Christ? What do we gain from Jesus Christ
dying on the cross? Not only was his sacrifice satisfactory
and sufficient and substitutionary, it was, fourthly, saving. Without this, there is no salvation. Look at verse 18. For Christ
also died for sins, once for all, the just for the unjust,
in order that he might bring us to God. Is that the most astounding
statement of all? We who were a far off, we who
were dead in our trespasses and sins, we who had no regard, no
love for God, hateful, hating one another, haters of God. And
now we’re going to be ushered into God’s presence by none other
than the Lord Jesus Christ. This perfect sacrifice, this
One who had given His own blood for sin. One time, all sufficient,
perfect sacrifice to fulfill God’s purpose that
we would be reconciled to Him. See, restoring fallen humanity
to a loving God, to lift us from this condition of sin and sinfulness
to a state of grace to a state of life itself was the whole
design of God. See, this redemption is essentially
the establishing of liberty from the bondage that we were in,
in sin. The Scriptures speak often of that,
don’t they? Ephesians 2.18, we have our confident access.
Ephesians 3.12, in whom we have boldness and confident access
through faith in Him. Hebrews 4.16, let us therefore
draw near with confidence to the throne of grace. Hebrews
7.25, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through
Him. This is the whole purpose. Sometimes
we read the tale of Christ’s arrest, his brutal treatment,
the passion, ultimately his suffering on the cross. We read it as a
narrative, you know, on how to behave when you’re doing the
right thing and and people are being mean to you. Jesus Christ came and did that
for a purpose. He knew exactly what the men
of the world were going to do to him. Paul said to the Colossians,
it was through him to reconcile all things to himself. And that
includes you and I. Stephen Sharnock, the great theologian. Remarked of God that. God, apart
from Christ, is an angry, offended sovereign. Unless we behold him
in and through Christ, the mediator, the terrors of his majesty would
overwhelm us. We dare not approach the father
except in Christ because of our sins. We first fasten our eyes
upon Christ and then upon the father, if Christ does not bear
our guilt and reconcile us to God, we perish. Before any man
can think to stand before the face of God’s justice, or be
admitted to the secret chamber of God’s mercy, or partake of
the riches of His grace, he must first look to the mediator, Christ
Jesus. Would you bow before Him as we
do that? Our merciful King, we humble
ourselves in your presence. And, Lord, it is only by your
abundant mercy that so many of us in your midst today have already
done that. We have already recognized that
we are sinners and we have already looked in faith to Christ and
only to Christ. We’ve given up on our good works.
We wouldn’t dare bring up our denominational affiliation. We
wouldn’t dare bring up whatever means we were baptized. We wouldn’t
dare bring up what our family believes or what some friend
believes. We found ourselves to stand only
and completely before you, a holy God, And we’ve acknowledged ourselves
of being completely unclean and unworthy. We were bankrupt. We’re absolutely
destitute, spiritually speaking. But by God’s good grace. We’ve
come to know. That Jesus Christ and his sacrifice
for sin. Was absolutely accepted by God. Once for all, a perfect atonement
for sinners. Lord God, we placed our faith
in nothing other than that. For our hope of eternal life,
for our hope of forgiveness. Lord Jesus, if there are any. In our midst. No matter how young,
no matter how old. If there is a soul among us who
does not know the Lord Jesus Christ, let them know without
a shadow of a doubt that God has paid for the sin of sinners. God has met the demand in full.
A perfect sacrifice. And it may be appropriated by
faith. We say it’s enough. My work,
my effort, my religiousness is not enough. It’s incomplete,
it’s insufficient, it’s offensive. But what Jesus Christ did is
good. It’s good enough for God. We pray that if there are any
here who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ, that they would
place their faith in Him and in Him alone for salvation even
today. It’s in Jesus’ name that we pray. Amen. Come, come, come, come, come,
come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come,
come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come,
come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come,
come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come,
come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come,
come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come,
come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come,
come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come,
come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come,
come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come,
come, come, come, come, come, come, Exist upon it not a thousand
years Did I meet my end, a miser? Never mind, I have my promise,
and I hope to die And I’m afraid to think that she’s arrived at
home And she’s got a body that has changed hundreds of miles
from what I’ve known And she’s in danger, in some danger, and
her bones have fallen too Only things have made it better. It’s a wonderful thing to do. Only things have made it better. I’m quite wondering what you
need. Don’t you want to know what I’m
feeling? Don’t you want to know what’s
in my heart? In my heart, I’m dreaming, I’m
feeling, I’m feeling for life. so so Thank you.