Luke 23:26-43

When we look at the cross we should not pity Jesus. Instead the cross should be symmetrical to our lives. (Made up of exactly similar parts facing each other or around an axis; showing symmetry.) The cross has direct implications upon us.

The Cross condemns our efforts to please God… our attempt to even the scales of justice by having more good in our life then bad. Jesus prayed “Father, if there be any way, let this cup pass from me.” The Cross was necessary for eradicating our sin.

The Cross reveals God’s motif of bringing life from death… joy out of suffering… healing through pain. God’s pattern is to place suffering on the path and bring us through.

Psalm 23:4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

The Cross reveals the Love of God for you.

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

You and I should meditate on the cross and sense the unending waves of God’s love.

The Cross should be our defense from condemnation. Sin was dealt with at the Cross. Jesus said “It is finished”. When the devil attempts to condemn you by reminding you of your sin, you can point to the cross and say with confidence “It is finished.”

The Cross should be our confidence in prayer. The sin that stood in the way of our friendship with God has been taken away. Let the great conversation begin.

Hebrews 10:19–22 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

Luke 22:54-65

In this sermon we zero in on Peter remembering the Word of the Lord after the rooster crows. He is filled with regret.

This lead us to consider how we can learn from his mistake by listening to God’s word rather then ignoring it’s warnings.

Pastor Josh gave us four (plus a fifth) way to hear God’s voice:

  1. God speaks to us through the Bible

    1. The Holy Spirit highlighter

    2. Recall of scripture… “I have hidden your Word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

  2. God speaks to us through Prayer

    1. Prayer is a conversation… yet we place so much emphasis on our side of the conversation. Listen quietly and then pray. Engage in a conversation with questions and fewer requests.

  3. God speaks to us through Circumstances… Open and closed doors

    1. A job offer

    2. A lack of finances

  4. God speaks through other Christians around us

Luke 22:39-53

Can we talk about pain in our life? What is our default response to pain and suffering?  

When the heat gets turned up people default to some innate responses: 

• fight

• flight

• melt down emotionally

• connive or play your angles

• stoic logical problem solving

We need to take a deep breath and return to the Lord. 

Your pain and suffering challenges the authority of God. It can cause us to turn from the Lord to your own devices. But that is the very moment that we need to remain connected to the Lord. 

Prayer connects us back to the one we are following. We have our own desires. Satan has a plan he wants us to follow. But when we pray like Jesus we are giving order to the world. When we pray like Jesus we are letting God be God. 

REMEMBER: there is a patterned way to God’s work. We call it “the way of the cross”. We talked about this a bit last week. 

2 Corinthians 1:8–10 NIV

8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us,

2 Corinthians 4:7–11 NIV

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.

Philippians 3:10–11 NIV

10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

So here we are in the middle of this pattern… motif. It is the darkest moment that these men would have experienced up to this point in their life. And Jesus tells them to pray so that they will not fall into temptation. 

I can hear the objection already: But pastor, I see these preachers on the TV that say God wants me to be blessed, healthy and rich. I just need to have a little more faith or I need to sow financially so that I can reap. 

Dear brother or sister, that preacher is confused and mixing up over God’s plan on earth with God’s eternal plan in heaven. 

Jesus promised trial and persecution here on earth. The blessings, health and wealth are waiting for us in glory. 

You and I are called to follow Jesus and the path has a cross and a resurrection. 

• Maybe you are buried in the grave because of a relationship

• Maybe you are buried through a health diagnosis

• Maybe you are buried through a career change

• Maybe you are buried through a financial obligation

Jesus instructions to his disciples are his instructions to you this morning: pray so that you will not fall into temptation.  

Are you buried under the weight of guilt or a impossible circumstance. Come and talk with the God who turns the worst day into the best day. The God who raises the dead. The God who crushes our enemies. He wants you to talk with him in prayer. 

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Luke 20:45-21:4

It isn’t good enough to have authentic Mexican food. It needs to be authentic and good.

Our culture prizes authenticity… so long as you are authentically how they want you to be. But Jesus came to restore humanity to a place of authenticity and goodness.

In this message we consider Jesus condemnation of the scribes inauthentic religious activity and his affirmation of the widow’s offering.

Vision Sunday

On Sunday, January 6th 2019 we laid out a vision for 2019. It really was an opportunity to look back at what God did in 2018 and consider what He might do in 2019.

Once we got through the 2018 review (which was too long) we talked about eternity and rewards. The stakes are high. It is fascinating that our short life has eternal implications. And we have to ask our selves “are we living by that reality?”

In 2019 our focus continues to be on the expansion of God’s Kingdom and the role we play in that process. As a church we will continue to worship on Sundays and participate in Small Groups. And we will be talking about what it looks like for us to be on mission embodying the Gospel message in 2019.