2. An Amazing Example of
Preaching!
"Father forgive them
for they know not what they do."
- Preaching that leads to Salvation!
Sure, this was a prayer to
the Father but it was also a preaching to the crowd around
the cross. Do you recall the effect these sayings and this
Saviour had on the centurion responsible for the carrying
out the crucifixion that dreadful day?
As he stands beneath the
Cross of Christ, having carried out his task well, having
been faithful to his masters as far as his duty was concerned,
having crucified Christ he now begins to consider Christ.
He had never before witnessed such personality. As he listened
to these seven sayings from the cross they must have had
an amazing affect upon him. He had never witnessed such
pain. Here is someone who is despised and rejected of men,
judged and forsaken of God. He was indeed a man of sorrows
and acquainted with grief, smitten of God and afflicted,
yet Jesus is more concerned about others than Himself. This
centurion had never witnessed such power. Some of those
Calvary miracles were happening as he stood there. So as
he carries out his duty he must have been considering deeply
the events of the day. This personality, the awful pain
suffered, the amazing power released, which in turn had
a convicting effect upon him because the next thing we hear
is, this centurion is confessing Christ. Luke 23 v 47 puts
it best.
"Now when the centurion
saw what was done he glorified God, saying, certainly this
was a righteous man."
How did he know that? Who
revealed that to him? Why the convicting power of the Holy
Spirit. What’s happening? The Spirit of God is working
in this mans heart bringing him to faith in the Christ of
the Cross. This is without doubt a preaching to salvation
directly from the cross and from the lips of our dear Saviour.
That’s why I say, silence, our suffering Saviour is
speaking!
A. Preaching that leads to
Salvation!
Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians
1 v 18.
"For the preaching of
the (word) of the cross is to them that perish foolishness;
but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."
Someone asked Luther: "Do
you feel that you have been forgiven?"
He answered: "No, but
I'm as sure as there's a God in heaven.
For feelings come and feelings
go, and feelings are deceiving;
My warrant is the Word of
God; naught else is worth believing.
Though all my heart should
feel condemned for want of some sweet token,
there is One greater than
my heart whose Word cannot be broken.
I'll trust in God's unchanging
Word till soul and body severs;
For though all things shall
pass away, his Word shall stand forever!"
End quote!
Luther was absolutely right.
We have been saved from the penalty of sin, we are being
saved from the possibility of sin, and we can be saved from
the practice of sin and praise God one-day we will be saved
from the very presence of sin.
Our text should read. (1
Cor.1 v 18)
"For the word of the
cross which is the power of God for this Salvation."
It’s the word of the
cross, the "logos", the word, the same word who
became flesh, in whom dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead
and who died on the cross. It’s the words of the word.
The eternal word of the cross enables the sinner to find
salvation from the penalty of sin and it’s that same
eternal word of the cross that will provide power for that
saved sinner to live with victory over sin.
Beloved, this is a power
that can and must be visualised, vocalised and vitalised,
the message is, there is power in Jesus Christ and His precious
Salvation to make us all a mighty power for God in this
age.
Is that power active in you
and me? Can it be seen and heard and is it mighty for God?
We are called upon to be witnesses, but for a witness to
be credible they must be believed.
In driving piles, a machine
is used by which a huge weight is lifted up and then made
to fall upon the head of the pile. Of course the higher
the weight is lifted the more powerful is the blow which
it gives when it descends. Now, if we wish to impact our
age and society with ponderous blows, we must see to it
that we are uplifted as near to God as possible. All our
power will depend upon the elevation of our spirits. Prayer,
meditation, devotion, communion, are like a windlass to
wind us up aloft. It is not lost time which we spend in
such sacred exercises, for we are thus accumulating force,
so that when we come down to our actual labour for God,
we shall descend with an energy unknown to those to whom
communion is unknown. Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
B. A Preaching that leads
to Sanctification!
Paul writing to the Corinthians
said. 1 Cor. 1 v 2.
"Unto the church of
God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in
Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every
place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both
theirs and ours."
If you have ever attempted
a study of what has been called the deeper Christian life,
to find out the truth one tends to read many sermons, look
through many
books and commentaries on
the theme in order to get it right. But by the time you
have studied the subject at some length through the eyes
of so many disagreeing expositors you end up somewhat confused.
You look at all these phrases such as, the victorious life,
the spirit filled life, the surrendered life, perfect love,
the baptism of the spirit, two natures, eradication of the
sin nature, entire sanctification and the rest of faith.
You are in danger of becoming a disciple of a phrase instead
of a person. Then you read 1 Corinthians 1 v 30.
"But of Him are you
in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and
righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption."
You see, strictly speaking
sanctification is not something but someone.
I believe our God is on the
look out for a people today who will be quiet enough to
hear Him speak, brave enough to tell it to others, and honest
enough to live it out, displaying what real sanctification
really means.
Many are the Elijah’s
collapsed under the juniper tree in need of being summoned
to Horeb to learn the lesson of the still small voice.
This from Dr. Vance Havner.
"There is a lot of fanfare
and activity today, there is a flood of words and a famine
of ideas. The preacher is told to adjust---adjust to what?
To this Punch and Judy farce of modern church life, this
meaningless marathon of breathless Christians, too exhausted
to run and too scared to rest, and not willing to work.
Daniel was not invited to
Belshazzar’s feast, but he was the only man in the
Kingdom who could read the writing on the wall. Blessed
is the man who spends time with God and understands the
message for the age." End quote!
C. A Preaching that leads
to Service!
Beloved, listen, listen!
We have a Mandate from the
Sovereign! Matt. 24 v 44.
"Therefore be ye also
ready; for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man
cometh."
We have a Motto for the Soldier!
Acts 21 v 13.
"Then Paul answered,
what mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? For I am ready,
not to be bound only but also to die at Jerusalem for the
name of the Lord Jesus."
We have a Maxim for the Servant!
2 Tim. 2 v 21.
"If a man, therefore,
purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour,
sanctified, and fit for the master’s use, and prepared
unto every good work."
When the Lord Jesus uttered
those amazing words on the cross, "Father forgive them
for they know not what they do" He was saying, listen,
listen, Salvation is precious to all, Sanctification is
powerful in all, and Service is personal for all.
You see, a ship is safe in
harbour, but the truth of the matter is, ships are made
for the sea. Harbours are not only the safe destination
for incoming ships; harbours are points of departure for
ships. Beloved, the church is indeed a haven where weary
souls may tie up for repair and renewal, a place to strengthen
the inner man and to bring solace to the soul. But the church
is also
the starting point of our
week from which we sail out into the unknown to serve our
glorious master. There was a time on the Lord’s Day
when we stood amazed in the presence of our dear Saviour,
today it seems as though we want to sit in His presence
and be amused. We once came to church that we might be edified,
now all we are looking for is entertainment.
We must come into God’s
House to hear, but then we must go out to hearers!
We are not to be salt cellars
but salt shakers to scatter the precious truths of God everywhere
we go.
The cry comes down the centuries,
even from as far back as the book of
1 Chronicles Ch. 29 v 5.
"And who, then, is willing
to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord."
And yes, it will cost us
to give to our dear Saviour the kind of consecrated service
he requires of us. The Psalmist reminds us there is to be.
i. The Sacrifice of Penitence!
Psalm 51 v 17.
"The sacrifices of God
are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God,
thou wilt not despise."
That’s the first step
leading to a consecrated life for God. A spirit controlled
by the Holy Spirit and a heart willing to hear the Word
of God and obey it.
Isaiah 66 v 2 reminds us,
that that is exactly what God is looking for in His people!
ii The Sacrifice Of Person!
"Present your bodies
a living sacrifice"
The Macedonians first gave
themselves unto the Lord!
The second step toward a
consecrated life is giving up ourselves continually, a living
sacrifice.
A little boy, having listened
to the Minister’s sermon of that morning, as the offering
plate was passed, realising he had no money quickly found
a piece of paper and pencil and hurriedly wrote the words,
‘I give myself’. The minister said to his office
bearers, that is the biggest offering we have received for
many a day.
Lord Jesus, look down from
the skies
And help me to make a complete
sacrifice;
I give up myself and whatever
I know;
Now wash me and I shall be
whiter than snow.
iii. The Sacrifice of Praise!
Hebrews 13 v 15.
"By Him therefore let
us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that
is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name."
We try to work up such a
sacrifice by artificial means; those who lead the singing
sweat and plead trying to produce a song from the heart
that just is not there. The Psalmist said in 119 v 54.
"Thy Statutes have become
my song in the house of my pilgrimage."
The third step to a consecrated
life is giving God the fruit of our lips by giving continual
thanks to His wonderful name.
When the children of Israel
were taken captive to Babylon in Psalm 137 they said "There
we sat down by the rivers of Babylon, yea, we wept, when
we remembered Zion." It was as they sat by the rivers
of Babylon with a heavy heart because of their sin, their
captors said, sing us a song, a song of mirth or a song
of Zion, sing us a happy song or sing us a holy song, they
could do neither. Why? Because they had lost their song.
"Happiness is caused
by things that happen around me, and circumstances will
mar it; but joy flows right on through trouble; joy flows
on through the dark; joy flows in the night as well as in
the day; joy flows all through persecution and opposition.
It is an unceasing fountain bubbling up in the heart; a
secret spring the world can't see and doesn't know anything
about. The Lord gives his people perpetual joy when they
walk in obedience to him." D. L. Moody.
3. An Amazing Example of
Prayer!
"Father forgive them
for they know not what they do." Surely was an amazing
example of prayer at such a time in the life and near death
of our dear Saviour.
A. This is a prayer to the
Father!
And in this prayer, our suffering
Saviour displays for us the wonderful appreciation he has
for His Father.
Some time before this occasion
he had taught the disciples this very thing.
In Matthew chapter 6, in
what is commonly called ‘The Lord’s Prayer’
we have the Lord, in response to the disciples ‘Teach
us to pray’ giving them an appreciation of---
God’s Person: Our Father!
God’s Purposes: Thy
Kingdom come…Thy Will be done!
God’s Provision: Give
us…our daily bread!
God’s Pardon: Forgive
our debts!
God’s Purity: Lead us
not into Temptation!
God’s Protection: Deliver
us from Evil!
God’s Power: Thine is
the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory!
(I draw this from Dr. John
Phillips Exploring Series)
Beloved, we desperately need
a renewal of such an appreciation of our Heavenly Father.
That in the darkest hour, in the deepest agony, through
desperate times, with a discouraged heart, in a despondent
mind and with a detracting interest we will know there is
nothing too large or too small to bring to Him in prayer.
We are coming to a King;
large petitions with you bring.
Prayer releases power! Acts
1 v 14 + 2 v 41.
Prayer reveals secrets! Daniel
2 v 14-22.
Prayer replenishes His Church!
Acts 4 v 31-37.
Prayer repels the adversary!
James 4 v 7-8.
Prayer reclaims ground! Zechariah
3 v 1-7.
Listen to this from George
Muller! "I have been praying for sixty-three years
and eight months for a friends conversation. He is not saved,
but he will be! How can it be otherwise, for I am praying
to my Heavenly Father". That’s the appreciation
Muller had of his Heavenly Father, that friend was saved
at George Muller’s funeral!
B. This is a prayer to Forgiveness!
Sinners were in need of Salvation:
Jesus was showing us that there is none past praying for
however far down in sin they have fallen, however wicked
they have become. This is not a request for God to wink
at ignorance, it’s not a request for the blanket pardon
of sin, it’s not a prayer to thrust forgiveness upon
people, but it’s a prayer that says, all who will repent
can be saved and have the wonderful joy of knowing their
sins forgiven and the assurance of a home in Heaven.
Saints were in need of Submission:
You see, it’s on the basis of forgiveness the church
would not only be formed but also move forward.
Did you notice when we were
looking at the Lord’s prayer in Matthew Ch.6 v 14-15
the Lord Jesus took time to point out His thinking on forgiveness?
"For if ye forgive men
their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive
you:
But if ye forgive not men
their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your
trespasses."
Now this is nothing at all
to do with our Redemptive forgiveness, that has been taken
care of and nothing in the world can change that. This is
to do with our every day forgiveness and simply put means,
if I cannot forgive others then sin
becomes a barrier between
my Heavenly Father and me.
The Scriptures say, Matt.
6v15. "If you forgive not men their trespasses, neither
will your Father forgive you your trespasses." The
church will move forward on the basis of forgiveness but
there is nothing that will hold back growth in the church
like an unforgiving spirit.
"Alas! if my best Friend,
who laid down his life for me, were to remember all the
instances in which I have neglected him, and to plead them
against me in judgement, where should I hide my guilty head
in the day of recompense? I will pray, therefore, for blessings
on my friends, even though they cease to be so, and upon
my enemies, though they continue such." William Cowper.
C. This is a Prayer to Furtherance!
As He prays this amazing
prayer on the cross, surely it will have a telling effect
on His disciples whether they hear it from a distance or
up close. And what Jesus is saying in this prayer, among
other things, whatever men do to you, say about you, or
make of you don’t go back, rather keep on going on.
Nothing the sinner, the saint, or Satan does to you should
cause you to quit, give up or go back. So later, after the
resurrection when Jesus met with His disciples he gave them
some great encouragements.
He made His passion known
to them! Go to the uttermost parts of the earth.
He made His presence known
to them! He convinced them of His Resurrection, of His Rapture
and His Return.
He made His plan known to
them! Start in Jerusalem, move to Judea, and then on to
Samaria. Start in the Community, move to the country and
then spread the message to the continent.
He made His power known
to them! "Ye shall receive power after that the Holy
Ghost is come upon you."
He says to His disciples,
now get going, keep going and don’t stop going until
I get back or call you home!
In the final years of our
imprisonment, the North Vietnamese moved us from small cells
with one or two prisoners to large rooms with as many as
30-40 men to a room. We preferred this situation for the
companionship and strength we could draw from our fellow
prisoners. In addition to moving us to new quarters, out
captors also let us receive packages and letters from home.
Many men received word from their families for the first
time in several years. The improved conditions were a result
of public pressure put on the North Vietnamese by the American
public.
In our cell was one Navy
officer, Lt. Commander Mike Christian. Over a period of
time Mike had gathered bits and pieces of red and white
cloth from various packages. Using a piece of bamboo he
had fashioned into a needle, Mike sewed a United States
flag on the inside of his shirt, one of the blue pajama
tops we all wore.
Every night in our cell,
Mike would put his shirt on the wall, and we would say the
pledge of allegiance. I know that the pledge of allegiance
may not be the most important aspect of our day now, but
I can tell you that at the time it was the most important
aspect of our lives.
This had been going on for
some time until on of the guards came in as we were reciting
our pledge. They ripped the flag off the wall and dragged
Mike out. He was beaten for several hours and then thrown
back into the cell.
Later that night, as we were
settling down to sleep on the concrete slabs that we our
beds, I looked over to the spot where the guards had thrown
Mike. There, under the solitary light bulb hanging from
the ceiling, I saw Mike. Still bloody and his face swollen
beyond recognition, Mike was gathering bits and pieces of
cloth together. He was sewing a new American flag. John
McCain.
My brothers and sisters,
surely this is the kind of commitment our dear Saviour displayed
on the Cross, and is it not the kind of commitment he asks
of us today. This kind of commitment will lift our precious
Lord Jesus high before a fallen and lost world.
