<>We have different likes and dislikes.
------Some folks like coffee, others don’t.
------Some folks prefer Coca Cola, others opt for Pepsi products.
------Some like “active” vacations (skiing, motorcycle touring, camping; others prefer more rest and relaxation.
------Some prefer fruit as a treat for their palate, while others want chocolate.
------Some like yogurt, others think even its name sounds nasty.
<>We have different backgrounds.
------Some grew up in permissive households, others were raised in more restrictive environments.
------Some were raised in Christian homes, others were not.
------Some grew up on farms or in rural settings, others were city dwellers.
------Some were born in the U.S.A., others came here from other countries.
<>And we’ve had different experiences that have helped in shaping us.
------Some were raised in one house or in one town, others moved around a lot.
------Some had the benefit of wealth, others have experienced poverty.
------Some have served in the military, some have remained civilians.
------Some have had reasonably few medical challenges, others have had repeated surgeries or have battled physical handicaps.
<>Therefore, as a church family, we have a choice to make...
---->We can choose to focus on that which separates us or how we’re different from one another.
---->Or we can choose to focus on that which brings us together.
<>What brings us together is pretty simple...
---->It’s all around the cross of Jesus...and the grace of God.
--------1 Corinthians 12:13 -- “For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.”
WHAT BRINGS US TOGETHER...WHAT WE HAVE IN COMMON WITH ONE ANOTHER...
1) WE’RE ALL LOVED BY GOD.
-------John 3:16 -- “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not -perish, but have eternal life.”
-------1 John 3:1 -- “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.”
-------1 John 4:10 -- “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
-------1 John 4:19 -- “We love, because He first loved us.”
---<>We’re not loved by Him because of anything we’ve done, but because Who He is...God is love.
---<>We’re not loved by God because we’ve chosen to love Him...He loves us all, regardless of how we treat Him.
--------->He loves us with agape love, “warts and all” kind of love.
---<>God loves us for WHO we are, not for WHAT we are or WHAT we’ve done.
----------ILL>A businessman called the pastor of a city church and told the pastor he thought his son was in his city and involved in the drug culture. He asked the pastor if he would try to find the boy and do something with him. About four months later the boy was found and told the Gospel. He accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. The pastor then told the boy to pick up the extension on the phone and he would call his father. The pastor told the father his son had been found and that he had accepted Christ. The father replied, “Oh, I don’t care about that, I want to know how long his hair is, if he’s taken a bath, and will he apologize to his old lady?” The boy, listening in, ran out of the study and his father never saw him again.--You see, the father’s love was conditional: if you meet these requirements, THEN I’ll love you.
---<>Fortunately, for us, God’s love is unconditional. He loves in spite of our sins.
---------ILL>Nansen, the Norwegian explorer, tried to measure an extremely deep part of the Arctic Ocean. The first day he used his longest measuring line but couldn’t reach bottom. He wrote in his log book, “The ocean is deeper than that.” Next day he added more line, but still couldn’t measure the depth, and so again in his record book he wrote, “Deeper than that!” After several days of adding more and more pieces of rope and cord to his line, he had to leave that part of the ocean without ever learning its actual depth. All he knew was that it was beyond his ability to measure.
---<>That’s how it is for us and God’s love...We can’t plumb the depths of His love. Our human measuring line is too short.
2) WE’VE ALL SINNED.
--------Romans 3:23 -- “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
--------Romans 6:23 -- “For the wages of sin is death...”
---<>Sin simply means we’ve “missed the mark”...we’ve failed to hit the target of perfection.
---<>Your sin is no worse than anyone else’s sin, and your sin is no better than anyone else’s sin either.
---<>But what we have in common is that we’ve ALL sinned...we’ve ALL disobeyed, disappointed God.
---<>Our sin placed God in a real dilemma.
---------He’s holy and our sin had to be punished, but He loves us and doesn’t wish that any of us would perish (pay the penalty for our sin).
---------So, He provided the remedy out of His grace...
3) JESUS DIED FOR US ALL.
--------Romans 5:8 -- “For God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
--------Romans 5:18 -- “So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.”
---<>Grace is well-understood with the acrostic:
---------G-od’s
---------R-emedy
---------A-t
---------C-hrist’s
---------E-xpense.
---<>When a person works an eight-hour day and receives a fair day’s pay for that time, it’s called his wages.
---<>When a person competes with an opponent and receives a trophy for his performance, that’s called a prize.
---<>When persons receive appropriate recognition for long service or high achievements, that’s called an award.
---<>But when a person is not capable of earning a wage, not capable of winning a prize, and deserve no award, and yet still receives such a gift anyway...that’s a good picture of God’s unmerited favor.
----------That’s what we mean when we talk about the grace of God.
-------ILL>Years ago, a medieval monk announced he would be preaching the following Sunday evening on “The Love of God.” As the shadows fell and light ceased to come in through the cathedral windows, the congregation gathered. In the darkness of the altar, the monk lit a candle and carried it to the crucifix on the wall. First of all, he illumined the crown of thorns...Next, the wounded hands...then the marks of the spear wound. In the hush that fell, he blew out the candle and left the chancel. There was nothing else to say.
4) SALVATION IS OFFERED TO ALL.
--------Romans 10:13 -- “For whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”
--------2 Corinthians 5:15 -- “and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.”
---<>There are some who teach that salvation is NOT offered to all, that Jesus died for an elected few.
---------I know where they get that idea, but it just doesn’t “match up” to Scripture’s “whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”
---<>Salvation, forgiveness of sin, is available to, was purchased for, and is offered to every person who will receive Jesus by faith.
--------LYR>Years ago, a song said it well: “Just to think of the cross moves me now...He put an end to my guilt and despair, turned bitter hating to sweet peace and love. Even the men who put Him up there were offered forgiveness and life from above.”
---<>Jesus died once for ALL.
---------That even included the centurion in charge of nailing Him to the cross.
---------And yet, after committing as horrible an act as could ever be committed against Jesus, the Bible tells us that even the centurion believed on Christ.
---<>If salvation wasn’t going to be offered to all, Jesus’ crucifixion would have been in such a visible, prominent place...along the most traveled road in Jerusalem of that time.
---------The “crime” that Jesus was crucified for was even declared on the “certificate of ordinances,” the sign above His cross...and was written in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew...for the whole world to see and be able to read.
---<>If salvation wasn’t offered to all, then Romans 10 is wrong when it tells us that WHOEVER calls on the name of the Lord will be saved!
---<>And if salvation isn’t offered to all, then Jesus’ statement, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto Me” wouldn’t make sense!
---<>But the good news is that just like God loves us all, Jesus died for us all, salvation is offered to us all.
And there are other things we have in common...
5) ALL THE PENALTY OF OUR SIN HAS BEEN PAID.
-------Romans 8:1 -- “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus...”
---<>If we’ve received Jesus by faith as Lord and Savior, we are completely pardoned and are no longer under condemnation.
6) THE HOLY SPIRIT DWELLS IN ALL WHO HAVE RECEIVED JESUS.
-------Romans 5:5 -- “and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
-------Romans 8:9 -- “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”
---<>Not only does the Holy Spirit reside in us, but He has equipped each of us with at least one spiritual gift, whereby we’re able to work alongside one another and accomplish God’s mission as the church together.
7) HEAVEN IS AWAITING ALL CHRISTIANS.
--------John 14:2-3 -- “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I god to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”
--------1 Peter 1:4 -- “to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you...”
---<>Heaven is not a goal as such for Christians...It is, instead, a reality that awaits every believer.
---------LYR>The old hymn says it well, “When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be! When we all see Jesus, we’ll sing and shout the victory!”
<>But what brings us together ALL COMES DOWN TO THE CROSS...
--->We’re to come together at the foot of the cross.
--->We’re offered forgiveness and pardon because of Jesus’ work on the cross.
--->We’re to boast of nothing other than the cross...and that Jesus died for us.
--->We’re to preach the cross.
--->We’re to appreciate Jesus’ work on the cross.
--->And Jesus taught us to periodically come together in remembrance of His sacrifice on the cross.
-------We’re going to do that in just a moment but first let me invite you to bring yourself to the foot of the cross...
(Extend a public invitation before entering into an observance of the Lord’s Supper)
