Jesus Cares
Lakewood COG | Pastor Jonathan | October 22, 2017
Introduction:
Have you ever felt like no one cares? That no one understands and does not want to understand? Well… Jesus Cares. Today we are going to look at a few emotions that Jesus had which show that He cares deeply about humanity. He also cared enough to issue different warnings in the Scripture about people that we should beware of. If He didn’t care He would not have bothered. Then we are going to talk about Him caring so much that He offered Himself in our place as the sacrifice for our sins.
I. THE EMOTIONS OF JESUS.
A. He had Compassion on Them - Mark 5:19 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.
B. Jesus Wept - John 11:28-37
1. He cried when He heard that His friend had died.
C. Jesus got angry and drove the money changers out of the temple. - Mark 11:15-17
D. Jesus loved Jerusalem (had personal, emotional attachments to a city) - Luke 13:34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!
II. JESUS PASSIONATELY FOUGHT AGAINST RELIGION.
7 Things Jesus Warns us About - Matthew 23:13-28
1. V.13 - Jesus warns us against religious people who “obstruct” (make access to God difficult) the path to salvation.
2. V.14 - Jesus warns against financial opportunist in the Church leadership especially when it comes to widows. (Things such as pressuring people to sign over their properties and assets to the Church in the name of God)
3. V.15 - Jesus warns against proselyting and then turning them into proselytes. (God is against people who destroy His work by creating divisions)
4. V.16-22 - Jesus warns against being involved with people who twist His Word to get out of taking care of Spiritual Financial Obligations. (Such as… trying to explain away tithing and giving in today’s culture)
- The Pharisee’s tried to muddy the water through technicality. The bottom line is this… IF GOD IS INVOLVED IT’S HOLY!
- It is useless to appeal to technicalities to evade obligations.
5. V.23-24 - Jesus warned against disproportionalism. (Only focusing on what you want instead of the larger picture) There is a problem when ritual becomes more important than realism.
- Straining at a nat and swallowing a camel. (The Ox in the ditch on the sabbath, or leading herds to water)
6. V.25-26 - Jesus warns of people who are outwardly religious but inwardly they are full of self indulgence.
- Psalms 51:6 - Behold, You desire truth in the inner being; make me therefore to know wisdom in my inmost heart.
7. V.27-28 - Jesus warns against those who cannot be accountable. He continues His warning of people who are outwardly religious but this time He speaks of inward corruption and lawlessness.
III. THE REDEEMING POWER OF CALVARY
A. I am concerned that the modern Church is missing the message of Calvary.
1. It’s good to learn how to position ourselves to receive God’s best, and we talk about that here, but it should never replace the Gospel message that Jesus came to seek and save those who are lost!
2. Quote: “Christians are ambassadors for Christ and are commissioned to preach the Gospel to every creature. This ministry does not consist in either the education or the moral improvement of lost men while they are on their way to hell; it is the proclamation of the mighty, redeeming, transforming grace of God which offers eternal life and eternal glory to all who will believe.” Lewis Chafer, 1922
B. Jesus cares about you so much that He offered Himself to be the sacrificial lamb for your sins.
Hebrews 7:25-28 AMP
25. Therefore He is able also to save to the uttermost (completely, perfectly, finally, and for all time and eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He is always living to make petition to God and intercede with Him and intervene for them.
26. [Here is] the High Priest [perfectly adapted] to our needs, as was fitting—holy, blameless, unstained by sin, separated from sinners, and exalted higher than the heavens.
27. He has no day by day necessity, as [do each of these other] high priests, to offer sacrifice first of all for his own [personal] sins and then for those of the people, because He [met all the requirements] once for all when He brought Himself [as a sacrifice] which He offered up.
28. For the Law sets up men in their weakness [frail, sinful, dying human beings] as high priests, but the word of [God's] oath, which [was spoken later] after the institution of the Law, [chooses and appoints as priest One Whose appointment is complete and permanent], a Son Who has been made perfect forever.
Hebrews 9:11-15 KJV
11. But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
12. Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
13. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
14. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
15. And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
C. God cooperated with Jesus and allowed Jesus to offer Himself for us.
John 3:16
16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Hebrews 9:28
28. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
CLOSING: SALVATION ALTAR CALL
