Opener:
Welcome and good morning everyone! So blessed to see everyone here today! I am so thrilled that you here joining us here this morning.
We want to welcome our online community as well. Thank you so much for allowing us to be a part of your spiritual journey!
This morning, I found a story from womeninwisconsin.org about about Ellen Ainsworth and wanted to pass on to you. Ellen was a 24-year-old Army nurse. Ellen was from all places Glenwood City, Wisconsin which is near the Eau Claire area. Ellen was killed in combat in the Battle of Anzio which occurred in Italy. Here is an interesting fact, that Ellen was the only Wisconsin woman to die from enemy fire during World War II. On February 10, 1944, Lieutenant Ainsworth was serving in a hospital ward. While an enemy attack from artillery, a shell hit the hospital causing a lot of damage. Despite the damage to the hospital, Ellen worked to move her patients to safety. According to an Army report: "by her disregard for her own safety and her calm assurance she instilled confidence in her assistants and her patients, thereby preventing serious panic and injury. Her courage under fire and her selfless devotion to duty were an inspiration to all who witnessed her actions." Due to the attack, Ellen was wounded and passed away six days later. Ellen was awarded the Silver Star, which is the nation's third highest award for bravery, and the Purple Heart. In her honor, a nursing care facility at the Wisconsin Veterans Home located in King which is near Waupaca was named the Ainsworth Hall.
Ellen Ainsworth, along with many other brave souls, paid the ultimate price so that we can enjoy freedoms in our country! Being a child of God, we also know of Jesus, who came into this world to provide a different kind of freedom. One that is eternal. The bible says in 1 Timothy 3:16 NKJV16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory. This morning, we going remember Jesus appearing, and remember all that He did for us.
I. Remembering Jesus appearing
A. No greater love
a. Before we remember all that Jesus did for us. This morning, we are going to take time to honor those that have died in war.
b. We want to honor their memory, and the sacrifice they made for our freedom.
c. If you have served in our military, I want to invite you to stand. (Let’s give them a round of applause!)
d. If you have a friend or a loved one that died in the service of our country, would you please stand. (Please show your appreciation!)
e. I want to share a video from skitguys found on youtube.
i. Skit guys memorial day video. (Youtube- Memorial Day:13 folds)
f. That verse in John 15:13 NKJV13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
g. This really is a powerful verse and has a lot of meaning on multiple levels. For the child of God, we remember the sacrifice that Jesus made for us.
B. Laying aside heaven
a. Jesus laid down His life for us and in order for Him to do so, He had to leave his heavenly home.
b. Heaven is a place of beauty and majesty. It is perfect in every way, it is free from sin, free from disease, free from pain and suffering, free from hate.
c. Not sure about you but, I would not want to leave a place like that no matter what. It almost sounds too good to be true, but it is True. Praise the Lord!
d. So Jesus made the decision to step out of paradise and come into the world that He created.
e. The bible says in John 1:1 NKJV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
i. Divinity and humanity were united together in one in Jesus.
ii. This is a powerful and perplexing truth!
f. The bible further declares in John 1:14 NKJV14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
C. Jesus Compassion
a. As a result of Jesus living here on the earth, He is able to relate to our pain and suffering.
b. It is all more powerful and meaningful when someone is able to relate to us. Is it not!
i. For example, people that have delivered from an addiction are able to relate and help others that are struggling with an addiction.
c. The bible says in Hebrews 4:14-16 NKJV14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
d. When Jesus was here on the earth, He lived life like a man. He put His clothes on like everyone else. He enjoyed a meal with close friends, He needed to use the restroom like everyone does. He needed sleep like us. He did everything that a human needs to do in order to
stay alive.
e. Jesus experienced what it means to be betrayed by a friends, to be rejected by others , He experienced what it means to be made fun of and experienced times of being lonely.
D. Relate
a. Please know that Jesus can relate to you here this morning. He can relate with your present situation. He can relate to your frustrations. He can relate to your disappointments.
b. He understands and cares what you are going through because He loves you friend.
c. He has seen all your faults and failures. Yet, He chooses to love. He chooses to show compassion and mercy to you!
II. Remembering all that Jesus did
A. Started with power
a. Just knowing that Jesus can relate to us no doubt brings us much comfort.
b. That brings us to our second point this morning, in remembering Jesus accomplishments.
c. While we do not know a lot about Jesus as a child and youth, we do know a tremendous amount after He started His ministry.
d. From the time that Jesus was baptized in the Jordon, we see Jesus was endued with a tremendous amount of Power from the Holy Spirit.
e. All that Jesus accomplished was that of a human being filled with the Spirit of God.
f. Think about that! All the miracles that He performed, all the sermons that He preached, all the lives that He impacted.
g. The bible says in Matthew 3:16 NKJV16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
B. No other can do
a. Jesus was able to accomplish things that no one else could do.
b. He was able to restore a broken relationship that humanity had with their Creator.
c. He was able to bridge a gap that seemed impossible to cross.
d. Jesus perfectly fulfilled the law of God (He was born and died without sin) and as a result was an accepted sacrifice by the Father.
e. I love what Colossians 2:14 New Life Version 14 We had broken the Law many ways. Those sins were held against us by the Law. That Law had writings which said we were sinners. But now He has destroyed that writing by nailing it to the cross.
f. Jesus was able to restore something that was broken.
C. Perfect sacrifice
a. When Jesus came to this world, He did not come to live in it, rather, He came to die in it.
b. Kind a different to think about in that way. None the less, it is true.
c. Jesus did not die because He was a bad person or that He committed a crime worthy of capital punishment. We can all agree that Jesus, certainly did not deserve the brutal death that He died.
d. Jesus died so that we may live. 1 Peter 3:18 NKJV 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit
D. Mediator
a. Not only was Jesus the ultimate sacrifice, He became our mediator.
b. A mediator is a go between, they act on behalf of two parties, in this case, He acts between God and man.
c. The bible says in 1 Timothy 2:5 NKJV 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus
d. Jesus brought God and man together and put them on the same page.
E. Set an example to follow
a. Jesus provided a perfect example to follow.
b. The bible says in 1 Peter 2:21 NKJV- 21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
c. Jesus does not ask us to do something that He Himself has not or is not willing to do!
d. He has showed us the way to live and now we just need to follow His lead.
e. Thankfully, He has given us the Holy Spirit to help us as we would not be able to do this on our own.
Invite Worship team
Closing:
This morning as we close, we remember the over 1 million souls that died so we can enjoy freedoms in our country. These men and women gave their lives. Today, we honor their sacrifice and remember. Today, we are also reminded that Jesus paid a debt that we were unable to pay. It is because of His blood that we are able to approach our Heavenly Father. Jesus is our Mediator, He is our example, He is our all in all. Let me say this, when you have Jesus, you have absolutely everything that you need! This morning, we are going to close our service a little different. We are going to participate in Communion. I have asked Pastor Leon to come up and lead us.
Communion
Closing Prayer:
