LUKE 15:18-25 IF CHRIST HAD NOT COME
INTRO.
A. In these verses Jesus is endavouring to comfort His desciples for He had told them previously He was going to leave them.
a. He does this by assuring them His departure is only in the human and that only temporary.
b. He tells them the Holy Spirit will come and abide with them by living in them.
B. In the verses I have called your attention Jesus makes a statement I want to lift and use as the basis of my message.
a. That statement is in verse 22 where Jesus said, IF I HAD NOT COME.
b. I want to change the word I to Christ and speak from this thought. IF CHRIST HAD NOT COME.
C. This opens a field of thought that should give us a deeper appreciation for Christ than ever before.
I. IF CHRIST HAD NOT COME THE BIBLE WOULD HAVE ENDED WITH THE LAST VERSE OF MALACHI, "LEST I COME AND SMITE THE EARTH WITH A CURSE."
A. Its message would have been difficult to grasp.
a. It would have left us with a dark gloomy picture instead of a bright and happy one.
b. It would have left us with little or no hope
c. With no hope we would be of all men most miserable.
B. Psalms 23 would be only a beautifully worded poem
a. Its real meaning hid for we would not know about the good shepherd.
C. Isaiah 53 would be as hard for us to understand as it was the Ethiopian eunch.
II. IF CHRIST HAD NOT COME WE WOULD NOT HAVE THE NEW TESTAMENT GOSPEL PROTRAYING THE LIFE OF CHRIST AS SERVANT AND KING, SON OF MAN AND SON OF GOD.
A. The angle would not have said to Mary WITH GOD NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE.
a. There would have been no babe in Bethlehem
b. The angles would not have sang to the shepherds GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST AND ON EARTH PEACE GOOD WILL TO MEN
c. There would have been no star to guide the wise men and no need of a star.
III. IF CHRIST HAD NOT COME THE CRIPPLE WOULD HAVE SPENT HIS DAYS ON HIS MATRESS FOR THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO GREAT PHYSICIAN TO HEAL.
A. The man st the pool of Bethesda would have remained on his cot beside the pool.
a. Blind Bartamas would have continued to set by the wayside begging.
b. The widow of Nain would have burried her son
c. Mary and Martha would have continued to morn and grieve for their brother.
e. The leper would have died with leprosy
IV. IF CHRIST HAD NOT COME WE WOULD NOT HAVE
A. The lesson on preparedness as tought in the parable of the ten virgins
a. The lesson of forgiveness as tought in the parable of the unmerciful servent.
b. The lesson of full and copmlete forgiveness and restoration as tought in the parable of the prodigal.
V. IF CHRIST HAD NOT COME
A. John the Baptist would not have said BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD THAT TAKETH AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD.
a. The heavens would not have opened for the spirit to descend like a dove lighting on Him and a voice from Heaven saying, THIS IS MY BELOVED SON IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED.
B. Zaccheaus would have continued to defrod the people
a. The demoniac of Gadara would have remained untaimed amoung the tombs, neither clothed nor in his right mind.
b. Saul the blood thirsty persecutor wiuld have seen no light on the Damascus road and never become the great Apostle Paul to the gentiles.
VI. IF CHRIST HAD NOT COME SINAI WITH ITS LAW, FIRE AND THUNDER WOULD HAVE BEEN THE WORLDS SUPREME MONUMENT OF GOD’S GREATEST LOVE AND CLOSEST CONTACT WITH MAN.
A. There would have been no cross th span the awful gulf of hell giving us an escape.
a. We could not sing, DOWN AT THE CROSS WHERE MY SAVIOUR DIED, DOWN WHERE FROM CLEANSING FROM SIN I CRIED, THERE TO MY HEART WAS THE BLOOD APPLIED, GLORY TO HIS NAME.
b. William Cowper would never have written, THERE IS A FOUNTAIN FILLED WITH BLOOD DRAWN FORM IMMANULES VEINS AND SINNERS PLUNGED BENEATH THE FLOOD LOOSE ALL THERE GUILTY STAIN.
c. For the fountain wold not have been filled with blood from immanules vians and sinners would have to continue in their sins.
d. George Bennard would never have wirtten, ON A HILL FAR AWAY STOOD AN OLD RUGGED CROSS THE EMBLEM OF SUFFERING AND SHAME, AND I LOVE THAT OLD CROSS WHERE THE DEAREST AND BEST FOR A WORLD OF LOST SINNERS WAS SLAIN.
VII. IF CHRIST HAD NOT COME THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO RESURRECTION
A. Without the ressuction we would have to bend over the couches of our dying loved ones and say good by forever.
a. Our hopes wiuld terminate with the grave and we would be of all men most miserable for there wiuld be no hope of a glad renunion day.
VIII. IF CHRIST HAD NOT COME THERE WOULD BE NO CHRUCH
A. Martin Luther wiuld never have discovered the just live by faith.
a. John Wesley would not have discovered man is justified before he is santified.
b. Cary would have missed India
c. Livingston Africa
d. Asbury America
e. You and I would have remained a sinner doomed and damned forever,
IX IF CHRIST HAD NOT COME THERE WOULD BE NO NEW TEATAMENT PASSAGES TO QUOTE TO THOSE IN NEED.
A. We could not say to the sinner, FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON.
a. We could not say to the discouraged, CAST YOUR CARE UPON HIM FOR HE CARETH FOR YOU.
b. To the doubtful, ASK AND YE SHALL RECIEVE, SEEK AND YE SHALL FIND, KNOCK AND IT SHALL BE OPENED TO YOU.
B. If Christ had not come what a dark misserable world we would have.
a. The poet was right when he wrote.
OH TO HAVE NO CHRIST NO SAVIOUR
NO ROCK NO REFUGE NIGH
WHEN THE DARK DAYS ROUND THEE GATHER
WHEN THE STORMS SWEEP O’ER THE SKU
OH TO HAVE NO CHRIST NO SAVIOUR
HOW LONELY LIFE WOULD BE
LIKE A SAILOR LOST AND DRIVEN
ON A WIDE AND SHORELESS SEA
OH TO HAVE NO CHRIST NO SAVIOUR
NO HAND TO CLASP MY OWN
WTHROUGH THE DARK VAIL OF SHADOWS
JUST TO PRESS MY WAY ALONE
OH TO HAVE NO HOPE IN JESUS
NO FRIEND NO LIGHT
OH TO HAVE NO CHARIST NO SAVIOUR
HOW DARK THIS WOULD WIOLD BE
X. BUT THANK GOD CHRIST DID COME.
A. The Bible does not end with Malachi’s threatened curse but with a promise and a welcome. Rev. 22:20
B. We do have the New Tastement with its four gospels, the book of Acts, 21 epistles and the book of Revelation.
a. We don’t have to live under the law but grace.
b. We don’t have to offer sacrifices but can plead the blood.
c. We don’t have to bend over the couches of our dying loved ones and say goodbye but I’LL MEET YOU IN THE MORNING JUST INSIDE THE EASTERN GATE.
d. Christ’s mericles stand out like the stars of the sky for;
1. The cripple did take up his bed and walk
2. The blind did receive his sight
3. The mother did not bury her son for he lived again.
4. The dematic did not couninue crying amoung the rocks but knelt at Jesus feet a free man
5. Zacchaeus did climb down from the tree and restore four fold.
e. Christ has coome and many have been saved.
1. Cary did not miss India, Livingston Africa Asbury America
2. You and I do not have to continue in our sins bound by them but live a new life in Christ Jesus as we sing;
ONCE I WAS BOUND BY SINS GALLING FATTERS, CHAINED LIKE A SLAVE I STRUGGLED IN VAIN, BUT I RECEIVED A GLORIOUS FREEDOM WHEN JESUS BROKE MY FETTERS IN TWAIN or
O PRICIOUS FOUNTAIN THAT SAVES FROM SIN I AM SO GLAD I HAVE ENTERED IN THERE JESUS SAVES ME AND KEEPS ME CLEAN GLORY TO HIS NAME
3. Because He came died on the cross so we could go free we can sing; AMAZING GRACE HOW SWEET THE SOUND THAT SAVED A RICH LIKE ME, I ONCE WAS LOST BUT NOW I’M FOUND WAS BLIND BUT NOW I SEE.
C. There was a ressurection
A. The Roman seal was broken the stone rolled away, He came to life again and stands today upon the hightst pennacles of Heavenly glory proclaimed by God, acknowledged by angles, adored by saints and feared by devils as our living personal Lord and Saviour.
a. Christ has come and we do not have to worship Him within the cold gray wall of some synagogue but we have churches to worship and praise Him in and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it.
D. Because He came He will come again
a. Because He is coming again we can sing, TELL ME NOT OF HEAVY CROSSES NOR OF BURDANS HARD TO BEAR FOR I’VE FOUND THIS GREAT SALVATION MAKES EACH BURDAN LIGHT APPEAR AND I LOVE TO FOLLOW JESUS GLADLY COUNT ALL BUT LOSS WORLDLY HONORS ALL FORSAKE FOR THE GLORY OF THE CROSS.
E. I’m gald He came
a. I’m glad I went to Him confessed my sin and now enjoy sweet fellowship with Him
1. Have you been to Him, Do you enjoy sweet fellowship with Him.
2. In not let me urge you to go to Him, confess your sin, surrender yourself to Him, that He might impart to you JOY THAT IS UNSPEAKABLE AND FULL OF GLORY.
