"GOD’S CROWNING MOMENT!"/COLOSSIANS 1:13-23/SHASTA WAY/04-22-01/A.M.
For each of us there are those pivotal, mountain top experiences. There are those times, those events, those happenings which we will remember all our lives as our "Crowning Moment" so to speak. For the athlete it might be winning the championship ring; for the actor it might be winning the Oscar. For the researcher it might be finding just the discovery that will change the course of medical treatment. For the author it might be publishing a best seller. For the musician it might be turning out a platinum record. For Babe Ruth, one would think that the Crowning Moment was when he hit his 714th home run, but it wasn’t, in my estimation. His Crowning Moment came on a day, close to the end of his career. Babe was playing for the Boston Braves against the Cincinnati Reds. But he was no longer as nimble as he had once been. He fumbled the ball and threw badly, and in one inning alone, his errors created five Cincinnati runs. As the Babe walked off the field after the third out, booing and catcalls cascaded from the stands. But, believe it or not, he was about to experience what I consider to be his Crowning Moment. God has had a number of Crowning Moments in His eternal existence. But what was the chief one? What was the ultimate, the apex, the zenith, the primo Crowning Moment? You may come up with a list greatly different than mine; you may rank them differently; you may disagree with my evaluation, but I want to suggest to you some possible Crowning Moments and then suggest one that I consider to be the most significant. I need to say that I may be indebted to Fred Craddock for the major outline today. I say I "may be" because I am not absolutely sure that he is the source, but am sure enough to put his name to it. So, what was God’s supreme Crowning Moment?
I. Some Would Say God’s Crowning Moment Was Creation! 16
A. And who, believing that all that exists is His handiwork, could think otherwise? Listen to this:
1. Psalms 19:1 "The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands."
2. Isaiah 45:12 "It is I who made the earth, and created man upon it. I stretched out the heavens with My hands, And I ordained all their host."
3. Romans 1:20 "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse."
B. When one thinks of the plan how could one doubt the Planner? When one considers the intricacies of the universe, and how precisely everything has to be in balance for life even to exist, let alone continue, how can we doubt a Life giver? It may take a step of faith to believe that all that exists came from the creative power of a Living God. But that step is smaller than the leap of blind faith that it takes to believe that all that exists just happened without intelligence, plan, purpose and power.
C. Sir Isaac Newton had an exact replica of our solar system made in miniature. At its center was a large golden ball representing the sun, and revolving around it were smaller spheres attached at the ends of rods of varying lengths.. These were all geared together to make them move around the "sun" in perfect harmony. One day a friend who did not believe in the Biblical account of creation stopped by for a visit. Marveling at the device and watching as the scientist made the heavenly bodies move in their orbits, the man exclaimed, "My, Newton, what an exquisite thing! Who made it for you?" Without looking up, Newton replied, "Nobody." "Nobody?" his friend asked. "That’s right! I said nobody! All of these balls and cogs and belts and gears just happened to come together, and wonder of wonders, by chance they began revolving in their set orbits and with perfect timing." The unbeliever got the message! It was foolish to suppose that the model merely happened. But it is even more senseless to accept the theory that the earth and the vast universe came into being by chance.
When we consider that we are here by design, that we are God’s handwork, we would have to agree that creation was a Crowning Moment for God. For some, Babe’s home run stats might be considered his Crowning Moment. In his last game, Babe hit home runs 712, 713 and 714. Some people still point to Babe Ruth’s home run record which stood until 1974 as his Crowning Moment. But it wasn’t that in my estimation which was most significant. Nor was creation, as amazing and miraculous as it is, God’s ultimate Crowning Moment. But if it is not that, then what is it?
II. Some Would Say God’s Crowning Moment Was The Incarnation! 15, 19
A. Incarnation just means "becoming flesh" or "being embodied." That took place when God entered the world disguised as a baby born to a virgin.
1. John 1:1, 14 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ... And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."
2. Colossians 2:9 "For in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form,"
3. Philippians 2:5-7 "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men."
B. Why? Why do such a thing?
1. He came as man to show us what the Living God is really like. One of His disciples, Philip, said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, Show us the Father?" John 14:8, 9.
2. He came as man to show us what Perfect Man is really like. Jesus is man as man would be without sin.
3. He came as man to reconcile the Perfect God to Imperfect Man by bringing the righteousness of the One and bearing the sins of the other!
a. 2 Corinthians 5:19 "God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them,"
b. 2 Corinthians 5:21 "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
c. 1 Peter 2:24 "and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed."
4. He came as man to identify with us in our struggles and to experience our temptations yet without sinning!
a. "Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted." Hebrews 2:17, 18.
b. "we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin." Hebrews 4:15.
When we consider that God actually became a man for our sake, we’d agree that was a Crowning Moment for God. Babe’s 714 home runs was a Crowning Moment. But besides his 714 home runs, Babe Ruth had other claims to fame: he compiled a pitching record of 89 victories and 46 losses, including two 20-win seasons. He also had 3 wins against no losses in World Series competition, including a stretch of 29 consecutive scoreless innings. In 22 seasons he led the league in home runs a record 12 times -- including 59 in 1921 and a 60 in 1927. But that was not truly his Crowning Moment. Nor was the incarnation God’s ultimate Crowning Moment. But if it is not that, then what is it?
III. Some Would Say God’s Crowning Moment Was The Resurrection! 18
A. Well, think of it: Satan had hit Him with his best shot: death, and Jesus allowed it and rebounded from it! But even in dying, Jesus was in control: "No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father." John 10:18.
B. It is upon the resurrection of Jesus Christ that the whole of Christianity rises and falls! Paul said, "But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain." 1 Corinthians 15:13-14.
C. Some say, "Jesus was just a good man, a moral teacher!" C.S. Lewis, the great atheist become believer, is right when he wrote, "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said wouldn’t be a great moral teacher. He’d either be a lunatic -- on the level with a man who says he’s a poached egg -- or else he’d be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But don’t let us come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He hasn’t left that open to us. He didn’t intend to." (The Case For Christianity" p. 45). The resurrection is the qualifying act that distinguishes between Jesus being Liar, Lunatic or Lord.
When we consider that God actually raised Jesus, a dead man, back to life never again to die, we’d agree that was a Crowning Moment for God. As the Babe walked off the field after the third out in that terrible, error riddled game, booing and catcalls cascaded from the stands. Just then a young boy jumped over the railing onto the playing field. With tears streaking his cheeks, he threw his arms around the legs of his hero. Ruth didn’t hesitate. he picked up the boy, hugged him, and set him down on his feet with a playful pat on the head. Suddenly the booing stopped. In fact, a hush fell over the entire park. In those brief moments, the crowd saw a different kind of hero: a man who in spite of a dismal day on the field could still care about a little boy. He was no longer being judged by his accomplishments-neither the past success nor the present failures-but by a completely different standard. Suddenly it was not his works that mattered, but a relationship. God’s works, Crowning Moments though they are, don’t quite match up to the Crowning Moment He experiences when one person comes to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Was not God’s ultimate Crowning Moment when He stooped down to lift one person from sin?
IV. I Think God’s Crowning Moment Is When He Saves A Single Sinner! 20-23
A. Why else would He have created man in the first place? Why else would He become man? Why else would He send His Son to die on the cross and then to rise again? So man could be in right relationship with Him as God and Father.
B. This applies to us all:
1. "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23.
2. "If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us." 1 John 1:8.
C. But what is "Salvation?" The word used in the original:
1. means to be rescued from impending judgment and wrath. He delivers us from the wrath of God.
2. means to be preserved and kept. He promises to keep and preserve us for eternity.
3. means to be repaired and reclaimed. He makes us new, recreates the marred image of God within us, and fixes what is broken!
Jesus came to do all that for us -- for us all corporately -- and for each of us individually! And when He does, all heaven jumps for joy: He said, "I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Luke 15:10. That is God’s ultimate Crowning Moment! As the Babe stooped to pick up that little boy when all the stands booed him to disgrace, so Jesus stoops to pick up one fallen soul though most of the world ignores, ridicules and even boos Him! You might be that one today. You might be the single one to embrace Him Who endures so much scorn from the world He came to save. Of all the other things God has done, the greatest He will ever do for you is to forgive your sins, create a new nature in you, and give you the gift of eternal life. When the end comes, we won’t be concerned about the material creation, or the historical work of God in Christ -- we will be concerned that we have come into personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He wants that, because though He loves the world en toto -- He loves you in specific! Our song ought to become our testimony of faith: "Jesus Saves!" Let that be your song, your testimony and your assurance as we sing it.
