Divine Attraction of Affliction
Text: Isaiah 53:4-7
4. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.”
Introduction:
ORPHANED GIRL AND WOUNDED MOTHER
One day a little orphan girl who was about 5 years old had a visitor. The Nurse had pre warned the child that this wasn’t just any visitor. It was a lady who had severely crippled her back and her hands were withered. Her whole body was scared with deep wounds that made her look like something that belonged in a horror story. Her hair was blotched and didn’t grow in many areas and her lips were gone and she couldn’t seem to breathe normal. Now the nurse had told the little girl “no matter what you think about her remember that she is your mother”.
When the mother had entered the room the child turned her face from her in a shock from what she had seen saying…”no….no….you can’t be my mom…she doesn’t look like that….how come your so ugly to look at?” The mother replied to the little girl “I know it’s hard to look at me but I am your real mother and before I leave there’s something I want to tell you. If you then decide you never want to see me again then I will understand and will leave you alone and never come back…but let me first tell you…when you were first born one day I was outside doing laundry for us. The winds were blowing hard that afternoon and while I was yet away the house had caught on fire. I knew that you were helplessly in there and as the winds blew the fire started getting rapidly bigger. The smoke was so black and dark… I had to rush upstairs and find you not knowing what room you were in because my sight had gone dim. When I found you I covered you with my arms and wrapped you as tight as I could. The only way out was through the flames. I carefully guarded you so you wouldn’t be burnt by the fire. When we got outside I had to roll on the ground till the flames that were on my body went out but thank God you were OK. I was terribly burnt to a crisp and bloodied. We lost everything and I had to give you up for adoption and now I am seeking you again.” Then the little girl said with tears in her eyes, “Mommy….(while holding her mothers hands) these are the prettiest hands I have ever seen….your face is so beautiful….how could anyone every say anything bad about you and I love you so much for saving my life.”
Setting:
A. He borne our grief’s and carried our sorrows.
• Maybe you have forgotten the value of the cross but let me remind you here today that “while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” and “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Like the little orphans mother Jesus took our grieving and carried our sorrows and made it his.
• Our torment became his torture
• Our shackles became his shame
• Our grief’s he grieved
• Our cross of sorrows was his cross of sacrifice
• Our deaths he died
• Our failures is what he fought for
• Minds of sin were to become minds of a savior
• Multitudes of mockers were to become masses of martyrs
• Because of Him were not damned but were delivered!
• Because of Him I have hope
• You may have been abonded but your not alone
• You may feel forsaken but your not forgotten
• You may feel discarded but be not discouraged
• We were to be the victims but he was the victor!!!
• Why?? Because I love him…Because I love him
Romans 5:12-15
There are three areas of attraction
1. Sin demanded condemnation
CONDEMN is the act of pronouncing someone guilty after weighing the evidence.
• Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world
• There’s all the evidence God ever needed to let you live a curse.
• Your found guilty whether you think your mommas little angel or not you still was condemned as a sinner. You’re still ugly, you still have corns on your feet, you’re still guilty, and you still look like your mom and them.
2. Sin demanded a verdict
• and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
• You got to realize something. Jesus didn’t come to destroy the Law but to fulfill the Law
• God said I’m going to replace your tradition …how was this possible?
Wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities
2 Tim. 2:19 Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
o (the word iniquity means “Sin, not fair, a great injustice”
o Recognize that Christ was cursed for you “Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree”
o God had evidence that demanded a verdict
o But our verdict was paid and ransomed by the blood.
3. Sin demanded punishment
• Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
• But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
• I want to tell someone in here tonight that we are saved by grace! Grace is “The unmerited favor of God” “It is the Gift of God” This means he didn’t have to take that kind of punishment be he did. So what kind of punishment did he take
He was……
• Lied about
• Rejected
• Forsaken
• Accused
• Judged
• Beaten
• Mocked
• Spat upon
• Tied down
• His clothes were stripped
• He was shamed
• His beard was plucked
• Punched
• Kicked
• Whipped and took 39 stripes on is back
• Stabbed in his side by a spear
• Thorns were placed on his head
• Veins Busted Open
• Arteries Gushed
• Nails were driven in both hands
• Nails were driven in both feet
• He was given only vinegar to drink
• Soldiers gambled his garments
• He walked up a hill called Golgotha
• He carried a cross that he would die on
• He hung and he died his last breaths saving a thief
B. With his stripes we are healed
• “Your adversary the devil walketh round about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour”
• Satan wishes your body damnation
• Satan wishes you to walk in disease
• Satan wishes to take your belongings
• Satan wishes to make you backslide by killing your loved ones
• Satan wished to devour your mind with all kinds of thoughts
• Did not you know your mind is a battleground
• It is with the mind that we serve the Lord
• But there’s another LION that walketh about who is not conformed to space or time…..he is THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH! The root and the offspring of David! So… “let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” and
• 2Co 10:5 “ Cast down imaginations….and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ”
• “Be not conformed to this world…but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind”
C. He opened not his mouth
• Yet through it all…..he never complained…..he never gave up….he said not my will Father….but thine be done….I’m talking about divine attraction of affliction
• Jesus was more attracted to what you would be saved from then what he would look like….he cared not about the flesh…but he walked in the spirit.
Support:
Mini drama (Woman’s love for her child and Solomon’s wisdom) 1Kings 3
• (act out the two women fighting over the child and how it was decided)
Application:
• The moral of the story is that sometimes you must be willing to give up something you care about most so that life may happen
• Sometimes we must leave a job or an education to be in the will of God
• We do not deny the Father …..and we know the Father was pleased in the Son…..for he willingly gave up something precious which was the flesh and the express image of God…..for sinners…….for unworthy people….but he made us worthy….he made us righteous….we are complete in him…..without condemnation
Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Conclusion:
• I’m attracted to the cross. Not because of the torment one man had to go through but why he went through it. Like the little girls mother who went through pain and suffering and a life that was filled with mockery. So was Jesus mocked and tormented so that I might have life. When I get to heaven I want to tell him, “How beautiful thou art my Canon King, how could anyone ever mock you….you gave your life and laid it down….just that I might live.”
• I want every head bowed …every eye closed…if you need to get right with God then these altars are open tonight….if your looking to build divine attraction for what he was afflicted for then this altar call is for you…..if you want to go beyond the scope of human limitation and find hope…then it’s here for you…as we sing this song let everyone come…
SONG: The Old Rugged Cross
