Take It Personally

1s John 4:9-10

Have you heard someone say," Don't take it personally? They may say "don't take it personally, but you talk to much"

They may say " don't take it personally, but I don't believe you, or they may say " don't take it personally, but I don't love you anymore.

But I want to tell you some things we should take very personally,

We should take Christ dying on the cross, in our place , very seriously. With Easter coming very soon, we should focus on what Jesus did for us.

Scripture tells us that He was scourged, and beater, spat upon, mocked, forced to wear a crown of thorns, and in Isiah 53, the Bible tells us that He was despised and rejected, and the lord laid all our sins on Him. He was oppressed and afflicted, and led to slaughter like a lamb, yet did not open His mouth.

Let's make it personal, because He did this all because of our sins. We can't blame the Roman soldiers. Jesus died for our sins.

This reminds me of the story of the little boy and his mother who sat in church one Sunday morning, listening to a sermon on Jesus' death on the cross. As the preacher described the horrible beating, and suffering of Jesus, the little boy began to sob, and finally cried out loud, to the point that his mother said " son, don't take it personally. Don't take it seriously.

I take it personally every time I sing, For when He was on the cross, I was on His mind.

I take it personally when I sing " I heard an old time story how a savoir came from glory, How He gave His life on Calvary to save a wretch like me.

I take it personally, when I sing "amazing grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.

I take it personally, when I sing " Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, there is just something about that name.

True Christianity takes the Lord very seriously.

I had someone tell me once, "It is okay to go to church every now and then, but don't go overboard on this Christianity thing.

If we would truly realize just what Christ did for us at Calvary, no one could stop our praise for Him.

God took Jesus' death on the cross personally. When we read John 3:16, we should make it persona.

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.

Let's place our own names in this scripture.. For God so loved ROGER, that He gave His son Jesus Christ, that when Roger believes in Him, will have everlasting life.

Romans 8:32, tells us ... He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

The apostle Paul, took Jesus' death on the cross personally.

Philippians 3:7-10 7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

Paul was talking about things that had happened to him in the past, that he could boast about. He was a Jew from the tribe of Benjamin, He had studied under one of the greatest Philosophers of his time, and yet he counted all of this as dung, compared to knowing the Lord Jesus Christ.

One of Jesus' disciples, Thomas, took Jesus' death on the cross personally.

Shortly after Jesus resurrection, Jesus was seen by many people. His disciples were meeting behind locked doors, out of fear, and Jesus came and stood among them, and said, "peace be with you" . He then showed them His hands, and where the spear had pierced His side.

They were all overjoyed to see Him.

Then in John 20:24-28 the Bible tells us 24 Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin,[a] was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”