Faith Free Will Baptist Church

Posts Tagged ‘the miracles of jesus’

*THE GUILT, THE GRACE, THE GLORY*

(Luke 23:32-46)

According to the scripture read, this is the day of the crucifixion of Christ.  A lot has taken place in a short time.  Just 33 ½ yrs before, God Immanuel was born of a virgin in a stable.  3 ½ years before this day Jesus Christ began His earthly ministry.  During that time He healed the blind, the cripple walked, the deaf were made to hear, the dead was raised, the hungry was fed, storms were made calm, the sinful were forgiven, but now He is being crucified, put to death between two thieves.

(I Pet 3:18  Read)

*Three hanging that day between heaven and earth:

One dying in sin

One dying because of sin

One dying for sin

*Much has taken place during the early morning hours before Jesus was led to Golgotha Hill.

*He had been questioned, beaten, spit upon, His beard plucked from His face, dressed in a royal robe and mocked.

*Now hanging upon the cross, He is stripped before all, His robe gambled for as people mocked Him.  (vs 35-37  Read)

*According to scripture both thieves also mocked Him.  (Mark 15:32) “and they that were crucified with Him reviled Him”

*Yet thru all this Jesus cried out to God for all those people (vs 34  Read).

1) Before He said “I thirst” he said “forgive them”

2) Before He said “My God, my God why has thou forsaken me” he said “forgive them”

3) Before He said “Father into Thy hands I commend My spirit” he said “forgive them”

*Because of this cry of love, of compassion, of mercy, a thief’s heart is broken and his eyes opened.

(Three things to notice about this thief):

(1)    His Guilt.

*He was out of Christ that morning  (vs 39-41  Read)

*This same man earlier that morning was mocking and ridiculing Jesus the same as the others, but now sees himself guilty and condemned justly.

*Sin brings guilt to:

1) To the married man or woman in adultery there is the guilt of betraying their spouse.

2) To the drunkard there is the guilt of hurting family.

*To those who have not believed upon the Son of God, there is the guilt, the condemnation of unbelief  (John 3:18  Read)

*The scripture declares all guilty before God (Rom 3:10  Rom 3:23   Rom 6:23  Read all)

(2) His Grace

*He was in Christ at noon.

*This man in the previous verse recognized his own guilt and unworthiness to live.

*But in Jesus Christ he saw hope, peace, forgiveness and life.

*Though he once mocked Jesus to save him from the cross: he now asked Jesus to save him by the cross (again read I Pet 3:18).

(3) His Glory

*He was with Christ at evening  (vs 43  Read)

*This thief condemned by man and without God who faces eternity in hell and anguish separated from the Lord, will now be with Him beholding the glory of Jesus for all eternity.

(John 14:1  Read)

*We don’t know much about this man, we do know he probably had a mother and father somewhere that loved him very much but maybe he was told he could never come home again because  he was a thief.

*But now he has found him a new home.  He has gone from quilt to glory by Jesus Christ.

*PIGS OR PEOPLE*
(Luke 8:26-39)

After a day of teaching in Capernaum Jesus and His disciples get in a boat and head across the Sea of Galilee to Gadara.  Suddenly a storm swept across the Sea so severe that the disciples feared for their lives.  No doubt they were trying to do all they could to ensure safety, but finally they  go to Jesus who is asleep and says “Master we perish”.  Jesus rebukes the wind  and sea and a great calm comes.
*The disciples seeing this made a great comment (vs 25  Read)
*Soon they would see an even greater miracle: Jesus would still the storm that had swept the soul of a wild man.
Notice three thoughts revealed:
(1)    The condition of the man
1)He was demon possessed (vs 27)
*His mind and will were taken over by evil
*What brought this about?  Your guess is as good as mine.  Maybe drink, it has destroyed thousands, maybe wicked life.
*Whatever the reason he was in this condition because of sin.
*Sin had bound him, possessed and ruined him.
*That body which was designed to be the temple of God had been made a den of devils.
2) He was naked
*Adam and Eve were naked and not ashamed until they sinned and then they tried to hide themselves by fig leaves.
*From that day men have tried to cover their nakedness by the own efforts.  But you are naked before God.
*The God who fashioned your body, The God who know your thoughts, The God who knows every secret you have, The God who is no respecter of persons, The God you’ve refused, you will be judged one day by Him.
3) He was homeless
*He lived among the tombs, away from friends, separated from God
*You without Christ are homeless.  (Eph 2:12  Read)
4) He was uncontrollable (vs 29  Read)  (Matt 8 ) says he was “fierce”
*Maybe folks have tried to help you, but you break the vows you’ve made, sin is holding you.  You want to do better but can’t.
5) He was cruel to himself  (Mark 5:5 ) “cutting himself with stones”
*Sin always cuts, tears the soul, the devil will always take you further than you want to go.
*There is no hope or rest outside of Christ.
(2) The complaint of the people
(vs 31-33) Tells us Jesus cast out the devils, whom  then entered the pigs and they committed “hogicide”
(vs 34-37) Tells us those responsible for the pigs care go and tell in the city what has happened.
*They found the wild man calm, in his right mind, sitting clothed with Jesus.
(He had been delivered from the Kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of God’s Light  (Col 1:13) )
Notice (vs 37  Read)
1)    A man was saved but hogs were destroyed.  They were not interested in the man but the profits they would lose: (Mark 5) about 2000 pigs
2)    They were more interested in cash than in Christ, in gold rather than God.  Told Jesus to leave.
Question: Have you barred Jesus from your home, your work?
Do you see Him as an interference with my life, my plans, my family, then I’d still rather be a Christian.
(3)The command of Jesus (vs 38,39  Read)
*Listen, this man who once wanted Jesus to leave him now wants to be with Jesus wherever He goes.
Jesus says “Go home and tell what great things God hath done for thee”.
*Notice three words of great importance (vs 39) “and he went”
*He who was once a loser for the devil is now a trophy of God’s grace
You may not be as far gone as this man, but you are still lost.  Will you let Jesus transform your life?

*THE MASTER’S TOUCH*

(Matt 8:1-15)

The Lord Jesus had just completed the Sermon on the Mount and as He makes His way down from the Mount of Beatitudes a great crowd follows Him.

*Three events illustrate our sermon title:

1) Vs 1-: A leper asked Jesus to heal him, cleanse him of his leprosy.

2) Vs 5-13: A Centurion comes and asked Jesus to heal his servant.  He say he himself is unworthy

for Jesus to come to his house, but for Jesus to simply speak the word. The Lord Jesus praises

his faith in (Vs 10).

3) Vs 14-15: The healing of Peter’s mother-in-law.

*In this message I want us to see the power that results in the Master’s touch.

(Four thoughts on the importance of the Master’s touch:)

(1) The importance of faith

*Each of three individuals believed Jesus could help them.

1) The leper

2) The Centurion

3) By Jesus being invited into Peter’s home reveals belief in healing.

Two questions that we must answer:

1) What part does faith have in the healing process?

*There are very few: In any examples in the Bible individuals who were healed without the belief that Jesus could heal them.

*(John 9)  The blind man healed and though it is not mentioned he had some faith to go wash his face as Jesus told him.

2) What part does faith have in the saving process?

*Absolutely everything.

(Eph 2:8,9  Read)

*You must believe that Jesus is able to save you and He will save you if you will ask Him.

(2) It is often a need that brings a person to Christ.

*In each of these stories it was a specific need that brought the person to Christ.  It is often the case that when things are going good we do not think about Christ, heaver or hell.  But when things go badly we begin to think about spiritual matters.

*Researchers have found there are times when peope are more receptive to the Gospel than at other times.

1) Been observed that young couples seem to attend church immediately after birth of a baby.

2) Been observed those who move are likely to visit a church.

3) Following a divorce, are open to the Gospel seeking healing from a broken relationship.

4) During a crisis such as death of a family member or friend, loss of job, loss of good health.

*After Sept 11,2001 church attendance increased which indicates tragedy can sometimes bring people to Christ.

(3) The importance of a touch.

*In the natural it is impossible to measure the importance of a touch.  It may be a hug, a handshake, a hand on a shoulder.

*But nothing can be compared to the touch of Jesus in a person’s life:

1) The leper: Jesus touched him and he went away whole.

2) A blind man: A man who had never looked upon the beauties of this world touched by Jesus and

he went away seeing.

3) A crippled man: Jesus touched the withered limb and he left leaping and praising God.

4) A demon possessed man: Came out fo the tombs, the Master’s touch changed this mad man

giving him a right mind.

5) A widow woman: Weeping over a dead son yet the Master’s touch changed her tears of sorrow to

tears of joy as Jesus raised her son from the dead.

(4) When the Lord Jesus touches you, you will never be the same.

*(Acts 4)  As Peter and John stood before the Priests, the Ruler of the Temple and Sadducees (vs 13)

“They took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus”.

*How sad that many church members show no difference in their lives compared to those unsaved.

Someone came to the great preacher Sam Jones and asked him “Sam, when a person gets saved, don’t you think he ought to live differently?” Sam  said “No”. The fellow got upset and said “What do you mean, no?”  Sam replied “There’s no ought about it.  When a man gets saved he will live differently”.

(II Cor 5-17  Read)