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Sunday Morning 3/20/16 – March Kindness: Hospitality

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March Kindness Banner

Romans 12:9-16 NET

9 Love must be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another with mutual love, showing eagerness in honoring one another. 11 Do not lag in zeal, be enthusiastic in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer. 13Contribute to the needs of the saints, pursue hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited.

We were all strangers.

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Leviticus 19:33-34 NLT

33 “Do not take advantage of foreigners who live among you in your land. 34 Treat them like native-born Israelites, and love them as you love yourself. Remember that you were once foreigners living in the land of Egypt. I am the lord your God.God brought us home.

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Titus 3:3 NLT

3 Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other.

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God brought us home.

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Leviticus 19:34 ESV

34 You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

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Exodus 20:2 NLT

2 “I am the lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.
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Titus 3:4 NLT
4 But—When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love,

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We help others feel at home.

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The Blood of Christ

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Good Friday – Spoken Word

Why Blood?  How could blood bring right standing with God? The Blood of Jesus is His life given to us in covenant. A promise that in exchange for sin He will give us His life. It’s the greatest exchange the world has ever witnessed. Would you take time this Good Friday and sit down and reflect on the Blood that was shed for you.  Today, Good Friday, read the account of Jesus–crucified for you.

The Crucifixion (NLT)

26 As they led Jesus away, a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene,[b]happened to be coming in from the countryside. The soldiers seized him and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A large crowd trailed behind, including many grief-stricken women. 28 But Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the days are coming when they will say, ‘Fortunate indeed are the women who are childless, the wombs that have not borne a child and the breasts that have never nursed.’ 30 People will beg the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and plead with the hills, ‘Bury us.’[c] 31 For if these things are done when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?[d]”

32 Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. 33 When they came to a place called The Skull,[e] they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left.

34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”[f]And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.[g]

35 The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” 36 The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine. 37 They called out to him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 A sign was fastened above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.”

39 One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”

40 But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? 41 We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”

43 And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

The Death of Jesus

44 By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 45 The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. 46 Then Jesus shouted,“Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!”[h] And with those words he breathed his last.

47 When the Roman officer[i] overseeing the execution saw what had happened, he worshiped God and said, “Surely this man was innocent.[j]” 48 And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow.[k] 49 But Jesus’ friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching.

Would you offer thanksgiving and praise to the One who saved your soul. He is worthy!

 

In the Garden of Gethsemane by Pastor David

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Resurrecting – Elevation Worship

The Garden of Gethsemane

Mark 14:32-34 NLT
32 They went to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, “Sit here while I go and pray.” 33 He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed. 34 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

Jesus says, “My soul is crushed with grief…” another translation states “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow.”

The point of the verse is not lost, Jesus is deeply troubled and distressed (vs 33).

Most of us don’t imagine Jesus as ever being in a state of trouble or distress. Yet, Scripture is plain. Jesus was both full God and fully human. Here we see a glimpse of the humanity of Jesus.

Yet a question lingers, If Jesus knew all things, why would He be in distress and His soul be troubled? The church father Augustine asks the question of Jesus:

“How can you ask my soul to follow you when I see your own in so much turmoil?”

Again he says, “many martyrs have gone to their death much more calm, stoic and joyful? Why [the] agony?”

Could it be that other martyrs have simply endured the painful reality of an untimely death?
Could it be that death came not by their consent nor was it within their power to change?

Jesus however, was the one and unique Son of God who had infinite power at his disposal. He could have chosen to put an end to the undeserving death he was to experience. Could he not call forth legions of angels on his behalf and instantly deliver him from this impending trial, mockery and tortuous death? With simply a word, could He not reveal to the world the power and majesty that were His?

In a sense all of his power was bottled up by choice.

It was contained tightly for two reasons.

One, he deliberately chose complete obedience to the Father which meant suffering and death.
Secondly, he contained his power out of love to save and reconcile those who would believe in him from eternal destruction. Indeed, Jesus had every legal and spiritual right to put an end to this treatment because He was the one and only spotless, sinless person to walk the face of the earth. Jesus, the righteous one, denied his right to defend himself and denied the use of his divine power.

He knew that the only way to bring true fellowship between humanity and God was to atone for sin. It was more than a mere martyr’s death. Jesus was to become a curse for us.  He was to be separated from His Father.  He was to carry the entire weight of the sins of the world upon Him.  We cannot imagine the trouble His soul experienced.

The place His soul experienced this grief was in Gethsemane. It was an olive orchard named, “Gethsemane” which literally means olive press. From the pressing of olives comes forth olive oil. The harder the olive is pressed the more oil is squeezed from the olive. Jesus, in the garden of Gethsemane, was squeezed so much that he bled drops of blood. He knew the weight of the sins of the world would soon be upon Him. He was under an enormous amount of pressure knowing that he would be separated from HIs Father. He would soon become a curse in order to redeem the world.

This pressure however, soon inaugurated the power and oil of the Holy Spirit for you and me. Hallelujah! Jesus was willing to despise the shame and endure the cross for the joy set before him! He knew that unless He went to the Father the Holy Spirit would not come. (John 16:5-7) Today, rejoice that Jesus willingly suffered so that we may have eternal life and the power of the Holy Spirit!

A Beautiful Jar and a few Silver Coins by Pastor David

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Matthew 26:6-16

Jesus contrasts two people in Mark chapter 14.  An unnamed woman and Judas.  

Jesus’ feet is anointed with costly perfume by a woman. Some estimates state the value of that one bottle of perfume was around $20,000! It was an extravagant gesture, a waste in the eyes of many, yet Jesus commends her.

When Judas hears Jesus’ response Judas is furious and immediately leaves to betray Jesus.  Why was Judas so angry that the perfume was wasted on Jesus? 

John 12:4-6

4But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, 5“That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.”6Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself.

We know money had gripped Judas’ heart and emotions long before he turned Jesus over to the leaders of the Jewish people.  His heart was already owned by finances and comfort and wealth.  He did not possess money, money possessed him. In fact Judas sold the Savior of the world for 30 pieces of silver. For Judas, money was the seed of betrayal in his life.  

If we are not careful, finances can quickly become a stranglehold in our own lives and pierce us through with many griefs!

Matthew paints a powerful choice for the life of a believer.  Will money grip your heart or will you control your finances?  You can choose to do good with what God has given you like the unnamed woman or you can choose to spend all of your wealth on yourself.

It’s a startling choice. Whose life will you follow? What will you choose – a beautiful broken bottle or 30 silver coins? Which will define your life?  

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (I Timothy 6:10)

I’m sure the apostle Paul had Judas in mind when writing to his young son in the faith.  These Scripture passages are just as relevant today as they were 2,000 years ago.     

Your finances can be used for much good or become seeds of betrayal.

Don’t allow the pleasures of the world to lead you to 30 silver coins, rather, live life like a beautiful, broken bottle!   

Don’t allow money to possess you, instead possess money and use it to further God’s kingdom here on earth! 

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aussi

Here at Cross Points Church, we believe in serving locally and globally.  We believe in sending people out into the world to advance the Kingdom of God by sharing the gospel to all.

Join us as we minister alongside CPC’s missionary Bob Mendelsohn in Sydney Australia. We will be sharing in bible studies, street evangelism and working alongside Bob and his ministry: Jews for Jesus.

 

Date: June 25- July 4
Cost: $2,500

 

Ready to join us on Mission?  Please click here to fill out the application.