Gtcotr/052619
Tomorrow
our nation will observe Memorial Day in remembrance of the more than 1,350,000
Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who have given their lives in defense of
the freedoms we hold so dear. Memorial Day is focused on those members of our
US military who died in war.
It
is a rare God-like quality that convinces a person to love people who may not
love them back. It humbles me to know that over a million people that never
knew me gave their lives so that I might have the chance to live free and pursue
the American dream. The America we know has continued to cost us an average of
more than 15 of our finest, bravest and brightest sons and daughters each and
every day for the past 243 years.
Just
as we cannot have heaven without the sacrifice of Christ, we cannot have
America without the sacrifice of soldiers. May God bless the memories of those
who gave their all for us and may God bless the USA.
Bow with me as we
pray for those who gave so much for us.
Without
Jesus, nothing we do in this world will mean anything. If we do not make it to
our eternal home with God, everything will have been for nothing. All of the
leaders of this world and every war fought and won since time began cannot save
one soul for eternity. Often, we place so much emphasis on the comforts of this
life without fully considering the comforts and the costs of the next.
We
truly thank God for every blessing we have received and pray God will grant us
many more in the days to come. However, no blessing, no sacrifice and no
fortune can compare with the glory which shall be revealed in those who follow
Christ. Peace cannot be purchased; it must be won.
Life
is not a lottery. It is a certainty.
1 John 5:12 He who has
the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
If
you believe and receive Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you will live
forever. And, it is certain that if you refuse to call upon the name of the
Lord you will die an eternal death. We have no strength to save ourselves. Only
Jesus can save your soul and then, only if you ask.
Our
scripture reading this morning will come from the New Testament book of:
Romans 5 NKJV
6 ¶ For when we were still
without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a
righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare
to die.
8 But God demonstrates His
own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, having now
been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
10 For if when we were
enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more,
having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
Can
you imagine being an enemy of God? Well you were … but praise the Lord, God is
now at peace with mankind. God still hates sin and He is still at war with the
devil and God is still an enemy of this world’s system and all its idolatry.
Mankind however was reconciled by the death of Christ and can now be saved by
His life. What does this mean in common terms?
·
Jesus
paid the debt for the sins of all mankind
·
Every
person can now be saved
o Reconciliation
happened on a mass scale
§ Jesus died once for
all sin
§ One sacrifice for
all sin forever
o Salvation however is
a personal matter and must occur on an individual basis
§ You must believe in
your heart
§ You must confess
with your mouth
So
basically, we are at peace with God for now. We have peace with God in our
time. If we accept Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we will gain eternal
peace with God for all time throughout eternity.
2 Thessalonians 3:16 Now may
the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be
with you all.
Peace
always in every way? The Apostle Paul is hoping that we gain:
1. Peace with God … always.
a. We do this by
accepting His Son as our Lord and Savior.
b. Peace with God comes
only through Jesus Christ
2. Peace with others … forever.
a. Often the reason why
we do not live in peace with others is because we do not worship the same God.
b. Paul wrote to this
account when referencing the difference between the Jews and Gentiles and their
ongoing struggles and separation.
Ephesians 2:14 For He Himself
is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of
separation.
c. When both we and our
enemies come to Christ, we should find peace with each other.
d. The hope God has for
us is that our enemies will get saved.
e. We should also have
this hope and be willing to work for it.
3. Peace within ourselves … both now and
forever more.
Philippians 4
7 Then you will experience
God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard
your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
6 Don’t worry about anything;
instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all
he has done.
Romans 5:6 For when we were still without strength …
Even if you are without strength today …
Especially if you are without strength today … Jesus wants to become your
Prince of Peace.
·
You can be saved today …
o
call on the name of Jesus to save you
·
There is hope for your enemies to come to
know Christ …
o
Pray for the walls to come down in the name
of Jesus
·
You can stop the worry and give it all to
Jesus … He will help …
o
You can have peace in our time
