September 17th, 2000, Sunday Evening

"Lifting up of our Lord"
Why we should be forever thankful

OPENING: John 12:32, KJV

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• Today, the prospect of saving lost souls has been reduced to a cheap lottery--a chance of being picked. It's a (shameful) simple means because today, the value of hard work and patience continues to deteriorate.
  
  
• We should continually put the Lord first (lifting Him up) because Jesus did two things for us:
  
  
  • 1. Jesus showed his life
    
    
    • John 8:29: Not one time in Jesus' life when he disobeyed God.
      
      
    • All things done by Jesus Christ were done in the spirit of God--not by using his deity powers. We should do the same--perform in the spirit of God (see Supplying Strength for the Saints message).
      
      
    • We lift up Jesus Christ to show everyone the example we follow--the true life of God.
    
    
  • 2. Jesus showed his love
    
    
    • John 12:32: This signifies the purpose of Jesus' death
      
      
      • The devil knew God said the wages of sin is eternal death in hell but what the devil didn't know is that Jesus' death = eternal life for man (if saved).
        
        
      • Continuous failure is usually the result of trying the same idea over and over. The solution is to first lift up Jesus Christ--ask God what He wants you to do. Yield to God first.
      
      
    • John 3:14: For disobedience, God led Israel through the wilderness. Being chastised is not good at the time, but it's good in the end because it brings you back to God. But the people of Israel slowly moved back to the role of Paganism.
      
      
      • The story behind this verse of scripture is regarding when God sent fiery serpents into the Israeli camp to kill those who sin against God because back in the Old Testament, the wage of sin was death. So when the people began to repent, God told Moses to raise up a bronze serpent on a staff that whoever looks at it would be saved (physically) from the bite.
        
        The symbolism is as we're bitten by sin daily (death), we look to the raised serpent (Christ in the Cross) to be saved. Why a serpent on a staff? Because when Jesus was on the cross, he bore our sins so He became sin.
      
      
    • Jesus showed us love by dying for all of us.
      
      
      • Romans 3:25
      • 1 John 2:2
      • Hebrews 2:9
      • 2 Corinthians 5:21
        
        
      • Thank God all our past, present, and future sins are already paid for.
      
      
    • Hebrews 7:25: Why can't you be lost again after being saved? Because Jesus Christ's love is forever.
  
  
• How do we lift up our Lord?
  
  
  • Through song, testimony, how you lead your life, attending church (worship).
    
    
  • Colossians 1:18: Give up your way for His way. John the Baptist said that he must decrease while Jesus should increase.
  
  CLOSER

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• Psalm 116:12: The answer to this verse of scripture is to give God the praise due Him.