The Son We Follow Part 2

One reason for us, looking to Jesus on the death of Jesus. Some see it is a sad life. The Bible tells us the central mission of Jesus was God, and then be raised by God the father opened the way for all who believe. To find eternal life statement from the Moody Church in Chicago this morning with Sir James helps us make it across the finish line. Estimates are why is the cross. The central factor in our understanding of the sun. We follow no daylight thinking like an answer that directly. I would say that the cross in God's mind before the world began.

Why the Bible says that we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. I think that redemption was always at God's heart and that redemption, of course, entailed the death of Jesus on the cross. That's why we as Christians we talk about the cross. We honor the cross and Paul says God forbid that I should glory except in the cross, this series of messages by the way, is a 10 part series on various doctrines within the Christian faith, but also their application to our lives. If you're interested in receiving this series of messages go to RTW offer.com RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337.

Now let's go to the pulpit of Moody church where we continue our discussion and are teaching about Jesus the son redemption and why we should follow him read a liberal book some time ago, religiously liberal, it says oh Jesus didn't die as substitute his death just shows how much he loved us part. I heard a pastor give this illustration, let's suppose I were to take my family to the Grand Canyon and find a huge cliff and then say to them, I'm going to hop over and I'm going to die just to prove how much I love they'd arrest me and they take me to a psychiatrist and ask whether or not I was off my medication. I smiled by the way, I'm not on any medication. If you are, that's okay but I'm not. This is the real deal. The silly idea he die just to show that he loves course, he loves us. Now if I die before my family in the place of my family. Now we're finally talking sense. That's what Jesus did on the cross.

It was a substitutionary death.

It was a death that we cannot comprehend because in those three hours three hours.

He suffers under the hand of man. For the next three hours. He suffers under the hand of God, and in those three hours were compressed an eternity of hell's and the separation, not ontologically. I hope you can understand that were not ontologically from the father but that break in fellowship. Was that Jesus was now being made to sin for us personally innocent but legally guilty of the sins that you committed this past week legally guilty of the most horrendous things that you can possibly imagine things that perhaps you haven't done but others have done so. God only knows with us here today. Jesus becomes legally guilty for all those things even the death of the cross and the reason that you and I can be in heaven today is because he died for us. He suffered for us, that just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. And after you receive Jesus as Savior.

If you die you are welcomed into heaven as if you are Jesus because you're going on the basis of his merit his work and he stands in your stead all the way into eternity.

That is the good news of the gospel. That's why Jesus died.

Now is this the end of the story you see the big story of the resurrection and the ascension is that it shows you how much God approved of what Jesus did.

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, whether on earth or in heaven, and that every tongue confess that Jesus is the Lord the glory of God the father is there any doubt about Jesus Christ's exaltation. Is there any doubt about the fact that Jesus goes back into heaven, and resumes his responsibilities that he had before Bethlehem. What did he say in John 17. Father, glorify thou me with the glory which I had with the before the world was Jesus get settled back but along with that he gets a company of redeemed people for whom he died. Those who trust him. And there is Jesus now sitting in heaven. You say will does the incarnation and no once he assumed humanity at Bethlehem that will continue for ever. It says in the book of Hebrews. This man because he continuous for ever as an unchangeable priesthood. You and I will see the body of Jesus.

The nail prints the glorified body to be sure, but Jesus will have that forever, but all of his responsibilities are back.

How much does God think of Jesus I just noticed it this week again that when we give praise to Jesus. According to verse 11.

God is glorified every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the father God's as you want to glorify me get lots of praise to Jesus on glorified. There's not a single tongue that is ever been created from the time of Adam to today and beyond that in the end will not acknowledge Jesus is Lord, because God will get glory from his son and the praise that is given to his son, Krishna will say Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the father, but I will say Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the father. Mohammed will say Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the father how allowable say Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the father. You can do it in this life. Like many of us do. We gladly confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the father. We pledged our eternity on Jesus.

We bet eternity on and it's a good that but if you don't do it in this life you will do it in the next you say will it be a will it be compulsory. That's difficult term by compulsory we do not mean that there will be a gun to your head but you will do it you'll do it. Overcoming all the resistance that you had to Jesus in this life. Even if you are lost forever.

You will say Jesus is Lord, you'll confess that the glory of God the father, either a we receive them now as Savior and gladly confess it or be you confess it later though separated from him for all of eternity. God's is not the single, but I've ever created won't give my son praise.

Now you know that this is a series of messages entitled what we believe and the difference it should make.

I've spoken about such issues as the Bible we trust the book we trust the father we worship today.

It's the sun we follow and remember, the goal is always number one that you understand these doctrines number two that you know them and you're able to defend them to others.

But what difference should all this make.

Why should you and I be changed forever because of this passage of Scripture.

Let me say first of all, that Paul gives this your member in a context of the you didn't give this just to throw out some theology so that somebody over at the seminary would have a topic to write a dissertation about you know how it is over the seminary are always looking for some new thing to write a dissertation on this is a great passage to do it. That's not what I wrote.

You notice he says nothing verse three from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Paul is now saying if you want to have people believe the Redeemer look redeemed and Jesus is your example of humility. So first of all first lesson is that God's way up is down his way up is down, humility. The Bible says younger men be subject to your elders. Clothe yourselves with humility for God as opposed to the proud, that means God is at war with the proud you're sitting there today saying I don't need a Redeemer.

I'm going to do well on my own like a guy told me on the plane. Don't worry about me going to stand on my record and do well. All my God's way.

Up is down, humility what Paul is trying to say is the illustration of Jesus and the incarnation is the way in which you and I should live always considering others better than ourselves. I don't know about you but hard for me to get there because we're wired to take care of number one.

Especially if you've been cheated or wrong you know if your decision to cut yourself off and to look after number one is going to be strong and overwhelming. Until God overcomes all that in your life and overcomes your blindness and you see the beauty of Jesus, then we should be willing to consider others better than ourselves, and illustration comes to mind that I gave your many many years ago but promise keepers where we were all standing for the same van.

There were about 50 of us and we all needed to be bused to the same place in a van that may be held 12 people and was kind of cold out and whatever the van came all of us went running to the van. We wanted to be first of all that is maybe understandable, but we had just been in promise keepers in Atlanta where 40,000 people had this marvelous sermon given by black of the on what it means to be filled with the spirit and when I finally got into the van. I said I don't know what the filling of the spirit means but it must not mean that we consider others better than ourselves over really filled with the spirit of man would pull up and nobody go it also you go. You now you go you van to go to the hotel empty the Texas consider others better than yourself.

Could you do that today. The first lesson God's way.

Up is down. Secondly the world is changed by suffering.

Jesus didn't change his world through miracles. As I told you many times those who were dead had to die again effects on them to preach a series or at least a message on people who died twice.

People like Lazarus and a few others who had to say no, been there done that Jesus didn't change the world through miracles. People today on TV do this miracle that that's not how Jesus change the world. He change the world through suffering and if we are going to attract people to the Redeemer and look redeemed work and have to suffer better than were suffering were going to have to suffer without complaining where you have to suffer like Jesus suffered were going to be able to take the heat, and we should take the heat and as our nation sinks into anti-Christian secularism and other isms. Suffering may well lie ahead. And we have to do it well. There are three kinds of suffering. The suffering of circumstances suffering of persecution and then the third is when you actually choose to suffer with others that you wouldn't have to suffer with. But you choose to suffer, and it is in that way, we represent Jesus to the world and work were sick and tired of the shallow triumphalism of evangelicalism that thinks that we can win this battle and if we get enough people we can win that battle though that is important within its own context, but we never lose sight of the fact that it is after all the gospel that we proclaim and at the end of the day when all the speeches are given what people really need is to see Jesus what people really need. There's a story about a man who had a dream and in the dream he was carrying a very heavy cross.

The cross was so heavy and he was trudging through the woods and he came to a woodsman who had a saw and he said to them, would you saw off part of my cross.

It's too heavy for me to bear.

So the woodsman sawed off a good chunk of the cross. The man put the cross back on his back began to walk and could walk much faster and much lighter because the cross wasn't as heavy as it once was. And then on his way to the promised land. He came across a chasm that to get from one side of the chasm to the other side of the chasm because that was now part of the trail in his obedience to Jesus carrying his cross.

The only thing he could do because he couldn't hop across the chasm was to lay down the cross and to put the cross down and use it as a plank to walk over to the other side, but he discovered that his cross was too short. It was short just the amount that he had had the woodsman cut off and he said oh Jesus oh Jesus what I wouldn't give for a heavier cross.

What I wouldn't give to carrying my entire cross so that I can get on with my Christian walk. Then he awoke, discovered that it was a dream, and he was so glad that he could carry his full cross. Could I leave you with this today, the lighter our cross, the weaker our witness, the lighter our cross, the weaker our witness. We want to look redeemed and attract people to our Redeemer. We're going to have to carry our crosses and some of those crosses imposed upon us because of our stand for Jesus were going to have to carry that cross and when we do will discover that others will be attracted to the Redeemer because of last like Jesus will look redeemed. Remember this, that is not true carrying your cross that you become a Christian by the way, that part of the message is for those of you who are Christians. What you do is you come to the cross for salvation freely given and after you've received Christ to become his follower and you take up his cross into a skeptical disbelieving angry world but that's the kind of world that Jesus carrying his cross and so we follow him all the way toward death. You join me as we pray father, grant us the grace to follow you. Forgive us for so often not looking redeemed. Help us Lord in humility. Humility. Your word says let the younger ones be subject to the older in humility help us with brokenness to following help us to see the cross that you laid upon us as a cross of joy.

Despite its pain help us to carry that cross to point others to the Redeemer before I close this prayer.

If you've never received Jesus as Savior. Remember I told you you could have that assurance even where you are. You could pray a prayer that says Jesus. I know that I'm a sinner. Thank you that you died for sinners. I received your death and resurrection. As for me, would you make that transfer of trust right now.

Father, we thank you that we have the privilege today to confess Jesus as Lord and that he shall reign in every knee will bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord, to the glory of the father in Jesus name one) Pastor Luther's and it really true that you and I seek a very light cross we seek across that we are able to carry without any great income unions.

When Jesus asked us to take the cross into the world.

His cross, he knew that it led to his death. Then you and I must recognize that it leads to the death of self we take up his cross, and we carry it in a very hostile world.

Let's do that though. Let me ask you a question. How is God led you in your life you know recently.

Rebecca and I celebrated 50 years of marriage and we celebrated to the glory of God because it is his faithfulness that is carried us. Let me tell you a story when I was a senior at Dallas theological seminary. I was scheduled to be at a banquet because actually I was providing the humor for that evening and I needed an escort I was dating a young lady but she had a conflict and was not able to come so I asked her permission.

If I could take someone else and she said yes.

I called a young woman by the name of Rebecca. Rebecca was dating a young man who couldn't make it and so she asked his permission if she could be with me for just that evening while we were together on the way home we were actually joking and Rebecca happen to say you know if we ever get married. We're going to have our honeymoon in Colorado now. Surely God was smiling because as it turned out our other relationships didn't work out and eventually she and I were married and we had our honeymoon in Colorado will that's just one of the episodes that we talk about in the story of our marriage. 50 years of God's faithfulness. I think that this interview will not only give you some insight into our marriage and into our journey, but also encourage you no matter where you are on your spiritual journey for a gift of any amount. It can be yours.

Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 asked for the story of our marriage. 50 years of God's faithfulness. Let me give you that phone number again 1-888-218-9337 and thanks in advance for your generosity in helping us. It's time again for another opportunity for you the listener to ask Pastor Luther a question you may have about the Bible of the Christian life. Today's question comes from Jack and Jack lives in North Carolina. A number of churches and radio stations in our area have switched from hymns with piano, organ, orchestra, to contemporary Christian music accompanied by guitars, drums, base, and so on. My question is what would our Lord have us do. According to the Bible with regard to Christian music when you know Jack, I'm smart enough not to give a very specific answer to your question because as you know, the matter of music has been a point of sharp contention among Christians, and I'm not really qualified to adjudicate all of these matters, but I do have two extremes.

I think we should avoid. First of all we should avoid the notion that the only hymns in the only music that should ever be played on Christian radio is the kind that we like. I think that we have to recognize that taking a stand like that is wrong.

There were other people who may enjoy a different kind of music in a different kind of singing and we have to recognize that we are not the standard by which all music should be judged.

And then secondly I think it's important to realize that Christians should not always be pushing the envelope and I think that that is a very important point as well because there is no doubt that sometimes they sound as if they are simply imitating the world.

Now it is somewhere between those two extremes that we need to be very cautious and I pray that God will give us wisdom to know exactly how to respond to modern music and fortunately fortunately, there radio stations that have such a variety that you can choose what you like to listen to. Maybe at the end of the day that will help us in resolving this dilemma.

Thank you Dr. Luther for your discernment in this very controversial area.

If you'd like to hear your question answered. Go to RTW offer.com and click on ask Pastor Luther or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337. You can write to us running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614.

Some philosophers acknowledged there must be a God who created all we see, but they say he's distant, not involved with us. The Bible teaches that God works by the Holy Spirit in the lives of those who believe providing day by day guidance, comfort, wisdom and insight, even the smallest detail of life whom or what is the Holy Spirit. It's vital to know so on our next running to win will find out will learn about the spirit we embrace message number four on what we believe running to win is sponsored by the Moody church