The Wooden Memorial

Do you know why you will never have to face the wrath of God. The only reason why is it you stand in Christ. There has been some point in your life or you have recognize there's nothing in your hand bring to him. God himself offered God the son is the only sacrifice that could satisfy his holy standard and the only thing we can do is run to him all the things you want to do and enjoy the church baptizing all those wonderful things, but it could never satisfy not only today we are in part three above very important is called soul Stephen in this series you been looking at the critical doctrine of salvation by faith alone, guided and this is something friends.

It has to be annually reiterated. We need to keep dusting off these glorious doctrines because they they get covered up.

They they get covered over with ritual with religion with the games and the charades that are played out in the religious world and we forget the simplicity of the apostle Paul called of the gospel. This this is justification by faith alone. What do you need to be right with God. You need to burn the candle you need to go sit on the rain for now or do you need to take a pilgrimage or do you simply need to place your faith in the cross work of Christ that this is why this is so critical. And this happens to be Scott, one of my favorite chapters or my favorite passages because it sets the stage for what will become a a Reformation 500 years ago when you think about it this is what people died for in the religious freedom that we enjoy today, and some of these great doctrines that we hold dear. Today, like faith alone in Christ alone, by grace alone. Boy, this is so critical. In fact, I have carved in the my pulpit, the words solo script Torah. The Scriptures alone.

We go to the Scriptures alone to discover that our salvation is by faith alone, through the grace of Christ alone and this is all to the glory of God alone.

This doctrine stands in stark contrast to the religions of the world where people are seeking to please and find God's favor through their own efforts. It also goes against the nature of the human heart because work with. We tend to be wired to think that we can somehow earn God's favor and he'll like me better tomorrow if I can do something good, etc. I've asked a thousand people over the years. If you died and stood at the gate of heaven and knocked on it and should God come to that gate and say will hello what you want and you said what I want to come in. If God said to you, why should I let you in.

What would you say what would you think God would want to hear you say that would swing open the gate of heaven. And you know I've had people tell me well I try to keep the 10 Commandments, or I try to be a good person or II love God I hope it lets me again or tried to be good influence and on down the list, they go and it all revolves around I I've done this. I am trying to do this and I have to tell them look you probably have two saviors in your life.

Jesus in you, you're only going to get into heaven by trusting in one's Savior faith in Christ alone will friends. As I mentioned earlier, this is message three in that series entitled Sola the day Stephenson titled the message you're about to hear the wooden memorial now. When Stephen first preached this message he did it on what is a holiday here in the United States, a holiday called Memorial Day so you'll hear some references to that along the way so that now here's Stephen with today's message from God.

Our lives are characterized. I think by one word of this to work, hurry busy would be a sister word good to stop flat on how grateful we are for our heroes who serve us in Christ course shift in our thinking to him could stop and remember were always in a hurry. I love the look like my wife has on one of the counters in the kitchen seems to sum it up really well. Flex says I know God place me on earth to accomplish certain things so far behind will never die if you come here today to feel that way. Well, today will be a time to just remember some great truths can so easily be forgotten. Memorial Day also noticed decoration Day originally began to commemorate fallen soldiers in the American Civil War over a period of time. It was broadened to include honoring all military, who died were memorials are not unique to our American way of life. I was reading just this past week that Israel observes a Memorial Day as well year to honor its dead custom of putting the pictures of their deceased soldiers on screens in public places.

Going through the listing their name, giving honor to them. Great Britain's interesting. I also read recently has in our lifetime discovered ancient documents that revealed memorial services were held for Viking warrior who died in battle to 10th-century stones were discovered not too long ago to tall gelling stones there called her tall pillars covered with royal inscriptions. They were discovered in Sweden built by the last pagan king in honor of his wife Queen tire memorial stones Memorial day is memorial events moral buildings Memorial Museum all I think reveal the nature of the human heart. The world over to remember its heroes receive in a way that you can remember your loved ones that are having served in the military I read recently, you could join if you had enough money. The international star registry you could actually name a star after your loved one. Get a picture of the constellation star circled in red. The dedication date telescopic coordinates of your star. These star names by the way, are copyrighted protected by the federal government future generations. I read can identify the star name in the directory and locate the actual star evening for your loved one since 1979. Hundreds of thousands of stars have been named for dignitaries, celebrities and individuals worldwide to remember your own star.

Perhaps the most famous of all memorials is the Lincoln Memorial, located one end of the Mall in Washington DC and that Memorial is a mural depicting the unity of the northern and southern states. The Lincoln Memorial was designed to rather stunning piece of architecture. It was designed to resemble a Greek temple has 36 Grecian column representing the number of states when Lincoln was assassinated.

There isn't any doubt that the greater the hero of the more significant the monument the more stunning the more beautiful the memorial for the believer, the memorial of our Lord is the hero of our salvation gave his life for our eternal freedom. It's a monument not of marble, not of Collins Hill called Nagasaki and it's a memorial of our gospel is the image of our liberation that's found in we call the mind. It's a simple wooden cross, where our Lord Jesus died on its would be the apostle Paul said, God forbid that I would ever glory in anything except the cross of Jesus Christ that cross work. God forbid that I should ever be turned away and give glory to something other than our Savior and that death on the cross.

The cross of Jesus Christ is a memorial of at least two great doctrinal truths that are bound up in words that don't mean as much to us today.

I'm sure one of them is all but forgotten.

These are two words that God intended declare and speak and be forever remembered at the cross as it stands is our memorial to our Redeemer. So I want you to turn in your Bibles back to what we left off in our study in Romans chapter 3 and I want to show you a couple of verses and will pull just two words out. The cross is an everlasting memorial of at least 2 Things You Can Cir. the two words I'll point them out as we read let's go back to her left off.

Verse 23 is for the sake of refreshing our memory start their work forward. Romans 323 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by his grace through the redemption. There is a word that I want to point out redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in his blood through faith propitiation is the other word that I want to point out Paul writes in the last part of verse 24 of our redemption which is in Christ Jesus. In fact, one Bible scholar says that that one phrase could very well represent the theme of the entire book of Romans doesn't mean as much to us today because the word is used, as they would use that here the original word for redemption trial of is a word that refers to a number of things it it's a reference to the price that's paid to redeem a prisoner from prison was also used to refer to the price paid to redeem a slave in the list is bonds get rid of this change to literally set them free. We sang just a moment ago wonderfully. By the way, the great truth hymn writer took that thought and used it to fashion the lyrics. The imagery where he wrote long by imprisonment spirit lay fast bound in sin and nature's night design. I used a quickening array. I woke my dungeon flamed with lights my chains fell off my hard was free.

I rose, went forth and followed the Galatians 5 want. No wonder the apostle Paul shouts with great joy.

You believer, you know the truth have been made free.

Later in chapter 5 verse 13 he says you were called to freedom, Jesus Christ said earlier promised in John 832 years and those of you who believe in him. Place your faith in him, you will know that truth and that truth will set you what free, free from the guilt of sin, free from enslavement to sin, free from eternal punishment for sin eventually free from the very presence of sin down the Old Testament, the Hebrew word is the counterpart to the Greek New Testament word trial is the word God now which means to redeem the noun form is the word go well.

Goel. It shows up, especially in the Old Testament as it refers to the kinsman redeemer. There's a wonderful romance story. Maybe you've read it. It's been a bestseller for years. The love story about a woman who lost her husband to illness.

She was reduced to poverty, she went to a foreign country to forage and bag just to survive. One day she met her Prince charming, a wealthy land baron who swept her off her feet and married her and they lived happily ever after. The name and a romance narrative is called the book of Ruth.

So you're way ahead. Prince charming was Boaz. He stayed awake and semiskilled very good according to Old Testament law.

If someone lost their possessions and their inheritance through death or death with knowing the claimant all relative could buy the property and redeem it could become a Goel a Redeemer same word used of Christ in the New Testament, not relative.

Of course, in this wonderful narrative in the book of Ruth was Boaz.

He would follow the Jewish law and he would redeem the estate because he wanted more land because he wanted a woman that came with that stated that was Ruth, the widow stipulation in Jewish law for the redemption of an estate followed three things. Number one he had to be a relative of the family. Number two. He had to be willing to redeem the new forced to third, he had to have enough to pay the price of redemption. So Boaz was a relative of the family, a relative of Ruth's father-in-law who also died.

He was willing.

Boy was he willing to redeem and he had enough money to pay the redemption price and the purchase to reprocess for that family name the property when a perfect picture of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Goel, our eternal kinsman redeemer. He became related to us by being born into the human race.

He was willing to die. In fact, even death on a cross and he had enough being God to pay the penalty that would redeem us from sin. So the cross is a memorial to our kinsman redeemer.

He also bought us out of slavery.

We were impoverished beggars and all those who are redeemed are now called in the New Testament the bride of Jesus Christ is our bridegroom that sweeps us off our feet, as it were, and will one day we will find a wonderful ceremony where we, the bride will be presented to the Revelation talks about our gallons of white and will be presented to our bridegroom, the Lamb, the Lord Jesus and they were going to have a wedding reception, the marriage supper of the Lamb.

And I want you to know this is is give me some wedding reception.

This is going to be in northern wedding reception is a sitdown meal and a southern know a good punch in a few minutes if you're lucky this one cost somebody a fortune effect. That's why, in the north it will smile as much pain after KM outside the text or what I do know for sure is.

After that wedding reception really taken to the home. I bridegroom is prepared for us to live happily ever after.

That's a little bit of what the word redemption means ponders on verse 25. Time in a word that we have all but forgotten God displayed publicly as a propitiation in his blood is aware literally is very much probably because we can't pronounce it right propitiation to say that with propitiation how many units first time in your life you never said that word day that everybody according to the text. Here, the cross is not only a public memorial to our redemption, but it is a public memorial to our propitiation was that mean to word simply put means. In fact, you might write it in the margin of your text to have your Bible and pencil one word can be translated satisfaction. It refers specifically to a sacrifice that endures the full and final demand of God's holiness is the Greek word Holos moss and refers to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ which satisfies the holy wrath of God appears in other places in the New Testament.

In first John chapter 2 verse two for he himself, speaking of Christ is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for those of the whole world. John used it again in chapter 4.

That same letter.

Verse 10 and this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sin to my friend the reason propitiation is all but forgotten is because we forgotten God is holy God is just. We talk of God's love and God's mercy and we forget the other attribute of holiness and injustice.

He hates sin. He will judge mankind for no sinner can satisfy his holy standard.

So mankind was created some religions in their effort to sort of distract God to win them over with smiles and a few good deeds and maybe a little water baptism and some money thrown in the boot, maybe got so loving then that were convinced that when we stand before José Y notices things you did. That's really wonderful. I just forget sin. I'll set aside my holy justice in my wrath that I have spoken since the early days when Scripture was written. I'll put it all away and you just come on in no we don't understand propitiation because we don't understand her need for and or hopelessness before him because we don't understand God's character member Paul began his letter by talking about the wrath of God. Romans 118 first Thessalonians chapter 1 verse seven, Paul refers to the future.

Judging of this wrathful God embodied in the person of Jesus Christ and says the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God, do you know God are you sure you know him. Are you sure that is wrath that is holy judgment will never be enacted upon you in that day. In Hebrews chapter 10 we read of the terrifying expectation of judgment, and the fury of a fire which will consume his enemies. Later in chapter 12. The author refers to God as a consuming fire.

Most people like the thing that is a cozy fireplace, not a consuming fire. The truth is there is anything you can do to turn his wrath away whatever you bring in your hands. Whatever you attempt to do will never satisfy God. He needs propitiate outside of anything we can offer. That's the significance here of this text it says whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in his blood, the religions of the world. Ladies and gentlemen will put food on a plate before the image of a God to try to appease the angry God seen that they won't like mystical candles to somehow appease an angry God there close to the truth. There is sin and humanity is in trouble and there is the natural understanding the Bible says that we are indeed in trouble before an angry being what I like to talk about. We delude ourselves and deceive ourselves into thinking that somehow we can satisfy this holy and awesome God with something we can do with our hands, they are far from the truth.

Wonderful truths why because the one true God was indeed angry with sin provided the sacrifice to pay the penalty for sin. Yet the meaning here in this text of Christ's blood becoming our propitiation. This means that Jesus Christ himself and his death was the sacrifice who endured to the end of the wrath of God and being God the son was able to satisfy God the father's holy standard. The only one that could many offers to those of us become like beggars so we have nothing to give you sin. We want you to be our Goel our propitiation are satisfaction Christianity. Ladies and gentlemen, is the only story of salvation where the God who was angry was totally satisfied and offering that he provided himself and that amazing for God so loved the world that he was to gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not.

What but have everlasting life. The cross of Jesus Christ is a monument not only to the redemption of believers, but the satisfaction of God for Christ. The fire of God's wrath is already burned. He's endured it to the end. Those who are in him will be safe. I've shared this illustration with you sometime ago. I can come up with a better one to illustrate propitiation's only use it in the context I will never forget reading about a Midwestern prairie fire that was sweeping across the prairie and it was golfing and devastating crops, and houses. Anyone who is in its way. This was in the days of the settlers. They know what to call to help one particular family saw the smoke along way often know exactly what it meant to tell with the direction of the wind that they would never outrun it coming right toward them. There was nowhere to go, nowhere to hide the father of the family did something unusual. He he ran and got a brand from the fireplace and started their field on fire. He also lit fires around the edges of that field so that the wind would pick it up and certainly did it.

It totally destroyed his field, moving ahead of the Prairie fire that was coming along a few miles behind and he and his family gathered in the wagon, wrap themselves in wet blankets drove out of stopped in the middle of that field. They waited. Then, a few moments, the great wall of fire came to the edge of the field and just sort of stopped as if it were looking for something that our equipment and that sort looked its way along the edges all the way out many acres out up the side moved on in the family was safe. Why because they were standing on ground that had already been burned, the ground that they work on. Was there propitiation it had satisfied the fire already and could not be burned again. Do you know why you will never have to face the wrath of God. The only reason why is if you stand in Christ.

There has been some point in your life or you have recognize there's nothing in your hand. You can bring to him than God himself offered God the son is the only sacrifice that could satisfy his holy standard and the only thing we can do is run to him if you want you can stay over here and ignore all the good things you want to do and enjoy the church of baptizing all those wonderful things are wonderful things to do, but it could never satisfy God's holiness, he has provided the offering is providing the sacrifice. Those who receive by faith you notice in the text little phrase whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in his blood through what true faith. There is present wonderful thought of solo for day faith alone, faith in Christ alone.

There's nothing that we can have faith in ourselves never hoping that God would be satisfied. Our faith is in Jesus Christ. When you place your faith in Jesus.

You enter a parcel of ground where the fire of wrath is already you can be safe for what is the memorial to these great truths which the memorial to this eternal freedom, and this divine hero this in marble, beautiful, old crossbeam. Those who come staying loyal fine term friend, our most fervent prayer is that you've experience the forgiveness and salvation that comes from leasing your faith in Jesus Christ.

The sermon you just heard is called the wooden memorial are Bible teacher Stephen Devi is in a series called solo fee day faith alone it comes from Romans chapter 3 and outlines clearly from God's word. How you and those you know can be reconciled to God. You can share this series with those who might need to hear it.

Our website is wisdom online.org today's lesson and all of the lessons in this series are posted there you can share these lessons by sending the link to your friends or family. We also post each day's lesson to our Twitter feed and our Facebook page. If you prefer, we can put these lessons on CDs for you and send them in the mail. Information about that is on the website or you can call us right now at 86 648 Bible we be happy to help you over the phone before we go. Today I want to share with you one more resource that you might be interested.

We have a gospel presentation called God's wisdom for your hearts.

It's a short but thorough explanation of how a person can be safe.

You can read it on our website or request a printed supply.

Thanks for being with us today and join us back here next time.

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