Christ Carried Our Sins On The Cross
Lenten Worship Sermon
Notes
Wednesday, March 5,
2008
Jim O’Neal, Senior
Pastor
I
Peter 2:21-25 NRSV
21For to this you
have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example,
so that you should follow in his steps. 22“He
committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” 23When he was abused, he did not
return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself
to the one who judges justly. 24He
himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we
might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25For you were going astray like
sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.
A.
1. Tonight, I share a
story from an earlier era, when the phrase, “spare the rod and spoil the child”
was viewed as not only a guiding principle of raising children, but as a literal
truth concerning how children were to be disciplined. (See Proverbs
13:24) And while most of us today would view such
harsh punishment as abhorrent and contrary to the teachings of Jesus, we need
to understand this reality of an earlier time to best understand the tale I now
tell:
2. There was a small rustic
one room school house tucked in a dale in the hills of coal mining country. This “tough school” had the less than
enviable reputation of never being able to keep a teacher. This was because the sons of the miners, who
were big rough lads, took a sadistic pride in running all their teachers
off. And the toughest of them all was a
bruiser of a young man called Big Tom. Then
a new and rather young teacher came named Mr. Arnold. Instead of coming on strong and trying to
force and enforce his rules upon the students he declared that he was going to emancipate
them with a democratic process for their school and treat them like
adults. They would vote on how to
organize their school and what the rules would be. Thus Mr. Arnold won the boys over by letting
them write the rules for the school. And
one of their rules was that all the rules were to be enforced very strictly
with a rod! For example, cheating would
be punishable with five strokes of the rod, and stealing with ten strokes. And all punishment was to be given with the
coat off. Everything went well until one
day Big Tom’s lunch was stolen. The
school court was convened and Teddy a frail boy in “hand me down” clothes that
were too big for him confessed his guilt.
The students demanded punishment.
The boy cried and begged to leave his coat on. The students insisted the rules be followed
and that he take his coat off. When he
did a deathly silence settled over the room.
Many of the girls began to cry.
Some of the boys turned away. Teddy
had no shirt and his emaciated body looked like skin stretched over bones. Mr. Arnold dropped the rod. To hit such a lad ten times would kill him.
3. Suddenly Big Tom stepped
up. He said, “I’ll take it for him, it
was my lunch he stole.” Mr. Arnold
hesitated. Big Tom spoke again, “Mr.
Arnold we agreed that all wrongs had to be punished with the rod. So we can’t change that, but I still say I
was the one he done wrong and I can choose to take his whippin’.” Tom set his coat aside and Mr. Arnold swung
the rod. Three times was heard the harsh
“whack” upon Big Tom’s back. On the
third swing the rod broke. Mr. Arnold
tossed what was left of the rod aside, fell into his chair and said, “That’s all;
school is dismissed for the day.” Frail little
Teddy knelt before Tom and said, “Thank you, Tom, it would have killed me.”
B. The Cross
of Christ
1. Who would not be moved
to express gratitude toward someone who willingly took the punishment you
deserved? Would not any of us be
grateful to one who willingly suffered the consequences of our sins? Jesus did just that. As the Scripture says, “For God so loved the world that
he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but
may have eternal life. (John 3:16 NRSV)
2. During Lent we are
called to remember the sacrifice Jesus made for each of us. Such a sacrifice moves us to humility in the
face of such great love. Such a
sacrifice, also, moves us to be filled with deep gratitude. This causes us to rethink the meaning and
direction of our own life. And this
amazing grace of Jesus moves us to respond to His love by being more loving
ourselves. This Lent, pray on a more
regular basis, and spend more time in those prayers thanking God. Count your blessings and examine your
life. Live more holy and commit to doing
each week some new and specific act of love for a fellow human being.
(480) 895-8766
Lenten Worship
Wednesday, March 5,
2008
CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader:
The Lord is merciful and gracious; slow to anger and
abounding in steadfast love.
People:
He does not deal with
us according to our sins, nor requite us according to our iniquities.
Leader:
What shall I render to the Lord for all his bounty to me?
People:
I will lift up the cup
of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.
NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURE: I Peter 2:21-25 NRSV…………………....Rev. Jim O’Neal
21For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you,
leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps. 22“He committed no sin, and no
deceit was found in his mouth.” 23When
he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten;
but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. 24He himself bore our sins in his
body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by
his wounds you have been healed. 25For
you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and
guardian of your souls.
LENTEN MEDITATION: Christ Carried Our
Sins On The Cross
Rev. Jim O’Neal
INVITATION TO HOLY COMMUNION…………………………………………..Rev. Jim O’Neal
WORD AND TABLE II, pages 12-15 in
the Hymnal
LORD’S PRAYER……………………………………...…………………………………………..All
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven. Give us this day our
daily bread. And forgive us our
trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver
us from evil. For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen.
BENEDICTION………………………………………………………………….….Rev. Jim
O’Neal