Brother Gary Sunday Morning 10/21/12

Brother Gary Sunday Morning 10/21/12

Joh 17:19  And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

Jesus prayed for His own and for His apostles.  As you read this chapter you see where not only did He pray for these but also for all those that would believe through their testimony. 

You come into this picture because Jesus knew way back in AD 33 that there would be AD 2012.  He knew that you were going to be alive and would have needs.  He knew that nothing, of all that is offered in the world today, would satisfy your soul.  He was praying for us.

He was praying for all that would believe.  “For their sakes I sanctify myself.”  The word, ‘sanctify’, has two meanings:  to cleanse and to set apart.  Jesus came into this world pure and holy without a nature to sin. 

He lived a sinless life yet he said, “I am going to set myself apart for them.”  He didn’t do this for His own sake.  He could have called 10,000 angels and would never have had to go to the cross.  He went to the cross for our sakes.

Jesus set himself apart for our sake: 

1.       He went into the garden and prayed, “Not my will.”  He did this for our sake; He was already a son of God.  He could have just gone back to the father.  He did this for you and for me. 

There would be those in this audience that feel that they don’t have much self worth.  You are very valuable as far as God is concerned.  When you realize how much Jesus loves you, that will really help you.

2.       He set himself apart so that we could deal with the failure of others.  People will fail.  We are born with a nature to sin and have a human nature so we will fail.  Even after you are saved and sanctified you will not be able to meet all the expectations of those around you.

Jesus asked His disciples to wait while he went to pray.  He came back to wake them because they could not watch with Him.  He went on to fulfill what He came to do even though people failed Him.  He dealt with the betrayal of Judas and He went right on serving God.  He didn’t get an attitude toward Judas or others.  He didn’t get an attitude towards God. 

You and I must set ourselves apart and say the same.  You may have been betrayed by your friends or others but you must continue serving God and not get an attitude.  Take Jesus as your example.

3.       Jesus went through the trials.  He didn’t have a fair trial.  He had a mock trial but He went right on through it.  There may be things in your life that are not right.  It could be your fault.  Maybe someone else in your life has had a mock trial and have treated you wrong.  Learn from Jesus.  He set himself apart so that He could do the will of God. 

There are too many good things that we can for us to waste our time trying to correct what others are doing.  It is better to let God settle it than try to settle it our self. 

4.       Jesus was mocked.  If you in your journey of life find yourself in a place where people humiliate you and bring up your past and mock you, then let God set you apart. 

They chose between Jesus and Barabas, they said, “take Jesus and crucify Him.” 

5.       Jesus asked John to take care of His mother.  Sometimes there are things that really need to be cared for that you cannot do yourself.  It is tough sometimes but Jesus had to ask someone else to take care of His mother.

6.       You know about the scourging.  A whip made of leather with a bone or sharp piece of metal put into the end.  The end makes the one that is whipped to bleed.  Jesus went through it.  He set himself apart and went through the scourging for every one of us. 

He did it for our healing, emotional, physical, spiritual and whatever healing that you might need.  You might be beat up in your mind this morning.  You might be beat up in your body.  Jesus suffered the pain so that we might be healed.

7.       He set Himself apart and went to the cross.  He was crucified about 1 foot above the earth that He and the Father and the Holy Spirit created.  The cross was probably an old cross and was probably dropped into an old hole because it was a common thing in that day to crucify criminals.  He set himself apart and did it for you and for me.

8.       The nails: he endured the nails so that you and I could be free from sin. 

When I was little I was interested in where I came from and where I would go when I died.  I had an identity with eternity.  I knew that there was something in me that was going to live past death. 

At that time there had been no sorrows in my life.  I was one of five: my brothers and sister were alive; my parents were alive.  Yet there was a part in me that was concerned with where I was going to go when I died. 

I’ve reached an age where I realize that one of these days I’m going to see my last one.  I want to make it to heaven when I die. 

There are scriptures in the Bible about being a conqueror.  We have battles after we are Christians so that we can be a conqueror.  That is the reason that there are words like ‘victory’, ‘conqueror’, or ‘triumph’.  With no battles then there would be nothing to triumph over.  We are contested so that we can believe God and have the victory.

9.       He wore that crown so that we  could be conquerors in our life. 

The soldier took the spear and fulfilled a prophesy, (Zech 13:1 In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.)   When Jesus’ side was hit with the sword, a fountain of blood and water flowed out.  This happened so that we could be cleansed from our sin.

I had many pages of sin in the record book.  When I confessed and repented of my sin then all the pages were torn out and I was washed clean from all my sin. 

Psa 119:9  BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

The way that men and women clean up their life is by taking heed to the word of God.  Zech 13: a fountain opened.  How that ties in to today is that the water is symbolic of the Word of God.

On the cross a marvelous thing happened.  There were two prisoners, the one said, “Remember me.”  The other prisoner lashed out and said, “If you really are the son of God, save us.” 

If you are sinning and say, “I am a sinner and I cannot help myself.”  Then you are a prisoner. 

My aunt isn’t here, Rosa Mae Kelly Knox was a beautiful woman.  When she began going to church, God began dealing with her.  She was from West Virginia and she chewed snus.  One day she began to seek after God and she began to pray, “God I want to serve you, but the snus.”  God cleansed her of that. 

There are other habits.  Anything that is unclean: He loses the prisoners.  Our society makes prisoners of people with lots of things.  Anything that would bind us, God can make us free.

Jesus set himself apart.  Before He went to heaven, He had that last glimpse of His mother.  We don’t know when the last time that we will see our loved one is.  He set Himself apart and went right on serving God.   The last glimpse is tough.  The thought of the last glimpse is tough.  It is real but we must go on.  We have a job to do. 

Jesus said, “I sanctify myself.”  While Jesus was on the cross darkness came over the whole earth.  Sometimes at the height of our life darkness comes just like that.  Darkness is a part of life and when it comes to us we need to say, “I want to be totally set apart for God so that I get the treasure of this darkness.”  Jesus suffered darkness so that we might have life.

Jesus prayed, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”  There will be times in our life when we must forgive others even if they don’t ask.  Go ahead and forgive, it will free you.  Jesus prayed, “Into thy hands I commit my spirit.”

Isa 53:4  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

There will be times in your life when you make the wrong choice and you will bring grief into your life.  Even when we have failed and have brought ourselves grief, God wants us to face it face-first:  “I’ve failed and I’ve asked God to forgive me and I’m going to forgive myself.”  Jesus came to bind up the broken hearted and He came to heal the broken in heart.

No matter how shattered an individual’s life might be, if they will come to Christ, He will pick up the broken pieces of the shattered life, put them back together, and heal their scars. 

He was wounded for our transgressions.  He set Himself apart for our transgressions.

Isa 53:5  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Isa 53:10  Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

When we come to Christ, we don’t have enough money to buy forgiveness.  It is not money that buys forgiveness.  Jesus paid the price for our forgiveness.

1Jn 2:1  My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

1Jn 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

John was an old man when he wrote 1 John.  David was an old man when he wrote psalms 23.  We learn things as we get older. 

Jesus paid the price for our sins.  He paid the price not only for our sins but for the sins of the whole world. 

1Jn 4:10  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Whatever we like, he made. Whatever you are attached to, he made.

Joh 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Sin is ugly.  Jesus paid the price for our sin. Will you be set apart for God?