Inside service. Begins with Vernon Keiss as song leader leading in Because Christ Lives & He Lives from Heavenly Highway Hymns. After prayer over the offering with Lanson Smith, Laura Keiss leads in a prayer for the nation.
Scriptures Referenced in Sermon:
Jesus preached the gospel. Repent for your sins. The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Jesus arose from the tomb and told Mary to tell his disciples and Peter that he is risen. They didn’t believe her. He then appeared to each of them in another form. He berated them for not believing. God added you to the church to build upon. Satan tries to make you stumble. Fear is a lack of faith. Love drives a child of God. All the disciples were scattered. Jesus tells us to ‘Go unto the world and preach the Gospel. All that believe and are baptized will be saved. He that believeth not will be damned. After the Lord spoke to the disciples he went unto heaven and sat by God.
Luke 23:26 – They are taking him to the cross. Jesus couldn’t carry the cross. God wanted us to see that he was man. Jesus was tested and tried in everything Satan throws at us. But he still remained pure. Some women were weeping for him as he walked by. Jesus turned and tried to comfort them. 2 other men were with him to be put to death. Even while they are hanging there with Jesus on the cross – Jesus cries “Father, forgive them! They know not what they have do.” They begin to mock Jesus. Satan is throwing everything he can at Jesus to turn him from us. Not just a painful death but humiliation as well.
Matthew – One man on the cross – thief – sentenced to die on the cross. He stole (#8 on 10 commandments) and he railed on Jesus. So he broke God’s Law and Man’s Law. He was facing having to face God in Hell for his sins. He rejected God’s grace and mercy. He is headed to hell. There is a Real Hell and you’re going there if you reject Jesus as your savior. There is another man – another thief – committed the same sins as the other. But this man changed. As he hangs there on the cross, he is aware that he is facing eternity and the fear has started. He fears God. We see a change in him. He preaches the gospel. He says we deserve our guilt, but Jesus is sinless. When a sinner sees how they really are, they seek God to get things right. This is called conviction. [see author’s note below] Unless God draws you, you can’t be saved. Every man will realize at some point in their life that they are a sinner and need a savior. The second thief believed Jesus to be the sinless one to save mankind. The thief says – Remember me Lord when you come into your Kingdom. Difference is one thief believed in Jesus and the other wouldn’t.
Author’s Note – Conviction is the work of the Holy Spirit where a person is able to see himself as God sees him: guilty, defiled, and totally unable to save himself (John 16:8). Conviction functions differently for the Christian and non-Christian. For the non-Christian, conviction reveals sinfulness, guilt and brings fear of God’s righteous judgement. Whereas, conviction in the believer brings an awareness of sin and results in repentance, confession and cleansing. Theologically, conviction is produced by the Holy Spirit (John 16:8), the Gospel (Acts 2:37), conscience (Rom. 2:15), and the Law (James 2:9). Conviction of sin brings man to the cross and shows the need for forgiveness. It is also said that – A conviction is a convinced conscience.