Temple Baptist Church - 4-9-2017
Luke 23:26-49
Introduction:
A. Today we come to CALVARY: This is the only instance where the word “Calvary” is used. It is of Latin derivative from the word “calvarium” or a cranium or skull. In Matthew 27:33, it is called Golgotha (Aramaic-The Place of the Skull).
CALVARY - The place of curse and the place of blessing.
CALVARY - The place of curse for Jesus and the place of blessing for us.
CALVARY - Where we see man at his worst and God at his best.
CALVARY - Where we see the awful depths of human sin and the tremendous heights of divine love.
CALVARY - Where every man must come if he expects to be saved.
CALVARY - Where all of our hopes are centered, both for this world and the world to come.
CALVARY - The most sacred place in all the world.
CALVARY - Where the Son of God died that the sons of men might live.
CALVARY - Where the rich, red, royal blood of the King was shed for sinful humanity.
CALVARY - Where all the sin of the world was laid on the One who had no sin.
CALVARY - Where men can come and bathe their troubled souls and find the peace that passeth all understanding.
CALVARY - Where all the rivers of prophecy come together in a sea of fulfillment.
CALVARY - Where the blood for our cleansing was drawn from Immanuel's royal veins.
CALVARY - Where sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
CALVARY - Where all the Church of the living God is saved to sin no more.
CALVARY - About which in a nobler sweeter song we sing through the endless ages.
CALVARY - Where a dying Saviour invites all men to come and find the life that never ends.
CALVARY - Where a Saviour died and salvation was born.
CALVARY - Where deep darkness enveloped the earth that a divine light might fill it.
CALVARY - Where the Son of God was forsaken that we might never be forsaken.
CALVARY - Where by faith we received our sight and the burden of our heart rolled away.
CALVARY - Where we come with our sin and receive a Saviour's righteousness.
CALVARY - Where we come with our ruin and receive His perfection.
CALVARY - Where we come with our bitterness and receive his sweetness.
CALVARY - Where we come with our despair and receive His assurance.
CALVARY - Where we come with our darkness and receive His light.
CALVARY - Where we come with our sorrows and receive His joy.
CALVARY - Where we come with our hell and receive His heaven.
CALVARY - Where God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.
CALVARY - Where God commended His love toward us.
CALVARY - Where Christ Himself bore our sins in His own body.
CALVARY - Where He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, where the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and where by His stripes we are healed.
CALVARY - Where we hear the sweetest story ever told.
CALVARY - Where the gulf between God and man was bridged forever.
CALVARY - Where God loved as no one has ever loved.
CALVARY - Where Christ gave all that He had that we might have all of heaven.
CALVARY - Where Christ finished the redemptive work God sent Him to do.
CALVARY - Where our poor souls find salvation and satisfaction, happiness and heaven.
CALVARY – A place of difference.
CALVARY - It reaches from the deepest hell to the highest heaven.
CALVARY - The heart, the nucleus, and the core of our faith.
CALVARY - A signpost to every man. It points the way for man on the road of life and it spans the gulf when death comes and gives him a safe crossing.
CALVARY - Where there is no place for my leftovers. Christ must come first. God must have my full-time service. I must give my best to Him.
CALVARY - A place of suffering, of shame, of rejection, and death.
But now, it's a symbol of God's hatred of sin and His love for man.
CALVARY - Where echoes the cry, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved!"
B. No wonder the songwriter said "Now my ransomed soul can only sing of CALVARY.
C. It is the cross makes the difference between:
1. light and darkness
2. good and evil
3. victory and defeat
4. success and failure
5. Christlikeness and self-centeredness
6. life and death
7. heaven and hell.
D. 1 Corinthians 1:18 says "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."
1. There at the cross Jesus took my sin and my guilt and gave me forgiveness, cleansing, and justification. The burden and penalty of my sin rolled away.
2. There at the cross He clarified my purpose in life: My life belongs to Him. My time, my strength, my energy, my money, my all is His. Every area of my life is branded by His mark of ownership—The Cross of Christ.
3. There at the cross, my eternity was secured, my fears relieved, and my heart forever His. My Lord, my life, my glory.
4. There at the cross, the object of our salvation’s glory is to be found. Salvation and victory over sin, death, and the devil.
5. There at the cross, we find the symbol of God’s amazing grace and His great love wherewith He loved us.
6. There at the cross, we find the place where Jesus shed His precious blood that we might be redeemed.
7. There at the cross, our justification was effected. It was that in which Paul would glory.
8. There at the cross, we find the world crucified unto the child of God.
9. There at the cross, we find the child of God crucified unto the world.
1. We Should Never Forget Where We Came From. (While we were yet sinners!)
1 Timothy 1:12-17 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Corinthians 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
2. We Should Never Forget What We Are. (We are still nothing apart from the grace of God!)
1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
1 Corinthians 1:31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 4:7 For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receiveit, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
Ephesians 3:8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
Galatians 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as
3. We Should Never Forget Who He Is. (He is God! He is sovereign!)
Exodus 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. (“I am what I am” vs. “I AM THAT I AM”)
John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease. (Said by the greatest man born of woman.)
Psalms 72:19 And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.
1 Timothy 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Jude 25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
4. We Should Never Forget What He has done. (Were it not for the love of God, we would all be eternally lost without hope!)
Ephesians 2:1-6 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Romans 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Psalms 72:18 Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.
Philippians 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.
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