Isaiah 53

Read this in my preparations for this week's sermon on Isaiah 53: 4 - 6, it is simply quite wonderful:

"As an artisan laying a mosaic of complicated pattern and diverse colours, has before him a working drawing, and carefully fits the minute pieces of precious stone and enamel according to it, till the perfection of the design is revealed to all, so do the evangelists and apostles, with the working-drawing of OT prophecy, and Old Testament types and shadows in the tabernacle services and ceremonies, in their hands fit together the details of Christ's life on earth, His atoning death and His resurrection and say, 'Behold, this can be none other than the long looked-for Messiah.' The central knop, or flower pattern, of the mosaic, from which all the other details of the design radiated, was the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah."

It is a truly beautiful prophetic message that draws us to the very cross of Calvary.

SImon

That's My King

We had one of those special mornings as a people at X1 yesterday where God is so very tangibly present - in a heavy, "Here's who I am!" way. One of our young guys, entrusted with preaching responsibility on the morning finished with this remarkably powerful video which has the mind-blowing "That's My King" audio by Dr. S. M. Lockridge. You may have heard it before but I have placed it here if you haven't or if you want to again. It left us 'undone!'

That's My King! from Albert Martin on Vimeo.

Do you know Him?

Simon

Gosh makes you want to give all you are to the church

People, people, people if you are a part of God's church, you have been called to be a part of the greatest organism in all of reality. What a joy. Just let Driscoll in this video EXPLODE your mind about what is the church!

What is the Church by Mark Driscoll from Vintage21 Church on Vimeo.

Thank you Jesus that you died to make such a glorious bride!

Simon

Meaningless without Personal Response

Any idea of what was achieved at the cross, how it was done or why it was done is meaningless without a personal response. This is a point made by Michael Green in his book The Empty Cross of Jesus.

Here was William Barclay's response

"One thing I know-- that because of Jesus Christ and because of what He is and did and does, my whole relationship with God is changed. Because of Jesus Christ I know that God is my father and friend. Daily and hourly I experience the fact that I can enter into His presence with confidence and with boldness. He is no longer my enemy; He is no longer even my judge. There is no longer an unbridgeable gulf between Him and me. I am more at home with Him than with any human being in the world. And all this is because of Jesus Christ, and it could not possibly have happened without Him."

(Crucified and Crowned).

What's your response?

Simon

New testament Unity on the Cross

This week in the Christian Calendar celebrates the central event of our faith. Basically, if you do not get the Cross you do not get Christianity. With that in mind, our church is doing a series called '72' The Three Days that Changed the World. We will focus on the crucifixion of Christ this week. O the glorious death of the Lamb of God for the sins of the world.

Here are some thoughts from an author I am reading both for help in preparation but also for my own soul (Thanks to Lorraine, you know who you are, for buying this one for me). It is called The Empty Cross of Jesus by Michael Green. These insights are regarding the unified testimony of the New testament Authors on the cross of Jesus.

"[It is plain from a] survey of what the New testament writers have to say about the significance of Calvary, that it is a many-splendoured thing. There is a remarkable harmony in the central thesis, and remarkable diversity in the ways that the different writers look at the cross. Here we see supremely the love of God for sinful men and women who are lost, alienated from Him by sin, and are in a plight from which they could never extricate themselves. Salvation depends on what God has done for us in the Christ who is both human and divine. He silenced sin's accusing voice. He removed sin's guilt. He broke sin's power. He made satisfaction where we could not. He reversed Adam's fall. He defeated Satan. He rose as conqueror over the Last Enemy. He makes us partners of His life. He calls us to a share in this cross as well as in His triumph. And He teaches us that all eternity will be too short to understand the profundity of the salvation wrought by the incarnation, death and resurrection of the Saviour of the world."

Take that in, ruminate upon it and gaze in wonder at the mysterious truth of God dying for man!

Simon

Puritan Talk

Here are two of the real Spiritual Heavies who make me ache for God with all my heart:

"This perfection of God [omniscience] fits Him to be a special object of trust. If He were forgetful, what comfort could we have in any promise? How could we depend on Him if he were ignorant of our state? His compassion to pity us, His readiness to revive us, His power to protect and assist us, would be insignificant without His omniscience to inform His goodness and direct the arm of His power. This perfection is, as it were, God's office of intelligence... You may depend upon His mercy that has promised, and upon his truth to perform, upon His sufficiency to supply and His goodness to relieve, and His righteousness to reward you, because He has an infinite understanding of you and your needs."

- Stephen Charnock (1628-1680)

Prepare to be stunned...

"This Son [Jesus]... was a gift to us; for our sakes he descended from His throne, and dwelt on earth; for our sakes He was made flesh... made a curse, and scorched in the furnace of His Father's wrath... He gave Him to us, to suffer for us as a man, and redeem us as a God; to be a sacrifice to expiate our sin by translating the punishment upon Himself, which was merited by us. Thus he was made low to exalt us, and debased to advance us, made poor to enrich us (II Cor. 8.9)... He was ordered to taste the bitter cup of death, that we might drink the rivers of immortal life... Thus was the righteous given for sin, the innocent for criminals, the glory of Heaven for the dregs of death, and the immense riches of a Deity expended to restock man."

- Charnock