How the Death of Jesus Transforms Our Perspective on Sin

This podcast is a ministry of Grand Parkway Baptist Church, helping people know, enjoy, and glorify God.

For more information about Grand Parkway, visit Grandparkway.org.

Amen.

Amen.

Hey.

Yeah, the Bible says this in the book of Revelation.

It says that they overcame by the blood of the Lamb the word of their testimony.

So we're not here today out of effort.

We're here to stand in Christ's accomplishment.

Okay?

Because Christianity is not about you working on you, it's about what Christ has done on the cross to do something about our sin.

In the Old Testament, the priest, the Bible says they would stand every day and perform these religious duties.

They could never take away sin.

They covered sin.

That's the difference.

A priest would cover sin.

Jesus took sin away.

So it's that the Bible says that sin no longer has power over you.

Matter of fact, in Romans chapter 6, the Bible says this.

Romans 6 · chapter mention

It says, What shall we say?

Shall we continue in sin so that grace may abound?

God forbid.

How shall we who are dead to sin continue to live any longer therein?

Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

Just so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

I said all that for you to hear that last part.

You can live a new life, not because of your efforts, but because of God's accomplishment on the cross.

Okay?

Let's pray together.

Father, we want to align ourselves with what the Bible says.

The Bible says that we overcome by the blood of the Lamb the word of our testimony.

Let the word of our testimony be in keeping with the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

We don't do what we do because we're good people, because we're disciplined people, because we're spiritual people.

We are empowered and able to do what we do because of what you've done.

So we stand here, Lord, in the accomplishment, just basking in it, giving you glory for it, and living as the benefactors of it.

That's what we get to do as Christians, God.

So I pray for anyone in this room that they come to church as a last resort and they're just kind of thinking, nothing else has worked.

The reality is nothing else is sufficient.

Only the blood of Christ, only the death of Jesus on the cross can pay for my sin, can set me free from the habits I can't seem to break.

So, Lord, let that truth be applied to our lives today.

Let people be set free because they understand what you accomplished on the cross.

Lord, we love you.

We love that you said it's finished.

And now it's ours to enjoy.

Let us do that today in Jesus' name.

And all God's people said.

Amen.

You can have a seat.

If you've got a Bible, I invite you to take it.

Open up to 1 Corinthians chapter 11.

1 Corinthians 11 · chapter mention

And let me explain what you see around the room.

Today is a communion day here at Grand Park Way.

When we celebrate communion, uh, it's the entire service.

But let me just begin, you'll get some directions here in just a moment.

But let me begin by saying we practice open communion.

What that means is if you're a Christian, you have a relationship with Christ, you're more than welcome to come and receive the elements today and observe communion with us.

But let me also say this: if you're not there yet, you're like, you know what, I'm not a Christian, I'm kind of still exploring Christianity, you're still welcome.

You don't have to leave.

You can just kind of sit and check this out.

We do this because it reminds us of the body and the blood of Jesus.

So what we'll do in just a minute is we'll come to these different stations.

There's three in the front, there's two in the back, one back here, one back here.

Each of them have uh regular elements and also have gluten-free if you have dietary restrictions.

But but the Bible tells us, and you'll see in just a minute, we'll read about it in 1 Corinthians chapter 11.

1 Corinthians 11 · chapter mention

Jesus kind of set this up.

It was in the Old Testament, it was referred to as Passover, and it was a way of remembering.

Jesus said to his disciples that night, he said, Hey, as often as you do this, do this in remembrance of me.

And so that's why we come and we eat this little, it's like a cracker, it's matza, it's unleavened bread.

It's a reminder that Christ offered up his body.

And we drink from this cup.

We use grape juice here, not real wine.

Uh uh, but and it's a reminder that Christ shed his blood for us.

Uh the Bible talks about it in instructions in 1 Corinthians chapter 11, starting in verse 23.

1 Corinthians 11 · chapter mention

Paul says, For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and he said, This is my body which is for you.

Do this in remembrance of me.

In the same way also he took the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood.

Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me.

For as often as you eat this bread and you drink the cup, uh you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

And so I want to draw your attention to that last part I read in verse 26.

He says, As often as you eat the bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

So what are we proclaiming today?

We're proclaiming three things.

First of all, we're proclaiming that the death of Jesus was necessary.

The death of Jesus is necessary.

Self-help is not going to get us there.

Self-improvement is not going to get you there.

When I say the death of Jesus was necessary, the Bible says in the book of Hebrews, chapter 9, about verse 22, that without the shedding of blood, there's no forgiveness.

Hebrews 9 · chapter mention

There's no sending away, there's no remission of sins.

Here's the thing to keep in mind when we think about the death of Jesus, most of the time in the church, it's not a bad thing.

We talk about it in terms of the love of God.

And that's true.

The Bible says that God demonstrated his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

But we also have to remember today that the justice of God demands a price be paid for sin.

We live in a culture that's kind of grown accustomed to accommodating sin.

But God, by requiring the death of his own son, is telling us how he feels about sin, his posture towards sin.

And so one of the questions you have to ask yourself today is, uh, can I be in a relationship with this God and not feel the same way about sin?

Let me give you a question to help maybe uh aim your thoughts in this direction.

And the question is this How does the death of Jesus inform the way you think about your sin?

How does the death of Jesus, if this is what was necessary, if Jesus had to die for me to experience forgiveness, then it seems that the death of Jesus should somehow inform the way I think about my sin.

The second thing we're proclaiming today is that the death of Jesus was personal.

What do we mean by that?

We use this phrase in theological circles, vicarious atonement.

What that means is simply this a vicar is someone who fulfills the duties of another person as a substitute.

When we say that Christ's death was vicarious, what we mean is that he died instead of us.

He died in our place and for our sins.

Because the Bible says that the wages of sin, the paycheck, what I deserve for being a sinner is I deserve to die.

And instead, Jesus dies in my place.

He could do this because of his perfect obedience.

He never sinned, so he was exempt from death.

Let me say that again.

Jesus never sinned.

The Bible says he was in all points tempted as we were, and yet without sin.

And so, because he never sinned, and the Bible says the wages of sin is death, because he never sinned, he clept out of death, for you call it students.

He was exempted from death.

And because of that, he could take on our guilt and fulfill the obligation to die as payment for our sins.

Here's another question, maybe to help us aim our minds in the right direction.

What does it stir in you when you understand that Jesus died in your place for your sins?

What does it stir in you that Jesus died in your place for your sins?

Let me give you an infinitesimal example of what I'm trying to get you to think towards.

My wife and I were in Papacitas here in Sugarland eating dinner a while back, and we asked for the check, and the waiter came over and said, Hey, somebody from your church was here and they paid for your meal.

And they said they just appreciate you being their pastor.

So you guys are good.

They took care of the tip and everything.

Now my wife was like looking around the restaurant, kind of going, Who could it be?

I was running for the car before they changed their mind.

I'm at the front door going, Come on, no question, the ministry, let's go.

And my wife's like, that was such a sweet gesture.

Who?

And then finally the waitress said, by the way, they left.

They saw y'all and they got here.

They were eating when y'all walked in.

You didn't see them, so they're long gone.

And I'm out there, I've got this truck cranked, I'm backed up to the door.

Come on, let's go.

Here's the thing: my wife was deeply moved by that gesture that someone paid our bill on an infinitely greater scale.

The Bible says that the bill for your sin came due and Jesus pays it.

So my wife walks out of Papocitas, kind of backing around, kind of like, where in the world?

I'm like, thank you, and adios.

Most of us in this room follow one of those two categories when it comes to the death of Jesus on the cross.

I'm not saying you should hang around the church just kind of going, oh my gosh.

But you should hold on to the sense of wonder that something that you and I could never afford was paid for.

Here's the third thing we proclaimed this morning that the death of Jesus was consequential.

The death of Jesus was consequential because the life of Jesus was perfect.

We often forget the life of Jesus when thinking about his dying, but it's his perfect life that made his dying so consequential.

He never sinned, so he was able to be sacrificed as a spotless lamb.

Remember when Jesus comes on the scene, John the Baptist, the first thing he says about him publicly is, Behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.

Now, you have to understand that for decades, for centuries, people have been sacrificing lambs as payment for their sin to cover their sin.

And Jesus walks on the scene because the Bible's one comprehensive story that God's telling.

It's not a bunch of one-off random things that don't fit together.

It all fits together.

And when John speaks these words and says, Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world, God is just kind of winking at us and kind of saying, This has been my plan all along.

Now, why do I tell you that this morning?

I tell you that to ask you this question: How does the death of Jesus inform and affect your daily living?

How does the death of Jesus see, God's always had an answer to your deepest problem?

The answer to your deepest problem is not opioids, it's not another sleeping pill, it's not that second or third glass of Merlot when you get home tonight?

The answer to your deepest problem and my deepest problem is to somebody to take care of the sin issues so I cannot be ruled by my appetites, and instead I can live in light of my understanding.

Let me ask you one last question, and we'll kind of reflect for a moment before we come to the table.

What if everything God intended is for this?

For you and I not to be ruled by our appetites.

Have things in your life that you enjoy, enjoy them in moderation, glory to God.

But live in light of your understanding.

Live in light of that you understand the big picture of what the Bible teaches, and you're set free by that.

What if that's God's plan all along?

Paul picks up in 1 Corinthians chapter 11, starting in verse 27, and he kind of gives us some instruction on how to approach this time.

1 Corinthians 11 · chapter mention

He says, Whoever therefore eats the bread or drinks of the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and the blood of the Lord.

Let a person examine himself then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself.

This is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.

Because if we judge ourselves truly, we would not be judged.

But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

I want you to just notice the way the Bible says.

He talks about being judged, being judged.

He said, We judge ourselves.

That's not like passing final say on yourself.

That's assessing yourself and see how you line up with what the Bible teaches.

He says, hey, if anyone eats or drinks without discerning the body, he's not talking about your body as much as he's talking about the body of Christ.

You belong to something bigger than yourself if you're a Christian.

I belong to something bigger than myself.

And so I my my behavior has to be in keeping with the gospel and what the what the people of God.

First Peter says, once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God.

And so it matters as I'm a part of the people of God.

It matters how I conduct myself and what how I live.

And so therefore, Paul says, hey, examine yourself.

Now, when the Bible says examine yourself, it's not an invitation to self-hatred, because most of us have got that down pat.

Amen?

He says, hey, examine yourself.

So you don't come to this table in an unworthy manner.

Not that we could ever come.

It's not thinking about in deserving.

It's about, hey, come understanding that God did what he did to involve you in what he's doing.

Let me say that again.

God did what he did way back then to involve you and I in what he's doing right now.

And so he says, hey, examine yourself.

Judge yourself.

Translation, tell yourself the truth.

Because God doesn't look into, he's not looking to disqualify you, he's looking to involve you.

That's why the Bible says, hey, but when we're judged by the Lord, we are disciplined.

So we may not be condemned along with the world.

There's always a redemptive element to the discipline of God in our life.

He's not looking to put you on the bench and tell you, hey, you screwed up, you're done.

He's looking to say, hey, I created you in my image, for my purposes, for my glory.

I want you to be a part of what I'm doing.

That's why we examine ourselves before we come to the table.

So here's what we like to do here at Grand Parkway.

We just like to take a moment.

Clyde will come and he may just sing something over us.

And during this time, I want you just to kind of get your head and your heart kind of synced up and ready for what you're about to do.

Let me voice a prayer.

Father, thanks for the instruction that you give us in your word that kind of informs how we come to this moment.

Thank you that our sin's been taken away.

It no longer has power over us.

So we're not here to apologize for our sin.

If we need to acknowledge sin and confess sin, great.

But we stand in the fact that we're forgiven today.

And where we sinned, we just chose to.

We didn't have to, we chose to.

So we tell ourselves the truth.

And you discipline us because we're not going to be condemned along with the world, with people that don't believe.

So, Holy Spirit, search our head and our heart.

We say what the psalmist said.

Search me, O God, and know my heart.

Try me and see if there'd be any anxious any anxious thoughts in me and lead me in the everlasting way.

Holy Spirit, come and do that even now.

Just take a moment and stay standing.

Just take a moment and just kind of gather up what the Lord said to you and did in you today before we're dismissed.

It's a humbling thing to be died for.

What do you walk away with this morning?

Take a moment, think about that.

Father, uh, thank you.

Seems to pale, it seems those words feel too skinny to convey to you, but we want you to know about our heart today and about our head today.

Uh we are humbled that you would offer up your son in our place for our sin.

Let that reorient us and give us a biblical posture towards sin.

Uh let us see uh the sufficiency of what Jesus did uh and let that bear itself out in the choices we make, in the words we speak, and the words that we don't speak.

And so, Holy Spirit, we're just humble today and we're grateful.

Uh, we're not here as your servants, we're here as your sons and daughters to say thank you for for loving us and hating sin.

Thank you that you're just and you're holy God, and you don't compromise when it comes to sin.

Let us be like you in that way.

And so, Lord, again, we just say thank you, and all God's people say Amen.

Uh there's a uh we like to, there's a verse in the Bible that says of Jesus' disciples that after they'd gathered, they sung a hymn and departed into the night.

Uh we like to close our communion with a doxology.

And so, Claude, would you lead us?