Merritt Opening Song: #327 I’d Rather Have Jesus Title: So Great Salvation
Scripture: Hebrews 2:3, How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by them that heard Him.
Dr. Christianson taught the required course in Christianity for every freshman. Most students did not take the gospel seriously. Dr. Christianson had a student named Steve who was studying for the ministry. Steve was popular, very athletic, starting center of football team, and top student. Professor asked Steve after class, “How many push-ups can you do?”
Steve answered, "I do 200 pushups every night."
"Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I need you to do this on Friday,” Prof explained.
Friday during last class, professor pulled out a box of cupcakes for class party. He went to the first girl in first row, "Cynthia, do you want one of these cupcakes?"
Cynthia said, "Yes, please."
Dr. Christianson then asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Cynthia can have a cupcake?"
"Sure." Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Steve again sat in his desk. Dr. Christianson put a cupcake on Cynthia's desk.
Dr. Christianson went to the next person, "Joe, do you want a cupcake?"
Joe said, "Yes." Dr. Christianson asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a cupcake?"
Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a cupcake. So it went down first aisle. Second aisle, Dr. Christianson came to Scott who was on basketball team, as athletic as Steve, and liked by all girls. Professor asked, "Scott, do you want a cupcake?"
Scott replied, "Can I do my own pushups?"
Dr. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them."
Scott said, "Well, then I don't want one!"
Dr. Christianson turned and asked, "Steve, would you do ten pushups so Scott can have a cupcake he doesn't want?"
With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten pushups. Scott exclaimed, "Hey! I want to do my OWN push-ups or I don’t want a cupcake!"
Dr. Christianson said, "This is my classroom, my class, and I give the cupcakes. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it." And he put a cupcake on Scott's desk. Now Steve had begun to slow down a little. He stayed on the floor between sets rather than get up and down. Prof started down third row. Students were beginning to get a little upset. "Jenny, do you want a cupcake?" Sternly Jenny said, "No!"
Professor asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Jenny can have a cupcake she doesn't want?" Steve did; Jenny got a cupcake. Growing uneasiness filled the room as students said, "No". Steve had to really put extra effort to do pushups for uneaten cupcakes. Small pool of sweat fell under his face; his arms and face red. Dr. Christianson asked Robert, the most vocal unbeliever in the class, to count Steve’s full sets.
Last row. However, students from other classes wandered in and sat on stairs. When professor saw 4 more students in the room, he worried if Steve would be able to make it. Steve was really having a rough time. Jason, a transfer student, was about to come in when all students yelled in one voice, "No! Don't come in! Stay out!" Steve picked up his head, "Let him come."
Prof asked, "You realize if Jason comes in, you have to do pushups for him?"
Steve said, "Yes, let him come."
Prof said, "I'll let you get Jason's out of the way. Jason, do you want a cupcake?"
"Yes," Jason said. Steve did ten pushups very slowly with great effort. Jason was handed a cupcake. Dr. Christianson started on visitors seated on stairs. Steve's arms shook with each push-up. No sound except his heavy breathing; students were fighting back tears. The very last two, cheerleaders, were very popular. Prof asked, "Linda, do you want a cupcake?" Linda said very sadly, "No, thank you."
Professor asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Linda can have a cupcake she doesn't want?" Steve did ten difficult pushups for Linda. Professor turned to the last, "Susan, do you want a cupcake?"
Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. "Dr. Christianson, why can't I help him?"
Dr. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, Steve has to do it alone. When I decided to have a party last day of class, I looked at my grade book. Steve here is the ONLY student with perfect grade. Everyone else failed a test, skipped class, or didn’t hand in assignments. Steve told me in football practice, when a player messes up he must do push-ups. I told Steve none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing YOUR pushups. He and I made a deal for your sakes. Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a cupcake?” As Steve very slowly finished his last pushup, with understanding he did all required, 350 pushups, his arms buckled and he fell to the floor.
Dr. Christianson turned to the room, "And so it was that Jesus Christ, on the cross, pled to the Father, 'Into Thy hands I commend My spirit.' He did everything required and yielded His life. And like some in this room, many leave the gift on the desk." Two students helped Steve up, physically exhausted, but wearing a smile. Professor said, "Not all sermons are preached in words. Whether or not we choose to accept God’s gift, the price has been PAID. Are we going to leave it lying on the desk?" A rich young ruler asked, “What great thing must I DO to inherit eternal life?"
SONG: VIVA LA VIDA
He was enthusiastic about “earning” salvation with some great task. Jesus looked at him and loved him, Mark 10: 21-22. Jesus asked him to sell all, give to the poor and follow Him. Jesus loved the rich young ruler, but the young man had no room to love Jesus. His heart was already taken. Jesus did not say WE should sell all, make a new social communism, or communes. He didn’t tell Zacchaeus sell all. When one brother asked Jesus to tell his older brother to divide inheritance, Luke 12:13, Jesus refused to meddle in property. He didn’t tell Nicodemus or Joseph of Arimathea to sell all.
It’s not surrendering stuff. It’s spiritual treasure in our hearts which does not leave room for endless goods. Life is relationships, especially with God. Jesus was speaking of what really matters, loving God. Jesus wanted the rich young ruler to come follow Him, but the ruler’s heart was following something else. Young man thought he kept commandments but he did not love God. Jesus was really asking, “Will you love Me?”
A beautiful swan stopped by marsh banks where a crane was wading looking for snails. The crane viewed the swan in wonder, "Where do you come from?"
"I come from heaven!" replied the swan.
"And where is heaven?" asked the crane.
Swan said, "Have you never heard of heaven?" He described streets of gold, river of life pure as crystal and tree of life. In eloquence, swan described those who live there, but without understanding from the crane.
Finally crane asked, "Are any snails there?"
"Snails!" repeated the swan, "No, I didn’t notice snails."
"Then," said the crane, as it continued to search along slimy banks of the pond, "you can have your heaven. I want snails!"
Jesus loved us more than heaven, mansions, streets of gold. He left glories of heaven for us. John 12: 42-43, Many people DID believe in Him, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn't admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue, for they loved praise from men more than praise from God. They were more concerned about what people thought. They loved men’s ideas, opinions, and beliefs. They loved their position, and were ruled by fear of loss. They wouldn’t risk losing places of honour. They chose man’s approval over Jesus.
Isaiah 53:3, He was despised, rejected, a Man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on Him hiding our face from Him. We despised Him and did not care. Jesus loved us more than rejection and disgrace. Don’t settle for snails when Jesus died to make heaven available for us. Acts 4:12, Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.
Mark 11:15-17, Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those selling and buying. He overturned tables of moneychangers and seats of those who sold doves teaching, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations?’ But you have made it a den of robbers.” How did leaders respond? “When chief priests and scribes heard, they kept looking for a way to kill Jesus.”
SONG: WHERE IS JESUS
They felt Jesus prevented function of the temple, offering of sacrifices. To priests, Jesus was keeping people from worship, a serious capital offence. Jesus healed a paralyzed man by forgiving his sins. Mark 2:6, Now teachers of the law were thinking, “Why does this fellow blaspheme? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" If Jesus forgave sin, why bother with temple sacrifices? Those whose life centered on temple didn’t take this lightly!
By referring to a “den of robbers,” Jesus was quoting Jeremiah 7: 8-14, Here you are, trusting in deceptive words to no avail. Will you murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, offer to Baal, go after other gods then come stand before Me in this house, which is called by My name, and say, “We are safe!” only to go on doing abominations? Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? And now, because you have done all these things, says the Lord, therefore I will do to the house that is called by My name what I did to Shiloh.
Psalm 78:60, God abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent He had set up among men. By quoting Jeremiah 7, Jesus said those who took refuge in the temple could not presume to be safe. To priests, that was a crime against the temple. They thought they were defending God’s temple and God Himself when they killed Jesus. Can that happen to religious people today?
Jeremiah 26:8, But as soon as Jeremiah finished telling all the people everything the Lord had commanded him to say, the priests, prophets and people seized him and said, "You must die!” Here is the SAME pattern. Leaders like Caiaphas, the High Priest, said Jesus was a threat to peace, and Rome would destroy Jerusalem and the temple because of Jesus. They said Jesus’ message lessened people’s commitment to the way taught by church leaders. Jesus presented Himself as Messiah, but He wouldn’t lead a revolt against Rome. Instead Jesus turned His judgment against priests and the temple. So Jesus must be a false messiah as far as they were concerned. Caiaphas and his priests did exactly what Jewish leaders in their position thought they had to do when someone insulted or threatened the temple. They loved their forms of worship, rather than Jesus. Yet they desecrated God’s temple by making it a flea market money scheme to cheat worshipers. Church leaders thought they were protecting their religion by killing Jesus.
SONG: YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN
For years, I thought attending church, reading my bible and obeying the law would save me, just like Pharisees did. Working my way to heaven- is that rejecting Jesus? Striving for my own salvation- is that neglecting so great salvation? Being a legalist- is that making rules our god? Either I must save myself or Jesus Saves! Either I must purify myself or Jesus purifies. Either I must reform my way to heaven, or Jesus has already earned our heaven. Either it’s what Isabelle must do, or it’s what Jesus has done.
Application for ministry positions in church have been received. Board meeting reviewed applicants. Adam seems like a good man, but he follows bad directions from his wife. Noah takes forever to build and he's a doomsday pessimist. Joseph brags too much and has a prison record. Moses stutters, is a fugitive murderer and hits with a stick. Job is rich, but he is in disease remission and sat on a pity pot. David’s kids are out of control, and his wives are a handful. To make matters worse, he wants drums in worship. Solomon has a good head on his shoulders, but it took him 7 years to complete the temple and 13 years to build his palace trying to please all those wives. Elijah collapses under pressure and spends too much time by himself in the woods. Samson’s hair is too long. Jonah, strong runner, but he makes up big fish tales. John the Baptist dresses awful, food fanatic. Paul is a controversial preacher, speaks all night and sleeping people fall to death. Deborah is just a woman. Timothy’s too young. Methuselah too old. What about Judas? Now he comes with good character references. Good connections, conservative, so he won't rock the boat. Understands finances. Looks like he's the one a church will hire. Yet church leaders rejected Jesus and thereby so great salvation.
Isaiah 55:8-9, “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the Lord. "And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For as heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." The fact God of this universe loves and cares for rebellious humanity is greatest mystery of all time! God’s love not only tells us, but shows us in person, Jesus Christ!
Salvation is given "under Heaven"-not in Heaven, this side of Heaven; there is no such thing as missing salvation in this life then receiving it in the next life. Salvation must be experienced here and now, and that is why we are saved today. God is infinitely merciful and desires salvation for all men, but we receive it here and now, in this life. John 8:28, So Jesus said to them, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing on My own authority, but speak just as the Father taught Me.” Jesus was sent by the Father as FIRM evidence of God’s love for us! Jesus is full revelation of God’s love. He is answer for our hurts, sorrow and every sin. We may neglect so great salvation but Jesus chose the cross over life without you. Please, don’t leave His gift unopened by trying to make our own salvation.
SONG: MY TRIBUTE