2008 Ash Wednesday Service – “The
Gospel: God, Sin, Christ, Response”
Selected Scriptures
Sermon preached at Curwensville Presbyterian Church – February 6, 2008
NOTE: This sermon was preached in 4 parts.
Sermon Intro: Will being here tonight make any difference in your life? If not, it almost seems like a waste of time to be here, doesn’t it? If a real difference is to be made, God must enter in. He is here – but will he enter in to your heart to change you from the inside out. There is only one way for this to happen – the reading and preaching of God’s Word, focusing on the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
And so this evening I want to share four separate readings from Scripture that key in on the four parts of the gospel: God, Sin, Christ Response. If you want to see change in your life, join me in prayer…Pray for the preacher…
SCRIPTURE/SERMON #1:
The gospel begins with God. That might seem a bit obvious to say, but it is also one that is easy to miss; because we need to consider what God we begin with. Do we begin with a god who created the world, but doesn’t have much to do with it now? Do we begin with a god who doesn’t really care what you believe, as long as you believe in something? Do we begin with a god who tells you to be a good person and try to do the right thing?
No, no and no. The God of the gospel is the Holy God of the universe. The Holy God revealed in Scripture alone. Most people have a tiny view of God. We need to enlarge our view of God, to see the God of the Bible – the God who created the universe, and holds it in his hand.
The opening words of Scripture say, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Genesis 1:1-3)
One of the first books I recommend to people to read is J.I. Packer’s Knowing God. Packer helps us to understand the awesome God who is, rather than the pip-squeak god affirmed by our current culture. Today’s world is okay with you believing in God as long as He isn’t sovereign (because we need to take care of ourselves), isn’t holy (because no one is perfect), and isn’t exclusive (because everyone is okay).
But the true God – who has revealed Himself in His Word – is the one, true, holy Lord of the universe. Who made everything out of nothing – by the word of his power – and all very good.
Steve Brown says, “If you’ve ever stood before a holy God and felt like anything but a peon, you were standing before an idol.” Anyone who says, “God is boring” doesn’t know God.
Why do people shrink their view of God? Why do people turn to a god who is smaller than the God of the Bible? So that we can be in control – but that never seems to work out in the long run.
Some of you know the Veggie Tales song – “God is bigger than the boogeyman. He’s bigger than Godzilla, or the monsters on TV. God is bigger than the boogeyman and he’s watching out for you and me.”
It’s cute, and is perhaps helpful for the young kid worried about the boogeyman under the bed. But we’re all are okay thinking that God is bigger than the boogeyman, because there’s no such thing as the boogeyman, or Godzilla or the monster’s on TV. They are fictitious.
But is God bigger than my real life situations?
What if I’m really stuck in something deep, is God bigger than that?
What if someone is hurting me, is God bigger than them?
What if “this is just the way I am” – is God bigger than me?
The answer is yes, yes and yes. God is bigger – way bigger – and so it is amazing to think how hard we must try to let other things and people and us seem bigger; because we let those things be closer.
We talked about this in a sermon last year. The things closest to us seem the biggest. In art you draw depth perception by making certain things bigger – to look closer. Put your thumb up close to your eye, everything else is blocked out – by your thumb! The comedy group the Kids in the Hall used to put their thumb and forefinger up to their eye and say, “I crush your head.”
The problems in our life always seem so big, because they are so close. In order to see that God really is bigger, you only need to do one simple thing – let God get closer.
You know the story about David and Goliath. The people saw how big Goliath was. David saw how much bigger God is – because God was closer.
This is why I love to read the Puritans. John Owen, Richard Sibbes, Thomas Watson, Richard Baxter, Charles Spurgeon. For these guys, God was huge – especially because God was so close. Jeremiah Burroughs, in his classic book Gospel Worship, said “The reason why we worship God in a slight way is because we do not see God in His glory.”
Many people don’t worship God, because they’ve never really heard about a God worth worshiping. Why worship a god who wants to do good, but can’t pull it off because people won’t cooperate (cf. Don Kistler’s article, “Why Read the Puritans Today”).
But the Scriptures paint a much bigger picture of God. He is the God
who created everything, from nothing. He is the God who, before the beginning of
time, decreed all that comes to pass – down to every molecule.
Instead of a god who needs to keep up with us, there is a true God
who is light years ahead of us.
And yet we become consumed by tiny things: Oh no it’s an ant, an ant! SQUASH!
Oh no it’s trouble at school, work, home! SQUASH!
(7:12)*Hymn #467 “How Great Thou Art”
Let’s sing of God’s greatness, with hymn #467 (different then what is printed in your bulletin). Hymn #467 – and sing about the greatness of God who created all things out of nothing; who conquered sin and death on the cross of Christ; who will take us home to heaven – if we realize How Great Thou Art!
SCRIPTURE/SERMON #2:
When you look at the greatness of God, you become acutely aware of your own sin. That’s how it should be. The 1st part of the gospel – “God” – points directly to the 2nd part of the gospel – “sin.”
Our culture doesn’t like to talk about sin, because it doesn’t talk about the one, true, holy God. If God isn’t holy and sovereign, then there is no right or wrong. If there is no right or wrong, then there is no sin. It’s simply whatever is right for you; whatever makes you happy.
People get divorced, because their marriage no longer makes them happy. People drop out of school, because it just isn’t right for them. People quit their jobs, because it isn’t self-fulfilling.
And so we have become a society fixated on those things that make us happy – give us pleasure – even if only momentarily. When we stop long enough to look into our hearts, we see that we are simply trying to find an escapist moment of pleasure in the midst of our misery.
From chocolate, to TV, from a selfish moment of pride, to an empowering moment of anger – we seek worldly pleasures to escape worldly misery.
I’ve recently been memorizing the Westminster Shorter Catechism [I know many of you aren’t big fans of memorizing]. Memorizing does more than just reading. Reading puts words into your brain; memorizing puts words into your soul.
The WSC says that the fall of mankind into sin brings us misery; and Q&A #19 really struck me, asking, “What is the misery of that estate whereinto man fell? (In other words, what makes our condition so miserable?) The answer begins: “All mankind by their fall lost communion with God…” There is more, but that opening phrase gripped me – “lost communion with God.”
No wonder we experience such misery. We lost communion – we became separated from God. That’s why little things get so close to us – getting between us and God – and seem like such big things.
Particular sins try to find pleasure in the world, rather than finding pleasure in God. In so doing, we simply remain apart from God – and so we remain miserable.
And so
rather than indulging in sin, we should despise it, realizing what it really is
and does.
I think I’ve told you the story about a time when Jen & I lived in Florida with another couple. One day our cat – Meshach – was sitting on our friend’s beautiful cherry wood chest, covered with a stitched fabric. And the cat started doing that thing with their throat where you can tell he’s going to cough up a hairball; and he was going to do it right on this stitched fabric. Not wanting to let that happen, I ran over to the cat and stuck out my hands and – BLECH! – caught the cat puke right in my bare hands.
That is the nastiness of our sin. It is disgusting in the eyes of the Lord. All sin is rebellion against God – it is repugnant.
We don’t sense its repugnance, unless it affects us negatively. In fact, we often celebrate sin; but the fact is that sin is nasty.
It is cat puke in your hand. It is vomit that a dog licks back up. Disgusting? Absolutely. So is our sin to God. May it be equally disgusting to us.
Call To Confession – This evening I would like to invite you to come forward for the receiving of ashes as a time for confessing sin. There is no hurry; we will sing two hymns as you come forward. The ashes will be placed on your hand in the sign of the cross.
Confess your sin at the root – from the heart – let your sin disgust you.
Confess your sin to God – for it is against the holy God that you have sinned.
(7:23) Receive Ashes – Sing 2 hymns as people come forward – put ashes in sign of the cross on hands
*Hymn #98 “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded”
#102 “Were You There?”
SCRIPTURE/SERMON #3:
The greatness of God, causes us to see the greatness of our sin. At this point there is only one of two options: (1) Seek to cover up the sin or (2) Seek to get rid of the sin.
We know about cover ups. Make up covers up the blemishes. Crooks cover up the crime. And we cover up our sin by trying not to think about. Power of positive thinking, escapism, busyness – are all forms of sin cover up.
The sin and misery doesn’t go away – it is always there lurking. Why do you think depression rates are so high? Why do you think sin is celebrated in the media?
Why do you think we are so fixated on the sins of celebrities – so that we can feel better about ourselves: “They’re just as bad as I am” and/or Escapism – fixating on their problems so you don’t have to think about your own.”
But there is another path – the path less traveled. The path of freedom.
It has been said, “The birth of Christ brought God to man, but it took the cross of Christ to bring man to God.”
Sin means we lost communion with God. But our big God is also a good God, and did not leave us to perish in the estate of sin and misery; rather he sent Jesus Christ to redeem us that we might be holy and happy. Restored fellowship with God is possible by faith alone in Christ alone. Only through Christ can communion with God be restored.
In His incarnation, Jesus – the eternal Son of God – became fully human; and He lived the perfect life that we failed to live. He “has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin” (Hebrews 4:15b).
On the cross Jesus, the perfect sacrifice – having been made perfect by suffering every temptation without caving in – took the guilt of our sin; and in exchange gave us the credit for His perfection.
This Great Exchange changes us. We are no longer under God’s wrath. We are no longer God’s enemy. We are no longer guilty.
We are forgiven. We are set free from the guilt and power of sin. We are God’s holy child. We are righteous by God’s gracious decree.
In Jesus Christ the great “I Am” says you are; and so there is no need to feel the guilt and power of sin overwhelming you. Jesus Christ is the Truth who sets you free from the guilt and power of sin. Let it go. Sin has no hold on you. Sin has no grip on you. Satan has no claim on you. Not only are you forgiven, through Jesus Christ, you are free, through Jesus Christ.
So why do you have ashes on you hand as though you were still guilty?
If you want to see change in your life, you need to see God and see your sin – and see Christ
Wash Ashes – One
of our memory verses in 2003 was
I invite you to come forward for the washing off of ashes in a time for recognizing that you have been forgiven by the death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. Again, there is no hurry; we will sing two hymns as you come forward. When you are ready, come forward as those who have been set free by the Truth – by the love of Christ.
*Hymn #85 “What Wondrous Love is This”
WS #20 “There is a Fountain Filled with Blood”
SCRIPTURE/SERMON #4:
We have not yet come to the end of the gospel. There is a 4th part that is absolutely vital – it is where the rubber meets the road – it is our response to the truth.
It is not enough to believe in the one, true holy God if that does not lead you to recognize sin.
It is not enough to confess the sin of your heart, the sin against God, if you do not know Christ.
It is not enough to say that you know and believe in Christ, if you do not respond by trusting in Jesus Christ as your Savior and surrender to Jesus Christ as your Lord.
The grace of God is not a license to sin. It is a license to salvation. God’s grace gives us the freedom to be faithful.
There are many people who claim to believe in God, but they do not worship God.
There are many people who admit they are sinners, but they do not repent of their sin.
There are many people who say they are Christians, but they do not follow Christ as Lord.
By their fruit you will recognize them. Only he who does the will of my Father will enter the kingdom of heaven.
What about you, here, this evening? Do you come as one who has only ever heard the 1st part of the gospel [God] and fall into the trap of secularism [“God created everything good, and we all believe in the same creator God…”].
Or have you only ever heard the 2nd part – and fall into the trap of condemnation [“I am a sinner. I am guilty. There is no hope. I will never be able to get better. I keep trying and trying, but forget it…”]
Or have you only ever heard the 3rd part – and fall into the trap of carnality [“Jesus was born at Christmas and rose at Easter; I can worship God on my own as well as I can with the church. I’m going to heaven, guaranteed; I can do whatever I want. I am forgiven, so I can sin all I want now.”]
Or have you heard all 4 parts – and desire Christ to change your heart, your life. Will you respond to God’s grace right now and trust in Christ for your salvation from sin’s guilt and power and surrender to the Lordship of Christ in your life?
Will you repent and believe, by God’s grace?
Do you know that you were once God’s enemy, but are now invited to be seated at His table? Will you come to the table – not half-heartedly, but whole-heartedly?
If you want to see change in your life, you need to see God, see your sin, and see Christ – and respond.