February 28-29, 2004 HIS PASSION INTO MY PASSION! Selected

CROSS COMMUNICATION!

*** John 1:1, 14 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” [New International Version]

WHY THIS IS GREATEST STORY EVERY TOLD!

1. THE COMMUNICATION CAN BE BELIEVED!

A. TEXTUAL EVIDENCE!

·24,633 MANUSCRIPTS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

B. HISTORICAL EVIDENCE!

C. ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE!

*** John 20:30-31 “Jesus' disciples saw him do many other miraculous signs besides the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life.” [New Living Translation]

2. THE CONTROVERSY CAN BE SETTLED!

*** Romans 3:25 “For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us.” [NLT]

*** 1 Cor. 15:3 “I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me—that Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said.” [NLT]

·NO ONE KILLED JESUS!

*** John 10:18 “No one can take my life from me. I lay down my life voluntarily. For I have the right to lay it down when I want to and also the power to take it again. For my Father has given me this command." [NLT]

*** John 12:27 "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.” [NIV]

*** John 12:47 "For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.” [NIV]

*** Matthew 26:54 “But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?" [NIV]

3. THE CONTENT CAN BE JUSTIFIED!

A. HE WAS TRIED!

·6 TRIALS IN 12 HOURS ALL AT NIGHT!

*** MT. 26:63-64 “The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." "Yes," Jesus replied.” [NIV]

B. HE WAS BEATEN!

*** John 19:1 “Then Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip.” [NLT]

*** Psalm 129:3 “My back is covered with cuts, as if a farmer had plowed long furrows.” [NLT]

*** Isaiah 53:4-5 “Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God for his own sins! But he was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed!” [NLT]

C. HE WAS CRUCIFIED!

*** John 19:16-18 “Then Pilate handed Jesus over to be nailed to a cross. Jesus was taken away, and he carried his cross to a place known as "The Skull." In Aramaic this place is called "Golgotha." There Jesus was nailed to the cross, and on each side of him a man was also nailed to a cross.” [Contemporary English Version]

*** John 19:30 “Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” [NIV]

*** Romans 5:6, 8 “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” {NLT]

4. THE CONCLUSION CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

A. WHY DID JESUS HAVE TO DIE?

*** Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard.”

*** Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death….” [NLT] Somebody has to pay

*** Ephes. 1:7-8 “Christ sacrificed his life's blood to set us free, which means that our sins are now forgiven.” [CEV]

*** Hebrews 2:10 “Everything belongs to God, and all things were created by his power. So God did the right thing when he made Jesus perfect by suffering, as Jesus led many of God's children to be saved and to share in his glory.” [CEV]

B. YOU CAN’T KEEP A GOOD (GOD) MAN DOWN!

*** 1 Cor. 15:1-4 “Now let me remind you…,of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then and still do now, for your faith is built on this wonderful message. And it is this Good News that saves you if you firmly believe it—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place. I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me—that Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, as the Scriptures said.” [NLT]

C. MAKING HIS PASSION INTO MY PASSION!

1. LOVE JESUS MORE! - 1 Peter 1:8-9 “You have never seen Jesus, and you don't see him now. But still you love him and have faith in him, and no words can tell how glad and happy you are to be saved.” [CEV]

2. HATE SIN MORE! - Psalm 97:10 “Let those who love the Lord hate evil….” [NIV]

3. TELL OTHERS MORE! - 2 Cor. 5:20 “We are Christ's ambassadors, and God is using us to speak to you. We urge you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, "Be reconciled to God!" [NLT]