Sermon Central
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Mystery Of The Stumbling Stone
Contributed by Zachariah King on Sep 14, 2013 (message contributor)
Summary: Mystery of the gospel, by faith or works? The stumbling stone leads to destruction, it is religion by works that lead many astray. Religion never saved any one, only Jesus saves
John
Chapter 1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
1tim 316 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
For this reason God gave us the scripture to reveal this mystery
2tim3:16 All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
32 Wherefore? Because[ they sought it] not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
Jesus speaking of this stumbling stone said
44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
So what is he warning us not to stumble over?
6 Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?
By what standard do we consider good?
According to the scriptures God has a standard.
The ten commandments
Let's go thru a couple of them
9. You shall not lie
Have you ever told a lie? Then you are a liar. How many times do you have to tell a lie to be a liar? Just once. The Bible warns that all liars will have a place in the lake of fire. You may not think that deceitfulness is a serious sin, but God does!
8. You shall not steal
Have you ever taken anything that belonged to someone else, irrespective of its value? Regardless of the value of what was stolen, that makes us a thief and we are all guilty.
7. You shall not commit adultery
Have you always had pure thoughts? Jesus said that if we look at a person and have sexual lust and thoughts in our mind then we are guilty of the sin of adultery.
6. You shall not commit murder
This commandment does not only mean the taking of a person's physical life. Jesus taught that if a person hates someone else they are guilty of the sin of murder. We can violate God's Law by attitude and intent as well as by our actions.
3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God
Have you ever used the name of God or Jesus to swear or express disgust? Have you ever used the name of God like a four-letter filth word? If you have done this you are guilty of blasphemy and will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
So what is the penalty?
23 For the wages of sin[ is] death; but the gift of God[ is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
God became a man born from a virgin , lived the perfect, sinless life that we can not , for the purpose of taking the penalty of sin. He died the criminals death on the cross. And he raised the third day , proving him self to be God.
Jesus said in John 10:28-30
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any[ man] pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave[ them] me, is greater than all; and no[ man] is able to pluck[ them] out of my Father's hand. 30 I and[ my] Father are one.
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
That is the stumbling stone it can not be earned a guilty criminal can not bribe a righteous judge but your fine can be paid . And be set free form the law
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:[ it is] the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
