Sermon Central
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One Hammer Three Nails
Contributed by Todd Goodwin on Jun 22, 2001 (message contributor)
Summary: Every Christian should understand that everytime we sin we are in essence driving the nails into Jesus’ hands and feet because when we sin we break the heart of God.
(Isa 14:13-14 KJV) For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: {14} I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
3. The Pharisees in Jesus’ time were consumed with selfishness. Jesus was a threat to their dreams, wishes, wants, and desires. And out of selfish and egotistical motives theyfalsely accused Jesus and held a mock trial to convict Jesus of something he did not do. His only crime was that he loved people too much.
4. Selfishness is what motives and drives us to commit the sins that we commit. I may call someone a curse name because they hurt my feelings, or said something that affected me in some way or another directly or indirectly. It rarely bothers us if everybody in school makes fun of the "school nerd". Why? Because they are not directly nor indirectly associated with us. But if it was our brother or sister that was the school nerd then that would be a different story.
B. THE HAMMER IN HAND.
1. Every time we willingly commit sin we take up the hammer of selfishness in our hand and wield it’s force down on the nails that reverberates through the body of Jesus and inflicts more pain on his heart rather than on his hands and his feet.
2. Many times we are so busy with "our" life that we don’t even realize what we are doing. We don’t even know that we have picked up the hammer and used it.
3. We have become so used to being selfish that when we are being selfish, we don’t realize that we are. Since everyone else is being as selfish as we are we can’t see the wrong in it. We have become oblivious to the fact that we are selfish people without God.
4. The Hammer of selfishness is in our hand and we must make a choice to lay it down and allow God free reign and control over our lives so that our lives will please and glorify him. Or we can continue and let the hammer fall on the nails and once more put Jesus to public shame. Here’s the hammer! What are you going to do with it?
II. THE NAIL OF ARROGANCE
A. THE PHARISEES
1. Of the three nails that put and kept Jesus on the cross one was that of spiritual arrogance or spiritual pride. The Pharisees were men of arrogance. Men who "thought" they had all their "I’s" dotted and their "T’s" crossed but could not see pass their spiritual pride to see their need for a Savior.
2. The Pharisees looked good on the outside but on the inside they were dead and full of corruption, filth, decay, and death. They took great pride in their own accomplishments and what they could do and all their religious works.
(Mat 23:27 NIV) "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.
3. The Pharisees took great comfort and security in the fact that they did everything just right and thought that those things would get them to heaven. Yet all the while Jesus was saying those things were useless and futile in the presence of the Almighty God.
