SINFULNESS SADDENS THE SAVIOR (Outline)
August 8, 2021 - Pentecost 11 - MATTHEW 23:34-39
INTRO.: Sinfulness brings sadness. Our world is filled with many sad things. It is all because of the effects of sin. God created a perfect world. Adam and Eve lived in God’s perfect creation. Ad-am and Eve had free will. They listened to the devil. In their pride they ate the forbidden fruit. “The LORD God called to the man and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ The man said, ‘I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.’” (GENESIS 3:9b, 10) Immediately Adam and Eve felt shame. Guilt. Fear. Imperfection replaced perfection. Sin. Sadness. SINFULNESS SADDENS THE SAVIOR. I. Accountable / rejection. II. Forgive able / repentance.
I. ACCOUNTABLE / REJECTION
A. In Matthew chapter 23 Jesus condemns the religious leaders with seven “woes”.
1. The religious leaders were leading people astray. Woe to them. False teachers.
2. In verse 33 called the leaders snakes and vipers. How will they escape hell?
B. Verse 34. “Look, this is why…” God’s people deserved better. Leaders misleading them.
1. Jesus sending apostles and disciples to proclaim God’s truth to them.
2. Peoples’ reaction? “Kill…crucify…flog…persecute.” Not a pretty picture. Truth rejected.
C. Verse 35. Those rejecting Jesus and truth will be held accountable of all righteous bled spilled.
1. Righteous Cain (Genesis) to Zechariah (2 Chronicles). Entire Old Testament.
2. Verse 36. “Entire generation” refers to character rather than time. All who reject guilty.
D. Sinfulness brings sadness. The religious leaders did not like hearing Jesus condemn them. Nor did the people. It is not pleasant to point out sin. But sin needs to be exposed. People want to try and hide their sins. We do not want anyone to know the wickedness that lurks within our hearts. The truth is that all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. Our society has renamed many sins as diseases. They have no cure for such newly named “diseases”. Sin is still sin. We do not like to hear about our sins. Or our sinfulness. If we do not see our sin we will not see any need for a Savior. Our world needs to hear about sin. It is real. Dangerous. Spiritual disease. “Indeed, all souls are mine. The soul of the father is mine just like the soul of the son. The soul who sins is the one who will die.” (EZEKIEL 18:4) Everyone dies because everyone sins. Death is the result of sinning. Simple truth.
E. At times we try to justify ourselves. We like to think or might even say, “We are not as bad as our neighbor. Not as bad as ________.” Maybe. Maybe not. The Lord does not rate sins or sinfulness. Everyone is born with original sin. We inherit from Adam and Eve, this world’s first parents. We also are guilty of sinning on our own. Our own will. We do not do the things that are pleasing to our loving, heavenly Father. Concerning sinfulness and sin we are all in the same situation. It does matter the amount of sin. Or how we rate sin. “In fact, whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles in one point has become guilty of breaking all of it." (JAMES 2:10) One sin, just one, breaks all God’s laws.
F. Do not let Satan trick you into thinking sinning is not that dangerous. Sin is eternally soul destroying. Do not let your sinful nature try to justify yourself. We are guilty. Do not let the world mislead you about sin. We sin against God in thought, word, and deed. A local preacher admitted breaking all God’s commandments except one. He boasted about not killing anyone. Woe! One sin breaks all God’s commandments. Thoughts and words are as sinful as actions. “The one who does not love[ his brother remains in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him." (1 JOHN 3:14b, 15) Not hating our brother takes effort. All too often we are too quick to condemn others. Hate. Murder. Our world thrives on hatred.
SINFULNESS SADDENS THE SAVIOR. We are accountable for our sins and sinfulness.
II. FORGIVE ABLE / REPENTANCE
A. Sin is never, ever pleasant. To see sin. Recognize sinfulness. God’s truth for all to hear.
1. Verse 37. Jesus laments over Jerusalem. Its people. They kill & stone God’s messengers.
2. How often the Lord Jesus longed to gather the chicks (Israel) under his wings.
3. Jesus was as protective as a mother hen. Provided safety. Israel would not have it.
B. Verse 38. Temple worship was defiled. In 70 A.D. Rome destroyed the temple & Jerusalem.
C. Verse 39. “…not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
1. In the near future crowds would welcome Jesus on Palm Sunday. By Friday – crucify.
2. On judgment day those waiting for Jesus’ return would say, “Blessed is he who comes…!”
D. Who can truly comprehend the unlimited compassion of our loving, heavenly Father? He seeks his children when they disobey. Or run away. Our Lord God of Armies delights to show mercy. Even God’s own people turn away. Our first lesson (Exodus 16) God’s people complain about being delivered from the slavery of the Egyptians. They wanted more than freedom. To-day’s gospel (John 6:24-35) echoed a similar sentiment of the people in Jesus’ day. Jesus miraculously fed the 5,000. Yet, the people still demanded signs. Jesus did not give up. He sought their eternal welfare. Still does so today. "I said, “Here I am, here I am,” to a nation that did not call on my name. I reached out my hands all day to a stubborn people, who are walking in a way that is not good, who follow their own ideas.” (ISAIAH 65:1b, 2) Too many people follow their own ways. Walking in evil. Jesus reaches out.
E. Jesus loves us unconditionally. Loves us even when we are not so loveable. Grace is God’s un-deserved love freely shown us. Freely showered on us. What an amazing God we have! He re-moves our sins as far as the east is from the west. The Lord hurls our transgressions into the depths of the sea. Our gracious God forgives. Forgets our sins. Blots out our wickedness. “But God shows his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Therefore, since we have now been justified by his blood, it is even more certain that we will be saved from God’s wrath through him.” (ROMANS 3:18, 19) The blood of Cain cried out from the ground. The blood of Jesus purifies us.
F. The sinfulness of God’s chosen people brought sadness to the Savior. He warned them. They would not listen. Cries of blessing on Palm Sunday changed to cries of “Crucify, crucify” on Friday. The Lord Jesus died for their sins. Our sins. The sins of the whole world. On Judgment Day he will return as the righteous Judge. "…so also Christ was offered only once to take away the sins of many, and he will appear a second time—without sin—to bring salvation to those who are eagerly waiting for him.” (HEBREWS 9:28) We eagerly wait for his return. The Last Day is closer than ever. God’s signs in nature cannot be mistaken. The Lord wants people to wake up. Look up. Come, Lord Jesus.
CONC.: Sinfulness and sadness seem to go hand in hand. Sinning does not make anyone happy in eternity. We rebel. Our sins are a rejection of God’s will for our lives. We are accountable. Thanks be to God who sent his Son, our Savior Jesus Christ to fully pay our account. The blood of Jesus sets us free. We are forgiven. Here is part of the Psalm Jesus quoted. “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. We bless you from the house of the LORD. The LORD is God, and he makes light shine on us.” (PSALM 118:26, 27a) The light of the Lord shines on us. We have seen God’s glory – full of grace and truth. The Lord’s light shines on us. In us. And through us. God’s Light scat-ters the darkness. SINFULNESS SADDENS THE SAVIOR. We see our sins. We see our Savior. Jesus turns our sadness into gladness. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
PENTECOST 11 rdgs: EXODUS 16:2-15; EPH. 4:17-24; JOHN 6:24-35; (PSALM 145)
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