What Really Matters in this Life?
Pastor Glenn Newton 2-8-04
This morning, maybe you have said these words..... maybe you have thought them, or
something real similar..... maybe your here this morning and these words are how you feel.
Listen to this conversation, this encounter...written by Max Lucado....
“I just want to know what counts.” His deep Irish accent said very sincerely. “Don’t talk
to me of religion, I’ve been down that road. And please, stay off theology. I have a
degree in that. Get to the heart of it, OK? I want to know what counts.”
His name was Ian. He was a student at a Canadian university where I was visiting.
Through a series of events he found out I was a Christian and I found out he wanted to be
but was disenchanted.
“I grew up in the church,” he explained, “I wanted to go into the ministry. I took all the
coarses, the theology, the languages, the exegesis. But I quit. Something just didn’t
click.” “It’s in there somewhere,” he said. “At least I think it is.”
I looked up from my coffee as he began to stir his. Then he summarized his frustration
with one question. “What REALLY matters? What counts? Tell me. Skip the periphery.
Go to the essence. Tell me the part that matters.”
Can you hear his question? Can you taste his frustration? He was saying don’t give me
religion, Give me what really matters. What does matter?
In your Bible of over 1,000 pages, what matters? Amoung all the do’s and dont’s and
shoulds and shouldn’ts, what is essential? What is indispensable? What would you have
said to Ian?
Max Lucado says, I stirred my coffee, Ian stirred his. I had no answer. All my verses so
obediently memorized seemed inappropriate. All my canned responses seemed timid.
Yet, now, years later, I know what I would share with him. Think about the words of
Paul in 1 Cor. 15,
1CO 15:3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for
our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third
day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6
After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most
of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James,
then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
Did you hear what was of First Importance? What was it that Paul describes as the
essence of what Really Matters?
“that Christ died for our sins...., that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day
according to the Scriptures....”
There it is.... Almost too simple isn’t it?
Jesus was killed, buried and resurrected. Surprized? The part that matters is the Cross.
The Cross. According to Paul, the cross is what matters, it’s what counts.
What a peice of wood that Cross is. History has idolized it and displayed and dispised it,
gold-plated it and burned it, worn it and trashed it. History has done everything to it but
ignore it. That’s one option that the cross does not offer.
You can’t ignore the Cross. No wonder Paul called it “the core of the gospel.” It’s
bottom line is sobering: if the account is true, it is history’s hinge, everything rests upon
it. Period. If it’s not true, it is history’s biggest hoax.
That’s why it’s the cross that matters.
Have you asked that Question in your life..... do you still ask it today? What really
matters?
Why is the Cross so important.... what makes it the central peice of the gospel? Thanks
for asking... There’s no way to cover all the aspects of the Cross in one sermon, or even a
hundred.... but I want to share with you why the Cross is the place of New Beginnings....
We have been talking about New Beginnings.... and the apostle Paul... He understands
about needing a new beginning..... that’s why He understands how important the Cross is.
When Jesus Christ, the very son of God died on Calvery, on that Cross.... His death, His
blood spilled for me was a sin offering to God on my behalf... and on your behalf.....He
died for us...... He took my place.... He took your place on that Cross.... and He did it
because He loves us.... He loves us more than we will ever be able to understand.
When Christ Died on that Cross... He paid our debt for our sins...... so now we have a
chance, we have an opportunity to be saved from our sins....IF we will accept that
Sacrifice that Christ made for us on the cross.... but you see, we still have to make the
choice, We have to put our Faith in Jesus Christ and believe that He is who he says He is...
When we do.....He gives us this free gift of Salvation..... His Grace is given to us and we
are made new, born again.... Righteous in God’s sight.....
The apostle Paul understood this concept well.... maybe you think today that you’ve got
too many stains in your life.... you’ve done to many horrible things and you don’t think
God will forgive you....... there’s alot of people in our world who just can’t believe that
God will forgive them... so they don’t ask.
Before the apostle Paul became the great Apostle Paul, his name was Saul of Tarsus....
and if you were a Christian he was not someone you wanted to see coming your way... He
was a Pharasee, a religious zealot.... He hated Christians, and he persecuted them, some
even to death.... in fact he was at Stephens stoning, giving his approval....
You see Paul was an adult after Christ had already risen from the dead and had ascended
into Heaven, so Paul wasn’t around when Jesus was perfoming all the miracles.... but he
had heard the stories, He knew what people were preaching about him..... He just didn’t
believe... He didn’t believe what the Christians taught was true.
Something happened to this hardened man who thought he had it all figured out... in fact
Saul believed what he was doing was for God.... but he was decieved... he really was
working against God..... there’s alot of people like that today.... So what happened to Saul
of Tarsus?
Paul was on his way to Damascus... Why? To go and find more Christians to persecute,
of coarse. A funny thing happened.... Listen to what the Word says in Acts 9:3-6
3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed
around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why
do you persecute me?"
AC 9:5 "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked.
"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. 6 "Now get up and go into
the city, and you will be told what you must do."
AC 9:7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound
but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes
he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days
he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
The resurrected Christ appeared to Saul and after being blinded and knowing that He had
truly heard from God.... Saul of Tarsus was saved, and His life was changed.... even his
name was Changed.... God used Paul to bring the gospel to the Gentile world... Paul
became the greatest defender of the faith that we have ever known... instead of
persecuting Christians, he defended the faith, and was persecuted himself for His Faith...
What made this change in his life? What was it that really mattered, that made the
difference? Listen to what Paul says in Scripture....
1CO 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us
who are being saved it is the power of God.
14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the
world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Gal. 6:14
God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written
code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it
away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made
a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Col. 2:13-15
Everyone’s new beginning always starts at the same place, at the foot of the Cross,
as we bow before our Savior and tell Him that we accept his great gift, his death on
that cross for our sins... Friends when we do that, when we put our Faith in Him...
We are given new spiritual life... we are made new from the inside out and we have
a new name...... Christian.
That Cross to the world represents death and punishment and the end.
But to us, it represents victory over death, it represents victory over sin, it is the victory
sign for us, we don’t have to live in fear, we don’t have to live in bondage, we are free
because of the power of the Cross and His Resurrection.
Christian if you are allowing anything to bind you, to drag you down... you can claim the
power of the Cross and be free..... the shed blood of Christ sets you free... we are made
whole
If you have wondered what Really Matters... If you have not been happy with the answers
you have come up with..... Let me share with you the truth... It’s Jesus dying on that
Cross for your sins.... you have a gift waiting for you to accept by Faith.... that Gift is
eternal life, and a new beginning....... What will you choose? Will you choose Christ like
Paul did?
