Is your Passion Christs Passion
The Passion of Christ is the buzz of our time.
Nearly a year ago - When I first heard about the film / Before I understood anything about it. Something deep inside of me knew it was different.
As the weeks have passed my spirit has soared within me.
I don’t claim to understand fully what Im feeling but will rest on the Holy Spirit to witness whether it be of the Lord.
A. I know many here grew up being taught that the theatre was not a place that the Christian should go. Avoid the very appearance of evil.
B.But I want to put this out before you tonight.
Before his salvation Zaccheaus house was not a place that the followers of Christ should have made a hang out.
1.But when Jesus came to visit, it was right where they needed to be.
2.And let me be the first to say that the religious community ( the Pharisees) round about spoke out the loudest against it.
3.But it was there that salvation came to him and his band of thugs.
I. JESUS TOOK THE GOOD NEWS TO THE SINNER
Luke 19
1Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." 6So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a ’sinner.’ "
8But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."
9Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
THE SAME IS SEEN IN THE CALLING OF MATTHEW
Matthew 9:9-11
9As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
10While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ’sinners’?"
a.Why is your church outside the movie theatre or worse yet inside it?
b.The Answer
12On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13But go and learn what this means: ’I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’[1] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
c.Let me tell you wonderful things are happening in and outside movie theaters all over America this past week.
JESUS SAID IF I BE LIFTED UP I WILL DRAW ALL MEN TO ME
• I have seen and had a hand in folks getting saved.
• I have someone coming to counsel with me this week who saw it and wants to know what its all about. I expect to lead them to Christ
• Chick Filet involvment with ticket stubs
• Churches getting involved.
• Amazing price on the literature.
d.WHY – Because sinners need desperately to know Jesus.
e. And the Disciples need desperately to go with Jesus to them.
f.Statement a man in my church - The church failed to preach the gospel so God raised up a movie.
II. WE NEED TO RE-LEARN THE VALUE OF THE LOST
A. Jesus said every soul was precious!
Luke 15
1Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. 2But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
3Then Jesus told them this parable: 4"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ’Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
b. Hell was not a place that any believer should go, but even there Jesus led the way to lead captivity captive.
c. Scripture tells us that paul said
Before me is set an effectual door of ministry
d.John in the Revelation of Christ uttered these words under the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
I will open a door no man can close and close doors no man can open.
e.He also warned the Church, that he was outside knocking, and that they thought they were rich but were poor.
f. We have a mandate
2 Corinthians 5:20
We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
g.Paul admonished the church at Rome with these words!
How shall they hear except we be sent.
This next passage is what I believe is a very accurate analogy to what is now taking place all over America.
III. Will we heed the call?
Etheopian Eunich ACTS 8:26-39
26Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road--the desert road--that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." 27So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian[4] eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. 29The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it."
30Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked.
31"How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
32The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture:
"He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before the shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
33In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth."[5]
34The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?" 35Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
36As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?"[6] 38And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.
1.There were already signs and wonders taking place.
And yet the Lord sent him to this one lowly man.
Why?
Because he would go back to a whole nation with the good news.
We have no idea who we will reach and to be honest its not our place to worry about who we reach, just that we are led by the Masters hand.
2.Does it matter if we listen? YES!
a.Jesus makes it plain who is in right standing.
MATT 24:45-51
"Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? 43It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45But suppose the servant says to himself, ’My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
b.Friends whether you like it or not I believe Christ is coming back soon! This issue is will you be found about His business. Will your lamp be full or empty.
IV JESUS PASSION WAS TO DO THE FATHERS WILL.
34"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35Do you not say, ’Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37Thus the saying ’One sows and another reaps’ is true. 38I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor."
With the Roof of church leaking recently Im sitting in theater bouncing it back and forth needing literature to reach more or take an offering for the roof. Offering for roof or lit. Jesus which is more important. Seek ye first.
Just since we have really gotten going on the Passion Outreach ministry. -
1. Transmission in van went.
2. Son had an accident taking literature to a church for me.
3. House insurance mysteriously got cancelled
But all of it is worth it and more.
• People flocking out taking literature willing even asking for.
• situation with man who split the church being there at the theatre and our meeting.
• Churches are working together.
• Same mood every theater.
Conclusion
That brings us to us.
1. What are we doing with it.
2. Jesus said “ If I be lifted up I will draw all men unto me.”
3. Who have you invited to it.
4. What unsaved family or friend.
5. What unsaved spouse.
Friend chances are you have not won anyone to the Lord this past week.
Or for that matter this month.
Or this year.
Truth is chances are good youve never led anyone to the Lord.
Youve complained about those that need Jesus, asked the Lord to send someone. Friend He is sending you.
Go invite that unsaved friend.
Take time to enter a conversation or two on the passion.
Break your schedule and go see it.
Tell someone outside who Jesus it.
I expect to hear attendance etc up all over the nation.
But what will we do with it.
Jesus is coming soon. Time now to wake up from your slumber.
