Text: Psalm 58

Key Verse: Psalm 58:11 — “Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.”

Introduction & Context

• Psalm 58 originally confronts wicked men in positions of authority.
  • David addresses men who were responsible to “judge uprightly” (v. 1).
  • Their problem was not ignorance—they knew what righteousness and proper judgment were.
  • Yet what they practiced contradicted what they knew.
  • Verse 2 reveals the source: “Yea, in heart ye work wickedness.”
  • Their outward corruption began with an inward problem.
• The direct identity of these wicked rulers should not be confused with that of a believer.
  • David is not describing Christians who are struggling with sin.
  • However, the pattern found in the passage gives a serious warning to believers.
  • A Christian can know God's Word and resist it.
  • We can hear conviction and refuse to respond.
  • Repeatedly resisting what was once heard clearly can make the heart increasingly difficult to reach.
• Rebellion is fundamentally the rejection of rightful authority.
  • It is more than an outward act.
  • Like other sins, rebellion begins internally before appearing externally.
  • 1 Samuel 15:23 says, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft…”
  • Psalm 58 shows a progression: rebellion reaches the heart, changes our direction, becomes poisonous, and finally affects our hearing.

Central Truth: Rebellion may reject God's authority, but it can never escape God's authority.

I. The Progression of Rebellion — Psalm 58:1–5

1. Rebellion Contradicts What We Know — vv. 1–2

• These judges knew the difference between right and wrong.
• Their problem was not a lack of truth but a refusal to obey truth.
• Rebellion begins when a person says:
  • “God has spoken.”
  • “I know what He said.”
  • “But I am choosing something different.”
• We often try to justify rebellion by changing the standard in our own minds.
  • Instead of changing our behavior to match God's Word, we reinterpret God's Word until our behavior seems acceptable.
  • But we do not have the authority to redefine what God has already declared right or wrong.
• Spiritual maturity should make us more accountable, not less.
  • Many Christians have heard the Bible preached and taught for decades.
  • The issue is often not, “I didn't know.”
  • The issue is, “I knew, but I chose otherwise.”
• Be careful about casually labeling others as rebels.
  • Rebellion is a serious biblical accusation.
  • It is easy for adults to point at younger people while ignoring deliberate disobedience in their own lives.
  • Self-examination must come before finger-pointing.

2. Rebellion Corrupts the Heart — v. 2

• “Yea, in heart ye work wickedness.”
• The violence seen in their hands originated in their hearts.
• Outward behavior eventually reveals inward condition.
  • Compare Matthew 12:34: “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”
• Repeated disobedience progressively hardens us.
  • The first “no” to God may be difficult.
  • The next one becomes easier.
  • Eventually disobedience can become a pattern.
• Today's disobedience makes tomorrow's disobedience easier.

3. Rebellion Carries Us Astray — v. 3

• “The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray…”
• Rebellion always has a direction.
• We may imagine rebellion as freedom from rules and authority, but departing from God's way always leads somewhere.
• Strong's word study:
  • “Estranged” — H2114, zûr: to become strange, estrange, or turn aside.
  • “Go astray” — H8582, tāʿâ: to wander, err, stray, or be out of the way.
• Rebellion is therefore not standing still—it is a movement away from the right path.
• Delayed judgment often deceives us.
  • Because consequences do not arrive immediately, we begin to believe consequences are not coming at all.

4. Rebellion Contaminates Others — v. 4

• “Their poison is like the poison of a serpent.”
• The wicked rulers were not only harming themselves; their influence poisoned those beneath them.
• Rebellion rarely remains private.
• Peer pressure demonstrates this principle.
  • Wrongdoing is often easier when someone else joins us.
  • A rebel naturally looks for companionship and validation.
  • One person's resistance to authority can encourage another person to do the same.
• Sin spreads through influence.
  • One rebellious attitude can affect a family.
  • It can spread through a church.
  • It can influence an entire generation.

5. Rebellion Closes Our Ears — vv. 4–5

• This is the most frightening stage of the progression.
• The wicked are compared to “the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear.”
• “Deaf” — H2795, chērēsh: deaf; the word can describe literal deafness and carries the picture of an inability or refusal to hear.
• “Stoppeth” — H331, ʾātam: to shut, stop, or close—specifically used here of closing the ear.
• The picture is not merely someone who lacks access to truth.
  • It is someone shutting his ear against what is being said.
• This resembles the rebellious response that says:
  • “God, I know what Your Word says.”
  • “I know what You are showing me.”
  • “But I do not want to hear it.”
• We should be thankful that God's Word still convicts us.
  • Hebrews 4:12 reminds us that the Word of God is “quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword.”
• A tender heart welcomes God's correction.
• A rebellious heart increasingly wants to be left alone.

II. The Consequences of Rebellion — Psalm 58:6–10

1. What Seems Powerful Can Be Broken — v. 6

• David asks God to “break their teeth.”
• Psalm 57:4 previously pictured David among lions.
• The teeth represent the lion's ability to harm.
• David is asking God to remove the power these wicked men possess.
• Rebellion can create an illusion of strength:
  • “Nobody tells me what to do.”
  • “I answer to nobody.”
  • “I will live my own way.”
• But God can break in a moment what we consider our greatest source of strength.
• What seems powerful before men is still completely subject to God.

2. What Seems Successful Can Disappear — vv. 7–8

David uses several pictures:

• Water running away.
• Arrows being cut in pieces.
• A snail melting away.
• An untimely birth that never sees the sun.

Each emphasizes something that vanishes.

• Rebellion may appear successful temporarily.
• A person may seem to prosper while ignoring God.
• But temporary success is no proof of God's approval.
• What rebellion builds can eventually disappear.

3. What Seems Established Can Be Swept Away — v. 9

• Before the thorns can even heat the pot, everything is swept away like a whirlwind.
• The imagery emphasizes suddenness.
• Things can appear settled, stable, and permanent until God intervenes.
• God is able to bring a rebellious person to the place where:
  • perceived strength is gone,
  • earthly gains are gone,
  • escape routes are gone,
  • and the only place left to turn is God.

4. Rebellion Will Be Judged — v. 10

• Verse 10 is severe because sin and wickedness are severe.
• The passage anticipates God's righteous judgment.
• A distinction must be made:
  • God's eternal judgment upon the unbelieving wicked is not the same as His chastening of His children.
  • Hebrews 12:6 says, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.”
• Chastening is evidence of sonship, not abandonment.
• Grace saves believers from condemnation, but grace does not make rebellion inconsequential.

III. The Certainty of God's Sovereignty — Psalm 58:11

1. The Righteous Will Be Rewarded

• Psalm 58 can initially make wickedness appear to have the advantage:
  • the wicked possess authority,
  • accomplish their plans,
  • and spread their influence.
• Verse 11 answers the question of whether obedience is worthwhile:
  • “Verily there is a reward for the righteous.”
• Faithfulness does not always bring an immediate reward.
• Delayed reward is not forgotten reward.
• There is coming a day when faithfulness to Christ will matter eternally.

2. Rebellion Cannot Eliminate Accountability

• Ecclesiastes 8:11 explains one of rebellion's greatest deceptions:
  • “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.”
• God's patience must never be interpreted as God's approval.
• Ignoring God does not remove God.
• Rejecting His Word does not invalidate His Word.
• Refusing His authority does not diminish His authority.

3. God Will Have the Final Word

• Psalm 58 begins with unjust men sitting in judgment.
• It ends with the perfectly just God judging in the earth.
• What men corrupt in verse 1, God settles in verse 11.
• The rebellious men stopped listening, but their deafness did not silence God.
• They rejected righteous judgment, but remained underneath God's judgment.
• They could choose their actions but not their consequences.
• They could choose their direction but could not remove God's authority from their destination.

Rebellion gives man a choice, but it never gives man sovereignty.

Conclusion

The progression is serious:

• Rebellion contradicts what we know.
• Rebellion corrupts the heart.
• Rebellion carries us astray.
• Rebellion contaminates others.
• Rebellion closes our ears.

Yet rebellion can never remove us from the authority of God.

Final Question:

It is not simply, “Am I doing something wrong?”

The deeper question is:

“Is there something God has said that I have decided I will no longer hear?”

Text: John 20:19–23 (KJV)

Introduction — Fear Had Shut Them In

• The disciples’ world had suddenly changed.
  • Jesus had been crucified.
  • Their expectations of what the Messiah would do had collapsed.
  • Mary had testified that she had seen the risen Lord, but the disciples had not yet seen Him for themselves.
  • Their future appeared uncertain, and they were assembled behind closed doors “for fear of the Jews” (John 20:19).
• Fear often feeds more on possibility than certainty.
  • There was no statement that the authorities were coming for the disciples that night.
  • Yet the possibility of what might happen was controlling what they did in the present.
  • We often fear what might happen to our family, what a doctor might say, what we might lose, or what tomorrow might bring.
• Fear itself is a normal human response.
  • Courage is not the absence of fear; it is moving forward faithfully in spite of fear.
  • Faith does not require us to pretend there is nothing to fear. Faith requires us to recognize that Christ is greater than what we see.
• The problem was what fear had begun doing to the disciples.
  • They had once followed Christ publicly and had been sent out to minister.
  • Now fear had driven them into isolation.
  • Their ministry had stalled; instead of proclaiming, they were simply surviving.
  • Fear takes tomorrow’s possibilities and allows them to control today’s obedience.

Key Truth: Fear loses its control when the risen Christ becomes greater to us than what we feel.

• In John 20:19, “fear” is connected with the Greek phobos (Strong’s G5401), carrying the idea of fear, dread, alarm, or terror. 
• The answer is not greater confidence in ourselves, but a greater view of the risen Christ.

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I. Christ Gave Them Peace — John 20:19–20

• Jesus came to them in the place where fear had driven them.
  • They did not come looking for Him; Christ came looking for them.
  • The shut doors could keep people out, but they could not keep Christ away.
  • Their fear did not cause Jesus to abandon them.
• Jesus’ first words were:
  • “Peace be unto you.”
  • The Greek word translated “peace” is eirēnē (Strong’s G1515), referring to peace and tranquility. 
  • Jesus did not first remove the threatening circumstances—He revealed His presence in the middle of them.
• Peace does not require the absence of trouble; peace comes from recognizing the presence of Christ in the trouble.
  • The Jews were still outside.
  • The doors were still shut.
  • The potential danger was still real.
  • What changed was their view of the situation.
• Christ showed them His hands and His side.
  • The wounds identified Him as the same Jesus who had been crucified.
  • But those wounds also testified that Calvary had not defeated Him.
  • What appeared to be Christ’s defeat was actually followed by resurrection victory.
• “Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.”
  • Their circumstances had not changed—their focus had.
  • They had been staring at their danger until Christ gave them Someone greater to look at.

Emphasis:

Fear loses its control when the risen Christ becomes greater to us than what we feel.

• Fear says, “Look at what could happen.”
• Faith says, “Look at Who is standing in the midst.”
• A clear view of the risen Christ puts everything else back into perspective.

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II. Christ Gave Them Purpose — John 20:21

“Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.”

• Notice that peace preceded the commission.
  • Christ settled their hearts before directing their feet.
  • He did not intend for them to remain behind the locked doors.
• Fear turns our attention inward; purpose turns our attention outward.
  • Fear asks, “What might happen to me?”
  • Purpose asks, “Who has God sent me to reach?”
• Christ Himself was their pattern.
  • “As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.”
  • Jesus faithfully accomplished the Father’s will despite opposition, rejection, suffering, and ultimately the cross.
• Christ never promised that obedience would remove opposition.
  • Instead, His life demonstrated that opposition does not have to remove obedience.
• The disciples were being sent directly back into the world they feared.
  • Eventually, the door had to open.
  • The very people outside the room were the people who needed the message they carried.
• The church faces the same choice.
  • We can remain comfortable within our walls.
  • Or we can remember that there is a lost world outside those walls that desperately needs the gospel.
• Purpose gives courage.
  • When the mission becomes greater than our concern for ourselves, fear begins to lose its grip.
  • Hell is real, eternity matters, and somebody must tell people about Jesus.

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III. Christ Gave Them Power — John 20:22

“And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.”

• There are different understandings of the relationship between John 20:22 and Pentecost in Acts 2.
  • Some understand this as the disciples receiving the indwelling Spirit, with Pentecost bringing special empowerment.
  • Others understand John 20:22 as anticipatory or symbolic of what would occur at Pentecost.
  • The important truth for this sermon is clear: Jesus was not sending His disciples to accomplish His mission in their own strength.
• The commission of verse 21 is immediately followed by the provision of verse 22.
  • God does not call His people and then abandon them to accomplish His work alone.
• God never intended the Christian life to be lived in the strength of the Christian.
• Fear asks:
  • “Can I do this?”
  • But that question begins with the wrong source of strength.
• The answer to fear is not self-confidence.
  • Greater confidence in myself still leaves me depending upon myself.
  • Biblical courage comes through dependence upon God.

Zechariah 4:6 (KJV): “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”

• Our weakness does not disqualify us; it demands dependence.
  • Courage is not confidence that I am sufficient.
  • Courage is confidence that Christ is sufficient.
• The Holy Spirit empowers believers to obey, witness, and faithfully follow Christ.
  • Compare Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:8.
  • The disciples who once hid in fear would later preach Christ with remarkable boldness.
• Fear grows when we measure God’s calling against our resources instead of His resources.

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IV. Christ Gave Them a Proclamation — John 20:23

“Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.”

• This verse must be understood in the context of the commission Christ had just given.
  • Scripture teaches that God alone has authority to forgive sin.
  • Christ was not giving the disciples independent authority to decide arbitrarily who would be forgiven.
• He was entrusting them with the gospel message.
  • That message announces forgiveness to those who believe.
  • It also announces condemnation to those who reject Christ.

John 3:18 (KJV): “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already…”

• The gospel is therefore:
  • A message of forgiveness — Christ saves sinners.
  • A message of consequence — rejecting Christ leaves a person condemned.
  • A message that must be proclaimed — someone must tell the lost.

John 14:6 (KJV): “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

• Fear can make us hesitate to:
  • Give someone a tract.
  • Invite someone to church.
  • Ask about their salvation.
  • Identify ourselves openly with Christ.
  • Tell someone plainly that Jesus saves.
• Yet the weight of eternity must become greater than the fear of another person’s reaction.

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Conclusion — Get a Fresh View of the Risen Christ

• What changed the disciples?
  • The world outside had not changed.
  • Their enemies had not disappeared.
  • Opposition had not suddenly become impossible.
• They saw the risen Lord.
• Christ gave them:
  • Peace for their fear.
  • Purpose for their stagnation.
  • Power for their weakness.
  • A proclamation for a lost world.
• The question becomes: What are we looking at?
  • The culture?
  • The opinions and faces of men?
  • Tomorrow’s possibilities?
  • Our own weakness?
  • Or the risen Christ?
• We need to set our affection on things above and get our eyes back on Jesus.

Final Emphasis

Fear loses its control when the risen Christ becomes greater to us than what we feel.

The goal is not to deny that fear exists. The goal is to see Christ so clearly that fear no longer determines our obedience.

Will we remain hiding behind the door, or will we go out heralding the risen Saviour?

Text: John 19:19–22

Central Truth: Changing God’s Word does not remove our responsibility to obey God’s Word.

• The setting: an unusual detail at Calvary — John 19:19–22
  • In the middle of the crucifixion account, the Holy Spirit deliberately records an argument over the wording of the title above Christ.
  • Pilate wrote: “JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
  • The chief priests objected: “Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.”
  • Their concern was not merely the words themselves; it was what those words meant.
  • Pilate’s answer was final: “What I have written I have written.”
  • The passage exposes a tendency still found in the human heart: when truth makes demands upon us, we are tempted to alter its wording, meaning, or application rather than submit to it.
• Before the inscription: Jesus had already been revealed as the Messiah
  • He was the prophesied Messiah.
    • His birthplace was foretold — Micah 5:2.
    • His suffering was foretold — Isaiah 53:5.
    • His crucifixion was prophetically described — Psalm 22:16–18.
    • The religious leaders were learned men who possessed the Scriptures; they should have recognized what was taking place.
  • He was the proven Messiah.
    • His works bore witness of Him — John 5:36.
    • His words revealed His deity: “Before Abraham was, I am.” — John 8:58, echoing Exodus 3:14.
    • His resurrection would declare Him to be the Son of God with power — Romans 1:4.
  • He was the proclaimed King.
    • Nathanael: “Thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.” — John 1:49
    • Christ Himself acknowledged His kingship before Pilate — John 18:37.
    • Pilate publicly wrote: “THE KING OF THE JEWS.” — John 19:19
    • John would later see Christ as “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” — Revelation 19:16
  • Strong’s: King — G935, basileus (βασιλεύς): a king, ruler, one possessing sovereign authority.
• I. From Declaration to Claim — John 19:19–21
  • Pilate’s inscription was a declaration: Jesus is the King of the Jews.
  • The chief priests wanted it changed into a claim: Jesus merely said He was King.
  • That appears to be a small alteration, but it completely changes the force of the statement.
    • “He is King” confronts us with reality.
    • “He said He was King” can be treated merely as somebody’s opinion.
  • Their objection showed that they understood the implications of the inscription.
    • If Jesus is King, they are His subjects.
    • If Jesus is King, they do not have the final authority.
    • If Jesus is King, their rejection and crucifixion of Him exposes their own rebellion.
  • Their hearts had already been revealed in John 19:15: “We have no king but Caesar.”
  • They rejected His authority before attempting to edit His identity.
  • Even if Pilate had changed the inscription, Jesus would still have been King.
  • Truth does not become less true because men refuse to acknowledge it.
• II. From Correction to Rejection — trying to soften what God has said
  • The chief priests did not ask Pilate simply to remove the title; they wanted its meaning softened.
  • This pattern appears from the beginning of Scripture:
    • Satan approached Eve with, “Yea, hath God said…?” — Genesis 3:1
    • Sin entered through questioning, distorting, and ultimately rejecting the declaration of God.
  • People often do not openly deny Scripture; instead, they redefine it until it no longer requires anything from them.
  • The easiest way to escape a declaration is to turn it into an opinion.
  • Example: “Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord.” — 2 Corinthians 6:17
    • Christians may differ over some details of application.
    • But disagreement over application cannot erase the biblical principle itself.
    • Strong’s: Separate — G873, aphorizō (ἀφορίζω): to mark off by boundaries, separate, set apart.
  • Biblical interpretation is necessary, but interpretation must not become a tool for making Scripture agree with personal preferences.
  • We must guard against saying, “That is only your interpretation,” merely because biblical truth has become uncomfortable.
  • The messenger may sometimes communicate poorly, but a flawed messenger does not make God’s message false.
• III. A Declaration Creates Responsibility
  • James 4:17: “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
  • Greater knowledge of truth brings greater responsibility to obey that truth.
  • The Christian life is not merely receiving salvation and stopping there.
    • The Great Commission includes reaching people, baptizing them, and “teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” — Matthew 28:19–20.
    • Discipleship requires believers to learn to live under Christ’s authority.
  • We must not move the goalpost simply because obedience is inconvenient.
    • Witnessing can be uncomfortable, but discomfort does not cancel the command to carry the gospel.
    • Biblical ministry cannot be reduced merely to whatever method is easiest.
  • Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” — John 14:15
    • Strong’s: Keep — G5083, tēreō (τηρέω): to guard, observe, hold fast to.
  • The real issue is not whether Jesus is in our vocabulary; the issue is whether Jesus is on the throne of our lives.
• IV. Changing the Statement Cannot Change the Savior — John 19:22
  • Suppose Pilate had changed the words. Christ would still have been King.
  • Human acknowledgment does not create Christ’s lordship; it merely responds to a lordship that already exists.
  • Philippians 2:10–11: every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that “Jesus Christ is Lord.”
  • We do not “make” Jesus King. He already is King; our responsibility is to submit to Him.
  • Strong’s: Lord — G2962, kyrios (κύριος): lord, master, one possessing authority.
  • Our opinions cannot alter reality.
    • Romans 3:3–4: “Yea, let God be true, but every man a liar.”
  • Truth is independent of our approval.
  • The chief priests wanted to edit the inscription because they could not edit the King.
  • They could reject Him, accuse Him, crucify Him, and argue about His title—but they could not change who He was.
• V. The same danger appears in everyday Christian living
  • We can rename sin until the terminology no longer convicts us.
  • We can call biblical authority a “preference.”
  • We can call conviction “criticism.”
  • We can treat commands as suggestions and promises as guarantees while ignoring the conditions God has given.
  • Cultural acceptance does not determine biblical truth.
  • The sermon applies this principle to separation, witnessing, substance use, discipleship, church ministry, and personal holiness: changing cultural attitudes cannot change what God has said.
  • Biblical authority must govern more than church services; it should govern home life, decisions, conduct, priorities, and relationships.
  • The fruit of walking with God should increasingly be visible in us, including “love” and “joy” — Galatians 5:22–23.
• VI. Israel illustrates the danger of resisting a clear declaration
  • God told Israel to enter and possess the land.
  • Ten spies focused upon the giants rather than upon what God had declared — Numbers 13–14.
  • Israel changed its response to God’s command because circumstances made obedience frightening.
  • They wanted God’s blessing without trusting and obeying God’s word.
  • The application for believers: we cannot expect the fullness of obedient Christian living while continually resisting what God has plainly said.
• VII. From Rejection to Responsibility
  • Pilate refused the priests’ requested correction: “What I have written I have written.”
  • Likewise, God’s truth still stands after all our objections.
  • We can:
    • reject the truth,
    • argue with the truth,
    • reinterpret the truth,
    • excuse ourselves from the truth,
    • or rename our disobedience;
    • but none of those things alters the truth.
  • Romans 3:3–4 gives the governing principle: unbelief does not make God unfaithful or His Word ineffective.
  • We have been bought with a price; Calvary demonstrates what that price cost Christ.
  • The appropriate response to the crucified King is not accusation or excuse, but submission.
• Closing questions
  • What am I trying to edit?
  • Where have I turned a command into a suggestion?
  • Where have I turned authority into preference?
  • Where have I renamed sin until it stopped troubling me?
  • Where have I hidden behind “interpretation” because the truth demanded something from me?
  • Am I asking, “What do I prefer?” or “What hath the Lord said?”
  • Final truth: We may try to edit the inscription, but we will never change the King. Jesus Christ is still King, and He deserves our submission.

Text: John 19:17–30

• Introduction — Never forget Calvary
  • The reason the believer can say, “It is well with my soul,” is because of what Jesus Christ accomplished at Calvary.
  • Everything we possess in Christ traces back to the cross:
    • Salvation and redemption.
    • The grace of God.
    • Eternal security and our hope of Heaven.
    • The fellowship of the church.
    • The privilege of coming boldly to the throne of grace.
  • The cross was not an accident or a moment when God lost control; Christ willingly laid down His life.
  • Calvary should not merely be something Christians remember occasionally. The price Christ paid should affect the way we live every day.
  • The preacher's central challenge: Never forget what Jesus Christ did for you personally.
• I. He Bore the Cross — John 19:17–18
  • “And he bearing his cross went forth…” (John 19:17). 
  • Jesus had already endured severe scourging, mocking, beating, and humiliation before He began the journey to Golgotha.
  • Yet Christ willingly went forward bearing the instrument upon which He would die.
  • His death was voluntary.
    • John 10:18 — “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself.”
    • Jesus was not a helpless victim overtaken by circumstances. He deliberately gave Himself for sinners.
  • Zechariah 13:6 pictures wounds received “in the house of my friends,” reminding us that Christ willingly bore rejection and suffering.
  • He was numbered with the transgressors.
    • Jesus was crucified between two criminals.
    • Isaiah 53:12 foretold that He would be “numbered with the transgressors,” bear the sin of many, and make intercession for transgressors. Isaiah 53 repeatedly emphasizes that His suffering was on behalf of sinners.

     

  • The repentant thief demonstrates the sufficiency of faith in Christ.
    • He could not be baptized.
    • He could not join a church.
    • He could not perform religious works.
    • Yet when he turned in faith to Christ, Jesus promised him paradise.
  • Application: Christ's death must be made personal. Do not merely think about the sins of mankind or someone else's need of the cross. Remember: my sin required His sacrifice.
• II. He Was Proclaimed King — John 19:19–22
  • Pilate placed the title over Jesus: “JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
  • His identity was written.
    • Pilate may have intended the inscription as an accusation or mockery, but what he wrote declared the truth.
    • Jesus was not merely King of the Jews; He is King of kings and Lord of lords.
  • His identity was published.
    • The inscription appeared in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin so that many passing by could read it.
    • The crucifixion itself became a public proclamation of the identity of Christ.
    • God has not hidden the message of salvation; the gospel is to be proclaimed openly.
  • His identity was challenged.
    • The chief priests objected: “Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.”
    • They wanted to turn a declaration of who He was into merely an accusation concerning what He claimed.
  • People still resist Christ's kingship whenever they acknowledge what God says but refuse His authority over their lives.
    • We cannot call Jesus King while continually insisting on ruling ourselves.
    • His Word must govern our speech, conduct, priorities, faithfulness, relationships, and decisions.
  • His identity remained.
    • Pilate replied, “What I have written I have written.”
    • Changing the inscription would not have changed who Jesus was.
    • Likewise, whether a person accepts or rejects Him does not change His authority.
  • Application: Every believer should be willing to say, “What He says goes; where He leads, I will follow.”
• III. He Fulfilled the Scripture — John 19:23–24
  • The soldiers divided Christ's garments and cast lots for His seamless coat.
  • Psalm 22:18 had already foretold: “They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.”
  • The soldiers thought they were simply gambling over a condemned man's possessions, yet their actions fulfilled Scripture.
  • Psalm 22 gives a remarkable prophetic picture of the sufferings associated with Calvary.
  • God never lost control.
    • Human beings acted according to their own intentions.
    • At the same time, God's revealed Word was being fulfilled.
    • The cross was part of God's redemptive purpose, not an unforeseen tragedy.
• IV. He Cared for His Own — John 19:25–27
  • Standing near the cross were Jesus' mother, other faithful women, and the disciple whom Jesus loved.
  • Even while suffering, Jesus said to Mary, “Woman, behold thy son!” and to the disciple, “Behold thy mother!” John records that the disciple then took her into his own home. 
  • Christ's agony did not make Him indifferent to the needs of another.
  • Even from the cross, He made provision for His earthly mother.
  • Application: Christians should care for their families.
    • Christlikeness is revealed not only in preaching and public ministry, but in how we treat parents, spouses, children, church members, and people we encounter in ordinary life.
• V. He Completed the Work — John 19:28–30
  • Jesus knew “that all things were now accomplished.”
  • Nothing remained unfinished concerning the work He had come to accomplish on the cross.
  • Then came the triumphant declaration: “It is finished.”
  • Strong's note: “finished” is connected with G5055 — teleō, meaning to complete, accomplish, perform, or fulfill. 
  • The statement was not the cry of a defeated victim; it announced completed work.
    • The sacrifice had been made.
    • Sin's price had been borne.
    • Redemption had been accomplished.
    • The way of salvation had been provided.
  • Then Christ “bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”
  • This agrees with John 10:18: He had authority to lay down His life and authority to take it again.
  • Jesus willingly died.
    • His life was not ultimately taken from Him.
    • When His mission was accomplished, He gave up the ghost.
  • Isaiah 53 explains the meaning of His death:
    • “He was wounded for our transgressions.”
    • “He was bruised for our iniquities.”
    • “The LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
• Conclusion — Bring Everything Back to the Cross
  • Calvary should humble us whenever pride begins to rise.
  • The cross should change the way we respond when:
    • We are irritated with our spouse.
    • Our children frustrate us.
    • Someone at church disappoints us.
    • A stranger inconveniences us.
    • God asks something difficult of us.
  • When obedience seems hard, remember the cost Christ willingly bore for us.
  • Church, Christian fellowship, salvation, the indwelling Holy Spirit, access to God, and eternal hope are blessings purchased at tremendous cost.
  • Do not look at Calvary and think primarily about what someone else needs to change.
  • Look at the cross personally: “He died for me.”
  • The proper response to Calvary is gratitude, surrender, obedience, worship, and renewed devotion.
  • Closing challenge: Come before God and thank Him for the Son of God who died in your stead.

Text: John 19:1–16

Theme: Jesus Christ, the true King, was mocked, accused, and rejected by men, yet remained completely sovereign as He fulfilled the plan of redemption.

Introduction — Who Is Jesus Christ to You?

• John’s purpose is not simply to record every gruesome detail of Calvary, but to demonstrate that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
  • From John 1:1 onward, Jesus is presented as the eternal Word who “was with God” and “was God.”
  • Throughout the Gospel, Christ’s signs and statements continually reveal His identity.
• The people had already witnessed overwhelming evidence of who Jesus was.
  • The impotent man at Bethesda was made whole — John 5.
  • Thousands were fed from five loaves and two fishes — John 6.
  • After that miracle, the people wanted to make Jesus king because of what He could provide.
  • Yet when His teaching confronted them and demanded genuine faith, “many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him” — John 6:66.
• That makes John 19 especially striking.
  • Some who cried, “Crucify him”, may have witnessed His miracles or heard His teaching.
  • They had to decide what they would do with Jesus.
  • The same question remains: Who is Jesus Christ to me, and what place does He have in my life?

I. The King Is Mocked — John 19:1–5

A. He Was Scourged — v. 1

• “Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.”
• This was far more severe than ordinary punishment.
  • The word “scourged” is mastigoō — Strong’s G3146, meaning to flog or scourge. 
  • Christ willingly endured physical suffering and humiliation.
• His suffering fulfilled Scripture rather than disrupting God’s plan.
  • Isaiah 50:6: “I gave my back to the smiters… I hid not my face from shame and spitting.”
  • Isaiah 53:5: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities… and with his stripes we are healed.”
• Key truth: Pilate ordered the scourging, but Pilate did not originate the plan.
  • Calvary was not an accident.
  • God had already revealed what the Messiah would suffer.
  • Jesus willingly bore what sinners deserved.

B. He Was Crowned With Thorns — vv. 2–3

• The soldiers intended the crown and purple robe as mockery.
  • They cried, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
  • Yet their mockery unintentionally testified to the truth: He really is the King.
• The crown of thorns carries powerful biblical imagery.
  • Thorns entered the world as part of the curse of sin — Genesis 3:17–18.
  • Christ came to redeem us from the curse — Galatians 3:13.
  • The One who came to bear our curse was literally crowned with thorns.
• They thought they were crowning Him with shame; in reality, the suffering King was bearing our shame.
• “Crown” is stephanos — Strong’s G4735, a wreath or crown associated with honor or victory; John uses the term for Christ’s crown of thorns.

 

C. He Was Presented as the Innocent Man — vv. 4–5

• Pilate repeatedly stated, “I find no fault in him.”
• Jesus was truly man, yet completely without sin.
  • Hebrews 4:15 — He “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
  • 2 Corinthians 5:21 — He “knew no sin,” yet was made sin for us.
• Pilate said, “Behold the man!”
  • Before them stood the perfect Man.
  • Bloody, humiliated, mocked, and rejected — yet completely innocent.

II. The King Is Accused — John 19:6–11

A. He Was Condemned by the Crowd — v. 6

• The chief priests and officers cried:
  • “Crucify him, crucify him.”
• “Crucify” comes from stauroō — Strong’s G4717, meaning to crucify or put upon a cross. 
• Pilate could find no legal guilt in Christ, yet the religious leaders still demanded His death.
• Their problem was deeper than evidence.
  • They did not want His authority.
  • They did not want His claims.
  • They wanted Him removed.

B. He Was Accused Because He Claimed to Be the Son of God — v. 7

• Their accusation was explicit:
  • “He made himself the Son of God.”
• Even Christ’s enemies understood what He was claiming.
  • Jesus did not merely present Himself as a moral teacher.
  • He claimed equality with God — cf. John 10:30.
• John has already given the answer:
  • John 1:1: “The Word was God.”
  • John 1:14: “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.”
  • Colossians 2:9: “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”

C. He Was Questioned by Pilate — vv. 8–9

• Hearing the words “Son of God” made Pilate “the more afraid.”
• He asked Jesus:
  • “Whence art thou?”
• John has already answered Pilate’s question:
  • John 1:14 — He is the Word made flesh.
  • John 3:13 — He came down from heaven.
  • John 6:38 — “I came down from heaven.”
  • John 16:28 — “I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world.”
• Jesus’ silence before Pilate demonstrates that He was not desperately trying to escape His appointed hour.

D. He Was Sovereign Over Pilate — vv. 10–11

• Pilate boasted:
  • “Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?”
• Jesus answered:
  • “Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above.”
• “Power” is exousia — Strong’s G1849, referring to authority, jurisdiction, right, or delegated power. 
• Pilate thought Jesus was under his authority; Jesus reminded Pilate that Pilate’s authority itself was under God.
• John 10:18:
  • “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself.”
• Christ’s life was not ultimately taken from Him—He willingly laid it down.

Application

• Pilate resembles many people who are curious about Jesus but unwilling to surrender to Him.
  • They want enough of God to receive comfort or blessing.
  • But when Scripture confronts their desires, they want to retain control.
• We have no legitimate position from which to tell God, “I know better.”
  • “There is none righteous, no, not one” — Romans 3:10.
  • “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” — Romans 3:23.
• The question is not whether Christ has authority. The question is whether we will submit to the authority He already possesses.

III. The King Is Rejected — John 19:12–16

A. Pilate Yielded to Political Pressure — v. 12

• Pilate “sought to release him,” but the crowd threatened his political standing:
  • “If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend.”
• Pilate knew Jesus was innocent, but pressure became more important than truth.
• Application: Cultural acceptance must never become the standard by which the Christian determines truth.
  • Scripture, not society, is the final authority.
  • Following Christ sometimes means standing contrary to prevailing cultural expectations.

B. The King Was Presented Again — vv. 13–14

• Pilate announced:
  • “Behold your King!”
• Pilate meant it in a political and perhaps mocking sense, but he spoke a greater truth than he understood.
• Jesus does not need us to “make Him King.”
  • He already is King.
  • Revelation 19:16 calls Him “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
  • Philippians 2:10–11 declares that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
• The issue is whether we will submit ourselves to the King who already reigns.

C. The People Rejected Their King — vv. 15–16

• Their response was:
  • “Away with him, away with him, crucify him.”
  • “We have no king but Caesar.”
• John 1:11 summarizes the tragedy:
  • “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”
• The King who healed, fed, taught, loved, and demonstrated His identity was rejected.

IV. What Will You Do With the King?

• Salvation is not earned through religious works.
  • Ephesians 2:8–9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith… Not of works.”
  • Baptism is an important act of obedience after salvation, but the physical act itself does not purchase redemption.
  • The Ethiopian eunuch first believed and then was baptized — Acts 8:36–38.
• A person may have trusted Christ for salvation yet still resist His lordship in particular areas of life.
  • What are you refusing to surrender?
  • What command of Scripture are you resisting?
  • Where are you allowing your flesh or culture to have greater influence than Christ?
• Do not merely condemn the crowd in John 19.
  • Their sinful nature was the same fallen nature we battle.
  • Apart from grace, our hearts naturally want our own way.
• Closing question: What are you going to do with your King?
  • Will you reject Him?
  • Will you merely remain near enough to Him to seek blessings?
  • Or will you trust Him, submit to Him, and follow Him?

Key Thought

The King was rejected by men, but He was never defeated by men. Every humiliation, accusation, and act of suffering was moving toward the redemption He willingly came to accomplish.

I corrected obvious transcription problems and KJV wording in the transcript below while preserving the preacher’s style and substance. Historical, scientific, and cultural assertions are retained as part of what was preached rather than independently fact-checked.

Primary Text: Genesis 6–9

Key Verse: “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” — Genesis 6:8 (KJV)

I. The Corruption of Man — Genesis 6:5–7

• God’s creation began perfect.
  • God created everything in six days and rested on the seventh.
  • At creation’s conclusion, God declared everything “very good” (Genesis 1:31).
  • Man originally lived without sin, guilt, or shame and enjoyed unhindered fellowship with God.
• Sin entered through man’s disobedience.
  • Adam and Eve’s sin brought the Fall, separation from the garden, and the curse of sin upon mankind and creation.
  • Sin did not remain isolated or small.
    • Adam’s disobedience was followed by Cain murdering Abel.
    • Wickedness continued to increase through succeeding generations.
  • Principle: Sin never stays contained. What appears small can grow into devastating consequences.
• By Noah’s day, wickedness had become pervasive.
  • Genesis 6:5 — “every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
  • Sin begins internally before appearing externally.
  • Our thoughts, desires, and affections eventually influence our actions.
  • Compare Christ’s teaching that the words and actions of man proceed from the heart (Matthew 12:34–35; 15:18–19).
• Man’s corruption grieved God.
  • Genesis 6:6 says, “it grieved him at his heart.”
  • God’s “repenting” does not mean God sinned or made a mistake; rather, mankind’s changed condition brought a corresponding change in God’s dealings with man.
  • Sin is not merely harmful to us—it grieves the heart of God.

II. The Judgment and Grace of God — Genesis 6:8, 13

• Sin demands judgment.
  • Genesis 6:13 — “the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.”
  • God could not simply overlook mankind’s rebellion.
  • The Flood demonstrates both the seriousness of sin and the holiness of God.
• Yet judgment is accompanied by grace.
  • Genesis 6:8 — “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.”
  • “Grace” is associated with Strong’s H2580, חֵן (chên) — favor, graciousness, acceptance.
  • Noah did not earn salvation from the Flood by being sinlessly perfect.
  • Rather, Noah received God’s grace, and his life stood in stark contrast to the wicked culture surrounding him.
• Noah walked with God in a wicked generation.
  • Genesis 6:9 describes Noah as “a just man and perfect in his generations” who “walked with God.”
  • God’s people should likewise be distinct from the world—not to earn salvation, but because they belong to God.
  • Noah’s faithfulness also had enormous consequences for his household: his wife, sons, and sons’ wives entered the ark with him.

III. The Flood: Judgment Completed — Genesis 7–8

• The Flood was a worldwide judgment in the sermon’s reading of Genesis:
  • “the fountains of the great deep” were broken up (Genesis 7:11).
  • The waters covered the earth.
  • All land-dwelling flesh outside the ark perished.
  • Noah, his family, and the creatures preserved in the ark survived.
• The ark pictures salvation in Christ.
  • There was one ark and one door.
  • Jesus said, “I am the door” (John 10:9).
  • Jesus also declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).
  • The ark therefore provides a powerful picture of refuge from judgment through God’s appointed means of salvation.

IV. The Perpetual Problem: The Human Heart — Genesis 8:21

• The Flood cleansed the earth, but it did not change the human heart.
  • This is a central truth of the lesson.
  • Genesis 8:21 — “the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth.”
  • External judgment could remove wicked people from the earth, but water could not transform mankind’s sinful nature.
• This pattern repeats throughout Scripture.
  • Babel: mankind quickly rebelled again after the Flood.
  • Israel in the wilderness: unbelief prevented a generation from entering Canaan.
  • The period of the Judges: succeeding generations repeatedly departed from God.
  • Judgment may restrain sin, but mankind needs something deeper—a changed heart.
• We face the same heart problem.
  • Sin begins when our thoughts and affections settle upon the wrong things.
  • Colossians 3:2 — “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”
  • 2 Corinthians 10:5 teaches us to bring “into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”
  • What occupies the mind and captures the heart will eventually influence the life.

V. Perpetual Grace — Genesis 8:21–22

• Although God acknowledged mankind’s continuing sinful condition, He promised the regular order of creation would continue:
  • “seedtime and harvest”
  • “cold and heat”
  • “summer and winter”
  • “day and night”
• Every day of continued life demonstrates God’s patience and grace.
• Every breath, heartbeat, and opportunity to turn toward God is undeserved mercy.

VI. The Permanent Covenant — Genesis 9:8–17

• God established His covenant with Noah and the earth.
  • Never again would all flesh be destroyed by the waters of a worldwide flood.
  • God called this a covenant “for perpetual generations” (Genesis 9:12).
• The rainbow is the token of that covenant.
  • Genesis 9:13 — “I do set my bow in the cloud.”
  • “Covenant” corresponds to Strong’s H1285, בְּרִית (berîth) — covenant, agreement, pledge.
  • Every appearance of the bow is a visible reminder of God’s promise.

VII. The Thread of Redemption: From Noah to Christ

• The Old Testament continually demonstrates that man cannot solve the problem of his own sinful heart.
• The Flood judged sin but could not regenerate mankind.
• The Law, chastisement, and external judgment reveal the problem but cannot provide the final cure.
• The thread of redemption ultimately leads to Jesus Christ and Calvary.
• What judgment by water could never accomplish in the human heart, redemption through Christ addresses.
• The lesson ultimately points beyond Noah:
  • Thank God for His judgment, because He is holy.
  • Thank God for His grace, because we are undeserving.
  • Thank God for Jesus Christ, because He provides the redemption sinful mankind needs.

Central thought: The Flood could cleanse the earth of wickedness, but it could not cleanse the heart of man. Mankind’s perpetual problem requires God’s perpetual grace and ultimately points us to the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.

Main Texts: Ecclesiastes 2; Colossians 3:1–24

Theme: Do not set an eternal heart on temporary things.

Introduction

• Solomon had nearly everything a person could desire by human standards:
  • Wisdom
  • Wealth
  • Power and recognition
  • Pleasure
  • Possessions
  • Accomplishments
• Yet, looking back over his life, Solomon repeatedly called these things “vanity.”
• Paul gives the answer to Solomon’s experience:
  • Colossians 3:1–2 — “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above… Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”
• The central question is simple: What has your heart?

I. Solomon Set His Affection on Pleasure

• Ecclesiastes 2:1 — Solomon determined to test pleasure to see whether it could satisfy him.
• He had the resources to experience virtually anything his heart desired.
• Yet pleasure failed to provide lasting satisfaction.
  • Pleasure can entertain the heart without satisfying the heart.
• Earthly pleasures are not always sinful in themselves.
  • Hobbies, recreation, possessions, and enjoyable experiences can all have a proper place.
  • The problem comes when we expect them to give us what only God can give.
• Even a legitimate pleasure becomes spiritually dangerous when it captures our affection.

II. Solomon Set His Affection on Possessions and Accomplishments

Ecclesiastes 2:4–10

• Solomon built what he wanted.
  • Houses
  • Vineyards
  • Gardens
  • Orchards
  • Pools
• Solomon bought what he wanted.
  • Servants
  • Cattle
  • Silver and gold
  • Entertainment and treasures
• Solomon became what he wanted.
  • “So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem…” — Ecclesiastes 2:9
• Solomon had what he wanted.
  • “Whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them…” — Ecclesiastes 2:10
• The same temptation exists today, only on a smaller budget:
  • “If I had that house…”
  • “If I had that position…”
  • “If I made that salary…”
  • “If I could afford that hobby…”
  • “If I owned that next thing…”
• The problem is not necessarily having these things; the problem is setting our affection on obtaining them.

III. Solomon Set His Affection on What He Could Not Keep

Ecclesiastes 2:18–19

• Eventually Solomon realized that everything he had worked for would be left to someone else.
• He could labor for it.
• He could possess it.
• But he could not keep it.
• He spent his life gaining what death would eventually take from him.
• Everything we possess in this world is temporary.
  • Homes
  • Vehicles
  • Money
  • Careers
  • Land
  • Possessions
• We cannot take any of it into eternity.
• Therefore: Do not set an eternal heart on temporary things.

IV. Paul’s Answer: Set Your Affection Above

Colossians 3:1–2

A. Your Identity Is Now Found in Christ

• “If ye then be risen with Christ…”
• Salvation changes who we are.
• Identity comes before obedience.
  • We do not obey God in order to become His children.
  • We obey because, through Christ, we already belong to Him.
• What we possess does not determine who we are.
• Our identity is not rooted in:
  • Wealth
  • Status
  • Career
  • Possessions
  • Recognition
• Our identity is in Christ.

B. Your Future Is Now Found in Christ

Colossians 3:3–4

• “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”
• “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”
• Christ is not merely supposed to be one part of the Christian’s life.
• Christ is our life.
• Our greatest hope is not what we can gain here but what Christ has already done and what awaits us with Him.
• If our future is with Christ, then our affection should also be toward Christ.

V. Stop Feeding What Belongs to the Old Man

Colossians 3:5–9

• Because we are risen with Christ, Paul says:
  • “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth…”
• A heavenly affection requires an earthly mortification.
• The flesh still desires things contrary to God.
• Paul names sins belonging to the old life:
  • Fornication
  • Uncleanness
  • Inordinate affection
  • Evil concupiscence
  • Covetousness
  • Anger
  • Wrath
  • Malice
  • Blasphemy
  • Filthy communication
  • Lying
• Covetousness is especially connected to misplaced affection.
  • We convince ourselves that we need the next thing.
  • Once we obtain it, something newer appears.
  • The flesh never finally says, “I have enough.”
• This repeats Solomon’s experiment:
  • Gain more.
  • Experience more.
  • Own more.
  • Discover that it still does not satisfy.

VI. Put On the New Man

Colossians 3:10–14

• Christianity is not merely putting away sinful behavior; it is also putting on Christlike character.
• Paul describes:
  • Mercies
  • Kindness
  • Humbleness of mind
  • Meekness
  • Longsuffering
  • Forbearance
  • Forgiveness
  • Charity
• These qualities are seen perfectly in Jesus Christ.
• If my heart is set on Christ, my life ought to begin looking like Christ.
• Spiritual maturity requires effort:
  • Bible study
  • Prayer
  • Walking with God
  • Learning Christ
  • Growing in grace
• We make time for what we truly value.
• When affection for Christ weakens, spiritual disciplines eventually become an inconvenience instead of a priority.

VII. Let Christ Rule What Is Inside You

A. Let His Peace Rule Your Heart

Colossians 3:15

• “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts… and be ye thankful.”
• Thankfulness changes what the heart notices.
• Instead of continually concentrating on what we lack, we recognize what God has already provided.
• Misplaced affections often produce dissatisfaction because we are chasing something God never told us to pursue.

B. Let His Word Dwell in You

Colossians 3:16

• “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…”
• What dwells in you will direct you.
• What continually fills the mind eventually influences the heart and life.
• We cannot continually feed our minds earthly corruption and expect heavenly thinking.
• A heart filled with the Word has something worth singing about.

C. Do Everything for Christ

Colossians 3:17

• “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus…”
• Every part of life can be offered to Christ.
• Work is not merely about a paycheck.
• Possessions are not merely about personal enjoyment.
• Our lives should display Christ to others.
• The question is not merely, “What am I doing?” but, “Who am I doing it for?”

VIII. Heavenly Affections Should Invade Every Area of Life

• Marriage — Colossians 3:18–19
  • Wives submit to their husbands as fitting in the Lord.
  • Husbands love their wives and are not bitter against them.
• Home — Colossians 3:20–21
  • Children obey their parents.
  • Fathers do not provoke their children to anger.
• Work — Colossians 3:22–24
  • Work sincerely, fearing God rather than merely trying to impress people.
  • “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.”
• When affections are rightly ordered toward Christ, they affect everything beneath them.

IX. Four Questions That Reveal Your Affections

1. What Do You Treasure?

Matthew 6:19–21

• “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
• Look at where you invest:
  • Time
  • Money
  • Energy
  • Attention
• Your investments reveal what you value.

2. What Do You Seek?

Matthew 6:31–33

• “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness…”
• What you continually pursue reveals what you truly value.
• A person can spend an entire life seeking legitimate things while still seeking the wrong thing first.

3. What Do You Think About?

Philippians 4:8

• Think on things that are:
  • True
  • Honest
  • Just
  • Pure
  • Lovely
  • Of good report
  • Virtuous
  • Praiseworthy
• What repeatedly occupies the mind influences the direction of the heart.
• Guard the mind from pornography, lust, corrupt entertainment, and anything that feeds the old nature.

4. What Are You Living For?

2 Corinthians 4:18

• “For the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
• Temporary things cannot bear the weight of an eternal heart.

Conclusion

Ecclesiastes 12:13–14

• “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
• Solomon tried everything “under the sun” and discovered that none of it could satisfy his heart.
• His conclusion was not:
  • Gain more.
  • Experience more.
  • Earn more.
  • Possess more.
• His conclusion was: Fear God and obey Him.

Closing Question

If you received everything your heart is set on right now, would you finally be satisfied?

Key thought: Do not set an eternal heart on temporary things.

Theme: Praise Him for Who He Is

Key Text — Psalm 57:2–5 (KJV)

“I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me… Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.”

1. Praise God Not Only for What He Does, but for Who He Is

• It is right to praise God for His protection, provision, salvation, and answered prayer.
  • David himself said, “God that performeth all things for me” (v. 2).
• However, our praise can easily become centered on what we have received.
  • It is easy to praise God when circumstances turn out in our favor.
  • Mature praise recognizes that God is worthy even when our circumstances have not changed.
• David was still in danger when he declared:
  • “Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens” (v. 5).
• What God does for us should ultimately turn our attention away from ourselves and toward Him.
• Key thought: Who God is comes before what God does.
  • His mercy flows from the fact that He is merciful.
  • His goodness flows from the fact that He is good.
  • His faithfulness flows from the fact that He is faithful.

2. Salvation Comes from Heaven — Psalm 57:3

“He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up…”

• In the immediate context, David needed deliverance from Saul.
• The verse also provides a beautiful picture of the Gospel:
  • Humanity is helpless to save itself.
  • Salvation had to come from heaven.
  • Jesus Christ is the source of our salvation.
• Christ came from heaven and took upon Himself flesh.
  • John 1:1, 14 — the Word was God, and “the Word was made flesh.”
  • He lived without sin and perfectly fulfilled the law.
  • He willingly died upon Calvary for sinners and rose again.
• The substance of salvation is Christ’s righteousness.
  • 2 Corinthians 5:21 — “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
  • We cannot produce our own righteousness.
  • We cannot perfectly fulfill God’s law.
  • Therefore, we cannot produce our own salvation.
• Being a “good person” cannot save anyone.
  • Romans 3:10 — “There is none righteous, no, not one.”
  • Our only hope is the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

3. Salvation Is Given in Mercy and Truth

“God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.” — Psalm 57:3

• None of us deserves the salvation God has provided.
• Yet God’s character is revealed in His mercy.
• His truth reveals how we may be saved.
  • Through His Word we learn of His love.
  • Through His Word we learn of redemption and restoration.
  • Through His Word we receive the Gospel.
• Salvation rests upon God, not upon our ability to keep ourselves saved.
• The security of salvation:
  • Promised by His Word.
  • Purchased by Christ’s blood.
  • Sealed by the Holy Spirit.
• Ephesians 1:13–14 teaches that believers are “sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.”
• God can keep us far better than we could ever keep ourselves.

4. Salvation Is Defended on Earth — Psalm 57:4

“My soul is among lions… whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.”

• Being saved does not mean living a trouble-free life.
  • David was God’s man, yet he was surrounded by enemies.
  • Stephen faithfully served Christ, yet was stoned.
  • Job 14:1 — “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.”
• The Christian life is not merely a playground; there is a spiritual battle.
  • Satan seeks to devour and destroy.
  • 1 Peter 5:8 describes him as “a roaring lion… seeking whom he may devour.”
• Satan cannot undo the believer’s salvation, but he seeks to destroy:
  • Our testimony.
  • Our usefulness.
  • Our influence for Christ.
• People are watching how Christians respond under pressure.
  • Hard circumstances can expose moments of weakness.
  • Therefore, we must be careful about what we say and how we respond.
• Yet the One who saves is also the One who preserves.
  • Our ability to live holy lives does not originate in our flesh.
  • 1 John 4:4 — “greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
• Even when surrounded by danger, God remains our Defender.

5. Salvation Should Glorify God — Psalm 57:5

“Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.”

• David’s attention now moves completely away from himself.
  • Verse 2: what God performs for me.
  • Verse 3: God will save me.
  • Verse 4: my soul is surrounded.
  • Verse 5: God alone is the focus.
• This is where God’s blessings should ultimately lead us: to His glory.
• We cannot glorify ourselves in salvation.
  • We did not earn it.
  • We could not purchase it.
  • We cannot sustain it ourselves.
  • Therefore, all glory belongs to Christ.

6. “Be Thou Exalted”

• Christ first came in humility.
  • He came as the Lamb of God.
  • He lived humbly and willingly went to Calvary.
• But He rose victoriously.
  • He conquered death, hell, and the grave.
  • He is already King; we do not make Him King—we submit to His kingship.
• Philippians 2:10–11 teaches that the day is coming when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
• Worship is fundamentally about exalting Christ.
  • We should not come to church merely asking, “What blessing can I receive?”
  • We come to honor, worship, and exalt the Savior.

7. “Above the Heavens”

• Heaven will be glorious beyond anything we presently understand.
• Yet the greatest thing about heaven will not be its beauty.
  • Not the gold.
  • Not the gates.
  • Not the angels.
  • Not even reunion with loved ones.
• The greatest glory of heaven is Christ Himself.
• Even the angels marvel at God’s work of redemption.
  • 1 Peter 1:12 speaks of the Gospel as things “which the angels desire to look into.”
  • Angels have never experienced redemption as redeemed sinners have.
• One day the redeemed will see the Savior who bore the wounds of Calvary for them.
• All heaven’s splendor will pale beside the glory of the One sitting upon the throne.

8. “Let Thy Glory Be Above All the Earth”

• God’s glory should not only be recognized in heaven; it should be displayed through our lives on earth.
• Ecclesiastes 12:13 — “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
• Our obedience brings honor to the name of the One we represent.
• The Christian’s life should exalt God’s name above everything else.
• Every possession and every provision ultimately comes from Him:
  • Breath and life.
  • Home and food.
  • Family.
  • Church.
  • Daily provision.
• Yet greater than every earthly blessing is this: God has provided salvation.
• Even if every earthly blessing disappeared, God would still be worthy of praise.

Closing Challenge

• Ask yourself: When was the last time I praised God simply for who He is?
• Praise Him for His mercy, grace, holiness, goodness, faithfulness, love, and sovereignty.
• Do not allow praise to depend upon favorable circumstances.
• David praised while he was still in the cave and still surrounded by enemies.
• If everything else is taken away, salvation alone gives us reason to exalt Him.
• Our calling now—and throughout eternity—is:

“Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.”

Text: John 18:12–27; John 21:9–19

Theme: Our confidence in ourselves will fail, but failure does not have to be final. Christ confronts, restores, and calls His people to follow Him again.

I. Peter Was Sincere, but He Was Confident in Himself

• John 13:37 — Peter told Jesus, “I will lay down my life for thy sake.”
  • Peter was not necessarily being dishonest or boastful for show; he genuinely believed he was strong enough to die with Christ.
  • The problem was that Peter did not know Peter as well as Christ knew Peter.
• Jesus answered in John 13:38, “The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.”
  • Christ knew the weakness that Peter could not yet see in himself.
• Peter's courage was genuine.
  • In John 18:10, Peter drew his sword against those who came to arrest Christ and cut off Malchus's ear.
  • He was willing to face an armed group when he thought physical strength and action could solve the problem.
• Yet Peter's courage was self-dependent rather than God-dependent.
  • He acted courageously, but Christ had not commanded him to fight.
  • Sincerity is not the same thing as spiritual strength.
  • A sincere Christian can still fall when he is depending upon himself instead of the Lord.

Key truth: Confidence in our own strength is destined to fail.

II. Peter's Failure Began with a Gradual Drift

• After Christ was arrested, everything Peter expected seemed to be falling apart.
  • The kingdom he anticipated was not unfolding the way he expected.
  • Jesus rebuked Peter's use of the sword.
  • Peter could no longer control the situation.
• Mark 14:54 says Peter “followed him afar off.”
  • He was still following—but there was now distance between Peter and Christ.
• The progression in John 18 is striking:
  • He followed Jesus — John 18:15.
  • He stood “without” — John 18:16.
  • He “stood with them” — John 18:18.
• Peter went from defending Christ to warming himself beside the very officers associated with Christ's arrest.
• This resembles the downward progression of Psalm 1:1—walking, standing, and sitting in increasingly ungodly association.
• One of Peter's great tests came when he lost control.
  • It is easy to say, “I'll follow Christ,” when life unfolds according to our expectations.
  • The deeper question is whether we will follow Him when obedience requires surrendering control.

III. Pressure Revealed What Self-Confidence Could Not Sustain

A. The Question of the Damsel — John 18:17

• Peter's first challenge came from a young woman keeping the door:
  • “Art not thou also one of this man's disciples?”
  • Peter answered simply, “I am not.”
• This was not an armed soldier threatening his life.
  • The man willing to swing a sword in the garden was now afraid to identify himself with Christ before a damsel.
• Physical courage is not necessarily the same as spiritual courage.
• Peter realized that identification with Jesus could mean identification with His reproach.

B. The Question of the Crowd — John 18:25

• The pressure increased:
  • “Art not thou also one of his disciples?”
  • Again Peter said, “I am not.”
• The second denial protected the first denial.
  • Once Peter had lied, admitting the truth would also require admitting that his earlier statement was false.
  • Sin grows by demanding additional sin to protect what came before it.
• The sermon draws upon the biblical warning of a conscience becoming “seared” (1 Timothy 4:2).
  • Repeated disobedience can make the next act of disobedience easier.

C. The Question of an Eyewitness — John 18:26–27

• Now Peter faced someone with direct evidence:
  • A kinsman of Malchus asked, “Did not I see thee in the garden with him?”
• The pressure had moved from:
  • a damsel,
  • to a crowd,
  • to an eyewitness.
• The Synoptic Gospels show the severity of Peter's final denial; Matthew records that he began “to curse and to swear” (Matthew 26:74).
• He was now attempting to make himself look like the world around him so that no one would identify him with Jesus.

Strong's: “Denied” comes from arneomai — G720, a verb used of denying or disowning. It is the word associated with Peter's denial in John 18. 

IV. We Can Deny Christ by More Than Our Words

• Most Christians may never literally say, “I am not a Christian.”
• Yet our actions can deny what our mouths profess.
  • How we treat a cashier.
  • How we speak to our family.
  • How we conduct business.
  • How we behave around people outside the church.
  • How we talk when no Christian friends are listening.
• We can look Christian at church while living contrary to Christ elsewhere.
• Instead of maintaining a Christian facade, the challenge is to actually walk with Christ.
• Ecclesiastes 8:11 warns that because judgment against evil is not executed speedily, man's heart becomes more determined to continue in evil.
  • God's patience should lead us to repentance, not convince us that sin does not matter.

V. Peter's Failure Was Terrible—but It Was Not the End

• Luke 22:60–62 records the heartbreaking moment:
  • the cock crowed,
  • Jesus turned and looked upon Peter,
  • Peter remembered Christ's words,
  • and Peter “went out, and wept bitterly.”
• Peter finally saw himself as Christ had already seen him.
• The man who had confidently said, “I will die for You,” discovered that his own strength could not sustain his promise.
• But John 18 is not the end of Peter's story.

VI. Christ Took Peter Back to the Place of Failure

• In John 21:9, the risen Christ met Peter beside another “fire of coals.”
• The expression is especially significant:
  • Greek anthrakia — Strong's G439 means a bed or heap of burning coals.
  • It occurs only twice in John's Gospel/New Testament Greek text: John 18:18, at Peter's denial, and John 21:9, at Peter's restoration.

   

• Christ brought Peter back, in a vivid way, to the setting associated with his failure.
• God often works similarly through conviction:
  • He brings us back to what we have refused to deal with.
  • Not merely to shame us, but to correct, cleanse, and restore us.

VII. Christ Confronted Peter's Failure and Confirmed His Calling

• Peter denied Christ three times.
• In John 21, Christ questioned Peter three times:
  • “Lovest thou me?”
• Each time Peter affirmed his love, Christ gave him responsibility:
  • “Feed my lambs.”
  • “Feed my sheep.”
  • “Feed my sheep.”
• Jesus did not pretend the failure never happened.
  • Grace confronts sin, but grace does not discard the repentant servant.
• Peter's fellowship had been damaged, but Christ was not finished with Peter.
• Failure did not cancel God's purpose for his life.

VIII. The Restored Peter Was Told, “Follow Me”

• John 21:19 — “And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.”
• “Follow” is akoloutheō — Strong's G190, carrying the thought of accompanying someone and following as a disciple. 
• Compare Peter in two places:
  • John 13: “I will follow; I will die for You.” — confidence in Peter.
  • John 21: Peter has learned his weakness, and Jesus simply says, “Follow me.”
• Peter eventually became a bold witness for Christ and preached at Pentecost, where about three thousand soulsreceived the word (Acts 2:41).
• Early Christian tradition also records that Peter later suffered crucifixion and was crucified head-downward; that detail comes from early church tradition rather than the biblical text itself.

 

Final Application

• Do my actions identify me with Jesus Christ?
• What does my Christianity look like:
  • when the preacher is not around?
  • when church members are not watching?
  • at home?
  • at work?
  • in public?
  • in my private conversations?
• Have I been following “afar off”?
• Have I moved from standing near Christ to standing “with them”?
• Is there a “fire of coals” in my life—a place of failure to which God keeps bringing my attention?
• Failure does not have to be final.
  • Christ forgives.
  • Christ restores.
  • Christ still has a purpose.
  • But we must deal honestly with our sin and then obey His command: “Follow me.”

Central thought:

Self-confidence says, “I am strong enough to follow.” Grace teaches us, “I am weak, but Christ is sufficient—and I will follow Him.”

Text: Psalm 57:1

Theme: There is no safer place during life’s calamities than beneath the shelter of God’s wings.

“Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.”

—Psalm 57:1, KJV

Background

• David wrote this psalm while fleeing from Saul and hiding in a cave.
  • The exact occasion is uncertain.
  • It may have been connected with the cave of Adullam or the cave of En-gedi.
  • The precise location is less important than the spiritual truth revealed through David’s trouble.
• David repeatedly found himself in difficulty, hardship, and danger.
  • Saul was pursuing him.
  • His future appeared uncertain.
  • Yet David knew where to find refuge.
• Trouble is a normal part of life.
  • Some trouble is caused by our own decisions.
  • Some is caused by the actions of others.
  • Other difficulties arise simply because we live in a fallen world.
• The central truth is that there is no safer place than in the shelter of God’s wings.

I. Mercy Is Received Through Humble Faith

A. David requested mercy

• David began by crying, “Be merciful unto me, O God.”
• His first response to calamity was prayer.
  • Our first response should not merely be to call another person.
  • We should first go directly to God.
  • People may offer counsel, but only God can give perfect peace, security, and help.
• David repeated his request because he understood the depth of his need.
  • He did not approach God with pride.
  • He came humbly, recognizing that he could not rescue himself.

B. Mercy is rooted in God’s character

• Romans 2:11 teaches that “there is no respect of persons with God.”
  • David had no special claim upon God.
  • Neither do we.
  • Everyone stands on equal ground before the Lord.
• God’s mercy is not given because we deserve it.
  • Mercy, by definition, is God withholding the judgment we deserve.
  • We appeal to God’s mercy because of who He is, not because of who we are.
• God had already proven Himself faithful to Israel.
  • He delivered Israel from Egypt.
  • He divided the Red Sea.
  • He provided manna and quail in the wilderness.
  • He repeatedly showed Himself sovereign, powerful, loving, and merciful.
• God had also proven Himself faithful to David.
  • He delivered David from the lion and the bear.
  • He gave David victory over Goliath.
  • He protected him through many battles.
• We should remember how often God has proven Himself faithful to us.
  • Past faithfulness should strengthen present faith.
  • The God who helped us before has not changed.

C. Remember who God is

• He is a powerful Creator.
• He is a valiant Protector.
• He is a loving Provider.
• Christ is our perfect Ransom.
• He is a providential Saviour who will never leave nor forsake His people.
• He is a praiseworthy King.
  • He deserves praise during the good days.
  • He also deserves praise when the days are dark and calamity has come.

D. Mercy is received by faith

• David said, “My soul trusteth in thee.”
• Faith does not create God’s mercy.
  • Faith is the open hand that receives the mercy God provides.
• We must trust:
  • God’s character.
  • God’s judgment.
  • God’s goodness.
  • God’s will.
  • God’s plan.
• Key word—“trusteth”: Strong’s H2620, chasah.
  • The word carries the idea of fleeing for protection or taking refuge.
  • David’s trust was not merely intellectual; he was placing himself under God’s protection.

II. Trust Is Displayed Through Dependence

A. Trust is more than believing God can

• Trust means resting in the conviction that God will do what is best.
• What is best is not always what we personally want.
  • Our responsibility is not to dictate the outcome.
  • Our responsibility is to trust God’s wisdom.
• Faith is not an abstract idea.
  • Hebrews 11:1 calls faith “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
  • Genuine faith produces dependence upon God.

B. Trust begins where self-reliance ends

• David had fighting men, military experience, and personal courage.
• Nevertheless, he did not appeal to:
  • The strength of his arm.
  • His skill with a sword.
  • His experience in battle.
  • His ability as a commander.
• He simply cried, “God, I need Your help.”
• We often pride ourselves on being self-reliant.
  • We believe we can build it, repair it, earn enough, or make something happen.
  • Self-reliance can prevent us from depending upon God.
• Trust begins when we admit:
  • “I am not enough.”
  • “I cannot control this.”
  • “Lord, I need You to intervene.”

C. Trust is exercised through commitment

• Trust does not mean inactivity.
  • David still had to run.
  • He still had to hide.
  • He still had to watch for his enemies.
• David remained active and faithful while committing the outcome to God.
• He placed two things at God’s feet:
  • The situation itself.
  • His inability to solve the situation.
• We must remain committed during hardship.
  • Continue attending church.
  • Continue praying.
  • Continue obeying Scripture.
  • Continue fulfilling the responsibilities God has given.
• Trials are not a reason to abandon faithfulness.
  • Difficulty should cause us to draw closer to God, not run from Him.

D. Trust is exercised through rest

• Biblical rest is not laziness, passivity, or surrendering our responsibilities.
• Resting in God means surrendering the burden to Him while remaining faithful to our responsibilities.
• We must distinguish between:
  • What God has given us the ability and responsibility to do.
  • What only God can control.
• We should faithfully control our own actions while releasing uncontrollable outcomes to God.
• Worry often comes from trying to control things that belong to God.
• There may also be times when God tells us to stop, wait, and avoid acting hastily.
  • Moving ahead of God can make a calamity worse.
  • Waiting never excuses disobedience or neglect of duty.
• The proper response is:
  • Remain faithful.
  • Continue seeking God.
  • Carry out your responsibility.
  • Give God the burden and the outcome.

III. Refuge Is Found by Abiding in God’s Presence

A. Refuge requires nearness

• David said, “In the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge.”

• To stand in the shadow of something, we must be close to it.

  • A chicken gives very little shade; to stand in its shadow, one would have to be extremely close.
  • A distant tree cannot provide shade until we draw near to it.

• In the same way, those who desire the refuge of God must draw near to God.

• James 4:8 says: “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”

• Key word—“shadow”: Strong’s H6738, tsel.

  • It pictures shade, shelter, or protection.

• Key word—“wings”: Strong’s H3671, kanaph.

  • It may refer to a wing, an extremity, or a protective covering.

• Key word—“refuge”: Strong’s H2620, chasah.

  • The same Hebrew root translated “trusteth” is connected with seeking shelter.
  • David trusted God by actively making God his refuge.

B. Draw near before the calamity comes

• David loved God before Saul’s threat reached its height.
  • He loved God’s Word.
  • He loved God’s law.
  • He valued fellowship with God.
• The calamity did not create David’s faithfulness; it revealed it.
• The calamity did not suddenly create his trust; it exposed the trust already present.
• Many people seek God only after disaster strikes.
  • After the attacks of September 11, 2001, churches filled and people prayed.
  • Yet many had given little thought to God before the calamity.
• We must not treat God as someone to call only during emergencies.
• The peaceful seasons should be used to:
  • Build a strong prayer life.
  • Learn Scripture.
  • Walk faithfully.
  • Draw close to God.
  • Prepare spiritually for future storms.

C. Draw near and remain near

• Human beings are “prone to wander.”
• Busyness, temptation, trials, and the flesh can gradually pull us away from God.
• The very difficulties that tempt us to withdraw should drive us nearer to Him.
• Drawing near is not a one-time decision.
  • We must abide.
  • We must remain under His wings.
  • We must continue seeking His presence.

D. Wait for God’s deliverance

• The preacher illustrated waiting through taking his son deer hunting.
  • His son is placed safely in a tree stand and secured with a harness.
  • The son knows his father will return, though he may not know exactly when.
  • He remains safe as long as he obeys, stays secured, and waits.
  • Leaving the stand prematurely could bring injury or death.
• In the same way:
  • The waiting may feel dark.
  • The situation may be frightening.
  • We may not know exactly when God will act.
  • But we know He has not forgotten us.
• God is not in Heaven wringing His hands over our circumstances.
  • He knows exactly where we are.
  • He knows exactly what we face.
  • He will come with light, help, and deliverance in His time.
• David eventually received the throne, but he waited through many years of trouble.
  • One trial was followed by another.
  • Through those experiences, God was preparing him to rule.
• We may not understand what God is doing through our valleys.
  • God may be using present hardship to prepare us for future service.
  • Our responsibility is to remain faithful until the calamity is overpast.

Conclusion and Application

• Trouble will come, even when life presently feels peaceful.
• We should not wait for the storm before seeking shelter.
• God’s promises are true because His character is unchanging.
• His mercy is available.
• His wings provide refuge.
• His presence is the safest place we can be.

Final Challenges

• Seek God first when trouble comes.
• Receive His mercy through faith.
• Stop relying completely upon your own strength.
• Remain committed to your God-given responsibilities.
• Release uncontrollable burdens to the Lord.
• Draw near to God before the storm arrives.
• Abide beneath the shadow of His wings.
• Wait patiently until the calamities are overpast.

Text: Mark 8:22–26

Key Verse: “After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.” — Mark 8:25

Central Truth

• We may survive without a fresh touch from God, but we will never truly thrive without His hand upon our lives.
• The longer we walk with Christ, the more we recognize our continual need for His touch.
• The same gracious hand that saves us also purifies, restores, and causes us to seek Him again.

The Setting: The Healing of the Blind Man

• A blind man was brought to Jesus at Bethsaida, and others “besought him to touch him.”
• Jesus took the man by the hand and led him out of the town.
• After the first touch, the man could see, but his vision was incomplete: “I see men as trees, walking.”
• Jesus touched him again, and the man “was restored, and saw every man clearly.”
• Christ did not touch the man twice because He lacked power.
  • Jesus possesses all power.
  • The gradual healing was purposeful.
  • It illustrates our continuing need for the Lord’s work in our lives.

I. The Touch of Salvation

• The blind man never forgot the day Jesus took him by the hand and gave him sight.
• Every believer should remember when Christ found and saved him.
  • We were lost in sin.
  • We stood at enmity with God.
  • We were without hope apart from Christ.
• Salvation is more than baptism, church membership, or a religious experience.
  • A person must personally believe on Jesus Christ.
  • Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).
• There is no touch like the touch of salvation.
  • Guilt and shame are washed away.
  • The sinner is made a new creature.
  • Spiritual eyes are opened.
  • Eternal life is received.
• A person may survive physically without salvation, but he cannot enter eternal life without Christ.

II. The Touch of Purification

• The man could see after the first touch, but he did not yet see clearly.
• Salvation does not mean that we immediately understand everything or become spiritually mature.
  • New believers still have much to learn.
  • God continues sanctifying His people.
  • He reveals areas of sin, pride, and disobedience that must be removed.
• God often purifies us through difficult circumstances.
  • Pain
  • Suffering
  • Failure
  • Heartache
  • Disappointment
  • Seasons of grief and loss
• The process may be unpleasant, just as the blind man may not have enjoyed having Christ spit upon his eyes.
• Although we may not enjoy the process, we can be thankful for its result.
  • God strips away pride.
  • He removes sinful habits and attitudes.
  • He produces spiritual fruit that we could never produce by ourselves.
  • He makes us more like Christ.
• Difficult circumstances do not mean God has stopped working.
  • Sometimes His most significant work occurs in the valley.
  • Looking back, we may eventually understand why God permitted certain trials.
• The church does not need lukewarm, careless Christianity.
  • God calls His people to holiness.
  • Believers should live differently from a crooked and perverse world.
  • Our lives should point others to Jesus Christ.
• Though the Christian life includes suffering, it is always better to be in the will of God.

III. The Touch of Restoration

• After Jesus touched the man again, “he was restored.”
• Life and sin have a way of wounding and breaking people.
  • Sin is destructive.
  • Sin is corrosive.
  • The blood of Jesus Christ is restorative.
• Jesus restores what sin, sorrow, and suffering have damaged.
  • Hope
  • Joy
  • Fellowship
  • Spiritual strength
  • A sense of purpose
• The same Savior who died for us has promised never to leave or forsake us.
• Christ invites the weary to come to Him:
  • “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
• Sometimes God restores us through His words; at other times He comforts us through His quiet presence.
  • Like a faithful friend who sits beside us in grief, God may assure the heart, “Child, I am here.”
  • Divine silence does not mean divine absence.
• The blind man received more than restored eyesight.
  • His hope was restored.
  • His ability to work was restored.
  • His earthly future was restored.
• Believers should return to the cross daily.
  • We do not go to the cross only for salvation.
  • We continually depend upon the cleansing and restoring power of Christ’s blood.

IV. The Touch of Supplication

• Once a person has genuinely experienced the touch of God, he longs for it again.
• Supplication is earnest, humble prayer—a longing and pleading for God to work.
• Nothing can replace the touch of Christ.
  • A pastor cannot replace it.
  • A church cannot manufacture it.
  • Human talent cannot produce it.
  • No ordinary person can do what Jesus alone can do.
• We need Jesus for more than eternity.
  • We need Him for daily bread.
  • We need Him for every breath.
  • We need Him in our homes, marriages, parenting, ministries, and private lives.
• The question is not whether we need His touch, but whether we are seeking it.
  • Are we praying for it?
  • Are we attending church merely to check a box?
  • Are we willing for God to expose and correct the hidden places of our hearts?
• Christians must guard against merely going through the motions.
  • Familiar routines can become spiritually mundane.
  • The joy of salvation can slowly fade.
  • David prayed, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation” (Psalm 51:12).
• The church should seek God’s touch in preparation for revival.
  • Pray for the preacher.
  • Pray for the congregation.
  • Pray that hearts will be revived and changed.
• When we have seen the fire of God’s working, religious smoke will never satisfy.
  • Pretending will not do.
  • Playing church will not do.
  • Empty religion will not do.
  • A person who has experienced God’s power will hunger for His genuine presence.

One Gracious Hand

• The passage contains several distinct touches, but they all come from one hand.
  • The hand that saves is the hand that purifies.
  • The hand that purifies is the hand that restores.
  • The hand that restores is the hand for which we continually long.
• Time has not weakened Christ.
  • He is still saving souls.
  • He is still changing hearts.
  • He is still purifying His people.
  • He is still restoring the broken.
• His touch never loses its power, and our need for it never ends.

Final Questions

• Do you remember when Jesus saved you?
• When was the last time you felt God working in your heart?
• When did you last allow Him to expose an area that needed correction?
• Has the world become greater in your heart than your love for God?
• Has salvation become old news?
• Has church become merely a duty?
• Are you actively seeking a fresh touch from God?

Invitation

• Draw near to Christ, and He will draw near to you.
• Return to the cross, where the blood of Jesus cleanses and restores.
• Ask the Lord sincerely:

“Lord, touch me again.”