Morning Worship
RENEWING YOUR commitment to SPIRITUAL LIVING – Part 2
Subtitled: THE CROSS: A SIGN OF OUR CHANGES
II Corinthians 5:17
Introduction:
a. The cross had four “points”:
1. One of them pointed toward heaven where God, in His great wisdom, made
plans to redeem mankind to himself
2. One of them was buried in the earth and suggests mankind’s tending to do
things from such an earthly viewpoint
B. Then, they were the ends of the cross member:
1. Those ends pointed in exactly the opposite directions, and Jesus was in
the midst of it
2. The two ends of the cross member remind us of an old man and a new man!
“Two men” who are completely different
I. CONSIDER Romans 6:3-6:
A. “ ... our old man ...”:
1. implication? there must be a new man
2. there is a change - a dramatic change
3. so, v.4 is “newness of life”
B. What’s different?
1. v.6b “henceforth we should not serve sin”
2. v.17a “ye were the servants of sin”
3. so, 180 degree change ... the “degree” of the ends of the cross member
... opposite
C. Fact: Jesus died on the cross to make “new people”:
1. He did not die so that we could continue in sin
2. Romans 6:11-13 “reckon ... yourselves ... dead”
3. the word “reckon” is critical here ... we must think, think of ourselves
as new
II THEN, ii Corinthians 5:14,15,17,21:
A. A passage full of the cross:
1. His death; His being our sin offering
2. v.14 explains a needed fact: Jesus bled on the cross because all of us
were dead in sins
B. But a passage noting our changes!
1. v.17 we are new creatures
2. But note, too, v.15 ... we no longer live to ourselves ... but to Christ
3. There it is ... change because of the cross
C. The changes depend on us to a great degree:
1. v.19 God is willing to impute our sins to Jesus
2. but v.20 clearly notes that each has a choice to make
3. there is no magic in the cross ... there os decision, choice in the cross
... and decision and choice require change
III AN OPPORTUNITY, THEN, FOR A NEW BEGINNING!
A. The past is erased by Jesus’ blood - Ephesians 1:7:
1. Revelation 1:5 - baptism because of the cross
2. Guilt for sin and spiritual death are resolved in our favor by the cross
3. Hebrews 10:17
B. What we write on the new page is ours to decide:
1. Change - that’s what must characterize what we “write”
2. “None of self and all of thee”
3. New thought processes which constantly take into consideration the
wishes, will, word of God will result in changes in us
C. The future can be filled with hope:
1. John 10:10 an abundant life
2. I Peter 1:3 “unto a lively hope”
3. But such a future depends both on the cross (the cleansing) and the
changes in us because of the word’s being in us – Colossians 3:16; II
Corinthians 10:5
Conclusion:
a. the new birth is a must because of our sin – John 3:1-18
B . I John 2:24 – continue to live the new life
Evening Worship
PHILIP PREACHES IN SAMARIA
Acts 8:4-25
Introduction:
A. THERE WAS MUCH PREACHING FROM PENTECOST FORWARD
B. PHILIP WAS ONE OF THE NON-APOSTLES WHO WERE AMONG THOSE WHO PREACHED THE
GOSPEL
C. LET US NOTICE SOME POINTS FROM HIS PREACHING IN SAMARIA
I. The last instructions of Jesus to the apostles- Acts 1:4-8
A. You will receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem .
B. Go preach the good news in Jerusalem , Judea, Samaria and the entire
world.
II. The Holy Spirit was given:
A. To every Christian in a non miraculous form - Acts 2:28
B. The miraculous form of the Holy Spirit was given by God to the apostles-
Acts 1:26
C. The miraculous form of the Holy Spirit was given by the laying on of the
apostles hands as they did to the seven in Acts 6:6
D. The miraculous MEASURE of the Holy Spirit was given by Paul to John's
disciples - Acts 19:6
E. Those who received the miraculous form of the Holy Spirit from the
apostles could not give it to others - Acts 8:14-16
III. Philip's preaching Acts 8:5-13:
A. After Philip was persecuted he preached in Samaria - Acts 8:1-3
B. The crowds heard Philip and saw his miracles
C. They believed Philip and were baptized
D. Simon the sorcerer heard Philip's preaching
1. Simon tricked the people into believing he had miraculous power.
2. When Simon saw real miracles he believed and was baptized.
3. Simon followed Philip.
IV. Peter and John were sent by the apostles to Samaria to STRENGTHEN the
new Christians - Acts 8:14-25:
A. They gave some of the Samaritans the miraculous gifts by the laying on of
hands
B. Simon offered Peter and John money to lay their hands on him to give him
miraculous gifts which he could give to others.
C. Peter told Simon to repent of this sinful request.
D. Simon begged them to pray for him
Conclusion:
A. God used persecution to get the disciples to spread the Word – ACTS 8:1-4
B. Conversion includes belief in the Lord and baptism in His name – ACTS
2:36-38
C. Today, no human BEING has the ability to work miracles; no one has had
apostles' hands laid on them
D. We have God's word and do not need miraculous gifts as they did in the
early church – ROMANS 16; JOHN
E. When a Christian sins he does not have to be baptized again; he can pray
for forgiveness.
