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Isaiah 01:18 Jesus Paid It All – audio
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Text: Isaiah 1:18
Based on the Hymn, “Jesus Paid It All”
Introduction
A. What did Jesus pay? What was the cost?
B. It has been stated that all religious systems can be spelled with just two letters—D O. The gospel of Christ, however, is spelled with four letters—D O N E!
1. According to author K. W. Osbeck in, “Amazing grace: 366 inspiring hymn stories for daily devotions” this hymn text, written by a woman named Elvina Hall, speaks pointedly to this basic truth, which is the very basis of our Christian faith.
2. Mrs. Hall wrote these words one Sunday morning while seated in the choir loft of the Monument Street Methodist Church in Baltimore, Maryland, supposedly listening to the sermon by her pastor, the Revelation George Schrick. The pastor recalled that the church organist, John Grape, had just previously given him a copy of a new tune that he had composed, which he had titled “All to Christ I Owe.” To the amazement of all, they soon discovered that John Grape’s tune fit perfectly with Elvina Hall’s words scribbled on the flyleaf page of the hymnal.
3. Since its first published appearance in 1874, this hymn has been widely used in churches, especially for the communion services.
Body
I. LET US HEAR WHAT THE SAVIOR SAYS TO US.
A. He tells us that our strength indeed is small.
1. Paul says that when we were yet without strength Christ died for us – Romans 5:6
2. We are unable to stand against sin without God on our side – 1 Corinthians 10:12-13
a. We can do all things with Christ – Philippians 4:13
b. However we can do nothing without Christ – John 15:1-6
c. We have no hope without Christ – Ephesians 2:12
B. We are children of weakness, but we need to watch and pray.
1. This refers to the child of God.
a. We are to watch for the second coming – Matthew 25:13
b. We are to pray for forgiveness of our sins – Matthew 6:12
c. We are to pray that others will come to Christ – 1 John 5:16
2. Though the flesh is weak, our spirit is to be strong – Matthew 26:41
C. We are to find everything we need in Christ.
1. We do that by studying his word – 2 Timothy 2:15; 2 Peter 1:3
2. He word makes us complete and thoroughly furnishes us – 2 Timothy 3:17
D. Most people look in all the wrong places – Matthew 7:13, 14
1. Some look to the wisdom of the world – 1 Corinthians 1:19-21
2. Some look to themselves for answers – Jeremiah 10:23
3. We all need to look to Christ – Hebrew 12:2
II. LET US NOTICE THAT WE HAVE NOTHING GOOD TO OFFER CHRIST.
A. We are saved by God’s grace Ephesians 2:8, 9
1. This does not mean that we are saved by grace alone – James 2:24, 26
2. This does mean that God has given us an opportunity to come to him and without that opportunity we would be lost – Romans 6:17
B. Salvation is free and cannot be bought – Romans 6:23
C. We must wash ourselves in the blood of the lamb – Revelation 7:14
III. LET US NOTICE THAT WHEN WE STAND BEFORE THE THRONE.
A. We shall all appear before the throne – 2 Corinthians 5:10
1. Every tongue shall confess – Romans 14:10-12
2. Every eye shall see him – Revelation 1:7
B. We shall stand in him complete.
1. If we live as he commands we will be complete and will have salvation – 1 John 5:13
2. We won’t have to wonder where we will spend eternity – Matthew 25:34
Conclusion
A. We have seen that
1. The Savior tells us that our strength indeed is small, that we are to watch and pray and find in Him our all in all.
2. Nothing good have we that would buy his grace, we will wash our garments white in the blood of the lamb.
3. When before the throne, we will stand in Him complete; Jesus died our souls to save and our lips shall still repeat.
B. Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow
Patience – Colossians 3:13
Text: Colossians 3:13
It’s a good thing God is patient with us.
We fall down, kick ourselves, get back up, and promise this time we’ll do better. Next time we’ll be stronger. And then we do it again.
I wonder if that ever frustrates God?
Even so, he keeps on forgiving, keeps on blessing, keeps on bearing with us.
And he asks us to do the same with others.
Remember the story of the king who had a servant who owed him 10,000 talents? – Matthew 18:23-34
A talent, by the way, was how much a worker would earn in about 20 years, so 10,000 talents was the equivalent of how much you could earn in about 200,000 years.
In other words, this servant will never pay it back. Ever. He’s in debt for the rest of his life.
So the king did the unthinkable:
- He canceled the debt
- Wiped it away
- Acted as if it’d never existed
It’s hard to imagine how excited this servant must’ve been. He’d gotten his life back.
When Jesus tells this story, he focuses more on what this once-indebted-but-now-forgiven servant did with someone who owed him about a hundred days’ pay.
A hundred days versus 200,000 years.
He’s just been forgiven of an incredibly huge debt, so what will he do with a debt that’s miniscule in comparison?
He does the unthinkable.
He chokes the guy, then throws him in prison until he pays him back.
The Lord’s point is clear.
We’ve been forgiven of an unpayable debt, so we’ve got to extend that same kind of patience toward others.
Do you struggle to forgive?
Today, right now, are you holding a grudge?
Are you impatient with the weaknesses of the people around you? Your spouse, your kids, your co-workers, your employees?
Paul says one of the marks of spirituality is patience: “bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.” (Colossians 3:13).
The story the Lord told doesn’t have a happy ending.
The king found out what his servant had done, so he threw him in prison, “until he should pay all his debt” (Matthew 18:34).
In other words, the guy would serve a few thousand consecutive life sentences.
God’s patience forgives our sins and bears with our weaknesses.
He’s serious about it when he says we need to do the same.
“So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.” Matthew 18:35