Death On Purpose

This weekend I am preaching at Newspring about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ; not just the event, but the meaning behind it.  The cross of Christ stands at the center of human history and is the pivotal moment in the life of Jesus and the story of the gospel.  It was God's intent that Jesus die and be raised from the dead.  It happened on purpose.

The cross is also what sets apart Christianity from all other religious systems.  Here are a few of the bullet points from my message this weekend.

-Religion says "Do Something."  The gospel says "Something Was Done For You."

-The gospel calls sinners to repent of their sin and religious people to repent of their rituals and religion.

-The gospel levels the playing field and makes everyone equally guilty of sin and worthy of love.

-The gospel doesn't make bad people good, it makes dead people live.

-The gospel isn't advice you can ignore, it's a life altering declaration that God has come to save the day.

-The gospel says that God loves you just like you are but He loves you too much to let you stay that way.

-Religion changes your behavior.  The gospel changes your nature.

-The gospel can never be earned, it can only be received.

-The gospel doesn't cover up our sin.  It washes it away forever.

-The gospel is the perfect expression of God's unconditional love for you.

-The gospel says "IT IS FINISHED!"

Jesus died on purpose.  It was no accident or surprise.  He was not caught off guard.  The gospel could not exist and we would all be dommed if Jesus had not willingly laid His life down as the perfect sacrifice for our sins.  Now, because of the gospel, the cross declares that we don't have to work or labor for our salvation.  The job is done.  It is finished.  We now receive this good news by faith and rejoice that we have a relationship with our God.