Simplicity of the Gospel Videos


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I want to remind us of the perspective that Jesus, our Savior, had concerning His own death. Because I think it helps us appreciate it a little bit more. His death was 1) Purposeful, 2) Voluntary, 3) Joyful, and 4) Glorious.

Well, first of all, His death was purposeful. He recognized that He was going to die. John 12:27 says, “What shall I say, Father, do not let this hour come upon me. But that is why I came.”

The purpose of his death was also voluntary. It was a voluntary or volitional outpouring of His love, and it showed full and true submission to God, the Father. Romans 5:8, “for God demonstrates his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” In the garden, Jesus said three times to the Father, “not My will, but Your will be done.” In John 10:17-18 Jesus said, “The Father loves me because I’m willing to give up My life in order that I may receive it back again. No one takes My life away from Me. I give it up of My own free will. I have the right to give it up and I have the right to take it back.This is what my father has commanded me to do.”

His death was purposeful. His death was voluntary. His death was also joyful. Hebrews 12:2 says, “Who, for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and He sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus was fully aware of the pain and the suffering that He would face at the cross, but He had his eyes on the joy, and that joy was purchasing our eternal destiny.

And then finally, Jesus considered death as the path to glory. In John 12:23 He said those words, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to receive great glory.” And this is an amazing verse to me because this is shortly before the passion week. This is shortly before He would go through all of that suffering, the betrayal, the arrest, the scourging, the piercing of his hands and feet, the crown of thorns on his head, and the gathering up the sins of the world that pierced His heart. He didn’t say the time has come for the Son of Man to be tortured and tormented and suffer for the sins of the world. No, He said, “the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” He ignored the suffering and kept his eyes on the glory. And if we can grasp the truth of that verse, it would totally change our perspective of the sufferings in our life.

So this is His perspective of His own death. He was born to die.

Gene Cunningham - September 11, 2000

Elijah #9

Jesus speaks of prayer with tremendous confidence we often lack (Mat 7:7-12). Lord always places emphasis on the answers which will always be the best. If we ask for His kindness, goodness, compassion, grace, we must reflect those characteristics that we depend upon from Him when relating to others. Failure to act in accordance with what we know about Him in effect deprives us of fellowship with Him and interferes with the answers we seek in prayer. Elijah prayed for three and a half years (1Ki 18:41-46, Jam 5:17-18). Jesus uses verb tenses that mean "ask and keep on asking". Asking according to His will is paramount (1Jo 5:14-15). (1) Pray demands isolation from distraction (1Ki 18:41). (2) Praying God's Word - His promises - is necessary (1Ki 18:41-42). (3) Prayer expresses dependence on God. Elijah recognizes the conditions of God's promises -- timing depends upon prayer. He knows God will send rain, but doesn't know when. Jesus commands to pray always (Luk 18:1). (3) We need to expect an answer (1Ki 18:43). (5) Pray perseveres until the answer comes (1Th 5:17, Luk 18:1, Mat 26:41 - "Watch and pray"). God can answer far above what we can think (Eph 3:19-20). (6) P prayer includes suitable action (1Ki 18:44-45, 1Pe 1:18). We rejoice in our tribulation -- outcome is up to God, but will always glorify Christ (Rom 5:3, Phi 1:20). We must "gird up" with truth (Eph 6:14) (7) prevailing prayer empowers us spiritually. Elijah ran ahead - "the hand of the Lord was upon him" because the ear of the Lord was attentive (Neh 2:18). We can run th race of faith (1Ki 18:46) or race of unbelief (1Ki 19:1-3). Outline of 1 Kings 19: (1) 1Ki 19:1-18 fear and flight; (2) 1Ki 19:8-18 correction; (3) 1Ki 19:19-21 greater service. Those who've not stared into the glare of Satan through his human instrument. Elijah knows he had been set up for sifting. As God allows the weakness of the saint surface, He never stops providing (Heb 1:14). Sooner or later, confrontation is coming. In us dwells no good thing; refining produces a sense of dependence.

Scripture References: Luke 18:1, Ephesians 6:14, John 5:14-15, Philippians 1:20, James 5:17-18, Romans 5:3, Matthew 7:7-12, Ephesians 3:19-20, Matthew 26:41, Hebrews 1:14, Luke 18:1, Nehemiah 2:18

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