There’s victory in Jesus if we want it! But we like to play the blame game…and we’re world-famous for passing the buck. Ill.—it all started in the garden of Eden when Adam said, it’s that woman you gave me, God [and we’ve been using that one ever since!]…and then the woman said, it’s that snake [referring to Adam? No, Satan!] When will we grow up and rise up and fess up and say, I’m responsible?! We can choose to sin, but we cannot choose the consequences! v. 7-8 We have a free will, and so does God when He reads our meter! •Judgment This is serious. Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: Everyone here will someday stand before God…alone! I cannot stand with you and no one with me. Your parents won’t be beside you or your attorney. We will all have to give an account. The saved will be secure, but we still will have to answer at our judgment. Thank God, the Christian’s sin has already been judged at Calvary, but we will give an account for how carefully or how carelessly we lived our Christian life. Some will suffer loss. If you think you can live a haphazard Christian life and get away with it you are badly, sadly mistaken. Our service will be judged, our stewardship, our motives, and then rewards will be given for that which was done truly for Christ, who knows the heart. The lost will have no hope at their judgment. They will stand before God w/ the burden of sin still on their back. There’s only 1 sin for which a person will go to hell…the sin of rejecting Jesus Christ as Savior. If you need to be saved today and you reject the opportunity, you are inviting this scene to take place, alone before God, and you and your burden will be cast into the lake of fire. No matter which judgment you appear at…all the veneer and excuses are stripped away…it’s just you and your Creator. Shared, shouldered… 3. Some burdens are meant to be shed Psalm 55:22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. Jesus is our great burden bearer. Sometimes we cling to a burden and try to carry it ourselves. We can be deceived into thinking God wants us to carry something by ourselves as if we are somehow serving God by doing so…but some burdens He wants to carry for us, if we’ll let Him. Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. When it’s more than you can bear and you don’t think you can take another step, you can lay it on Jesus. For some reason sometimes, we feel like we can make it ourselves. But there are times when we need to let go and let God! [use small boy for illustration…lay a burden on his back and have him try to climb the steps to the platform…not able to make it under the load] One of these two things will happen when we cast our burden on the Lord: •The Lord will lift the burden I’ve seen people have a health need, and they pray, and it goes away. Financial need…and God provides the money. It’s always great when that’s how it happens. But that’s not always how God works…
Posted on: Fri, 26 Jul 2013 21:25:47 +0000