Matthew 26:28
Five Facts
The world is getting worse. I read an article about politican (Sen.
Collins) who said the same thing. I am not sure whether she would
claim Christ or not, but if not, even the lost can see. How can we
be faithful? How can we stay the line?
I want to give you five statements with some Bible verses and
thoughts. To do this, we will need to thumb through the Bible
together, but I believe the five statements may be of some help to
you.
I. We have the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse us.
A. That is a powerful truth. Listen to the Bible verse that is
serving as our text.
Matt 26:28 For this is my blood of the new
testament, which is shed for many for the
remission of sins.
1. The word "remission" means the deliverance or forgiveness.
2. That means the blood of Jesus has made things right
between you and God.
3. The biggest, most egregious problem any human being has is
with God.
a. This problem will send you to hell forever.
b. No human mistake can cost you a penalty like that.
4. For a remedy to work, the remedy must be at least as
strong as the sickness.
a. There is no sickness stronger than sin.
b. If anything could neutralize it, it would have to be
AS strong.
c. The blood removes the sin and in so doing removes the
penalty of sin and all its effects.
5. But the blood of Jesus Christ does more than neutralize
sin.
a. Things are better for the redeemed after sin is
removed than it would have been for the pure if they
had never known sin.
(1) The blood makes us children of God.
(2) The blood fills us with the Holy Ghost.
(3) The blood gives us a body better than the one we
had in the Garden of Eden.
(4) The blood gives us heaven.
b. And these are just the beginnings.
B. With that powerful blood, we are not only cleansed before
Jesus but should be cleansed in our own eyes.
1. Sin and our love for it causes us to fail in a lot of
ways and do a lot of foolish things.
a. Some things we simply cannot accomplish.
(1) We sometimes see those who are mentally
challenged and think, "They will never be able
to make a living, care for themselves, or do a
lot of the things that others take great joy in
complaining about."
(2) That is the way all of us are in some ways as a
result of what sin has done to us.
(a) In this life, I will never be able to think
like God intended, love like God desired,
serve like God deserves.
(b) This is just the life that sin has left for
us.
b. But even worse are the things that we could have done
and been but chose not to.
(1) We have hurt when we should have helped.
(2) We have laughed when we should have loved.
(3) We have sat when we should have stood.
(4) We have left when we should have stayed.
c. These produce some of the greatest scars to our soul.
2. However, if the blood of Jesus Christ is powerful enough
to make things right with God, it is powerful enough to
make things right with ourselves.
a. I know there are some people who will never forgive
us.
b. Perhaps they cannot. Perhaps they will not.
c. We cannot blame them for it was we who hurt them.
d. But we do not have to be defeated and downcast about
the failures of our past.
C. The blood of Jesus Christ is powerful enough to heal us of all
our mistakes, failures, shortcomings, and sins.
II. We have the teaching of the Word of God to warn us.
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and
powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword,
piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and
spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a
discerner of the thoughts and intents of the
heart.
A. There is absolutely nothing of importance in our lives or
future that the Bible does not give us teaching concerning.
B. The Bible is not only inspired, inerrant, and preserved, it is
also complete as far as we need.
1. It warns the unsaved of the Great White Throne.
\\#Rev 20:11-15\\
2. It warns the saved of the Bema Seat judgment.
\\#1Cor 3:11-15\\
3. It warns all of the coming anti-Christ.
4. It warns all of the falling away of the church.
5. It warns all about the power of the devil.
6. It warns all about keeping wrong company, moral duplicity,
worldly compromise, and half-hearted commitment to God.
7. It warns about the shortness of life, deceitfulness of
riches, and shallowness of pleasures.
8. It warns all about sin including: laziness, lust,
selfishness, blasphemy, gluttony, jealousy, tail bearing,
lying, filthy talk, hate, rage, bitterness, theft,
adultery, dishonoring parents, pride, idolatry, and
sowing discord among the brethren.
C. The Word of God is the only Counselor we need.
1. If we could or perhaps would do what this Book says, we
would be wiser, live longer, be happier and healthier,
and have the best blessings of God that exist.
2. With all of that being said, it is a shame so many are:
(a) too busy to read it,
(b) too obligated to come hear it being proclaimed and
taught,
(c) and too cold to obey it.
John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the
flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak
unto you, they are spirit, and [they] are life.
III. We have the conviction of the Holy Spirit to rebuke us.
John 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove
the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of
judgment:
A. What a wonderful Friend we have in the Holy Spirit who loving
tells us when we are wrong.
1. It was the Holy Spirit’s conviction that brought me to
salvation.
2. It was the Holy Spirit’s conviction that called me into
His ministry.
3. It has been the Holy Spirit’s conviction that has corrected
me if ever I came to understand I was doing wrong.
B. I, for one, want more of His conviction and leadership.
1. I want Him to tell me when I do wrong.
2. I want Him to tell me when I do right.
3. I want Him to tell me the consequence of both.
4. These are His role as the CONVICTOR.
C. But I want Him to be more than just the Convictor.
1. Seven tasks that come to my mind as being the work of the
Holy Ghost.
a. CONVICTOR
b. GUIDE
c. ENABLER
d. BLESSER
e. PROTECTOR
f. TEACHER
g. COMFORTER
2. The Holy Ghost of God is more than sufficient!
IV. We have the fellowship of God’s people to encourage us.
Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to
provoke unto love and to good works:
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves
together, as the manner of some [is]; but
exhorting [one another]: and so much the more,
as ye see the day approaching.
A. What is the writer talking about in these verses? the church!
B. The church is the place to provoke us to love and to doing
good works.
1. There are limits on what the church can do. The church
cannot encourage us:
a. …in sin.
b. …in compromise.
c. …in worldliness.
2. But we should give and receive encouragement in:
a. Ministry
b. Marriage
c. Child rearing
d. Devil fighting
e. Life’s troubles
f. Walking with Christ
g. Sin overcoming
V. We have the service of God’s business to keep us busy.
A. Soul Winning
Matt 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I
am with you alway, [even] unto the end of
the world. Amen.
B. Encouraging the lonely.
James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before
God and the Father is this, To visit the
fatherless and widows in their affliction, and
to keep himself unspotted from the world.
C. Feeding the hungry
Matthew 25:35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave
me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I
was a stranger, and ye took me in:
D. Helping the needy
1John 3:17 But whoso hath this world’s good,
and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up
his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth
the love of God in him?
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