1. The cross: the hour of darkness

2. Upper story/lower story
God created us for His good and fellowship with us.
Upon sin, God made a way for restoration
Jesus in the lower story is carrying out the upper story.
~~God created us for his good and fellowship with us.
~~Upon sin, God made a way for restoration
~~~~Jesus in the lower story is carrying out the upper story.

3. As with all the problems, is there one that is overriding all others?
Golf
Master teacher golfer
As with all the problems, is there one that is overriding all others?
The one problem we have is sin. Solve that problem and you solve all the other problems.
Golf is one sport I have not tried much
--Master teacher golfer says, when teaching,
“boys, whenever someone comes to you to learn to play golf, you will see in their swing ten different problems. Your job as their teacher is to find the one that causes the other nine.”
~~As with all the problems, is there on that is overriding all others?
~~~~The one problem we have is sin. Solve that problem and you solve all the other problems.

4. Jesus took our sins. He became our substitute
To many times we reduce God to a petty favor
Increase my paycheck
Find a parking space close
Get me a promotion
Understanding God’s love for you
He is the off setter of the other sins, He is the cure for sin
He cherishes you, owns you, loves you immensely
~~ To many times we reduce god to a petty favor
Increase my paycheck
Find a parking space close
Get me a promotion
~~Understanding god’s love for you
~~He is the off setter of the other sins, he is the cure for sin
~~~~He cherishes you, owns you, loves you immensely

5. Choosing between eternity with you or without you, God said, I will do whatever it takes to make sure you are with Me.
Christ didn’t start a work on the cross. He didn’t continue a work on the cross. According to His words, He finished a work on the cross.
~~Choosing between eternity with you or without you, God said, I will do whatever it takes to make sure you are with Me.
~~~~Christ didn’t start a work on the cross. He didn’t continue a work on the cross. According to His words, He finished a work on the cross.

6. Why does God’s forgiveness require someone’s death?
Holiness of God and the severity of sin.
God’s holiness is from Genesis to Revelation
HOLY –Put up Holy word
~~Holiness of god and the severity of sin.
~~~~God’s holiness is from genesis to revelation

7. Our rebellion stirs a holy disgust in God.
When Israel rebelled against God in the wilderness, God said, “for forty years I was angry with that generation,” and the word “anger” literally means nauseated.
In revelation, God’s reaction to the church at Laodicea that had grown lukewarm in their faith was that he wanted to spit them out of his mouth. That’s the verb “to vomit.”
~~When Israel rebelled against god in the wilderness, he said, “for forty years i was angry with that generation,” and the word “anger” literally means nauseated.
~~~~In revelation, god’s reaction to the church at Laodicea that had grown lukewarm in their faith was that he wanted to spit them out of his mouth. That’s the verb “to vomit.”
When god’s holiness encounters our rebellion it makes him sick.
God devised a plan of salvation where the guiltless Christ took on the horrible punishment of the guilty and he died, not like a sinner, but as a sinner.
Next Slide—Rev 3 16

8.  Revelation 3:16 (ESV)
So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.
~~~~So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

9. Our rebellion stirs a holy disgust in God
When God’s holiness encounters our rebellion it makes Him sick.
God devised a plan of salvation where the guiltless Christ took on the horrible punishment of the guilty and He died, not like a sinner, but as a sinner.
~~When God’s holiness encounters our rebellion it makes Him sick.
~~~~God devised a plan of salvation where the guiltless Christ took on the horrible punishment of the guilty and He died, not like a sinner, but as a sinner.

10. ~~Jesus could not both save himself and save us also.
The assessment of Jesus' death on the cross by the religious leaders was correct.
Jesus could not both save Himself and save us also.
He could save Himself and leave us in eternal jeopardy.
He could save us and lose His own life on the cross.
 The process of God is that God restores life to the world by the death of his Son.
~~Jesus could not both save himself and save us also.
He could save himself and leave us in eternal jeopardy.
He could save us and lose his own life on the cross.
~~~~ The process of god is that god restores life to the world by the death of his son.

11. The cross reveals both the holiness of God and the severity of sin.
That God is holy is a foundational truth of the bible, presented from the book of genesis to the book of revelation.
Holy means to be set apart, to be unique; God is totally and utterly different.
Our holy God cannot look on evil because our sin absolutely disgusts the holiness of God.
~~That god is holy is a foundational truth of the bible, presented from the book of genesis to the book of revelation.
Holy means to be set apart, to be unique; god is totally and utterly different.
Our holy god cannot look on evil because our sin absolutely disgusts the holiness of god.

12. Habakkuk 1:13 (ESV)
You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?
You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?

13. God hates sin and cannot turn a blind eye to it.
Application:
We never hear on 20/20 or dateline, “well, the world’s problem is sin.” We hear about government, business, education, psychology and sociology. Not a word about sin.
The holy God does not pretend our sin is a mental lapse or condone our sin as simple stubbornness.
God hates sin and cannot turn a blind eye to it.
 God will not compromise His holiness by indulging our sinful behavior.
~~We never hear on 20/20 or dateline, “well, the world’s problem is sin.” We hear about government, business, education, psychology and sociology. Not a word about sin.
~~~~The holy God does not pretend our sin is a mental lapse or condone our sin as simple stubbornness.
God hates sin and cannot turn a blind eye to it.
God will not compromise his holiness by indulging our sinful behavior.

14. God’s stern holiness operates from God’s infinite love.
God will both honor these two strong stallion emotions—His fiery holiness and his tender love
God’s holiness and love function together.
If God were only holy, we would be destroyed; if God were only love, a lack of discipline and correction would destroy us.
 God’s holiness and love combine to do something unimaginable: God becomes a human being!
PUT UP THE WORD LOVE
~~God will both honor these two strong stallion emotions—his fiery holiness and his tender love;
~~God’s holiness and love function together.
~~If God were only holy, we would be destroyed; if god were only love, a lack of discipline and correction would destroy us.
~~~~God’s holiness and love combine to do something unimaginable: god becomes a human being!
 God as human leads a sinless life.
 God as human dies on the sinners’ place.
 This is the great drama of the cross.
 [Read matthew 27:45-54; john 19:28-30]

15. Matthew 27:45–54 (ESV)
“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
“Truly this was the Son of God!”
— 45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 48 And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. 51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54 When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

16. The sinless righteousness of Jesus Christ can now be ours.
Jesus was forsaken so that we might be forgiven and received by a holy God—this is the beauty of the cross.
 Jesus became sin as all the sins of the world were placed by God on Jesus.
The sinless righteousness of Jesus Christ can now be ours.
~~Jesus became sin as all the sins of the world were placed by God on Jesus.
~~~~The sinless righteousness of Jesus Christ can now be ours.
NEXT SLIDE 2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)

17. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)
For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
~~~~For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

18. Application:
God is holy and God is love. Our merits do not enhance God’s love and our mistakes do not diminish it.
 Will you receive God’s love in Christ for you?
on October 16, 1987 northwest airlines flight 225 crashed on takeoff in Detroit, Michigan, killing 155 passengers. Only four-year-old Cecilia survived. Just prior to the crash, Cecilia's mother, Paula, unbuckled her seat belt and knelt in front of cecilia with her arms wrapped around her daughter. Paula took the devastation of the crash and Cecilia lived. Paula took the fall for her daughter that so that she loved.
 God sent his son, Jesus, who wrapped his arms around you and me, took the horrible fall with all its sin so that in the midst of the wreckage of this world, we might live.
~~God is holy and god is love. Our merits do not enhance god’s love and our mistakes do not diminish it.
~~~~Will you receive God’s love in Christ for you?

19. John 19:28–30 (ESV)
28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
~~~~— 28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

20. Will you receive God’s love in Christ for you?
God sent his Son, Jesus, who wrapped His arms around you and me, took the horrible fall with all its sin so that in the midst of the wreckage of this world, we might live.
So I say again, God is holy and God is love. Our merits do not enhance God’s love and our mistakes do not diminish it.
 Will you receive God’s love in Christ for you?
~~God sent his Son, Jesus, who wrapped His arms around you and me, took the horrible fall with all its sin so that in the midst of the wreckage of this world, we might live.
~~God is holy and god is love. Our merits do not enhance god’s love and our mistakes do not diminish it.
~~~~ Will you receive God’s love in Christ for you?

21. Martin Luther:
By a wonderful exchange, our sins are not now ours, but Christ's, and Christ's righteousness is not Christ's, but ours.
~~~~Martin Luther: by a wonderful exchange, our sins are not now ours, but Christ's, and Christ's righteousness is not Christ's, but ours.

22. Where does that leave us? It only falls to us to accept it.
Application
Where does that leave us?
It only falls to us to accept it.
~~Where does that leave us?
It leaves us knowing that his sacrifice is a sufficient one. Your merits do not enhance it, and your mistakes do not diminish it. The sacrifice of Christ is total, unceasing and accomplished. Christ finished the task of salvation.
~~~~It only falls to us to accept it.
That is what it means to believe—Put into our lives

23. American theologian Donald Bloesch
The prison has been stormed. The gates of the prison have been opened. But unless we leave our prison cells and go forward into the light of freedom, we’re still unredeemed.
The prison has been stormed. The gates of the prison have been opened. But unless we leave our prison cells and go forward into the light of freedom, we’re still unredeemed. american theologian donald bloesch

24. Have you stepped out?