THE CROSS AND THE FORSAKEN SAVIOUR

THE CROSS AND THE FORSAKEN SAVIOUR "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" Matthew 27:46. Have you ever experienced the agony of having someone whom you trusted fail you in your hours of need? Have you been forsaken by the ones who promised to be there for you? Indeed everyone has experienced abandonment at one time or another. Maybe you're going through it now. Rejection fuels bitterness. It kills faith, love, hope, and dreams. And regardless of who you are, you'll deal with desertion from time to time. So, you must decide on how you're going to react. "And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed." Deuteronomy 31:8. Today, God still speaks to us but through His Word. The Word of God never changes. It is always true and reliable. The Bible says that God always keeps His promises. God is trustworthy! So when you are facing times of discouragement and desertion, go to God and His Word. Read and meditate on the Scriptures. Psalm 119:105. Acquaint yourself with His promises. Spend regular time in His presence. Pray always. Tell the Lord how you feel. He longs to spend time with you and to heal your deepest pains. Give Him your burdens, worries and cares. Psalm 55:22. Let the Lord be your strength. Let Him be the source of your joy! Give thanks in all things. No matter what you are going through, you can find something to be thankful for. Look for ways to give thanks always. Do not harbour bitterness. Practise forgiveness. It is the key to peace of mind. Matthew 6:14-15. Watch what you lean on. Adjust your expectations. It's the major reason for disappointment. Put your trust in God alone. Refuse to live in the past; move forward. God is with you where ever you go. Be courageous! He has promised not to ever forsake you. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Wait on the Lord. "Do not forsake me, O LORD; O my God, be not far from me!" Psalm 38:21. Have you ever felt forsaken by God? Do you ever doubt His faithfulness during times of difficulties? Have you ever sat in the silence of the night, and asked that heartbreaking question, "Where are you, Lord?" Maybe you even felt as though your prayers were not heard and God had given up on you. You've put your trust in Him, and He let you down. Turn to the Bible for comfort. Pour out all that is in your heart. Tell the Lord how you feel. Keep your focus on Him. Trust He is in control even when you don't know what He's doing. You're not forsaken! God cares about you. Even when you don't see and feel His presence, you can trust that He's always with you. He is right beside you as you read this sermon. THE FORSAKEN SAVIOUR: "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not." Isaiah 53:3. Over and over again in the Bible, God promises to never forsake His people. He promises to be with us at all times, in all places and circumstances. Yet Jesus experienced the pain of abandonment. He came to His own, but they rejected Him. Even in suffering, God was silent to the cry of His Son. The Savior was forsaken. Jesus was left helpless, abandoned, and deserted. Since God is holy and can have nothing to do with sin, He separated Himself from His Son as He hung on the cross. The Father turned His back and rejected His Only-begotten Son. Not because He doesn't love Him. God turned away because Jesus was carrying the sin of the world on His shoulder. 1 Peter 2:24. All the sins of the world were placed on His shoulders. He became sin for us to be saved. 2 Corinthians 5:21. Jesus took our sins upon Himself. All of it was "laid on him." Isaiah 53:6. He was deserted by God so that we might be accepted. For a moment, the communication that the Son enjoyed with His Father was disconnected because of us. He was deserted so that we might never be abandoned. He was forsaken so that we will never walk alone. Jesus was forsaken for a moment so that we could be free for eternity. Because of what happened that day, nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God. Romans 8:39. Without the Cross, there would be no forgiveness and redemption. Without the crucifixion, we would be separate from God forever. "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Corinthians 5:21. The Bible is clear that everyone is alienated and separated from God because of sin. Sin inhibits access to His presence, stalls progress, and blocks paths. Sin deflates hope and suppresses potentials. It restrains the hand of God. Sin puts up a wall of resistance between us and God. It renders efforts fruitless. Sin causes us to fall short of God's glory. Romans 3:23. The Law demanded the strictest punishment for the sinner who broke the law. So, God, out of His great love for us, created a way for you and me-despite our sin-to enter His presence. That way is through the Cross! Jesus paid the ransom to redeem us. He became our Sacrificial Lamb! Jesus endured the pain, suffering and humiliation. Because of our sin, He experienced total separation from God. Jesus became sin because we needed a Redeemer. He became sin so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. Jesus endured the humiliation on the Cross to provide a way for us. COME TO THE FOOT OF THE CROSS: When Jesus hung on the Cross at Calvary, many of His disciples deserted Him. Have you also forsaken your Saviour? Are you rejecting the Lord? To reject Him is to eternally perish in your sin. So are you willing to follow the Lord? Are you willing to place your faith in Jesus as your Savior and receive the gift of eternal life? I invite you to make this confession today: Dear God, I come to You. I know I am a sinner, forgive me. Jesus, from today, I accept You as the LORD of my life. Change my heart from a disobedient heart to a heart that will obey You. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, write my name in the Book of Life, and make me brand new in Jesus' name. Amen! Congratulations! You are now a child of God. To grow in your relationship with Jesus, you must spend time with Him. Join a Bible-believing Church. Study the Bible daily. Be obedient. Build up your faith daily. Cultivate, practise and mastered a daily prayer life. Grow into maturity. Be a disciple and seek to disciple others. Stand strong and stand firm. Be disciplined. Keep the faith till the end. PRAYER POINTS: 1. Dear God, Tthank You for sending Your Son to take my place so that I can be forgiven of my sins and accepted by You forever. Thank You for never forsaking me, in Jesus' name. 2. O Lord, draw me close to You. May I point others to You, in Jesus' name. 3. Thank You, Lord, for answering my prayers. "MAN OF SORROWS! WHAT A NAME" ("HALLELUJAH! WHAT A SAVIOR") by Philip Paul Bliss 1. Man of sorrows what a name for the Son of God, who came ruined sinners to reclaim: Hallelujah, what a Savior! 2. Bearing shame and scoffing rude, in my place condemned he stood, sealed my pardon with his blood: Hallelujah, what a Savior! 3. Guilty, helpless, lost were we; blameless Lamb of God was he, sacrificed to set us free: Hallelujah, what a Savior! 4. He was lifted up to die; "It is finished" was his cry; now in heaven exalted high: Hallelujah, what a Savior! 5. When he comes, our glorious King, all his ransomed home to bring, then anew this song we'll sing: Hallelujah, what a Savior!