Isaiah 53:5

 

“But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.”

 

An Islamic man died and left his 17 camels to be divided among his 3 sons. One was to get one ninth, one was to get one half, and one was to get one third of the camels. But there was a problem. 17 is not divisible by either 3 or 2, so the sons argued loud and long about how the division was to be made according to the father’s will. Finally in desperation they decided to go to the oldest, wisest man in their settlement to ask him for his judgement in the matter. They found him sitting in his tent with his one lone camel tied to a stake out behind his tent. After hearing the case he sent a boy out back with instructions to untie his camel and take it over to the deceased father’s fold where he kept his 17 camels. The confused sons watched as he added his own camel to the 17 of their father. Then from these 18 camels he gave one half to the eldest son, or 9 camels; one third to the second son, or 6 camels, and one ninth to the third son, or 2 camels. That left one camel in the pen which the young boy took back behind the old mans tent from whence he had brought it.

The young sons had been so embroiled in conflict over making sure they received all that was coming to them in their father’s will, they had missed a very simple solution to their conflict and problem.

 

I do not want a show of hands here this morning but I wonder how many of you, (especially you with a little snow on the roof, or some of your shingles missing) how many of you have a will? Do we all agree that it is wise not to leave this undone? We had our “Sunset Seminar” here a week ago Monday, for precisely that reason. It is wise to think about the future. People who are thinking about the future and caring for the ones they love will take the time and trouble early in life to insure they have a will. Have you ever dreamt that someone would leave you a fortune in their will?

 

Have you ever stopped to think amidst all the Easter rhetoric and sermonizing about the cross, the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ - that he had a will made up before he died? Have you ever wondered if you have been named a beneficiary in His will?

 

Has anyone here ever seen the old movie brought out in the late 60’s called “Scavenger Hunt.” It is a hilarious comedy about an eccentric old multimillionaire who dies leaving a very strange will. The movie begins with his family, his butler, his cook and his maid, summoned to and gathered in a very official looking board room for the reading of the will. The plot develops as the instructions through the executor are given. Each person is to meet in front of the mansion the next day where they will be given a list of items that must be collected and brought to the starting point in front of the old mansion as soon as possible. The first one to return with all the items will be awarded the entire estate. What follows is a hilarious series of escapades complete with competitive treachery, innovation, intrigue and surprise. In this foolish piece of light-hearted entertainment the potential recipients of the inheritance had to do something if they were to obtain a benefit from the will.

 

 

On an infinitely more serious note….let me say that Jesus Christ did have a written will before he died and you are invited now to come with me into the board room for the reading of His will. From what I am able to understand each of you has been summoned to the reading of this will…..each of you has an opportunity to receive an inheritance that is indescribable in it’s greatness. TOTALLY BEYOND DESCRIPTION. This person Jesus, was apparently unbelievable rich! It is reported that he was a King with an eternal kingdom in which are many mansions, streets of gold,…..adorned with precious gems and an atmosphere of joy, peace and blessing that is beyond our wildest dreams. Unlike the “649

Isaiah 53:5

 

“But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.”

 

An Islamic man died and left his 17 camels to be divided among his 3 sons. One was to get one ninth, one was to get one half, and one was to get one third of the camels. But there was a problem. 17 is not divisible by either 3 or 2, so the sons argued loud and long about how the division was to be made according to the father’s will. Finally in desperation they decided to go to the oldest, wisest man in their settlement to ask him for his judgement in the matter. They found him sitting in his tent with his one lone camel tied to a stake out behind his tent. After hearing the case he sent a boy out back with instructions to untie his camel and take it over to the deceased father’s fold where he kept his 17 camels. The confused sons watched as he added his own camel to the 17 of their father. Then from these 18 camels he gave one half to the eldest son, or 9 camels; one third to the second son, or 6 camels, and one ninth to the third son, or 2 camels. That left one camel in the pen which the young boy took back behind the old mans tent from whence he had brought it.

The young sons had been so embroiled in conflict over making sure they received all that was coming to them in their father’s will, they had missed a very simple solution to their conflict and problem.

 

I do not want a show of hands here this morning but I wonder how many of you, (especially you with a little snow on the roof, or some of your shingles missing) how many of you have a will? Do we all agree that it is wise not to leave this undone? We had our “Sunset Seminar” here a week ago Monday, for precisely that reason. It is wise to think about the future. People who are thinking about the future and caring for the ones they love will take the time and trouble early in life to insure they have a will. Have you ever dreamt that someone would leave you a fortune in their will?

 

Have you ever stopped to think amidst all the Easter rhetoric and sermonizing about the cross, the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ - that he had a will made up before he died? Have you ever wondered if you have been named a beneficiary in His will?

 

Has anyone here ever seen the old movie brought out in the late 60’s called “Scavenger Hunt.” It is a hilarious comedy about an eccentric old multimillionaire who dies leaving a very strange will. The movie begins with his family, his butler, his cook and his maid, summoned to and gathered in a very official looking board room for the reading of the will. The plot develops as the instructions through the executor are given. Each person is to meet in front of the mansion the next day where they will be given a list of items that must be collected and brought to the starting point in front of the old mansion as soon as possible. The first one to return with all the items will be awarded the entire estate. What follows is a hilarious series of escapades complete with competitive treachery, innovation, intrigue and surprise. In this foolish piece of light-hearted entertainment the potential recipients of the inheritance had to do something if they were to obtain a benefit from the will.

 

 

On an infinitely more serious note….let me say that Jesus Christ did have a written will before he died and you are invited now to come with me into the board room for the reading of His will. From what I am able to understand each of you has been summoned to the reading of this will…..each of you has an opportunity to receive an inheritance that is indescribable in it’s greatness. TOTALLY BEYOND DESCRIPTION. This person Jesus, was apparently unbelievable rich! It is reported that he was a King with an eternal kingdom in which are many mansions, streets of gold,…..adorned with precious gems and an atmosphere of joy, peace and blessing that is beyond our wildest dreams. Unlike the “649″ or the Lotto Super 7, this inheritance is not won by chance. No doubt the writer of the plot for “Scavenger Hunt” took his theme from Jesus’ will because, apparently in his will he has made provision that anyone can be a beneficiary, IF THEY MEET HIS CONDITIONS.

 

Step into the board room with me now!

 

Hello:

I am here today to read to you the last will and testament of the Lord, Jesus Christ. This is his personal expression to you today:

 

“Thank you for coming here today. I want to give you a little bit of background so you know where I am coming from. In eternity past, the Father, myself and the Holy Spirit were discussing the potential of love and we decided to create a being in our image that would be capable of genuine love and relationship with us. Now we understood that there would be inherent risks involved in creating human beings with this component of free choice, but we saw it as being a necessary ingredient of REAL and GENUINE LOVE. Having made the decision that this component of CHOICE was absolutely necessary, we realized that this in turn necessitated the presence of evil as part of the package. After all, for love to mean anything at all, there would have to be the choice to refuse that love and it’s inherent blessings. Wrong choices, with their inherent consequences of suffering, pain and death, became necessary because there must be consequences, - a penalty and a punishment for sin or wrong choices. Our holy nature and perfection in justice are inextricably tied to free choice.

 

We knew what the outcome of our decision to create a being in our image with the ability to choose would be, so before the foundation of the world we needed to make some very painful decisions motivated by our love. It was decided even before I created the heavens, and the earth for humanity to dwell on, that there would have to be a way of restoring humans into a place of love and fellowship after they had chosen to separate themselves from us through sin. We were, and continue to be deeply grieved about the human conditions of suffering and death, but again as I’ve already said, that had to be an essential possibility for love to be real. The Father, the Holy Spirit and I decided on a plan where I would come to earth through a manger in Bethlehem, and live for a time in a human body, setting aside my power as God, and living by choice in subjection to the human limitations. I would experience all the consequences of sin and wrong choices without sinning, or a making even a single wrong choice myself. We decided that I would have to suffer pain and die, so that sin’s just punishment could be paid, according to our own system of justice. I would offer my life, shed my blood for sin so that the penalty for sin and the just punishment for sin could be taken by me, - substituted in your place.

 

 

It was after all of this was decided that we spoke the worlds into existence and created the first human in our image. We decided to put our thoughts down in such a way that a record clearly establishing what I am telling you now, could be given to humanity. It would be full of irrefutable evidence of our plans, our purpose and yes, our will for you here today. We recorded our thoughts through the minds and pens of over 40 different authors from every walk of life, over 1,500 years. We placed in the text thousands of what you see as predictive prophecies. We could already see them unfolding in their intricate details. And just so people would be certain of the truth concerning me, we put more than 330 specific prophecies concerning me in the Old Testament that were fulfilled in detail in the New Testament.

 

Today you know by my written Word that I willed

• my body temporarily to Joseph of Arimathea,

• my mother and her care to John,

• and I willed my spirit back to the Father from whom I came.

But perhaps you’ve come here today wondering what I have willed you. Let my executor share with you.”

 

(1 Tim.2:3-7) “God our Saviour….desires that EVERYONE be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between man and God…the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for ALL, to be testified in due time, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle, (to you the executor) to speak the truth.”

 

(2 Peter 3:9) “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but he is longsuffering towards us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

 

So I declare to you today that it is the will of Jesus that all of you should be saved, and that no one should perish. It is his will that all would come to repentance.

 

You are under the curse of judgement for sin and you face certain eternal death and separation from God because of your sin, but here we see that Jesus says he wants you to come to a place of repentance for your sin and be saved. Yes, there are conditions you must meet if you are to receive your inheritance. In Romans 10:9 we read, “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

 

>Jesus will for you is eternal life with him in heaven.

 

Not only does Jesus offer us life in his will but he offers to us abundant life!

John 10:10 says, “The enemy does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that you might have life and that you may have it more abundantly.”

How many of you know there is a difference between life and abundant life. Go up to a person who has just finished training for a decathlon or an iron man contest and ask him, “Are you alive?” and he will answer with a resounding, “Yes!” Go up to a man in the hospital bedridden and debilitated for years by disease and sickness and ask him, “Are you alive?” and he will answer “yes!” Both have life, but Oh what a difference.

 

Some of you are here today and the enemy who comes to steal has stolen your peace, your joy, your self worth, your health, and your resources. He comes to kill and will work at creating circumstances that have the potential to end your life, and as a destroyer he comes to destroy your relationships, your marriage, your kids, your grandkids. But LISTEN - Jesus has declared in his last will and testament that he came to destroy the works of the enemy and to give you ABUNDANT LIFE. You need only accept the conditions of His will.

 

>The only other clause we have time to look at this morning in His last will and testament is:

 

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

 

Why is the peace that Jesus gives so different from what the world gives? Because what the world gives is so temporary and fleeting. It does not last. Like the world itself it is passing away, but the peace that comes from God is eternal in nature, and we can look into the uncertain future of this world with hearts that are not troubled. With absolutely no fear.

 

Will you be honest with yourself today. Do you know that abiding peace? That complete freedom from fear? Many people are afraid to face the reality that death is stalking all of us, because it is appointed unto man once to die and after this the judgement.

 

On August 16^th, 1987 Northwest Airlines flight #225 crashed just after take off from Detroit’s International Airport. 155 of the 156 people aboard were killed. Cecelia, a beautiful little 4 year old girl from Tempe, AZ was the only one to survive.

 

News accounts report that when the rescue workers entered the ripped and burning shell of the plane and found a dazed, but otherwise unhurt Cecelia, they did not believe she had actually been on the plane. Investigators first assumed that she had be a passenger in one of the cars on the highway onto which the plane crashed. However, when the plane register was checked there was Cecelia’s name on the passenger list.

 

Cecelia survived for only one reason. Even as the plane was falling from the sky, Cecelia’s mother, Paula Chican, unbuckled her own seat belt, got down on her knees in front of her daughter, wrapped her arms and body around her daughter and would not let her go. An examination of Cecelia showed some scratches and a little bruising where she had been squeezed so tightly in an embrace.

 

Nothing could separate that child from a parents love – not the tragedy or disaster, not even the flames that charred the back of Paula Chican from her head to her feet.

 

Such is the love and sacrifice made by Jesus Christ for you. He left the splendour of heaven and lowered himself to embrace and protect you. He gave himself to the suffering and pain as a shield for you and for me. In his WILL he declares that he did all this so that your sin could be punished and you could be forgiven. You need to meet his conditions though to make if effective. You need to believe, you need to receive and you need to confess Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord. In just a moment I will give you that opportunity as we share the Lord’s table in communion.

 

Do you know Jesus? Do you really know Him? He is so awesome and all that He is - He is for you and to you. You are complete only in Him. Do you know Him today? Are you amazed by his grace and his goodness?

 

We are going to share in communion in just a few moments. I want to ask you this morning, should you be taking communion? Maybe you think to yourself – “Well yes, but it’s really none of your business. My faith is a personal thing and I’ll take communion if I want to.” That’s very true and you are certainly welcome to receive communion here at Rosebank today, but let me give you the same warning that Paul under the anointing of the Holy Spirit felt led to give those in the early church. 1Cor. 11:28 says, “But let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner, eats and drinks damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.”

 

We are going to play a video clip at this point and I want you to think seriously about what you are doing today with this one Jesus, who went about doing good and saving people from their sins. Are you amazed by his grace in your life? Does your life reflect a willingness to live for the one who died for you? As you watch this clip, let the wonder of God’s grace and mercy invade your heart. Let it wash away the things of this world that have ensnared you. Bitterness, envy, unforgiveness, lust, anger etc. Jesus died to set you free from all of those things and to empower you to live the great adventure he calls, “Abundant life.”

or the Lotto Super 7, this inheritance is not won by chance. No doubt the writer of the plot for “Scavenger Hunt” took his theme from Jesus’ will because, apparently in his will he has made provision that anyone can be a beneficiary, IF THEY MEET HIS CONDITIONS.

 

Step into the board room with me now!

 

Hello:

I am here today to read to you the last will and testament of the Lord, Jesus Christ. This is his personal expression to you today:

 

“Thank you for coming here today. I want to give you a little bit of background so you know where I am coming from. In eternity past, the Father, myself and the Holy Spirit were discussing the potential of love and we decided to create a being in our image that would be capable of genuine love and relationship with us. Now we understood that there would be inherent risks involved in creating human beings with this component of free choice, but we saw it as being a necessary ingredient of REAL and GENUINE LOVE. Having made the decision that this component of CHOICE was absolutely necessary, we realized that this in turn necessitated the presence of evil as part of the package. After all, for love to mean anything at all, there would have to be the choice to refuse that love and it’s inherent blessings. Wrong choices, with their inherent consequences of suffering, pain and death, became necessary because there must be consequences, - a penalty and a punishment for sin or wrong choices. Our holy nature and perfection in justice are inextricably tied to free choice.

 

We knew what the outcome of our decision to create a being in our image with the ability to choose would be, so before the foundation of the world we needed to make some very painful decisions motivated by our love. It was decided even before I created the heavens, and the earth for humanity to dwell on, that there would have to be a way of restoring humans into a place of love and fellowship after they had chosen to separate themselves from us through sin. We were, and continue to be deeply grieved about the human conditions of suffering and death, but again as I’ve already said, that had to be an essential possibility for love to be real. The Father, the Holy Spirit and I decided on a plan where I would come to earth through a manger in Bethlehem, and live for a time in a human body, setting aside my power as God, and living by choice in subjection to the human limitations. I would experience all the consequences of sin and wrong choices without sinning, or a making even a single wrong choice myself. We decided that I would have to suffer pain and die, so that sin’s just punishment could be paid, according to our own system of justice. I would offer my life, shed my blood for sin so that the penalty for sin and the just punishment for sin could be taken by me, - substituted in your place.

 

 

It was after all of this was decided that we spoke the worlds into existence and created the first human in our image. We decided to put our thoughts down in such a way that a record clearly establishing what I am telling you now, could be given to humanity. It would be full of irrefutable evidence of our plans, our purpose and yes, our will for you here today. We recorded our thoughts through the minds and pens of over 40 different authors from every walk of life, over 1,500 years. We placed in the text thousands of what you see as predictive prophecies. We could already see them unfolding in their intricate details. And just so people would be certain of the truth concerning me, we put more than 330 specific prophecies concerning me in the Old Testament that were fulfilled in detail in the New Testament.

 

Today you know by my written Word that I willed

• my body temporarily to Joseph of Arimathea,

• my mother and her care to John,

• and I willed my spirit back to the Father from whom I came.

But perhaps you’ve come here today wondering what I have willed you. Let my executor share with you.”

 

(1 Tim.2:3-7) “God our Saviour….desires that EVERYONE be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between man and God…the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for ALL, to be testified in due time, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle, (to you the executor) to speak the truth.”

 

(2 Peter 3:9) “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but he is longsuffering towards us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

 

So I declare to you today that it is the will of Jesus that all of you should be saved, and that no one should perish. It is his will that all would come to repentance.

 

You are under the curse of judgement for sin and you face certain eternal death and separation from God because of your sin, but here we see that Jesus says he wants you to come to a place of repentance for your sin and be saved. Yes, there are conditions you must meet if you are to receive your inheritance. In Romans 10:9 we read, “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

 

>Jesus will for you is eternal life with him in heaven.

 

Not only does Jesus offer us life in his will but he offers to us abundant life!

John 10:10 says, “The enemy does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that you might have life and that you may have it more abundantly.”

How many of you know there is a difference between life and abundant life. Go up to a person who has just finished training for a decathlon or an iron man contest and ask him, “Are you alive?” and he will answer with a resounding, “Yes!” Go up to a man in the hospital bedridden and debilitated for years by disease and sickness and ask him, “Are you alive?” and he will answer “yes!” Both have life, but Oh what a difference.

 

Some of you are here today and the enemy who comes to steal has stolen your peace, your joy, your self worth, your health, and your resources. He comes to kill and will work at creating circumstances that have the potential to end your life, and as a destroyer he comes to destroy your relationships, your marriage, your kids, your grandkids. But LISTEN - Jesus has declared in his last will and testament that he came to destroy the works of the enemy and to give you ABUNDANT LIFE. You need only accept the conditions of His will.

 

>The only other clause we have time to look at this morning in His last will and testament is:

 

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

 

Why is the peace that Jesus gives so different from what the world gives? Because what the world gives is so temporary and fleeting. It does not last. Like the world itself it is passing away, but the peace that comes from God is eternal in nature, and we can look into the uncertain future of this world with hearts that are not troubled. With absolutely no fear.

 

Will you be honest with yourself today. Do you know that abiding peace? That complete freedom from fear? Many people are afraid to face the reality that death is stalking all of us, because it is appointed unto man once to die and after this the judgement.

 

On August 16^th, 1987 Northwest Airlines flight #225 crashed just after take off from Detroit’s International Airport. 155 of the 156 people aboard were killed. Cecelia, a beautiful little 4 year old girl from Tempe, AZ was the only one to survive.

 

News accounts report that when the rescue workers entered the ripped and burning shell of the plane and found a dazed, but otherwise unhurt Cecelia, they did not believe she had actually been on the plane. Investigators first assumed that she had be a passenger in one of the cars on the highway onto which the plane crashed. However, when the plane register was checked there was Cecelia’s name on the passenger list.

 

Cecelia survived for only one reason. Even as the plane was falling from the sky, Cecelia’s mother, Paula Chican, unbuckled her own seat belt, got down on her knees in front of her daughter, wrapped her arms and body around her daughter and would not let her go. An examination of Cecelia showed some scratches and a little bruising where she had been squeezed so tightly in an embrace.

 

Nothing could separate that child from a parents love – not the tragedy or disaster, not even the flames that charred the back of Paula Chican from her head to her feet.

 

Such is the love and sacrifice made by Jesus Christ for you. He left the splendour of heaven and lowered himself to embrace and protect you. He gave himself to the suffering and pain as a shield for you and for me. In his WILL he declares that he did all this so that your sin could be punished and you could be forgiven. You need to meet his conditions though to make if effective. You need to believe, you need to receive and you need to confess Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord. In just a moment I will give you that opportunity as we share the Lord’s table in communion.

 

Do you know Jesus? Do you really know Him? He is so awesome and all that He is - He is for you and to you. You are complete only in Him. Do you know Him today? Are you amazed by his grace and his goodness?

 

We are going to share in communion in just a few moments. I want to ask you this morning, should you be taking communion? Maybe you think to yourself – “Well yes, but it’s really none of your business. My faith is a personal thing and I’ll take communion if I want to.” That’s very true and you are certainly welcome to receive communion here at Rosebank today, but let me give you the same warning that Paul under the anointing of the Holy Spirit felt led to give those in the early church. 1Cor. 11:28 says, “But let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner, eats and drinks damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.”

 

We are going to play a video clip at this point and I want you to think seriously about what you are doing today with this one Jesus, who went about doing good and saving people from their sins. Are you amazed by his grace in your life? Does your life reflect a willingness to live for the one who died for you? As you watch this clip, let the wonder of God’s grace and mercy invade your heart. Let it wash away the things of this world that have ensnared you. Bitterness, envy, unforgiveness, lust, anger etc. Jesus died to set you free from all of those things and to empower you to live the great adventure he calls, “Abundant life.”