Snake on a Pole Snakes – What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word Snake? ¾
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Dangerous Slimy Silent Sneaky Mesmerizing Powerful The dictionary defines a snake as: “Any of numerous limbless scaled reptiles with a long tapering body and with salivary glands often modified to produce venom which is injected through grooved or tubular fangs”. Back in my single days, my friends would say “Geno is a snake in the grass, he is always trying to get some girl to go home with him every time he goes out”. Today’s message title is SNAKE ON A POLE! So biblically, whenever we hear the word “serpent” our minds go immediately back to the first Book of the Bible called _________? Turn to Genesis 3: 1‐7 You see, the serpent was fulfilling its character, its design, its natural role. The serpent was dangerous, silent, sneaky, mesmerizing and powerful. The serpent didn’t just spring on the scene, he was watching, waiting, planning, and the when the opportunity arose, he attacked. Sin entered the world thru man’s disobedience and since then we have never been the same! Background The Israelites have been delivered from their slavery in Egypt, they witness the mighty plaques God sent to the Egyptians to free his people, they watch the Lord open the Red Sea to escape Pharaoh. They experienced the Lord’s presence at Mt Sinai where Moses received the Law (10 Commandment) and then they proceed to build a tabernacle to worship in strict accordance to God’s direction. Look at Exodus 40: 38 1 God is a visual person…..he wants his people to know He’s there and wants to be a part of our life! But here’s the issue, they had a sin problem and so do we! Let’s see how the Israelites respond as they march onward toward the promise land…. NUMBERS 11:1, 4‐6 NUMBERS 12: 1, 4‐4 NUMBERS 14: 1‐4 NUMBERS 21: 4‐9 God was sending a message then and the message hasn’t changed. 1) God takes sin seriously, 2) God offers mercy graciously, 3) God offers healing faithfully, 4) God offers redemption completely. Turn with me now to John 3: 14 ‐21 Do you know why Jesus had this conversation with a Pharisee named Nicodemus and not his disciples? Because he was a teacher, a leader, a respected man in his community and he should have made the connection between the snake on the pole and Jesus’ declaration of being “lifted up”. The light bulb should have lit up in his mind “yes, yes, I get it, the people who were bitten just had to look up and live”! After all their complaining, their lack of faith, their disobedience, God still offered them his grace, healing and redemption, not judgment! Can you imagine what was going through Nicodemus’s mind! Born Again, Jesus coming from heaven, the wind is like the spirit of God? What is this Rabbi talking about?? Is it me? Did I take too many swigs from the cup of blessing during dinner? This selection of scripture is the most popular of the entire bible and probably the most profound! Let’s take look at verse 16 – most people know it by heart… but do we really take in its full meaning? This was no ordinary love, but love for the world. In the gospel of John, the world is often a term for humanity in its spiritual darkness and hostility toward God. 2 Is not the world still hostile toward God? How about the National Day of Prayer, someone in the White House stated “America is no longer a Christian country” – really? People around the world are being killed for having a bible and for their faith in Jesus. A group of high school kids were expelled for chanting USA, USA, USA. Today, it’s more important to teach kids about evolution than Intelligent Design. We have health‐care reform that supports giving federal money to Planned Parenthood so they can continue to perform abortions. There are people pushing for laws to be enacted as “hate crimes” for declaring someone lifestyle a sin even though God’s word confirms it!! And the world is not hostile toward God? Everything on TV has some sort of sexual content; the commercials are more and more risqué so it’s no wonder that millions of men are addicted to porn and why it’s one of the biggest money makers in America! How about the language, funny how the bleep the F‐Bomb in one sentence and the next their using Jesus’ name as a curse word! And the world is not hostile toward God? VERSE 16 – IT REACHES OUT TO EACH ONE OF US EVERYDAY! The way people receive God’s gift of the Son is through faith; the gift is open to everyone: everyone who
believes in him. It is through faith in the Son that we can have victory over this death‐doomed world and be to united with God and to share in eternal life. Eternal life is not merely time‐related—that is, uninterrupted existence—but of a divine quality: the passing out of death into the very life of God ROMANS 5: 8‐10 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners .9And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10
For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.11So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has cmade us friends of God The greatest sin one can commit is NOT TO BELIEVE IN JESUS AND HIS WORK ON THE CROSS. 1 CORINTHIANS 1:18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. How many of you know verse 17? God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
JESUS IS YOUR HOPE AND OFALL HUMANITY
3 VERSE 18 There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in
him has already been judged for not believing in God’s hone and only Son.
BELIEF IN JESUS FREES YOU FROM JUDGEMENT
VERSE 19 & 20 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the
darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse
to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.
DARKNESS BRINGS DEATH
JESUS IS THE LIGHT OF WORLD
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But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God
wants.”
What sin have you committed that needs to be laid before the cross? Is there some addiction that needs to be laid before the cross? Is there some attitude that needs to be laid before the cross? Is there some relationship that is not right that needs to be laid before the cross? Is there some situation at home or work that needs to be laid before the cross? The cross is where to lay it down! 4