Imagine

Sunday, April 19, 2026

SERMON: GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT – ENCOURAGEMENT, SERVICE, AND GIVING

Naylor Community Christian Church

Naylor, Georgia

I. Introduction

-- turn in Bibles to 2 Corinthians 7:13-8:7

2 Corinthians 7:13 By all this we are encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. 14 I had boasted to him about you, and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well. 15 And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling. 16 I am glad I can have complete confidence in you.

2 Corinthians 8:1 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. 5 And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. 6 So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7 But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

-- eight-year-old Gabi Mann keeps a treasure box in her home – it’s actually one of those plastic bead boxes with the individual sections that snap shut – if you’re old like me, think of a pill organizer – that’s what it looks like – but this container protects treasures that have been given to Gabi

-- in an article on the BBC website, the author wrote about how Gabi proudly opened each separate section in the container and pulled out bag after bag containing individual treasures – after warning the journalist that she could look, but not touch, Gabi opened each bag and proudly displayed her treasures

-- one bag held part of a broken light bulb – another, small pieces of brown glass worn smooth by wind and rain – “There's a miniature silver ball, a black button, a blue paper clip, a yellow bead, a faded black piece of foam, a blue Lego piece, and the list goes on -- Many of them are scuffed and dirty -- It is an odd assortment of objects for a little girl to treasure, but to Gabi these things are more valuable than gold”

– Gabi did not collect these items herself – but each of them was given to her, and that’s what makes them special – the truly miraculous thing is that gifts were not given to Gabi by her friends or family – but these were special gifts given to her by crows that she befriended in her neighborhood

-- it all began when she was four years old and dropped a chicken nugget from her lap onto the ground as she tried to get out of the car – a crow ran up and snatched the nugget and watched her as she waved

-- the next day, the crow was back, hoping that something else would be dropped – and, sure enough, as the toddler got out of the car, she dropped more food items, which the crow gladly picked up

-- this went on for some time – and then more crows started to come – Gabi realized what they were doing and intentionally began sharing part of her lunch with the crows – making sure to give them a treat when she got off the bus after school

-- before long, the crows would gather in anticipation of the school bus and eagerly greet Gabi as she climbed down the stairs and shared her lunch with them

-- her parents helped her set up a bird feeder and bath and they began to feed the crows on a regular basis – same time, every day – and the crows magically appeared to enjoy the treats that they were given

-- it was shortly after Gabi started feeding them every day on her back patio that the gifts began showing up – after the crows had emptied the feeder of the peanuts that Gabi put out for them, she would go out and find a shiny trinket left on the bottom of the empty feeder – the gifts came sporadically – sometimes it was an earring – other times a shiny rock – sometimes small pieces of metal – Gabi never knew what to expect, but she knew when she got a gift from the crows it would be small enough to fit in their beak – and she collected all of them in tiny bags and stored them in her treasure box as reminders of her friends and the gifts that they exchanged¹

-- we may not have crows for friends who bring us gifts in response to the food we offer them, but as Christians, each of us has a spiritual treasure box filled with memories and mementos from the acts of service and grace that we provide to others

-- in Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus said, “19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

-- this morning, we are going to talk about those very treasures – where they come from – and how we can store them up in heaven

-- we are finishing up our sermon series on the spiritual disciplines and spiritual gifts – I know this has been a long series, but I hope you have gotten something out of it – we’ve covered a lot of ground – there’s still a lot more we could cover – but I wanted to make sure and target the disciplines and the gifts that are represented here in this congregation

-- hopefully, I touched on your spiritual gift as we went through this message, for I tried to cover all the ones mentioned in church after we completed the spiritual gifts survey together

-- this morning, we are looking at the last three of the spiritual gifts which have been given to us to minister God’s grace to others individually through acts of service and giving and encouragement or exhortation

-- so, let’s look now at Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians and see what we can learn about the exercise of these spiritual gifts from Paul’s instructions to the church at Corinth

II. Scripture Lesson (2 Corinthians 7:13-8:7)

-- we began our study of the spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians, looking at Paul’s listing of the gifts there in 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 – so, you should be familiar with the context and audience of these letters

-- as you remember, the church at Corinth was a new church – it was comprised of both Gentiles and Jews – and it was struggling to find its way – the Gentile believers were holding on to some of their pagan beliefs and practices and bringing them into the church – while the Jews were clinging to the Law and having a hard time understanding how to live in grace and not legalism

-- the result was a church that was very confused and very mixed up and very carnal – so Paul had visited them several times and taught them how to live in this new way of Christ – and in response to questions they had and issues that had arisen, he wrote these two letters to help them understand how to live for Christ in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit

-- so, it is in 1 Corinthians that we find Paul’s instructions on the spiritual disciplines and the spiritual gifts and we find his great discourse that we know as the “love chapter” – 1 Corinthians 13 – where Paul tries to help the Corinthians to stop looking at themselves but to live out the royal command to love

-- as Jesus said, the first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength – and the second commandment is to love our neighbors as ourselves – which we talked about last week

-- it is through the outpouring of God’s love into us and through us that the church of Christ truly begins to find its way and when we see the reason that Christ called us to be His hands and feet in the world today

-- out of all the spiritual gifts that we have looked at, most of them have been given to build up the church – to edify the believers – to help them grow and mature in Christ so that they can begin to pour out God’s love and grace and mercy to those around them

-- these last three spiritual gifts – the gifts of giving and service and encouragement – are the way the church puts feet to their faith and shows grace to the church and to those in their community

-- look with me now at 2 Corinthians 7:13, and let’s start there

-- like we just discussed, the church at Corinth had a lot of problems – but as Paul shone the light of Christ on their issues and instructed them in the way they should go – they didn’t just listen to his message and go home to Sunday dinner – no, they took it to heart – and they put into practice – and they began to change

-- and Paul sees that here – Titus had been ministering in the church of Corinth on Paul’s behalf and had been helping teach the people how they should live – and he has just now come back and joined Paul in Macedonia – in northern Greece – as Paul is continuing on his missionary journey

-- and as Titus shared all the good news about how the Corinthians had embraced the teachings of Christ and turned away from their pagan idolatry and practices and how they relied on grace instead of the law – Paul’s heart was filled with joy – he says here in verse 13 that he was encouraged by everything that he heard – he was so happy that they were now living for God and that Titus had seen the transformation for himself

-- encouragement is like a bright light in a dark place – encouragement can give a person hope and can be a beacon of light on a dark day – we all need encouragement from time to time – and that’s true for all of us – even the Apostle Paul

-- I read about this middle school in Tennessee where a group of students “took it upon themselves to make sure that everyone feels loved and included.

-- “They started leaving positive notes, written in brightly-colored highlighter, around school hallways and in bathrooms. The notes are simple, but powerful. "If you realize it or not, someone loves you," one note read -- "Never give up," was taped to a mirror. -- Another said, "Stay strong." So far, the group of students has left 100 encouraging notes with more to come.

-- “Nicole True is an 8th grade student at Harriman and a member of the group that came up with the idea to leave the notes – she said, “I think it makes all the difference in the world -- Considering the fact that all of us have had someone come up to us and say 'that really affected us in a major way.’ It’s a small act that just makes everyone's day a little bit happier.”

-- encouragers lift people’s spirits and help them keep going on, even though they may be experiencing difficult times in their lives – out of all the spiritual gifts, this is the gift I wish I had – in Acts 4:36-37, we are introduced to Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas – the name Barnabas means “Son of Encouragement”

– how wonderful is that? – to be the type of person that is just so encouraging that that is how you are known – that your name is changed to Son of Encouragement because that is who you are?

-- that is awesome – I so wish I had this gift – I so wish I was known in the same way – we see that in Barnabus’ life – he’s the one who went and got Paul and brought him to Jerusalem to introduce him to the apostles – he’s the one that took care of John Mark, even when Paul didn’t want anything to do with him – he’s the one that helped serve the widows at the food distribution to make sure everyone had enough – Barnabas is always there – serving and giving and encouraging those around him – lifting them up and making sure they know they are loved

-- that’s what people with this gift do – that’s how they live – that’s who they are

-- we know the encouragers – we see them – we are drawn to them – these are the people who we call when we’re down – these are the people who send notes and who check on us when we’re struggling – these are the people who praise us with their words and who tell us we’re doing a good job, even if we don’t feel like it – these are the people who hold us and who are there for us when we’re walking through times of darkness and difficulty

-- I have a lot of respect for the encouragers – the exhorters – for those with this spiritual gift – for they keep us going

-- and that’s what Paul is saying here – I am encouraged by what you are doing – I am encouraged by the report that Titus has given – I see what you have done – I see who you are becoming – and I have complete confidence in you and your relationship with God

-- this is the ministry of the encouragers – and it is special indeed

-- look at Chapter 8

-- Paul moves on to discuss an area of ministry that he has confidence the Corinthians will excel in – he shares the example of the service and giving from the Macedonian churches to encourage the Corinthians to follow suit

-- back in the Book of Acts, we read of Paul’s visit to Jerusalem to meet with the elders of the church – with Peter and James and John – this James is the brother of Jesus, not the brother of John – John’s brother had been killed by Herod – and James, the brother of Jesus, had risen to a leadership position in the church after he had put his faith in Jesus following the resurrection

-- Peter, James, and John affirmed Paul’s calling and ministry – they recognized him as a fellow apostle – as one who had seen the risen Christ and who had been given his ministry directly from Jesus Himself – they confirmed that Paul was to be the apostle to the Gentiles – carrying the message of the resurrection of Christ and the forgiveness of sins through faith by grace to the Gentiles while they ministered to the Jews

-- the only thing they asked of Paul was that he would remember the Jewish believers and to set aside offerings to help support those who were destitute and unable to provide for themselves – Paul remained true to that request – and as he traveled among the Gentile communities – preaching Christ and setting up churches along the way – he reminded them of the debt they owed to Christ and to the Jews, from whom Christ came and from whom the holy scriptures were originally given

-- while he was in Macedonia, Paul made the needs of the Jewish believers in Jerusalem known to the churches – and although they were living in poverty themselves – although they were in the midst of severe trials of their own – God’s grace gave them the ability to offer gifts and service to those who were less fortunate than they

-- Paul writes here that God’s grace welled up a rich generosity among the Macedonians – and they gave even beyond their ability as an act of faith and in gratefulness to what God had done for them

-- when we teach and speak about the spiritual gifts, we tend to separate out the gifts of service and giving – but really, they are just different sides of the same coin – the gift of service is the supernatural ability that is given by the Holy Spirit to serve someone else -- the Spirit-given capacity and joy to work faithfully, practically, and tirelessly for the good of others

-- this gift of service might take the form of direct action – as in helping someone do something – or physically meeting a need that someone has

-- the people who have this gift are action-oriented – hands-on – people who love to take action and who inspire others to join with them in whatever ministry is at hand

-- John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, famously said, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”

-- this describes the role of those with the gift of servanthood – the gift of serving – but it also describes those who have the gift of giving – for giving is related to serving

-- while serving means direct action and getting your hands dirty by participating in ministry, others are called to serve through giving – primarily, through the gift of giving money and other resources to others

-- as The Spiritual Gifts Project points out, “The spiritual gift of Giving is the Spirit-given ability to joyfully, freely, and sacrificially share one’s resources—time, talent, and treasure—for the work of God and the good of others. While all Christians are called to be generous, those with this gift experience extraordinary eagerness, joy, and discernment in giving.”

-- obviously, there were some in the churches of Macedonia who had this gift – who heard of the need of the destitute in Jerusalem and who led the effort to collect money and resources to support their Christian brothers and sisters – to support those who they had never even met – but who they were connected to through the Spirit

-- Paul says they gave beyond their ability to give – as they began to give of what they had, God provided the excess – just as He multiplied the fish and the loaves to feed the twelve thousand – when you begin to give sacrificially as God calls us to do, then God meets us in that place and makes it happen

-- several years ago, when we had started Koinonia Church, we became aware of a need in the community where we were meeting – there were a lot of really poor kids in that community that could not afford backpacks and school supplies – and we felt like this was something that God wanted us to do – so, we reached out to the school around the corner and asked if we could provide backpacks and supplies – and they gladly said we could

-- we told them we were a small church – we only had a handful of people – we didn’t have a lot of resources – but we told them we would give what we could and trust that the school would make sure it got to the kids that needed it

-- we went out and bought backpacks and school supplies and spent all the money we had on that – it wasn’t much – and then, out of the blue, a check came in the mail from someone who wasn’t part of the church – they had heard about the ministry, and wanted to help – and then another check came and then another

-- our little church was able to provide enough backpacks and school supplies that year to make a real difference in the community – we gave beyond our ability – and God multiplied the offering, just as He did here with the Macedonian churches

-- those who have this spiritual gift of service and giving know that God will always provide – they have a faith in the providence of our God to meet whatever needs arise – they give more than they possibly can – they give until it hurts – because they know that God will take care of their needs just as they are taking care of the needs of others

-- when you give with a sacrificial heart – when you are led and empowered by the Holy Spirit to serve and to give in this way – God will meet you there and magnify the blessings

-- verse 6

2 Corinthians 8:6 So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7 But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

-- Paul writes here that he has complete confidence in the church at Corinth – he shared with them what the Macedonians had done – how they had given above and beyond in faith that God would meet the need – and he urges them to do the same in response to the need of the people in Jerusalem

-- Titus had already told them about the need and encouraged them to make an offering to the people in Jerusalem – and Paul asks them here to bring this act of grace to completion as he prepares to go to Jerusalem with these gifts from the Gentile churches

-- he tells the church at Corinth that he has already seen how they have begun to excel in all things through their faith and trust in God – their faith – their speech – their knowledge – their earnestness – their love – had grown and matured as they had learned to put their whole faith in God to meet their needs

-- and so, he calls them to join in this ministry – to serve and to give their time and talents and resources to those who were in need – so that the love of God that had been given to them through Paul might be magnified and enlarged through the grace of giving to others

-- people who have the gift of giving have a heart that responds to the need around them – they are the first in the church to see the need – they are the first in the church to begin to give – and they are the ones who encourage others to join them – to encourage others to give from the heart, also

-- people with the gift of giving are those who come up with ways to meet needs through fund-raisers or giving campaigns – they call on people to make things and give of their excess so that others can be blessed – they lead the church in stewardship and in responsible giving

-- I’ve told you before that I don’t like church fund-raisers – I don’t like it when a church raises funds for themselves – but I wholeheartedly support fund-raisers for specific ministries and needs

-- I have no problem with raising funds for mission efforts or to help others who are hurting – when Hurricane Katrina hit back in 2005, we raised funds to send to churches out there who were on the ground ministering to people in need – I support that – and I think that’s something we should be doing

-- and this is where the people who are gifted in servanthood and giving come in – for they are the ones with the vision who see the need and come up with a plan to meet the need and encourage others to join in

-- these people lead the outreach in servant ministry in a local congregation – and just like encouragers support those who need a special word or light in the darkness – those who serve and give support those who need help in a tangible way – either through direct service or through financial gifts – as empowered and led to do so by the Spirit

III. Closing

-- let’s bring this to a close

-- as everyone here is painfully aware, we are in the grip of an exceptional drought – this is the worst drought that we have had in south Georgia in over twenty years – and it couldn’t come at a worse time

-- for this is planting season for farmers – the time of the year when we’re trying to get seed in the ground and produce food and resources for others – it’s the time of the year when the animals are starting to reproduce – when birds are nesting and mammals are having babies – and it’s the time of the year when the plants are starting to grow and flower and produce seeds and fruit

-- and without water, all of this will be affected – all of life will feel the effects of the drought and the lack of rainfall in our area – we’re already seeing the rivers and ponds dry up – and some people are having problems with their wells – we need water – and we need it desperately

-- I thought about that this week -- I'm not a big gardener, but we put out some wildflower seed and they sprang up and began producing flowers –I noticed they were wilting and starting to turn yellow – they needed water

-- so, I got out the sprinkler and hooked it up and put in the yard and let it go for several hours – and not only did the wildflowers perk up – but the wildlife did, too – I have a small bird bath in the yard and the birds haven’t been going to it – I put a pump in there to spray the water up to get their attention – and between that and the sprinkler – the yard just became alive with birds and squirrels drawn to the water

-- when I went out and turned the sprinkler off, it hit me what that meant – I controlled whether these plants and birds had water or not – I could turn it on or turn it off – I could choose to give them a lot or a little – it was up to me – it was my choice

-- and it’s like that with the exercise of our spiritual gifts, too – while the Holy Spirit has gifted us with the supernatural ability to minister to God’s people – to serve them through leadership and prophecy – through acts of knowledge and wisdom – through exhortation and mercy – through service and giving – it’s up to us whether we allow the Spirit to use us or not

-- God has given us these manifestations of the Holy Spirit to use for the common good – to share with those around us – to use as ministers of His grace and love in this world today

-- but how much good are we doing if we never turn the sprinkler on? – and how much good are we really doing if we only turn the sprinkler on when we want to – when it suits us – when we feel like it or when it’s for the people we like?

-- as I turned the spigot off and watched the water in the sprinkler slowly die down and then stop completely, I wondered whether that little bit of water had helped or not – it would be better, I thought, if I could provide water more consistently – constantly – dependently

-- I thought about getting a soaker hose and putting it out – those hoses with the little holes that you leave on all the time – that just put out water constantly – then I could give out the water to the plants and the birds and the animals whether I felt like it or not – it would continue to flow out as long as the spigot was open

-- that’s the way we need to approach these spiritual gifts – we need to become soaker hoses for Jesus – letting love and mercy and grace continually flow out of us to where it is most needed – to exercise our gifts in such a way that we are indistinguishable from the presence of the Spirit within us – to use these spiritual gifts to touch those around us so that they might experience the love and mercy of God as we have

-- it’s not enough to just know about these spiritual gifts – to take a survey and find out where God has gifted us – it’s not enough to know about the spiritual disciplines – the means of grace by which God makes Himself known to us and through which we grow deeper in our relationship with Him – we have to use them – we have to put them into practice

-- but we have to be consistent in both the disciplines and the gifts – we need to stop using them like spiritual sprinklers that we turn on from time to time when we feel like it – but we need to become more like soaker hoses – who soak up the love and mercy and grace of God and pour it out to those around us – ministering to them as God has gifted us and as the Spirit has empowered us

-- that is the message that I want you to absorb today – that is the point of this entire series

-- you know what to do – you know how God has gifted you – now go forth and put into action that which you know – excel in the grace and ministry of God – as you pour out the love of God into this world today and tomorrow and every day after

-- with that, let us pray and ask God to give us His strength and His grace to do even more than we think we are capable of

-- let us pray

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1 The girl who gets gifts from birds by Katy Sewall -- https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-31604026

Sunday, April 12, 2026

SERMON: GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT – MERCY

Naylor Community Christian Church

Naylor, Georgia

I. Introduction

-- turn in Bibles to Luke 10:25-37

Luke 10:25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

-- Phillip Yancey opened one of his books by quoting a friend as he shared a story of sadness that he experienced – I want to share that with you now, quoting from Yancey’s friend:

-- “A prostitute came to me in wretched straits, homeless, sick, unable to buy food for her two-year old daughter. Through sobs and tears, she told me she had been renting out her daughter -- two years old! -- to men interested in kinky sex. She made more renting out her daughter for an hour than she could earn on her own in a night.

-- “She had to do it, she said, to support her own drug habit. I could hardly bear hearing her sordid story. I had no idea what to say to this woman

-- “At last, I asked if she had ever thought of going to a church for help. I will never forget the look of pure, naive shock that crossed her face. "Church!" she cried. "Why would I ever go there? I was already feeling terrible about myself. They'd just make me feel worse."”

-- this morning, we are continuing in our series on the spiritual disciplines and spiritual gifts – I hope that this has been an enlightening series for you and that you are putting into practice what we have discussed – for it is through the practice of the spiritual disciplines, such as prayer and Bible study and worship – and through the exercise of our spiritual gifts for the common good – whatever those gifts may be for you individually – that we begin to truly grow and experience Christ and fulfill the good works that He allotted for each of us before the beginning of the world, as Ephesians 2:10 states

II. Mercy and Empathy

-- today, we are looking at the spiritual gift of mercy – and of all the spiritual gifts that have been given to us, this gift is one that is sorely lacking in application – mercy seems to be in short supply in our world and our country today – and while there are some in our churches who have been specially gifted in this area, we are all called to be agents of God’s grace and mercy in the world today

-- and, as I have tried to stress in our messages and in Bible study, we need to take care to always define our terms before we try to engage with the subject at hand – because, as we know, people may use the same term but mean something entirely different

– as we see with many of the cults in our very own area, these groups use and proclaim the name of Jesus, but the Jesus they talk about is not the same as that described in the Bible – The Bible tells us that Jesus is the second person of the Trinity – God incarnate – the Word -- who was present in the beginning and who was with God and who was God

– these cults use the name Jesus, but the Jesus they talk about is not the same as ours – for most of them, He is not divine but either a created being or the result of a physical union between a father god and a mother god

– so, anytime we have a discussion with anyone, especially in regards to spiritual matters, we need to make sure we’re talking about the same thing so that we don’t get led astray from the truth

-- with that said, what is mercy? – what is the biblical definition and understanding of this word?

-- in our Bible studies, we have defined grace and mercy in this way – grace is God giving us what we do not deserve – and mercy is God not giving us what we deserve

-- and while that definition is true, it is not as comprehensive as it could be – nor is mercy singular and separated from the other aspects of God, especially His grace – mercy and grace are always together, for each is a component of the other – so, it’s hard to separate it out and say, “This is mercy” and “This is grace” – for they work together as an avenue of God’s love

-- one of the best definitions of mercy I have seen comes from Compassion International, the ministry that seeks to take care of impoverished children across the world – they define mercy as “compassionate action towards those in need, particularly withholding punishment or vengeance from those who deserve it. It is God's loving compassion and forgiveness, often paired with grace, which provides unmerited favor. Mercy is a divine attribute shown through salvation, kindness, and pity.”

-- so, mercy is an act – it is something we do – it is something that we share with others as we seek to meet their needs, whether we are talking about salvation, the forgiveness of sin, the forgiveness of transgressions, or providing resources they need to survive or improve their lot in life

-- mercy is showing the love of God to others in a real and tangible way

-- and believe it or not, acts of mercy have been denounced in our society in recent years – the reason is because mercy is very closely associated with empathy – empathy is when we share in another person’s emotional journey while sympathy is a sincere concern for someone experiencing a difficult situation

-- the key difference is that empathy involves action – it means that you put yourself in the place of another person and you seek to meet their needs – to help them through their situation – whatever the need is – sympathy is hands-off – it is looking at another person in pain or trouble and feeling sorry for them, but not engaging them to the level where you are led to do something for them

-- easy way to understand this is the way we react when someone we know loses a loved one – sympathy leads us to see their pain and grief – we might give them kind words – we might give them a sympathy card – if you’re from the south, you’ll probably bring them something to eat – but that’s it – that’s the extent of our involvement

-- empathy is a deeper response – empathy has no time limit – and you try to invest yourself in the life of the other person, helping them to learn to live this life without their loved one – helping them in the times of overwhelming grief and sorrow by being there and listening or holding them – taking action where you can

-- sympathy says, “I’m sorry” – empathy says, “I’m here with you” – and empathy moves us to merciful actions as we share God’s love with others

-- however, some in our society today have invented a term called, “toxic empathy” – meaning that we can go too far in engaging with others and trying to walk a mile in their shoes – that we can go too far in trying to help others through their time of trials and tribulations – to the point where merciful actions become illegal or unwarranted

-- this came up a lot during the issues about immigration over the last couple of years – and without diving into any political position, just to help you understand the issue – some people felt that some individuals and groups were being too empathetic towards illegal immigrants and doing too much to support them or stand up for them – they felt that sympathy would be a better response, where you could feel sorry for the immigrant’s plight, but you would not take direct action to alleviate that situation

-- in response, several of the empathetic individuals and groups defended their actions as religious responses to a crisis and felt this was what their faith demanded – that God’s word commanded empathy and mercy towards all, regardless of legal status in the country

-- the question of illegal immigration and what to do about it is a very divisive subject in our country – and there are a lot of complexities and legal questions that we are struggling with as a society in this regard – but I wanted you to be aware that the question of empathy and mercy was part of the overall discussion – which brings us to our topic for today

-- Romans 12:8 affirms that mercy is a spiritual gift – and that there are some people in the church of Christ – in fact, in this congregation, who have been given the gift of mercy

-- which means that these individuals have been given the supernatural ability to empathize with others and to be merciful to them in a way that most of us don’t have the ability to do – as Christians, indwelled by the Holy Spirit, all of us have a tendency towards empathy and mercy – but not at the same level as those who are gifted in this area by the Holy Spirit

-- Mr. Rogers famously advised children that when disasters and troubles come, to look for the helpers – the helpers are those with the gift of mercy – they can’t help but be there and they can’t help but inspire others to action, also

-- the most famous person associated with empathy and mercy has to be the good Samaritan

III. The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)

-- there are several stories in the Bible that everyone is familiar with – and that’s true whether they are a Christian or not – the story of the good Samaritan is one of those

-- we all know it – and we all put ourselves in the place of the good Samaritan when we hear it – no one hears this story and says, “I am the priest” or “I am the Levite” – we always take the place of the hero – even though very few of us actually put into practice what Jesus teaches here

-- I read about a study conducted in a seminary one time -- students were learning about the parables -- each week, they had to write a report and present an oral presentation of their thoughts on that particular parable and then answer questions from the professor

-- each student was scheduled to come at a certain time -- if they missed their time, they would receive a zero – on the day they were being tested on their knowledge of the story of the good Samaritan, each student headed for their professor’s office at their scheduled time – and, as each one got close to the professor’s building, they heard the cries of a man in need

-- he was laying on the sidewalk – his clothes were disheveled – his hair was out of place – he looked to have been hurt – there was no indication of what might have happened to him – whether he had gotten robbed or hit by a car or something else – he was just there – a person in need

-- and every student in that seminary class had to have noticed that man – they had to pass right by him – but not a single one of them stopped to help, because they knew if they were late to their appointment with the professor or if they missed it, they would be given a zero – so, they looked at the man with sympathy, but rushed on by

-- what they didn’t know was that this was their real test -- after an in-depth study of the parable of the good Samaritan, the professor wanted to see if the students would apply what they had learned -- none did and all failed the test – because all failed to show mercy to another

-- In this passage, Jesus is being tested, too – we read here that on one occasion, as He was teaching, an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus – he asked Jesus how someone inherits eternal life -- and Jesus affirmed that they way to eternal life is by loving the Lord your God all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' and to `Love your neighbor as yourself – in verse 28, Jesus tells the expert in the law to do this, and he would live

-- don’t miss what Jesus said to the expert in the law – He affirms that the expert knows exactly what to do – the real question is “have you been doing it?” -- Jesus called into question whether the expert in the law had actually put into practice that which he had preached

-- look at verse 29

Luke 10:29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

-- so now the accuser becomes the defendant -- the expert in the law had started this conversation by trying to test Jesus and put Him on the spot, but now he finds himself defending his own righteousness -- so, seeking to justify himself, he responds back to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

-- more than likely, the expert in the law expects Jesus to respond with the traditional Jewish understanding of the term neighbor -- not only your near kin who lives next door, but the stranger, the poor, the orphaned, and the widows who live among you -- this is who the law said you were to take care of

-- and when Jesus agreed with him, then the expert in the law could probably say, “Good – I have been doing that”

-- as Thomas Long points out, the lawyer “had found a place to stand -- [he] depended upon the concepts “love God” and “love neighbor” to remain fixed and stable -- a system of religious justification and tradition – the expert had found an answer in his religion that allowed him to be satisfied with himself and his life

-- or, to put it another way, the lawyer justified himself because he went to church, read the scriptures, made the required sacrifices, and loved his family and his friends and neighbors -- sound familiar? -- sound like us?

-- but Jesus doesn’t respond the way the expert in the law expected -- instead of affirming what the expert in the law believes to be true, Jesus throws into question the definition of a neighbor by telling him the story of the good Samaritan

-- verse 30

Luke 10:30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

-- Jesus begins the story by saying, “a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho” -- other translations have this as “a certain man was going down” -- and the inference here is that this man Jesus is talking about in the story is the expert in the Law himself

-- Jesus is making this personal -- He is saying to the expert in the law, “pretend that one day, you were going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when you fall into the hands of robbers -- they beat you -- they strip you of your clothes -- they leave you for dead and throw you in the ditch -- you need help -- who do you look to for assistance? -- who will be your neighbor when you need help?”

-- and then we read the familiar story – Jesus says that a priest comes by and sees the man, but crosses the road and passes by on the other side -- he is followed by a Levite, who also comes to the same place and sees the man needing help, but does nothing -- finally, a Samaritan comes by and takes pity on the man

-- seeing his need, he has compassion for the man – he shows empathy and mercy – he takes action and gets involved – sterilizing the wounded man’s injuries with oil and wine and putting a bandage on him -- he takes him to an inn, where he sits by him and takes care of him through the night -- the next day, he leaves money behind to ensure the wounded man is taken care of, and promises he will return to check in on his progress and take care of any more needs

-- now it’s important that you know the Jews and Samaritans absolutely hated each other -- “The two groups disagreed about everything that mattered: how to honor God, how to interpret the Scriptures, and where to worship. They practiced their faith in separate temples, read different versions of the Torah, and avoided social contact with each other whenever possible.” -- Jews would not even cross into the region of Samaria, even if doing so would shorten a trip -- they would have nothing to do with them at all

-- so, when Jesus introduces the Samaritan as the hero in the story, this would have been shocking to the ears of His Jewish listeners -- they would never consider helping a Samaritan -- and they would never consider having to rely on a Samaritan for help

-- but Jesus has now painted the picture of the expert in the Law, rejected by the priest and the Levite, now being ministered to by someone he absolutely hated -- think about your worst enemy -- think about that person you just can’t stand -- or that group of people you just can’t be around -- or that person who’s a different color than you -- or a different religion -- or who votes for the wrong political party

-- now consider yourself in need -- and while the people you thought were your friends and neighbors pass you by -- the only person who comes to your aid is the very person you hated -- that’s the message Jesus is trying to get across

-- verse 36

Luke 10:36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

-- once again, Jesus turns the question of the expert in the law back on him -- the lawyer had asked, “And who is my neighbor?” -- now, after telling the story of the good Samaritan, Jesus asks the question back to the lawyer, “Who do you think was a neighbor to this man?”

-- “The one who had mercy on him”

-- Jesus has stretched the understanding of the expert in the law -- “When you're lying bloody in a ditch, what matters is not whose help you'd prefer -- whose way of practicing Christianity you like best -- whose politics you agree with – whose legal status as a citizen you affirm -- what matters is whether or not anyone will stop to show you mercy before you die.”

-- Jesus’ whole point is that your neighbor is not defined by relation -- your neighbor is not defined by geographic proximity -- your neighbor is not defined by religion or politics or personal beliefs or citizenship or the color of their skin -- everyone is your neighbor because everyone is in need

-- “the real answer to the lawyer’s question “who is my neighbor?” is that you have no idea who your neighbor is until you, yourself, know how needy you are, and in that need receive the unexpected grace and mercy of being neighbored by God”

-- Jesus did not come to be a neighbor only to the righteous -- nor did He come to be a neighbor only to the Jews -- He came to be the neighbor to everyone, and to save everyone who was in that ditch -- He came for all of us – and He tells us to “Go and do likewise”

IV. Closing

-- like I said, we like the story of the good Samaritan, because we always put ourselves in that role – we like to think that if we were there, we would take care of the injured man just like the Samaritan did – but history and experience say otherwise

-- all too often, we know the answer that Jesus wants – but we stop short of putting that answer into practice

-- we define who we will be merciful to and who we won’t – we choose who we will love and who we will not -- we can get so wrapped up in our own holiness and in playing church, we forget the mercy that we have been given and we forget to be merciful to others

-- and when that happens, our churches become known as places, not of refuge in time of need, but of places where people don't receive what they desperately need – grace and mercy and empathy

-- when that happens, our country becomes a place where people do not find mercy or empathy, but hatred

-- this is not the way it should be

-- so, what can we do about it? – what can those who are gifted with mercy do to lead us and inspire us to be better?

-- first, we have to remember – that could be us on the side of the road – that WAS us on the side of the road

-- we must be careful to never forget where we were and who we were when the mercy and grace of Christ touched us and healed us of our sin – we must remember that old saying, “There, but for the grace of God, I go” – and we must let that move us to action – regardless of whether it is politically correct or not

-- because we have been given so much and forgiven so great a debt, grace and mercy should be part of who we are – it should flow from us to others -- regardless of who they are or what they have done

-- second, we have to admit our failures and our sins -- right or wrong, as the story of the prostitute shows, our churches have become known as places where hypocrites gather -- as places where self-righteous people seek to justify themselves and judge others who come -- as places where following church law is more important than helping hurt people

-- our churches today are no longer recognized as places to come to receive grace and mercy and empathy

-- when Jesus was here on earth, He constantly drew to Himself those who were hurt, those who were sick, those who had sinned -- they came to Him for a refuge -- for a place where they would not be judged but healed

-- God's church on earth is called to do no less today -- and, with the grace of God, it can once again serve as a refuge for those who truly need help -- a hospital administering God’s grace in an ungraceful world – God’s mercy in a merciless world

-- the change must start with you and it must start with me – we must “Go and do likewise”

-- in closing, I would like to read you a quote from Charles Sheldon's book, "In His Steps", which started the "What would Jesus do?" movement

-- in this book a tramp, a man without a home and without a job has been going from church to church looking for help, and in the last church in town he asks for permission to speak to the congregation. This is what he says right before he collapses on the altar and must be taken to the hospital:

"I'm not an ordinary tramp, though I don't know of any teaching of Jesus that makes one kind of tramp less worth saving than another. Do you? I was wondering as I sat here tonight, if what you call following Jesus is the same thing as what He taught. What did you Christians mean by following the steps of Jesus?

"I've tramped through this city for three days trying to find a job and in all that time I've not had a word of sympathy or comfort. What is meant by following Jesus? What do you mean when you sing "I'll go with Him, with Him, all the way? Do you mean that you are suffering and denying yourselves and trying to save lost, suffering humanity just as I understand Jesus did? What do you mean by it?

"It seems to me there's an awful lot of trouble in the world that somehow wouldn't exist if all the people who sing such songs went and lived them out. I suppose I don't understand. But what would Jesus do?"

-- this morning as we consider the words of Jesus in the parable of the good Samaritan -- as we consider the grace and the mercy that we see displayed in this story -- let us consider whether we are truly being examples of His grace and mercy to others or if we are justifying ourselves like the teacher of the law, the priest, and the Levite

-- are we truly loving the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength and with all our mind' -- and are we truly loving our neighbor as ourselves?

-- this is what mercy looks like – and this is what the gift of mercy demands

-- Let us pray.

Sunday, April 05, 2026

SERMON: REMOVING THE VEIL – EASTER MESSAGE

Naylor Community Christian Church

Naylor, Georgia

I. Introduction

-- turn in Bibles to Matthew 27:32-54

Matthew 27:32 As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). 34 There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews.

38 Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” 41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

The Death of Jesus

45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

-- on September 30^th, 1999, Japan suffered its most serious nuclear accident up to that date, at the Tokaimura Nuclear Facility – while the tsunami-caused Fukushima accident in 2011 has now surpassed the extent of the damage from the Tokaimura accident, at the time it was Japan’s greatest and most significant nuclear event

-- the incident spanned approximately 20 hours, and resulted in the death of two workers at the nuclear plant, with the surrounding area exposed to hazardous nuclear radiation from the event

-- the incident began when three workers at the plant took shortcuts while refueling a nuclear reactor – despite the danger of radiation and the potential for an uncontrollable fission reaction, the three workers entered the room with the radioactive material and began filling the tank faster than authorized and in a manner that negated the safety protocols

-- instead of slowly precipitating the fuel into the tank, they mixed it in stainless steel buckets and began pouring the fuel into the tank – and even though two of the three technicians reported seeing blue-white flashes of light from within the tank, they kept on with their efforts – only evacuating after the gamma ray alarm went off

-- but by that time, it was too late – the fuel in the tank reached critical mass, and uncontrolled nuclear fission began occurring, releasing hazardous radiation into the room and through the vents into the surrounding countryside

-- the two workers in the room who were pouring the fuel from the buckets into the tank received serious radiation exposure – they began experiencing pain, nausea, and difficulty breathing – and emergency response crews were called in – all three men were evacuated to a local hospital for treatment, but the two technicians who were in the room with the tank died within a couple of months of the accident

-- the radiation release was contained in the local area, and quickly dissipated, without causing additional contamination

-- the results of the investigation into the cause of the incident confirmed that it resulted from the direct actions of these three men, who ignored safety protocols and entered the presence of hazardous nuclear fuel without recognizing the danger

-- there is an old saying that “fools rush in where angels fear to tread” – and while that is certainly true in regards to the nuclear incident in Japan, it is also true for most people when it comes to spiritual matters

-- in our modern age, it seems that we have lost our awe and our reverence for God and the things of God – we no longer have the “fear of the Lord” that the Bible speaks of, but instead have exchanged a healthy respect for God and His power for casual familiarity – a place where we no longer hold sacred the institutions and attributes of our Creator

-- God is no longer regarded as the Lord God Almighty, great and worthy to be praised – but is regarded as a friend who will meet all our wants and desires if we only approach Him in the right way

-- this is the way of idolatry – and we see this attitude in our churches and in our culture and in this current push for Christian nationalism – and I believe this is as real a risk to us today as it was for those three men to rush into the presence of nuclear fuel without considering the danger

-- so, on this Easter morning, I wanted us to spend a moment considering an event in the Easter story that just casually gets mentioned in our modern day – we don’t see the mystery of it – we don’t tend to understand the significance of it in the way the original author and reader of the gospels would have understood it

II. Opening the Veil

-- we began this morning by reading the story of Jesus’ crucifixion and death from the gospel of Matthew – it is the same story that we see in all the synoptic gospels – Matthew, Mark, and Luke – the familiar story of Jesus carrying His cross to Golgotha – the place of the skull – where He was crucified between two criminals

-- they were being put to death for their crimes, while Jesus was being put to death for ours

-- the crucifixion began about nine in the morning on that first Good Friday – and the gospel writers tell us that from noon until three in the afternoon, darkness came over the land – this is the first reference in the gospel story to the presence of God the Father at the crucifixion

-- a few years ago, the southeastern US was within the zone of totality for a solar eclipse – you might remember when this happened – we were not in the area to experience the total darkness and full occlusion of the sun here, so we traveled into South Carolina where we gathered with hundreds others to watch the total eclipse of the sun

-- and it was an awesome event – it was just as described in the literature – little by little, the sun began to dim – a dark shield started on the right hand side of the sun and eventually covered the entire disk – you could look directly at the sun without fear of damaging your eyes

-- the area around us gradually grew darker and darker as the eclipse progressed – the birds began to roost – crickets and other insects began to call – and then it was over – the light began to return – and in a less than thirty minutes, all was back to normal

-- scientists say that the duration of a total eclipse typically lasts between 1 and 4 minutes, depending on where you are located on earth – the longest possible duration of a total eclipse is 7 minutes and 29 seconds, predicted to occur on July 16^th, 2186

-- seven minutes – that is the longest possible duration of a total eclipse – but we read here in verse 45 that from noon until three in the afternoon, darkness came over all the land

-- this was not a natural event – this was not a normal total eclipse – this was a miracle – this was the effect of an awesome and mighty God displaying His presence and His authority over nature and all creation as His Son died on the cross in our place

-- for three hours, darkness fell on the land – supernatural darkness covered the land – scholars believe this was the period of time when God’s wrath and judgment poured out on Jesus for our sins and the sins of the world

-- look at verse 46

Matthew 27:46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

– it was at the very end of this three-hour period that Jesus cried out to the Father, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” – as the God-man – as the Son of Man who bore all our sins on the cross before God – Jesus had experienced the full wrath and power of the Lord God Almighty – taking the punishment upon Himself that we so rightly deserve

-- but we miss that – and we gloss over that – and we read that it grew dark for three hours and think nothing more of it

-- we need to learn to read the Scriptures in light of God’s power and majesty – and to see His presence – and to learn to fear His presence – as the early Christians did

-- but this is not the main event that I wanted to call your attention to – look down at verse 50

Matthew 27:50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

-- so, here we read that at the very moment when Jesus cried out again in a loud voice – saying, as John tells us in his gospel, “It is finished” – giving up His spirit and dying in our place – the curtain in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom

-- we’ve all seen that – we’ve all read that – we probably all know what that means – the typical interpretation of this event is that Jesus’ death made it possible for us to enter into the Holy of Holies and the presence of God again

-- but do we truly understand what that means? – the importance of it? – the implication of it?

-- to truly understand this and what this means, we have to go all the way back to the Book of Genesis – look with me at Genesis 3:23-24

Genesis 3:23 So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

-- once again, a familiar passage – this takes place after the fall of man – after Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil – yes, they were tempted by Satan – by the serpent of old – but Satan didn’t make them do it – they couldn’t use the excuse of Flip Wilson’s Geraldine, “The devil made me do it”

-- Adam and Eve chose to disobey God – this was their action – this was their willful event – and when they turned away from God and His commands and chose to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil when He had specifically told them not to, they sinned against God – causing sin and death to enter a perfect world

-- and after the pronouncement of judgment on mankind and on the serpent – and after the promise of a coming Messiah who would crush the head of the serpent – God shed innocent blood to atone for the sins of Adam and Eve – providing for them even in this sinful state

-- and then we read here in verse 23 and 24 that He banished them from the Garden of Eden and put cherubim with a flaming sword to guard the way back into the garden to the tree of life

-- but here’s the thing that we miss in this story that affects how we read and understand the story of Jesus’ death on the cross

- the Garden of Eden was more than just a description of God’s creation – the Garden of Eden was created to be the first temple – you see, a temple is the place the heavens and earth interact – where God and man interact – where man can come into the presence of God

-- and that is what we saw with the Garden of Eden prior to the fall -- the garden was the place where mankind could come into the presence of a Holy and Mighty God – of the Lord God Almighty – that’s why the Bible tells us that God would visit Adam and Eve in the garden – walking with them in the cool of the day – as the first humans, they were to be His priests – the mediators of His presence with the world – taking care of His creation and bringing others safely into His presence as they multiplied and filled the earth with their descendants

-- this was the original plan – mankind was to live in the presence of God and to commune with Him in His creation

-- but sin ended that relationship – Habakkuk 1:13 says that God cannot look upon evil – that God cannot be in the presence of sin – His purity and holiness and righteousness cannot abide with sin

-- and so, Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden – they were banished from the temple – they were banished from the very presence of God

-- no longer would they be allowed into His presence as they had before – no longer would they walk with Him in the same way as before – because His holiness would prevent them from entering His presence in that same way – and judgment and wrath would destroy them

-- they could only approach God if their sins had been atoned for – if propitiation had been made for this evil behavior – and this happened through the shedding of innocent blood as an atoning sacrifice

-- in verse 24, we read that God put cherubim with a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life – to prevent Adam and Eve from entering the Garden of Eden – to keep them from entering the temple again – why?

-- was this to protect God from Adam and Eve? – no – this was to protect Adam and Eve from God – this was an act of grace whereby God created a separation between Himself and His creation who were now filled with sin and death – for if they were to enter His presence in their unclean state, they would surely die

-- remember the story of Uzzah from 2 Samuel 6? – if you remember, King David was trying to bring the Ark of the Covenant – the symbol of the presence of God – from the land of the Philistines into Jerusalem

-- but David approached the Ark with complacency – he did not recognize the ark as being the very presence of God in his midst – and he tried to carry the ark into Jerusalem in the same manner you would any chest – he put it on a cart and tried to drive it into the city

-- and when the oxen stumbled and the Ark of the Covenant tipped in the back of the cart, Uzzah reached out and touched it and was immediately struck dead – not because the Ark had any power on its own – but because Uzzah tried to come into the presence of God and to touch God without first atoning for his unrighteousness and sin

-- and remember what Isaiah said in Isaiah 6 when he was brought into the presence of God in a vision? – Isaiah cried out, “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty!”

-- to come into the presence of God uninvited and unprepared – to come into the presence of God in our sinful, unclean states – is to invite destruction as God’s holiness interacts with our sinfulness

-- God is too holy – too righteous – too powerful – too perfect – to come into contact with unclean sinners – we will die if we come before God in this way -- and so, cherubim with swords were placed between the original temple of God – the Garden of Eden -- and mankind -- to protect us

-- later, when the tabernacle and the permanent temples were built by the nation of Israel, God directed that this barrier – this protective element of Eden – was recreated – the curtain that we read of in the gospel accounts was a heavy curtain that separated the holy place from the holy of holies – the room where God’s presence dwelt over the Ark of the Covenant – the place where the heavens and God Himself interacted with our world

-- the curtain was not put up to protect the Ark – it was not put up to protect God from the people – but to protect the people from God

-- if anyone entered the Holy of Holies without first preparing themselves and completing elaborate cleansing sacrifices and rituals – if anyone tried to enter into the presence of God without propitiation – they would die

-- so, only the High Priest was authorized to enter the Holy of Holies as the mediator between mankind and God – and he could only do so one day a year – on the Day of Atonement – and only after he completed intensive sacrifice and cleansing to prepare himself to appear before the Lord

-- even then, it was a risk – and high priests were known to die in the Holy of Holies if their hearts were not right or if they entered in a flippant manner – for that reason, they would tie a rope around the foot of the priest before he entered the presence of God, so that if he died in the Holy of Holies, they could pull his body out

-- as Skye Jethani points out, “both the Eden story and the temple’s design were intended to communicate the separation between the heavens and the earth; between sinful humanity and the holy God. Any contact between the two was complicated, dangerous, and mediated with special procedures to ensure one’s safety.

-- “Think of God’s holiness like a nuclear reactor. It is powerful and incredibly dangerous. Therefore, great caution is necessary when approaching it, and only those with the correct training and protection should even attempt to break the barrier between the two realms.”

-- the curtain that separated the holy place from the holy of holies represented the spiritual barrier that separated man from God because of our sinful nature -- this is the curtain that was torn from top to bottom when Jesus died on the cross of Calvary in our place

-- and the tearing of the curtain means more than just the replacement of the Jewish religion with the Christian religion – this means more than just the setting aside of the requirement to ritually cleanse ourselves by sacrificing innocent animals on the Day of Atonement

-- when the curtain in the temple – the symbolic barrier between the heavens and the earth – between God and us – was torn from top to bottom at the death of Jesus, this signified that the way back to the garden – blocked since Genesis 3 – was reopened – that through Jesus’ death and atoning sacrifice on the cross, it became possible for God to dwell with His people once again, as He had in Eden

-- the curtain – in fact, the entire temple structure and system of annual sacrifices – were God’s way to dwell among His sinful people until their sins could be permanently atoned for – which happened during that three hours of darkness on the cross as Jesus suffered and died in our place for our sins

-- the tearing of the curtain, along with Christ’s proclamation, “It is finished!” was the fulfillment of the ultimate purpose of God -- to live among us and to allow us to live with Him

-- we see its final fulfillment in the Book of Revelation, as we read in Revelation 21 of the new heavens and the new earth coming at the end of the age – there will no longer be a temple – a single place where God interacts with mankind – but the earth will be the temple of God, just as Eden was the original temple

-- and in Revelation 21:3 we read, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God'” (Revelation 21:3).

III. Closing

-- so, what does all this mean for us today – on this beautiful Easter morning here in south Georgia?

-- it means a couple of things:

-- first, this passage should remind us of the holiness and righteousness of God and of His mighty power – we need to remember who God is – and we need to be more reverent and more careful in how we approach God, even on this side of the cross

-- the God of the Bible is still God today – and to attempt to come into His presence complacently or flippantly should give us pause – for the same God who struck down Uzzah for failing to respect His power and majesty is the same God who struck down Annanias and Saphira for their sin in the early church – and He is the same God who takes serious our relationship with Him

-- remember who God is – and approach God with the fear of the Lord He demands – approach Him with reverence and awe – and be mindful of the way we handle the things of God and come before Him – in our worship and in our private times with Him

-- second, this passage should renew in us an appreciation of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us – for it makes clear that the barrier between God and us was removed only through the sinless sacrifice of Jesus on the cross of Calvary

-- not everyone has permission to enter into the Holy of Holies, even with a torn curtain – but only those who have been cleansed of their sin and unrighteousness by the washing of the blood of Jesus

-- we are not the authors of our salvation – for it was Christ and Christ alone – that saved us from our sins and removed the barrier between us and God – it was by grace, through faith, not by works or by anything that we did – that restored our relationship with the Father

-- Jesus paid the price with His body and blood – and as we read in Hebrews 10:19-22, we can draw near to God with sincere hearts and with the full assurance that faith brings, because Christ has made a way for us to enter the Most Holy Place – the Holy of Holies – the very presence of God the Father Almighty – through a new and living way – His body which was broken for us and His blood which was shed on the cross to atone for our sins

-- and His resurrection from the dead on the third day proves His victory over sin and death, once and for all, as we stand in righteousness in His name alone

-- and, finally, this passage should reinforce the hope that we have in the return of Christ and the restoration of Eden on earth again – just as we pray in the Lord’s prayer, “Thy Kingdom come – Thy Will be done – on earth as it is in heaven”

-- as the people of God, washed in the blood of Christ, we stand in anticipation of eternal life with the Father – and look forward to the time when we will dwell with Him on earth forever as His people and with Him as our God

-- this is what the tearing of the curtain at the death of Jesus signifies

-- so, as we close our gathering today on this Easter morning – rejoicing and worshiping the God who paid the price for our sins so that He might live with us again forever – let us praise Him as His people – holy and sanctified in His name – washed through His blood – and saved from our sins forever

-- to God be all the glory and honor forever and ever -- Amen

-- let us pray