I CAN’T HELP BUT THINK TODAY, OF JUST HOW WORTHY THE LAMB OF GOD IS OF ALL OF OUR PRAISE AND ALL THAT WE CAN GIVE TO HIM. WHEN YOU CONSIDER WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR US, THROUGH THE GIVING OF HIS SON AND THE STORY OF CALVARY’S HILL, WE ARE MADE AWARE OF A DEBT THAT CAN NEVER BE FULLY REPAID. WE OWE HIM MUCH MORE THAN WE COULD EVER PAY. AND I KNOW THAT HE WAS GLAD TO GO TO CALVARY AND NOT ASK ANYTHING IN RETURN OF US, EXCEPT OUR DEBT OF SIN. THINK ABOUT THAT. THE LORD WAS GOING TO GIVE TO US HIS VERY LIFE. AND ALL HE ASKED OF US TO DO IN RETURN, WAS TO GIVE TO HIM EVERYTHING THAT WAS BAD, EVERYTHING THAT WAS UGLY, EVERYTHING THAT HAD BEEN DESTROYED IN OUR LIFE. HUH, WHAT KIND OF AN EXCHANGE IS THAT? YET, THE LORD WENT TO CALVARY THAT HE MIGHT PURCHASE OUR SOUL. TO REDEEM US THROUGH HIS SHED BLOOD. AND TODAY, I BELIEVE WE OUGHT TO CRY OUT WITH ALL THAT IS WITHIN US, THANK YOU JESUS. AND PRAISE HIM AND GIVE HIM GLORY AND HONOR. HE TRULY IS WORTHY OF ALL THAT WE CAN SAY OR DO AND SO MUCH MORE. TODAY, I WANT TO SHARE A PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE WITH YOU THAT IS SOMETHING THAT JUST BEGAN TO TALK TO MY HEART AND LIFE AS I READ IT A FEW DAYS AGO. I KNOW THERE IS A MOVE ON AMONGST CHURCHES, CHRISTIANITY IN GENERAL, TO DO AWAY WITH THE CROSS AND ITS MESSAGE. I KNOW IN SO MANY CHURCHES TODAY WE HAVE REALLY ADAPTED MORE OF A HUMANISTIC STAND THEN WE HAVE A SPIRITUAL STAND. WE'D RATHER OFFER WORDS OF ADVICE OF HOW TO LIVE AND HOW TO HAVE A GOOD AND SECURE HOME AND HOW TO HELP PEOPLE WITH RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS. I DON'T WANT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THOSE THINGS, I THINK ITS GOOD TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES OF LIFE. BUT HERE'S AN ISSUE OF OUR LIFE THAT CAN ONLY BE ADDRESSED THROUGH THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS. I KNOW IT'S BEEN ABOUT 2,000 YEARS SINCE JESUS CLIMBED TO THE TOP OF GOLGOTHA'S HILL. BUT IT'S FRESH TODAY. IT'S JUST AS IMPORTANT TODAY AS IT WAS BACK THEN. IT'S JUST AS MEANINGFUL RIGHT NOW, AS IT WAS BACK THEN. AND IT'S JUST AS POWERFUL TO OUR LIVES TODAY, AS IT WAS BACK THEN. TRULY IT IS ONLY THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST THAT CAN SET US FREE FROM OUR DEBT OF SIN. NOTHING ELSE, NO ONE ELSE. THERE'S JUST ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ELSE WE CAN DO EXCEPT, GO TO THE FOOT OF THAT OLD RUGGED CROSS AND ASK THE LORD TO FORGIVE US AND INVITE HIM IN. THAT IS OUR ONLY MEANS OF SALVATION. THAT'S THE ONLY THING WE ARE OFFERED IN ALL THE WORD OF GOD THAT CAN SECURE OUR ETERNITY. WE MUST LET THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST, THAT BLOOD THAT WAS SHED FOR US ON CALVARY'S HILL, COME. AND IF NOT, WE HAVE NO OTHER RECOURSE. THERE'S NO OTHER ANSWER FOR SIN. I KNOW THIS IS GOING TO SOUND LIKE AN OLD TIME, OLD FASHIONED MESSAGE. AND IT IS, I DON'T DENY THAT. BUT I HAVE TO TELL YOU, UNTIL GOD FINDS SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAT HE'LL CHOOSE TO USE, THIS IS THE DEMAND THAT HE'S MAKING. IF WE WANT TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. IF WE WANT TO COME INTO THE FAMILY OF GOD AS A SON OR A DAUGHTER OF GOD, THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO IT THROUGH THE OLD RUGGED CROSS AND THE BLOOD THAT JESUS SPILT FOR US. TAKE YOUR BIBLES THERE WITH YOU TODAY AND TURN WITH ME TO THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, MATTHEW, CHAPTER 27 AND BEGINNING WITH VERSE 39. NOW WE'RE GOING TO PICK UP THE STORY OF CALVARY, RIGHT HERE, KIND OF IN MID STREAM. THEY'VE ALREADY BROUGHT HIM THROUGH PILATE'S JUDGMENT HALL. THEY'VE ALREADY SCOURGED HIM AT THE SCOURGING POST. THEY'VE ALREADY MOCKED HIM AND RIDICULED HIM WITH THE CROWN OF THORNS AND THE PURPLE GARMENT UPON HIS BACK. THEY'VE ALREADY BEAT HIM UNTIL EVEN HIS CLOSEST FRIENDS COULD NOT RECOGNIZE HIM. HE'S ALREADY CARRIED HIS OWN CROSS TO THE TOP OF GOLGOTHA'S HILL. AND NOW HERE HE IS, NAILED TO THE THOSE TIMBERS OF TORTURE AND THERE HE IS DYING, DRAWING HIS LAST BREATH. AND THE SCENE UNFOLDS AS THEY ARE STANDING AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS, MOCKING HIM AND RIDICULING HIM. AND WE'RE GOING TO PICK THE STORY UP FROM THERE. IN MATTHEW 27, VERSE 39, IT SAYS THIS. "AND THEY THAT PASSED BY REVILED HIM, WAGGING THEIR HEADS. AND SAYING THOU HAST DESTROYED THE TEMPLE AND BUILDEST IT IN THREE DAYS, SAVE THYSELF, IF THOU BE THE SON OF GOD COME DOWN FROM THE CROSS. LIKEWISE, ALSO THE CHIEF PRIEST MOCKING HIM WITH THE SCRIBES AND ELDERS SAID, HE SAVED OTHERS, HIMSELF HE CANNOT SAVE. IF HE BE THE KING OF ISRAEL, LET HIM NOW COME DOWN FROM THE CROSS. AND WE WILL BELIEVE HIM." NOW, IF I UNDERSTAND WHAT IS RIGHT ABOUT THIS SCRIPTURE, WHAT I UNDERSTAND IS, IS THAT THESE PEOPLE WERE SAYING THAT IF YOU'LL MAKE SOME SORT OF DEMONSTRATION OF YOUR POWER AND COME OFF THAT CROSS. THEN WE WILL BELIEVE ALL THAT YOU HAVE SAID. NOW I KNOW, THAT WHAT IS BEING SAID HERE IS PRETTY ASTOUNDING. THE LORD SAID, "DESTROY THIS TEMPLE AND IN 3 DAYS, I'LL RAISE IT UP." HE WASN'T TALKING ABOUT THE TEMPLE FOUND IN JERUSALEM. HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE TEMPLE, MEANING HIS BODY. HE WAS REALLY TELLING THEM, THAT WHEN THIS BODY DIES, 3 DAYS LATER, IT WILL RISE AGAIN. THAT WAS ABSURD IN A LOT OF MEN'S MINDS. THEY HAD NEVER SEEN THAT HAPPEN. ALTHOUGH IT HAPPENED FOR LAZARUS. LAZARUS HAD BEEN DEAD 4 DAYS. WHEN THE LORD CAME BY HE RAISED HIM UP. SO TO SAY THAT IT COULD BE DONE IF THEY HAD ONLY LOOKED AT THE EXPERIENCE THAT THEY KNEW ABOUT. THEY WOULD HAVE DOUBTED WHAT THEY WERE SAYING BECAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE REALIZED HE COULD DO EXACTLY WHAT HE SAID. THE KING OF ISRAEL, THE KING OF THE JEWS, SEEMING TO SAY THAT HE HAD AUTHORITY, AND THAT HE COULD SPEAK AND THINGS WOULD HAPPEN. THAT'S WHAT THEY KNEW A KING COULD DO. THAT WHEN A KING DECREED, WHAT EVER HE DECREED HAD TO BE FOLLOWED. IT WOULD BE DONE. AND YET, HERE THEY ARE AT THE FOOT OF THIS CROSS SAYING, "IF YOU'LL COME OFF THAT CROSS, WE'LL BELIEVE YOU." BUT I'M HERE TODAY TO SUBMIT TO YOU, THAT IF HE HAD DONE AS THEY WANTED HIM TO DO, THAT THE ENTIRE PLAN OF SALVATION WOULD HAVE BEEN CHANGED. AND YOU AND I TODAY, VERY LIKELY, WOULD HAVE NO RECOURSE FOR SALVATION. THERE WOULD BE NO WAY THAT YOU AND I COULD BE SAVED. AND IN FACT, WE'LL TAKE THAT ONE STEP FURTHER, THERE WOULD BE NO WAY THAT YOU AND I COULD BE SET FREE FROM THE BONDAGE OF OUR SIN. YOU SEE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE STORY OF CALVARY, YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, THAT IT WAS NECESSARY FOR THE SHEDDING OF HIS BLOOD. JESUS WAS GOING TO BECOME THE GREAT SACRIFICIAL LAMB THAT WOULD ATONE FOR THE SINS OF ALL MANKIND. ALL THOSE OF HIS DAY AND ALL THOSE THAT WOULD EVER COME TO LIVE AND WALK THIS PLANET. BY THAT ONE SINGULAR ACT, HE BROKE THE POWER OF SIN. WE KNOW THAT THE HEBREW CUSTOM WAS ONCE A YEAR TO PERFORM THE ATONEMENT SACRIFICE. BUT THAT HAD TO BE DONE EVERY YEAR. AND UNFORTUNATELY, WHAT WE'VE FOUND FROM WATCHING ALL OF THIS IS, IS IT DIDN'T BREAK THE BONDAGE'S OF SIN. OH, THEY IN THEIR MIND MAY HAVE THOUGHT THAT THEY HAD SOME FREEDOM BECAUSE THEY COMMITTED THE SACRIFICE OF ATONEMENT, BUT THEY WENT RIGHT BACK TO DOING THE THINGS THAT THEY HAD ALREADY DONE. SO NEXT YEAR WHEN IT CAME AROUND, THEY HAD TO PERFORM THE SACRIFICE ALL OVER AGAIN. IT WAS KIND OF A POWERLESS SACRIFICE. YET, HERE JESUS COMES ON THE SCENE. HE COMES FROM THE PORTALS OF GLORY, EXPRESSLY FOR THE PURPOSE OF DYING ON THE OLD RUGGED CROSS. HE CAME TO BE THE GREAT SACRIFICE OF ATONEMENT. AND THROUGH HIS DEATH, HE PURCHASES THE REDEMPTION OF ALL MANKIND. SO THAT YOU AND I WOULD NEVER HAVE TO PERFORM ANOTHER SACRIFICE TO ATONE FOR OUR SIN. JESUS TOOK CARE OF IT AT CALVARY. IF HE HAD DONE WHAT THE SCOFFER, WHAT THE MOCKER, WHAT THE PERSON WHO WAS RIDICULING HIM WANTED HIM TO DO, IT WOULD HAVE CHANGED ALL OF THAT. AND WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO GO BACK TO THE OLD INEFFECTIVE WAY OF PERFORMING SACRIFICES TO RECEIVE ATONEMENT. THE LORD DID THAT IN THIS ONE ACT. I SUBMIT TO YOU THAT HE ABSOLUTELY COULD NOT COME OFF THAT CROSS THAT HE WAS DYING UPON. THE SCOFFER SAID THAT IF HE HAD SAVED HIMSELF THAT HE COULD HAVE SAVED SOME OTHERS, BUT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, IF HE HAD SAVED HIMSELF, NO OTHERS WOULD HAVE BEEN SAVED. IT'S AS SIMPLE AS THAT. NO NEED TO OVER COMPLICATE THIS TODAY. WE ARE SAVED THROUGH THE ACT OF CALVARY. THERE IS NO OTHER WAY. SO IF HE HAD NOT ALLOWED THE FINAL BREATH TO BE DRAWN AND DIE ON THAT OLD RUGGED CROSS. WE COULD NOT BE SAVED. IT'S THAT SIMPLE. IT DOESN'T TAKE A GREAT THEOLOGICAL DEGREE TO UNDERSTAND IT. IT'S AS SIMPLE AS THAT. HE CAME TO DIE AND IF HE HAD NOT DIED, AS HE CAME TO DO, SALVATION COULD NEVER HAVE TAKEN PLACE. YOU AND I WOULD HAVE DIED IN OUR TRESPASSES AND SINS. ISN'T THAT SAD? IT'S GREAT TO KNOW THAT HE LOVED US SO MUCH THAT HE WAS WILLING TO COME. AND HE WAS WILLING TO DIE IN THE MANNER THAT HE DIED. IT'S GOOD TO KNOW THAT HE WAS WILLING TO PAY THAT GREAT ETERNAL SACRIFICE SO THAT YOU AND I WOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY IT. YOU SEE, THAT'S WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. IF WE'D HAVE DIED IN THE DEBT OF OUR SIN, WE WOULD HAVE PAID FOR THAT DEBT WITH OUR BEING LOST FOR ALL OF ETERNITY. WE COULD NEVER HAVE ENTERED INTO HEAVEN. HEAVEN IS A PLACE OF GREAT PURITY. BECAUSE NO SIN CAN ENTER THERE, NO SIN. WHEN WE GET TO HEAVEN, THINK ABOUT THIS FOR JUST A MINUTE, HERE'S THE BRIGHT SPOT IN THIS MESSAGE TODAY, IF YOU'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD REALLY GET EXCITED ABOUT. WHEN WE GET TO HEAVEN SIN IS NOT GOING TO BE THERE. AND BECAUSE THERE'S NO SIN THERE, NONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH ON THIS EARTH ARE GOING TO BE THERE. HEAVEN IS GOING TO BE A PERFECT PLACE. IT IS GOING TO BE THE PLACE THAT THIS EARTH STARTED OUT AS. BUT SIN CAME AND DESTROYED IT. NOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH IS THIS, SIN WILL NEVER ENTER IT. NO, NO, SIN WILL NEVER BE FOUND IN HEAVEN. THEREFORE, NONE OF THE SPLENDOR OF HEAVEN WILL BE DESTROYED. BUT FOR US TO ENJOY ALL THAT HEAVEN IS GOING TO BE, WE GOT TO GET THERE. HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET THERE? WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE BY STOPPING AT THE FOOT OF THE OLD RUGGED CROSS. AND ALLOWING THE BLOOD THAT JESUS SHED THROUGH THAT PROCESS OF CALVARY, TO COVER THE GUILTY STAIN OF OUR LIFE, IT'S THAT SIMPLE. I HOPE THAT PEOPLE WON'T OVER COMPLICATE THIS. IT WAS A SIMPLE THING THAT HE DID FOR US, HE GAVE HIS LIFE. AND SALVATION IS A SIMPLE THING FOR US. ALL WE'VE GOT TO DO IS ASK TO BE FORGIVEN. I DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO ANY FURTHER WITH THIS, BUT TODAY I WANTED YOU TO KNOW, THAT IT'S STILL THE CROSS THAT IS THE MEANS OF OUR SALVATION. AND NO MATTER HOW LONG MAN MAY LIVE, IT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE THAT. THAT'S STILL THE ONLY WAY OF SALVATION AND WILL ALWAYS BE. BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY GOD CHOSE. TODAY, IF YOU'RE NOT A CHRISTIAN. IF YOU'VE NEVER BEEN BORN AGAIN. IF YOU'VE NEVER ASKED THE LORD INTO YOUR HEART. IF YOU'VE NEVER ASKED HIM TO COVER YOUR SIN WITH HIS SHED BLOOD. I INVITE YOU TO DO THAT HERE AT THE CLOSE OF THIS MESSAGE. IN JUST A MOMENT THE CHOIR WILL SING A SONG THAT SAYS, "THERE'S ROOM AT THE CROSS." AND FRIEND TODAY, THERE IS ROOM AT THE OLD RUGGED CROSS FOR YOU. IF YOU WOULD JUST SIMPLY BOW AND ASK THE LORD TO COME INTO YOUR HEART AND YOUR LIFE. SO TODAY AS I CLOSE THIS MESSAGE, I'M GOING TO ASK ONE MORE TIME, THAT GOD WOULD COME TO SOMEBODY'S LIFE. I BELIEVE SOMEWHERE THERE'S SOMEBODY WATCHING THIS SERVICE TODAY, THAT THE LORD HAS BEEN TAPPING YOU ON THE SHOULDER TO TELL YOU, THAT HE WANTS TO SAVE YOU, HE'S JUST WAITING FOR YOU TO ASK. SO TODAY, PLEASE ASK THE LORD TO COME IN. PRECIOUS LORD, WE THANK YOU TODAY FOR YOUR SAVING GRACE. WE THANK YOU FOR THE GIFT OF YOUR LIFE AT CALVARY. NOW TODAY I PRAY FOR ANY PERSON THAT'S WATCHING THIS MINISTRY THAT DOESN'T KNOW YOU, PLEASE HELP THEM TO INVITE YOU IN AND LORD I PRAY THAT WHEN YOU COME IN, YOU WILL SET THEM FREE FROM THEIR SIN, AND LORD THEY MAY EXPERIENCE THAT LIBERTY IMMEDIATELY. I ASK YOU TO DO THESE THINGS TODAY IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN.