Sermons
In A New York Minute
In a New York Minute
Ryan Shinn
3/22/9
I. Intro
a. Fry's story
i. Scenario
ii. Little girl runs right in front of the car
b. Missionary Story
i. "Death...can change...everything, especially when it is those who mean a lot to us."
ii. Story of my missionary host family
1. a lot of homes---some wonderful---some not---some really hurting
2. Story
II. Matthew 27:50-53 (AB)
a. And Jesus cried again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit. And at once the curtain of the sanctuary of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; the earth shook and the rocks were split. The tombs were opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep in death were raised to life, and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection,-SLIDE- they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, "This man truly was the Son of God!"
b. Unpacking this
i. The Tabernacle
1. God promised that His presence would be with them.
2. Column of smoke/Column of fire
3. Two sides
a. Good- Never had to guess where God was, or if He was there
b. Bad- Holy of Holies separation
i. Only the priests
1. into the temple
2. High Priest into the Holy place
a. Only on certain times in the year
b. Only when he had made himself holy, and good enough or he'd be destroyed
ii. It was all done with fabric
ii. The Temple
1. Building
2. Still the same good and bad
3. Still the same fabric covering the door
iii. Tearing a garment
1. Jewish culture-purpose
iv. One moment
1. There was no separation
2. It didn't matter who your ancestors were
3. You had face to face access and you could be as close to God as you wanted.
4. Everything had changed. Nothing was the same.
v. So striking that even the soldiers that had just nailed Jesus to the cross knew.
vi. So striking that even death could no longer hold people in the ground
III. The rest of time
a. This wasn't confined to just the account of Jesus
b. Hebrews 10:10 (NLT)
i. For God's will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.
c. Hebrews 10:19-20 (Mess)
i. So, friends, we can now-without hesitation-walk right up to God, into "the Holy Place." Jesus has cleared the way by the blood of his sacrifice, acting as our priest before God. The "curtain" into God's presence is his body.
IV. Application
a. John Maxwell: "People only change when they grow enough that they want to, or they hurt enough that they have to."
b. God has changed everything through that moment that we read about
i. But He won't force Himself on you
ii. You have to accept Him, and then everything can change---for you
c. Maybe you have been through one of those moments in your life, where something has so totally affected you, and you just want to feel OK
d. Maybe (maybe for more of us) it feels to you like your life of faith is not special at all. God is just God, and you are just you.
i. You know, sometimes we (yes even we) try to turn our experience with God back into doing the right stuff, as if it is all a ceremony.
ii. Other times, we forget that there was a time when we didn't have access to God and we need to renew our understanding
e. Calling 3 types
i. People who just feel crushed
ii. People who feel like all the life of your faith is gone
iii. People who want to experience what it is like to really know God---I mean to really know Him, and have never truly experienced that.
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