“COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS: God redeems your life from the pit.” - 7-4-21

 “COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS: God redeems your life from the pit.” - 7-4-21

INTRODUCTION

Blessings

God forgives all our sins.

God heals all our diseases.

“Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 

Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.”

‭‭ Psalms‬ ‭103:1-6 NIV‬‬

I.   GOD REDEEMS

During COVID-19 redeeming pop cans became quite the chore.  Stores had limited hours, limited number of people allowed to redeem cans, etc.  Redemption was not easy.

A.  A price was paid.

A story told by Paul Lee Tan illustrates the meaning of redemption. He said that when A.J. Gordon was pastor of a church in Boston, he met a young boy in front of the sanctuary carrying a rusty cage in which several birds fluttered nervously. Gordon inquired, "Son, where did you get those birds?" The boy replied, "I trapped them out in the field." "What are you going to do with them?" "I'm going to play with them, and then I guess I'll just feed them to an old cat we have at home." When Gordon offered to buy them, the lad exclaimed, "Mister, you don't want them, they're just little old wild birds and can't sing very well." Gordon replied, "I'll give you $2 for the cage and the birds." "Okay, it's a deal, but you're making a bad bargain." The exchange was made and the boy went away whistling, happy with his shiny coins. Gordon walked around to the back of the church property, opened the door of the small wire coop, and let the struggling creatures soar into the blue. The next Sunday he took the empty cage into the pulpit and used it to illustrate his sermon about Christ's coming to seek and to save the lost -- paying for them with His own precious blood. "That boy told me the birds were not songsters," said Gordon, "but when I released them and they winged their way heavenward, it seemed to me they were singing, 'Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed!"

B.  An exchange was made.

C.  God paid the price.

“You were bought at a price;”

‭‭ 1 Corinthians‬ ‭7:23‬a NIV‬‬

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”

‭‭ 1 Peter‬ ‭1:18-19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.””

‭‭ Galatians‬ ‭3:13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”

‭‭ 1 John‬ ‭2:2‬ ‭NIV

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.”

1 Timothy‬ ‭2:5-6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

‬‬ “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace”

‭‭ Ephesians‬ ‭1:7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

II.  GOD REDEEMS YOUR LIFE

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”

‭‭ Titus‬ ‭2:11-14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

A.  Physical life, not just our soul.

B.  This is the total redemption of your personal self.

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

‭‭ 1 Corinthians‬ ‭6:19-20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

C.  God paid the price.

III.  GOD REDEEMS YOUR LIFE FROM THE PIT

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

‭‭ Romans‬ ‭6:23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

A.  The pit (Hebrew-literal pit, destruction, death, etc.)

B.  Our lives were destined for destruction.

C.  God paid the price.

“He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”

‭‭ Galatians‬ ‭3:14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Tom carried his new boat to the edge of the river. He carefully placed it in the water and slowly let out the string. How smoothly the boat sailed! Tom sat in the warm sunshine, admiring the little boat that he had built. Suddenly a strong current caught the boat. Tom tried to pull it back to shore, but the string broke. The little boat raced downstream.

Tom ran along the sandy shore as fast as he could. But his little boat soon slipped out of sight. All afternoon he searched for the boat. Finally, when it was too dark to look any longer, Tom sadly went home.

A few days later, on the way home from school, Tom spotted a boat just like his in a store window. When he got closer, he could see -- sure enough -- it was his!

Tom hurried to the store manager: "Sir, that's my boat in your window! I made it!"

"Sorry, son, but someone else brought it in this morning. If you want it, you'll have to buy it for one dollar."

Tom ran home and counted all his money. Exactly one dollar! When he reached the store, he rushed to the counter. "Here's the money for my boat." As he left the store, Tom hugged his boat and said, "Now you're twice mine. First, I made you and now I bought you." 

Good News Publishers, Westchester, IL.

“who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”

‭‭ Titus‬ ‭2:14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

CONCLUSION

“Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story— those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,”

‭‭ Psalms‬ ‭107:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

God redeems.  God redeems your life.  God redeems your life from the pit.

CHALLENGE

Our challenge will remain the same each week of this sermon series.  I just ask that you keep in mind the topic of each week’s message as you write down your weekly 3-2-1.  The topic this week is redemption.

Write down 3 ways God bears your burdens daily.  Write down 2 needs God has met this week.  Write down 1 spiritual blessing in Christ that you cherish most.  Acknowledge God’s blessings.

INVITATION

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.