Living Hope Fellowship Church

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. Living Hope Fellowship Church....Sermons by the Pastor

CROWN OF THORNS

by Pastor Kevin Badgley,

4/04/99 a.m.

Matthew 27:29-31 says, “And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.”

As a little fellow, I thought, If I had been there I would have stopped that! I didn’t understand why He let them do it! I knew that God was with Him, and if God was with Him who could be against Him?

Matthew 26:53 tells us that Jesus could have stopped what He went through, but His purpose was to save our souls! It was terrible, but hell is that bad and worse! Jesus said He was King of the Jews (see Matthew 27:11 & 29), and because they refused his kingship, they plaited a crown of thorns for Him and crucified Him. These men were experts at mocking and torture. Did you know that every time you deny the Lord; every time you grieve the Holy Spirit of God; every time you say no to God you jam those thorns in?

A lot of people might say that they didn’t have anything to do with crucifying Christ Jesus. Pilate said the same thing the day that he handed him over. Pilate didn’t scourge Jesus, and he didn’t run a spear in his side. Pilate didn’t drive the nails, but the very words that he spoke set it in motion!

You might say, I don’t have anything to do with His crucifixion or His resurrection; I’m neutral! No, you are not! You are for Christ, or you are for Satan, but you are not neutral! Why do people fight God so hard if they are not walking with the devil? Why do other people abhor the things of the world if they aren’t walking with Christ so much?

Many church leaders of Christ’s day believed that Jesus was the Messiah, but they would not confess Him lest they be put out of their position. John 12:43 says, “For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” If you deny Christ, you are none of His.

Jesus said in Matthew 10:33, “But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” A hypocrite pierces the brow; some of the same hands that were healed by the Master shouted, Crucify Him! that day. Hypocrites will spend eternity in hell (see James 4:17).

When we think of our Savior on the cross wearing the crown of thorns, we say, No! He deserves a golden crown, not a crown like this, but every time we say no to the Lord we just jam those thorns in, and the world sees us denying the Lord. When we crucify again and again the Lord of glory, the Spirit of Almighty God gets grieved and leaves! It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God! If you resist God, you are saying, I don’t care. I have my own life to live. Keep your nose out of my business (see John 6:44). This grieves God.

Jesus wore the crown of thorns so that our minds do not have to be tormented and vexed! He took it upon the cross and to the pit! You don’t have to lust after filthiness. You can be clean and without sin. To refuse God tells Him that you want to stay in your sin and that you like it! Sin feels good . . . for a while (see Hebrews 11:25), but Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Every one of us has sinned, but if you will accept Jesus, He’ll wash you in His blood and make you ready for heaven. When you hear God’s call and feel His Spirit draw, and you refuse - you gamble with your eternal soul that you might get another chance.

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Yet the Spirit of God is vexed, and mocked, and ridiculed! Every time you resist the Spirit of God, you drive in the thorns, but it isn’t in His skull this time, it is in yours.

The devil hates you, and he will destroy you and laugh at you going to hell! Jesus is the only way, the truth, and the life, and no one will come unto the Father but by Him!

You have a hope, and you can still make it! Don’t use up your last opportunity! You do not know when that is! Some people don’t seem to think twice about their souls, but we have to give an account to God for what we have done with our body and soul! The Lord saved a wretch like me, and I am asking God to save souls who are bound of the devil!

livinghope@hughes.net