COVENANT OF GRACE MINISTRY & FELLOWSHIP, INC.
  • Home
  • Ministry Blog
  • Notice Of Events
  • Ministry Archives
  • CGMF SCHOOL OF FAITH
    • Research
  • The Shepherd's Desk
  • Donate
  • About Us

A King, Christ The King.

11/22/2016

0 Comments

 
A message preached last weekend by Kim Roberts is what I present today. I asked her especially for this and her previous week's messages. They were both outstanding.

Sermon November 20, 2016
Luke 23:33-43

    
    Jesus is mocked. He is on the cross, suffering the fate of a criminal.     
    “Some King you are! Save yourself,” they all taunt.
Jesus could have saved himself, only hours before, through Pontius Pilate;--- but he chose not to.
    Pilate would rather have been anyplace but there at the governor’s palace, deciding legal matters. But that was his job. And on this unfortunate morning, the Jewish leaders appeared and thrust Jesus at him. “This man claims to be a king,” they said, implying that Jesus claimed to rival Caesar.
    They brought this charge to Pilate because they knew he would have to respond. A charge of sedition is serious.
    Pilate asked them, “What has he done?” The men had no real proof, so they became indignant. “If he weren’t a criminal, we wouldn’t have brought him to you.”
    So it seems Jesus is guilty by arrest, not necessarily by crime. Jesus is guilty just because he is in custody. Sound familiar? They wanted Jesus crucified, to be treated like a common criminal.
    Pilate took Jesus aside and asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?” This is where Jesus could have saved himself. He could have said no, and that would have been that. But he said, “My kingdom cannot be seen.”
    “What have you done?” Pilate now demanded, echoing the Jewish leaders, presuming Jesus had done something wrong, otherwise they wouldn’t have arrested him.
    And that is how this innocent man, Jesus, did not save himself. That is how he died at the hands of a Roman governor. One more innocent man killed. Completely innocent, yet adjudged completely guilty.
    We’ve probably all heard the words,  “innocent until proven guilty.” But that only applies to the law.  If you actually commit a crime, you are actually guilty.
    The criminal is not innocent until proven guilty any more than the innocent man wrongly convicted, like Jesus, is actually guilty just because he is convicted. Someone convicted of a crime years ago and now freed because of exonerating DNA evidence ----was always innocent.


    Jesus, though innocent, chose instead to endure death alongside all of the innocents throughout the ages. The death of these innocents tarnishes society with a deep sense of injustice. Justice has not been served.
    Injustice is a darkness, a shroud over us. It exists because the human race somehow dances with darkness, is complicit with evil,--- and from that, we need a savior. We need someone who can take away the sin – the darkness – of the world.
    Now, many people throughout the years have thought a King was needed to save them from that darkness.
    Monarchy is appealing. It’s nice to have someone in charge, someone making the tough decisions, someone taking care of you, and guiding you when life is especially complex.
    You may think to yourself, we Americans don’t want kings. After all, our constitutional democracy rejects monarchy.
    But maybe our society still longs for a king. We are drawn to strong leaders. We want someone who will protect us from the pall of darkness, the Sin of the world. We want justice.
    Of course, there is no such thing,--- no hero,--- no infallible king – not in this world shrouded by darkness. And yet …….
    Today is Christ the King Sunday. The day that reminds us that there is a monarch who is just.
    Pope Pius XI introduced Christ the King Sunday in 1925, a time when despotic rulers and systems began to take hold in Europe: Hitler, Mussolini, Lenin. The Pope wanted to advance a message of security through the rule of Christ over the chaos of tyranny.
    And this is what Christ’s rule means: no earthly system is infallible. The shroud of darkness covers them all, covers us all. Injustice will continue in this world. And yet, there is a kingdom that transcends this darkness. Jesus himself said it: “My kingdom is not of this world.”
    This kingdom of God stands in stark contrast to the systems of this world. The kingdom of God is real. It exists in the here and now. It is the kingdom that exists in the heart of men and women who give themselves over to the King of Kings. It exists in the hearts of men and women who give themselves over to peace.
    It is because of the peace of that kingdom that we can promote justice here. It is because of that peace that we stand against bullying, bigotry and hatred. It is because of that peace that we feed the hungry and clothe the naked.
     Justice, like a river, flows from that kingdom into this world, through you.
    That is what the Kingdom of Christ means. It is otherworldly, and yet it is of this world. It is here and now, light against darkness.
    The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
    O Lord, please take away the darkness—the Sin of the world. Through us.

Amen


0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Reverend Patrick Vossen,
    Ordained minister and founder of CGMF, Inc.

    Reverend Vossen has been a minister since he was 18 years old. Preaching his first sermon in high school in Great Bend, KS. . Since then he has attended Texas Bible College, and other religious institutions of learning. Pastor Vossen holds a variety of educational degrees, With doctorates in Theology and Ministry Development, as well a PhD in Christian Counseling.

    His ministry has quite a bit of interdenominational flavor, ministering in Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Charismatic, Pentecostal and as well a variety of Protestant churches. Reverend Vossen desires to minister the simplicity of the Word in proper Christian tradition and faith.

    Reverend Vossen legally established CGMF Inc. in 2008 in North Platte, Nebraska.

    Rev. Vossen holds credentials with the Full Gospel Restoration Ministers and Churches, as well other denominations, associations, etc., etc.. 

    Currently Reverend Vossen holds office as President of Focus Bible College, Orlando, Florida. A ministry of Full Gospel Restoration Ministers and Churches.

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012

    Categories

    All

General Fund Offering
Picture
Created by Friends of CGMF, Hosted by Weebly.
  • Home
  • Ministry Blog
  • Notice Of Events
  • Ministry Archives
  • CGMF SCHOOL OF FAITH
    • Research
  • The Shepherd's Desk
  • Donate
  • About Us