My wife often asks me where I get my sermon ideas.  What I told her was that I get ideas from almost anything that I see or hear.  I can be driving down the road and see something that will spark my curiosity or be listening to the radio and hear something and an ideas pops into my head.  A lot of times the idea jumps right back out but sometimes it hangs in there and germinates into something.

         That’s like how the message for today came about.  I was at home, doing my ‘man-thing’, you know – channel surfing on the television, and I saw a southern gospel show featuring the Gathers.  The group that was singing was the Booth Brothers.  I love southern gospel and I think that the Gather Vocal Band is awesome but I also like the Booth Brothers and this particular Gather special was a tribute to the Booth Brothers so I listened in and one song they sung really hit the proverbial nail on the head.

         They sang a song called “In Christ Alone” and as I listened, and usually it’s the tempo and rhythm that will catch my attention but I found myself listening to the words as well and it sums up where we need to be in our relationship with Him.

Here is what it says;

         “In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light my strength my song.  This Cornerstone, this solid Ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm.  What heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are stilled when striving cease! My Comforter, my all in all, here in the love of Christ I stand.”

         “In Christ alone who took on flesh, fullness of God in helpless babe!  This Gift of love and righteousness, scorned by the ones He came to save.  Till on that cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied.  For every sin on Him was laid, here in the death of Christ I live.”

         “There in the ground as His body lay, Light of the world by darkness slain.  Then bursting forth in glorious day, up from the grave He rose again!  And as He stands in victory, sin’s curse has lost its grip on me.  For I am His and He is mine, bought with the precious blood of Christ.”

         “No guilt in life no fear in death, this is the power of Christ in me.  From life’s first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny.  No power of hell no scheme of man, Can ever pluck me from His hand.  Till He returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I’ll stand!”

         What powerful words these are and they describe who Christ is and where our relationship with Him should be.  The prophet Isaiah wrote another description of Jesus that identifies closely with this song, not so much in words but in the idea of Christ’s love for us.  Turn with me to Isaiah 40 and read verse 11.  Here we read, “He tends his flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; He gently leads those who have young.”  Jesus is being described as a shepherd. 

         Throughout the Bible there are numerous references to shepherds, lambs, sheep, etc.  The Hebrew people along with so many other ancient cultures of the Middle East strongly depended on sheep as not only a food source but for clothing and other things as well.  It shouldn’t be surprising that the image of shepherds and their flocks play a prominent role in their writing and stories. 

         Here the image is of Jesus as a shepherd.  Shepherds defended their flocks by whatever means were necessary to protect them, because without their flocks the people would lose a primary source of meat, cheese, milk, and clothing.  This was a very large part in their daily lives.  Shepherds knew their flocks well.  They knew exactly the number they had what condition they were in, their health issues, and knew where the best grass and water was to keep the flock healthy. 

If one went astray the shepherd did everything he could to find it.  The Shepherd protected his flock with either his staff or with a sling.

         Jesus tells us in John 10:14 these words about Himself, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me – just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

         Jesus watches over us.  He cares for us like a shepherd cares for those that are entrusted to him.  We also see that he holds us close to his heart as He cares for us.  Nothing can rip us apart from the love that He has for us.  In Romans 9:38-39 we can see where there is nothing in creation that can destroy that relationship that we have in Christ and the love of God.  It says, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height no depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  That love that God has for us through His Son Jesus is stronger than any glue or cement ever made.  It stands the test of time and stands strong in the fiercest storm that beats against us.  Christ is our pillar of strength.  He is our cornerstone on which the foundation of our lives rest and our salvation is sure because of His strength and steadfastness. 

         The song says that Christ is our cornerstone.  In Isaiah 28:16 and 1 Peter 2:6 Jesus is described as a cornerstone.  A cornerstone was the first stone that was laid in construction of a building and all the rest of the stones in that building are aligned in reference to the corner stone.  In other words our life, our faith, our foundation rests on who Jesus is.  In Ephesians 2: 20-22 we read that God’s people, members of His household are “…Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.  In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.  And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.”

         It doesn’t matter how difficult life is or whatever storms beat against us, we can stand strong and firm knowing that Jesus is our cornerstone our firm foundation.  Like the man who built his house on a rock instead of sinking sand, if we build on the foundation of Christ Jesus we can weather any storm that is thrown against us.  But if my life is built on the ideas and foundations that are grounded in the world then our house, our lives are built on sandy soil, not solid ground.  We stand strong when we are grounded in Jesus.  In Christ alone I stand.

         Jesus made his entrance into this world as a gift.  He came in the form of a small, helpless baby born to a young mother named Mary in humble circumstances.  Jesus was sent by His Father God who loved us enough to send His best – His Son.  John 3:16 tells us that.  “For God so loved the world that He gave his only son...” 

         Why would God do that?  Why would God send Jesus to us?  Because we cannot save ourselves by ourselves.   Ever since the creation and Adam and Eve's disobedience to God we have been separated from God by sin.  We've tried to cover it up, we've tried to hide it, we've tried to disguise our sin but to no avail.  We have built alters and made sacrifices to God in an attempt to cleanse our sin, we have created rituals we think God wants, and we try to follow the law that God gave.  But what most people don't realize is that the law is not what reunites us with God.  The law is there to show us that we are sinful even though we think we are doing good on our one.

         Let's take a quick look at the Ten Commandments.  How many of us can accurately say that we have followed just these 10 rules or laws?  I know that I haven't.  Be honest with yourselves  and look into your hearts and you will understand that we have failed at just these ten short, simple laws, commandments from God.  And what's worse is that many in the world revel in their sin and love it.  They love the darkness rather than light.  To them darkness is their light.  And because of their love of the darkness they reject anything and anyone who sheds light on their lives.  Especially the One who came as the Light of God.  John 3:19 says, “”This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.”  They scorned the one that came to save them.

         Jesus came into this world to do what we could not do ourselves.  And that is to get rid of the sin that stains us and keeps us apart from the Father who created us.  No amount of soap, degreaser, or scrubbing could cleans it from us.  There is only one penalty for sin – death.  Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death....”  So if following the law will not cleanse us from sin but is actually exposes our sin then how are we made right with God.  Roman 3:21 tells us that our sins are forgiven through faith in Jesus.  “But now a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short  of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

         The penalty for our sins was paid on the Cross of Calvary by Jesus who died in our place.  He shed His blood so we could be returned to the loving arms of our Father.  In the death of Christ I stand. 

         But Jesus didn't stay dead did He?  What purpose would be served if Jesus died and shed His blood to clean us from sin if all we have to look forward to is death?  Because if He died and wasn't resurrected then there was no purpose to His death was there?  1 Corinthians 15:12 tells us that.   But we know that because of His resurrection we have the hope of eternal life. 

         Romans 6:5 says that if we are united with Christ in His death then we will be united in His resurrection also.  The song, 'In Christ Alone' said that He bursts forth from the ground in glorious day. 

Can you imagine the surprised look on the Roman soldiers face that was guarding His grave when the stone was rolled away and Jesus stepped out?  That would have been a true 'Candid Camera' moment.

         Because of Christ's death and resurrection I am free from the sin and it's penalty that had it's hold over my life.  I have been cleansed by the shedding of Jesus' blood.  When we confess Jesus as our Savior we are cleansed of all sin by His blood that was shed for us.  1 John 1:7 says this, “If we  walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.”  Notice the last two words?  No just a sin, or any particular sin – but ALL sin.  Colossians 2:13 says He forgave us ALL our sins.  Sin no longer has any power over us.  The only power sin or Satan has over us is what we give him.  Christ is our life and when we give ourselves totally to Him, believing totally in Him, we belong totally to God and become His child.  When we ask Christ into our life and become God's child He forgives and forgets any and all sins that we ever committed.  Hebrews 8:12, “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember there sins no more.”  We have a clean slate so why do we burden ourselves with our past?  God doesn't remember it. 

         And if God can forgive us then we need to forgive ourselves and leave the past in the past and look forward to the future just as the Apostle Paul did.  Remember he said in Philippians 3:13 where he said that he forgets whats behind him and he strained for what's ahead?  He was reaching to his heavenly call in Jesus Christ.  We too need to strive to the goals that Christ is calling us to.  Do you know what your goal in God is?  Are you striving to reach it or are you dwelling in the past?

         When we accepted Jesus our our savior we were reborn.  We became His child forever and nothing can every take us from the arms and love of God.  Remember Romans 9:38-39? “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height no depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  We have become a part of the family of God.  We are held close the heart of the Great Shepherd.  The final verse of 'In Christ Alone' says it all.

         “No guilt in life no fear in death, this is the power of Christ in me.  From life's first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny.  No power of hell no scheme of man can ever pluck me from His hand.  Till He returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I'll stand.”  Where are you standing today?  Where are you right now in relationship with Jesus Christ?  If you have not made that confession of faith and given your life to Him then you have the opportunity to do so right now.  When Jesus asked Peter - “Who do you say that I am” and Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” he confessed Jesus.  Ask Jesus into your hearts and lives right now.