Behold The Man Who Takes Away Sin
Sermon
Behold The Man
Sermons And Object Lessons For Lent And Easter
G. K. Chesterton was once asked the question, ''Why did you join the church so late in life?'' He answered, ''To get rid of my sins.''1
That is a wonderful answer. It is still the solution for so many of the world's problems and the problems of people everywhere. So many of us know that there is something wrong, something which must be set right at some point along the way. And we want someone to set things right. Yet, many times we have the feeling that we cannot break through, cannot make the connection, cannot find the right formula.
Harold Kushner, in his book Who Needs God, tells about a television drama in which a man dies and finds himself standing in line. There is an usher there telling people which way to go, through one door or another. One door leads to heaven and the other door leads to hell. The man says to the usher, ''You mean I can choose either one? There is no judgment, no taking account of how I lived?'' The usher tells him that is right and to move along. The man says, ''But, I want to confess; I want to come clean; I want to be judged.'' The
usher responds, ''We don't have time for that. Just choose a door and move along.'' The man decides to go through the door to hell. He wanted to be judged.2
Yes, we know we need someone or something out beyond us to set things straight. At this point, enter Jesus of Nazareth. Behold the man who takes away sin.
Some people thought it was the Baptist who came to do that. But John quickly let it be known that he was not the Christ. It would be another who would come after him. And so, one day when John was preaching there in the wilderness along the Jordan River, he saw Jesus coming toward him. John knew he was the one. So he pointed to Jesus and said to the people, ''Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!''
In this season of Lent as we think about Jesus heading toward Jerusalem and the cross, we know he came to do many things. One of those things he came to do was to restore a right relationship between God and his children. John the Baptist knew it right off, ''Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.''
We see it in many places later in the story. Jesus was announcing and granting God's forgiveness long before he even got to the cross.
In Capernaum a crippled man was let down through the ceiling to where Jesus was preaching. Jesus said to the man, ''Your sins are forgiven ... Take up your bed and go home.'' A woman was about to be stoned to death for adultery. Jesus stopped the crowd and said to her, ''Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.'' Late in the night Nicodemus came to see Jesus. Jesus said to him, ''You must be born anew.''
In all of those incidents and in so many more, we see Jesus calling people away from their sins. But it is not just a matter of them working it out for themselves. The whole point of the New Testament is that Jesus came to do for us what none of us can do for ourselves. He came to take away the sins of the world. Look at some things involved in this.
*aaa*aaa*
Jesus came to reveal a forgiving God. That is the nature of God. God forgives.
John told the people that day he had not known who Jesus was, but he knew ''He should be revealed to Israel.'' This is the one, John was saying.
It is so basic in the New Testament: ''God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.''
That is something so very basic in our understanding of what God is like. It is why John referred to Jesus as being the Lamb of God. The lamb was always sacrificed for the sins of the people. John said Jesus was ''the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.''
Jesus came to reveal a forgiving God. He came to help us know how God is: that God loves his children and is even willing to give up his own Son for them to help them understand.
Everything Jesus said and did points to this truth. We see it in his words, his attitudes, his deeds, and his actions. We see it being demonstrated ultimately in the cross as he gives up his own life for the sin of the world. It is in this that we learn that God forgives, not because of any sacrifice we make, but because of the sacrifice Jesus himself was.
We all need this, for we know none of us can handle the way we are by ourselves.
When we were serving the church in Jefferson, Georgia, the phone rang in the office one morning. The voice on the other end said, ''Is this Judge Smith's office?'' I said, ''No, this is the United Methodist Church.'' He replied, ''Oh, I'm sorry.'' I answered, ''It's all right. Maybe you need grace instead of law anyway.'' He laughed as he hung up the phone.
That is our need, the gracious forgiveness of God. We need this because we seek our own way and will instead of God's. We tend to put ourselves in God's place, thinking the world revolves around us and our own little wants and wishes. In our attempts to find a heaven, we wind up creating a hell. And we know we need a forgiving God.
One afternoon when I was a child, my brothers and I were having a dirt-clod war with some of the other kids in the neighborhood. There we were encamped in a ditch along the street which ran down beside our house. The enemy was up near the house in the bushes and behind those long back steps. At a crucial point one of my brothers stood up and fired a volley at them. The largest dirt-clod of all sailed through the sky. It was a thing of beauty to see as it went over the enemy, over the bushes and through the window of our bedroom. A truce was called and we ran inside. There was only one thing to do -- pull down the shade and hope no one ever found out. But not long after that, it began to turn cold and we had to confess what we had done. Much to my surprise our parents forgave us immediately, with only some words like, ''Take better aim next time.'' I never forgot that. I was always amazed at their capacity to forgive.
That is the way God is. And Jesus came to reveal a forgiving God.
*aaa*aaa*
Look further then at this. Jesus came to create a transforming friendship. You see, something happens when God forgives.
The next day after John pointed to Jesus, John was with two of his disciples. Again he saw Jesus and again he said, ''Behold the Lamb of God.'' When the two disciples heard this, ''they followed Jesus.'' Jesus turned around and said to them, ''What do you seek?'' They answered, ''Rabbi, where are you staying?'' That was the beginning of that band of disciples Jesus formed. They wanted to be with him, and he wanted them to follow him. Later on toward the end Jesus would say to all of them, ''No longer do I call you servants. Now I call you my friends.''
That friendship they shared reshaped the lives of the disciples. They had been rough men, weathered fishermen, shrewd businessmen, common men, sinners all. But the friendship of Jesus transformed them. Finally, when he went to the cross,
they understood the words, ''Greater love has no man than he who lays down his life for his friends.''
The forgiveness of God they saw in the cross and in the friendship they had with Jesus transformed them, made them no longer just sinners, but sinners who became saints. There was a power in the friendship they shared with Jesus. That power made them want to be like him. He took the sin away from them and replaced it with forgiveness, love, compassion, mercy, and commitment, so much so that one day those who followed him even bore his name and were called ''Christians.'' Jesus had told them, ''Be imitators of me.'' They became like him.
That is a transforming friendship we still need today. The way of Jesus is simply the best way to live and get along in this world.
One time on The Andy Griffith Show Opie had been in a fight. Andy was trying to talk with him about it and how to get along with people. Andy said, ''Sometimes you have to give something and expect nothing.'' Opie replied, ''I did. I gave him a sock in the head.'' Andy said, ''Well, you have to do things out of charity.'' Opie replied, ''I didn't charge him nothing for it.'' Andy said, ''You have to give just for the joy of it.'' Opie replied, ''I enjoyed it.''
Life will work only one way, and that is the way of Jesus. That is why the church is still important today. It holds before us the way of Jesus, and involves us in a transforming fellowship with him.
Albert Ritschel, one of the outstanding European theologians of many years ago, called the church ''the fellowship of the forgiven.''3
Benjamin West, the painter, said that when he was a small child his mother left him with his sister Sally while she went to the store. While she was gone he found some paint and decided to paint a picture of Sally. He made a terrible mess with the paint. But when his mother came in she did not say anything about the mess. She looked at the painting of his sister and said, ''Why, it's Sally.'' And then she kissed him. He said, ''My mother's kiss made me a painter.''4
Just so, Jesus loved his disciples into being something they had never even imagined. He does the same for us through his transforming friendship.
*aaa*aaa*
Look finally at this. Jesus came to offer an exciting adventure. This is true because when God forgives and we enter a transforming friendship all of life takes a new direction.
Jesus gave those two disciples an invitation. They wanted to know where Jesus was going. They asked, ''Where are you staying?'' Jesus answered, ''Come and see.'' And they went with him.
That makes life an exciting adventure. Jesus is always staying at the ''come and see'' place. He always calls us to ''come and see,'' to join him at the ''come and see'' place, the place which is unknown but always filled with adventure.
He redirects our thinking. He gives us a new perspective on everything.
He takes a band of sinners and makes them his church. He sends them out with the gospel message to believe it, live it, share it, tell it, and demonstrate it.
He leads them to places they have never been which are yet unknown. He calls forth from them more than they ever knew was within them.
He takes away sin by being the sinner's friend. Then by dying for them, he makes them into messengers of the glad Good News. He sends them on an exciting adventure.
They bring all the world under the influence of Christ, his gospel, his kingdom, and they allow it to seep into the far corners of man's existence so that nothing can escape it.
Still Jesus calls us to this. Still he is there to uphold us, to guide us, and to lead us as we serve him and God's Kingdom.
On a Sunday in the summer of 1945, a German bishop was preparing to preach. But the Nazi soldiers came and arrested him and put him in prison. He knew he might not come out of that prison alive. When they put him in a cell he heard
someone in another cell whistling the hymn, ''O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing.'' He whistled back a line and they began to whistle that hymn together. He began to realize that he was not alone there in that cell. He knew the presence of Christ was with them to uphold them. With that knowledge he would endure.5
In that faith we will know we are in the hands of a forgiving God, held up by a transforming friendship, led forward on an exciting adventure.
1. George Thompson, ''Kissing The Joy,'' Pulpit Digest, Harper, San Francisco, May-June, 1992, p. 22.
2. Harold Kushner, Who Needs God, Summit Books, New York, 1989, p. 75.
3. George Wesley Buchanon, ''Wandering Toward Home,'' Pulpit Digest, Harper, San Francisco, March-April, 1993, p. 72.
4. Dennis R. Fakes, Emphasis, CSS Publishing Co., Lima, Ohio, March-April, 1993, p. 46.
5. William H. Hinson, The Power Of Holy Habits, Abingdon Press, Nashville, 1991, p. 45.
Lent 2
Pastoral Prayer
Eternal God and Father of all humankind, the source of all that is, our sustainer and friend, accept our thanksgiving for the ways our lives are blessed of thee.
In this season, O God, help us to draw closer to thy Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ, and to behold his goodness and greatness.
Father, we offer to thee our songs of praise because of all thy blessings upon us. We know thou hast showered us with all those things which make life worth living.
And, we offer to thee the best that is within us, through our service in this church. So, take from us, O God, these gifts we offer back to thee and use us for the work of thy Kingdom.
Take away our sins, and grant us thy forgiveness. Take away our doubts and our confusion, and give us the gift of faith. Take away the pain of our sorrows and suffering, and heal our brokenness.
Bless those of our church family and community who are in sorrow.
Bless thy world, O God. Help us to walk in the ways of peace, and give wisdom to the leaders of the world. Protect those who have no one to defend them. We ask all of this in the name of thy well-beloved Son. Amen.
Lent 2
Children's Message
''Having A Clean Slate''
Object: a small chalkboard
Good morning, boys and girls. It is good to see all of you here today. Now, today is the Second Sunday in Lent. Remember, this is a time leading up to Easter Sunday. We are thinking about Jesus going toward Jerusalem. Today we are thinking about forgiveness.
Now, let me show you this chalkboard. A long time ago children like you in school did not have paper tablets to write on, or computers. They had a small chalkboard, or a slate board. You can write on a chalkboard a word like this, ''c e t.'' Oh, no! I made a mistake. Let's erase this and start over. ''C a t'' is what I meant to write. This is where we got the saying, ''a clean slate.'' It means today to be able to begin again, to start over, to correct a mistake.
In our scripture lesson today we will read about John the Baptist pointing to Jesus and saying, ''Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.'' That means Jesus is the one who helps us correct our mistakes. He wipes the slate clean. He erases the wrong things we do. He forgives us when we do things we should not do. He brings to us the forgiveness of God.
All of us make mistakes and do wrong things. But God loves us. That is why he sent us Jesus, his Son: to tell us about God's love and forgiveness. And to wipe the slate clean, to erase the wrong things we do.
May we pray. O God, thank you for your Son who brings to us your forgiveness. Amen.
Lent 2
Order Of Worship
Prelude
Chiming Of The Hour
Introit
The Hymn Of Praise ''Amazing Grace''
Affirmation Of FaithaaaaaaThe Apostles' Creed
Invocation
Moments Of Fellowship
Pastoral Prayer And The Lord's Prayer
The Children's Message ''Having A Clean Slate''
The Anthem ''Glorify God''
The Prayer Of Dedication
The Offertory
The Doxology
The Hymn Of Preparation ''Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed''
Scripture Lesson John 1:29-39
Sermon ''Behold The Man Who Takes Away Sin''
Invitation To Christian Discipleship
Hymn Of Invitation ''Beneath The Cross Of Jesus''
Benediction
The Choral Response
Postlude
Lent 2
Discussion Questions
1. Have someone read the scripture lesson again: John 1:29-39. Spend a few minutes sharing the significance of this event at the time it took place.
2. Let each person share briefly what these words mean to him or her.
3. Why do we need God's forgiveness?
4. What is necessary in order to receive God's forgiveness?
5. How do we respond to this forgiveness?
6. How does this forgiveness of God affect our relationships with other people?
7. Share ways of showing forgiveness.
Close with a time of praying by several people, and then pray together the Lord's Prayer.
That is a wonderful answer. It is still the solution for so many of the world's problems and the problems of people everywhere. So many of us know that there is something wrong, something which must be set right at some point along the way. And we want someone to set things right. Yet, many times we have the feeling that we cannot break through, cannot make the connection, cannot find the right formula.
Harold Kushner, in his book Who Needs God, tells about a television drama in which a man dies and finds himself standing in line. There is an usher there telling people which way to go, through one door or another. One door leads to heaven and the other door leads to hell. The man says to the usher, ''You mean I can choose either one? There is no judgment, no taking account of how I lived?'' The usher tells him that is right and to move along. The man says, ''But, I want to confess; I want to come clean; I want to be judged.'' The
usher responds, ''We don't have time for that. Just choose a door and move along.'' The man decides to go through the door to hell. He wanted to be judged.2
Yes, we know we need someone or something out beyond us to set things straight. At this point, enter Jesus of Nazareth. Behold the man who takes away sin.
Some people thought it was the Baptist who came to do that. But John quickly let it be known that he was not the Christ. It would be another who would come after him. And so, one day when John was preaching there in the wilderness along the Jordan River, he saw Jesus coming toward him. John knew he was the one. So he pointed to Jesus and said to the people, ''Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!''
In this season of Lent as we think about Jesus heading toward Jerusalem and the cross, we know he came to do many things. One of those things he came to do was to restore a right relationship between God and his children. John the Baptist knew it right off, ''Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.''
We see it in many places later in the story. Jesus was announcing and granting God's forgiveness long before he even got to the cross.
In Capernaum a crippled man was let down through the ceiling to where Jesus was preaching. Jesus said to the man, ''Your sins are forgiven ... Take up your bed and go home.'' A woman was about to be stoned to death for adultery. Jesus stopped the crowd and said to her, ''Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.'' Late in the night Nicodemus came to see Jesus. Jesus said to him, ''You must be born anew.''
In all of those incidents and in so many more, we see Jesus calling people away from their sins. But it is not just a matter of them working it out for themselves. The whole point of the New Testament is that Jesus came to do for us what none of us can do for ourselves. He came to take away the sins of the world. Look at some things involved in this.
*aaa*aaa*
Jesus came to reveal a forgiving God. That is the nature of God. God forgives.
John told the people that day he had not known who Jesus was, but he knew ''He should be revealed to Israel.'' This is the one, John was saying.
It is so basic in the New Testament: ''God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.''
That is something so very basic in our understanding of what God is like. It is why John referred to Jesus as being the Lamb of God. The lamb was always sacrificed for the sins of the people. John said Jesus was ''the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.''
Jesus came to reveal a forgiving God. He came to help us know how God is: that God loves his children and is even willing to give up his own Son for them to help them understand.
Everything Jesus said and did points to this truth. We see it in his words, his attitudes, his deeds, and his actions. We see it being demonstrated ultimately in the cross as he gives up his own life for the sin of the world. It is in this that we learn that God forgives, not because of any sacrifice we make, but because of the sacrifice Jesus himself was.
We all need this, for we know none of us can handle the way we are by ourselves.
When we were serving the church in Jefferson, Georgia, the phone rang in the office one morning. The voice on the other end said, ''Is this Judge Smith's office?'' I said, ''No, this is the United Methodist Church.'' He replied, ''Oh, I'm sorry.'' I answered, ''It's all right. Maybe you need grace instead of law anyway.'' He laughed as he hung up the phone.
That is our need, the gracious forgiveness of God. We need this because we seek our own way and will instead of God's. We tend to put ourselves in God's place, thinking the world revolves around us and our own little wants and wishes. In our attempts to find a heaven, we wind up creating a hell. And we know we need a forgiving God.
One afternoon when I was a child, my brothers and I were having a dirt-clod war with some of the other kids in the neighborhood. There we were encamped in a ditch along the street which ran down beside our house. The enemy was up near the house in the bushes and behind those long back steps. At a crucial point one of my brothers stood up and fired a volley at them. The largest dirt-clod of all sailed through the sky. It was a thing of beauty to see as it went over the enemy, over the bushes and through the window of our bedroom. A truce was called and we ran inside. There was only one thing to do -- pull down the shade and hope no one ever found out. But not long after that, it began to turn cold and we had to confess what we had done. Much to my surprise our parents forgave us immediately, with only some words like, ''Take better aim next time.'' I never forgot that. I was always amazed at their capacity to forgive.
That is the way God is. And Jesus came to reveal a forgiving God.
*aaa*aaa*
Look further then at this. Jesus came to create a transforming friendship. You see, something happens when God forgives.
The next day after John pointed to Jesus, John was with two of his disciples. Again he saw Jesus and again he said, ''Behold the Lamb of God.'' When the two disciples heard this, ''they followed Jesus.'' Jesus turned around and said to them, ''What do you seek?'' They answered, ''Rabbi, where are you staying?'' That was the beginning of that band of disciples Jesus formed. They wanted to be with him, and he wanted them to follow him. Later on toward the end Jesus would say to all of them, ''No longer do I call you servants. Now I call you my friends.''
That friendship they shared reshaped the lives of the disciples. They had been rough men, weathered fishermen, shrewd businessmen, common men, sinners all. But the friendship of Jesus transformed them. Finally, when he went to the cross,
they understood the words, ''Greater love has no man than he who lays down his life for his friends.''
The forgiveness of God they saw in the cross and in the friendship they had with Jesus transformed them, made them no longer just sinners, but sinners who became saints. There was a power in the friendship they shared with Jesus. That power made them want to be like him. He took the sin away from them and replaced it with forgiveness, love, compassion, mercy, and commitment, so much so that one day those who followed him even bore his name and were called ''Christians.'' Jesus had told them, ''Be imitators of me.'' They became like him.
That is a transforming friendship we still need today. The way of Jesus is simply the best way to live and get along in this world.
One time on The Andy Griffith Show Opie had been in a fight. Andy was trying to talk with him about it and how to get along with people. Andy said, ''Sometimes you have to give something and expect nothing.'' Opie replied, ''I did. I gave him a sock in the head.'' Andy said, ''Well, you have to do things out of charity.'' Opie replied, ''I didn't charge him nothing for it.'' Andy said, ''You have to give just for the joy of it.'' Opie replied, ''I enjoyed it.''
Life will work only one way, and that is the way of Jesus. That is why the church is still important today. It holds before us the way of Jesus, and involves us in a transforming fellowship with him.
Albert Ritschel, one of the outstanding European theologians of many years ago, called the church ''the fellowship of the forgiven.''3
Benjamin West, the painter, said that when he was a small child his mother left him with his sister Sally while she went to the store. While she was gone he found some paint and decided to paint a picture of Sally. He made a terrible mess with the paint. But when his mother came in she did not say anything about the mess. She looked at the painting of his sister and said, ''Why, it's Sally.'' And then she kissed him. He said, ''My mother's kiss made me a painter.''4
Just so, Jesus loved his disciples into being something they had never even imagined. He does the same for us through his transforming friendship.
*aaa*aaa*
Look finally at this. Jesus came to offer an exciting adventure. This is true because when God forgives and we enter a transforming friendship all of life takes a new direction.
Jesus gave those two disciples an invitation. They wanted to know where Jesus was going. They asked, ''Where are you staying?'' Jesus answered, ''Come and see.'' And they went with him.
That makes life an exciting adventure. Jesus is always staying at the ''come and see'' place. He always calls us to ''come and see,'' to join him at the ''come and see'' place, the place which is unknown but always filled with adventure.
He redirects our thinking. He gives us a new perspective on everything.
He takes a band of sinners and makes them his church. He sends them out with the gospel message to believe it, live it, share it, tell it, and demonstrate it.
He leads them to places they have never been which are yet unknown. He calls forth from them more than they ever knew was within them.
He takes away sin by being the sinner's friend. Then by dying for them, he makes them into messengers of the glad Good News. He sends them on an exciting adventure.
They bring all the world under the influence of Christ, his gospel, his kingdom, and they allow it to seep into the far corners of man's existence so that nothing can escape it.
Still Jesus calls us to this. Still he is there to uphold us, to guide us, and to lead us as we serve him and God's Kingdom.
On a Sunday in the summer of 1945, a German bishop was preparing to preach. But the Nazi soldiers came and arrested him and put him in prison. He knew he might not come out of that prison alive. When they put him in a cell he heard
someone in another cell whistling the hymn, ''O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing.'' He whistled back a line and they began to whistle that hymn together. He began to realize that he was not alone there in that cell. He knew the presence of Christ was with them to uphold them. With that knowledge he would endure.5
In that faith we will know we are in the hands of a forgiving God, held up by a transforming friendship, led forward on an exciting adventure.
1. George Thompson, ''Kissing The Joy,'' Pulpit Digest, Harper, San Francisco, May-June, 1992, p. 22.
2. Harold Kushner, Who Needs God, Summit Books, New York, 1989, p. 75.
3. George Wesley Buchanon, ''Wandering Toward Home,'' Pulpit Digest, Harper, San Francisco, March-April, 1993, p. 72.
4. Dennis R. Fakes, Emphasis, CSS Publishing Co., Lima, Ohio, March-April, 1993, p. 46.
5. William H. Hinson, The Power Of Holy Habits, Abingdon Press, Nashville, 1991, p. 45.
Lent 2
Pastoral Prayer
Eternal God and Father of all humankind, the source of all that is, our sustainer and friend, accept our thanksgiving for the ways our lives are blessed of thee.
In this season, O God, help us to draw closer to thy Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ, and to behold his goodness and greatness.
Father, we offer to thee our songs of praise because of all thy blessings upon us. We know thou hast showered us with all those things which make life worth living.
And, we offer to thee the best that is within us, through our service in this church. So, take from us, O God, these gifts we offer back to thee and use us for the work of thy Kingdom.
Take away our sins, and grant us thy forgiveness. Take away our doubts and our confusion, and give us the gift of faith. Take away the pain of our sorrows and suffering, and heal our brokenness.
Bless those of our church family and community who are in sorrow.
Bless thy world, O God. Help us to walk in the ways of peace, and give wisdom to the leaders of the world. Protect those who have no one to defend them. We ask all of this in the name of thy well-beloved Son. Amen.
Lent 2
Children's Message
''Having A Clean Slate''
Object: a small chalkboard
Good morning, boys and girls. It is good to see all of you here today. Now, today is the Second Sunday in Lent. Remember, this is a time leading up to Easter Sunday. We are thinking about Jesus going toward Jerusalem. Today we are thinking about forgiveness.
Now, let me show you this chalkboard. A long time ago children like you in school did not have paper tablets to write on, or computers. They had a small chalkboard, or a slate board. You can write on a chalkboard a word like this, ''c e t.'' Oh, no! I made a mistake. Let's erase this and start over. ''C a t'' is what I meant to write. This is where we got the saying, ''a clean slate.'' It means today to be able to begin again, to start over, to correct a mistake.
In our scripture lesson today we will read about John the Baptist pointing to Jesus and saying, ''Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.'' That means Jesus is the one who helps us correct our mistakes. He wipes the slate clean. He erases the wrong things we do. He forgives us when we do things we should not do. He brings to us the forgiveness of God.
All of us make mistakes and do wrong things. But God loves us. That is why he sent us Jesus, his Son: to tell us about God's love and forgiveness. And to wipe the slate clean, to erase the wrong things we do.
May we pray. O God, thank you for your Son who brings to us your forgiveness. Amen.
Lent 2
Order Of Worship
Prelude
Chiming Of The Hour
Introit
The Hymn Of Praise ''Amazing Grace''
Affirmation Of FaithaaaaaaThe Apostles' Creed
Invocation
Moments Of Fellowship
Pastoral Prayer And The Lord's Prayer
The Children's Message ''Having A Clean Slate''
The Anthem ''Glorify God''
The Prayer Of Dedication
The Offertory
The Doxology
The Hymn Of Preparation ''Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed''
Scripture Lesson John 1:29-39
Sermon ''Behold The Man Who Takes Away Sin''
Invitation To Christian Discipleship
Hymn Of Invitation ''Beneath The Cross Of Jesus''
Benediction
The Choral Response
Postlude
Lent 2
Discussion Questions
1. Have someone read the scripture lesson again: John 1:29-39. Spend a few minutes sharing the significance of this event at the time it took place.
2. Let each person share briefly what these words mean to him or her.
3. Why do we need God's forgiveness?
4. What is necessary in order to receive God's forgiveness?
5. How do we respond to this forgiveness?
6. How does this forgiveness of God affect our relationships with other people?
7. Share ways of showing forgiveness.
Close with a time of praying by several people, and then pray together the Lord's Prayer.
