CHRIST OUR HERO – Rev. Lyle W. Pettit
I suppose that almost everyone -- has a hero -- someone they look up too -- admire -- maybe even try to pattern their life after!
As I listened last summer to some of the interviews of the gold metal winners in the Olympics -- I noticed that many of them referred to a previous gold winning athletic who inspired them to ‘go for the gold!’
Many a person been known to possess a package of baseball cards on which there is the pictures of some baseball star!
While Jeannette & I were in TN recently -- we stopped along the way & visited the birth place of Davy Crockett -- & I recalled the many stories I read about him in my younger days.
There was a time when every small boy would wear a coonskin cap & sing about Davy Crockett who ‘killed him a b’ar’
“Davy -- Davy Crockett, King of the wild frontier.”
Many people speak of Pres. Abraham Lincoln by the common name of ‘Abe’ -- as if he were some family friend!
Let me ask you -- Who is your hero? -- Do you have a hero?
Is your hero a movie star -- a TV personally -- a popular singer -- a football player -- someone past or present?
The way we view & admire our heroes -- has a great effect upon the way we live our lives!
So who is your hero? -- & what effect does that person have upon the way you think -- & the way you behave?
Is it a good influence -- or a bad influence?
The great Apostle Paul certainly had his Hero! --
He said in Phil.
What a hero! -- O to be like Jesus! -- There is none greater!
Illus: When the wife of missionary Adoniram Judson told him that a newspaper article likened him to some of the apostles -- he replied: “I do not want to be like a Paul ... or any mere man. I want to be like Christ ... I want to follow Him only -- copy His teachings -- drink in His Spirit -- & place my feet in His footprints ... O, to be more like Christ.”
My friends -- may Jesus Christ be the object of our love -- the joy of our lives -- & the One we aspire to be like!
May He be our whole purpose for living!
Why? -- Why has Christ earned the right to be our Hero?
1. In His Life -- Christ is our Example!
Jesus declared that the first commandment is to love God with all the heart -- soul -- mind -- & strength -- & that the second commandment is to love our neighbor as ourselves!
His teaching is unequaled for the purity of its ethics!
He taught that it is not enough to do a good deed -- but that it must be done with the right motive & in the right spirit.
To pray -- to fast -- or to give our tithe -- just to be seen by people, -- Jesus said, -- is a mockery & a farce.
Jesus taught that wrong attitudes & wrong desirers are -- in God’s sight -- just as sinful as wrong actions & wrong words.
Jesus emphasized inner purity of heart & soul!
He said that we must first be good -- before we can do good!
He taught us to love our enemies -- to pray for those who abuse us -- to turn the other cheek if smitten on one side.
Jesus is our example of holiness!
Although He lived in a world steeped in sin -- sin would not lay its ugly hand upon His spotless robe!
Although He was tempted in all points as we are -- He never yielded to a single temptation.
He was not made impure by contact with sinful people -- rather they were made pure by His impact upon them!
He met all the tests & trials of life victoriously!
Jesus is also our example of service!
Though He was the Creator -- the Son of God, He said -- ‘The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.’
He said: -- ‘If anyone desires to be first -- he should be last of all -- & servant of all’
He lived for others -- for the poor -- the sick -- the lonely -- the discouraged -- the sinful!
On the night of His arrest -- He took a towel & washed the feet of His disciples! -- O, what an example of service!
With Jesus as our example -- we need never go wrong!
Illus: -- One day a couple missionaries in
When the waiter handed them the menu -- they were astonished to see on the top in bold print: “Give yourself a breakdown -- drink our coffee.”
They asked the waiter about this strange kind of advertisement -- & he explained that the original menu read -- “Give yourself a break -- drink our coffee.”
But one day a prankster wrote on his menu -- after the word “break” -- the word “down.”
Later on -- the restaurant ran out of menus -- so they ordered a reprint.
Unfortunately -- the copy of the menu they sent to the printers as the model -- was the one on which the prankster had written the word ‘down’.
So all the menus came back from the print shop with “Give yourself a breakdown -- drink our coffee.”
They had the wrong model -- so it all went wrong!
My friends -- the only perfect model - or example - in life is the Lord JC!
If we follow Him -- we will never go wrong.
He will never let us down! -- In His life -- Christ is our example!
2. In His Death -- Christ is our Redemption!
Christ died one of the most shameful & cruel deaths in all of history.
He was crucified on a cross between two thieves.
His death was the crime of all crimes -- the tragedy of all tragedy!
And yet today -- the symbol of shame & suffering -- the Cross -- has become the supreme symbol of the Christian faith!
We build crosses on our churches; -- we place them on our altars; -- & we wear them around our necks!
Artist portray the Cross on canvas; -- poets describe Christ’s death on the Cross; -- hymn writers sing about the Cross; -- & preachers proclaim it from their pulpits!
Jesus took the Cross & turned it into our redemption!
He took suffering -- & turned it into salvation!
He took rejection -- & turned it into reconciliation!
The Cross was not just martyrdom; -- it was not simply the end of a man who died for a good cause!
It was the sacrifice of God for the sins of humanity!
The Cross was not a picture of Christ in trouble -- but a picture of God in action!
When I look at the Cross -- I see myself as God sees me.
I see that darkness of my heart & the awfulness of my sin.
I see my pride -- unbelief -- disobedience -- & folly.
I see that it was my sins that nailed Jesus to the Cross.
Again -- when I look at the Cross -- I see God’s matchless love for me!
I see that He cared enough to come to earth to live -- & to die for me.
Through the wounds of Jesus -- I look straight into the heart of God -- & I cry out: -- “I didn’t know You loved me like that!”
At the foot of the Cross I find forgiveness for all my sins -- cleansing from all my impurity -- & strength for all my weakness.
In His death -- Christ is our redemption!
It’s no wonder we sing the song: --
On a hill far away stood an old rugged Cross, |
The emblem of suff’ring & shame;
And I love that old Cross, where the dearest & best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
Oh, the old rugged Cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God -- left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.
To the old rugged Cross -- I will ever be true,
Its shame & reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me someday to my home far away,
Where His glory for-ever I’ll share.
So I’ll cherish the old rugged Cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down.
I will cling to the old rugged Cross,
And exchange it someday for a crown.
In His death -- Christ is our redemption!
3. In His Resurrection -- Christ is our Victory!
I read the wonderful life of Jesus in the Gospels -- a life of purity & service.
I listen to His teachings & His message -- & I say: “Never did anyone speak like this Man.”
I say with all my heart: “This Man alone is worthy to be my Teacher & my Example -- I will follow Him to the death.”
Then I stand at the foot of the Cross -- & see Him dying for my sins!
He is innocent & sinless, -- but He is taking my place & suffering by death -- & I say, “Does God care for me that much? Does He love me to that extent?”
I am deeply grateful to Him for what He has done for me on the Cross!
Then I see them taking His body down from the Cross -- & burying Jesus in a borrowed tomb.
Now I am puzzled; -- Is this the end?
Has Christ gone the way of all flesh? -- Dust to dust -- ashes to ashes?
Is death the final word? -- Is the grave conqueror over all?
If so -- my deepest hopes are shattered!
This man Jesus -- wonderful though He was -- is after all just a man -- yes, a noble man -- the best among men -- but only a man.
But as I am still pondering all this -- suddenly -- suddenly I see a great light surround the tomb.
I see the stone moving -- the tomb is open!
I rush in & look at the place where they laid Him -- but the body is gone! -- Not only did they kill Him -- but now they have stolen His body.
Now not even His grave can be a hollowed place of memory -- for it is a grave without a body!
I walk slowly out of the tomb -- & down through the garden.
This is too much to bear.
But suddenly I hear a voice behind me say: -- “Lyle”
I turn -- & I look into the face of Jesus!
I fall at His feet -- & I cry out: -- “My Lord & my God!”
Now I know that He truly is God!
He is not just a fleeting figure in history!
He is the Lord of all time & eternity!
He has conquered our last enemy; -- even death!
So I cry out with Paul: -- “O death, where is thy sting?
O grave, where is thy victory?”
The good news is that the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is an event you & I can know personally -- experimentally!
We were not living when Jesus was upon earth; -- we did not see Him die
But we can meet Him -- & we can know Him as the living Lord!
You may ask me -- “How do you know that Christ is alive?”
I will answer with full confidence -- “I know He lives because He lives in me. -- I spoke to Him just this morning!”
In His Resurrection -- Christ is our victory!
4. In His Return -- Christ is our Hope!
I look all around me today -- & see injustice -- suffering -- pain & war!
I see nations rise & fall -- institutions crumble -- change on every hand.
I wonder if there is anything really dependable -- unchangeable -- reliable -- secure.
Then I read in the Bible: “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today & forever!” -- You & I belong to an unchanging Christ -- & to an everlasting Kingdom!
Jesus said: “In my Father’s house are many mansions; -- I will come again & receive you to Myself -- that where I am, there you may be also.”
My friends -- JC will have the last word in history!
His Kingdom shall endure forever!
And His return is our abiding hope!
Illus: During WW 2 -- when things looked bleak for
An attractive little girl with beautiful curly hair was walking around the grand stands -- selling a variety of trinkets.
One gentleman in the audience was so fascinated with her poise & zeal that -- when she came by -- he said to her: -- “Little girl, tell me -- what do you think about the future of the war?”
Without a moment’s hesitation -- she threw back her head -- looked the man straight in the eye -- & said in a loud, clear voice: -- “Sir, our king says there is hope!”
My friends -- with all the turmoil -- strife -- bloodshed -- & suffering going on in our world today -- you may ask me: -- “What do you think about the future?”
I answer with all confidence: -- “Friend, our King says there is hope!” -- He is coming again to set up His kingdom!
In His return -- Christ is our hope!
Conclusion: -- No wonder the Apostle Paul was able to say: -- “For me to live is Christ -- & to die is gain!”
JC was everything to Paul -- & Christ can be everything to you today!
He has earned the right to be your Hero!
To know JC -- to trust Him -- to love Him -- & to serve Him -- that -- my friends -- is a passion with eternal value!
An unknown author once wrote: --
I asked a student what things he desired most -- he said, ‘Books.’
I asked a miser -- he cried, ‘Money.’
I asked a beggar -- he faintly said, ‘Bread.’
I asked a drunkard -- & he called only for alcohol.
I asked the multitude around me -- they lifted up a confused cry in which I heard the words, ‘Wealth - fame - & pleasure’
Finally I asked a poor man who had long displayed the character of an experienced Christian; --
He replied, -- “I greatly desire 3 things: -- 1st, that I be found in Christ; -- 2nd, that I may be like Christ; -- 3rd, that I may be with Christ.” -- His deepest aspiration centered on Christ alone!
In view of all JC has done for us -- this should be our testimony also!
Jesus Christ is the only One who has earned the right to be our Hero!
For -- In His life -- He is our example.
In His death -- He is our redemption.
In His resurrection -- He is our victory.
In His return -- He is our hope!
To really live -- is to be like Jesus Christ!