Sermon Series: “Oh What A Friend We Have In Jesus!”

April 20, 2025
Sermon Part 3:“America Only Look at the Man in the Middle!”

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb.12:2) Jesus Christ’s finished works on the cross was accomplished so that He might be Lord both of the dead and living. (Rom.14:9)

Happy Resurrection Sunday Saints!

Introduction 

Easter Sunday, is the day when our Churches across America, and around the world, are most heavily populated with believers. This is a good thing because then more of us have an opportunity to hear a Word from God, and hopefully heed to it. This is certainly my wish for anyone who hears or reads this Message from the Lord today. May it be a Word that you never forget! While it’s a good thing to remember the Lord’s great sacrifice on Easter, it’s even more important to remember what Jesus has Commanded us to do, and go do it!

In this Series entitled, “Oh What a Friend We Have in Jesus” we have called on all Churches, denominations, and born-again Christians individually to obey the Command of Jesus Christ to love one another as He has loved us. (John 13:34-35) So that the entire Body of Christ may experience the Spirit of “Complete Unity,” which comes only from God. (Ps.133)

As we dwell in Complete Unity, we grow into the fullness of the stature of Christ, and God lifts us up together into His Presence as His spiritual kings and priests on earth. Then, “Everything” we ask of the Father in the name of Jesus is done for us. (John 14:15-17, 15:17, & I John 5:14-15)

In Complete Unity, the supernatural power of God will flow through and outside of the entire Body of Christ; with great manifestations of miracles, signs, and wonders in America and around the world. All of our Churches will experience an abundant increase in attendance, and most importantly many people from all walks of life will give their lives to Jesus Christ, and become citizens of the Kingdom of God. If we love Jesus, our ardent desire must be to work in unison to bankrupt hell, and populate Heaven with all of God’s called and chosen people.

Let’s focus today on how the Body of Christ can achieve togetherness; as “One Body.” To come together in love, every born-again believer must return to Calvary and set all of their attention and affections on the “Man in the Middle,” Jesus Christ, who was crucified between two malefactors; and not on the things of this world. Everybody shout; “Get your eyes off the world and the things of the world, and set your eyes on Jesus!”

America is looking in All the Wrong Places to Resolve the Ills of Society

Across the American landscape, we see a people grossly divided on every issue of national prominence and importance. The American people whether registered as democrats, republicans, independents, or undeclared are clashing on such issues of immigration, inflation, racism, gun violence, abortion, the federal budget deficit, health care affordability, sexual morality, gun violence, climate change, vaccines, domestic and international terrorism, quality of public education, air transportation safety, drug addiction, as well as the size of the federal government workforce. Everyone has a closely held and guarded belief on how societal problems can best be resolved.

You name the issue in America, and there is wide disagreement on how to resolve it. Yes, things have gotten so out of control in our country that the majority of people in America see democrats and republicans working together to resolve problems, as a “huge problem” in and of itself! (Pew Research Center, June, 2023 Report)

In our country, we have chaos in the White House, Congress, Courts, and state and local governments. Jesus Christ said, “…every city and house divided against itself shall not stand.” (Matt.12:25) Saints, “America the Beautiful” is free-falling into a ditch! Not just because of divisive political leadership in the White House and state houses, but more so because of “Spiritual Blindness” among Christian Leadership within the Body of Christ. The root cause of America’s woes are largely because of woes within the Body of Christ. For as the Church of Jesus Christ goes, so goes America!

The Founding Fathers of our great nation established the United States, its Constitution, laws, currency, code of ethics and morality, school systems, governmental engines and so forth on the Holy Bible. Though far from perfect in its implementation, our nation has always been a “Christian” nation that has acknowledged the preeminence of God in Christ Jesus, and blessed and favored Israel God’s chosen people.

As the United States, we have stood for truth, free elections, liberty, equality, and justice for all. We have opened our borders to all people, protected the weak and poor at home and abroad, defended the sovereignty of nations, and made treaties and alliances with many nations in the world to maintain peace. In the 248-years of American history, God has blessed our nation, and made us the most powerful and largest economy in the world. Psalm 33:12 says, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he has chosen for his inheritance.” 

It would behoove the people of our nation, and its leaders, well to remember that it is God who has caused us to prosper, and not we ourselves. Still today, Christianity is the most popular religion in the United States and abroad. The vast majority of Americans (67-percent) identify themselves as Christians. (Gallup Survey, 2023) However, this is significantly lower than Christian attestations in the early 1900s, when above 90-percent of Americans reported being Christians.

Experts say the decline in Christianity is due to several factors, including secularization and immigration. They add that secularization has led to an increase in the number of Americans who are “nonreligious.” But, I find neither secularization nor immigration as an excuse that can be held-up for the decrease in the popularity of Christianity in our country.

America is a free society, and we welcome people of all nationalities, cultures, traditions, and differing beliefs. Down through the years of legal immigration to the United States, the Body of Christ should have, and still should today, view migration into our country as a “golden opportunity” to “collaboratively” preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to the fulfilment of the Great Commission. (Mark 16:15-18) Rather than viewing immigration as a “burden” on society as many Americans do today, the Body of Christ should be shouting and praising God for sending all people our way to receive God’s Salvation through the name of Jesus Christ. This is how we make America Great: By every Church Leader and lay Christian working “together” to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to every creature. (Mark 16:15 & Acts 4:12)

The fundamental root cause of the decline in the proportion of Americans who affiliate with Christianity is more appropriately placed within the Church of Jesus Christ itself. As during the early 1900’s there were as many as 186-Christian denominations and by 1936, the number had increased to 256 Christian- denominations. Denominations (a collection of Churches within the same organization) proclaim themselves to be independent branches within the Body of Christ with varying doctrines, practices, and traditions. Even today, experts report there are above 200-recognized denominations.

Down through the years, the lack of coordination and collaboration among denominations and non-denominational Churches to preach the “same” gospel Message to Americans and immigrants and share resources, has greatly diminished our effectiveness in saving the lost. A diluted, distorted, and watered down gospel Message over time confuses people about the Truth, ushers in doubt and unbelief, chases away the Anointing of God, and causes people to look to false religions, or no religion at all to practice.

The Holy Bible does not mention denominations, only that as born-again believers we are “One” Church, the Church of Jesus Christ having many members. (Eph. 4:4-6 & I Cor.12:13) By definition, to identify with Christ means we all profess to be followers and adherers of the teachings and doings of Jesus Christ. If we say we are Christ’s then our lives must be completely surrendered to Him, we must deny ourselves, shoulder our crosses, and walk in our Lord’s nail-pierced foot-prints throughout the world.

If the Body of Christ in America had not splintered-off into hundreds of denominations, and instead worked together to bring both citizens and immigrants to Christ, the percentage of Christians in the United States identifying as Christians would have remained high, and many of the ills we face as a society would likely not exist today. Saints, isn’t it interesting to see that within the Body of Christ we have a wide schism, with disagreements amongst ourselves on nearly all religious issues; and our nation also is divided and torn apart on every issue.

Just as democrats and republicans refuse to work together in the political theater, the vast majority of Churches and denominations refuse to work together in God’s Theater, the Church. Oh, how sad it is for human beings to give preeminence to their “personal beliefs” on how social issues and religious issues should be resolved and practiced, above the regard for “human life” and “love for one another,” as Jesus Christ has Commanded.

These days, if you put an equal number of born-again Christians who vote Democratic or Republican in a room together to discuss hot-button topics of homosexuality, immigration, abortion, racism, and the economy both sides likely will go away offended and wounded; never to speak again. The same would be true if Christians across Church-affiliations and denominations attempted to broach differences in doctrinal beliefs. Many of them would turn and walk away from each other in bitterness over doctrines like the nature of God, salvation, baptisms, speaking in other tongues, the role of Scripture, the authority of leadership, the Trinity, and faith alone for salvation versus works or sacraments. Oh, why can’t we all just keep our eyes set on the “Man in the Middle?”

Yet, on Easter Sunday, and during other times of the year, every Christian within their respective Churches and denominations take part in Communion Services; judging themselves worthy of Christs’ body and blood, while having no fellowship with other believers with differing social and religious views.

Can we not plainly see Satan’s work in all of this? His aim is to tempt us to divide ourselves and clash over our “differences;” to allow our closely held beliefs on “issues” to rise above our love for one another, and celebration of our “Oneness in God in Christ!”

Our Faithful Friend Jesus Christ warned that in this world we would have “tribulation,” which is great trouble, suffering, and affliction. (John 16:33) Though systematic trouble is in the world, Jesus told us to be of good cheer because He has conquered the world for us; and robbed it completely of power to hurt us. To deal with the stress, frustration, and fear of tribulation, Jesus has given to us His Peace. (John 14:27) However, as long as we continue to push and make our own beliefs about religion and how to resolve societal ills of greater importance than loving one another as Jesus has Commanded, the wider the schism grows within the Body of Christ, and our country will increase in hatred until there is massive corruption and civil unrest to the complete demise of America.

America, Only Look at the Cross of Christ and Live!

To heal our nation of all division, the Body of Christ comprised of every Church, denomination, and born-again Christian individually must only look at the “Man in the Middle” on the cross Jesus Christ. I ask every believer in Jesus Christ these questions:
–Were we all not born-again, and made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, through the “same” expressed words of faith?

–From our hearts and mouths, did we not all confess that Jesus Christ is the son of God, and that God has raised Him up from the dead on the third-day? (Rom.10:9-10)

Thus, we find our commonality at the cross of Jesus Christ and His Resurrection from the dead. This is the place where we all “agree” and “harmonize” as Christians; and this is the place where God seeks to meet us and lift us all up together into His Presence as His holy priesthood.

We must run hurriedly back to Calvary’s Hill where we all first saw the Light and the burdens of our hearts rolled away! We must take every one of our sundry issues and related cares that divide us as a nation and Church, and cast them all on the cross of Christ. The Apostle Peter wrote at I Peter 5:7, (Amplified Bible)

Casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].

We are to cast every issue and related care on Christ’s cross because the Lord bore all of our griefs and sorrows there. No matter your religious or political affiliation, right now, zoom in on the Man Jesus in the middle hung between two thieves.

For the Romans hung-high and stretched-wide and low Jesus, placing stakes in His hands and feet and tortured sinless Christ to death on a jagged tree made cross; thereby bringing salvation, peace, reconciliation, and healing to the whole-world.

As you gaze at the cross, do not forget the pre-cross sufferings that Jesus endured: the mockery, gnashing, punching, spitting, whipping, crowning of thorns, bearing the cross, and abandonment of disciples and family at the cross. Oh, what a Friend we have in Jesus as He endured it all for us!

Saints, continue to get closer, closer, and closer to Jesus on the cross and look at His torn body, marred more than any human being.

Picture illustrations provided to us do not accurately depict the Lord’s suffering, for His persecutors rendered Him unrecognizable. The Prophet Isaiah saw from a far off the Passion of Christ and bemoaned at Isaiah 52:14:

As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men.

While examining the pictures, don’t just look at the crucified Jesus with your physical eyes, but by faith with the spiritual eyes of your born-again hearts. See Jesus’ sacrificed life was for you. When John the Baptist saw Jesus of Nazareth approaching to be baptized, He exclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29) As you stand before the cross, let your praise be mighty, as Jesus took away your sins, my sins, and the sins of the whole world! Let us praise God together until our Voices all hit the same love-chords to say, “Oh Happy Day, Oh Happy Day, when Jesus washed my sins away!

Isaiah 53:5-10 states:

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

Let every believer in Christ, bow-down at the gory, gruesome, and glorious cross and let the precious blood of Jesus flowing down Golgotha’s Hill; cover all of our heads, faces, physical bodies, hearts and souls and cleanse us from our sins, including our sins of “hatred” for one another and “division” from one another, as well as all of our sicknesses and diseases; (Rev.1:5-6) Let us remember that we have a Covenant with God, that the Blood of Christ has washed away all of our sins, iniquities, and transgression, One-Time for all Times throughout the ages of human existence on earth. And, that God remembers our sins and iniquities no more (Rom. 6:9-11 & Heb.10:10-17)

Now Saints, get so close to the foot of the cross that you are in ear-shot of Jesus our Savior, and look upon His face. Look into the Lord’s eyes covered in dripping blood and sweat and see how much He loves you and loves every person in the world. See how He has sacrificed His own “will” completely to the Father’s “Will” and placed the entire world before Himself: For Jesus is forever merciful, gracious, and tenderhearted toward us even in His greatest time of agony.

Enduring the cross and its shame, among Jesus’ last words, He prayed to God saying: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) To every believer, follow now the Lord’s lead and forgive every person who has wronged you. Jesus’ last Words upon the cross were “it is finished.” (John19:30) The work was complete, God in Christ reconciling the whole-world to Himself through the sacrifice of the Lamb of God. (I Cor. 5:18-19) Wherein God has given the Body of Christ, the Church, the Ministry of Reconciliation.

Knowing the price that Jesus paid on the cross for all of our sins, His example, we must all seek to follow. We must follow Christ in like manner, as the Apostle Paul did. So moved by the testimony of Jesus Christ and his personal experience with meeting and coming into fellowship with Jesus, Paul lost all care for the troubles of this life.

Paul, with all that was within Him sought to be like Jesus in all manner of life. Paul wanted to experience the joy of sacrifice of all things for the sake of bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ to all men, Jew and Gentile alike. To the Saints at Philippi, Paul wrote at Philippians 3:8-11:
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

Oh, what life in America would be like for all people, if every born-again Christian counted everything else in life as “dung,” in order to seek after the knowledge of Christ Jesus, as Paul did. For the closer we get to the cross and identify ourselves with the Lord’s Passion, we lose all desire for self-righteousness and our own way of doing things at the expense of others. We completely lose our vain and guarded opinions about religion and social issues and become consumed with knowing, experiencing, and living for Jesus Christ.

Paul knew that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and no man can come to God but by Him. (John 14:6) This Truth places every person born into this world front and center before Jesus; as every man seeks to find God the Creator and Sustainer of life. (Acts.17:28) Jesus is the mediator between God and every man; no man can come to God but through Him. (I Tim. 2:5)

Every person born in this world is trying to find their way to God Father. Every person tries to search for and find the way to happiness and a fulfilled life; to serve as their own personal Truth that justifies their human existence and way of doing things. But the Prophet Jeremiah exclaimed that it is not in man to know the way that he should go. (Jer.10:23) Left to man’s own devices he will always choose the wrong path and means to accomplish what he perceives to be the road to peace and happiness. King Solomon, wrote at Proverbs 3: 5-6:
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

When you look into the eyes of Jesus, you can glean the motivations and meditations of His heart.

Obedience unto God the Father in all things and servanthood unto all men was the mind-set of Christ. (Php. 2:5-11) As followers of Christ, we must put on the same mind-set of Jesus and become obedient unto God and His Word, and become the servant of all people.

Greatness through Servanthood Must Become Our Mantel

Looking unto Jesus Christ’s example of servanthood on the cross provides the entire Body of Christ with the direction in which it must go. That is, servanthood towards one another. It’s through serving others through Christ’s Anointing that brings lasting happiness and satisfaction in life, and greater rewards in Heaven. Every Church, denomination, and born-again Christian individually seeks to be pleasing in the eyes of the Resurrected Anointed King Jesus, as He is now seated at the right-hand throne of God the Father.

During Jesus’ Public Ministry on earth, He admonished the disciples saying, “Let him that would be first become last.” This emphasizes the concept of humility and service. Any believer seeking a leadership position should prioritize serving others rather than seeking personal power. To be a true leader, one must put the needs of others before their own and be willing to serve in a humble capacity, even if it means taking a lower position. Churches and denominations must adapt this same mentality of humbleness and become servants of one another.
If we truly belong to Christ, we must be willing to wash each other’s feet across Church-affiliations and denominations. Are you willing to wash the feet of every member in the Body of Christ?

Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. (John 13:13-14)

Servanthood is our “Vocation” as born-again Christians. Do we not realize that as born-again Christians serving all people is our job? I think on this Resurrection Sunday, it would do us all great benefit to think, speak, and act like servants of one another. We should whole-heartedly say to every Christian regardless of Church affiliation or denomination: “I am a servant of Christ, what can I do for you today? In this regard, Paul wrote at Ephesians 4:1-5 that the body of Christ to maintain Unity. He wrote:
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism.

In closing, I say to every born-again Christian that Jesus Christ our Faithful Friend and Great High-Priest is the only man in the history of the world to accurately predict His death and Resurrection. Early on Sunday morning, Jesus got up victoriously from the dead; having the keys to death, hell, and the grave. (Rev.1:18) We don’t own the keys to hell, Jesus does! We have no right to condemn any person to hell and permanent disassociation, and certainly not any person or Church organization who claims Jesus as Lord within the Body of Christ.

After Jesus arose from the dead, the Holy Scriptures tell us that Jesus showed Himself alive with many infallible proofs, being seen by His disciples and over 500 people. For forty-days, He came speaking again of things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. (Acts1:2-3 & I Cor.15:6)

On an occasion, when the disciples were gathered together, Jesus appeared in the midst of them. Thomas was there and had said before-hand that he would not believe that Jesus had risen from the dead, until he examined the nail prints and wound in His side. The Lord told Thomas to handle him, saying “to reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side (The place where the Roman Soldier had pierced Jesus with the spear to ensure that He was dead on the cross and blood and water gushed out.): and “be not faithless, but believing.” (John 19:34 & 20:27)

While, the Holy Bible does not specifically tell us that Jesus, now in Heaven, has retained the scars of His crucifixion. Largely in Christian Circles, based on a few Scriptural clues, we confidently believe Jesus Christ still bears the scars, and these are the only scars anywhere in Heaven.

As I just mentioned, according to the Apostle John’s account, when Jesus rose from the dead, His Resurrected, glorified body still had the scars and Jesus also invited Thomas to see and feel the scars of crucifixion. Jesus may have chosen to retain the scars for several extremely important reasons.

First, the scars serve as an eternal witness to the Incarnation of the Son of God. A spirit has no scars, but “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (John 1:14) Just as the Son lost none of His divinity when He came to earth, so He lost none of His humanity when He returned to Heaven. Jesus is forever God in the flesh, the perfect and only Mediator between God and man. (I Tim. 2:5) The scars were received by Jesus as He walked on earth as one of us.

Second, the scars reveal why Jesus came to earth: to be a sacrifice for us. As Jesus said, “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matt. 20:28) Jesus came to suffer for us and save us from sin. He came to reconcile us to our Father God in Heaven. That reconciliation required His suffering as detailed in prophesy by Isaiah as well as other Old Testament prophets.

Third, the scars reveal that God loved us while we were still sinners. The sin of mankind put Jesus on the cross. As He was being arrested, Jesus told His enemies, “This is your hour—when darkness reigns.” (Luke 22:53) And the world itself grew dark when He was on the cross. (Luke 23:44) But thus it had to be. If God had waited until we somehow made ourselves righteous, we would never have known salvation. We weren’t interested in righteousness, and we could not attain to it even if we desired it. (Rom. 3:10-12) Evil scarred Jesus, and those scars are proof that “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8)

Fourth, the scars Jesus still bears in Heaven reveal that He suffered as we do in this world. He knows our pain. Jesus wept with those who wept. (John 11:35) He resisted against sin unto the point of bloodshed. (Heb. 12:4) Yes, Jesus is our Great High Priest who empathizes with our weaknesses. (Heb. 4:15)

Fifth, the scars signify that death has been defeated. The wounds Jesus received were lethal, but He triumphed over the grave. What’s more, He allows us to share in His triumph. The scars show that our final victory is in Him. “Where, O death is your victory? Where, O death is your sting?” . . . “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Cor. 15:55,57)

The scars of crucifixion Jesus will likely possess for eternity speak of the greatest Love-fest ever. (John 15:13) Presumably, Jesus will have the only scars in Heaven, in which case we will see a visible reminder of His praiseworthiness. Without the event that occasioned those scars, no one else would be there.

Considering all these things, the entire Body of Christ within this earth realm, represents the Lord’s “pierced-hands” and pierced-feet and must go forth together as “One Voice” and preach the Gospel of Christ and spread His love, forgiveness, and kindness to all humanity. Every issue of self-righteousness and self-indulgence in handling and resolving the social issues of our age, as well as religious differences that have sought to divide, beset, and conquer must be left in the Lord’s death on the cross. The cross of Christ and Resurrection are our common ground. When we all as the family of Jesus Christ resolve to work together as His servants to fulfill the Great Commission, our differences become meaningless and disappear. We grow up into the fullness of Christ, and we walk pleasing in God’s sight. Saints, never stop looking at the “Man in the Middle” and America will become great in the sight of God Almighty. Amen for the preaching of the Word of the Living God.

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