Sermon: Holy Cross Day (OT)

14 September AD 2014

Theme: Lifted Up and Life-Giving

Summary: As Moses raised up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of Man was raised up (cf. John 3:14).

We may speak of “uplifting” experiences but only Christ raised up on the cross can elevate us out of the sinful depths into which we were born and back into which we regularly sink. He does this not only to save us but also that we, His Church, might be instruments involved in the uplifting of others.

Text: From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom.

And the people became impatient on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.”

Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.”

So Moses prayed for the people.

And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.”

So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. Numbers 21:4-9

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Audio: Click to hear the MP3 of Lifted Up and Life-Giving.

Other Readings: Psalm 40:1-11; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; John 12:20-33

Notes: For some reason, a few people have had problems trying to play the inline audio if Windows Media is their default MP3 player. If this occurs, you can either change to QuickTime or another default browser player, copy and paste the link directly into a selected player, or download it to your computer, where it seems to work regardless of which player. Several folks have suggested VLC Player from VideoLAN.

Ecclesiastical art by Ed Riojas. Graphics for the Church Year (1-Year and 3-Year Lectionaries) are available for for purchase on CD or by ZIP download from the Higher Things Store.

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