Unforgivable!
“Unforgivable!” Have you ever heard those words spoken to you? Maybe it was an exasperated mom who was overstating the situation. Or maybe it was a friend who truly felt you had betrayed them in some way. Whatever, “unforgivable” is a very harsh pronouncement!
Of course, the great news of the gospel is that Jesus can take what others consider “unforgivable—and do the impossible. Forgive! However dark and indelible might be the stains of our past, Jesus’ power to cleanse and forgive is more potent still. It is the amazing grace of which we sing, that “though our sins are like scarlet,” Jesus can make them “white as snow.” Hallelujah!
BUT—would you be surprised to hear that there IS, in fact, something that even Jesus declares to be “Unforgivable!” The “unforgivable sin,” he called it. What IS that sin, and how do we know if we are guilty of it? Well, I am going to teach on that this weekend. If you want to get a jump-start, take a look at Mark 3:22-30. (I do have a word of encouragement for you in the meantime: if you are worried that you might have committed this sin, you haven’t!)
Of course, the fact that we can experience ANY forgiveness at all is all due to Easter. The resurrection of Jesus proved that he was who he claimed to be—the Lord of all—and that he had the power to do what he claimed to do—forgive sins and prepare us for an eternal relationship with God.
In two weeks, we celebrate Easter weekend. You will have five services to choose from. Our two classic services will both be on Easter Sunday: 7:00 am Sunrise and 8:30 am. If you love hymns, choir, the organ, robes, and majesty—these are the services for you. And of the two, I entreat you to attend the Sunrise service! 8:30 will be packed! As an enticement, we will have hot cross buns—and an empty parking lot waiting for you!
Our three modern services will be Saturday at 6:30 pm and Sunday at 10:00 and 11:30 am. If you choose a modern service on Sunday, PLEASE come at 11:30.
After picking your service, I’d ask you to be a SAP! SERVE at one other service, ASK someone to join you, and PARK off-site. We are expecting well over 3,000 people for Easter, a wonderful chance to welcome newcomers into our church family. Thank you for doing your part to make that happen.
Pastor Mark