I was preaching in our 630pm and was somewhere near the middle of my preaching when somebody from the crowd stood up and started shouting really loud:
” Patay na lang nang patay. Walang nangsinabi kundi patay.” In English ” Death, all that is being talked about is death.”
Awkward. First time this happened to me – not the part where somebody walks out but somebody walking out really mad because of the preaching.
It was interesting because I was preaching about Saul and how he would kill Christians for lunch and how he encountered God in the road of Damascus when some heavenly lights blinded him.
Then it happened… PATAY NA LANG NANG PATAY.
I couldn’t react at all that out of the blue I just blurted out Hallelujah! What in the world was I thinking???!!! PATAY NA LANG NANG PATAY….. HALLELUJAH!!!
Now come to think of it…… the message of the gospel is all about death. The death of a sinless man Jesus who died for our place. The same Jesus who showed up in the road of Damascus to save Paul.
The problem with a lot of people is that they stop midway and they would not finish the gospel message.
GOD loves you… “yeah I know that. He needs to I am lovable and worthy of love.”
but you are a sinner and your sin blasphemes God….. “oh, I don’t like where this is going.”
our sin because of its weight needs payment. Thus we have to die for our sins…. PATAY NA LANG NG PATAY. AALIS NA LANG AKO DITO!!! ( Death. All you talk about is death. Might as well leave.)
Wait, the crux of the gospel message is this.
Somebody paid the penalty of your sin. God sent His son Jesus to die on the cross for you. PATAY, namatay siya para sa akin???!!! ( Death, He died for me???!!!)
Because Jesus was strong for me, I am free to be weak;
Because Jesus won for me, I am free to lose;
Because Jesus was Someone, I am free to be no one;
Because Jesus was extraordinary, I am free to be ordinary;
Because Jesus succeeded for me, I am free to fail.
So let’s not make light of the death of Christ. It was because of his death that we now live under His grace.