Matt Chandler: Jesus Wants The Rose
This blew me away when I saw it the first time. This probably captures my heart for the church and church planting as well as anything I could say. My heart breaks for the person who so desperately needs the Gospel, but has been bruised or even rejected by the church. Christ would never reject you. In fact, He was rejected so that you could be received. He loves you that much.
Isaiah 53
He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; of my people he was stricken.He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, for the transgression nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the LORD’s will and he will divide the spoils
By the way, if your life is messed up, if you think you’ve made too many mistakes in life, we have a seat for you at Grace Community Church. Jesus loves you and so do we.
