I Sure Hope

• Mark 15:1-15
• Lets put ourselves in the shoes of Barabbas here- He was a known rebel and murderer
• Bible doesn’t say much about the rebellion or the murder. I don’t know if he knew about Jesus or not
• But hes about to go up to his death- and Pilate asks “which one of these guys you want”
• The murderer or this guy who has been healing the sick and raising the dead?
• If I’m Barabbas- I know where this is going. What chance do I have? Why would I be let Go?
• What have I done to deserve any sort of pardon? In shackles- I’d think he’d know a little something- maybe a little bit about what he has done- maybe some regret?
• But NO- PARDON- SET FREE- Jesus takes his place- HE goes FREE
• Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
• Barabbas did NOTHING to deserve his pardon. NOTHING. Jesus did EVERYTHING
• 1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
• Barabbas was possibly the first person saved by the cross- the act hadn’t happened, but Jesus was going to cross for all humanity and Barabbas was the FIRST one to benefit from it
• SAVED from DEATH. SET FREE and RELEASED- Through NO work of his OWN
• Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
• So he walks away- He gets the pardon. He gets the free pass. FORGIVEN- or at least set FREE
• I wonder how his life changed? Did he go back to being a murderer? A rebel? How did he live?
• The Bible doesn’t say- Its quite silent in fact- But he was FREE and PARDONED- This is what I HOPE

1. Hopefully his behavior changed

• The scripture says “who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion”
• So him and his friends were rebels that had committed murder. Real stand up guy
• He deserved death. Genesis 9:6 “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man.
• After his pardon- I really hope he started living his life correctly. I hope he didn’t go back to his sin Proverbs 26:11 As a dog returns to his own vomit, So a fool repeats his folly.
• I hope he stuck around, watched Jesus come back from the dead and had his life changed
• And if it did? Then I HOPE his behavior changed. How could it not? HE HAD BEEN SET FREE
• Can you imagine someone who deserved death, and was set free to go back and keep living the same type of life? What if he went back to murdering? What if he stayed in rebellion?
• Paul said- Ephesians 4:28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.
• I hope that’s what happened in his life!
  What does it mean to you?
• I hope that your behavior has changed since you were set free. I hope you didn’t go back to where you came from. I hope your behavior has changed.
• Galatians 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
• But you cant walk in the spirit if you are walking in the behaviors of the flesh
• When you’ve been set FREE your behaviors should CHANGE- drastically!
• People should say- Wasn’t that Barabbas? The guy that was a murderer but got set free?
• Is it too much to expect Ephesians 4:29-31 READ from ourselves? Is it too much?
• Colossians 3:5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
• Here’s what funny- as a pastor I’ll say this to people to get them right and they get MAD
• We should be holding ourselves accountable to it- Have you forgotten what you were free from
• Titus 2:12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
• I sure hope Barabbas did!

1. Hopefully he started living for others

• Barabbas better have gone from the guy that everyone hated and feared to the guy that always helped everyone.
• See- when you were supposed to DIE- now, everything on the other side of it is a GIFT- you weren’t going to have it- you were GIVEN it-
• 2 Corinthians 5:15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
• Barrabas should have been getting up on Saturdays after his long week and mowing other peoples grass. As they looked out “ Hey- I was supposed to be crucified. I should be dead lol”
• How horrible would have been if he would have just continued down his same selfish path-
• Personally- I would have looked at him and thought “really dude, you were pardoned”
• What does it mean to you?
• Have you made the shift to living for others? Or are you still living for yourself after your pardon? Who is the driving force behind your life? You or Jesus?
• Is your life driven by Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
• Philippians 2:3-4 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
• Many Christian move very quickly from “glad I’m saved” to “I’ve got a list of demands”
• What can we demand? We get mad because our prayers don’t get answered? God already answered the most important prayer- the one to SAVE US- Everything else is GRAVY
• So then how should we live?
• 1 Corinthians 10:24 Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.
• I joke about it, but seriously- parking, seating, heating, something so simple as being able to talk to the pastor.
• When we live out Galatians 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
• DAILY- EVERY DAY We NEED TO DIE TO THE FLESH
• Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

1. Hopefully he became a worshipper

Did Barabbas stick around? Was he around at Pentecost? I don’t know. I sure hope so!

If he was- maybe he was one of the ones who peter spoke “these men are not drunk as you suppose”

I hope Barabbas was there and he was filled with the Fire of the HOLY GHOST. I hope he wanted EVERYTHING That God had for him. After facing death, how could he resist?

And when he got filled – I hope he worshipped! I hope he remembered when he was saved

I hope it caused him to bow the knee and worship like a guy who was SAVED

• Psalm 51:17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.
• If he was broken- if he was contrite- I bet he LET LOOSE IN WORSHIP- No half way-
• Hebrews 13:15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
• Hands n the air- unabandoned relentless- passionate worship! THANK YOU JESUS – THANK YO
• Psalm 28:2 Hear the voice of my supplications When I cry to You, When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.
• What does it mean to you?
• Do you worship like that? Are you worshipping from a position of remembering what you’ve been saved from? Do you remember your pardon day?
• John 4:23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
• When friend died- by his bed- looking in the mirror- kinda like being alive- I never looked better
• We forget tho! We get away from our death pardon and we move on- It becomes complacent
• It’s a command of scripture- we should be demonstrative worshippers!
• 1 Timothy 2:8 I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;
• I want to be a hand raiser- I don’t understand how people don’t.
• Psalm 119:48 My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments, Which I love, And I will meditate on Your statutes.
• I don’t know about you- but Im gonna PRAISE HIM “when I think of his goodness”

1. Hopefully he was the most loving person around

• That dude better have been loving. From murder to pardon- he better be loving
• I’m talking about – he’s working behind the counter at mcdonalds people yelling at him because he got the order wrong smile on his face giving free food away nice
• Uncomfortably loving. Make others uncomfortable like. So that others look at their own hearts
• 1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
• How could Barabbas not know that God loves him? HOW NOT?
• His pardon should have changed his demeanor into a VERY loving guy. Soo loving its weird
• Some people don’t know what it looks like to be loving
• Its in your attitude. Its in how you treat people. Its in your demeanor. Its in how you spend your time and your energy. Its how you live every day. Public and private.
• There are a lot of people who have been pardoned, that frankly, aren’t that loving
• And you cant use the ‘that’s not my personality’ excuse. That’s bunk.
• You can be the most loving example of your personality. Find a way. Do it.
• What does it mean to you?
• Are you loving? Has the fact that Jesus set you free made you loving? Has there been a transaction? Are you more loving than you used to be? Used to be rebel in chains?
• Now? You should be so loving- forgiving. So filled with grace and mercy to a fault
• Matthew 5:46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
• Love people. Serve them. Spend time with them. Help them. Listen to them. Catch their tears.
• Every story isn’t about you. Every problem in your life isn’t the most important. Buy people meals. Spring for some gas. Come early. Stay late. Help out. Look for ways to encourage
• Matthew 22:39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
• You know how you like to be loved- love people that way-
• This was a commandment! A REQUIREMENT. If you don’t want to love people- quit. It’s the number one demand in the job description.
• John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

1. Hopefully he endured

• I hope I get to meet Barabbas in heaven. I hope he made it. I hope that’s where he is
• Because that’s the kind of guy that Jesus died for. The worst of the worst.
• Sure, he forgives all sin- but the big sinners- man- why wouldn’t they want what he has? Why not?
• I don’t know how his life ended- I don’t know where he went from there- but I hope it was UP
• But he had to ENDURE- Probably not long after he was saved, his old buddies of the rebellion who didn’t get caught wanted him to come back and do the old things- but that was no good
• I hope he said no and endureed
• Matthew 10:22 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.
• What does it mean to you
• Man- I hope you endure. I hope you hold on to Jesus until the end- No earning it- keeping it
• Hebrews 3:14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,
• You remember the feeling when you got saved? Hold on to that. Hold onto his grace
• God has so much in store for you- don’t go back to where you came from
• Saving private ryan “earn this” “tell me Im a good man, tell me I lived right”
• He wanted to live up to what was given to him- it was the end and he wanted to earn it
• Matthew 24:13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved.