Show Weeks Week's Activities and Services of Salt Lake City Church C Churche a German for tar forBy Deck r By BJ REV KEV REV W. W S' S L. L HESSELTINE Pastor Seventh day Adventist Ad Church These days we hear a lot about the Men in the Middle or the middlemen Yes they arc are the men who ho handle our groceries or other things but I want us to think today about the real man in the middle We Vc read about Him in the gospel of John chapter 19 And SAnd they crucified Him and two others with Him on either side one and Jesus in the There were many watching the three men on the crosses that day Some had murder in their hearts some curiosity and others scoffing And still there were friends there So let letus letus letus us look at the thc three men on the crosses Two faces faces are distorted distorted distorted dis dis- dis- dis with fear pain and sin but with lith the thc man in in the middle is a n serenity that even cruel torture cannot blot out The Theman Theman Theman man in the middle on this day is the real man in the middle today The one who stands between us and and eternal tion Stands Between Humanity Storm Who Vho is He Christ the only begotten Son of God Hebrews 9 24 says Christ is now to appear before the face of God for us It was Jesus who with His disciples was in inthe inthe i ithe the terrible storm on Gallilee When they called upon Him He became the man in the middle again that night He stood between between between be be- tween humanity and the storm Once a hi highland widow of the old country started across the plains with her little son and suddenly a blizzard overtook her She fought her way as best she could but the fierce storm finally drove her freezing and exhausted hausted to 4 the shelter of a large rock 4 The next morning she was j found frozen to death but the 4 baby was still alive for the mother had removed her 4 t clothes to wrap him in Jesus 44 the man in the middle longs to shelter us from the storms Y of this life if we will only let p Him i 4 1 Now let us look closely w at the three men on Calvary's t S hill once more Two thieves and the Son of God a ao o thief on either side and Jesus in the middle The multitude rj ji cried out If you are the Son 4 of God save yourself And jJ I sad the story one of the thieves joined the chorus t. t ct t r b I Think k 0 of f. f it It I Ib ZI But the other thief said riI WI 1 Remember me in Thy king kin la t f N dom U What a difference in m inthe k the two thieves What hat a request re request re- re D quest from this last one one his his life ruined by sin Perhaps he didn't have a fair chance we dont don't know But he be realized the man in the middle had something something something some some- thing for him This one look at Christ changed his whole life and he cried out for salvation Once a bank president in New York said that as a lad he was an office boy in the bank which later chose him as president The president of that day called the lad to his office and had him be seated in the corner All AIl day he did nothing but watch the president carry carryon on his business He said That one contact really did wonders for me and made me work until I became president One Contact One Changed Life Just so this thiefs thief's one contact with his middleman changed his whole life The two thieves crucified with Jesus represent all of us The one who railed Christ represents the far too many who refuse to claim Him king of kings and accept Him as their Savior The patient thief represents those who recognize Him as their salvation Which class are you in But where is the man in the middle today I am glad to tell you that He is still the man in the middle After His resurrection from the grave He went to heaven there to appear as our high priest in the presence of God for us We Ve are told in the first book of John 21 that if any man sin we have an advocate or a go-between go a lawyer or a middleman Jesus Christ the righteous So the man in the middle on Calvary 1900 years ago is still the man in the middle toda today between God and man Vision of Wonderful Gentleness Dont Don't you want to do as the dying thief did and say Lord remember me when Thou As we look about us atthe atthe at atthe the condition of this world today doesn't it look as though we need Jesus the man in the middle We Ve have strife fear and suspicion on every hand there is drunkenness gone rampant rampant rampant ram ram- pant and sins abroad in the land rivaling those in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah Surely we need Jesus to come into our own individual hearts and lives to reign there as king of our lives and captain of our salvation In the storm of this life when trials come thick and fast when sorrows weigh heavy when temptations are everywhere how sweet to have Jesus come in between and say Peace be still dont don't be afraid I am master here The thief caught a vision of the Savior in all of His wonderful gentleness and he snatched at the only chance of salvation that he could everha ever ha have vel Remember Me Ie When Then You Come Once there was was' a sentry on a munitions boat who had been stationed to guard the door doo of the ammunition room and who was faithfully performing his task when all of a sudden there came a shock a great noise Water Vater began to pour in through a great hole in the ship The poor sentry could hear the noise on the decks above as the other members of the crew manned the lifeboats But he had been ordered to stay in his position as guard until he was relieved and there he was staying even though it meant his life Just as the water was coming up around his chest he heard footsteps coming down the stairs and he saw that it was the captain of the boat who was evidently coming down for a last look around How glad he was for this meant that he would be saved But no the captain did not come all ll the way down He merely stopped on the stairs and then started back backup backup backup up again As the sentry saw his last hope of life going up the stairs he cried out in desperation Captain Captain can I come too 1 Ah that was the way with the thief on the cross He knew that he had but a short time tune to live and as he looked into the face of Jesus the man in the middle he lie knew he must act quickly if he would be saved He said to the c captain of his salvation 0 Captain Captain may I come too And the captain answered Yes you may come too The place for each of us is by the cross in the middle May each of us make the right decision before it is too late and call to Jesus Remember me when Thou b |