This sermon outline serves to remind us, possibly to reassure us, that God has made a way for man to touch Heaven through prayer! My heart was stirred once again as I read this message!!! May God fan the cooling embers in your soul to a vibrant flame!
Title: “The Implications Of A Torn Veil!”
Text: Matthew 27:50-51
(Matthew 27:50-51) “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;” (KJV)
Consider also: Mark 15:37-38, Luke 23:44-46
Introduction:
• As quoted by Pentecost, Shepard says that the veil in Herod’s Temple was a hands breath in thickness, and that it was 60 feet tall and 30 feet wide!
• As quoted by Pentecost, Edersheim states that the veil was actually made up of 72 squares sewn together. It was enormously heavy. It was exaggerated that it took 300 priests to carry one square.
• It suffices to say that this veil was large, thick, and hard to maneuver. This tear could not have been initiated by a human being. The earthquake did not tear it nor did anything fall onto it by result of the earthquake.
• God Himself tore the veil from top to bottom!
• When we read about this event after the death of Christ we ask ourselves a couple of questions!
• What is the significance of this dividing of the veil? Why did God tear it? What are the implications of this event?
• This message will dwell on two implications of this torn veil!
Transition:
• 1st Implication – God wanted all to know that anyone can come to Him by coming through His Son as typified by the veil itself! (The veil was torn – Jesus was crucified)
(Hebrews 10:19-25) “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (KJV)
(John 10:9) “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” (KJV)
• This first implication speaks of salvation initially and the maintenance of fellowship!
• 2nd Implication – God wanted all who are saved to know that they do not need any other priest than Jesus Himself to be their mediator and prayer partner!
(1 Timothy 2:5) “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” (KJV)
(Hebrews 4:14-16) “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (KJV)
• This second implication speaks of mediation and prayer! We can pray directly to God the Father through the merits of Jesus Christ the Son by the enablement of God the Holy Ghost!
Proposition: There are three things that we should consider this evening in view of the fact that the veil is torn!
I. In View Of The Torn Veil, We Should Take Advantage Of Every Opportunity To Enter God’s Presence!
A. We should camp out around the throne of God daily!
B. We should make up the hedge and stand in the gap of Holy Intercession!
C. We should beat a pathway to God before trials come, during the tempest, and when we see the rainbow after the storm clouds drop their rain!
D. We should be faithful to pray each day in our lives!
II. In View Of The Torn Veil, We Should Count It A Privilege To Pray Seeing It Cost Jesus So Much!
A. Our appreciation of Jesus’ sacrifice is seen in how much we attend the throne of God in prayer!
B. Jesus was torn that we might be made whole!
C. God Himself has bid us to His side in fellowship and prayer, but we act as if there is a veil still hanging between us and God!
D. What a blessing to be able to pray!
III. In View Of The Torn Veil, We Should Be Telling All We Can About Its Implications!
A. If we had just heard about free apples at the supermarket, we would get on the phone and tell everybody about it! Yet we have the opportunity to have our needs met, have our souls blessed, and be used of God Almighty, and we do not tell a soul about it!
B. Everybody we know and meet should hear about the torn veil, the gospel of Christ, and the wonderful opportunity to go to Heaven when we die!
C. Illustration – A king came across some subjects one day and he began to speak with them. They thought it a wonderful act on his part to speak with them knowing their poverty. The king told them that they should make a request and the one which he liked the most he would grant!
They thought about it and one said that since he was in poverty that he would like have a little bit of land to have a vegetable garden for his family. The other was silent for a while and finally said that he would like to have half the kingdom! The first subject scoffed at the second but the king rebuked him. He stated that he was a man of his word and he actually liked the request and he gave that person half the kingdom and all of the servants and such that he needed to govern that half!
D. It is amazing to me the few that WILL ask for their needs to be met, but fewer still will be bold enough to ask God for MORE!
E. How big is your God? Are you publishing what God can do?
Conclusion:
To The Sinner:
• Repent and believe the gospel!
• Jesus is the only way to Heaven!
To The Christian:
• Are you going to take more advantage of this opportunity we have to come before the throne of God?
