I gave the call to worship this morning. I thought it was pretty good so here it is.

I wanted to be Simon but I was supposed to be Jesus.

Don't mistake what I mean. I have no messiah complex I just was moved by the movie this week. The way Jesus suffered (which is what passion means)

As he is making his way to Golgotha you can tell he wants to get there. Any other man would have stopped and said "I am done. Beat me all you want I go no further. Why would I keep going just to be punished some more." But Jesus kept going. His persistence was visible. It was even foreshadowed as he first picked up his cross. The other prisoners only had the pitibulum strapped to their shoulders but Jesus had the whole thing. As he knelt to pick it up one one prisoner mocks him shouting "You fool! Why do you embrace your cross?!" You suffer with Jesus in all of this…you just want it all to stop.

Eventually Jesus doesn't have the strength to continue. And Simon the Cyrene is forced to help carry the cross. It is here that initially I related to the film. I wanted to be Simon. I wanted to help him carry his burden. Then I realized, although I wanted to be Simon I was supposed to be Jesus. It was for my sins not His own that he suffered. He died in my place.

1 Peter 2:23 says "When they hurled their insults at him he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed."

I wanted to be Simon but was supposed to be Jesus.

Most of you I assume have not yet seen the movie...but you know the truth.
My word to you is “be grateful”. That was supposed to be you on that cross.

So this morning don't merely speak as you worship...let your worship say something