From the Pastor’s Pen
The Pastor’s Post is provided to OntarioNewsNorth.com at the request of the Editor, beliefs and opnions shared here are not necessarily those of advertisers or other contributors on www.OntarioNewsNorth.com .
The following article is a summary of a sermon delivered recently at Bethany Pentecostal Chapel in Manitouwadge, Ontario. Thank you to Pastor Gary for sharing it with OntarioNewsNorth.com.
* “ ‘ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ ” Mark 12:30
The Power of the Cross of Jesus Christ ( Part 2 )
**To read Part 1 CLICK HERE
Introduction and Review
The Cross of Jesus Christ is not merely some piece of jewelry. Not some amulet to be worn against evil. Not some good-luck charm or just an ornament to be hung in your home. The Cross of Jesus Christ has power to change the world!
— The Power of the Cross is in the SHED BLOOD of Jesus Christ.
( see Hebrews 9:22b ; John 1:29 ; Exodus 12:21-23; Hebrews 12:24 )
— The Power of the Cross is in our CRUCIFIED and RISEN Lord
( see Mark 16:1-6 ; Hebrews 7:24-25 ; Romans 8:34 )
— The Power of the Cross is in SUBMISSION TO the Christ of the Cross { Die to Self and Do His Will }
( see Matthew 10:37-39 ; 16:24-26 ; Matthew 7:21 ; 12:50 ; Hebrews 10:36 ; 1 John 2:17 )
— The Power of the Cross is in LIVING a LIFE for the Christ of the Cross . DECLARING Him to the world.
( see Matthew 10:32-33 ; Matthew 5:14-16 ; 1 Peter 2:9-10 )
To live a life for Christ is to acknowledge Him in word, actions, lifestyle, decisions. At home, at work, at play, at church. In the community. Living a life for Christ is to care for the broken-hearted. Lift up the fallen. Search for the prodigal. Go the second, third and fourth mile. And more. Reach out a helping hand. Sacrifice time, energy, finances.
It’s time the Church of Jesus Christ, stood, lived and walked, in the power of the Cross of Jesus Christ!
1. The Question
The question Christians need to ask of themselves is this, “Am I living in that power? 1 Corinthians 4:20 — For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.
“Are you living in the power of the Cross of Jesus Christ?”
The question isn’t, “Am I living in the knowledge of that power?” Or, “Am I living with an understanding of that power?” Or, “Have I lived in the power one time in the past?” Not even, “Do I have a desire for that power in my life?” Although a desire for that power is obviously the place to start. The question though is — “Are you and I living in the power of the Cross of Jesus Christ?” If not. “Do you even have a desire to experience the power of the Cross active and evident in and through your life?”
If you have a desire to experience the power of the Cross active and evident in and through your life, are you willing to move beyond the desire, into the realm of living in all that Christ has provided through His death on Calvary?
I confess to you that I don’t know ALL that, that means. But I do know this, I want more of the power of Jesus Christ, my crucified and risen Lord, working in and through my life!
The Apostle Paul said; — *“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,” Philippians 3:10.
You and I know about a lot of people but we know very few personally. To know Christ is much more than a knowledge “about” Him. To “know Christ” means to have a personal relationship with Him through faith.
Christianity is Christ. And true Christianity is to know Him personally. Jesus refers to this relationship in John 17:3
*“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
2. How Far Will You Go?
Back to Philippians 3.
Paul knew Christ as his Saviour. But he wanted to know Him more intimately as his Lord. ** “To know (v. 10) means “to know by experience””
*“. . . the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord,” ( v. 8 ) To get to that place of Knowing Christ more intimately, Paul was willing to give everything up.
Look at verses 7-11
* “7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ — the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings,[ Willing to suffer for Christ ] becoming like him in his death, [ even to die for Him if necessary ] 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:7-11
Not only was there a “willingness” on Paul’s part to give up everything to know Christ more fully, but everything he had gained in life up to this point was considered as “rubbish” . Just a pile of garbage. He would throw it all away to get to know Christ more fully.
V 7 *“( . . . ) whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, ( . . .) I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ , ( . . .) 10 I want to know Christ . . .”
Is there a hunger in you to know Christ more intimately? Is there that desire? If yes, what are you willing to give up?
3. The Cost
Luke 14:25-27
Before we read, consider this question: “How great is your desire to have the power of the Cross active and evident in and through your life?” To know Christ more intimately? Take a moment to consider.
Okay, let’s read.
*Luke 14:25-27 —
25 * “Large crowds were traveling with Jesus,”
Catch the scene here. Jesus has gained much popularity among the people. Everywhere He goes large crowds follow. They have seen His miracles. Have experienced His blessings and heard Him teach like no other. Word has gotten around. Jesus knows their hearts and wants to convey to them that there is a cost to being a true follower. A disciple.
v 25 * “Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters — yes, even his own life — he cannot be my disciple. 27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”
These are strong words. * “And does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters — yes, even his own life— .”
Jesus is emphasizing that true discipleship is difficult. The word “hate” is not to say that we are to hold anger, or malice against family members. This would be a direct contradiction to Scripture and we know Jesus came to fulfill the Law. ( see Exodus 20:12 , Matthew 5:17 )
So what is Jesus teaching? ** “We are to love Christ supremely, even more than we love our own flesh and blood.” We are to love everyone, and everything, less than we love Christ.
Matthew 10:37— * “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
*** “Jesus is indicating that He demands a priority in our relationships. I must love nothing or no one more than I love Him.
Families represent the very best things in life. They are God-given and I am to love them more than anything else, with the sole exception of my love for Christ. This does not mean that I will demean my family or neglect it. The very opposite is true if I take Scripture seriously. But no relationship, no matter how wonderful, must compete with my allegiance to the Lord.”
He is to be number one in our life.
4. Jesus, Saviour, Lord and King
( see Revelation 17:14 ; 19:16 )
He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. To be His disciple is to allow Him to personally be your Saviour. But to be a true disciple is to invite Him into your life as Lord and King. To want Him only as your Saviour and deny Him access as Lord and King is to live well below what you can be in Christ. To live in the power of the Cross requires that He be Saviour, Lord and King of your life.
To pray from the heart, “ Jesus, I receive You as my Saviour, forgive me of my sins. I receive You as my Lord, be the Supreme Authority in my life. I receive You as my King, be the Ruler of my life.”
We come to the Cross and with outstretched arms in complete surrender say, “Take me Lord. All that I am, all I will be and all I ever hope to be is yours.”
Picture the scene;
Standing at the cross with outstretched arms. Not a defensive action. One of complete surrender. “Lord Jesus, take me as I am. Poor. Wretched. Blind. Messed up. Bound by habits and sin. All I have to offer is me”
Jesus reaches down. Picks me up. “Welcome home my child.”
He cleans me off. Puts a new robe on me and new shoes on my feet. Gives me a place of honour as one of the Kings kids. Sets me on the Kings highway.
I stray sometimes, but I continually come back to the cross with outstretched arms of surrender and He offers me His outstretched arms of compassion, acceptance and unconditional love. Welcomes me home.
No wonder the hymn writer penned the words—
Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan! Oh, the grace that brought it down to man! Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span, At Calvary! Mercy there was great, and grace was free; Pardon there was multiplied to me; There my burdened soul found liberty– At Calvary.
5. Moving On From Glory to Glory!
( see Philippians 3:14 , 1 Corinthians 3:11 , Acts 4:12 , Hebrews 6:1 , 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 )
As Jesus sets me on the Kings highway I recall that highways are designed and built for travel. Not for stopping. No “U” turns. No turning back. Moving ahead. We are to “Follow” Christ. Move ahead in Him
Paul said— * “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14 Pressing on in Christ Jesus. We are to press on, but our pressing on must be done “IN” Christ Jesus.
When we come to the Cross in repentance. Seeking forgiveness of our sins. Confess our sins and invite Christ into our life, a foundation is laid. The foundation is Jesus Christ. He is the basis of our salvation.
* “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:11
* “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
As we come to Christ for salvation, in repentance and confession to Him, He forgives us. Sets us upon a firm foundation.
Whose decision was it to come to Christ in the beginning? OURS.
Whose decision is it as to how much spiritual progress, growth, maturity we make in Him after the moment of salvation? OURS.
God’s plan is that we come for salvation and begin from that moment to grow, mature, move ahead in Christ. As the writer to the Hebrews put it — * “( . . . ) let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,” Hebrews 6:1 We can remain forever at the foundation level and go no further in Christ, OR, we can press on in Him and see the walls framed out, drywall in place, some windows installed, and so. The problem for many Christians is, they reach a particular stage and stop there.
Read the following verse and note the underlined portion.
17 * “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:17-18
We “. . .are “being” transformed into his likeness. . .” It is an ongoing process!
The King James Version of the Bible reads this way — v18 “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
I want to be changed and made more like Him on a daily basis. Don’t you? I can tell you of past glories. But I want to experience his presence and power now!
The problem with most of us is that we say we want that in our lives on Sunday but when Monday, or even Sunday afternoon rolls around, the desire has waned. The cares and pleasures of this world distract and cause us to push aside the gentle wooing of the Holy Spirit calling us back to the Cross. Back to a place of complete surrender.
I have learned that to experience His power, to enjoy the glory of His presence, to have the power of the Cross, the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ operating in and through my life, if that is to happen for me, than I must be willing to forsake all to follow Him. I must come to the cross of Jesus Christ on a daily basis. And that holds true for everyone.
CONCLUSION
I conclude with familiar words from a previous message:
The Power of the Cross calls for:
— laying down ones life
— setting aside ones will
— setting aside family
— setting aside worry
— setting aside the cares of this world
— seeking FIRST the kingdom of God
— a determination to be all that Christ has called us to be
How will we see, and experience, the power of the Cross evident in our life?
— By spending time alone with God. In prayer and the Word of God. The Holy Bible.
— By repenting of our sins. Sins of commission and omission.
— By crying out to God in desperation for a move of the power of God in our life.
— By cleaning up our lives
— By getting rid of the junk
— By seeking FIRST the Kingdom of God. Placing Him as priority one. Building on a Firm Foundation.
“Christ must come first in the life of His disciples.
No one who follows Jesus with divided loyalties and a halfhearted effort can successfully be His disciple.” James reminds us that — * “a double-minded man, is unstable in all he does. ( James 1:8 )
To follow Christ is more than attending service on Sunday. To follow Christ is to daily commit your all to Him. Taking up your cross and following Him. *“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.” 1 Corinthians 4:20
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* All Bible quotations are taken from the New International Version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.
**(Bible Knowledge Commentary/Old Testament Copyright © 1983, 2000 Cook Communications Ministries; Bible Knowledge Commentary/New Testament Copyright © 1983, 2000 Cook Communications Ministries. All rights reserved.)
*** [ The Parables, Understanding What Jesus Meant, Gary Inrig, Discovery House Publishers, 1991 ]
