THANKFUL FOR THE CROSS
Gal. 6:14
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. WHAT’S A MOTTO. As a new paratrooper, I was struck by all the T-shirts on base emblazoned with the motto "Death from above!" Later I noticed a submariner with a T-shirt that declared "Death from below!" Then, standing in line for chow one day, I was served by an Army cook. His T-shirt had a skull with a crossed fork and spoon underneath and yet another warning: "Death from within!"
2. SMART PILLS. Feeling listless, I bought some expensive "brain-stimulating" pills at the health food store. But it wasn't until I got home that I read the label. "This is just rosemary extract," I complained to my husband. "I can't believe I spent all that money for something that I have growing like wild in the yard!"
"See?" he said. "You're smarter already."
B. TEXT
Galatians 6:14, “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”
C. THESIS
1. Darlene Zschech wrote a song that has become world-famous, in fact, we have sung it here many times. It’s called, "Worthy Is The Lamb." You will recognize the lyrics. It says,
“Thank you for the cross, Lord. Thank you for the price you paid. Bearing all my sin and shame, in love you came And gave Amazing Grace.
Thank you for this love, Lord. Thank you for the nail-pierced hands. Wash me in Your cleansing flow, now all I know...
Your forgiveness and embrace.
Worthy is the Lamb; Seated on the throne.
We crown You now with many crowns, You reign victorious!
High and lifted up, Jesus, Son of God. The darling of Heaven, crucified... Worthy is the Lamb.”
2. In thinking of Thanksgiving, we have discussed many things we’re thankful for – our families, jobs, health, food, friends, church, being Americans, etc.
3. But I want to echo what Darlene Zschech started off her song with – thankful for the cross. So that’s the title of tonight’s message, “Thankful for the Cross.”
4. Why are we “thankful” for the Cross? Because it reminds us of three great facts:
I. IT REMINDS US OF OUR SIN
A. WE HAVE FALLEN NATURES
1. The cross reminds us of sin. It’s our sin that made the cross necessary. Your sin. My sin. Not just the generic “sin of the world.”
2. Romans tells us there is no one righteous, that all have sinned. We want to hear about how good we are. We want to hear about how great we can become – the potential for our future.
3. People want to think of life like a balance scale. Your good deeds go on one side – your bad on the other. Then God weighs them and if your good deeds tip the balance, you get into heaven.
4. Most people are confident their good deeds are good enough. They compare their good deeds with the worst people of society and can’t imagine their lying, cheating, infidelity, and bad attitudes could possibly add up to enough to condemn them.
5. One poll found that less than 4% of Americans think they could end up in Hell. “Good people” are offended when they are told that they are more evil than they would ever dare imagine.
6. Romans 3:9-12 makes it clear: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God…. No one does good, not even one.’”
B. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CHRIST’S DEATH?
1. Who's responsible for the death of Jesus? There are all kinds of answers that you get from various people.
2. Some blame the Jews. Others blame Judas who sold Him. Or Pilate/Romans. Others the Jewish Rulers who condemned Him.
3. And yet, the question, "Who nailed Him to the cross," can only be answered with these words: "We all did. ‘He was wounded for OUR transgressions’."
4. ILLUSTRATION
a. A man had a dream. He said, "In a dream, I saw the Savior. His back was bare and there was a soldier lifting up his hand and bringing down on that back the awful cat-o'-nine-tails with its bits of iron tied in the little leather tips.
b. And in the dream, I arose and grabbed his arm to hold it back." "But when I did, the soldier turned around in astonishment to look at me.
c. And when I looked at him, I recognized myself."
5. And so, in reply to the question, "Who slew the Son of God," the only answer is, "We all did!"
C. WE CAN’T SAVE OURSELVES
1. In the message of the cross, it’s implicit that not only are we sinners, but there’s nothing we can do to save ourselves. No one wants to throw themselves on the mercy of the court.
2. Because of our heritage, Americans pride themselves on their independence, their being self-sufficient, “pulling ourselves up by your our bootstraps.” We’re to make our own way, succeed completely by our own efforts.
3. The reality is, we all want control. We like to think we’re in control. When it comes to saving our souls, the message of the cross says we’re absolutely helpless, and that kind of statement makes it easy for some to dismiss us, and for others to get upset with us.
II. REMINDS US OF THE LOVE OF GOD
A. POWER OF THE LOVE OF GOD
1. It’s something that can change our past, and redirect our future.
2. It’s something that will ease the pain of broken hearts, and shattered dreams, and give us the peace that we need for our souls.
3. It is something that will give us confidence that we are of value, that we matter, and that we are accepted by the One that matters most.
4. I want us to talk about the LOVE OF GOD!
B. DESCRIPTION OF GOD’S LOVE
6 “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”
C. THE GREATEST DEMONSTRATION OF LOVE
1. At Calvary, God pulled back the curtain, displaying before the world His love in all its matchless tenderness and grandeur.
2. Paul describes it as having breadth and length and
depth and height (Ephesians 3:18).
3. But Romans 5:8 says that God “demonstrates” his love to us. He sets it before us for our observation and admiration – so that we might be attracted and our hearts melted, so that we might come to Him.
III. WHO THE OBJECTS OF GOD’S LOVE ARE
… As shown in the death of Jesus Christ His Son.
A. WHO THE OBJECTS WERE NOT
1. Was it the Angels that were the objects? No – they did not need His death.
2. Was it for the good men and women? No – that would limit His love. The Bible says that “none” were good, that “all have sinned.”
B. WHO THE OBJECTS WERE
1. Those in a state of Helplessness – “without strength” (v. 6).
a. We can’t stop sickness or death.
b. We can’t live (on our own) morally upright.
c. We can’t save ourselves.
2. Those who were ungodly – “Christ died for the ungodly” (v. 6). “Ungodly” = those indifferent to spiritual things (like Esau).
3. But God does lower – into the depths of sin. “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (v. 8).
4. “Enemies!” “When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son” (v. 10).
C. THE TREMENDOUS SELFLESSNESS OF GOD’S LOVE
1. A LOVE…
Not for the deserving, but for the Undeserving.
Not for the obedient, but for the disobedient.
Not for the Just, but for the Unjust.
Not for His friends, but for His enemies.
2. If you’ve ever tried to love your enemies? Those who have done you injury, you know how hard it is. But God loved His enemies, made them the objects of His love, and saw that they should dwell with Him forever!
D. ILLUSTRATION
1. A young man who proved daring during the American Revolution afterward became a distinguished statesman. But he had a weakness – alcohol, and he became a hopeless drunk.
2. As his career had climbed, he had become engaged to a beautiful young woman, but when he lost his character due to drink, she broke off their engagement, foreseeing where his life was leading.
3. One day she was driving along in a carriage and she saw him lying in a ditch, drunk. His face was fully exposed to the mid day sun and she knew that in an hour he would be blistered. Her heart went out to him, so she reigned in the horses, got down, and placed one of her handkerchiefs over his face.
4. He later awoke and found the handkerchief. It was embossed with her initials. When he realized that she had seen him at his worst, yet stopped to assist him, he was filled with a thrill of hope and sprang to his feet, saying aloud, “She still loves me! All is not yet lost! I will redeem my life!” He did and they were ultimately reunited and were married.
5. Convince a man/woman that you love them and you’ll win their hearts. Convince lost people that God loves
them and they’ll crowd into the kingdom.
6. Most people think God hates them; that’s why they’re running away from Him. But “God is love.”
E. PAUL’S PERSUASION
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor
any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” ROMANS 8:38-39
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. Two brothers had a violent argument and fight. Each vowed never to speak to the other. Years passed.
2. Their mother was dying. She sent for her sons to come see her, but they wouldn't be in the same room.
3. Finally she convinced them to stand on opposite sides of her bed. With her last dying effort, she pulled their two hands together, and died.
4. With her death, she reconciled the brothers. That's what Jesus did. He took God the Father with one hand and us with the other, and dying on the cross, he put our hands together!
B. ALTAR CALL
1. HOW MANY NEED GOD’S LOVE TODAY? Have you accepted the love of God for you? If you want that love, slip up your hand.
2. Do you need healing or forgiveness? Slip up your hands. We’re going to pray. If you raised your hand, stand up. (If you really want God’s help, come stand up here with me.)
3. God’s looking for people to demonstrate His love through. Will you be one? Love the unlovable, the ungodly and even your enemies? Demonstrate what His love is like.
4. Lord’s Supper celebrated.
