Matt. 16:21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!" But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
This Month @ THE CROSS
Place of the Cross is Foolish or Powerful
Cross is a Door
Today – The Way of the Cross (Carry Your Cross)
Looking at the Path that Comes with the Cross
The Life that Must Follow the Cross
The Cross Makes No Sense if there is not a LIFESTYLE that Comes with its’ Encounter
PRAY
Somewhere Along the Line –
The Cross has Become an ICON for Christianity...
It’s Our Trademark if you will...
We probably could claim a few – But the Cross is the One that is Most identified with US.
Identity is a Funny thing is this Culture
We are Usually Careful about Who/What we Identify Ourselves
AND We’re Willing to pay a lot for Identity
Designer Wear... Sports Teams...Racing...
Sports for Example –
Once we’re on w/a Team – Loyal to it – Even when they are losing...
"Fan ever since...Followed them...I remember..."
Yet – With the Cross of JC – It has never had a Losing Track Record...
It is Undefeated...
Yet –
We will Struggle with its Identity – Because it Feels Like a Loss At times in Our lives...
Why is that? What’s that really about?
Are we losing? Are we coming in 2nd at times?
Or is there a Bigger Picture at work?
Scripture
"Take up your cross"
Is found in a couple passages in the gospels
Matt. 16, Mark 8, Mark 10, & Luke 9
What is Jesus teaching?
"Take up"
To take and apply to any use...
"Deny Self"
To affirm one has no acquaintance or connection w/ someone...
To forget one’s self, lose sight of one’s self and one’s own interests...
"Follow"
To follow one who precedes, join him, accompany him...
To join one as a disciple, become or be his disciple, to side with his party...
Jesus Teaches us that we Must Become Acquainted with the Instrument of His death for us to FIND OUR OWN LIFE!
Looking for life = Loss of it
Loosing it for his sake = Finding the very thing that we’re looking for!
2 Ironies
1st – The Way of the Cross is The Way of death
The Cross was Never meant to:
Be Pretty &
Symbolize Hurt...Pain...Bruises...
Once a You we’re Associated with the Cross – the End was Clear – DEATH!
We’ve Beautified it –
Into a Symbol of GOLD...Comfort...Polished...Enhancement...
In Today’s Times –
The Cross WOULD Be
Electric Chair...Lethal Injection...Gas Chamber...Firing Squad...Cyanide...
(All after being terribly abused by humanity)
2nd Irony to this (THESE) Passage(s) is it’s (their) Timing
JC had Just now Told them about THE Cross
He had not accepted it yet though...
So –
Even in His Telling them – The Cross was a place of Death INFLICTED UPON YOU!
Sound Like in 2002 –
I must suffer & die...I’ll die from electric shock...Hanging...
If anyone is going to follow me – take up his electric chair...hangman’s noose – & FOLLOW ME!
They had to Struggle with this one!
Peter DID –
NOT SO LORD – Get Behind me satan...
Another Possible Follower did –
Go sell all that you have...Take up your cross & Follow me – He went away sad...
The Cross was Seen By THEM as a GROSS place of DEATH –
Therefore it CUT Against them having to Carry one.
So it Does Today – When YOU see it for what it really is
You Feel its Weight from time to time...
When YOU Want to Do your own thing & KNOW that it’s not right – Cross
When you want to follow your path...
You Sense that it’s There...
Rubs against your Shoulder...Cuts into your will...
Presses into your Style...
Starts Cutting Off the Blood Flow to an Old Way of Doing things...
Breath to an old Habit Starts Kicking for another Gulp...
Jesus Death Was Abnormal For A Cross –
Quicker than Supposed to Be...
Possibly Showing Us – that the Quicker we go through the Way of death in this FLESH –
The Better we Live in the Spirit?
Not only Does the Cross Speak of Death –
The Cross is Meant to Symbolize a Way to LIVING
A LIFESTYLE...
That MINDSET that Jesus Had...
Jesus Came with the Full Intention of Dying on a Cross...
THAT OLD RUGGED CROSS –
Jesus said "we are to EMBRACE it"
NOTE
IF Jesus’ Cross is the DOOR into Relation...Out of the PAST
Our Cross is the PATH to LIVE IN IT...
Snuff –
Everyone wants to go to heaven – no one wants to die
To Note the Cross as Being a Place of Death – Changes Things when it becomes a Way of Life for us
AT THE Cross –
Jesus the Son of man was Fully Dead (FLESH/Humanity)
Jesus the Son of God was Fully Alive (SPIRIT/DIVINITY)
Mean?
The Cross is meant to be the place where FLESH Dies So that the SPIRIT Might Live
The place Where "things" in the way - DIE
Each Place We Find this Phrase being taught –
It’s Couched IN Another Challenge
1st – w/ Simon Peter...Jesus Goes On to say this –
If anyone will come after me – deny self, take up his cross, & follow me...For whoever will SAVE his life will LOSE it & Whoever will Lose his life for my sake will FIND It. For what do you profit if you GAIN the Whole world & LOSE your soul...OR what shall a man give in exchange for his soul....For the Son of man will reward everyone according to his works.
2nd – He is recorded as also saying –
Whoever shall be ashamed of me & my words...of him shall the Son of man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his father
3rd – Telling the young man to go sell...
How hard it is for those that have much to enter into the kingdom – How hard it is for them that TRUST in riches...
4th – Like the others w/SP Coupled with the Settings of the teachings –
It’s the Things of Life/Society/Comfort to the Flesh –
That will Hinder us from Obeying the Cross
Jesus
TAKE IT UP...CARRY IT...
The Cross is to Be Carried!
Not Prayed About...
Not Fasted Over for 20 years...
CARRIED!
NOTE
Jesus Broke ALL the Rules when He Went to the Cross
Being What it was – The Cross was ALWAYS Something that You were CONDEMNED to –
Jesus Broke that Mold & Volunteered for it...
Broke the Model...Paradigm...
"I could pray & have More than 12 legions of angels here..."
"You’d have no power unless it were given to you from above..."
So it is with us –
We MUST VOLUNTEER For OUR CROSS
NOTE –
The Cross IS NOT
The Hard times of Life that "Happen’
The times that the Bills are unpaid...Lose our job...Have a surprise child...
THAT IS NOT YOUR CROSS – You Didn’t Volunteer for it & It can’ be your Cross!
Your Cross is When You Have to make a Decision to Carry it –
In Spite of its Weight & Discomfort...
OR – Lay it Down Until it Becomes more Accommodating to your life...
The Cross Room
A young man was at the end of his rope. Seeing no way out he dropped to his knees in prayer. "Lord, I can’t go on," he said. "I have too heavy a cross to bear."
The Lord replied, "My son, if you can’t bear its weight, just place your cross inside this room. Then open that other door and pick out any cross you wish."
The young man was filled with relief. "Thank you Lord," he sighed, and he did what he was told. Upon entering the other door, he saw many other crosses, some so large the tops weren’t even visible. Then he spotted a tiny cross leaning against the far wall. "I’d like that one Lord," he whispered.
And the Lord replied, "My son, that is the cross you just brought in."
Your Cross is All About Being Obedient to Jesus –
When Your Flesh is DYING to LIVE!
Your Cross
Will Become Very Inconvenient At Times
Carry It Anyway
Will BE Very heavy at times –
Carry it anyway
If You Carry Your Cross –
His Cross Will Carry You
Sign of Maturity –
If YOU carry your Cross –
When it’s not Convenient for you...
When it Becomes a Fight against FLESH & SPIRIT
Your Cross –
Leaves marks!
TATTOO...
Shoulders...
Hands...
Fingers...
Feet...
Brow...
Flesh – Hard to See Because of the Jesus that Shines Through You
The Thing about your cross –
If YOU carry It Right –
As it Marks Your Flesh –
It will also Mark you for his return...
