Take up your Cross (The Cross)

Dave will be bringing us the message this morning.

Becky.

Replacing you before, before you begin.

Call Dave up to you.

May he be your mouthpiece load? Using to bring your word to your people. Lord bless him, strengthen him protect him, cover him. Thank you for him and for his life and for his, for the anointing, you've given him in Jesus mighty 99. Thank you, Nikki. Morning everybody.

They still have hot water ready for till you but it can be a distraction counted. We're continuing our service and I'll study end our journey on the cross.

And I don't know what kind of week you've had. Some of us have Brody in weeks weeks.

Some of us have had an argument this morning. It's almost got out and enjoy the joy for mourning. Some of this work kinda late because we didn't realize we needed to put the clock forward and suddenly, we realized, we were wondering and saying he's not copying update automatically, or was it? Do I need to update it? You have to do that when you wake up in the morning or in a hurry. Should I want one of the things like in size of the Cross times? At the central time, the cross times at the center of who we are as Christians of who we are as God's creation. So what is God, what books has the cross represent with? It was a fulfillment of Prophecy in Genesis 3, verse 15 and between your seed and her, he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heels. It was a fulfillment because the cross signed, but the site and has been defeated The crossing the Crossing in Jesus's time was a brutal. Dreadful challenging shameful death. What's the kind of thing that you, you said will, Mike, Mike grandfather? He was crucified thing that you said it was brutal and challenging. I didn't song 22. It says this as we read of the sufferings with beauty read about sufferings and scripture very clearly about sufferings and songs.

My God's is he thinks he's David complaining to go. My God. My God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from? Helping me. I'm from the woods with my groaning. Oh my God, I cry in the night time, but you do not here and in the night season and I'm not silence. But You Are Holy enthroned, in the Praises of Israel. Our father's trusted in you, they trusted and you delivered them. I cried to you and would you live if they trusted in you and were not ashamed? But I am a worm and no man, a reproach of men and despised by the people. Who loves you see me ridicule me they shoot me outlet. They shake their head saying He trusted in the Lord, let him rescue him. Let him deliver him since he Delights in him. But you are he who took me out of the womb? You are you made me trust whilst on my mother's breast. I was cost to pull you from both from my mother's womb, you have been my con Be not far from me for trouble is near, but there is none to help.

Many bulls are surrounded me, strong Bulls of Bashan, having sex with me. AJ Pat me with their mouths, like a raging and roaring lion.

I am poured out like water. I know my phone's out to join. My heart is like Wax. It has melted Within Me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd and my tongue clings to my Jewel and you have brought me to the dust of that.

What dogs have surrounded me. The congregation of the wicked has enclosed me. They pissed my hands and my feet. I can count all my phone's they look and stare at me. I divide my comments, amongst them, and for my clothing, they cost blowouts. But You O Lord, do not be far from me. Oh, my strength hasten to help me. Deliver me from The Sword, my precious life, from the power of the dog.

Save me from the lion's mouth. And for the whole into the wild oxen, you have answered me.

I will declare your name to my brethren in the midst of the assembly. I will praise you. You who fear the lord pricing 40 descendants of Jacob, glorify him and fed him or you offspring of Israel. Or he was not despised or about the Affliction of The Afflicted. Nor has he hidden his face from him? When we cry to him, he heard. My prayer shall be all of you in the great assembly. And I will pay my vows before those who fear Him.

Do I, what do you suggest me to write sing a song? And listen to the, I'm going to repeat them again, but just look how to synchronize with what happened on the cross. David crying out to God. Do we not hear those words? Cried out from The Cross by Christ. Answer the cross represents all suffering. He's an example of baby crying out in suffering and Jesus reflects on the cross as he cries out to his father.

Where have you gone? Why have you left me? So I think is very clearly marriage to us. The Christ on the cross, understands our suffering. I wonder what the cross means to you.

I wonder whether you know someone who's address reputation crucified, I wonder whether, you know, someone or maybe it's true for you. Or some of these something that was as being taken away.

Jesus teaches us to take up our cross.

Crucifixion was for criminals. So why should we take up our cross? The nails, the torment, the agony will well-known. When Jesus told his followers to take up the cross to follow him, it wasn't very pleasant proposition, I remember many, many years ago, somebody preaching on the cross at this time of year, when we were meeting in Minecraft school, And I bought a big piece of wood alone and they bought some great big nail salon in his paw into the wood that we use. The proper Niles that you kind of handcrafted the great big Niles and it took an effort to make it very strong, made it realize that it was a horrible thing.

So why would we want to take up our cross? I believe Jesus has a deeper meaning in mind, he wants us to put to death, the things that are not of God and he wants to see the things that are of him and Rhymes. As followers of Jesus, we need a hundred percent dedication to have no turning back, no turning back. In Galatians. Chapter 5.

Galatians 5:24 and those who are Christ's have crucified, the flesh with its passions and desires. Have you ever done something? I've done some dumb things going to think. I wish I could put that back in the box.

Do you know the best way to not have to put it back in the Box? Easter never have taken out the box in the first place? So that speaks to us changing that speaks to us being different. When we find ourselves, taking the same things out the box again and again, and again and choosing again to please ourselves.

We don't deny ourselves. I'm one of the things that I believe, taking up all cross speak, so he speaks of not denying Who We Are. But denying the spirit that's in us off. Flash clean HR all selfish Ness. I'm so close as to be selfless encourages as Jesus gives us the example as he sacrificed himself on the cross, as he was as he died upon the cross. Now, it's not easy to deny ourselves, I'll send you a link to Rises up. There are things that we should do. There are things that we do that, we shouldn't do and there are things that we shouldn't do that. We do do

That's the conflict. That's the bottle.

in Romans 8:5 it says this, according to the sinful nature, but those who live in accordance with the spirit, have their minds set on what the spirit desires,

So when he's on easier way to deny yourself, is to fulfill yourself. Follow him and make his choices. So is there before we even look in the box.

To adjust it all. Mine set.

Jesus did this as we read in Philippines to Versailles, he humbled himself and became obedient to death. Even death on the cross.

Want me to leave things where they belong to take him to the cross and leave them there. While I go along to put aside, self following God's will doesn't mean that we have to squash your personality or be unhappy because God's plans the best plan. Define fulfillment and contentment and unspeakable joy.

A-1 Pizza 1 versus sites that you have not seen him. You love him and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible on glorious Joy.

We need to God all fools. Does, this is very start. She starts in our heads when we start thinking, when is Temptation, start a response to a trigger and starts in our response to a nice chocolate cake. Maybe we could treat ourselves that allows one. But how many times have we had one? And then the second then then a fool It's god-awful.

Philippians 4 by Seitz sssss pools, closing out, this letter, finally, Brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things on the table. Whatever things are, just whatever things are pure, whatever things are, lovely, whatever. Things are of good report if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things, That's how we got off course. When is ending out Celexa are Weeping looking at this, you know, I'd like find Bible study with lexio Divina encouraging us. To meditate to pause to consider to allow things to sink in.

If the water of God's word stays on the surface if we we are and it doesn't bear any and any any any benefit it doesn't soak in and caused us to walk a different way to make a different choice.

Anybody ever been in prison? Maybe visiting. Maybe maybe other tool. This is one way of discouraging people from Criminal choices is to put them in a cell and shut the door on tan connection to running me. Christian Fellowship. He used to be the chaplain at brunsvold and it was the jangling of the case because every time the keys jangled, that was a sign that someone could someone could open the door and let them out. But sometimes they had the keys jangling, it wasn't bad. It was opening that somebody else has been escorted somewhere else. And it just said that, that raised of expectation, that they were going to get out and get some fresh air and then not disappointment, and let somebody else free.

In Colossians 3, I'm not going to read over there. I'll let you read the whole of the scripture which us-40 keishin on cleanliness, passion, evil desire and covetousness, which is idolatry because of these things. The rough of God. He's coming on the sons of disobedience in which you yourselves were once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are put off all these things. I'm modest blasphemy filthy language out of your mouth, do not lie to one another. Since you have put off the old man with Easter eggs, do you have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge and according to the image of him who created in baby's arms and choosing the design of the spirit, the fruits of the spirit compassion kindness, humidity gentleness patience, forgiveness. Yeah, it is a choice. We might whether we going to be gone. It is a choice. We make whether we going to be gentle, it's a choice. We might to forgive I need so easy to allow things like fear and conflict and jealousy to rise up. How many times do you hear that? People wanting to say, I want my peace. I want my fair share.

So let me encourage us to run the rice, the run, the race that is set before us.

Hebrews 12, verses 1 and 2. That fool. We also since we are surrounded by so great. A cloud of witnesses. Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily, ensnare us, and let us run with endurance, the race that is set before us.

Anyway, we can win. Easter begin, running the rice without win a prize, if we don't, stop I'm so when Christ says, take up your cross and follow me, he's leading by example.

It's different for each one of us, each one of us has our own Journey, our own path, our own way.

Orange Phoenix. Roanoke, Witness. we can look to the Cross, we can look to Christ and we can look to him hanging there, something he knows he understands I'm so that for one more encouraged to take out power cross and follow him. Relias side to things about ourselves and take home the things of the father. Compassion kindness. Humility gentleness, patience and forgiveness might be manifest in you and me.

In Acts 1:8. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the Earth. you know, when we take up our cross and follow him,

we broadcast the good news of the Gospel. because instead of it being all selfish nightjar, it's his self less Niger, the shines in us and for us and through us,

Call. Remember the last time I used this price but I've often talked about Shiny People. I need to know it's because I feel like they've just done some exercise and I got a little sheen on that fights just like being in the gym it's because they Shine from the inside out. Eat, despite what's going on.

It is almost like when they smile they reveal something inside that. The smart is so much bigger than just the the passing of that, it's the ice mop, the Buddy smokes. And I hope that each one of us could be a shiny person this week that we can type it like into a dark place. We can take positiveness into negative situations. We can take wisdom and prophetic words, God's words, into moments of confusion, to bring Claritin. So from the rice, let's knock, knock. Knock knock. Let's run the rights to these quarters to run,

taking that image of running, a rice and taking up. Our cross seems crazy. Seems like we've already snagged ourselves and we kind of already creating an obstacle race of what seems like a marathon in the first place. Do you know what? We take up our cross. He helps his carrier. It doesn't just go. There you go. Kyrie across just like I did. See, it's not easy. Just as the father in Naple, the Sun. Father and labels off to carry out across. Do you know what the movie Carrie at the license plates? Because we give it back to him. We just saw you go. I'll talk to you in My Own Strength. I need you, when we come to the end of ourselves, That's when we run out. When we come to the end of all cells, we run out and that's when if we allow him he can step in and help me. I am weak, make me strong and pool. Make me Rich Fill me with all that I need. So, let me encourage you to run the rice this morning this week. We stepped into summer time this summer.

For God. So loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whosoever believes in Him. Should not perish but have everlasting life.

What are the strange things as I Was preparing for this and reading through. And that's one of the reasons why I write so much of Psalm 22. It was for those who left Handel's Messiah. Those particular words are literally word for word in the Messiah. He trusted in God and see what the choir. Sing got some tunes, running around your head, just because I just connected that for you again.

At the end of the second part of the Messiah.

Notice the Hallelujah Chorus. And the Hallelujah Chorus has a tradition built around it because it's so moved the King. When he first heard it in a bit of a tradition ever since then they often when the Hallelujah Chorus is sung, people stand And I just think it's a reflection. Hallelujah. Guard your head. And I want that to be true for everyone tonight. Hallelujah. Lord, your hair. Hallelujah. I don't have to do this on my own. I can do it with you. So I'm laying aside. Something of ourselves seems hard. But you know what, once we start doing, it becomes easier. It becomes a lifestyle. A decision becomes a choice, a choice becomes a habit habit, becomes the largest 17 times. If you make, if you let your smartphone, you want to give up smoking the first. I'm not going to do it tonight. And then the next day, and then the next day, and then a choice, he's have become a habit. I've been seven weeks and then something needs to become a locksmith though. And if we find it hard, then we need God's help. Help us to do whether that, whatever that is that we need to step out cuz he's very easy to get stuck. On the rails. My father-in-law told me that story many years ago about how he was riding down a particular Street in Coventry and that wood trim lines in the road and it got stuck in the right down and slipped into the tramlines and he couldn't get out in the bike.

Sometimes we can get stuck in the tramlines of life. Sometimes we can get stocking in particular ways of thinking. Does Mimi have to pull over somebody to help us out? Help us out of the tram lines that were in.

Let me encourage you to pull the love of Christ into yourself, so that the love of Christ could be poured into others. That's where we got the power from the Holy Spirit. Holy spirit will help us.

if we're thinking of taking up all across, Then we need to do it with mercy and love, forgiveness, and Grace. Let's focus on him and do this self Leslie, Robin selfishly. Let me pry.

All the girls, we want to be more like your son. Load off, turn off self gets in the way. Open always our habits of choices. Get in the way.

Supposed to help us to lift our eyes up from looking at all. So it's nice to look at the cross to look through the cross. So the father To be thankful for the Sun. Also you. Jesus Christ, you paid the price for us. So we might know the fullness. The fullness of his presence in our lives. I'll pass today to take a cross in Fallout. Hey, help us to be more like him. We pry.

Father, help us to go the extra mile. A to give the extra minute. Opposed to take the extra moment, too shy to talk to give. So the more of your life might be manifest in our worlds, we pray in Jesus name. Call Matt.