Go and Show Them The Cross
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Last week we discussed the first step in effective Evangelism being we must make it about Jesus. Everything we do should show the world Jesus. This week we move further into our study on Evangelism and we find ourselves in Galatians chapter 6 verses 11-17. Today we will highlight the importance of the Cross and how it should direct the way we live. I'm not telling you to go out today and show people the physical cross, or to put yourself on the cross to show others Jesus. There are people out there that do this and they do it because they misunderstand the scripture. What we will discuss today is the behaviors we should exhibit in light of the Cross of Christ.
All of heaven is interested in the cross of Christ, hell afraid of it, while men are the only ones to ignore its meaning. ― Oswald Chambers
We are good at the idea of doing things that benefit us and committing to things that we see as an investment into our future. Take School for instance there is much importance put on School because of how it will improve your future. However when it comes to the cross many believers walk away from the calling of the cross. It is funny how the human mind sees investments.
Charles Francis Adams, 19th century political figure and diplomat, kept a diary. One day he entered: "Went fishing with my son today--a day wasted." His son, Brook Adams, also kept a diary, which is still in existence. On that same day, Brook Adams made this entry: "Went fishing with my father--the most wonderful day of my life!" The father thought he was wasting his time while fishing with his son, but his son saw it as an investment of time. The only way to tell the difference between wasting and investing is to know one's ultimate purpose in life and to judge accordingly.
To draw from the behaviors of Christ on the Cross is the greatest investment that a Christian could make. This morning it is my prayer that you will take the Scripture and use it to make the greatest investment in your lifetime. This morning we will see three aspects of the Cross. First the Cross is a Choice. Second, the Cross Cruel. Third the Cross is the Conception. Open your Bibles with me to Galatians chapter 6 and please stand with me as we read Galatians 6:11-17.
The Cross is a Choice
The Cross is a Choice
11 See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. 12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.
The behavior of taking up your cross is a choice and it is one that is not easy to do. You must be willing to look at the road ahead of you and to count others as more important than yourself. It is to look and to understand that your life will be difficult. The cross is a choice to understand that the World will not accept you. See there what Paul is writing to the church? Lets break it down.
11 See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. 12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.
The idea of the circumcision was making its way through the church. It was happening because you had this shift in the believers and their interaction with traditional Jews who did not count Jesus as the Messiah. The traditional Jews were persecuting the Christians and so what a group of them began doing was to say that they were circumcised. It was their goal to do this so that they would not be persecuted by the traditional Jews of the day. They did not have to worry because they were taking on the Law and they could tell the ones who would persecute them that they were following the law by being circumcised. The cross though is a choice not to live in the old life, a choice to live in what God has called us to do, and yes ultimately a choice to understand that we will be persecuted. There are many pastors preaching this morning that Jesus just wants you to come and to take part of all the blessings He has for you and that when you follow Jesus all your life will be better. While in some areas I can understand this and agree in some forms with this I do not agree with their heart. Their heart is that there is no persecution for believers and our lives become perfect. This is not the case. A believers life is constant persecution. The fact though is that so many of us have become very good at making a choice to avoid the persecution. Let me give you an example.
When your neighbor is a jerk, the kind of person who does not deserve your time. The kind of neighbor that when you see them you wish you could head the other way and never interact with. I’m sure some of you have those in here today. Instead of choosing the cross many people choose a fence and make themselves believe they are following what God has called us to. We don’t accept the persecution and work towards the behaviors that Jesus called us to, we avoid the interaction and tell ourselves we are being like Jesus. That in itself though is a lie. Jesus did not avoid confrontation. Jesus many times went head first into confrontation. We are called to choose persecution. What did Jesus do?
39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”
44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”
Jesus chose to follow the Fathers will. Jesus could have walked away but He chose to follow the will of the Father. We are called to this same type of life. We must choose to be persecuted. We cannot do our best to avoid it, in avoiding the persecutions of life we hide ourselves and we deny the Father that we claim.
During China's Boxer Rebellion of 1900, insurgents captured a mission station, blocked all the gates but one, and in front of that one gate placed a cross flat on the ground. Then the word was passed to those inside that any who trampled the cross underfoot would be permitted their freedom and life, but that any refusing would be shot. Terribly frightened, the first seven students trampled the cross under their feet and were allowed to go free. But the eighth student, a young girl, refused to commit the sacrilegious act. Kneeling beside the cross in prayer for strength, she arose and moved carefully around the cross, and went out to face the firing squad. Strengthened by her example, every one of the remaining ninety-two students followed her to the firing squad.
In our country we are not yet facing death for believing however that may come. Our persecutions are so much lighter yet we still chose to walk away from them. We choose to try and hide rather than to stand on the truth. The saddest part of this is that some of you in here are hearing me say that you should post, post, post of social media. Become a person who tells others how horrible they are why because you are misunderstanding what I am saying this morning. What I am saying is that you should be willing to choose to be less to make more of Christ. To view yourself as less important than those you are trying to save. We must choose to take up the Cross.
15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.
The cross and loving others is a choice. It is a choice to make those who persecute you more important than yourself. How are you treating the neighbor who is persecuting you? What about the co worker? What about the world around you? Do you see them as more important and your mission bigger than living a comfortable life? The Cross is a choice. The Cross though is not only a choice, it is cruel.
The Cross is Cruel
The Cross is Cruel
14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
Paul told the church that he was crucified to this world and the world was crucified to him. This is a picture of death. The cross is not a pretty thing. It was the most painful and public way to die. Jesus was sacrificed in the most painful way possible. Crucifixion is painful and to be crucified with Christ means that we are willing to go through some pain. The cross was cruel to Jesus and if you are going to take the cross up it will be cruel to you too. It will mean that you must be willing to have horrible things done to you and instead of showing people how powerful you are, you pray for the father to forgive them. I want you to really understand what the Cross was for Jesus.
What is crucifixion? A medical doctor provides a physical description: The cross is placed on the ground and the exhausted man is quickly thrown backwards with his shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire feels for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drives a heavy, square wrought-iron nail through the wrist and deep into the wood. Quickly he moves to the other side and repeats the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to allow some flex and movement. The cross is then lifted into place.
The left foot is pressed backward against the right foot, and with both feet extended, toes down, a nail is driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees flexed. The victim is now crucified. As he slowly sags down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating, fiery pain shoots along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain--the nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the median nerves. As he pushes himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, he places the full weight on the nail through his feet. Again he feels the searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the bones of his feet. As the arms fatigue, cramps sweep through the muscles, knotting them in deep, relentless, throbbing pain. With these cramps comes the inability to push himself upward to breathe. Air can be drawn into the lungs but not exhaled. He fights to raise himself in order to get even one small breath. Finally carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in the blood stream, and the cramps partially subside. Spasmodically he is able to push himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen.
Hours of this limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain as tissue is torn from his lacerated back as he moves up and down against the rough timber. Then another agony begins: a deep, crushing pain deep in the chest as the pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart. It is now almost over--the loss of tissue fluids has reached a critical level--the compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood into the tissues--the tortured lungs are making a frantic effort to gasp in small gulps of air. He can feel the chill of death creeping through is tissues. . .Finally he can allow his body to die.
Jesus understood the pain of crucifixion and the public humility that he would endure. What does the scripture say about the crucifixion?
28 And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.
32 As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. 33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34 they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. 35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. 36 Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. 37 And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38 Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. 39 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, 42 “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” 44 And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.
Jesus Chose to go to the Cross understanding that He would go through all of this. Jesus was willing to go though all of this and what did He say?
34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.
The cross is cruel and you must be willing to love others when being persecuted. It is a choice to lay yourself down. This is not a choice to accept what God has for you and to use your strength to make others bow to you, that is what Satan did! We are called to understand the cruelty that we will face and still be willing to do it for the love of those around us.
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.
23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
Life will continue to be cruel to you. People will be cruel to you. The Cross was not a White Collar Federal Sentence, it was a death sentence. Are you willing to choose the Cross? Are you willing to understand the cruelty you will face and still love those who are persecuting you? If you are then the Cross is the Conception.
The Cross is the Conception
The Cross is the Conception
15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. 16 And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.
17 From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.
If you are choosing to truly follow Christ and to take up your Cross and You are willing to go through some very cruel days and times in your life, understanding that we are to love those who do the most cruel things to us, then you are conceived into a new creation as Paul wrote here in the Scripture. Paul is telling the people that nothing matters more than being a new creation in Christ. It does not matter if you are circumcised, it does not matter if you are uncircumcised. If you are not willing to choose the cross understanding how it will call you to love the worst people in your life then no matter how pretty you make yourself look, how religious you are, or how many times you walk through the doors of the church, it will not matter. You are called to be a new creation. To see things differently, to understand things from a heavenly perspective. To become a new creation. You only truly become a new creation though when you follow through with what God has called us to as believers. The fact is that there are many believers doing what the early church did and trying to blend with the world around them to avoid persecution and the world is dying around them and they couldn't care less. They are selfish and are not sharing the wonderful things of the Cross. The Cross is a choice that calls you to love through the cruelty of the world and in doing so you become a new creation that views the world differently.
London businessman Lindsay Clegg told the story of a warehouse property he was selling. The building had been empty for months and needed repairs. Vandals had damaged the doors, smashed the windows, and strewn trash around the interior.
As he showed a prospective buyer the property, Clegg took pains to say that he would replace the broken windows, bring in a crew to correct any structural damage, and clean out the garbage.
"Forget about the repairs," the buyer said. "When I buy this place, I'm going to build something completely different. I don't want the building; I want the site."
Compared with the renovation God has in mind, our efforts to improve our own lives are as trivial as sweeping a warehouse slated for the wrecking ball. When we become God's, the old life is over (2 Cor. 5:17). He makes all things new. All he wants is the site and the permission to build.
What does the Bible say about you being a new creation?
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
Evangelism takes place when we live the Cross. When we understand that the Cross is a choice and you get to make it. Are you going to take up your cross today? The Cross is Cruel, the world will not love you it will despise you and will attempt to destroy you and you will still need to love the people that are trying to harm you as Jesus did. Lastly if you are willing to do these things as Christ did then you will be a new creation used by God to change the World.