The Accomplishments of the Cross

Thank you, Worship Team and Church, for the total praise in the house of God. And so, Father God, today we are reminded again and again about Your blessings upon every one of us gathered here today. Psalm 100 verse 5 says, “For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.” This verse reminds us that the Lord can be trusted from generation to generation. As we continue our Sunday Worship Service, our prayer is for You to give us ears to hear what the Spirit says to the church. We give You the glory and honor. We pray this in Christ’s holy name and let everyone say Amen. You may be seated.

TITHE and OFFERING

We will call on the ushers to pass around the [offering] plates so we can give our gifts to God. Please follow the instructions on the screen on how to give to the church. The worship team will lead us [again] with a song as we collect our tithes and offerings.

PRAYER FOR TITHE and OFFERING

As we give our gifts, remind us today that it is to magnify the Cross of our Savior. And because of the Cross, we give You our gifts in our Savior’s name. The name of the One who hung on the Cross we pray and give. Everyone said Amen.

WELCOME

Welcome everyone to our Sunday Worship Service. Please stand up [everyone], greet some folks around you, and welcome them to worship [Service]. Our first-time visitors, please stand so we can see you. We also welcome all who join us online.

ANNOUNCEMENT

· As we make our announcements, I want everyone to be the church and not just a part of the church, so I encourage you and plead [with you] to be involved by serving in different ministries in this church.

· Men’s Breakfast is on Saturday, April 5th at 10:00 a.m. Our Worship Night is March 28th for this month.

· Wednesday Night [Remember] is our Bible Study Connect at 7:00 p.m. Please join us on Wednesday night to STUDY and [NAVIGATE] THE WORD OF GOD. We are halfway through the Book of First Corinthians. We started to meet every Saturday at 8:00 a.m. for the Corporate Prayer Meeting. There is power in prayer. If you have a prayer request, please fill out the prayer request form online or in-person using the prayer request form so we can pray for you.

· All the weekly activities for the church are posted online on the church’s website.

DECLARATION of FAITH in GOD

Let us stand and say the Declaration of Faith in God together.

Please remain standing as we pray.

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

Join me in prayer, please.

It seems, our Father, that it takes us a lifetime to learn how we ought to live. So many, including us, have run in the wrong direction for so long, and then we realize the Cross, which puts everything into perspective. It begins within, and our hearts are changed. It grows without end, and our lives start to change. By and by, our tongues fall into the control of Your power. Our minds think Your thoughts. Our feet walk in Your paths. And our will[s] submit to Your ways. Thank You for the Cross. [Thank You for the Cross of Jesus Christ.] We fall back on the Cross, think of [The Cross], and [We] realize that all things are level at the foot of the Cross. We can look up and give You our praise as we have done. All HAIL THE POWER OF THE NAME OF THE [ONE] WHO HANG ON THE CROSS. We magnify and glory Your name. We pray that this church will experience Your Shekinah glory every time we assemble to worship You. We exalt Your name together. From a busy and active week, we pause for this time of worship, setting aside the thing that will otherwise bring worry and fear, and [we] focus on the Cross together. We pray, our Father, that as we do, it will rejuvenate an awareness [within us] that life is meant to be lived out and not just lived in. Remind us of the value of serving You. Been among Your hand and feet. Your voice and Your presence. I pray that the Holy Spirit teaches and guides me as I bring forth Your faithful Word, full of power, truth, revelation, and transformation for Your people. May the Holy Spirit take [The] center stage and proclaim this message for the glory of Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior; we pray in His name. And everyone said Amen.

SERMON INTRODUCTION

Our series is “Returning to the Cross.” In this sermon series, we seek [to give you] a fresh view of Calvary—a fresh view of the Cross. As we go along, I think you will discover [there is] more to this Cross than you ever realized, not only for your destiny to heaven but also for your progress through history. The Cross is the Centerpiece of the Christian faith. The Cross is the heart of the Gospel, and [it is] the key to unlock the door to every area of life. How we thank our God for the Cross. Thank You for the Cross. Repeat after me – Thank You for the Cross. Say it one more time – Thank You for the Cross.

Job raised the question in Job, Chapter 9, verse 2: “How can a man be right before God?” That was Job’s question. How can a man be right before a holy and righteous God? In other words, Job says God is way up there [in heaven], I am way down here on earth, and sin has created a gap for which I don’t have a bridge to connect heaven and earth. The gap is too [great] for a sinful man to get to a Holy God. It is like asking me, ‘Show me the road I can take to walk to the moon.’ And there is no way because the gap is too [great].

That brings us to what Jesus Christ accomplished through the Cross. Because of this gap created by sin, God has three options available. The first option is for God to condemn the sinners. The second option is for God to compromise His character. The second option is not an option because God would have to avoid [or skip] sin. God would have to compromise His Holiness. There is a third option God has for Himself… and that is to make the sinner [You and me] righteous.

Well, God cannot lower His standard, which we talked [about] last week because, by [nature], we [said] that God is Holy. Sinners stand condemned unless God comes up with a way to make the sinner righteous. The sinner cannot make himself righteous because the righteousness that God demands is perfection. I am a sinner—and– we are all sinners … we do not satisfy the demands of God’s perfection. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

SERMON EXPOSITION

That brings up the Cross. Beginning in verse 24 of Romans Chapter 3, Paul, the author of the Book of Romans, sets forth [a number] of keywords to help you understand the Cross in a deeper and more [profound] way. Paul uses what we might call technical terminology to explain why the Cross is so significant and fundamental for your life and my life, both for salvation and, as we go along, for sanctification. [And] The ultimate purpose of the Cross is glorification.

The first word Paul introduces us to is [the word] Justification. He says at the beginning of verse 24: “Being justified.” Repeat after me – say justified. Justification is a theological, technical term. The word justification is related to the court system. Justice is a legal terminology. “I want fair and equitable treatment.” The United States [US] Constitution seeks to establish justice and ensure all citizens equal treatment under the law. People talk about the Justice System, which is supposed to enact fairness. [And so] Justification is connected with justice.

To put this word in everyday language, justification is “just as if I have never sinned.” It is just as if I have never sinned. The problem is, I have sinned; you have sinned over and over and over and over. So, God had to satisfy His perfection [in a way] that sinful men and women could be made righteous. Just as if they never sinned.… Justification! Because we have sinned … God came up with a legal means to acquit the sinner without skipping the sin to declare the sinner innocent, even though the sinner is guilty before God.

SERMON EXPLANATION 1

Our Holy God [came up with] the doctrine of imputation, or credit to our account, which I [talked] about last week. The doctrine of imputation in theology [Watch This] allows God to acquit a sinner even though the sinner has sinned against God. To impute something is to give credit to something. God came up with a legal means by which the sinner could be declared righteous, and that legal means is called Justification … in which God can pardon the sinner through the imputation or the credit of righteousness.

2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “He [Speaking of Jesus Christ] who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God through Him.” First, God credited my sin and your sin unto Jesus Christ. And then [Watch This] God credited Jesus’ righteousness unto us when we accepted Christ.

SERMON ILLUSTRATION 1

It is [a] double credit. You are not going to heaven because of a single credit. If you are a Christian, you are going to heaven because of a double credit [to your account]. God credited our sin unto Jesus on the Cross. And God credits the perfection of Christ unto your account. You are going to heaven because you have a perfect credit score. And [the reason] you have a credit score is by imputation—the righteousness of Christ has been imputed or credited to your account. [You ought to give God some praise and glory for that.]

You see, … the more you understand the Cross and the more you appreciate the Cross, you are going to discover the more you benefit from the Cross. The less you [understand] the Cross and the [less you] appreciate the Cross, the less benefit you will have from the Cross, even as a Christian.

SERMON EXPLANATION 2

When you understand what the Cross has done, and [you] [understand] the Cross implications … and then you understand its ramifications! Through Jesus Christ, God paid for your sins and [your] tomorrows that you haven’t yet gotten to or experienced.

God has put so much into your account ….. and it is [called] Grace. It is good news to know that I have a salvation that has paid for my yesterdays, and [I have a salvation] that has paid for my tomorrows. God can declare me righteous because the deposit of Jesus Christ into my account has covered me for a lifetime.

That is why the Bible says in Revelation 13:8 that Jesus was crucified before the foundation of the world. Because of Jesus Christ, I am declared righteous, and God can look at me through the Blood of His Son to see me. And that is the extraordinary story of salvation. You have been justified [if you are saved] and declared legally righteous before God.

SERMON STORY 1

I want to bring your attention to a… little book in the Bible. The Book has one chapter—the Book of Philemon. Philemon … is only one chapter long. Philemon is a very well-to-do Christian man. He has a servant called Onesimus. To summarize the Book of Philemon for you. Onesimus stole from Philemon and ran away. While Onesimus was running away, he ran into the Apostle Paul. [Watch This] Paul shared the Gospel with Onesimus, and Onesimus became a Christian. In order words, he became saved.

Paul tells Onesimus, “You must go back to Philemon and make this thing right.” So, Paul sends Onesimus back and writes a letter to Philemon. He says, “Philemon, I am sending Onesimus back to you, who is now a brother in the Lord. And I know he stole from you, but whatever he owes you, put it on my account, and I will pay you when I come.” And that is what Jesus Christ has done for us on the Cross.

SERMON EXPLANATION 3

Something was wrong with us, called sin, but God sent Jesus Christ to repair the problem. [To fix the problem.] When we stand before God, He has no record that anything was ever broken, although something was broken, but Jesus fixed the [problem] on the Cross. Somebody ought to Praise the name of Jesus for the Cross!

Justification is the legal declaration that you are innocent before God. And so, that raises a question. How are we justified? He says …, “By His (second big word) Grace … grace … grace. Grace is misunderstood … grace is misused. Paul was concerned that when believers heard about justification, they would misunderstand grace. That is why he says in Romans chapter 6, verse, Verse 1: “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?”

Shall we continue in sin just because we know we have grace? Shall we continue in sin just because we know God is gracious? Shall we continue in sin just because we know we have a forgiving God? Paul says God forbid [By no means! Far from it!] So, what is grace? Grace is God’s Unmerited Favor. Grace is the unlimited [inexhaustible] supply of God’s goodness.

[Watch this now].… When folks try to earn their way to heaven, they [are] skipping grace because grace is what God gives, not what you earn. Verse 27 says: “Where then is boasting.” It is excluded … the reason why God wants to do things by grace is there are no peacocks in heaven. God wants to do things by grace so that God gets the glory and God gets the credit.

God made the supply. God [made] the provision, and God gets all the glory. If you get to heaven because of what you did, you get the credit so you can brag, saying—“God, you know why I am up here in heaven? I was good. Do you know why I am up here in heaven? I went to church. Do you know why I am up here in heaven? I sang in the choir. Do you know why I am here in heaven? I was a preacher.”

By grace, are you saved through faith? Grace is the gift of God, not according to works, so that no one man should boast. When you understand grace, you do the right thing, not because you are driven but because you are grateful to God. Because you are responding to God’s unlimited [inexhaustible] supply of goodness. We are justified by God’s grace and by God’s grace alone.

SERMON EXPLANATION 4

Paul says that God’s Grace justifies us! By His endless supply, and [that brings us] to the [greatest] verse on grace in the Bible. And this is written to Christians. 2 Corinthians, Chapter 9, verse 8—The most significant verse on Grace in the Bible: 2 Corinthians Chapter 9 verse 8: these words: “And God [is able] to make all grace abound to you so that always, having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.”

SERMON ILLUSTRATION 2

To appreciate grace, let’s look at nature. How much oxygen is available? You have taken in oxygen and put out some carbon dioxide, but you still have oxygen to take in. Every time you need some oxygen, it is more than enough. Oxygen is not just enough for me; it is more than enough for everybody in this room. God has built the world so that there is an abundance of freeness—because you don’t pay for your oxygen. Oxygen is free, and the good news is that oxygen is more than enough to carry you as long as you are supposed to be here on Earth.

According to 2 Corinthians 9 verse 8, God can provide all the grace and supplies you need. There is nothing [for you or me] to brag about, and God becomes real to you because He has broken through in ways you didn’t expect or plan for. God has an abundance of grace! So, why don’t we experience God’s grace? We don’t experience grace because we are still trying to force grace and make it happen by law. Grace is God’s supply, the supply of God’s goodness—more than enough.

SERMON EXPLANATION 5

He then comes to the next word in verse 24— Redemption. Being justified is a gift by His grace through the REDEMPTION, [which is] in Christ Jesus. He says, “We are justified through the redemption [that is] in Christ Jesus.” The word ‘redemption’ means buying back by payment of a ransom price. To redeem means [to purchase] by paying a [price].

The cost of our salvation was the Blood of Jesus Christ. What was the Blood designed to do? Remove us from the slave market of sin. Jesus [bought] us back – that is] repurchased us from the slave market of sin. The precious blood of Jesus satisfied the claims of a holy and righteous God. And that is why the Bible says we are slaves, so even the good things you do have sinful attachments to them.

The Bible declares that the Blood of Jesus Christ redeemed us from sin and [from] the judgment of sin by the law. While you and I outside of Jesus Christ were being held hostage by a three-fold jailer … the world, the flesh, and the devil … all designed to keep us away from God … Jesus Christ—secured our release through the redemption that was in Jesus Christ. Now watch this. The Greek word for redemption is pronounced Apolutrosis. The root word is Lutrosis, which means relief. Lutrosis means you have been released and delivered by paying a price. Lutrosis is—I have been redeemed! Apo means never coming back again! That is APOLUTROSIS. I have some good news for you! It is never coming back again. That is why you cannot lose your salvation. That is why God is never going to leave you nor forsake you!

When Jesus died on the Cross [On Calvary] and rose from the dead on the third day, it was Salvation with Redemption. God has saved you forever. The Bible says in Romans 8:33, “Nobody can lay a charge at God’s elect.” It will never come up again; that is Apolutrosis. And that is a reason to praise Him because God has done it once and for all! Redemption is…..accomplished……Redemption is produced….Redemption is fulfilled….Redemption is a reality….Redemption is truth… because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ, God’s very own Son.

SERMON EXPLANATION 6

His final word is Propitiation. Verse 25 says, “Whom God has displayed publicly, a propitiation through His blood.” That is another technical theological word to help us understand and appreciate the Cross. To understand propitiation, you must [understand] God’s justice must be satisfied. God’s justice must be [satisfied]—Romans 1:18—“For the righteousness … the wrath of God is revealed against all unrighteousness.” The synonym for the word propitiation is satisfaction. It means to be satisfied. God’s justice and wrath must be satisfied, which brings us back to redemption, grace, and justification.

SERMON STORY 2

Remember the Passover? The death angel was going to come over Egypt and take the life of every firstborn. God told His people, “You slaughter the animal, you dip it …and you paint the blood on the doorpost of your home.” And then He says, “And when I see the blood, I will pass over you.” In other words, I will skip you in My judgment—Passover, I will pass over you—My judgment will pass you by.

So, on the night of the Passover, the Bible says there was weeping and wailing throughout Egypt because the firstborn died [because] there was no ‘blood’ … meaning God’s wrath had not been averted. But when Israel put blood on the doorposts, God passed over them. Why? Because God’s wrath had been satisfied. Jesus propitiated [the wrath] of God by satisfying its Holy demands. That is why 1 Thessalonians 1:10 says, “Christ’s death delivers us from the wrath to come.” Jesus rescues us from the wrath to come.

FAITH APPEAL, CALL to ACTION and ALTAR CALL

God has been satisfied with the death of Jesus Christ, so that is why the eternal question: “Do you know Him?” That is the question—Do you know Him? Do you know HIM? You must take your stand on the Cross so God can be propitiated. If you take your stand on your good works, you will burn. If you are taking your stand on your church membership, that won’t work. You must take your stand on the Cross!

The Bible talks about a Publican and a Pharisee. They came to the temple, and the [Pharisee] talked about how good he was. And the Publican [talked] about how bad he was, and he asked God to show him mercy. He said, “I need some mercy.” The Bible says that the Publican went away propitiated—while the Pharisee went away judged because he thought his good works could satisfy a Holy God.

When you see Jesus Christ, the Cross will tell it all. And that is the reason: The Cross tells it all! Why am I a Christian? The Cross tells it all! Why do I love Jesus? The Cross tells it all! Why do I serve Jesus? The Cross tells it all! At the Cross at the Cross where I first saw the light. And the burden of my sins rolled away – It was there by faith I renewed my sight. And now I am happy [all the day!] It is at the Cross, where I was justified by grace, having been redeemed so that I have been propitiated … is all [at] the Cross! God bless you.

We are no better than the worst person you know, but by God’s grace, He declares us righteous in His Son, Jesus Christ, who paid the penalty for our sins in full, leaving us with the gift to accept by faith. I cannot make it clearer than that. It is yours to believe. When sinners accept Christ by faith, they are justified. If you are here today and maybe you are not saved, I will encourage you to [accept] the gift of eternal life. To [accept] Jesus by faith so that you have the assurance that heaven is your home. It is yours to believe, but you must [accept] it by faith in Jesus Christ.

And if you need prayer, please come forward so we can pray for you. Let’s stand to our feet and bless the Lord for the Cross.

BENEDICTION [CLOSING PRAYER]

Let us pray.

Our Father, we thank You for demonstrating Your love for us through the redemption and propitiation of the Cross of Jesus Christ. The Cross of Christ changes lives. We pray for the kind of unique lives that should flow from the grasp of that, lives that are filled with a passion [to be] like you, to be honest, to be courageous, to be as [true], and to be as loving as You. Yet, at the same time, we know we are covered by Christ when we fail. Father God, thank You for the gift of eternal life. Thank You for Jesus. Thank You for His life, [His] death, [His] resurrection, and today, His prayer for us from one day to the next. Thank You, Father, for Your love for us. How great it is, and You proved it while we were still sinning. Your Son Jesus died for us. We accept the gift, believe in Jesus, and trust Him for eternal life. In the name of Jesus, we pray with great praise and thanksgiving. And everyone said Amen.

God bless you. We will see you next week at 10:30 a.m.

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